Chicago Sun Times Editorial - Voters should be very angry at Cook County machinations
Chicago Sun Times Editorial - Voters should be very angry at Cook County machinations
Copyright by The Chicago Sun Times
June 29, 2006
We have to admit we are not aware of widespread anger over the utter disregard the John Stroger camp has shown the voting public since the Cook County Board president was sidelined by a stroke in March. But we hope people are finally getting mad as heck over the concerted efforts to keep Stroger's health a secret, to resist interim measures that would actually put someone in charge of county government and to pass on the presidency as a hereditary title.
Just when you thought the story couldn't get any more troubling or embarrassing, we were apprised Tuesday of a multi-pronged plan to install Stroger's son, Ald. Todd Stroger (8th) as his successor and reward Ald. William Beavers (7th) and his family. Give Stroger's family and political allies credit for punctuality: Having promised they would make an announcement in July about John Stroger's future plans, they beat that deadline with four days to spare. But here's the outrageously self-serving scheme they cooked up:
John Stroger, who hasn't been seen in public or heard from since his stroke, will remain in office until the election but drop out of the race, to be replaced on the ticket by his son, contingent on approval of the ward bosses. Beavers, chairman of the City Council's Budget Committee, would replace John Stroger in the separate post of county commissioner -- and resign as alderman on condition that Mayor Daley appoint Beavers' daughter (and chief of staff), Darcel, to replace him.
So the plan is for Todd Stroger, who has accomplished next to nothing as alderman, being schooled by Beavers in overseeing one of the largest governmental bodies in the country, with a $3 billion budget. Beavers, who is 71 and doesn't want to be board president, would be eased into a cushy retirement, and his unproven daughter would be installed in a ward with serious gang and economic troubles.
"So why can't John Stroger anoint his son?" asks Ald. Anthony Beale (9th), when white politicians including Mike Madigan and Bill Lipinski got to anoint their offspring? First off, the Lipinski handoff was flagrantly wrong and assailed as such. But there's a difference between anointing and appointing: Lisa Madigan may have gotten her father's blessing, but had to win a primary and November election to become attorney general. In Chicago, Democrats aren't elected so much as confirmed.
Commissioner Tony Peraica, the outspoken Republican candidate for Stroger's seat as president, hopes to upset that historical trend. Stroger supporters no doubt expect voters to forget all about the backroom maneuvering by November. But even by influence-peddling standards, the Stroger camp's political puppeteering is outrageous. If that isn't lost on voters, Democrats may be in for a rude awakening.
Copyright by The Chicago Sun Times
June 29, 2006
We have to admit we are not aware of widespread anger over the utter disregard the John Stroger camp has shown the voting public since the Cook County Board president was sidelined by a stroke in March. But we hope people are finally getting mad as heck over the concerted efforts to keep Stroger's health a secret, to resist interim measures that would actually put someone in charge of county government and to pass on the presidency as a hereditary title.
Just when you thought the story couldn't get any more troubling or embarrassing, we were apprised Tuesday of a multi-pronged plan to install Stroger's son, Ald. Todd Stroger (8th) as his successor and reward Ald. William Beavers (7th) and his family. Give Stroger's family and political allies credit for punctuality: Having promised they would make an announcement in July about John Stroger's future plans, they beat that deadline with four days to spare. But here's the outrageously self-serving scheme they cooked up:
John Stroger, who hasn't been seen in public or heard from since his stroke, will remain in office until the election but drop out of the race, to be replaced on the ticket by his son, contingent on approval of the ward bosses. Beavers, chairman of the City Council's Budget Committee, would replace John Stroger in the separate post of county commissioner -- and resign as alderman on condition that Mayor Daley appoint Beavers' daughter (and chief of staff), Darcel, to replace him.
So the plan is for Todd Stroger, who has accomplished next to nothing as alderman, being schooled by Beavers in overseeing one of the largest governmental bodies in the country, with a $3 billion budget. Beavers, who is 71 and doesn't want to be board president, would be eased into a cushy retirement, and his unproven daughter would be installed in a ward with serious gang and economic troubles.
"So why can't John Stroger anoint his son?" asks Ald. Anthony Beale (9th), when white politicians including Mike Madigan and Bill Lipinski got to anoint their offspring? First off, the Lipinski handoff was flagrantly wrong and assailed as such. But there's a difference between anointing and appointing: Lisa Madigan may have gotten her father's blessing, but had to win a primary and November election to become attorney general. In Chicago, Democrats aren't elected so much as confirmed.
Commissioner Tony Peraica, the outspoken Republican candidate for Stroger's seat as president, hopes to upset that historical trend. Stroger supporters no doubt expect voters to forget all about the backroom maneuvering by November. But even by influence-peddling standards, the Stroger camp's political puppeteering is outrageous. If that isn't lost on voters, Democrats may be in for a rude awakening.
posted by Carlos T Mock at 11:09 AM
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