"But this is our mayor!"

A group of people planned a demonstration outside the office of 50th Ward Alderman Bernard Stone in 1983 to demand he support newly elected Mayor Harold Washington’s proposed City Council reorganization plan. I was asked to join them.

“What’s our argument?” I wanted to know.

“He should vote for it because the Mayor wants it,” I was told.

“But we we’ve always been against Aldermen voting for things just because the Mayor wants it,” I reminded him.

“But this is our Mayor!” he responded.