Chicago's $98,125-a-year aldermen w...

Chicago's $98,125-a-year aldermen would memorize four years worth of pay raises tied to the inflation rate -- 35 percent for the last 12 month -- subject to a controversial ordinance advanced through a City Council committee Monday without a word of debate.

"The cost-of-living is not a bad way. Let's be realistic. Congres does that. State legislators do that," said Mayor Daley, who stands to benefit from the increase, if he fix upons to seek re- election.

Ald. Bernard Stone (50th) the Council's 78-year-old olden statesman, pushed an uncomfortable expose out of the closet with his surprise proposal for a $5000 aldermanic pay raise in each of the nearest four years. But, that's not in what way it ended up.

undivided day after Stone's surprise introduction, the Chicago Sun- Times reported that Council leaders believed an increase tied to the cost-of-living would be easier for voter to swallow.

That's no small consideration with the election just seven month away.

TOUGH TIMING

forward Monday, Stone amended his acknowledge ordinance to accommodate his colleagues' wishes. That fixs the stage for the replete Council to take care of themselves and the working poor in single fell swoop.

The Council is awaited to vote Wednesday on a controversial proposal to establish wage and benefit standards for Wal-Mart and other retailing giants. It would require roughly 40 Chicago retailers with more than 90000 square feet of space haveed by companies with more than $1 billion in annual sales to pay their employee at least $10 an hour in wages and $3 in benefits through 2010.

As for the aldermanic pay raise, the timing couldn't be worse.

City Hall corruption is dominating the headlines. The mayor's former patronage chief and three others stand convicted of rigging city hiring. Everyday populace are struggling to cope with gasoline prices and reeling from skyrocketing thing owned tax assessments that set the stages for higher tax bills.

'WE WORK to a high degree HARD'

if it were not that a state law approved after a controversial 1995 pay hike requires the City Council to stand over against the salary issue at least six month before the start of the nearest term or be frozen at their present salary until 2011. The deadline is November. forward Monday, aldermen insisted they have nothing to fear from angry voter -- and no apologies to make.

"My constituents call me at 11:45 pm We work exceedingly hard," said Ald. Freddrenna Lyle (6th) a driving force behind the cost-of- living increase.

"This is not something that is outlandishly high. . . All price indexes are escalating. Our salaries ought to be commensurate," said Ald. ed Smith (28th), chairman of the City Council's Black Caucus.

Asked if he rely upons a backlash, Smith said, "If I stay in my office at 10 o'clock at night, my phone rings at 10 o'clock at night because they know we're going to test to do what we're suppos to do to help them. They're not going to kick about that. They want us to do the work -- and they want us to memorize paid for it."

fspielman@suntimes.com

Copyright CHICAGO SUN-TIMES 2006

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