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When we read the news about what's going on with Cook County these days, we just want to pull out our hair and scream. What the fuck is going on!? We remember all the bullshit that opponents of Forrest Claypool and Tony Peraica spewed about job cuts and budget slashing during last year's election, and how everyone was saying that if a Republican ran the county it would go to hell in a handbasket.
Three months ago, Todd Stroger told everyone he had a plan. Maybe his plan was all-night bickering and firing county health-care workers, since that's what's happening now. The county has already slashed jobs, and layoff notices were sent to nearly 1,000 doctors, public defenders, sheriff's deputies and other workers. In response, activists announced that they were planning a protest over the proposed budget cuts. At this point county commissioners have been fighting through the night to stave off massive reductions in county services, and a majority of the commissioners have rejected the Toddler's 17 percent across-the-board cut proposal, with some even going so far as to say that they have enough votes to override a budget veto.
Claypool and Peraica have proposed an alternative budget that would restore nearly 1,000 health care and public safety workers, while eliminating nearly 400 upper and middle management jobs, which they, along with a coalition of other commissioners, point out are politically connected patronage jobs. Our man Claypool told CBS2 “What we have to decide as commissioners is whether we are going to dismantle the health care safety net, close the neighborhood clinics and hospital services and lay off prosecutors and police in order to protect patronage”. And the Toddler isn't making it easy, calling State's Attorney Dick Devine "the biggest pain in the ass I've ever met in public life" when he refused to go along with the cuts.
Although the wrangling over the budget has come down to about $40 million, it's $40 million in job cuts, specifically, whose job will get cut. We think it's an outrage that the Toddler and Beavers want to balance the county budget on the backs of the most vulnerable, the people that need county services the most, in order to protect the jobs of their friends and families. We can't help but think it's ironic that just a few weeks ago Bill Beavers was bragging to the Sun-Times that he was the "hog with the big nuts", and now his boy is getting smacked around by the county commission.
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i'm surprised that eliminating those patronage jobs didn't yield more money for the budget. still, it's a start. i like to see claypool and peraica fighting fire with fire. stroger's actions have been unconscionable.
To all the people who didn't vote for Claypool in the Primary and left the Stroger/Peraica blank because they couldn't fathom voting for a republican, you got what you deserve. You had chance to really make a change at a local level and let it slip through your fingers. The Democratic controlled is extremely corrupt and Stroger's actions prove that he'll do anything including cutting much needed social services in order to protect his patronage appointees. I was disgusted by how many people who are democrat who either voted for Stroger or left the ballot blank because they think that since Peraica's a republican it would mean hell on earth. You made a big mistake that will be difficult to recover and will cost you dearly in the form of taxes and more corruption. Shame on you and you now are seeing the results.
Remember this mantra for the future.
Think globally and act locally.
Well John, I assume that you're voting for Dorothy Brown on Tuesday then? Or Dock Walls?
And oh yes, Peraica is such a force for cleaning up corruption. He's only Betty Loren Maltese's lapdog. Periaca is every bit as corrupt as Stroger, he just exploits a stance as anti-corruption to try to gain power. Give over power to Periaca and all those county patronage jobs would go to Republicans instead. Nothing else would change on the patronage/corruption front. Except that King Donald Stephens would have more say in County matters.
I did vote for Claypool, and he and Quigley are the only legit reformers at the County Board. Periaca's nothing more than a corrupt opportunist.
Jerry,
While Peraica may not be the best choice in your eyes I think that the last election offered 2 choices.
1. Stay the corrupt course with Stroger who has proven he is not open to any realistic change
2. Try someone new at a time when the incumbent "the Machine" was weak.
You should have given him a shot and could have easily voted him out of office in the next election. At least it would have sent a message that you disagree with the "one party" system we currently have because:
The chance for a potential change has unfortunatly passed.
As for my vote in the Mayoral election. I plan on doing one of 2 things. Writing in Claypool or Patrick Fitzgerald who would be a truly reform unbiased candidate.
Also question for you are. On a hunch are you the Jerry who has strong ties to Patrick Quinn? I'm just curious if you I think I know you.
I have a family member who is a public defender who has now lost his job. Sad. No only for my family member, but for the people who need the services.
Jerry: Mike Quiqley is the biggest sell-out in Cook County politics today. He can't decide who's ass to kiss: Daley's or Beavers's. After he fell all over himself trying to run with Jesse Jackson Jr, and then being told to suck it when Jr dropped out of the race, he hightailed it back over to the county board so he could kiss Beavers's hog nuts some more. He even voted against the Suffredin/Claypool budget. There ain't nothing legit about that.
Jerry,
While Peraica may not be the best choice in your eyes I think that the last election offered 2 choices.
1. Stay the corrupt course with Stroger who has proven he is not open to any realistic change
2. Try someone new at a time when the incumbent "the Machine" was weak.
You should have given him a shot and could have easily voted him out of office in the next election. At least it would have sent a message that you disagree with the "one party" system we currently have because:
The chance for a potential change has unfortunatly passed and real change will be almost impossible as the "machine" gains strength in the next 4 yrs.
As for my vote in the Mayoral election. I plan on doing one of 2 things. Writing in Claypool or Patrick Fitzgerald who would be a truly reform unbiased candidate.
Also question for. On a hunch are you the Jerry who has strong ties to Patrick Quinn? I'm just curious if you are because I think I know you.
Kevin gets my first place trophy for turning the incredible phrase - "Kiss Beaver's hog nuts." You my friend are a god-damned poet.
I still can't help but chuckle when I think about Todd getting booed at the Obama rally. That was so sweet.
The only time we were offered a legit choice in county government was when Claypool ran. He lost. Periaca was not a reform candidate. He's a corrupt member of the suburban republican machine, which is just as thoroughly corrupt as the city Dem machine, if only weaker.
I've never even met Pat Quinn. That's the Lt Gov, right? I forget, the name sounds familiar.
Now, how will writing in Claypool or Fitzgerald change anything? Try voting for an actual candidate who isn't Daley. Why aren't you voting for Brown, or even Walls, seeing as how they are actually candidates?
And based on the number of enemies the Toddler is making these days, he won't last 4 more years. Claypool will have the opportunity to knock him off then.
Todd Stroger is a reformist's wet dream. He will single handedly kill the Chicago machine with his out of control antics.
Jerry,
So am I can assume that you voted for Stroger over Peraica or did you leave the ballot blank? I'm just curious.
As for the Mayoral election Brown or Walls are token candidates that are looking to increase their own profiles. I don't think they are serious candidates. Daley while surrounded by my corruption needs. I feel he's better than the other two. It's a shame the republicans can't get their act together to put together a viable option.
By the way the Don Stevens regime is on par with
the Stroger regime. Both corrupt and way too powerful. Again you you had a chance to vote out one group and you missed the chance. You're dead wrong in thinking the Toddler will be out in 4 yrso come and will just get stronger.
Just remember there is a difference between Democrats and Republicans on a local level vs. national level. Why do you think Daley has always liked Bush more than he did Bill Clinton?
I just can't stand when people vote for their party without really thinking. The issues are very much different.
You know this is just Tod's way of raising taxes don't you. The idea is to get everyone worried that the county won't be able to provide critical services. He wants to cut all the stuff we care about like health and human services. Then the P.R. campaign will begin to convence you that the only way to pay for all the things we care about is to raise taxes.
That's an interesting theory NSH, Toddler as some sort of unwitting pro-reform counterinsurgent? We'll see what happens there. Perhaps you're right (I guess stranger things have happened).
The folks who are getting screwed royally behind this whole fiasco are those rank and file South and West side precinct level workers who busted ass for the Toddler, only to see the very jobs he was supposedly going to bring home for them evaporate in the new budget. You've got to think that betrayal is going to bite young Stroger in the ass at some point. Every union on earth is going to be lined up against him come next election.
Beavers is simply out of control with arrogance and hubris. You just know, with that amount of shit talking and bluster, that he's gotten way too sloppy and overconfident in his sleazemongering. Fitzgerald will (hopefully) be feeding on his slimy ass within the next year or so.
Speaking of Fitz, lots of cops are apparently planning on writing him in for mayor (at least that's the word on some of the malcontent cop blogs) and Michael Shakman for their respective alderman. Normally I don't cotton to that sort of symbolic protest, but since Richard II is going to win anyway (and his token opponents are lightweights at best) and there is no real aldermanic race in my ward (47th), I may just cast my lot into the wind (so to speak).
Hard to say, there's plenty of time for me to sober up before Election Day.
i really hope wha nsh says is correct. it seems like the machine doesn't even want to help its own constituents anymore. I hope this sparks calls for a reform.