Progressive aldermen move to strip Burke of $100M-a-year worker's comp program

Progressive aldermen moved Wednesday to strip the Finance Committee chaired by Alderman Edward Burke of control over Chicago's $100 million-a-year workers' compensation program.

The move by Alderman John Arena and his Progressive Caucus colleagues comes nearly two weeks after the unprecedented federal raid on Burke's ward and City Hall offices.

Sources have told the Chicago Sun-Times that the federal raid had nothing to do with the workers' compensation program that has been walled off from any scrutiny by Inspector General Joe Ferguson, even after Ferguson was empowered to investigate the City Council.

Nor was it tied to the property tax appeals work that Burke's law firm has done for the riverfront tower that bears the name of President Donald Trump.

But that didn't stop Arena and colleagues from pouncing on the politically-weakened Burke.

Arena said it's a matter of "accountability and transparency" at a time when Mayor Rahm Emanuel is pushing for a constitutional amendment to help solve a $1 billion spike in pension payments that will confront his successor.

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