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Not long after Cook County commissioner William Beavers blasted critics of board president Todd Stroger for picking on the guy because he's black, I got a call from an outraged north-sider.
She wanted me to slam Beavers for playing the race card.
But I won't do that. I think Beavers has a point.
Beavers is the sort of politician who makes no bones about what he believes in or who he is: an old-fashioned, patronage-loving machine Democrat. What infuriates him are so-called independents who pretend they're courageous reformers out to topple the throne, then bow to it meekly.
With the exception of commissioner Mike Quigley, the county board is full of just these types of phonies. They rant and rail against Todd Stroger, but when it comes to Mayor Daley they look the other way. The fact is, Todd Stroger, like his father before him, is a cog in Mayor Daley's machine. The mayor's own brother, Cook County commissioner John Daley, sits at Stroger's side at commission meetings. The board operates largely as an extension of City Hall. If you're going to criticize Stroger, you ought to be consistent and criticize the mayor.
But most county board reformers wouldn't dare do that. Instead they polish their reform credentials by pounding on Stroger -- he doesn't have enough power to punish them. He's not popular in their districts. On the contrary, the so-called reformers score points with their voters by bashing Stroger. Meanwhile, they won't say a word about Daley. As a matter of fact, I just got off the phone with a nice young man who wants to be a committeeman. True to form, he ripped into Stroger. When I asked about Mayor Daley he said no comment.
No comment? If you're running as a reformer, how can you have no comment about a mayor who's presided over scandal after scandal while the schools fall apart, the CTA collapses, and taxes skyrocket, millions diverted into TIF funds? The answer, he told me: he wants to get elected.
Is there waste, inefficiency, and nepotism at the county level? You bet. Could Stroger have better handled the budget mess? Absolutely. But there's more to reform than squawking at a stand-in. And at least Beavers, the "hog with the big nuts," lines up behind all the bosses, not just the white ones.
That's HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS diverted into TIF funds, now totaling close to, what, 3 BILLION over the past 20+ years.
They should change the acronym from TIF funds to THIEF funds, as in Taxes Hijacked in Increments to Enrich the Fuckers.
OK
Ben's point is well taken.
fully agreed - but really, are we talking about inconsistencies from Joe Public or from politicians who want things both ways?
This budget battle at the county level has nothing to with race. The Tribune editorial is exactly correct; it is about incompetents, and whether or not we are going to continue paying for the gross incompetents at all levels of government.
Ben is correct that we shouldn't tolerate the mismanagement of our city and the Mayors failures, but that doesn't warrant or excuse the introduction of racism on the part of Commissioner Beavers into the budget battles at the county level. There are legitimate concerns about the county budget, and Comm. Beavers playing the race card is as despicable as the Mayor playing the race card in the Grant Park/Children Museum placement or Big Box ordinance. They avoid the issues at hand by playing a supposed race card because there is no merit too their arguments and believe that putting the fear of political retribution from the voters by being labeled a racist will work. They grossly underestimate the voters though.
It is an insult to voters and toward the significant gains we have made in Chicago toward judging one another on merit rather than superficial things like skin color. The Mayor and Mr. Beavers are doing a huge disservice toward the enormous gains we have made since the days of Richard J. or Harold Washington’s days.
And in the last budget passed by the county board, Quigley voted with Stroger while Claypool and many of the other 'reformers' voted in the interest of the taxpayers. Quigley deserves much credit for his ideas on reforming county government, but he buckled very quickly when the Mayor sent his folks over to a hearing on TIF's - and he backed every incumbent in the last aldermanic election and refuses to call out those aldermen within his district as they continue the misuse of the TIF program. None of elected representatives are consistent when it comes to backing true reform.
Our so-called 'Democratically Elected Public Servants' really think, and act, like privileged royalty.
Every so often, when the rabble, that's you and me and everyone NOT royalty, are making noises that indicate they're 'roused', the royals toss us a bone or two.
When we, the rabble, settle down, no more bones are forthcoming.
Politics as usual is the rule, as in giving the appearance of serving the best interests of the public.
On rare occasions, the royals find it prudent to actually do some things that benefit the public, albeit still providing lucrative profit opportunities for their own kind.
The rabble are, thus, de-roused.
Peace settles over the land, elections are held, the royals take the necessary actions to ensure their continued rule, and the cycle repeats itself.
And we thought our ancestors rejected being ruled by royalties.
Hey, wait a minute, they did.
So, how come we, their descendants, now embrace being ruled?
Another example of devolution?
Or is it that the human species is, by nature, a species destined to be primarily herd-like, with the independent individual being the exception to the rule?
Not quite what we tell ourselves is the case.
YOU COULDN'T EVEN MAKE THE BALLOT. SHUT THE FUCK UP. YOU ARE ONE BIG LOSER!
The Machine is racist and sexist.
President of the MWRD worked against independent female PATTY YOUNG and backstabbed his own running mate African American JAMES HARRIS.
Just recently TERRY O'BRIEN worked with racist unions 399 and the Pipe Fitters to stop the only Latino and engineer FRANK AVILA from getting the labor endorsement, the unions also did not endorse slated candidate JESSE REYES for Judge. These unions and TERRY OBRIEN slapped Latinos and good government in the face.
Remember his drinking buddy Tommy and Gannon--more to come.
The Feds are now on the CFL and if Gannon is such a working man--well more later on that
Are you the same Jack Farnan that attacked Senator Walsh's brother?
How come that never came out in the media?
Are you the same Jack Farnan with the contracts at the MWRD?
and the law suits?
AND THE HIRED TRUCKS FROM THE 11TH WARD
AND MIKEY TADIN
THE FEDS ARE WATCHING
Obrien couldn't get Young and he won't get Avila. Obriens could only win for himself when he was on the ballot.
And no, I will not shut up. I will continue to be critical of the failures of our elected representatives until we get true leaders who are accountable to the taxpayers. Ridiculing me and calling me names for failing to submit a receipt in a timely manner will not shut me up either. These folks are cowards who refuse to participate in a debate because they don't have any positions that merit support from their constituents.
Could somebody enlighten us as to precisely what 'truth' Beavers has told? He's sprayed out scattergun accusations of racism with no facts to back them up.
I know Daley is bad for unions but I get mine. But I am ashamed of Stroger.
Proof Ezra? I'm in a union and we're about 35% minority.
No need to concern ourselves with the details of the incredible amount of corrupt and asinine activities of the already proven lowlifes infesting our governments, other than for the meager entertainment value of doing so.
We know what they are, every time we open our wallets and wonder why, even with a decently paying job, we're always tapped out.
The harmful effects of their corruptions, incompetent managements and dishonesties are everywhere, as are the divisive effects of their propagandas.
I don't even believe that a 'Beavers' is truly a racist, as it's obvious that his statements are motivated by a desire for political, and thus, financial gain.
There may well be many who still actually hate others because of the color of their skin, or hate others because of their ethnic or religious heritage, but they're the exception to the rule these days.
Most of the bigotry we see is rooted in simple self-interest, financial in it's most base form.
Historically, the desire for the acquiring of property and wealth has been the motivator behind much animosity between different groups of human beings.
Amazingly, the phrase 'You Can't Take It With You' rarely is fully appreciated.
Nor is the phrase 'Do Unto Others As You Would Have Done Unto You'.
Freedom.
A two-edged sword.
Much preferable, though, to a one-edged sword.
If you were looking for a Candidate for Committeeman to weigh in, you should have asked me. Todd Stroger is the buffer for Mayor Ding Dong! Mayor Daley has mis-managed twice as much as Toddler!!!In regards to Commissioner Avila getting dissed by Dennis Gannon. Gannon is a phony who takes orders from Mike madigan, he should be thrown out before all U ions are gone in Chicago. Avila senior was the only elected official to come to my City Worker rally in 2004...he always stood up for the Union Working Guy!!!
Is it possible that Daley's cut a deal with the Feds, as in, does anyone really believe the Feds are above making deals, if the deal is the right one?
Right, as in, right for whatever political/power creatures in the federal government are in a position to make?
Corruption isn't limited to local governments, however large or small those local governments may be, nor limited to regional governments, nor limited to national governments.
All governments are vulnerable to being infested with corrupted and corruptible persons and/or groups of persons.
It's the citizens Right to Vote that gives strength to said citizens to restrain and restrict the opportunities for corrupt persons to corrupt the many functions of governments.
When the citizens fail to use their Right to Vote, their strength is rendered impotent.
What true American ever chooses to remain impotent?
But you can, right?
What have you had to do, to keep your job?
That you would be willing to tell your parents?
Sure, Stroger may just be serving as a buffer for da'mare, but so what? Toddles is a hack, too, and fighting against one hack is better than fighting against none, isn't it? And why is it racist to pick the weaker one to fight against? That's politics (and life), not racism.
I think Beavers is simply getting his tagline backwards--I think he's the nut with the big hog.
With the Presidential Election coming up, it's anyone's guess as to what sneaky, backstabbing, multi-faced deal mayor mumbles has cut for himself.
And, while it certainly will be 'fun' to see how this all shakes out, 'fun' will not be had by all the hard-working, tax-paying citizens.
Not unless said citizens choose to HAVE NO DOUBT and VOTE INCUMBENTS OUT.
So, are you saying that Todd Stroger is the black version of mayor Daley?
"And one that REFUSES to comply with the State Police Sex Offender Registry Board, But will give mantras in his gay feminine voice."
Thanks for coming out of your own, personal closet.
It must have taken all the courage you could muster to bring yourself to type those words.
Be strong, little puppy, and, someday soon, you will be free.