Bernard 'Berny' L. Stone (born November 24, 1927) is alderman of the 50th Ward of the City of Chicago, Illinois. The 50th ward encompasses part of Chicago's far North Side and includes the West Ridge neighborhood.
Born 1927, Stone is the oldest alderman on the Chicago City Council. First elected to the Council in 1973, he is also the second longest-serving alderman (after Ed Burke). Stone is also vice mayor of Chicago.
Stone was a member of the "Vrdolyak 29" who were allegedly responsible for organized political opposition to Mayor Harold Washington.
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In 1956, at age 28, Stone ran in a multi-way race in the Democratic primary for the Illinois state House of Representatives from the 8th district,[1][2] but was defeated by Esther Saperstein,[3] who served in the Illinois House for 10 years and became Illinois' first woman state senator.[4]
Alderman Stone announced he joined the Republican Party and his intention to run for Cook County Recorder of Deeds on Thursday, October 29, 1987. "I found the party I have supported since 1932 has changed completely," Stone said in a press conference. "The party I thought stood for all the people stands for special interests."[5] Former Alderman and former Cook County Democratic chairman Edward R.Vrdolyak, a recent convert to the GOP ... encouraged Stone to become a Republican and to run for recorder. "I can no longer be part of a party [ Democratic Party ] that punishes law-abiding, tax-paying citizens and communities," Stone said. Stone, who is Jewish, said another factor in his switch was that "the Democratic Party is drifting away from America's historically strong commitment to Israel."[6] By threatening to run for Chairman of the Republican Party of Cook County, and for Cook County State's Attorney, Vrdolyak brokered a deal to slate himself for Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, and Stone for Cook County Recorder of Deeds.[7]
Less than a month later, Wednesday, November 25, 1987, Harold Washington, Chicago's first African American mayor, died suddenly in office. Under Illinois State law it fell to the Council to name a successor. The Aldermen caucused along racial lines, and, although one of just two Republican aldermen, Stone caucused with the white aldermen. Stone announcing his candidacy for Mayor to his caucus on Sunday, November 29, 1987 and to the public at a City Hall press conference at 10:00 AM on Tuesday, December 1, 1987. Few took Stone's candidacy seriously; many saw it as a publicity ploy for his Recorder race. Two days later Alderman Eugene Sawyer was selected to succeed Washington.[8]
In 1988 Stone ran as a Republican against Democratic Illinois State Representative Carol Moseley Braun, who is black, for Cook County Recorder of Deeds. Stone told reporters he didn't expect their newspapers to endorse him. "Just run a picture of Braun," Stone said. "That's all I ask." Disappointed that few people were focusing on the racial factor in the recorder's election, Stone went for the backlash vote by taking the politically unusual step of featuring Braun's photograph in his own campaign literature.[9] Stone was soundly defeated by Braun and contributed to a sweep of Cook County offices by Democrats.[10]
In 1989 Stone unsuccessfully sought the Republican slating for Mayor of Chicago, to run against Democrat Richard M. Daley.[11] Daley, who is white, succeeded Eugene Sawyer, who is black, as Mayor, and in 1990 Stone returned to the Democratic Party.[12]
In 2000, Stone apologized for slavery during a debate on slave reparations.
In 2003, Stone's son, Jay, launched an unsuccessful attempt to unseat 32nd Ward Alderman Theodore Matlak. Stone publicly supported Matlak, calling his son "an embarrassment" who "doesn't know what he's doing." Despite Jay Stone's overwhelming defeat at the polls, father and son reportedly are still on good terms.[13]
In 2006, Stone voted against an ordinance entitled "AMENDMENT OF TITLE 4 OF MUNICIPAL CODE OF CHICAGO BY CREATION OF NEW CHAPTER 404 ENTITLED "LARGE RETAILERS""[14], popularly known as the "Living Wage Ordinance" or "Big Box Ordinance", a measure supported by organized labor which would have required large retail stores to pay a $10 per hour minimum wage. Weeks later, Stone successfully championed a pay raise for the Chicago City Council which will up each alderman's salary to more than $100,000 per year over the course of the next four years. These two votes were criticized by the Independent Voters of Illinois Independent Precinct Organization (IVI-IPO).
In March 2007, an area near Stone's office was vandalized with antisemitic graffiti.[15]
A photograph of Stone asleep in Council Chambers during a hearing on limiting cell phone use while driving ran on the front page of the Chicago Sun-Times on January 14, 2004.[16] "Some aldermen have a tendency while they're thinking to close their eyes and that may register with their constituency as not paying attention or, perhaps, even sleeping during the session," Stone later explained.[17] Stone fell asleep at his desk in Council Chambers in City Hall during the City Council's Finance Committee debate on the controversial parking meter lease on December 3, 2008, in full view of the press, and was photographed by the press.[18] Stone was videotaped sleeping during a Finance Committee hearing on transparency of the City's tax increment financing program on March 16, 2009.[19][20]
"You take care of the people who take care of you - you know, the people who voted for you," Stone said. "That's not Chicago politics, that's Politics 101."[21]
Stone serves on seven committees: Budget and Government Operations; Committees, Rules and Ethics; Finance; Historical Landmark Preservation; Housing and Real Estate; Traffic Control and Safety; and Zoning. Alderman Stone also serves as the Chairman of the Building Committee.
Stone's favorite foods are Reese's peanut butter cups and bacon.[22]
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   | "Stone Rocks the Boat" - Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV) |
| | City of Chicago - City of Chicago Webportal |
| | Alderman Stone's City of Chicago Website - City of Chicago Webportal |
| | Independent Voters of Illinois Independent Precinct Organization (IVI-IPO) - Independent Voters of Illinois Independent Precinct Organization |
| | West Rogers Park - wrogerspk : West Ridge |
| | House of Representatives - Illinois General Assembly - House Members |
| | "Meet the Chicago City Council" - Chicago Sun-Times |
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