Special Treatment

Couldn't be! Not in Chicago! Not for a politician!

Alderman Tom Tunney was pulled over last Friday for using his cell phone while driving. He was ticketed for the violation and the officer confiscated his driver's license.

Tunney says that he did not ask the officer for any special treatment. He does say that he called the police station to question the allocation of officers to traffic duty when there is high crime in the area. He again says that he did not ask for special treatment at that time.

Tunney's license was returned to his office that day. I don't know much about Ald. Tunney but I will give him the benefit of the doubt and say that he did not knowingly ask for any special treatment. But, in this city, with its history of corruption, an alderman calling the police station to lodge a complaint about the allocation of resources on the day he receives a traffic violation is going to sound an awful lot like subtle, coercion to the officer taking the call.

Tunney has paid his ticket. He has said that he is embarrassed he violated a law he supported. Next he needs to be conscious of the subtle power his political office grants him and be more careful.