March 28, 2018
PAY-TO-PLAY POLITICS WILL VANISH WITH ASSESSOR BERRIOS'S DEFEAT
Voters threw Assessor Joe Berrios under the proverbial bus on March 20, and, in so doing, threw about $800,000-a year in campaign donations into the dumpster. Berrios was a master practitioner of pay-to-play politics, and in the assessor office QUID PRO QUO was king. Berrios generated over $2,032,131 in donations during 2015-2017, and had $1,435,673 on-hand as of Dec. 31. He didn't generate that kind of money because he was a really swell guy. He reduced assessed valuations and he got donations from the beneficiaries. Four reports during 2017-18 found the office's procedures "riddled with errors," and having "inequities" which benefited higher-valued over lower-valued residential properties. Fritz Kaegi beat Berrios 325,624-242,065. No more pay-to-play. Full Article...
March 21, 2018
"JEFFERSONIAN DEMOCRATS' LONG VANISHED FROM SCENE
Thomas Jefferson's political lineage is almost as convoluted as his biological lineage. Jefferson, America's third president, is renowned for his diverse family tree, with both Caucasian and African-American branches. He's also celebrated as the founder of the Democratic Party. But contemporary Democrats are big-government liberals, not Jeffersonians, whose philosophy was that any government was too much government. Jefferson was America's first political genius, exploiting economic and geographic divisions, using the power of the press to propagandize his ideas, creating a political party, and going negative on his opposition. Jefferson Park, on Chicago's Northwest Side, was named after the president, and Jefferson's statue was dedicated in front of the CTA terminal. Full Article...
March 14, 2018
INCUMBENTS MAY LOSE IN MARCH 20 PRIMARY ELECTION
The good news is that the March 20 primary is imminent. It's an opportunity to throw some rascals out. The bad news is that voters also have to vote some other rascals in. Were Illinois more creative, like Nevada, there would be a ballot line for "None of the above," which customarily draws 5 to 10 percent in that state. This year, in Illinois' and Cook County's primary contests, "None of the above" would draw upwards of 30 percent. Full Article...
March 7, 2018
UNDER-THE-RADAR CHALLENGERS AIM AT MARTWICK AND FRITCHEY
"It's really hostile" out there, said Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas, who is on the ballot for re-election. "Voters are angry and disgusted." We'll see. The Democratic primary on 3/20 will give a clue. Two Northwest Side Democrats -- State Rep. Rob Martwick (D-19) and County Comr. John Frtchey (D-12) -- face under-the radar challenges from, respectively, Jeff LaPorte and Bridget Degnen. Higher profile types like Toni Preckwinkle and Joe Berrios may be the subject of voter wrath. But Martwick and Fritchey are not polarizing...and are not particularly well-known. That could be their doom, or their salvation. Voters may not vote against somebody they don't know. But Martwick's refusal to take a stand on the 5150 Northwest Hwy. low-income project has infuriated a lot of people. Full Article...
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