Monday, December 10, 2007
News / Clout City I'm not with Stupid
Posted by Mick Dumke on Mon, Dec 10, 2007 at 9:27 PM
Except in the Eighth Ward, where he's trying to hold on to his post as Democratic committeeman, Cook County Board president Todd Stroger won't be on the ballot in February's primaries. But lots of people across the county are running against him.
Since taking office a year ago, Stroger has been portrayed as a bumbler, a child, a pawn, a doofus, and, in the biblical sense, a tax collector. In his latest act of embarrassing irresponsiblity, the thinking goes, he's got the nerve to push for nearly $900 million in tax hikes to support a bloated county budget that mostly succeeds in employing scores of his family members and friends.
There are lots of reasons Stroger is characterized this way, including the fact that some of it is true. But when election season comes around, precision matters less than perception and polling numbers. As a result, 2008 is looking like the Year of the Anti-Toddler.
It makes some sense that Tony Peraica would make a big deal out of his opposition to Stroger's management and tax proposals. Peraica's a Republican Cook County commissioner who lost a tough race to Stroger for the County Board presidency last fall--then led a collection of zealous supporters in an ill-advised storming of the County Building on election night.
While that image might fade into local political history, Todd Stroger's has only gotten worse; he's still trying to avoid looking like a freshman about to be stuffed into a locker . . . and somewhere in there figure out how to get the county funded for next year. Peraica is running for state's attorney now, but he remains busy reminding voters that's he's not Todd Stroger. "I oppose Todd Stroger's budget proposal because it unfairly and oppressively reaches into the pocketbooks of Cook County taxpayers to fund a government than has proven to be anything but efficient and accountable," Peraica wrote in a letter to supporters, parts of which were also published in the Tribune this week.
Peraica isn't the only candidate to adopt the strategy. Kenny Johnson, an ally of Jesse Jackson Jr., has relentlessly challenged the Stroger tax plan even though he's running for a seat in a different legislative body, the Illinois House. A few weeks ago Johnson led an anti-tax demonstration, the awkwardly named Boston Tea Party in Chicago, and more recently he sent around an e-mail urging suppporters to "raise your voice loud and clear against Cook County Board President Todd Stroger's excessive and regressive tax hike proposal."
In a campaign announcement sent out Friday, Michele Smith, a candidate for 43rd Ward committeeman, also mentioned the Toddler: "The need for change was vividly illustrated when our current Committeeman [Peggy Roth] voted to slate Todd Stroger as the replacement for John Stroger in the race for Cook County Board President, even though the 43rd Ward voted overwhelming for Forrest Claypool, the second-place finisher in the primary."
Smith said in an interview that she wasn't using the Stroger name as a wedge--she just wanted to illustrate that committeemen are supposed to be the party's ward representatives, but too often simply operate as a "closed group." Still, given the lack of support for Stroger on the north side, it's not going to hurt her image to be on the record supporting someone--anyone--else.
Mismanagement in Cook County has been the center of Seventh Ward alderman Sandi Jackson's campaign for Democratic committeeman against Stroger ally William Beavers and not-so-subtly alluded to by 28th Ward alderman Ed Smith, who's challenging incumbent recorder of deeds Eugene "Gene" Moore.
Perhaps all of this is simply a sign that Stroger has guts and resilience the others could only wish for. "It's never popular to support a tax increase, but the reality is that the president wants to continue to provide health services and other services in Cook County, and to do that we need additional revenue," said Ibis Antongiorgi, Stroger's press secretary. "If others want to take advantage of that for political purposes, so be it, but President Stroger will continue to work for responsible government."
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"Responsible government" Isn't this an oxymoron? Stroger looks pretty freshman in his mug shot, too.
...on the Reader blog. I'm tired of reading the same ole comments, no matter what the subject matter. Cut and Paste hit the nail on the head why this blog is going to shit. Take Patsy's advice, if you're going to constantly repeat yourself, make it simple, like your mind.
You forgot an obvious one. Part of the case Mark Pera is making against Dan Lipinski in the IL-3 Democratic Primary -- besides Dan's horrible voting record and personal corruption -- is that his dad and the Chicago machine "pulled a Stroger" to install him as the Congressman in the first place (even though Dan didn't even live in Illinois at the time).
And now the only questions that remain are: Who deems themselves the guardian(s) of this no longer open blog? What are the new rules concerning what comments will be removed and what comments will be so generously allowed to remain? What agendas are being catered to and whose agendas are they? And what effect will these newly applied censorship standards have on both the future nature of comments posted and the characteristics of those who will continue to post them? Apparently, as the Primary election draws ever nearer, the range of content of our comment 'privileges' will diminish exponentially. How close to being as irrelevant as the Times and Trib will the Reader dare to come?
Perhaps is Sen. Obama is elected president he will appoint President Stroger to be Secretary of the Treasury, or some other worthy position for the man he so enthusiastically backed. Here is a full list of politicians who endorsed Todd Stroger. http://strogerforpresident.com/sbcc/personalinfo.php?page=biography&seq=5 JBP
Tony Peraica sucked just as much as Todd. Tony Peraica would have been a SURE THING for being a one-term County Board President. Because a MUCH STRONGER Democratic nominee would vanquish Peraica for a 2 term attempt.
".....a MUCH STRONGER Democratic nominee would vanquish Peraica for a 2 term attempt." Like who? And "...MUCH STRONGER..." in what way? A "...MUCH STRONGER..." at being a liar? A "...MUCH STRONGER..." at being a sneakier thief? A "...MUCH STRONGER..." at bullshitting more citizens into believing that their taxes aren't being wasted, misspent, stolen, doled out to politician's friends, family and associates, and otherwise inflated to pay for all the incompetent, ignorant, dishonest and manipulative activities practiced by both Republicans and Democrats? Why didn't John Daley run? Why didn't Ed Burke run? Why didn't Dick Mell run? Why didn't Ray Suarez run? Why didn't Pat O'Conner run? Why didn't Billie Beavers run? Why didn't Bobbie Steele run? Why didn't Moreno run? Why didn't Claypool run? Why didn't 'name your favorite political hack' run? If the Democrats have such a deep pool of "...MUCH STRONGER..." candidates for Crook County Board President, why didn't they run them? Why run the Toddler at all? C'mon, Whatchatalkin'bout, give us your expert opinions on the whys?
Go suck Tony Prickracka's dick.
Stick it up your Muslim ass, You asskisser of the Jihad.
The racist, bigoted folks are sure persistent little clout minions. Let's see how long it will take for you to remove their blatantly un-American, anti-Democratic and slanderous casting of hate filled aspersions. Because, being an ignorant, hate-mongering, devoid of rational thought, clout sucking minion of the machine isn't an excuse for posting racist, bigoted and slanderous comments, comments intended to foment hatred, animosity, ignorance and violence against any and all who dare to protest against their patently evil ways. Though, should you choose to permit their vile words to remain, in the name of free speech, I'll understand the parameters of your version of what is, and is not, protected free speech. How about protecting this: HAVE NO DOUBT, VOTE INCUMBENTS OUT REGISTER TO VOTE VOTE IN EVERY ELECTION VOTE OUT EVERY INCUMBENT It's easy. Just Do It.
STICK A PHALLUS UP YOUR ASS, YOU CANDY ASS PHALLIC LOLLIPOP SUCKER!!!!!!.
HAVE NO DOUBT, VOTE INCUMBENTS OUT It's easy. Just do it.
John Stroger might have been a decent guy and he will be missed by many. My only concern is the corruption that will continue to be part of his legacy, largely through his son, Todd Stroger. It's almost just too coincidental that he died at exactly 8am, amost exactly two weeks before the primary election. Being that coincidenal, I think this reeks of Chicago machine political corruption, especially with the bait and switch, pity votes he received to get his son into office. The 2006 election was among the most controversial in the colorful history of Cook County politics. Despite suffering a severe stroke just a week before the primary election, John Stroger still managed to secure his party's support by a final margin of 53% to 47% over Forrest Claypool. The severity of Stroger's condition was concealed from voters both before and for 3 months after the Democratic primary, possibly allowing his primary victory and preventing independent opposition to the replacement Democratic candidate in the general election. Although he overcame health complications in the past, questions still lingered regarding his ability to serve another term a Cook County Board President. Conspiracy theorists believe that he may have been on life support all this time to keep the Stroger Dynasty in power. We can end the Stroger Machine. There is one left.
I agree, Todd Stroger needs to be brought down. He is a complete moron, incapable of running the Cook County Board. All of these incumbents need to be ousted. They are like the plague.
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