Michael Rodriguez

In April 2020, Hilco begins demolition involving explosives of a 275 foot smokestack during the Covid-19 pandemic that results in the largest environmental disaster in Chicago's 22nd Ward. Providing a notification/alert of the pending demolition through one social media facebook post less than 24 hours before the planned demolition after Hilco failed to inform the community like was promised.

Michael D. Rodriguez is a Chicago politician. He is the alderman of Chicago's 22nd ward, and took office as a member of the Chicago City Council in May 2019. He received 64% (3,104 total votes out of 20,304 registered voters) of the vote in a ward with the lowest voter turnout in Chicago, during the February 26, 2019 aldermanic election (out of four candidates in an open race to succeed outgoing alderman [[Ricardo Muñoz], who hired Rodriguez as an aide and who groomed Rodriguez throughout his career,]. On March 13, 2019, despite vocal opposition and testimony from 22nd ward residents, during the last days of Ricardo Munoz's days in office, and after an extended absence from City Council due to domestic violence allegations, Munoz appeared in City Council to approve a $19.7 million property tax abatement for HILCO with the support of the 22nd ward's, Little Village Chamber of Commerce, executive director, Jaime DiPaulo and corresponding board members of said chamber, Dan Arce and Eve Rodriguez Montoya (also HILCO lobbyist).

Rodriguez earned a bachelor's degree from DePaul University and a master's degree from the School of Social Service Administration at the University of Chicago. He worked as an executive officer at the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office and was the executive director of the non-profit Enlance, an organization founded by Congressman Jesus "Chuy" Garcia, that worked on social issues in Little Village. On April 10, 2019, Rodriguez joined six other newly-elected members of the City Council in protesting against the approval of tax increment financing for the Lincoln Yards and The 78 real estate developments.

Rodriguez took office as a member of Chicago City Council on May 20, 2019.

In November 2019, Rodriguez was one of eleven aldermen to vote against Mayor Lori Lightfoot's first budget.