OUTSIDE the city itself, few political figures are less understood than a Chicago alderman. Indictments, convictions and other scandals have tainted the office; at best most are considered puppets of the Democratic machine. At a recent city council meeting we chatted with Alderman Chris Cohen, who represents the 46th ward on Chicago's lakefront North Side near Lincoln Park.
He is 33, single, a graduate of the University of Michigan law school where he was president of the student body. He worked for U.S. Sen. Abe Ribicoff (D., Conn.) and the late Sen. Robert Kerr (D., Okla.) in Washington, came to Chicago and did legal aid work for the poor, then was assistant to County Board President George Dunne.
Mayor Daley's power
He ran for alderman in 1971 "because
it was the only office open where there
wasn't an incumbent Democrat" and
was reelected in 1975. Cohen, himself a
Daley Democrat, concedes that the city
council is run by Mayor Daley. "He has
a veto power, but he's never used it in 21
years because the city council has never
passed anything he didn't like." But,
Cohen points out, Daley "hasn't stayed
in power by introducing a lot of things
people don't like."
He also has an answer to those who wonder if the city council scandals have hurt: "In the five years I've been in the city council, 10 former members have been indicted by the federal government, three prosecuted by the state's attorney. When I was first elected in 1971, there were 37 Daley aldermen, now there are 45. In 1971 — before the indictments —Mayor Daley won with 70 Per cent of the vote. After the indictments he won with 78 per cent in the general election."
One Function of an alderman is legislative. Cohen serves on several committees— police, fire and municipal institutions; civil service; judiciary; local transportation. Twice monthly the city council itself goes into session. Among the city laws identified with Cohen is one regulating day labor centers which supply temporary help. A number of abuses which Cohen characterized as "slave labor" concerned him because a number of these businesses headquartered in his ward.
An alderman's real job
But an alderman's legislative duties
are only a fraction of his job. His chief
role is acting as ombudsman for his
constituents. "We have 67,000 people in
our ward and, believe me, that's a lot of
people to take care of. There are 120
municipalities in Cook County and only
two [Evanston and Skokie] have more
people than a Chicago ward."
What kind of calls does Cohen get from the people in his ward?
"Some people want more park benches. They want abandoned cars removed, potholes in the street fixed, signs to regulate bicycle, bus and auto traffic, bulk trash removed, CTA platforms repainted. They have immigration problems, complaints about dogs, about garbage collection. They want new schools, sewers."
Cohen and his constituents
Recently there was a ground-breaking in the ward for a new Greeley School
which had taken Cohen and neighborhood groups five years of complaining
to get. A few days later a delegation
came to his office, concerned about a
tavern opening in their area. Cohen was
once a deputy liquor control commissioner and was able to advise them how
to proceed.
Cohen has a city hall office open daily
from 9 to 5, an office in the ward at 4538
Broadway open Monday and Thursday
evenings, and he has a traveling office
which tours the ward regularly. Then,
after hours he's available by phone (like
many aldermen he has a listed phone).
Why do people call the alderman?
"One of the functions of the office is
to know all the right phone numbers to
call for help. Sometimes the constituent
could do it himself, except he doesn't
know where to turn, but he does know
the alderman because he voted for the
official and he figures he ought to get a
little service out of the guy."
Also, Cohen says, the alderman knows how to pinpoint the problem — an exact address, the right department to call. On some services — garbage collection, for example — the sanitation department is set up on lines which parallel those of the ward, so there's a regular chain of communication.
Marking time?
When Cohen was first elected, the job
paid $8,000 a year; now it is $17,500 —
still less money than when he was with
the county government. If Cohen has a
major gripe, however, it is lack of help.
He has one aldermanic assistant; his
only other help is volunteers. At the
moment he has a Northwestern
University student who gains course credits
while working for Cohen, but these
volunteers are usually short-term. Once
Cohen had 43 votes lined up for a
proposal to add staff to each alderman's
office, but somebody (presumably
Mayor Daley) nixed the idea and it was
pigeonholed. Cohen still thinks the idea
is good, but he's marking time — just as
many people think he's marking time
politically, waiting for the proper time
to move up the political ladder. In
Chicago, if you are a Daley Democrat,
you learn to wait for the proper time. In
politics, as in school, Cohen is a good
student. ˛
30 / April 1976 / Illinois Issues