Alderman Gets Heated Defending Parking Meter Deal: 'It's None Of Your Damn Business' (VIDEO)

WTTW's "Chicago Tonight" assembled a panel to discuss the the lawsuit filed Wednesday by the Independent Voters of Illinois-Independent Precinct Organization that seeks to have the city's 75-year-, $1.15 billion parking meter lease deal declared illegal.

The panel pitted Ald. Berny Stone (50th), the deal's sole defender, against IVI-IPO attorney Clint Krislov and the Reader's Mick Dumke, whose reporting on the deal has been central to debunking the city's arguments for its success. Cordial it was not, as this exchange, noted by Progress Illinois' Angela Caputo, shows:

During the heated segment, Stone attempted to brush off a series of reports -- including an investigation by Inspector General David Hoffman's office -- exposing how taxpayers were shortchanged by the deal. [...] After Stone dismissed Hoffman's report as "worthless," Dumke asked the alderman, "What research did you do?" Stone's response: "It's none of your damn business."

Comments

[formlessness]

Welcome to chicago, where local government is none of your (the public's) business. Please leave these matters to the private companies afterall they know what is best for you

[whoskiddinwho]

I want to know how this man continues to be re-elected. Who is it that votes for him to remain in office? For that matter how do the majority of incompetents holding office in Chicago city politics garner support and get elected?

[ChiGuy]

Having read the headline, I didn't need to read the article to know which alderman flew off the handle.

Bernie Stone is an old school relic whose better days are decades behind him.
It's time to chuck the wheezer and bring in fresh bl ood.

[47th]

You tink dis is bad, jus wait till da Mare gets da limpics!

[mjb5406]

Stone is a dinosaur, the epitome of Chicago machine politics at its worst. Daley the monarch could rule that the horse poop that the carriages along Michigan Avenue should be left alone because they are a "natural product" and Stone would agree. He's a mealy-mouthed milquetoast and bootlicker.

[evanrkg]

local politicians get the nastiest because the stakes are so low

[Dr Manhattan]

This dude..., wow.

[ejhickey]

rescind the contract

[ChrisRose]

Huh!?!?