Proposal to Reduce Aldrecreatures

We can't claim credit for the idea, but as far as we know, we're the only ones who made an actual effort to do anything about it:

• A pair of independent Chicago aldermen are resurrecting a politically-volatile idea to save millions and set the tone for the belt-tightening that lies ahead by cutting the nation’s second-largest City Council in half.
  
  As mayor-elect, Rahm Emanuel broached the subject of going from 50 to 25 aldermen, only to choose the political path of least resistance — by eliminating three of the Council’s 19 standing committees and cutting Council spending by 20 percent.
  
  Now, Aldermen Brendan Reilly (42nd) and Ameya Pawar (47th) are revisiting the idea to begin to chip away at the city’s $338.7 million shortfall and perhaps turn a City Council that’s even more of a rubber stamp for Emanuel than it was for his predecessor into a more deliberative body.
  

The aldercreatures probably aren't going to vote to cut their own numbers, so the only serious effort is going to come from a referendum, proposed either by the involved aldercreatures or a citizen. The research we did four years ago is located here, but in a nutshell, you have to gather signatures totaling 11% of the previous vote total of the mayoral election.

On short notice, we were able to gather just over 11,000 signatures out of a required 122,000. That's how apathetic Chicago voters are. And you're going to need double that to confront challenges from the Machine.

We'll see how serious these guys are in the coming days - we're betting not very.