Rittenberg took the wrong side

40th Ward Alderman Ivan Rittenberg joined community groups in opposition to a housing development in his ward in 1979. Not long after taking that position, his political allies informed him that the developer was one of their supporters and that he needed to back the project.

So, when the zoning change that would make the development possible was introduced in the City Council, he abruptly switched sides and apologized to the other Aldermen for his previous opposition, saying he was new and didn’t understand how things were done.