Ex-Ald. Oberman: Campaigns need public financing to be fair

By Evan Taylor

Martin J. Oberman served as alderman of Chicago’s 43^rd Ward from 1975 to 1987. He was an acknowledged expert of the city budget and a constant adversary of the Chicago City Council’s heavy-handed political majority.

After leaving the City Council, Oberman was appointed Chairman of the Shore Protection Commission, which was tasked with doing a rehabilitation of Chicago’s shoreline while ensuring environmental protection. He ran for Illinois Attorney General in 1981, 1986 and again in 1994. Currently, he is a lawyer in private practice.

Here are some observations he had about the Feb. 22 election:

Eric Zorn

Zorn, a graduate of the University of Michigan, has worked at the Chicago Tribune since 1980. After five years as a feature writer and radio columnist in the Tempo section he moved to the metropolitan news staff, where in late 1986, he became a news-feature columnist. In August of 2003, Zorn started the Tribune’s first Web log, which appears five days a week.

Mary Laney

Laney is an award winning journalist and columnist. Over the last three decades, she has reported in radio, television and print sectors of journalism for several national and local networks as well as the Chicago Sun-Times. She was also a Midwest Correspondent for CNN and Editorial Director of NBC, WMAQ-TV in Chicago.

Robert Feder

Feder, a lifelong Chicagoan, is a nationally-recognized, prize-winning media critic. A 1978 graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, he began working for the Chicago Sun-Times in 1980 writing a must-read column on the Chicago broadcast business until 2008. He now writes a blog for Vocalo—reporting on Chicago media once again.

Larry Bennett

Bennett has been a member of the Political Science Department at DePaul University, where he was taught courses on Chicago government, American political culture and urban politics and policy since 1990. He has a doctorate from Rutgers University.

David Kohn

Kohn is the Executive Director of Public Affairs at the Union League Club in Chicago. The Union League Club offers a way for members to practice civic involvement, both nationally and locally. David directs the club’s public policy work and acts as a liaison to many levels of government. His role is similar to that of a lobbyist, only he advocates for the positions that the club has taken on a wide range of issues.

Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider

The Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider is president of DePaul University, having been appointed to that position in 2004. As the Chicago school’s chief executive officer, he has been active in such civic organizations as the Economic Club of Chicago, Illinois Reform Commission, Chicago History Museum and Chicago2016. He has a doctorate from Harvard University in Administration, Planning and Social Policy.

Professor Wayne Steger

Steger is the chair of the Political Science department for DePaul University, where he specializes in the American political process. He has a doctorate from the University of Iowa and has published numerous articles and edited books in his specialty area.