Daley slams landlord where 6 died in fire

September 7, 2006

BY FRAN SPIELMAN City Hall Reporter





The landlord of a Rogers Park building where six children died should have known that the hardworking family of Mexican immigrants was living without power since May, and he had a moral obligation to do something about it, Mayor Daley said Wednesday.

Daley lashed out at landlord Jay Johnson three days after a fire at 7706 N. Marshfield killed more children than any other fire in Chicago since 1964. Officials say the blaze was touched off by a candle used to help light a three-bedroom apartment that had no electric power. It apparently was shut off because the bill wasn't paid by the family.

The deaths of five children from the Ramirez family and a toddler staying with them have touched the hearts of many people -- with donations pouring in to cover funeral expenses. And it has touched a nerve with Daley.

"This woman [existed in] May, June, July and August with candles in her apartment. Someone has a responsibility [to help] -- the landlord or the engineer or his representative in that apartment building," Daley said.

Pressed on whether the landlord's responsibility was a legal or a moral one, the mayor said, "Morally, more so."

Neighbors apparently knew



Johnson responded to the mayor's broadside by repeating the same statement over and over: "When a tragedy like this happens, everyone is upset; it's a horrible, horrible tragedy. Everyone is responsible. If there's a solution, we want to be part of the solution. We will partner up with the mayor's office or any other department to find that solution.''

Neighbors were apparently well-aware that electricity to the apartment had been cut off because the Ramirez family had tried without success to make a connection in the hallway or an adjoining apartment. But Johnson has been quoted as saying he was not aware of the family's situation until after the fire.

Pressed on when he knew that the family was living without power, he said: "We're still investigating everything.''

ComEd officials have said they are prevented by law from sharing information about a customer's account, so the utility could not alert the landlord about the power cutoff.

Help with funeral costs



Daley saved some of his ire for Ald. Joe Moore (49th) -- for suggesting during a TV interview about the fire in his ward that the Ramirez family's plight was an example of why Chicago needs the big-box living wage ordinance. "That's a great tragedy, and I regret that someone tried to inject politics into that . . . that's totally irresponsible," said Daley, who has threatened to veto the ordinance.

Moore, who backs the measure, said: "My intention was to talk . . . in terms of the general importance of people having living wages so that people who have full-time jobs are able to pay their utility bills."

Meanwhile, funeral arrangements were made for the dead children. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Weinstein Funeral Home, 1300 W. Devon. Services will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at. St. Jerome Catholic Church, 1704 W. Lunt. All six children will be buried in Maryhill Cemetery, Niles.

The funeral home, casket and vault companies and Catholic Charities are helping with the costs, estimated at $6,000 to $7,000 for each child.

Contributing: Rummana Hussain

fspielman@suntimes.com



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