Gone but not forgotten

Former Cook County Board President Todd Stroger has a talent for creating controversy.  Just when we thought we had heard the last of him after his resounding defeat in the recent election he finds a way to get back on the front page.  After finishing last in the democratic primary and losing his bid for reelection he has now filed for unemployment benefits.  Follow this link to the news story

A stimulating day at the zoo

The following story warms my heart.  Our tax dollars are being spent to help those who were ravaged by flood waters in Cook County.  The Cook County Board took these flood victims to the zoo for a day at a cost of $79,000.00.  You can read the details here:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-todd-stroger-brookfield-zoo-20101130,0,6134064.story

Here are some of the details:

Cook County Board President Todd Stroger's administration treated families whose homes were damaged by floods to a nearly $79,000 party at Brookfield Zoo, paying for the day of fun with federal grant money meant to restore those homes, newly released county documents show.


The Sept. 12 zoo event included parking, admission, special attractions and "hungry as a bear" picnic baskets for up to 2,250 people, according to an invoice. The zoo tab also covered more than $8,000 in entertainment, including a prize raffle, a disc jockey, a face painter, seven caricature artists, a juggler and a stilt walker.... There was a music therapy workshop.

This is another example of why government should never have the authority to spend your money.  There is one question about this article that I can’t answer, what is a music therapy workshop?

Larceny is the new community outreach

Once again we are taught an important civics lesson by Chicago politicians. On October 4, 2010 authorities arrested Carla Oglesby, a top aide to Cook County Board President Todd Stroger as part of a probe into whether contracts were steered to the aide's company and her associates. The full story can be found at this link:

http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/clout_st/2010/10/top-stroger-aide-carla-oglesby-arrested-in-contract-probe-.html

Here are the highlights:

Oglesby, a one-time promoter of sports stars and hip-hop artists, was the spokeswoman for Stroger's failed Democratic primary re-election campaign. Stroger briefly suspended Oglesby earlier this year from her $120,000-a-year county job after reports that she authorized a $24,975 contract to her public relations firm, CGC Communications, to inform suburban residents about federal flood relief grants.

Later, it came out that Oglesby sought approval to spend nearly $150,000 on census outreach contracts. The deals were given to people recommended by Oglesby and Eugene Mullins, Stroger's spokesman and boyhood friend.

The civics lesson I have learned from this episode and countless others from the past is that the corruption never ends.  If you do not live in Cook County Illinois you may be consoling yourself in your belief that this type of behavior does not happen where you live.  You are wrong.  This type of behavior happens everywhere.  To decontaminate the political cesspool we must vote out the incumbents.

Congratulations you have the highest sales tax in the USA

The Cook County Board had an opportunity to override the Board President's veto of a sales tax reduction. Of course the Board voted to sustain the veto and so Cook County, Illinois continues with the highest sales tax in the nation. The sales tax rate in the City of Chicago is 10.25% but there are also add on rates for Chicago. Dining in a downtown Chicago restaurant is subject to a 11.50% sales tax.

Some of the comments by the County Board members would be funny if taxpayers money were not involved:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-0520edit1may20,0,1895904.story

"The sales tax applies to things that most poor people don't buy." -- Cook County Commissioner Joseph Mario Moreno, arguing that sales taxes really aren't regressive

"I would like to go home for once in my life and relax."
-- Commissioner Earlean Collins, accepting that her support of a county sales-tax increase may push voters to oust her from office

"We don't have any businesses in my district to leave."
-- Commissioner Deborah Sims, challenging the notion that high taxation is driving businesses -- and jobs -- out of Cook County

During the vote of the County Board a large rally was held outside the Cook County office building. The rally was organized by public employee unions. They cheered wildly when the veto was upheld preventing the reduction in the sales tax. This rally was held during normal working hours so most taxpayers were at work and could not stage a counter rally.

"they are human beings and they are not perfect"

Cook County Board President Todd Stroger is afflicted with a common malady in today's political society. He has not paid his federal income taxes:

http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/clout_st/2009/05/irs-slaps-lien-on-cook-county-board-president-todd-strogers-home-for-unpaid-income-taxes.html

The IRS has filed a tax lien on his house. The irony of this is that the Cook County Recorder of Deeds Office is required to file the lien and notify the tax delinquent. Stroger as president of the Cook County Board is responsible for appointing the Recorder of Deeds. The current office holder is Eugene "Gene" Moore:

http://www.ccrd.info/CCRD/controller;jsessionid=A1BF40C13CF16916BED6EACE09DB8405.CCRDAPPSRV2


We now have a new excuse when the IRS audits us. Tax delinquency is the result of human frailty.

"without African-American votes, there is no Democratic Party in Illinois"

This article gives us a inside look at the dilemmas politicians must endure:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-kass-dems-19-apr19,0,4492305.column

You have to love this bit of news:

“In a seriously stupid political move, Dunnings bailed her young protégé out of jail with a credit card.”

To understand why Senator Roland Burris received the nickname “tombstone” see the attached photos. (Yes, it is true that Burris has constructed his own mausoleum with his accomplishments engraved below the State of Illinois seal. Note that he left room under the seal for more engravings.)

"she has always tried to reach out and help people whenever she could"

You may remember a recent email concerning the Stroger family (the 3rd political dynasty of Cook County, Illinois). This family has suffered another tragedy:

http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2009/04/stroger-cousin-resigns-from-county-post.html

Donna Dunnings must be a true humanitarian based on this paragraph:

Stroger said he could not provide details of the relationship between the man and Dunnings, but said she has bailed the man out of jail several times over a month’s long span.

For more on Donna Dunnings warm and caring personality please see the following:

http://chicagoist.com/2009/01/17/stay_classy_donna_dunnings.php

I felt an immediate empathy for Donna after reading the quote from her in the last sentence of the above article.

its black and white

This article describes politics in Cook County Illinois:

http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/clout_st/2009/04/stroger-now-wants-sales-tax-cut-but-cant-explain-how-it-would-work.html

The following quote gets to the heart of the political debate:

County Commissioner William Beavers (D-Chicago), a key Stroger ally, said the tax increase had been necessary.

“People are screaming, but they don’t realize that the money went to the county hospitals,” Beavers said. “People on the North Side think it’s all poor black people going to those hospitals. There are more white people that use those hospitals. They don’t seem to understand and that’s why they don’t want to pay.”

For more on William Beavers follow this link: http://tinyurl.com/d34sen

Cook County Board President Todd H. Stroger’s replaced his father John Stroger as president of the Cook County Board. Todd’s rise to the presidency is an interesting story:

The 2006 election was among the most controversial in the colorful history of Cook County politics. Despite suffering a severe stroke just a week before the primary election, John Stroger still managed to secure his party's support by a final margin of 53 percent to 47 percent over Claypool. The severity of Stroger's condition was concealed from voters both before the primary election and for three months thereafter, possibly allowing his primary victory and preventing independent opposition to the replacement Democratic candidate in the general election. Although he had overcome health complications in the past, questions still lingered regarding his ability to serve another term as Cook County Board President.

In late June 2006 John Stroger was removed from the Democratic ticket for Cook County Board President and replaced by his son, Todd Stroger. John Stroger also resigned as Cook County Board President effective August 1 and was replaced by interim president Bobbie L. Steele. Republicans and some Democrats saw the move as nepotism, and Cook County Commissioner Forrest Claypool even told the Chicago Sun-Times that he would not vote in the November general election. Todd Stroger faced a challenge in that race from Republican Tony Peraica, a vocal critic of the John Stroger regime. Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley blasted Claypool, his own former chief of staff, and warned that Claypool risked "destroying [his] political career" by not backing Stroger against Peraica. While Peraica did very well in suburban Cook County, Todd Stroger received strong support from the powerful Mayor Daley and the Chicago Democratic machine. Stroger's strength among Chicago voters allowed him to win the election with 54 percent of the total vote.

For more information about Todd see the following: http://tinyurl.com/d39dtz