In Case You Missed It: Tribune Whacks Endorsers of Stroger, Berrios
Filed under: Blagojevich, Budget, Corruption, Elections, Mayor Daley, Reform, Taxes, Todd Stroger
We meant to post this earlier today, because it’s just a wonderful editorial by the Chicago Tribune.
Not only does the Tribune take a nice whack at all those Democrat politicians who endorsed Todd Stroger for County Board President in 2006 — they whack many of those same politicians for endorsing Cook County Board of Review Commissioner/Cook Democratic Party Chair Joe Berrios in 2010:
The list of pols who endorsed Stroger survives online, and for that we’re supremely grateful. His endorsers remain stakeholders in his broken promises, his patronage-larded budgets, and his notorious Friends and Family Hiring Plan.
Much as they might wish voters would forget their Stroger legacy, he’s all theirs:
Mayor Richard M. Daley is on the list, as are Durbin and now-President Obama. So are U.S. Reps. Bobby Rush, Jesse Jackson Jr., Dan Lipinski, Danny Davis, Jan Schakowsky and current White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.
Five statewide officeholders — Rod Blagojevich, Pat Quinn, Lisa Madigan, Dan Hynes and Jesse White — also urged the rest of us to elect Todd Stroger.
And here’s the piece about Berrios:
What’s especially galling is that many of those who endorsed Stroger now have endorsed his crony Joe Berrios, a lobbyist, member of the county tax appeal board and candidate for the influential office of county assessor. When not in Springfield lobbying Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan (a Stroger endorser) and Senate President John Cullerton (a Berrios endorser), Berrios passes judgment on … tax appeals for clients of Madigan’s and Cullerton’s law firms. That conflict is grotesque.
Good for the Chicago Tribune.
We’re somewhat surprised they didn’t mention the fact that their competitor, the Sun-Times, also endorsed Todd in 2006.
Update from today’s County Board meeting
Filed under: Blagojevich, Corruption, Elections, Mayor Daley, Reform, Spending, Todd Stroger
Hypocritical.
That’s what we call the county board’s vote today to boycott Arizona businesses that do business with Cook County — while jumping through hoops to exempt an Arizona-based company that handles red light traffic cameras.
As you can read in this story, Commissioner Peraica voted against the “boycott Arizona” measure, and provided this response to Commissioner Edwin Reyes, who criticized Tony for his vote:
“I take offense at a personal attack like that because to me, as an attorney and an officer of the court, as one who has received the benefits of everything that’s the best the United States has to offer, I feel I have an obligation not to stomp on the Constitution, but to support this Constitution, even when it’s not convenient. Even when it doesn’t please my personal agenda.”
In other news — the county board once again failed to override Todd Stroger’s veto of our hiring freeze. Tony supported this hiring freeze to rein in the abuse of the Stroger administration. Unfortunately, Stroger’s allies on the board were able to block the majority vote.
The Stroger Six, Our Newly-Proposed Ethics Reforms, and Another Stroger Investigation
Filed under: Blagojevich, Corruption, Elections, Mayor Daley, Reform, Spending, Todd Stroger
by Tony Peraica
It was quite a day here in Cook County.
First, the Cook County Board failed to protect the taxpayers by coming up short in a vote to override Todd Stroger’s veto of our hiring freeze.
More to the point — six county commissioners failed the taxpayers by voting against the veto override. The Chicago Tribune editorial board calls out these “Stroger Six”:
The tally, 9-6 to override, fell short of the necessary 11 “yes” votes. The Stroger Six: William Beavers, Jerry Butler, Earlean Collins, Joan Patricia Murphy, Deborah Sims and Robert Steele. Steele and a seventh commissioner who gutlessly voted present, Edwin Reyes, had been co-sponsors of the original measure to tighten controls on Stroger.
Also during today’s county board meeting, I introduced new amendments to the county ethics ordinance to help curb ethical abuses by some county politicians.
Please watch my brief video explaining this ordinance.
ABC 7 Chicago, The Prairie Stater, Illinois Review and Publius Forum have also reported on our new ethics measures.
Finally — yet another investigation into questionable spending by the Stroger Administration. This one involves dubious spending on U.S. Census contracts. The Chicago Tribune’s Hal Dardick reports:
Two top aides to Cook County Board President Todd Stroger sidestepped the need for commissioners’ approval in doling out nearly $150,000 in census outreach work to people they knew. The eight contracts are among those being investigated by the county inspector general’s office…
Another day, another investigation.
As the politicians continue to abuse your tax dollars — we will continue our battle to rein them in and protect the taxpayers.
Does Todd Stroger admit an illegal act?
Filed under: Blagojevich, Corruption, Elections, Mayor Daley, Spending, Todd Stroger
Please watch the video below of a Fox Chicago Sunday segment set to air tomorrow: at about the 2:55 mark, does Todd Stroger admit an illegal act related to the expenditure of federal funds? The U.S. Attorney needs to investigate.
Tony Addresses County Board on Possible Illegalities of Stroger Spending Abuses
Filed under: Blagojevich, Elections, Spending, Todd Stroger
This ABC 7 Chicago story provides more on the recent abuses of the Stroger Administration. Tony is quoted in the story — addressing the County Board on possible illegalities of the Stroger spending abuses:
The Strength of Our Convictions
by Tony Peraica
Frederick Douglass
GrandOldPartisan.com salutes Frederick Douglass, born Valentine’s Day in 1817. One facet of the great man’s life that deserves more emphasis is Frederick Douglass, Republican.
With Ronald Reagan and Abraham Lincoln birthdays coming in quick succession during February Black History Month, it is important to reflect on the strength of our convictions.
Why are we conservatives — Republicans?
Having reached a level of consciousness that allows us to see the world for what it is, not what we wish it to be; having learned to think critically and question everything; one is, after simple deduction, a conservative, a Republican.
Many never reach this level of consciousness.
Many engage in years of self-delusion and denial of the obvious.
Having had that epiphany, what is our responsibility?
Our responsibility is to teach and lead in communities that have been devastated by the bankrupt liberalism. The vapid mantra of “government assistance” that leads to dependence, dissolution of families, failed education and other government-run systems, has to be ended.
The Republican Party of Illinois must open outposts in the African-American and Latino communities throughout Cook County and the rest of Illinois.
These outpost would be staffed and operated by respected local community conservatives who will reach out to schools, churches, business and community associations, in order to teach conservative philosophy of self-reliance, political activism and importance of a functioning two-party democracy.
Our manuscripts for teaching revolution would be The Declaration of Independence, The United States Constitution, and the Amendments to The US Constitution.
With our county and state Party Conventions before us, now is the time to focus on what we need to do in order to re-establish the relevance of conservative principles that drew African-American voters to the Republican Party from 1860 to 1940, and Latino and other immigrants from 1940 to 2000.
All conservatives must stand united now to take our Republican Party back from those who have sold its ideals to democrats for personal gain or uncontested re-election.
This is our moment. It is our time.
Be a delegate to the conventions, run for office, help others on the ballot, man the barricades.
Will you exercise your individual responsibility to bring about change within our party, our communities, our county and state?
Please remember: Those who think themselves too smart to get involved in politics, get punished by being governed by those who are dumber.
Suspicious Activity on the Southwest Side
Lozano v. Burke Totals Questioned by Election Judge
Judge of Election, David Jenkins raised serious questions about questionable vote totals in the hotly contested state rep race on the southwest side between Dan Burke and Rudy Lozano.
County Clerk David Orr, and his deputy, Clem Ballanof have thus far ignored calls for an investigation.
Where is the MSM here?
Where is the outcry from Rudy Lozano? Does he think the whole thing is fixed and not worth complaining about because the outcome won’t change?
For the sake of democracy in Cook County, make the call Rudy.
Read the press release from Election Judge David Jenkins. - PDF
Tobolski criticizes Peraica for attacking Todd Stroger
Filed under: Campaign News, Elections, Todd Stroger
The Riverside Brookfield Landmark posted an article about the upcoming 16th District Commissioner showdown between Tony Peraica and his opponent, Jeffery Tobolski. In the article, Tobolski criticizes Peraica for fighting Todd Stroger.
You can read the entire article at the Landmark website.
Thank You for Your Trust and Confidence
With the primary behind us, I want to thank all of the 16th district voters and taxpayers, as well as all Cook County taxpayers who have stood behind us, encouraged us, donated to us and prayed for us.
The voters understood that this is not about any of us individually. It is about doing the right thing in a one-party county and state, protecting the taxpayers and those who are without voice or representation, and providing leadership where none exists.
I pledge to you on my solemn honor, that I will continue the fight for smaller government, lower taxes and elimination of corruption in Cook County until my last breath.
We must educate new generation of young leadership, forge strong alliances with African-American and Latino voters, and run on the principles that make GOP Party and our nation great: God, Country, Family and Individual Responsibility.
We have a great opportunity before us in 2010 to restore a functioning two-party democracy in this corrupt state, county and city.
It is up to us.
We must close our ranks, stand behind our party nominees, and, with clear vision and purpose, engage the other side like they have never been engaged before.
Now is the time.
Will you stand with us and join us in this battle? Will you commit yourself to personally work, contribute, organize and support your local, state and federal candidates.
This is the place.
The whole country and the world is looking at Illinois and waiting for us to send the signal for the rest of the nation. This is the heart of America. We are common-sense Midwesterners who know pretenders when we see them.
Do it.
Not for yourself, but for future generations who are going to look on this time and say: “How we wish we were there to share that moment in history with them.”
Tony Peraica
Candidates speak at January 23 Judge of Election breakfast
A whole host of videos have been added that were from the January 23 Judges of Election breakfast / ROLT meeting. You can view them all by heading to our video page.
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