Less money, little power

By: By Kimbriell KellyIf money is any indication of power on the Chicago City Council, then black aldermen are limited.

According to an analysis by The Chicago Reporter, black aldermen and ward organizations in predominantly black wards lag behind their white and Latino counterparts when it comes to getting campaign contributions.

Some experts say more power means getting money from people with money, like big businesses and developers. Having little power means getting little from those companies and relying mostly on the contributions from people who work in the ward.

The Reporter analyzed more than 103,000 campaign contributions totaling $57.4 million given to Chicago aldermen and ward organizations between January 1999 and March 2006. During that time, 20 black aldermen collected $11.3 million, less than half of the $26 million collected by 24 white aldermen and just $2.5 million more than 11 Latino aldermen, according to the Reporter's analysis.

"Money brings power, and power brings money," said 6th Ward Alderman Freddrenna Lyle, who is black. "In the business community, it is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Because [businesses] give so much to the white aldermen, they have the power."

Lyle said businesses might give to an alderman because they support the alderman's ideas for commercial or residential development. The contributions don't have strings attached, she explained. "It's not a quid pro quo."

But Lyle believes there is a perception among some business interests that campaign contributions can help move things through the city council. "If you have power on the council, it brings in more money from business," Lyle said. "And the South and West sides have been wastelands for business for many years."

In addition, she said black constituents traditionally give to their churches and not politicians.

Lower income and the perception that black aldermen lack power might also hinder the ability of black aldermen to raise money.

"[Black aldermen] come from [poorer] areas where big campaign giving is not traditional," said political consultant Don Rose.

"The black elected official has far more power than business people would understand or acknowledge," Lyle said.

Some of the city's most influential black aldermen are among the 13 aldermen who received more than $1 million in campaign money, according to the Reporter's analysis. But their numbers still trailed the city's leading white and Latino aldermen.

Rose said that money usually flows to the most powerful aldermen, but having a lot of campaign money is not always a sign of power.