Stone and Silverstein square off for 50th Ward run-off

A run-off election April 5 will determine whether or not the city's 50th Ward is keeping its longtime alderman.

Ald. Bernard "Berny" Stone was forced into the runoff after the general election Feb. 22 when he won 37 percent of the vote; one of his opponents, Debra Silverstein, received 33 percent and will face off against Stone April 5. Stone is currently the second longest-serving member of the City Council, having been in office since 1973; only Ald. Ed Burke (14th), who was elected in 1969, has been there longer.

Silverstein is the husband of state Sen. Ira Silverstein (D-8th) and is a certified public accountant. She maintains that the 50th Ward is in dire need of someone who can bring improved city services.

"There are streets when you drive down you have to hold their breath because you're afraid you're going to get a pothole," Silverstein told WFLD-TV Feb. 24.

She also says she'll be able to energize the businesses along major streets in the ward and bring in new developments.

"One only needs to walk down Touhy, Devon and Western Avenues to see that there is no economic plan," Silverstein said in a press release announcing her decision to run.

She proposes a coalition that would allow business owners from across the ward to develop a larger "ward-wide vision," according to her website. She has also decried Stone's vote for the privatization of the city's parking meters.

But Stone has said that Silverstein is too inexperienced to fill his shoes."She has absolutely no experience, she has absolutely no attributes to make her a good alderman," he told the Chicago Sun-Times Feb. 22, adding, "Sometimes experience is much better than change."

Silverstein's husband is the ward's Democratic committeeman and, as such, should take some of the heat for the potholes and needed repairs, according to Stone. He told Chicago Jewish News last October, "She should talk to her husband, not to me. If the state would pay us the money they owe us, perhaps we could fix the potholes."

Stone lost the committeeman's position to state Sen. Silverstein in 2008.

The alderman additionally maintains that a number of new business developments have taken place in the last four years. His website points to a Walgreen's at Western and Granville, an Aldi that tripled in size on California and an allotment of $4.5 million in Small Business Funds for businesses along Granville, among others.

Stone has said that he chose to run for another term after Mayor Richard M. Daley decided not to run for re-election, since he thought a new mayor likely would not understand the problems of the ward.

He has not won support from Chicago's mayor-elect however. Silverstein was one of two aldermanic candidates Rahm Emanuel voiced his support for in the general election and he recorded automated phone messages on her behalf. Stone supporters nevertheless placed "Rahm Emanuel/Berny Stone" signs throughout West Rogers Park.

Stone said he was not phased by Emanuel's lack of support. On March 10, he told WMAQ-TV, "I don't think it's going to affect my race...When I'm re-elected, I'll work with him as a partner, as he indicates-that really is my intent in running rather than retiring."