Flashback 1997. Crain's Chicago Business reports on the man running Chicago EVEN back then:
For at least six years, Alderman Edward Burke repeatedly has voted for fare hikes and other legislation affecting Chicago's taxi industry while his law firm was working for the largest cab company in the city.For Alderman Ed Burke's connection to the Chicago Mob click on this. Even Barack Obama takes "advice" from Alderman Ed Burke. Does Alderman Ed Burke work for the City of Chicago or private clients during the work day? He sets the tax code in Chicago. He slates the judges in Cook County. His wife is on the Illinois Supreme Court . His brother is Assistant Majority Leader of the Illinois General Assembly . Yet, Chicago voters see nothing wrong with this.
A review of Cook County tax records reveals that Mr. Burke's five-person law firm, Klafter & Burke, began handling property tax appeals work for Yellow Cab Co. as early as 1991. The law firm actually may have been retained earlier, but records prior to 1989 no longer are available.
News of the apparent conflict-city law forbids aldermen from voting on matters in which they have a "distinguishable" economic interest-follows disclosures that other clients of the powerful Finance Committee chairman had items pending before the City Council.
Mr. Burke, in a statement released late last week, denies he's done anything wrong: "I had no economic interest in the (fare hike) matter, and therefore was under no obligation to abstain and, in fact, there was no conflict."
However, during the 1990s, the City Council frequently has exercised its power to regulate the cab business-and affect Yellow Cab's bottom line.
The council three times this decade has boosted fares, with the basic "pull" rate soaring more than 60% to $1.60 for the first one-seventh of a mile from $1 for the first one-fifth of a mile in 1990.
Mr. Burke would not elaborate on when he was retained by Yellow, why he believes his public and private duties were not in conflict or how much he was paid.
Yellow President Jeffrey Feldman, who, with his father, Jerry, has run the company for decades, did not return several calls seeking comment.
Property tax work
Yellow long has been the dominant player in the city's taxi industry and, at times, Mr. Burke's actions have had a major impact on the company's fortunes.
In 1977, after a subcommittee chaired by Mr. Burke approved a fare hike, then-Consumer Sales Commissioner Jane Byrne set off a political tempest after charging that the hike had been fraudulently "greased" by Mayor Michael Bilandic.
