(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Two days after Mayor Brandon Johnson held back a City Council vote regarding his own nomination to the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) board, that nominee — Rev. Ira Acree — dropped his name from consideration.
Acree said he would have been an advocate for public transportation riders on the South and West Sides, especially, had he been approved to the board.
He was not blaming Johnson for putting off a council vote on his nomination.
Instead, he blamed unnamed alders, who he accused of being opponents of the mayor or opponents of African American empowerment.
Acree, the pastor of Greater St. John Bible Church, appeared for a hearing on his nomination earlier this month before the City Council Transportation and Public Way Committee.
He portrayed that hearing as “a grueling interrogation” to WBBM Newsradio.
“These guys were asking me questions for an hour-and-a-half as if I was being accused of murder or something,” he said.
Among the questions he was asked in the hearing that did not appear contentious was about whether he’d talk to Johnson about public transportation. When he responded he had not, he was asked why not. The civil rights leader was asked about the RTA budget issues and whether Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) president Dorval Carter should be replaced.
He was also asked whether he rides public transportation. He indicated he does sporadically, but that he usually takes the CTA when he’s going downtown in order to save on the high cost of parking. Acree told alders he had taken the CTA to City Hall for that May 8 hearing.
Since he will not be on the $25,000 a year board, Acree said he’s going to spend his time calling out adversaries of his community.
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