Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley stopped just short Tuesday of recommending the city’s churches have landmark status forcibly imposed on them.

Mayor Daley’s machiavellian attitude demonstrates an utter disregard for the separation of church and state.

Alderman Burton F. Nartarus (42nd) has proposed churches be denied the right to opt out of landmark protection.

This so-called ‘protection’ could potentially force the Chicago Archdiocese to maintain churches and schools whether or not it can afford to.

Daley cites other cities which have mandated landmark protection for religious institutions. His argument fails miserably because it does not address the question of whether the policy is right or wrong, but instead advocates a ‘monkey see, monkey do’ attitude.

Daley attempts to passionately defend the integrity of the city’s neighborhoods which draw their identities from the religious institutions when he argues churches are the ‘fabric’ of a community. He vainly tries to employ alarmist rhetoric by painting a picture of a city entirely devoid of churches.

“To tear down every religious institution in the city of Chicago would have a great effect upon every community and every block,” Daley said, according to the Chicago Sun Times.

Well, duh. Mayor Daley, grow a brain. No one is threatening to demolish all the city’s religious buildings. The insinuation is preposterous.

The biggest threat to the prevalence of churches is this proposal to deny an ‘opt out’ provision for landmark designation.

If a church closes it is usually because the congregation was too small to support it. Forcing a not-for-profit institution to maintain an otherwise useless building would cripple its abilities to provide needed ministries.

Maybe Mayor Daley forgot the backlash resulting from his overnight demolition of Meigs Field runways. It is obvious the people of Chicago do not like his ‘my way or the highway’ politicking.

The people of Chicago should not have to maintain his landmark of an ego either.

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