Daley believes time short for foie gras law
Daley believes time short for foie gras law
By Mickey Ciokajlo
Copyright © 2007, Chicago Tribune
Published May 15, 2007
Mayor Richard Daley, who has ridiculed the City Council's move last year to outlaw the liver delicacy foie gras, predicted Monday that aldermen will move to repeal the ban soon.
"They're going to do it maybe next meeting or the following meeting," Daley told reporters Monday.
Ald. Edward Burke (14th) used a parliamentary move to make it possible for aldermen to vote on the repeal Monday during the final session of the current council.
Although no aldermen called for a vote, Burke's maneuver angered Ald. Ed Smith (28th), chairman of the Health Committee where an ordinance to repeal the foie-gras ban awaits.
Smith threatened to resign Monday if aldermen had bypassed his authority as chairman and voted on the repeal.
"My manhood, my integrity is at stake," Smith told reporters after the meeting. "We have never before called up an ordinance that was passed in the City Council and repealed it. I thought it was wrong and I was ready to resign as chairman of the committee, but it didn't come up."
The city's ban went into effect in August. Foie gras is produced by force-feeding ducks and geese through a process that animal-rights advocates say is cruel.
Since its passage, Daley has regularly labeled the ban as "silly," saying it is an example of aldermen meddling in affairs far beyond their purview. Just weeks after it went into effect, two of Daley's council allies introduced an ordinance to repeal the ban, a move that Daley supported.
The repeal legislation sponsored by Ald. Burton Natarus (42nd) and Ald. Bernard Stone (50th) has been in Smith's Health Committee for eight months. Last week, Burke quietly posted a notice that he would seek to have the ordinance repealing the ban discharged from committee for a possible vote at Monday's meeting.
As aldermen debated a separate issue, Smith gave a letter to Daley during the council meeting saying he would resign as chairman if the action was taken. While the issue didn't come up, Daley later told reporters it was only a matter of time before it does, and likely very soon.
"You known someone's going to do it," Daley said. "You can't have every chairman threatening everybody if you overturn
... an ordinance."
Informed of the mayor's remarks, Smith sought to avert a public confrontation with Daley and Burke, the council dean and chairman of its important Finance Committee.
"When it comes up, we'll deal [with it]," Smith said. "I don't know what's going to happen. I can't speak in the future."
The Illinois Restaurant Association, which sued to overturn the legislation, has gained some new City Hall expertise with its recent hiring of former Daley chief of staff Sheila O'Grady as its president.
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mciokajlo@tribune.com
By Mickey Ciokajlo
Copyright © 2007, Chicago Tribune
Published May 15, 2007
Mayor Richard Daley, who has ridiculed the City Council's move last year to outlaw the liver delicacy foie gras, predicted Monday that aldermen will move to repeal the ban soon.
"They're going to do it maybe next meeting or the following meeting," Daley told reporters Monday.
Ald. Edward Burke (14th) used a parliamentary move to make it possible for aldermen to vote on the repeal Monday during the final session of the current council.
Although no aldermen called for a vote, Burke's maneuver angered Ald. Ed Smith (28th), chairman of the Health Committee where an ordinance to repeal the foie-gras ban awaits.
Smith threatened to resign Monday if aldermen had bypassed his authority as chairman and voted on the repeal.
"My manhood, my integrity is at stake," Smith told reporters after the meeting. "We have never before called up an ordinance that was passed in the City Council and repealed it. I thought it was wrong and I was ready to resign as chairman of the committee, but it didn't come up."
The city's ban went into effect in August. Foie gras is produced by force-feeding ducks and geese through a process that animal-rights advocates say is cruel.
Since its passage, Daley has regularly labeled the ban as "silly," saying it is an example of aldermen meddling in affairs far beyond their purview. Just weeks after it went into effect, two of Daley's council allies introduced an ordinance to repeal the ban, a move that Daley supported.
The repeal legislation sponsored by Ald. Burton Natarus (42nd) and Ald. Bernard Stone (50th) has been in Smith's Health Committee for eight months. Last week, Burke quietly posted a notice that he would seek to have the ordinance repealing the ban discharged from committee for a possible vote at Monday's meeting.
As aldermen debated a separate issue, Smith gave a letter to Daley during the council meeting saying he would resign as chairman if the action was taken. While the issue didn't come up, Daley later told reporters it was only a matter of time before it does, and likely very soon.
"You known someone's going to do it," Daley said. "You can't have every chairman threatening everybody if you overturn
... an ordinance."
Informed of the mayor's remarks, Smith sought to avert a public confrontation with Daley and Burke, the council dean and chairman of its important Finance Committee.
"When it comes up, we'll deal [with it]," Smith said. "I don't know what's going to happen. I can't speak in the future."
The Illinois Restaurant Association, which sued to overturn the legislation, has gained some new City Hall expertise with its recent hiring of former Daley chief of staff Sheila O'Grady as its president.
----------
mciokajlo@tribune.com
posted by Carlos T Mock @ 6:05 PM
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