Chicago voters are unlikely to get a chance to check yes or check no to three big questions -- about whether the city should renegotiate the notorious parking meter lease, adopt a transaction tax on financial speculation, and hire more police officers -- on the February 22, 2011 municipal ballot.
A special City Council meeting yesterday was probably the best opportunity to put the questions on the ballot (voters could still petition to do so). That session drew a mere 11 aldermen, exactly 15 less than what's needed to even achieve a quorum. The three referenda were advisory only, but they might have created some political space for the next batch of elected officials in Chicago to consider pursuing them. It appears that most of the current councilmembers who endorsed (PDF) begging a yes or no from voters about levying a financial speculators' tax here and those who did so (PDF) for the meter lease and police hiring questions were just practicing their John Hancocks.
In other referendum-related news, the Illinois Observer notes the state House of Reps recently passed legislation that would allow Chicago voters to create and fund mental health services through "local mental health tax districts." State Rep. Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago) is the chief sponsor. In November, a key Chicago City Council committee passed supporting legislation to Feigenholtz's bill. Mental health funding problems have been persistent in Chicago over the last several years.
The Southside Together Organizing for Power coalition used the final
City Council meeting of the year Wednesday to pillory Rahm Emanuel and
the City Council for closing down six of the city’s twelve mental health
clinics. The City Council passed the 2012 budget 
A group of Chicagoans plan on caroling at City Hall tomorrow morning, but their song list and message may not evoke feelings of merriment and warmth. In fact, the carolers hope to send a stern message to Mayor Rahm Emanuel about their refusal to accept the closing of half of the city's mental health clinics and privatization of neighborhood health clinics, as outlined in the 2012 city budget. 
