- Richard A. Chapman/Sun-Times
- Alderman Michele Smith
Of all the candidates in this city this election season—both mayoral and aldermanic—you’d be hard-pressed to find a pair who obviously hate each other more than Michele Smith and Caroline Vickrey, who are vying to become alderman of the 43rd Ward. Smith is the incumbent, Vickrey is the challenger, and their enmity has had plenty of time to grow in the past three months because they’ve had to take part in nine separate debates, five in advance of the general election, four more before the runoff. Even Rahm and Chuy have only had to face off five times total.
Here are some issues facing the 43rd Ward: closing businesses, development (notably on the site of what used to be Children’s Memorial Hospital), rising taxes, overcrowded schools, noisy restaurants, crime (largely theft), and rats.
Smith countered that the development would have gone up faster had the Mid-North Neighborhood Association, of which Vickrey was a member, not sued. “Ms. Vickrey likes to pick and choose things to stitch together,” she said. Anyway, Smith added, the neighborhood needs to replace the people and dollars that left along with the hospital when it moved downtown. (These people, it’s true, were sick children and the people who cared for them, but maybe they did get takeout from nearby restaurants every once in a while.)
“I’ve been working very, very hard for the ward,” Smith finished. “It’s time for you, Caroline, to put it down and maybe apologize to me.” (This was possibly the biggest laugh line of the night.)
“I’m supporting the mayor,” said Vickrey.
“Read the cards we gave you!” shouted some of the members of the audience.
