A Waukegan City Alderman caught up in a controversy for posting a severed arm on social media is under fire again, this time for telling a roomful of city officials that men work more than women.
6th Ward Alderman Keith Turner, who is already facing a censure vote by the Waukegan City Council for posting the severed arm picture on his social media, flippantly made the remark to 8th Ward Alderwoman Lynn Florian during a public discussion regarding a proposed $315 million redevelopment of downtown Waukegan by the Waukegan Community Development Partnership.
Representatives from the development partnership appeared in a special Waukegan City Council meeting Thursday to discuss potential plans for the redevelopment of 70,000 square feet of commercial space and to discuss a proposed tax increment financing district to help spur development.
If approved, the redevelopment would cover 10 parcels of land starting with the purchase and redevelopment of the old YMCA building on Clayton Street.
Near the end of the two hour discussion, Turner asked developers about targeted marketing materials using the term “inclusive” on their brochures.
Officials with the proposed development responded to Turner’s questions saying the term would be used opposite to the term “exclusive” as a way to show everyone is welcome and safe inside the proposed development.
Turner then questioned why either term needed to be mentioned at all.
“If we’re all treated equally, there’s no need to mention anything,” Turner said. “So, by default, it should just be equal by everyone.”
This prompted Florian to respond, “Women are still not treated equal. Do you know how much money women make on the dollar to men? About 84 cents on the dollar.”
In response, Turner replied, “Do you know how much more men work than women?”
Florian responded with audible outrage before firing back, “Oh My God, and he’s running for mayor!!”
Mayor Ann Taylor stepped in to change the line of questioning away.
The entire video can be viewed at the Waukegan city YouTube page with the back-and-forth appearing at the 1 hour, 51 minute mark.
When asked about the statement Monday, Turner pointed to a study from www.core-econ.org which reads, “According to data collected for 30 higher-income countries, working-age women spend an average of three hours 38 minutes per day undertaking either paid work or study. The average time for men is five hours 18 minutes.”
“She (Florian) made a snide remark, so I educated her on the facts,” he said.
Florian is the catalyst behind bringing forth a motion to censure Turner for posting a severed arm on his social media in early May.ย That motion is due to be voted upon at the city’s next council meeting June 3.
The severed arm was discovered at about 8 p.m. May 11 at the Waukegan Municipal Beach in the 200 block of East Sea Horse Drive.
Authorities said a person was walking along the beach saw what they believed to be a human arm on the ground and officers later found the arm next to a fallen tree trunk at the beach.
The Lake County Coronerโs Office is working with police on the investigation.
Turner never contacted Waukegan Police or anyone within city government to ask about the discovery of the severed arm before posting the photo on Facebook.
Taylor previously said the decision to post the photo on social media was โmorally disgusting, socially irresponsible, and extremely cruel to the victimโs family.โ
Authorities believe the severed arm belongs to 19-year-old Sade Robinson of Milwaukee, who authorities said was murdered and dismembered around April 2 following a date with Maxwell S. Anderson, 33, of Milwaukee, Wisc., at the Twisted Fisherman in Milwaukee.
Andersonย is currently being held in custody on charges of first degree intentional homicide, mutilating a corpse and arson as authorities believe he intentionally killed Robinson, mutilated her remains then set fire to her car.
A criminal complaint filed in Wisconsin said a severed human leg was later discovered at Warnimont Park in Cudahy, Wisc., while aย severed human foot was recovered in a wooded area near 31st Street and Galena in Milwaukee.
Robinsonโs mother, Sade of Milwaukee, said she was disgusted to see the social media post from Turner and that she wanted โhim held accountable.โ
Florian said the censure vote is the only punishment available for fellow aldermen to take against Turner for posting the picture on social media.
โI believe itโs incumbent on us to hold ourselves to a higher standard of conduct,โ Florian said during a previous Waukegan City Council meeting. โI want to distance myself from what happened because I had nothing to do with that and I want nothing to do with what was done.โ
Waukegan Mayor Ann Taylor toldย WISN ABC Newsย in Milwaukee, โI literally myself almost passed our when I saw that picture, so I canโt even imagine what this poor mother went through.โ
โI was outraged,ย like most people should be,โ Taylor said. โAll Iย could think of was thisย poor family and what they wereย going through.โ