Is Alderman Stone try to give a "favor-to-friend"

NAISY DOLAR CALLS FOR ALDERMAN STONE TO DIVULGE BIDDERS FOR RECENTLY CLOSED DOMINICK’S LOCATION

CHICAGO -- March 28, 2007—Naisy Dolar, candidate for alderman in Chicago’s 50th ward, called for Alderman Bernard Stone to divulge the three potential buyers who are interested in purchasing the Dominick’s at 6623 N. Damen, which closed on Monday, March 26. The same day the Dominick’s closed, Stone received a $1,500.00 donation from Michael Bousis, owner of Fresh Market and possibly one of the three potential buyers. In an interview on ABC7, Stone told reporter Andy Shaw that there were bidders interested in the property and was shown thumbing through literature for Fresh Market.

“Is this another infamous ‘favor-to-friend’ scenario?” asked Dolar. “If Fresh Market is one of the bidders on the Dominick’s location and gave a $1,500.00 donation to Alderman Stone, other bidders may do the same if they haven’t already. Alderman Stone should divulge who those bidders are.”

With the Dominick’s closing, the 50th ward is left without any full service supermarkets.

“The residents of the 50th ward need a viable retail outlet that benefits the community, not just his campaign donors,” said Dolar. “If Fresh Market is truly interested in bidding on this location then Alderman Stone should return their donation so that the process is open and fair.”

The ABC7 clip is available at: http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=politics&id=5152863

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Salman Aftab on Berny Stone

On Tuesday, March 27 Alderman Stone received the endorsement of Salman Aftab. Ladies and gentlemen we give you Mr. Aftab.



From the Chicago Reader blog
"Nobody but Stone"
by Mick Dumke on March 27th - 6:13 p.m.

Former 50th Ward aldermanic candidate Salman Aftab announced this morning that he's backing incumbent Bernard Stone in the ward's runoff election. A few weeks ago Aftab vowed that if Stone were forced into a runoff by one of the other candidates, he'd back the challenger. "I will support ABS—anybody but Stone," Aftab said.

Today, though, he told reporters at City Hall that he would back "NBS—nobody but Stone." Aftab said his supporters had told him they wanted to support Stone, and he'd decided that he needed to represent them. But it was clear that he was motivated primarily out of distaste for Naisy Dolar, who is squaring off against the incumbent in the April 17 runoff.

Aftab's earlier criticism of Stone was "what I felt at that time," he said this morning. "I thought then that I was running against very humble, gracious challengers. But I didn't find Naisy Dolar as humble and gracious as I thought."
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From the Chicago Tribune blog
Did I say that?

Posted by Robert Becker at 1:18 p.m.

They were bitter political enemies during the Feb. 27 general election, but 50th Ward Ald. Bernard Stone and former aldermanic challenger Salman Aftab were all smiles today as Aftab announced his support for Stone in his April 17 runoff against Naisy Dolar.

During the run-up to the February election, which pitted Stone against three challengers--Aftab, Dolar and architect Greg Brewer--Aftab proclaimed that if his bid failed he would never support Stone. "Anybody but Stone" was his oft repeated mantra.

Aftab claimed that Stone was part of the culture of corruption at City Hall, and went so far as to allege that Stone was threatening business owners on Devon Avenue who hadn't contributed to Stone's campaign.

“If they don’t give money, the sanitation inspectors will visit them every single day,” Aftab said in an appearance before the Tribune editorial board.
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Mission Impossible: Debate Stone