Cook County Clergy Campaign Against Themselves
Filed under: Budget, Mayor Daley, Reform, Spending, Taxes, Todd Stroger
Despite the extra burden that the massive Cook County sales tax is placing on employers and working families in the county - a group of clergy today gathered to protest attempts to repeal the onerous tax.
It is a shame that these well-meaning community leaders have bought into and are furthering the hoax that only choice is between high taxes and necessary county services.
They ignore the real choice: between cutting the waste, fraud and abuse in the county budget … or funding necessary county services.
(For those, such as Stroger, Daley & Co., who still assert there is no waste in the budget, we implore you to view this hilarious video.)
Further, by campaigning for higher taxes, they hurt their own cause due to the simple economic reality that employers and workers produce the tax revenue that fund the services provided by the county - and the donations that allow churches and vital non-profits to function.
Higher taxes mean less jobs. Less jobs means less tax revenue. Less tax revenue threatens county services and community organizations.
So, the answer is simple: trim the fat and fraud from the budget; lower taxes; balance the budget.
Now that’s something for which the clergy should campaign.
KASS: ‘Coverage of Corruption has Hypocritcal Scent’
Filed under: Budget, Corruption, Mayor Daley, Todd Stroger
As usual, John Kass raises some interesting questions in his column today:
African-Americans like the hapless Sen. Tombstone, or Cook County Board President Todd Stroger, the Urkel of local politics, deserve the thwackings they get. When Burris or Stroger give a foolish non-answer, that or even a no-comment becomes news, evidence of their nefariousness. Not so with the much pinker bosses, like Mayor Richard Daley or Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Lisa’s Daddy), two bullies who believe in democracy as long as they can play king.
Burris’ few lies to a state impeachment committee are nothing compared with the hundreds of millions devoured by corruption in the Daley administration. And Madigan still hasn’t been held to account for his flunky, state Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie (D-Madigan), holding onto the bombshell Burris affidavit—the one in which Burris revealed his earlier lies under oath—by slipping it into her desk drawer.
More coverage from today’s O’Hare press conference
Filed under: Budget, Mayor Daley, Spending, Taxes
Here’s some more great coverage from today’s press conference opposing Mayor Daley’s O’Hare expansion boondoggle:
ABC 7 Chicago reports:
“The mayor is looking to get $50 million in stimulus money to reward his political donors and contractors to pour more concrete that the airlines have already stated they don’t need, they don’t want, they can’t afford to use,” said Tony Peraica, (R) Cook County Board Commissioner.
And the Chicago Tribune:
Cook County Board Commissioner Tony Peraica (R-Riverside) labeled the airport project another pay-to-play scheme that is “a boondoggle for the mayor and his political donors.”
From The Daily Herald:
Bensenville Village President John Geils flew to Washington D.C. last week to lobby members of Congress and interest groups such as Citizens Against Government Waste to oppose funding the O’Hare Modernization Program, or OMP.
Tuesday, he was flanked by Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica, who called the project a “boondoggle,” plus a few officials from Prospect Heights, Park Ridge, the Illinois Policy Institute and Alliance of Residents Concerning O’Hare.
Stories also have appeared on WBBM Radio and in Chicagoist.
Mr. Geils Goes to Washington
Filed under: Budget, Mayor Daley, Reform, Spending, Taxes
The Chicago Tribune reports this morning on Bensenville Village President John Geils’ trip to Washington to urge federal lawmakers not to authorize stimulus funds for Mayor Daley’s O’Hare expansion boondoggle.
The mayor of Bensenville went to Washington on Thursday and urged members of Congress to deny Chicago any federal stimulus funds for the expansion of O’Hare International Airport.
Characterizing the $15 billion O’Hare Modernization Program as “a waste of taxpayer money,” Bensenville Village President John Geils met with elected officials and participated in an event sponsored by Citizens Against Government Waste, a taxpayer watchdog group.
Geils’ trip came two days after Mayor Richard Daley lobbied lawmakers on behalf of Chicago’s stimulus package, including $50 million that Daley said is needed to complete O’Hare expansion in five years.
Good for you, John.
Did Daley Tell a “Fib” on O’Hare and the Stimulus?
Filed under: Budget, Mayor Daley, Reform, Spending, Taxes
So…did he or didn’t he (Hizzoner) ask for federal stimulus funds for his O’Hare expansion boondoggle (a.k.a. “Chicago Crony Stimulus Plan?”) Check this out:
Battleground: Chicago
Filed under: Mayor Daley, Spending, Taxes, Todd Stroger
As many of you may have read, the 500th homicide of 2008 was committed in Chicago during Christmas week.
That’s more than the amount of American soldiers killed in Iraq this year.
So, why don’t we see liberal protestors picketing outside City Hall, or Todd Stroger’s office, or the offices of the members of Congress who represent the city?
Simple: because these politicians still are effective at passing the blame for our city and county’s woes on to others. They’re favorite complaint is that they simply need more of our tax dollars to battle the challenges that face our region.
For example, they say they need more money to fight crime in our city and county. But then they refuse to answer simple questions when tens of millions of dollars in federal homeland security funds are reported misused or missing.
Should we really expect anything more from these politicians? Of course not. After all, these are the same people who have been throwing an increasing amount of tax dollars at our broken educational system only to see it continue to spin its wheels and remain stuck in the mud (and now, we’ll see this failure at the national level as the Chicago Public Schools chief will now head the federal Dept. of Education.)
When Cook County politicians face challenges, they choose simplistic demagoguery to deflect criticism and fool the voters. And we all continue to pay the price.
One final thought as we ponder the 2008 murder rate: how’s that gun ban working, Mayor Daley?
WATCH: Peraica’s Appearance on ‘Public Affairs’
Filed under: Blagojevich, Corruption, Mayor Daley, Todd Stroger
Commissioner Tony Peraica discuses corruption, the state of the Illinois political parties, President-elect Obama, and efforts to reform Cook County in a recent interview with Jeff Berkowitz on Public Affairs. Watch the full interview below:
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