Sun-Times endorses Valadez and Currin over higher tax-advocates Murphy and Simms

The Chicago Sun-Times issued two strong endorsements, and trip up on another.

In the 5th District (South Side, south suburbs) the Sun-Times endorsed Matteson trustee Sheila Y. Chalmers-Currin, a member of the ChangeCookCounty reform slate, over incumbent Deborah Sims, one of only four commissioners to vote with Stroger 90 percent or more of the time.
In the 6th District (south, southwest suburbs) the Sun-Times endorsed Nick Valadez, the leading reform-minded candidate with strong credentials challenging incumbent Joan Patricia Murphy. They picked Valadez over John Fairman, who some think is in the race to to help Murphy who wasn't satisfied with increasing the sales tax one percent as proposed by Stroger. Murphy proposed increasing the sales tax two percent. Yikes. Get her outta there!

In the 17th District, the Sun-Times gave an unenthusiastic endorsement to mudslinger Mark Thompson (with no mention of his mudslinging and ties to controversial county board members) over lower-tax champion Elizabeth "Liz"Doody Gorman. Gorman has won the endorsements of the Chicago Tribune, Daily Southtown, and even the Daily Herald which is based in Thompson's backyard and was disturbed by his mudslinging. Can't imagine what the Sun-Times was thinking, though. Of course, they also backed Peraica, who has been having a hard time as media after media pound him for his loner, him-first PR Strategy. Peraica's a decent person who knows how to make enemies from enemies and friends.

The big loser in endorsements, though, has been Patrick Maher, son of Orland Park Village Clerk David Maher. Maher was aced out in every newspaper by his Democratic rival Dr. Victor Forys. Must be his media and political advisers who stumbled badly. Nothing like bad advice to sink the campaign ship.

-- Ray Hanania
http://www.radiochicagoland.com/

Gainer's pro-casino video gaming machine ban approved at today's Cook County board

Cook County Commissioners bowed to the only casino gaming interests in the county and backed casino Commissioner Bridget Gainer's pro-casino legislation to ban video gaming devices in suburban unincorporated areas of the county. Amazingly, two controversial suburban commissioners, Deborah Sims and Joan Patricia Murphy, decided to do the right thing during the final effort to delay the legislation, but it still wasn't enough.

The first vote was 9 to 5 to defer. The final vote was 10 to 4 to pass Gainer's pro-casino legislation.

Commissioners Sims and Murphy joined Commissioner Liz Gorman and Commissioners Edwin Reyes and Joseph Mario Moreno to support the deferral of the ban to give taxpayers and voters a chance to express their views and wishes on the issue. Commissioners Tim Schneider voted "present" and Larry Suffredin, a full time casino lobbyist, was out of town and did not vote. Both are suburbanites and that's two suburban votes down the drain.

Does anyone care about the taxpayers? Gainer just wants to be Cook County Board President or maybe congressman. She has high aspirations, apparently.

Most of the county votes were driven by selfish interests, not the best interests of the taxpayers, like the case of County Commissioner William Beavers who backed Gainer's casino legislation all the way. The Cook County casino wants this video gaming machine banned in Cook County so the machines won't compete with them. The unions supported fighting the video gaming machine ban and Beavers had it in for the unions.

The unions supported Sandi Jackson against Darcel Beavers, who was appointed alderman in the 7th Ward to succeed her father, Commissioner Beavers. And Beavers has a long memory and voted to support Gainer's pro-casino video gaming machine ban.

If any two of the nine commissioners who supported Gainer, including Commissioners Gregg Goslin, who moved to defer Gainer's pro-casino ban on video gaming machines at the Finance Committee hearing last week, had switched to defer, the taxpayers would have had a chance to more closely weigh this bill. What's that all about?

Commissioner John Daley's vote to support Gainer's pro-casino legislation is odd because his brother, Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley has suggested he might reverse the city ban and permit video gaming machines as a revenue source.

Commissioner Peter Silvestri left the meeting early. Silvestri is mayor of Elmwood Park which voted to ban video gaming machines, although he voted for deferral last week.

If Silvestri and Goslin had stuck to their guns, the interests of the taxpayers would have been defended.

Tragedy for taxpayers, tragedy for unions, tragedy for the state's $31 billion capital improvements plan, but not so un-lucractive to Gainer who told a TV reporter than the donations from the casinos came from "two women" she met at a wine and cheese party.

Ahh, Leslie Bluhm, the daughter of Neil Bluhm the chairman of Midwest Gaming and Entertainment LLC which is getting the 10th license is a woman. But Gregory Carlin, the president of Midwest Gaming who gave Gainer $1,000 -- not chump change by any stretch of Gainer's imagination -- is, I believe, a man.

A win and cheese party? Hosted by who? The county's milk contractor? Stay tuned ...

-- Ray Hanania
www.RadioChicagoland.com

Commissioner Joan Murphy tells Orland audience her tax policies not driving business out of town

Leave it to Cook County Commissioner Joan Patricia Murphy who appeared on a  panel hosted by the Orland Park Chamber of Commerce to show how much she closes her eyes to reality, declaring that her tax increase proposals have not driven businesses out of town.

Of course Murphy would argue that going in to a re-election campaign against challenger Nick Valadez that she is Miss I-Love-The-Taxpayers, when she doesn't. Murphy introduced the largest tax proposal ever to come to the Cook County board, and tried hard to increase the sales tax in Cook County by 2 percent, double what County Board President Todd Stroger proposed -- the Oppressive 1 percent Stroger Sales Tax.

Businesses are fleeing from Cook County, especially from the Cook County region and I am surprised that some of the panelists and members of the Orland Park Chamber of Commerce didn't challenge Murphy or put pressure on her since they are the ones being hurt the most.

Cook County Commissioner Liz Gorman also participated and detailed her own, different, strategy from Murphy. Gorman has been the leading voice in fighting and repealing the Stroger 1 percent sales tax and although the effort did not succeed -- thanks to the flip-flop vote of Deborah Sims, the fact is that thanks to Gorman, the sales tax is now a front-and-center issue going in to the elections next year and taxpayers feel that they have someone on their side -- Gorman -- who at least will fight for their rights.

That's more than what Murphy and Sims have done. And they are upset that I am criticizing them, but the FACT IS that THEY voted to increase taxes and if they don't want to defend that or if they just want to make excuses, that is their problem. Not everyone knows how to represent the best interests of the community.

Also attending the event were State Reps. Renee Kosell and Kevin McCarthy, State Sen. Ed Maloney, and representatives for Congressmen Bobby Rush and Judy Biggert, and US Sen. Roland Burris.

Click here to read the Orland Prairie article on the Chamber's event?

Stroger may have won (and taxpayers lost) this battle, but Stroger will lose the war

Stroger may have won the battle but not the war

By Ray Hanania

Cook County Board President Todd Stroger boasts he won the battle to “save” the 1 percent hike in the county sales tax, a repressive tax that mostly harms the poor and lower incomed citizens.

Stroger’s victory came when Commissioner Deborah Sims, who supported the tax hike and who later – under pressure from constituents – voted to roll it back a ½ percent, flip-flopped again and refused to support the override of Stroger’s veto.

Sims’ told reporters she owed her loyalty to Stroger, the silver-spoon-fed politician who was lifted to public office by his powerful father, the late and former County Board President. Stroger has never had to work a single day of his life in a real job and the notion of paying a sales tax means nothing to someone who has everything done for him in life.

Although Stroger managed to prevent a repeal of half of his repressive sales tax hike – his only real achievement since the county board presidency was handed to him on a silver spoon – Stroger faces losing the war in the Democratic primary election Feb. 2.

Several strong candidates have stood up to challenge Stroger in the Democratic primary, Cook County Circuit Clerk Dorothy Brown and Chicago Alderman Toni Preckwinkle. It will be a tough battle, the notion being that Brown and Preckwinkle and others will divide the anti-Stroger vote. Congressman Danny Davis is also eying the race. But Stroger has so little popularity in the county that dividing the anti-Stroger vote will still give the challengers strong pluralities to win.

The real hero in this saga, though, is not in the Democratic Party, although key Democratic members were among the leadership in fighting to rollback the repressive 1 percent Stroger Sales Tax hike, like Commissioners Larry Suffredin and John Daley.

County Commissioner Liz Gorman, a Republican, was dogged in her determination to protect Cook County taxpayers. She refused to give up when everyone said it was impossible to build a coalition to challenge Stroger’s veto threats.

Gorman stubbornly pushed the issue, first trying to roll back the entire sales tax hike, which is chasing businesses out of Cook County into neighboring suburban communities and placing a heavy burden on consumers who are scaling back purchases.

When that failed, she came back with a 1.4 percent roll back and then a 12 percent roll back. Her persistence raised public awareness of the incompetence of the Stroger administration. The fact is that despite all the tax money that Stroger can dole out to hire ineffective flaks to rattle his cause in the lobbies of local community newspapers, the public recognizes that Stroger is incapable of running county government.

He has a record alliance against him that crosses color lines and political party lines, too.

Stroger is a coward, too, and fears defending his administration’s actions, hiding behind an army of paid consultants, PR flaks and patronage people, including a few who have criminal records.

He is remembered not for great achievement and foresight in leadership, but for his typically Machine extravagances like hiring a busboy who catches his eye at a costly steak house. Or his inability to control his high-salaried staff who wield their power to benefit themselves personally.

Normally, incompetence in office is rewarded by the party Machine but the Machine is even tiring of his failed leadership.

Meanwhile, in Stroger’s beleaguered administration and as he stumbles through office avoiding responsibility or accountability, declining media interview requests and dodging the tough questions, Gorman is rising as a powerful watchdog to defend the rights of Cook County voters.

Her coalition includes insightful leadership like Daley and Suffredin and many others.

Hopefully, the tax advocates in Stroger’s alliance, including Joan Patricia Murphy, who unbelievably tried to push the sales tax up by 2 percent, and Sims, will be swept out of office with the rest of the trash in February.

Murphy is being challenged by Nick Valadez. Sims may be challenged again by Dian M. Powell. It’s still early but it could save taxpayers a lot of money if Stroger, Murphy and Sims would just step down. We can only hope.

END

Stroger may have won (and taxpayers lost) this battle, but Stroger will lose the war

Stroger may have won the battle but not the war

By Ray Hanania

Cook County Board President Todd Stroger boasts he won the battle to “save” the 1 percent hike in the county sales tax, a repressive tax that mostly harms the poor and lower incomed citizens.

Stroger’s victory came when Commissioner Deborah Sims, who supported the tax hike and who later – under pressure from constituents – voted to roll it back a ½ percent, flip-flopped again and refused to support the override of Stroger’s veto.

Sims’ told reporters she owed her loyalty to Stroger, the silver-spoon-fed politician who was lifted to public office by his powerful father, the late and former County Board President. Stroger has never had to work a single day of his life in a real job and the notion of paying a sales tax means nothing to someone who has everything done for him in life.

Although Stroger managed to prevent a repeal of half of his repressive sales tax hike – his only real achievement since the county board presidency was handed to him on a silver spoon – Stroger faces losing the war in the Democratic primary election Feb. 2.

Several strong candidates have stood up to challenge Stroger in the Democratic primary, Cook County Circuit Clerk Dorothy Brown and Chicago Alderman Toni Preckwinkle. It will be a tough battle, the notion being that Brown and Preckwinkle and others will divide the anti-Stroger vote. Congressman Danny Davis is also eying the race. But Stroger has so little popularity in the county that dividing the anti-Stroger vote will still give the challengers strong pluralities to win.

The real hero in this saga, though, is not in the Democratic Party, although key Democratic members were among the leadership in fighting to rollback the repressive 1 percent Stroger Sales Tax hike, like Commissioners Larry Suffredin and John Daley.

County Commissioner Liz Gorman, a Republican, was dogged in her determination to protect Cook County taxpayers. She refused to give up when everyone said it was impossible to build a coalition to challenge Stroger’s veto threats.

Gorman stubbornly pushed the issue, first trying to roll back the entire sales tax hike, which is chasing businesses out of Cook County into neighboring suburban communities and placing a heavy burden on consumers who are scaling back purchases.

When that failed, she came back with a 1.4 percent roll back and then a 12 percent roll back. Her persistence raised public awareness of the incompetence of the Stroger administration. The fact is that despite all the tax money that Stroger can dole out to hire ineffective flaks to rattle his cause in the lobbies of local community newspapers, the public recognizes that Stroger is incapable of running county government.

He has a record alliance against him that crosses color lines and political party lines, too.

Stroger is a coward, too, and fears defending his administration’s actions, hiding behind an army of paid consultants, PR flaks and patronage people, including a few who have criminal records.

He is remembered not for great achievement and foresight in leadership, but for his typically Machine extravagances like hiring a busboy who catches his eye at a costly steak house. Or his inability to control his high-salaried staff who wield their power to benefit themselves personally.

Normally, incompetence in office is rewarded by the party Machine but the Machine is even tiring of his failed leadership.

Meanwhile, in Stroger’s beleaguered administration and as he stumbles through office avoiding responsibility or accountability, declining media interview requests and dodging the tough questions, Gorman is rising as a powerful watchdog to defend the rights of Cook County voters.

Her coalition includes insightful leadership like Daley and Suffredin and many others.

Hopefully, the tax advocates in Stroger’s alliance, including Joan Patricia Murphy, who unbelievably tried to push the sales tax up by 2 percent, and Sims, will be swept out of office with the rest of the trash in February.

Murphy is being challenged by Nick Valadez. Sims may be challenged again by Dian M. Powell. It’s still early but it could save taxpayers a lot of money if Stroger, Murphy and Sims would just step down. We can only hope.

END