Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Amid budget pain, aldermen try to save "jumping jacks"

Clout St.:
Chicago aldermen afraid of catching grief in their wards are looking for ways to keep the “jumping jacks” program that provides bouncy, inflatable playgrounds for children but is slated for elimination in Mayor Richard Daley’s proposed 2009 budget.

“We, as elected officials, are going to hear it," Ald. Ed Smith (28th) said Monday, contending residents would be upset at the demise of a program that provides entertainment for many children who don’t have much. “People are not going to understand why the program is taken out."

One alderman said the cut, which is slated to save $800,000, simply would not go through.

“We are going to put that back in, so maybe we need to make cuts somewhere else," Ald. Leslie Hairston (5th) said during a series of budget hearings to consider Daley’s spending proposal.


The mayor’s plan for next year includes cuts as well as fee and tax increases to close a $469 million shortfall.

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