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Revision as of 13:25, 19 November 2006
Helen Shiller is alderman of the 46th ward in Chicago; she was first elected in 1987.
Early life
Shiller earned her high school Diploma from Woodstock County School in Vermont in 1965. She went on to graduate from the University of Wisconsin at Madison with a degree in history. Recently, in 2005, Shiller graduated from De Paul University’s School for New Learning Master’s Program where her focus was public policy.
From 1981 to 1987, Shiller was President and CEO of Justice Graphics, Inc. Shiller also worked as a free lance photographer and writer from the mid-1970s until her election as alderman.
Public Service
Shiller was formerly the Executive Organizer for the Employment Action Coalition, a project of the Community Renewal Society. Schiller also taught GED classes to Stockton School parents and later worked on Mayor Harold Washington’s Political Education Project.
Aldermanic career
Shiller was first elected alderman of the 46th in 1987.
As alderman, Shiller has sponsored and fought for many new ordinances and programs. She worked for the passing for the human rights ordinance, recycling programs and city responsibility for public health and safety in the Chicago Public Schools. She initiated an anti-apartheid ordinance in 1990 and added a budget amendment to triple to city’s AIDS budget in 1992. She co-sponsored the domestic partners ordinance which extends benefits for unmarried couples.
In 1989, Shiller sponsored a resolution creating a sub-committee on Domestic Violence. Since that resolution, the Chicago Police Department invested in a computerized domestic violence incident tracking system and the city now funds domestic violence counseling centers and programs for supervised visitations.
Shiller has recently worked with the Department of Housing to develop the Planned Purchase Assistance Program, which provides opportunities for home ownership to working families.
Shiller serves on eight committees: Budget and Government Operations; Buildings; Committees, Rules and Ethics; Finance; Health; Housing and Real Estate; Human Relations; and License and Consumer Protection.
Shiller is facing a challenge in the February 27th, 2007 citywide election. Her challenger, James Cappleman, is a social worker and community activist. He is also openly gay in a committed relationship.
http://www.jamesfor46ward.com/
Roughly 15% of the residents in the 46th Ward are estimated to be gay and Shiller is expected to have a tough challenge.
Shiller has been embroiled in many controversies recently. Her son, Brendan Shiller, is an attorney who has represented businesses in city related liquor license issues. http://www.circuitclub.com/asp/DakotaArticle4.html
Brendan Shiller also defended The Islamic Association for Palestine in a lawsuit where they were found liable for monetary damages for sending funds to Palestinian terrorists who killed a young Israeli-American, David Boim. http://www.archives2005.ghazali.net/html/three_muslim_charities.html
This could be problematic for Helen Shiller as the 46th ward has a large Jewish community in lakefront highrises and other areas of the ward.
Helen Shiller also refused to vote on a controversial "big box" ordinance that would have mandated higher wages and benefits for large stores in the city. She later voted with Mayor Daley to uphold his veto of the proposed legislation. http://chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=22008
A grassroots movement to oust Shiller has been mounted on the internet using www.youtube.com and blogspot.com.
The central clearing house for such information is "what the helen" at http://what-the-helen.blogspot.com/
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