Friday, May 29, 2009
News / Clout City A fractured, fractious county board
Posted by Mick Dumke on Fri, May 29, 2009 at 2:08 PM
When the Cook County board meets again next week, commissioners are likely to resume their war over various proposals to roll back some or all of the 2008 sales tax hike that’s been a mushrooming political problem since it was imposed. And once again the divisions will be as clear as they are bitter: president Todd Stroger and his backers will defend the tax as a way to preserve social services for the poor; the reformers will say that sound management can protect those services while saving taxpayers some money.
Stroger and his closest allies are all black. The goo-goos are white.
That fact seems to bother Toni Preckwinkle almost as much as any of the tax and management questions they’re bickering over. “The board appears to be breaking down along racial lines, and I think that’s troubling,” Preckwinkle, the Fourth Ward alderman, told me in an interview. “When there isn’t a basic level of civility, it’s hard to get anything done. Acrimony breeds acrimony.”
Preckwinkle doesn’t speak as a neutral observer—she’s a black politician who represents a multiracial ward and, at this particular time, is trying to raise money and line up support for a bid to take Stroger’s job next year. So even if she means what she says, she has sound political reasons for it.
“I think it’s the obligation of government to do two things: to deliver quality services and to be as efficient at it as possible,” she said. “One group on the board is focused on quality services and one is focused on efficiency, and unfortunately it’s broken down along racial lines. You have to persuade each side to pay attention to the other. Somebody’s got to lay that out to both sides.”
And yes, she believes she’s the person who could do it. “I’ve tried very hard in my 18 years in the City Council to get along with people whose political views are different from mine,” she said.
Not surprisingly, commissioners in the middle of the acrimony have a slightly different take.
Larry Suffredin voted for the tax hike last year in exchange for the creation of an independent oversight board for the county hospital system. Now he says the county government’s better off than it was and needs to lower the tax rate to stimulate local business.
Despite what Stroger and his allies have claimed, the health and hospital system is not in danger of cutbacks, says Suffredin, who represents a district on the north side and suburbs.
“I think President Stroger has decided that to win the Democratic primary he’s going to have to raise race as an issue, because the only person who’s talking about closing hospitals is President Stroger,” Suffredin says.
“President Stroger accuses us of not reaching out to the community. Well, I go to a lot of events all over, and I don’t see him reaching out. I think he stays in his base. And when he does venture out, he doesn’t answer any questions. I just think it’s an easy accusation to say this is north-side white guys verses south-side black guys.”
“It starts with ideological differences, but it always comes down to race, because the ideologies are based on race,” counters commissioner Jerry Butler, who’s supported Stroger’s efforts to keep the current 1.75 percent tax rate in place.
Without the revenues, Butler fears, the health and hospital system may not be able to provide services to everyone who needs them during a dark economic time. And some of his board colleagues don’t represent communities that will be affected. “Every time there’s an adjustment to the budget, what takes the hit? The bureau of health systems.”
Yet Butler doesn’t think that has much to do with why the board’s split. “It’s over who’s going to win the election,” he says. “All of them would say, ‘Yes, we need the bureau of health and we’re gong to take care of it,’ but if it succeeds while the current president is in office, he gets the credit.”
There is one thing that does appear to cut across racial lines: the perception that Stroger is in deep political trouble. As in toast.
“I once wrote a song called ‘Only the Strong Survive,’ and that’s the story,” says Butler, who to some of us is still thought of as the soul great known as the Iceman. “Todd is not the most popular president who ever lived.”
Suffredin agrees. Of course, he’s committed to backing Claypool for board president. Butler’s decided to go with Preckwinkle.
Showing 1-16 of 16
Lakefront liberals for Toni!
Real reform with proven management skills and experience. Lakefront liberals for Forrest Claypool! Run Forrest! Run!
All I ask is that Todd Stroger be judged by the content of his character, and not by the color of his skin. Preckwinkle lays out the correct standard: efficiency and quality of service. Stroger lives up to neither, so anyone who supports him is obviously not judging him by the correct standard.
Thonas, I have tried to engage you before but you chicken out and hide behind your blog. Stroger has cut the budget 23 percent i 3 years, created an independent hospital board, HR, and Inspector general. Is that not reform,or since he is black, he cant be a reformer..and WHEN DID working as Daleys chief of staff for 8 years wualifiy Claypool to be a reformer?????? And as far as Preckwinkle is concerned..Tony Rezko weas her chief fundraiser for years..cant wait for thosesscandals. She needs to to fix her ward..not just the Hyde Park area..do something..anything against the Mayor..then tell others how to govern.
Go blow your covert sweetheart Tony.
Hey, JoeC, how come people like Robert Simon get over $300,000/yr. and a county car, even though they don't live in Cook County and had us taxpayers foot the bills for his trips to Michigan every weekend? Oh yeah, 'cuz he's Stroger's physician. Or Donna Dunnings? Todd's cousin. Tony Cole? Todd's drug dealer. Stephen Martin, PhD? Todd's brother-in-law. And to Chris Geovanis, who will read this, answer this question PLEASE: Here's the question for you, Chris, which you NEVER have answered: James Ramos, Sean Howard, Gene Mullins and Chris Geovanis all serve as spokespeople for Cook County. Sean Howard has been charged with stalking his girlfriend, and makes $85K a year. Gene Mullins is Todd's childhood friend, and makes over $100K/yr; James Ramos is another spokesman for Cook County, and then there is you, Chris, who is likely makeing close to six figures, if not more. Why does Cook County need four spokespeople if it is so hard up for cash? Can't they $hitcan you? Or Sean? Save us some money? Seriously, PLEASE ANSWER WHY COOK COUNTY NEEDS FOUR SPOKESPEOPLE.
@Joec - Thanks for letting me know you're interested in talking. Send me an email, which you can find through my blog, and we can sit down and have a cup of coffee.
I'm uncommitted and unimpressed so far, Stroger is inept and what little reforms that has happened were shoved down his throat, Toni has worn the reform mantle for years but hasn't been able to fight Daley because among other things a a lack of cooperation with other alderman of similar mindset. Claypool is a Daleyite, I don't believe he's seen the reform light. Where's Paul Vallas, isn't he running?
For County Board President: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKSSz8ZpE30&feature=related
To ensure the election of Forest Claypool Daley is giving Preckwinkle and Dorothy Brown the green light to run for County President, Once Claypool is elected he will kiss and make up with Daley and follow the instructions of John Daley (The De facto County President)
Dorothy Brown's true theme song. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcD2iexGqZQ&feature=PlayList&p=2E5ED0DE5D761603&index=52
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuyF46oG2ik
You cannot trust any of them. Those that seem more trustworthy are just wolves in sheeps clothing. It is proven time and time again that the Chicago politican is only out for themselves. We need some business people, not associated with any of the current county and city mobsters/politicans to get involved.
****1/2!!!!.
Time to clean house; but how, you ask? Here's how: REGISTER TO VOTE VOTE IN EVERY ELECTION HAVE NO DOUBT, VOTE INCUMBENTS OUT Before every election, compile a list of names of the Incumbents seeking reelection, from every branch of government, Executive, Legislative and Judicial, and for every contested office, be it city, county, state or federal. Bring this list with you when you go to vote. In Primary Elections: Vote in the Primary of the political party most egregiously responsible for fucking up on a daley basis, preferably that party which has the most Incumbents seeking their party's nomination to be that party's candidate in the General Election. The goal is to deny incompetent Incumbents, (ie., the majority of incumbents), reelection in the General election, so, if the Incumbent fails to win their party's Primary Election, that Incumbent will no longer be that party's candidate in the General Election. If the Incumbent has only 1 challenger, vote for that challenger. If the Incumbent has 2 or more challengers, then, to maximize the votes for a SINGLE challenger, vote according to ballot name position, following these two, simple rules of thumb: 1. If the Incumbent's name is listed FIRST, vote for the Challenger whose name is listed LAST or If the Incumbent's name is NOT listed first, vote for the Challenger whose name IS LISTED FIRST. Denying the Incumbents their party's nomination to run in the General election will ensure that those Incumbents will now be Ex-Incumbents. Breaking the stranglehold these current Incumbents have on our governments is the only means of restoring our Democracy, ie., Of the People, By the People and For the People. Anything less is, and has been, proven to be futile. HAVE NO DOUBT, VOTE INCUMBENTS OUT
Which is something most Chicagoans can't do, because they support the Daleys, Strogers, and their types over and over again.
Latest in The Blog
-
Too New to Review: Prairie Fire, Leo's Coney Island, the Southern, Revolution Brewing Company, and More
Prairie Fire, Leo's Coney Island of Chicago, the Southern, and other restaurants too new to review.
- Feb 8, 2010
-
Fewer Shoes on the North Side
Times are tough for shoe stores too.
- Feb 8, 2010
-
When Golden Earring Were Good
Wait, Golden Earring was good?
- Feb 8, 2010
- More»
Author Archives
-
Next city property to go private: garbage sorting facilities?
Daley administration officials are getting ready to lease out more taxpayer-owned assets: the city's three garbage sorting centers.
- Dec 3, 2009
-
The Preckwinkle Bandwagon Is Rolling
Toni Preckwinkle is getting help for her campaign from the kind of people who tend to back winners.
- Jan 26, 2010
-
Election Follies
Age-old feuds, nepotism, logrolling, and Moonies—it must be primary season in Chicago.
- Jan 28, 2010
- More»
Top Commenters
Comments (16) RSS