Monday, March 3, 2008
News / Clout City The swing vote
Posted by Mick Dumke on Mon, Mar 3, 2008 at 8:08 PM
Larry Suffredin reminds us once again that there is no such thing as an effective and pure reformer in Chicago. And anyone who claims to be one is going to end up a liar.
True, in certain parts of the Chicago area, it's helpful to campaign as a reformer. Voters think they want someone who will talk about standing up to machine Democrats, fighting for fairness and openness, and trying to cut waste out of government.
Then they get frustrated when that same government can't seem to get anything done and their representatives don't have anything to show for their time in office. So to keep their jobs, the reformers either need to convince their constituents that complaint and opposition really is a sign of accomplishment or they need to sell out once in awhile and cut a few deals with the bad guys.
Suffredin had to make his own version of this choice during county budget deliberations last week. After years of marketing himself as a reformer, he had to decide whether to stand tall on his soapbox as the county government shut down or flip-flop and make a deal that would increase Cook County's sales tax.
He decided to flip, and the criticism was immediate and withering. Given his history of vowing resistance to tax hikes, it was also fair.
Because of his choice, Cook County consumers will pay an extra 1 percent in sales tax to raise the millions of dollars needed to hire hundreds of additional county employees. In return for Suffredin's vote, county board president Todd Stroger agreed to farm out management of the county's health system--though that doesn't guarantee much-needed change there.
But in an interview today, Suffredin argued that his horse trading had accomplished far more than any of the grandstanding of his critics. "I really wanted to get independent governance for the hospital, which makes up about a third of the budget," he said. "I realize this isn't a good tax, but it's better than the 2 percent they had proposed."
He said he was also afraid the county government would not have been able to keep running if a budget deal hadn't been cut, even though Stroger had sued for it to be allowed to.
And did he mention the independent governance of the health system? "I really believe the governance issue is very important," Suffredin said. "If the county hospital [system] is going to fail--and we are very close to that position--it would hit like a tsunami around us. Other hospitals would be inundated. We've got to remember this hospital [system] is essential to regional health."
Of course, Stroger and his allies have been making similar arguments for weeks: if we don't spend more money on the health system, it won't be able to make as much money, and it could implode altogether.
And as some of the harshest critics of the budget deal have pointed out, unions representing county workers were ecstatic at the notion of an expanded payroll, with many of their members "hovering behind [Suffredin] during deliberations," as the Tribune put it.
"I don't believe the unions had any undue influence on this process," Suffredin said. "And remember, the Chicago Federation of Labor opposed me when I ran for state's attorney."
He also argues that some of his critics in the media didn't want to see a budget passed. "They're disappointed because I think they really did want to see the government shut down."
It's an old trick to blame the media for your political problems, and Suffredin can be criticized at least as much as he can be credited for the terms of the deal he cut.
But to put things in perspective: when Mayor Daley proposed an array of tax hikes for the city budget he introduced last fall, some of his traditional allies balked, and initially it wasn't at all clear if he'd get a majority in the council. So his staff started holding discussions with several of the more reform-minded aldermen, asking what it would take to get their support.
"We were in a great position--we could ask for anything we wanted, and we were probably going to get it," said one alderman who was involved in the talks. "And we didn't know what to ask for."
Within a couple of weeks, Mayor Daley had worked out other deals with his old allies, and the reformer types had officially missed their chance.
"I'm sorry people think I empowered Todd Stroger," Suffredin said Monday, "because I was trying to take away some of his power."
Showing 1-24 of 24
Silly ass bottom feeder. I wondered what happened to him after his role as Morrie in Goodfellas.
Larry's black top is sufferin' just like coke's old rug, 4 real!!! Voters hate fakes and phonies.
More on this liar named Larry. http://morsehellhole.blogspot.com/2008/03/what-load-of-shit.html
Larry is as loathed as Todd. I doubt he'll get reelected without spending a million dollars...
Larry the Lobbyist had better hope he can lobby himself a position with the next Democratic President. If Obama wins, I hope he sends that piece of garbage to some hot spot around the world as an envoy, where his snug attitude will be dealt with by one of America's enemies fairly quickly, and we will never have to deal with him again. Otherwise, no amount of a campaign warchest will save his sorry butt in 2010!
8 Commissioners cannot grandstand. 1 commissioner could grandstand, but there were 9 and they could have forged a compromise in unison. Larry caved to his business interests, not his constituents--now he chaarges grandstanding? No, what he did was grand sneaking and he rationalizes too. Unbelievable, this from a district which has one of the highest if not the highest educational attainment levels in the region. That this guy has been fooling his supposed constituency for so long is a tribute to either his skill, his electorate's indifference, or their ignorance. Somebody pick one.
People have short memories, and 2010 is a long way off. If you're going to raise taxes now's the time to do it, long before your re-election comes up. Remember: there was no raise in city taxes in Daley's FY 2007 budget, submitted in late 2006; there was supposedly a surplus. After Daley's 2007 re-election: ohmigod, we have this huge deficit and we have to raise taxes!!!
This one's for Dumke-- Regarding your assertion about reforms, reformers, reforming and truth---in Chicago, that's pretty broad and very revealing. My good friend Iggy Reiley has pointed this out repeatedly over at another electronic graffiti wall. Accordingly you needn't attempt to identify the species yourself, because true reformers are easily identified through the actions of others. For insight in this regard, you should revisit what Johnathan Swift had to say in Thoughts On Various Subjects, Moral and Diverting-- "When a true genius appears in the world,you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him." Otherwise ---nice post.
I'll pick five: 1 & 2 are "...his electorate's indifference, or their ignorance." & 3 is 'the electorate's acquiescence, via conditioned apathy, to being screwed by their elected taxing officials', 4 is 'a substantial, but by no means a majority, of the electorate benefit from corrupted governments, and 5 is 'an actual majority of the electorate that participates, ie., that consistently votes in every election, assuredly benefit from corrupted governments. When those who pay taxes have had enough of their pockets being picked, with little personal experience of receiving benefits commensurate to the value of said taxes picked, then, and only then, will the HAVE NO DOUBT, VOTE INCUMBENTS OUT conviction be realized. November is a mere 10 months away. Will the taxpayers apathy, ignorance and/or indifference still be as overwhelming then, or will said taxpayers HAVE NO DOUBT and VOTE INCUMBENTS OUT? THINK before you vote. THINK before you fail to vote. THINK before you dismiss registering to vote. And THINK with your pocketbook. The politicians, and their loyal minions, do.
Can the City of Chicago secede from Cook County? I never have been able to figure out what Cook County actually does, except run the Hospital, which could be done with a lot less money than a 1.75% sales tax.
The sales tax increase was actually one percentage point, and the new rate is more than 100% up from the old county rate. I doubt people would get too upset over a mere 1% increase in sales taxes--that's a penny on the dollar.
"... the Chicago Federation of Labor opposed me when I ran for state's attorney." what does that have to do with except to point out they demonstrated good judgment?
Suffredin is & always will be the ultimate swing voter, since he is totally devoid of ideology. In his own mind he is a pragmatic politician.
"I really believe the governance issue is very important," who cares what you think bozo? you aren't paid to think, you are paid to represent your constituents did you hold numerous community meetings, and the consensus was, the health governance board is the priority, go ahead and raise taxes?
Suffredin argued that his horse trading had accomplished far more than any of the grandstanding of his critics. "I really wanted to get independent governance for the hospital .." here Suffredin admits he went his own way, he did not caucus with the so-called reformers Suffredin's grand "compromise" is Blagojevich-ian in it's coming out of left field in the 11th hour Suffredin is a team player but his team is the machine
SUFFREDIN: STROGER 2011! "People have short memories, and 2010 is a long way off. If you're going to raise taxes now's the time to do it, long before your re-election comes up." John Daley was openly admitting to the press that the tax increase was scaled more for the elections of 2011 than for keeping the hospitals open in 2008 3 years and $400M to get 1100 Soldiers For Stroger in place Suffredin closed ranks with the machine Suffredin supported Stroger in 2007 and with his vote Friday he re-upped
"If the county hospital [system] is going to fail--and we are very close to that position--it would hit like a tsunami around us. Other hospitals would be inundated. We've got to remember this hospital [system] is essential to regional health." Suffredin claims he was motivated by fear of the hospitals collapsing but what really scares the poop out of him and his machine pals is losing the County Board presidency to a Republican or worse a reformer
They hate Peraica because he is relentless. But he's a Republican in Cook County, so there's a built-in buffer. But Peraica pick axes the way for an even more dangerous breech-- Claypool and they FEAR Claypool-- because he has the greatest potential to actually pull it off. They just expended 'ole Fat Bastard (Suffredin) to buttress up the dam. But now the cover is off of him once and for all. That leaves only lakefront Forrest. The machine layers are getting thinner and thinner. Win, lose or draw--Peraica is like a grinding stone up against the organization that Daley built.
"I'm sorry people think I empowered Todd Stroger," Suffredin said Monday, "because I was trying to take away some of his power." $400M/year to spend on 1100 new slots for the friends & family plan you showed him, Lar!
Why was the federal monitor's report on patronage in the county released on the day of the budget deadline? http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-county-hiring_04mar04,1,6188240.story
Hey, lay off Larry the reformer-he's a good guy.
Flushing campaign dollars $39,000 RETURNED | Sewage agency chief gave back donations he received from 50 employees March 6, 2008 Terrence O'Brien's campaign fund sprung a bit of a leak last year. O'Brien, president of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, gave back a total of $39,520 Oct. 5 in contributions he'd gotten from 50 donors. » Click to enlarge image Commissioner Terrence J. O'Brien on the floor of the mainstream pumping station. (Joseph P. Meier/STNG file) RELATED STORIES Did Rezko find jobs for Obama staffers? The problem: The money had come from employees of his agency, which treats Cook County's sewage. "Those were mostly employees or related to employees, and the campaign made a decision to return those," says O'Brien's lawyer, Jim Nally. "After reviewing the law in the area, we thought it was a better course." The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Act says "no officer or employee shall solicit, orally or by letter, or give or receive, or be in any manner concerned in soliciting or giving or receiving any assessment, subscription or contribution from any member of the classified civil service for any party or political purpose whatever." Which would seem to say O'Brien was barred from soliciting agency employees for campaign cash. A former Water Reclamation District employee complained to the Cook County state's attorney's office, according to a source familiar with the situation, and prosecutors looked into the matter but didn't file criminal charges. Still, O'Brien's fund returned the money "out of an abundance of caution," the source says. Nally says the returned contributions were originally received "over several months or even a couple of years." Current and former employees of the agency who got their contributions returned say O'Brien raised the money through an annual fund-raiser he holds at a restaurant. "He'd send me a complimentary ticket to his fund-raiser," says Frank Kody, who retired from the Water Reclamation District in December. Kody says that, even though there was no charge for the ticket, he contributed $1,000 anyway. "I thought I was being nice," he says. Frank Deignan, a current employee of the agency, says he was "totally taken aback" when O'Brien returned the $200 he'd contributed. "They said there was some sort of conflict of interest," says Deignan. Also among those who got their money back was Water Reclamation District finance chairman Gloria Majewski. She'd given O'Brien $1,500. O'Brien was first elected to the agency's board in 1988. He's next up for re-election in 2012. Eric Herman Getting their money back Terrence J. O'Brien, president of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, has given back campaign contributions from 51 employees of the sewage agency he solicited over the past several years. The 16 biggest refunds O'Brien made: George and Melody Smothers, Lemont -- $3,300 Louis Kollias, Orland Park -- $2,000 Brian Newhouse, Chicago -- $2,000 Casimir Wytaniec, Park Ridge -- $1,950 Thomas Durkin, Oak Lawn -- $1,750 Timothy O'Leary, Chicago -- $1,725 John Poulos, Des Plaines -- $1,600 Brendan O'Conner, Chicago -- $1,550 Gloria Majewski, Orland Park, MWRD board member -- $1,500 Robert Regan, Oak lawn -- $1,500 Daniel Mikso, Oak Lawn -- $1,300 James Sheehy, Chicago -- $1,250 Robert Hultgren, Chicago -- $1,200 Gerald Borucki, Western Springs -- $1,000 Frank Kody, Tinley Park -- $1,000 Harry "Bus'' Yourell, Oak Lawn, ex-MWRD board member -- $1,000
Take a guess at who the people are who aren't 'suffering' from our current economic 'difficulties'? Take a guess at who the people are who are, in fact, gaining from our current economic 'difficulties'? Take a guess at who the people are who have engineered and executed the sequence of events that have created and maintained our current economic 'difficulties'? A hint: You either voted for them, failed to vote at all or failed to unite and cast your vote for a single Challenger candidate. HAVE NO DOUBT, VOTE INCUMBENTS OUT
Latest in The Blog
-
Locust Music Hosts an Eclectic Saturday Showcase
Chicago's eclectic Locust Music label hosts a typically diverse showcase—with Starless & Bible Black, Stephen Titra's O.W.L., Paul Metzger, and more—at the Empty Bottle on Saturday night.
- Nov 6, 2009
-
Lynda Barry, Matt Groening, Chris Ware, and Jules Feiffer in a discussion Saturday at Parker
Matt Groening, Lynda Barry, Chris Ware, and Jules Feiffer join the Reader's Michael Miner for a discussion on the declining business of weekly comics.
- Nov 6, 2009
-
11/9—"Site Unseen" at the Chicago Cultural Center
Site Unseen 2009 at the Chicago Cultural Center, curated by Julie Laffin
- Nov 6, 2009
- More»
Author Archives
-
The Big Green Apple
Never mind your rooftop gardens and LEED buildings—here’s why New York is a model of sustainability.
- Sep 30, 2009
-
Nation: when it comes to the privatization of parking, do as we say, not as we do
- Sep 8, 2009
-
There's no "NAY" in "TEAM"
- Sep 9, 2009
- More»
Comments (24) RSS