It's not the people that matter, it's the politicians. They can say "it'll help fund our pensions without a tax increase or budget cuts" to quell the voters and have a much better chance at getting re-elected with all the contributions flowing to their campaigns.
If the politicians really cared what their constituents thought or about the long-term financial health of the city, they wouldn't be leasing away our assets at firesale prices (like the Skyway and street parking).
We need more people in government who care about good government like JB Pritzker, Alexi Giannoulias, or even our Parks superintendent Rosa Escareno.