Chicagoist: Interview: Cook County Commisioner Forrest Claypool

Kevin

Mon, 21 May 2007 18:37:39 -0600

Carol: While I can't speak to Claypool's love life, I will mention the old axiom that politics makes strange bedfellows. Friends one day, enemies the next. That's just how the game is played. While I don't generally agree with privatization of government services, the argument that public works jobs are some sort of boon to the black community is false. If all African Americans have in Cook County for economic opportunity is government jobs, then we're all a lot worse off than any of us ever imagined. When will black elected leaders start bringing real jobs and real economic development to the community? When did Staples and Wal-Mart come to represent good jobs and opportunity? Why can't Bill Beavers and Howard Brookins fight to keep industrial jobs in the community, and bring more building trades craft work, and the union membership that often comes with such jobs, to their constituents? Maybe because when people are truly economically independent, you can't turn the vote out so predictably.

Carol

Mon, 21 May 2007 17:08:54 -0600

I love the comments posted by "Spook" on Claypool. Finally, someone besides myself knows the real story on Claypool. It seems that he and his politician buddies, including Pat Quinn all have the same thing in common - they are cheaters and skirt chasers. They don't care anything about African Americans. Claypool ripped through the Park District firing most Afrian Americans. What a joke he is. He has no morals, cheated on his wife, pretends to be a reformer,when in actuality he is just like all the other "flannel mouth" politicans. Collecting shoeboxes and woman.

Spook

Sat, 06 Jan 2007 17:18:03 -0600

The real Forest Claypool Story Claypool was a fundraiser for Daley when he decided it was time to reclaim his father’s Chicago. Then Forest goes to work for a true Reformer Pat Quinn then Illinois Treasurer and no ones friend in the corrupt democratic or republican party. Then Pat Quinn runs on an anti corruption platform against then Secretary of State George Ryan. Its time for Claypool to come on. He leaves when Quinn needs him most to become Daley's chief of Staff. Daley then endorses his friend Ryan( the republican over) over that pesky Quinn. Quinn gets buried in a landslide. Corruption takes hold at city hall(Ryan goes on to become Governor) and of course Clayfool (like Sergeant Shultz in Hogan Heros), "knows nothing!". Nothing for 8 years, He's Mr. Clean after all and says “had he known any thing he would have demanded change or resigned”! Yea right! He then becomes head of the park district, makes Daley's friends richer by privatizing, while firing the African-American employees. Park Workers connected to white Cook County committeemen,like Mike Madigan, Burke, Mell, etc., get a pass. Now the park district which use to provide free programs for poor children in Chicago, says only those that pay can come out and play. Calyfool,(who was then married}has an affair with a daughter of an prominent alderman who works for him at the park district. The good Catholic Daley finds out and demands he stop seeing her. Forest refuses and resigns in a huff. But Hey Forest is still Daley’s favorite so his career continues to sky rocket Forest Flayfool is nothing but a Daley Stooge in his effort to ethnically cleanse this city

Bono

Fri, 05 Jan 2007 14:51:25 -0600

If you want authentic invesigative journalism, you should pick up a copy of the Sun Times? Why, is there something in there listing a news source where that actually happens?

rb

Fri, 05 Jan 2007 14:44:03 -0600

What would happen if voting became easier for everyone (not just people who don't work) to do (vote near your work, vote online, vote anywhere, etc)? It seems like the whole system would turn upside down if the politicians didn't win by gaming the system (i.e. catering to the unemployed or friends-of-friends who have reason to go out-of-their-way, who have the time to stand in line all day) and actually had to win votes from the entire populace. Yeah, yeah...someone will reply with "the right to vote is worth the effort" but honestly, the reason why so many people don't vote is that the process is a serious PITA. Reality bites the system, unfortunately.

Kevin

Fri, 05 Jan 2007 14:25:44 -0600

IrishPirate: Thanks for the backhanded compliment. I actually do my own work sometimes, and often dig around for stuff that isn't on the front page of the dailies (although I like to write about that too). The writing I did during the last election was about some of that. But we are a metablog, and tend to comment only on what is already out there. I tend to take the news and try to comment on it. And yes, we do have a distinct opinion. If you want authentic invesigative journalism, you should pick up a copy of the Sun Times. vise77: You are a veritable font of wisdom today, and I have found your comments on both of my posts to be exceptionally insightful and well-reasoned. I couldn't agree with you more, and probabably couldn't have said it better.

vise77

Fri, 05 Jan 2007 14:03:07 -0600

Thanks for the interview, though I wish he would have said more things that he hasn't already said dozens of times before. For instance, most people who pay attention to the County know what a mess the juve center is. Claypool is preaching to choir. Tell me what, exactly, he will do--will be try to build a coalition on the board, for instance, or propose some new programs or replacement officials? That's much more interesting than Claypool (whom I voted for last year) patting himself on the back once again for taking on a sleazy slug. I still would like him to get into more detail about specific ways to cut the county deficit, improve the bond rating and make the County Hospital more efficient. I'd like to know more about why (in my view) he didn't come out more strongly against the Stroger/Beavers power grab last year. I'd like to know what he thinks his supporters from last year should do to at least try to keep the Stroger/Beaver camp at least a bit honest over the next few years--that is, how to keep people interested and invested in County government. And, when he talks about patronage and waste, I'd like to see him name more name and specific program and areas. He should do this often and loudly instead of speaking, as he does here, in bland generalities. That is, he should act more like a strong, long-term leader and reformer, if, indeed, that is what he really is.

irishpirate

Fri, 05 Jan 2007 13:52:11 -0600

Well Kevin you finally scored a "coup" by coming up with your own story.......and not recycling something. You can always go back to attacking bloggers later. Claypool is a seemingly decent guy. He carried my ward, da 46th, by around 62/38 over John Stroger even though the Democratic Committeman, Tom "not so" Sharpe and the alderbeast Helen "move to Lincoln Park" Shiller supported Stroger. Interesting point........Sharpe is a county employee. I am shocked!

Mike

Fri, 05 Jan 2007 13:19:23 -0600

I first voted for Claypool when he ran against Lechowicz. His narrow victory is one of the few exciting moments I can point to in personal experience that illustrates the power of voting (the other is when Ed Kelly beat Schulter for committeeman in 2000). Lechowicz, like Claypool, is a white guy. That still didn't stop the Stroger camp from using the trite, divisive race card on Claypool (read: better government) supporters. Stroger's and Beavers' lying to the public about John Stroger health, Toddler's insertion into his dad's job by the committeemen, and Steele's gaming the system for a double retirement package represent the most arrogant displays of elected (snicker) officials I've ever seen.

Mr. Smith

Fri, 05 Jan 2007 11:52:54 -0600

So Kevin Spacey is going to be play him when they make a movie about his life, right? Check out that 2nd picture and tell me I'm wrong.