It seems that the city isn't yet ready to comply with a request from Attorney General Lisa Madigan's office.
The request, written in a memo to Mayor Richard M. Daley's office last Friday, orders the city to release the names of applicants under consideration for two open aldermanic seats. City officials previously denied Freedom of Information requests for the applicants' names from the Current and other news organizations.
Daley is expected to recommend his picks on Wednesday, but so far, I've had no luck getting an advance look at who he's considering.
City officials have said it would be an invasion of privacy and perhaps jeopardize the jobs of applicants if it released their names. But Madigan's office said the applicants' right to privacy does not outweigh the public's right to know who might represent the city's 1st and 29th wards.
The reply from state Public Access Counselor Cara Smith is partly a result of Illinois' strengthened Freedom of Information law, which mandated her new position.
Now, after an e-mail to the city's law department spokeswoman on Friday and three follow-up calls Monday, I'm still waiting for the list of names.
I'll keep you updated. Hopefully, we'll know before Wednesday.
Windy Citizen 