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[Bumped up from Saturday for visibility and commenting purposes.]
* And so it begins. From a press release…
Statement of Commissioner Larry Suffredin
Calling for the resignation of President Todd H. StrogerI have today sent a letter to Todd Stroger asking him to resign as President of the Cook County Board. I call for this extreme action because of the continuing circumstances that demonstrate his lack of leadership or lack of interest in the functioning of the County. Cook County is one of the largest governments in the United States with a budget of over $3 billion. It needs a competent full-time administrator.
His cousin, Chief Financial Officer Donna Dunnings, resigned in the dead of last night because of serious unexplained issues. Ms. Dunning has been the de facto President of the County Board telling her cousin when to talk and what to do. She has developed and put in place hiring processes that benefited President Stroger’s friends and family and is the architect of the latest plan to borrow more money than the County needs. If she has to resign, then the person who gave her all this power should follow her lead as he has on every other important County issue.
Unfortunately, Illinois does not have a recall provision for elected officials who have lost the confidence of their constituents.
The Chicago Defender has some background on the controversy…
On Thursday, Cook County Board President Todd Stroger asked for and received the resignation of Donna Dunnings, his cousin and the county’s chief financial officer, after learning that she allegedly had a sexual relationship with a county employee who was fired last week, said James Ramos, a Stroger spokesman… Ramos said Dunnings has denied having any type of relationship with Cole beyond being his boss and mentor. […]
Dunnings did admit to paying a total of $4,000 to bail Cole out of Cook County Jail twice over the past six months. Cole is now back in the county jail for violating conditions of his probation, and his bond is $200,000, according to the Cook County Sheriff’s Office.
More at the Tribune. Stroger has said he is running for reelection but CBS2 reports…
Several African-American politicians say they plan to tell Stroger that he should not run for re-election. Organization Democrats are looking for another candidate.
* Related…
* U.S. Sen. Roland Burris and his wife had a net worth in 2008 between $906,000 and $1.8 million, Burris reports in a new federal financial disclosure.
* Sordid Dunnings debacle is another Stroger fiasco : Stroger could have stepped up and taken the blame for his incompetence and Dunnings’. Instead, he blamed the media and his political enemies.
* Stroger scandals are taking a toll as campaign season looms
* Todd Stroger, again making front page Sunday News
* Stroger knocked to ropes
* Yes Virginia, there is a Crook County
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Apr 20, 09 @ 2:12 am
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“[Cook County] needs a competent full-time administrator.”
I don’t get it…does Stroger have a second job or something? Is Suffredin implying Stroger is not putting the requisite hours in for the job?
“If [Dunning] has to resign, then the person who gave her all this power should follow her lead as he has on every other important County issue.”
Haha…I’d love to see that logic applied to the City of Chicago.
Stop grandstanding, Larry. It makes you look like one of them.
Comment by Leroy Monday, Apr 20, 09 @ 6:14 am
Todd was on with John Williams on WGN this morning. John (rightly) got a bit upset as Todd kept avoiding questions about Dunnings.
Comment by Concerned Observer Monday, Apr 20, 09 @ 7:54 am
–Several African-American politicians say they plan to tell Stroger that he should not run for re-election.–
If that’s the case, you have to think the same group will try to coalesce around another African-American candidate for the job — and I doubt it would be Preckwinkle.
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Apr 20, 09 @ 7:58 am
Unfrotunately, those who expect Toddler to heed the call to resign are likely to be disappointed. It is not realistic to expect Stroger to suddenly be willing to do the right thing, after showing a toal incapcity for doing just that for nearly three years.
Comment by fedup dem Monday, Apr 20, 09 @ 8:48 am
Todd Stroger can resign, but it won’t stop the obsolete, Soviet-style single government mentality ruining Cook county.
Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Apr 20, 09 @ 8:52 am
The big guy is making another stand. I wonder if the king of swing-swing votes that is-thinks everybody forgot how hard he stood up to Todd and the boys before he sold the entire county down the tubes.
Gosh, if he only would have held out, maybe he would have some credibility instead of sounding like some opportunistic Quigley wanna be?
Comment by Phineas J. Whoopee Monday, Apr 20, 09 @ 9:11 am
Larry, you first! Did you support Stroger? Did you campaign against him? Launch a write in? He is your guy.
Comment by Wumpus Monday, Apr 20, 09 @ 9:15 am
Can Suffredin point to an example of an elected executive resigning because one of his appointees was in a sexual relationship with a subordinate/criminal?
Rarely does a heterosexual affair result in the politician resigning. When have politicians resigned b/c of misconduct by their subordinates?
Suffredin’s ask for resignation doesn’t seem to fit the situation.
Comment by Carl Nyberg Monday, Apr 20, 09 @ 10:14 am
Todd Stroger is not going resign.
I know Larry Suffredin had to do something, like write the letter.
The best thing Larry Suffredin can do is get behind the Democrat (Toni Preckwinkle, who said she is running or Forrest Claypool should he decide) to run for CC Pres.
Does Donna Dunning’s relationship (allegidly) with Tony Cole, make her an official Cougar?
Comment by Third Generation Chicago Native Monday, Apr 20, 09 @ 10:49 am
Suffredin, who nominally represents me on the county board, flipped flopped on the corruption tax. I’m looking forward to seeing Stroger–and Suffreding–defeated next year.
Comment by John Ruberry Monday, Apr 20, 09 @ 11:41 am
Maybe this controversy will give several committeemen the pretense they’ve been looking for to dump Todd from the Dem slate. Obviously, no one wants to be a “ticket mate” with the Toddler, especially the county Dem chair, Joe Berrios, who’s made noise about challenging Jim Houlihan for assessor.
Todd does have several committeemen on the county payroll, so if he can keep them together with a few key black committeeman maybe he can survive slatemaking. I guess in the end it doesn’t really matter. He’s toast either way.
Comment by Sam E. Monday, Apr 20, 09 @ 11:48 am
I still say the hiring of family memebrs by itself is an empty comment. If the family memebr or relative is qualified and competent, they should not be excluded. if the position is one improtant to carry out policy, then its a good choice.
Also this affair by itself seems like a hollow issue as well; unless she abused her position to force or better the relationship, then its time to move on.
Comment by Ghost Monday, Apr 20, 09 @ 12:09 pm
Larry Suffredin must think that we all have short term memory loss. I suspect he looked at the sales tax referendum results and decided he better get up off the tracks before the Stroger train leaves the station and flattens him. I hear word that there is a pretty well respected female candidate giving serious consideration to taking him on in the Primary Election.
Comment by Quinn T. Sential Monday, Apr 20, 09 @ 3:12 pm