Todd Stroger's Funny Money Game

As if being on the bottom of the polls for Democrat candidates for Cook County Board President wasn't enough, it turns out now that Todd Stroger has no money to campaign with. Incumbent president Stroger has raised a mere $55,000 in six months. And now, this: Stroger squirrels away $500000 in campaign funds. Hoo boy, Todd Stroger is one freaky dude. Half a million bucks but he's not spending it on campaigning. Why not? Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica tweeted this today: "Stroger has no $$$ for TV. Union-owned Amalgamated Bank loaned him $500K in 06 and have sequestered that!!! Todd is done!" Related: Stroger gets $100k boost from Emil Jones Chicago Current Filings: Stroger campaign raised less than $55k over six months Chicago Current The $$$ race -- who gave what to whom, as primary election nears? Crain's Chicago Business Stroger Allegedly Fires Employees Over Politics NBC Chicago Wierdness with the Strogers (Feb 1, 2007) (cache from ilcampaign.org) Todd Stroger Turns It On! Democratic Party, 49th Ward Leave a Comment * Conservative T-Shirts * Follow CNB on Twitter * RSS Feed

Todd Stroger's Dirty Little Race War

We knew that Todd Stroger and his supporters would play the race card during his re-election for President of the Cook County Board. Even we, however, did not expect the Stroger camp to drag the Democrat primary election fight this low. Alex Parker reports that "a number of leaflets using racist language, purportedly being distributed by his supporters, are outlining an 'Irish' conspiracy allegedly coordinated by Mayor Richard M. Daley, Gov. Pat Quinn and Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan to keep Stroger out of office." Parker's post, at Chicago Current, goes on to say that "The fliers, which claim to be from the so-called 'Soldiers for Stroger,' encourage voters to vote for Stroger 'in the spirit of Black History Month and Dr. King’s birthday.' Yet they call the Daley, Quinn and Madigan 'massa,' and disparage a number of other local politicos. The Illinois Review blog was the first to report on the fliers." RELATED: Stroger Ad Goes for the Race Card - Publius Forum Soldiers for Stroger circulate leaflet accusing [Michael] Madigan of racist plot Illinois Review: 'Soldier-for-Stroger' explains Black/Irish war in Democrat Primary Tony Peraica Says Stroger "Unelectable" - Chicago News Bench Video Cook County's Cavalcade of Idiots - Chicago News Bench Bill Clinton Wants Obama to Bring More Coffee Isaac Hayes Says Racist Harry Reid Must Go Leave a Comment * Conservative T-Shirts * Follow CNB on Twitter * RSS Feed

Cook County Board Kills Stroger Tax Cut Veto, 12-5

Finally, some good news for people who live, work or shop in Cook County: That 1/2 cent sales tax that Cook Co. President Todd Stroger loved so much was finally repealed today. The vote was historic, too. As Cook Co. Commissioner Tony Peraica wrote on his Twitter page today, "What a day! County Board made history today, and, for the first time in 175 years (apparently) overrode county President. The County Board proved today that it is not the City Council or the State Legislature, but that it is truly a legislative body. Congrats! " Today's veto override required 11 votes, but it was higher before the Illinois Legislature change the law to lower the requirement. Chicago Breaking News Center reported this: Cook County commissioners today voted to roll back part of a sales tax increase despite an impassioned plea from Board President Todd Stroger that "some people will die needlessly" if health care for the poor is cut as a result. The County Board voted 12-5 to override Stroger's veto of a measure that would cut the county portion of the sales tax from 1.75 percent to 1.25 percent on July 1. The overall sales tax rate in Chicago would drop to 9.75 percent. See the list of how they voted below. The Chicago Sun-Times has this report:

After Stroger successfully vetoed three previous measures to lower the sales tax —and commissioners were unable to muster the 14 votes for an override — suburban state lawmakers stepped in to push for a change in Illinois law that lowered Cook County’s override threshold. In November, Gov. Pat Quinn signed into law a measure lowering the threshold to 11 votes out of 17, or a three-fifths majority, in line with the voting rules of local governing bodies and even [the U.S.] Congress.

All of the five Republicans on the board voted for the override, and the majority of those voting to override Stroger's veto are Democrats. All five commissioners who voted to support Stroger's veto are Democrats. Peraica commented on this as he tweeted live from the meeting: "Com [Larry] Suffredin is arguing the Laffer Curve Theory that says: the higher the taxes, the lower the revenue. Interesting for a democrat." Yes, very interesting, considering that most Democrats will - pardon the expression - laugh in your face when you try to explain the Laffer Curve to them. (Perhaps that's why it's called "Laffer" Curve.) Perhaps it's really not so surprising when you consider that there's an election soon and the smart board member know how furious Cook County voters are with high taxes. Indeed, Suffredin has been hypocritical on the issue. Another Peraica tweet from the meeting: "Com Suffredin (who was the 9th vote last year to raise the sales tax) is now arguing in favor of tax repeal and veto override." In other words (mine), Suffredin and other Democrats on the board don't really care about giving taxpayers relief. They care about getting elected, and that's why they voted the way they did today. HOW THEY VOTED (Republicans in Red): Voting to override and cut taxes: Earlean Collins, D-Chicago Forrest Claypool, D-Chicago John Daley, D-Chicago Bridget Gainer, D-Chicago Elizabeth Gorman, R-Orland Park * (see note below) Gregg Goslin, R-Glenview Tony Peraica, R-Riverside Edwin Reyes, D-Chicago Timothy Schneider, R-Streamwood Peter Silvestri, R-Elmwood Park Robert Steele, D-Chicago Larry Suffredin, D-Evanston Voting against override and preserve tax increase: William Beavers, D-Chicago Jerry Butler, D-Chicago Joseph Mario Moreno, D-Chicago Joan Murphy, D-Crestwood Deborah Sims, D-Chicago * Elizabeth Gorman is a troubling character who has not been good for the Cook County Republican Party. She has senselessly attacked Tony Peraica, the most outspoken voice for real reform that Cook County has ever known. For more about this, see Stroger Ally: Budget Fight All About Race. In a special series of reports about Gorman, Illinois Review wrote that "Liz Gorman seems anything but conservative. In fact, she has surrounded herself with such troubling characters, that it is hard to understand why any ethical politician or leader – Republican or Democrat – would knowingly hitch themselves to her political star." Read the full series on Gorman. Gorman is a political ally of RINO Jim Dodge, an Orland Park village board member who is running for Illinois State Comptroller against conservative Republican William J. Kelly. RELATED: Beavers: Budget Battle Is Because Stroger Is Black - cbs2chicago.com Suburban Chicagoland: Liz Gorman says she is being threatened in ... The Strangely Ecumenical Liz Gorman Mark Thompson for County Commissioner Leave a Comment Conservative T-Shirts Follow CNB on Twitter RSS Feed

Stroger Tax Battle Will Be Tweeted Live by Tony Peraica

Drama! Action! Suspense! Peraica! The Cook County Board of Commissioners voted to roll back the "Stroger Sales Tax," but Pres. Todd Stroger vetoed that vote. Tomorrow, Dec. 1, the Board will try to override that veto. You can follow the action as Commissioner Tony Peraica sends out live tweets from the session in real time. Sez Tony on his Twitter page today: "Log on tomorrow at 10 AM for LIVE coverage of the Stroger Sales Tax veto override vote. I will tweet live as history is made." He's opitimistic, too. In another tweet today he wrote, "So far, it appears that 12 commissioners are holding FIRM to override Stroger veto." That's hopeful, since 11 votes are required to override. Peraica is a master tweeter, and he does not restrict himself to Cook County matters. A sampling of his recent tweets: Anti-corruption law: Supreme Court decision could derail ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich's trial -- chicagotribune.com - http://shar.es/aEoBM Daley Lies About TIF's: Experts have beef with Daley on TIF :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Metro & Tri-State: http://bit.ly/6vSW9T Chicago budget: Aldermen focus on ward issues rather than $370 million plan to dig deep into parking-meter reserves ... http://shar.es/aEoMJ Powerful Piece: WSJ.com - Opinion: The Arabs Have Stopped Applauding Obama http://bit.ly/5T7bPY RELATED: Peraica vs. Daley, Stroger, Sims, et al Stroger to Peraica: "You Don't Know When to Shut Up" Leave a Comment Conservative T-Shirts Follow CNB on Twitter RSS Feed

Todd Stroger a No-Show at Candidates Forum (Updated)

UPDATED: SEE VIDEO REPORT HERE Chicago - Nov. 15, 2009 - There should have been four Democrat candidates for Cook County Board President at a forum for candidates running for Cook County Board President. Three showed up, but the incumbent was an unapologetic no-show. Present and willing to answer questions from moderator Andy Shaw were Toni Preckwinkle, Dorothy Brown and Terrence J. O'Brien. Preckwinkle is currently Chicago's 4th Ward alderman; Brown is currently the Clerk of the Cook County Circuit Court; O'Brien is the current President of Metropolitan Water Reclamation District. Stroger, the current President of the Cook County Board, was absent. The crowd was surprisingly small; slightly less more than half of the room was full. There were signs and campaign literature in the foyer of the student center from Brown, Preckwinkle and O'Brien, but Stroger's campaign efforts were as starkly absent as he was. The candidates forum was sponsored by the Better Government Association (BFA) and the 43rd Ward Democrats at the DePaul Student Center, just south of Fullerton Avenue in Lincoln Park. Andy Shaw is the Executive Director of the BGA. He was a political reporter for ABC7 (WLS) in Chicago from 1983 until his retirement just after Barack Obama's presidential swearing in ceremony in January, 2009. Conservative Caps, Shirt and more! Leave a Comment - Chicago News Bench RSS Feed Visit us on Twitter!

Will Todd Stroger Be There Today? Will You?

Will Todd Stroger attend today's free forum of the Cook County Board President candidates? Man, I hope so - I need new photos of the clown. YOU can get fresh photos of Clown Stroger TODAY (Sunday, November 15) by attending the forum at the DePaul Student Center. That's at 2250 N. Sheffield Avenue, Chicago, an easy walk from the Belmont CTA station. For details, see our Nov. 12 post here. Note: If you plan to attend, please let the event coordinators know so that they can best accommodate a large crowd. RSVP to countyboardforum@gmail.com. Conservative Caps, Shirt and more! Leave a Comment - Chicago News Bench RSS Feed Visit us on Twitter!

Rich Miller Interviews Todd Stroger (Video)

JUST IN, posted October 14 by Rich Miller of Capitol Fax. Looks like he talked with Cook County Board President Stroger in the hallway. (Note: The audio of the video is fine, but the visual quality is very dark.) Basically, Stroger gives non-substantive answers to softball questions. No revelations, but worth archiving for its Strogermaficitiness. Conservative Caps, Shirt and more! Leave a Comment - Chicago News Bench RSS Feed Visit us on Twitter!

Cook County Tax Cut Fails, Carol Marin Misses the Point

The Cook County Board of Commissioners voted on September 1 to maintain its obscenely high tax rate. This is not only bad for the taxpayers of Cook County (which includes Chicago), it is especially bad for already-dim political future of Cook County President Todd Stroger. Although Stroger "won" the vote, it only highlights his diminishing lack of support. Strangely, notable writer Carol Marin completely misunderstands the reality and implications of the vote.

The Chicago Sun-Times noted on Sept. 1:

A year ago, a majority of commissioners passed a penny-on-the-dollar hike, pushing Chicago's overall sales tax to 10.25 percent, the highest big-city tax rate in the country. (Source)

Over the past year, some commissioners have argued for a roll-back of the hike. Indeed, as the Sun-Times also reported, Commissioner Deborah Sims (D-5) was among those calling for the cut. She flipped at the last minute, causing many to wonder Board President Todd Stroger made a deal with her. Again, from the Sun-Times:

Until Tuesday, Sims was among the 14 commissioners -- the required four-fifths majority -- lined up to override Stroger's veto of the proposed half-penny rollback. But she jumped ship and the measure failed 13-4, sending the board and Stroger into an election season with the sales tax hike on their back.

One of the four to vote in favor of the rollback is Commissioner Tony Peraica (R-16). Peraica has long been a proponent of lower taxes and has a reputation as a fierce reformer. He used his one of his web sites to issue a scathing condemnation of the vote - and of Commissioner Sims:

“Shame on those commissioners who upheld Stroger’s veto - - especially Commissioner Sims, who flipped her position to become the deciding vote in support of this tax," wrote Peraica. "With portions of our county having the highest tax rate in the country, it’s no wonder that our local economy is suffering so badly. Who in his or her right mind would want to make the situation worse?" 

(Also see "Tony Peraica Talks Tough," part of Chicago News Bench series of interviews with him.)

Voters in Cook County have a bigger question to ask themselves: Who in their right mind would want to maintain our bad situation by re-electing Todd Stroger? There are several candidates vying for the Democrat nomination, and word on the street is that the local Democrat Party is none too eager to endorse Stroger. With intelligent, well-spoken competitors such as US Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL) and Chicago Alderman Toni Preckwinkle, Stroger's chances of keeping his job seem dim. Talk to people on the street - anywhere in Chicago or Cook County, regardless of ethnicity or socio-economic situation.

I take issue with an op-ed by Carol Marin in the Sun-Times on Sept. 2:

Todd Stroger's win is no small deal. He proved he's someone to be reckoned with. And that his victory, even in the face of terrible Cook County unemployment, high foreclosures, and consumer flight to collar counties with lower sales taxes, is something to sit back and study.

Marin, who I generally respect as an investigative reporter, got it spectacularly wrong in my opinion. She's right to say that Stroger has "proved he's someone to be reckoned with," but any board president is simply by having the power of the office. What Marin doesn't seem to understand is that yesterday's 13-4 vote actually highlights Stroger's weakness: A lack of majority support on the Board of Commissioners. Marin seems impressed by the overall effect of the vote, not taking into account the low pro-Stroger factor. Outside of the halls of Cook County government, Stroger is widely considered to be a bad joke, a fool, a high taxer, and a usurper of power.

Sure, Stroger managed (by only one vote) to maintain his tax hike. Marin, however, seems to discount the glaring fact of the 13-4 vote. Stroger received less than 24 percent of the votes cast. That's "someone to be reckoned with?" Not by most people's standards, except apparently, Carol Marin's. It was only because of the undemocratic, artificially high requirement of a four-fifths majority (80 percent) to overturn Stroger's veto of the rollback that Stroger "won." It was a win by technicality. It was not a win in absolute votes cast. Marin seems impressed that Stroger managed to get a mere four votes in his favor, against 13 opposed. It is puzzling that someone as bright as Carol Marin would miss that aspect of the story, as a well as missing the feelings of Cook County voters.

The vote - and Stroger's mismanagement, string of scandals, and general foolishness - is not lost on the voters, however. They will hold the high tax rate of Cook County against Stroger in the coming election, and when Stroger loses (my prediction), it will prove that Stroger is no longer "someone to be reckoned with." I respectfully suggest that Carol Marin talk to voters, then rewrite her column.

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Tony Peraica Talks Tough! (Part 4 of 6)

Part 4 of the exclusive Chicago News Bench (CNB) interview series with Tony Peraica, Cook County Board Commissioner (R-16). He doesn't mince his words as he talks about President Barack Obama's involvement with corruption in Chicago and Cook County, ties to Tony Rezko, Mayor Daley's nephew, and others. Tony discusses the nation's highest tax rate, right here in Downtown Chicago, and more. I interviewed Tony Peraica on May 29, 2009 at his Anthony J. Peraica & Associates law offices. (See all six videos in the series.) Cool Hats & Shirts for Cool Conservatives Leave a Comment... Chicago News Bench RSS Feed We're on Twitter...

Tony Peraica Says Stroger "Unelectable"

Another hard-hitting segment of our exclusive interview with Tony Peraica, Cook County Board Commissioner. He doesn't mince his words as he talks about Cook County Board President Todd Stroger's chances of winning re-election, the hypocrisy of fellow Cook County commissioners and the local Democrat Party, and much more. I interviewed Peraica on May 29, 2009 at his law office on Chicago's South Side. Leave a Comment... See Our Online Store Chicago News Bench RSS Feed We're on Twitter...

Cook County's Cavalcade of Idiots

Endorsements of Todd Stroger for Cook County Board President, from the 2006 election. Remember these people. Leave a Comment... See Our Online Store Chicago News Bench RSS Feed We're on Twitter...

Claypool Won't Run Against Stroger

Forrest Claypool, a Cook County Commissioner, won't challenge incumbent fool Todd Stroger. Good. One less fool in the running. Now hear what Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica has to say about Stroger, Claypool, Suffredin and others in Cook County's "government" in our exclusive video interview.... See Comments... Visit Our Online Store Chicago News Bench RSS Feed Hey! ChiNewsBench is on Twitter

Iran Protesters Braver Than "Tea Party" Protesters

The whole world loves Obama? Not quite. Iranians, upset back in January by Obama's failure to do anything substantial regarding Gaza, are not exactly fans of Barack Obama. More recently, many Iranians are dissing Obama for his gutless lack of any condemnation of the obvious election fraud there last week. Photos of the Gutless Appeaser were burned in January (click photo for link), others were made to look as though blood was dripping from his lying mouth, and still others were placed on the ground to be trampled upon. Today, hundreds of thousands of Iranian people are risking arrest or even being shot by police as they disobey anti-rally orders as they march through the streets. Most Tea Party protesters, in contrast, won't attend a rally if they can't be assured of a good parking space, a latte for the march and a nice place to grab lunch afterward. In most of the rest of the world, freedom is still thought of as something worth dying for - or at least risking latte deprivation for. Ironically and sadly, too many Americans no longer bother to get out of their easy chairs to stand up for their fundamental rights. Now, I ask you, when will the timid and so-far gutless Tea Party "protesters" start getting serious and doing this? "What?!?" you say, "how can you ask that?!? Are you suggesting that Tea Party protesters burn Obama in effigy?" Damned right I am. Democrats have burned effigies of every Republican president since Lincoln. And remember, folks, dissent is patriotic. Haven't you heard? While some Iranians were chanting "Death to Obama," I would urge people to NOT do that. It's not only illegal and stupid and wrong, it's also what Democrats and leftists have chanted about every Republican president since Lincoln. While I would urge adopting some tactics of the Left, we don't want to become too much like them. And while we're at it, let's ask ourselves why in hell the residents of Cook County haven't yet picked up pitchforks and torches and stormed Cook County offices. "What?!?" you might say, "how can you ask that?!? Are you suggesting that people storm the offices of Cook County government?" Damned straight. After all, the people of Iran are upset about an election being stolen. What the hell do you think Todd Stroger and the iron-fisted tyrants of the Cook County Democrat Party did in 2006? (In case you don't know, let Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica explain it to you in this video. You might want to invest in a pitchfork after watching it.) See Comments... Visit Our Online Store Chicago News Bench RSS Feed Hey! ChiNewsBench is on Twitter

Peraica Takes off the Gloves (Video, Part 2)

Part 2 of my six-part series, "A Conversation With Tony Peraica." On May 29, I interviewed Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica in his law office on Chicago's south side. The result was 63 minutes' worth of incredible video. In Part 1, he shared family stories, memories of his youth, and more. This installment, Part 2, is very different from the first. Here, Peraica takes the gloves off when speaking about fellow Cook County commissioners and other politicians and calls the Democrat nomination of Todd Stroger "fixed." He describes fellow commissioners Forrest Claypool and Larry Suffredin as hypocrites. Oh, there's more, and you can see the full video below. (See all six videos in the series.) Comments and Guestbook Visit Our Online Store Chicago News Bench RSS Feed Hey! ChiNewsBench is on Twitter

Peraica Demands Stroger Resign

Cook County Board member Tony Peraica is calling for board president Todd Stroger to resign immediately. Peraica, a Republican, says Democrat Stroger should step down in light of numerous hiring scandals. "The corruption he said he was going to root out," Peraica told Fox Chicago, "has continued unabated." See the video at Fox Chicago. Stroger, like former Governor Rod Blagojevich, has been empowered by local Democrats. Many still support him. In November, 2006, Chicago Tribune columnist Eric Zorn noted that Obama and Durbin were among Stroger's staunchest supporters: Obama's staff released a profoundly disheartening letter to voters this week in which Obama, joined by Sen. Dick Durbin, endorsed Cook County Board presidential candidate Todd Stroger. The letter, which puffs lots of hot air into the saggy balloon of Stroger's legislative resume, refers to him as "a good progressive Democrat" who will "lead us into a new era of Cook County government." Full Column, Chicago Tribune... The "good progressive" Todd Stroger has given us a string of entertaining scandals, the nation's highest sales tax, fiscal lunacy and a budget deficit bigger than the entire GDP of some nations. It's so bad that some communities in Cook County are seriously considering secession. It's time for Stroger himself to seceed from Cook County. RELATED: Todd Stroger Can't Win (Nor Should He) - NBC Chicago Todd Stroger: I'm Running Again - NBC Chicago Yes Virginia, there is a Crook County - Chicago Daily Herald Stroger Cousin Donna Dunnings Resigns... - Huffington Post Stroger defends decision to hire cousin as CFO 2 ... - ABC7 Chicago Obama magically unstained by grime of Chicago Way - Chicago Tribune Reform Cook County CommieBama Hats and More Chicago News Bench RSS Feed Follow ChiNewsBench on Twitter!

Nowicki Calls Quigley Stroger's "Yes-Man"

Julia Nowicki, who is leaving her position as Cook County compliance officer, has a lot to say about patronage (read "corruption") under the regime of Todd Stroger. A revealing article on March 5, by friend Angela Caputo, gives a look at the dishonesty and lack of transparency in Cook County's government. She wrote this in Progress Illinois: Cook County Board President Todd Stroger was on the defense yesterday, calling outgoing compliance officer Julia Nowicki “a little disillusioned” after she reiterated quite forcefully that his administration continues to drag its feet on several court-ordered recommendations aimed at rooting out patronage. That's just a teaser. The rest of Caputo's article sizzles with the rump meat of Stroger over an open fire. Oh, and the rump of Mike Quigley is on the fire, too. Quigley has been a staunch supporter of Stroger, although he will now try to distance himself from him since winning the Demcrat primary for the Illinois 5th Congressional District seat this past Tuesday. Caputo jumps all over Quigley, sticking him on the same skewer as Stroger (emphasis added): As Nowicki rightly points out, it’s not the job of the compliance officer to root out illegal patronage: “It’s your job,” she wrote to the commissioners. With only a handful of Stroger critics on the board, the rebuke ought to be a reminder to the powers that be that taxpayers can’t afford another yes-man to fill Commissioner Mike Quigley’s seat when he presumably heads to Congress later this year. Read the entire letter from Julia Nowicki to Mike Quigley below. Nowicki Shakman Letter to Quigley

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Todd Stroger: The Beating Continues

Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica reports that the new budget was passed "with no new tax increases and without the massive new borrowing" that His Lordship Todd Stroger wanted. That is very good news, but it's a bit like saying you're happy to learn that your neighbor will not increase the number of times that he beats up his wife per week. The beating continues at the same pace, he just won't increase the frequency. Todd Stroger continues to beat up the taxpayers. While we thank Tony and his allies for this "victory," we hope they will keep fighting until Todd Stroger stops beating his constituents. That's you and me, folks. Tony filed this report at 4:52 pm via Facebook: I have excellent news to report. A few minutes ago, we scored a major victory for the Cook County taxpayers: We held the line and passed a budget with no new tax increases and without the massive new borrowing sought by Todd Stroger and his allies. Make no mistake: this victory is huge. By blocking the insiders today, we have no doubt angered them. They are certainly planning right now how to exact revenge in the 2010 elections. That’s why I need your help. Please click here to make an immediate online contribution to help keep me fighting for you on the Cook County Board. The insiders wanted $740 million in new bonds. We didn’t let them have it. They wanted a back-door tax increase. We didn’t let them have it. They wanted tens of millions in additional spending. We didn’t let them have it. Bottom line: We won. They lost. Help us to continue scoring victories for the Cook County taxpayers through your online contribution of $10, $25, $100 or whatever you can afford. We are proving that reform can be achieved. And, with your help, we will continue fighting for the taxpayers and residents of Cook County. Thank you for your continued support. See Tony Peraica's website, Reform Cook County CNB RSS Feed

Tony Peraica,"Just Say No!"

A message today from Cook County Commish Tony Peraica. (He's such a trouble maker!) What's Tony worked up about this time? He wants you, the taxpayers of Cook County, to urge the county commissioners "to vote against the massive new debt that Todd Stroger has proposed in the form of hundreds of millions in new bonds." Read Tony Peraica's message, "Heed the Tribune’s Call: Tell Your Commissioner to Vote ‘No’ On Back Door Tax Hikes." Then, just do it. You'll feel like you did something constructive today. When you're done calling your Cook County Commissioners, watch the video "Crook County - A Quick Conversation about Chicago Politics" at YouTube. Finally, just for laughs, read this: Todd Stroger Turns It On! CNB RSS Feed

Paul Vallas Might Run, Might Not

Finally. A Republican who just might win in Cook County: Paul Vallas. And he just might run. Yep, he's considering it, and if he does he will do it as a Republican. Carol Marin had this about Vallas announcing that he will challenge Todd "Shorty" Stroger for the position of Cook County Board President. Paul Vallas is ready to run again. "Cook County is broken, and I like fixing things that are broken." The speed-talking, reform-minded maverick who was CEO of Chicago Public Schools under Mayor Daley, then lost the 2002 gubernatorial primary to Rod Blagojevich by just 25,000 votes, went on to make a national name rescuing school districts in Philadelphia and New Orleans.. Full Article at Chicago Sun-Times... HOWEVER, it is not yet certain that Vallas will run, as noted today in New Orleans by NOLA.com (emphasis added): The Chicago media reported unequivocally Wednesday that Vallas plans to leave New Orleans at the end of the 2009 calendar year to run for the office. But Vallas was less clear-cut in subsequent interviews. "It's not definitive that I'm running," he said. But the headline-grabbing educator added that he has formed an exploratory committee and would welcome the challenge of "taking on another big problem" in Illinois. Full Story at NOLA.com... For those of us who are sick of Todd Stroger's Corruptocracy, let's keep our fingers crossed. RELATED: Paul Vallas Might Run, Might Not Paul Vallas to run for Cook County Board Paul Vallas tells Chicago newspaper he's leaving New Orleans Suburban Republicans welcome Vallas Recovery Schools Chief Plans To Leave Post Daley Lukewarm on Vallas' Return Todd Stroger Turns It On! CNB RSS Feed

Peraica Resolution Getting Attention

Yesterday, Tony Peraica introduced a resolution to put the Cook County check register online. Sounds like a good idea, and it's already getting widespread attention in the media (see Peraica’s Transparency Resolution Attracting Attention). According to Peraica, "This simple move will bring full transparency to Cook County's budget, which is bloated and full of waste, fraud and abuse." For more information about Peraica's resolution see ReformCookCounty.com. RELATED: Vallas wants to challenge Stroger as Republican Todd Stroger Turns It On! CNB RSS Feed