In 2006, Chicago made animal protection history by becoming the first U.S. city to pass a comprehensive ban on the sale of foie gras. Sadly, last week, the Chicago City Council revoked this ban in a stunning display of dirty politics. Under pressure from Mayor Richard Daley and the Illinois Restaurant Association, a vote to repeal the ban was rushed through the Council, deliberately precluding any internal debate or public input on the issue.

Using an obscure political rule, Alderman Tom Tunney (former chair of the Illinois Restaurant Association and a current restaurant owner) invoked a seldom-used state law that permits a Council member to move to "discharge" a matter from committee without a public hearing. Until last week, the repeal had been sitting idle for over a year in the City Council Rules Committee. Opponents of the foie gras ban representing special interest constituents willfully subverted the democratic decision-making process because they knew the repeal would fail if the public was given any chance to voice their concerns.  

Blatantly violating City Council rules, Mayor Daley completely ignored the vocal objections of Alderman Joe Moore, the ban's original sponsor and most outspoken advocate, who demanded a public hearing and debate be held. Though Moore shouted to be heard - his microphone had been intentionally deactivated - Daley acted as though he were not even there, and demanded that the clerk proceed immediately to a roll call vote. Of the 48 alderman who initially voted in favor of banning foie gras, only six opposed the repeal.

Mayor Daley has called Chicago's foie gras ban the "silliest ordinance" ever passed by the City Council, despite the fact that it had massive public support and addressed the serious issue of egregious animal cruelty in food production. Foie gras is an exceedingly expensive and cruelty-promoting "delicacy" produced by force-feeding enormously unhealthy amounts of grain to ducks and geese to make their livers expand to about 10 times their natural size. Foie gras "artisans" then slice out this diseased, fattened organ for sale in elite restaurants.