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'Liar, Liar Pants on Fire!' Pattison Under Breath to Hopkins in Face Off

By Alisa Hauser | March 25, 2015 12:14pm

UKRAINIAN VILLAGE — Barbs again flew between 2nd Ward candidates Tuesday night, prompting Alyx Pattison to say, "Liar, liar, pants on fire" to Brian Hopkins — quietly but audible enough to draw laughter from a debate crowd.

Voters will decide whether Pattison or Hopkins will become alderman of the 2nd Ward on April 7.

Hopkins, at a debate at Columbus Elementary School, 1003 N. Leavitt St. in Ukrainian Village, said that he had learned from "close mutual friends" that Pattison has ambitions to someday run for Congress. Pattison's responded with the liar rhyme.

In last month's election, Pattison, a lawyer and local school council member and Hopkins, a former chief of staff to Cook County Commissioner John Daley and former president of the Streeterville Organization of Active Residents, beat out four other challengers to earn 24 and 29 percent of the vote, respectively.

Now, both are fighting to be the sole elected official at the helm of the "New 2," a gerrymandered cluster that touches a dozen city neighborhoods from the Magnificent Mile to Ukrainian Village.

Pattison:

Hopkins:

Before a debate crowd of about 130, moderators Greg Hinz, a Crain's Chicago Business columnist, and Hal Dardick,Tribune City Hall reporter, gave Pattison and Hopkins a chance to ask questions of each other.

(l.) Dardick, Hinz

Pattison asked Hopkins why he "omitted the fact" in a mailer that he also supports the same sales tax on services that she does.

"Well, I changed my mind," Hopkins interjected.

After the debate, a spokeswoman for Hopkins' campaign wrote into DNAinfo Chicago to offer clarification.

"He had time to consider it, educate himself on the proposal and now he considers it a bad idea for Chicago taxpayers," the spokeswoman said.

Hit with political attacks over her former firm's involvement with the privatization of Chicago's parking meters, Pattison again made clear that the unpopular contract was drafted by another department.

"The allegation that I ever, ever earned a single dime on that is [...] false and he knows it," Pattison said.  

If elected, they would employ different tactics to tackle the city's financial challenges.

"Every man, woman and child in this city owes $7,000 per person for unfunded pension liabilities and we have $6 billion in bond debt coming through. [Hopkins] has proposed no way to solve this issue. Someone has to be an adult in this room. Mayor [Rahm Emanuel] had said as recently as March 19 that it would be irresponsible and dishonest to rule out anything at this point," Pattison said.

Pattison said she would support an increase in property taxes as a last resort while Hopkins opposed any property tax hikes.

"If you vote as a last resort [to raise] property taxes, then you are still voting yes," Hopkins said, arguing that 2nd Ward homeowners are "already paying among the highest property taxes in the city."

Hopkins that the city should trim its payroll to save an estimated $100 million.

"There are 16 employees for every six managers. In the private sector it is six employees for every one manager," Hopkins said.

On real estate development, a hot-button issue in many city neighborhoods, Hopkins said he would "make sure that residents have a voice" in proposed projects.

Pattison said her style would be "not quite community led."

"Ultimately you hire an alderman to make decisions for you. You start with the community but you don't end there," she said.

Both supported a casino for the city a good revenue generator.

Neither was sold on the proposed $160 million Ashland Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project that would reduce Ashland Avenue's car traffic from two lanes to one lane in either direction and eliminate most left turns. The changes would allow a bus to run in the center of the roadway that would shave commute times.

The redevelopment of the A. Fink and Sons steel plant and adjacent industrial corridor — offering an east-west thoroughfare untapped for generations until now — is the most significant development issue in the 2nd Ward, both agreed.

Hopkins wants to draft a "master plan" to guide the development. Pattison said that if she were to run for higher office, she would not do that until she was at least one or two terms in, having seen out the Finkl project.

Hopkins said he would be voting for Emanuel for re-election as mayor. Pattison did not divulge if her vote will go to Jesus "Chuy" Garcia or the incumbent, but she did say she voted for Emanuel on Feb. 24. 

"It's a different race now," Pattison said.

(Listen to a recording of the debate; watch video coverage on CAN TV; See if you live in the 2nd ward. The election is April 7; Find your polling spot).