Sun-Times Takes Cheap Shots Against Cicero

By: Ray Hanania

The Chicago Sun-Times wants you to believe that their recent exposes show they care about the people of the Town of Cicero.

But that’s not the case.

The Sun-Times wrote a story recently criticizing Town President Larry Dominick, who I work for, with wasting money. The town spent $500,000 over a six year period (about $80,000 a year) for novelty items, including 250 “rubber chickens.”

The novelty items also included pens, rulers, pencils, school bags, hats, gloves, chap sticks, notebooks and paper.

Ironically, all of that was announced each year in the summer and the Chicago Sun-Times never reported on the spending when it happened. Because the Sun-Times doesn’t care about the people of Cicero when it comes to covering Town events and services. They are only there to distort facts, twist stories and only report “the bad.”

Who got the novelty items? The 250 rubber chickens were given to Cicero residents who celebrated the 150th Anniversary of the Town’s founding during ceremonies in 2008. The guest of honor is a local success story, Rick Koz who plays “Son of Svengoolie” on TV. And his novelty gag item is the “rubber chicken.”

Are we not supposed to be proud of people who are successful who come from the Cicero area?

Only weeks before, Dominick and the people of Cicero honored Joe Mantegna, who graduated from Morton High school in Cicero and went on to Hollywood and television fame. Both times, the Chicago Sun-Times, which tries to make the spending look bad, never covered either event.

Every year, the Town of Cicero and President Dominick give away school supplies, clothing and more to the children of the Town so they have what other children have when they return to school. Thousands of school children in the Town of Cicero whose parents don’t have the money or ability to provide all the school supplies received the “return to school” items that the Chicago Sun-Times derogatorily calls “trinkets.”

Well, we don’t think school supplies for Cicero children are “trinkets.” We think Cicero school children deserve everything they receive and they deserve more. We don’t agree with the Chicago Sun-Times that the people of Cicero don’t deserve to receive support from their local government. Who else benefited from the items? Senior citizens. Youth. Families.

The Town of Cicero is proud of serving its citizens and we won’t apologize for that just because the Chicago Sun-Times wants to write a cheap story to sell a few papers. Clearly, though, they’re not doing a great job at selling newspapers because their circulation is in the tank, the newspaper is thin and the quality of their stories is taking a serious nose dive.

We’re going to keep spending money on the people of Cicero, for the school children, for the seniors and for events that showcase how great this community is. Unlike, the Chicago Sun-Times, we care about our citizens.

Ray Hanania is the town spokesman for the Town of Cicero. He can be reached at www.TheTownofCicero.com. Join our Facebook group.

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