Claypool wonders who’s in charge
Thursday, May 4, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller
I wondered if he’d ever get around to this.
After weeks of whispering about who is actually running Cook County government since Board President John Stroger suffered a stroke, a prominent Democrat raised the question in a public setting Wednesday.
“We don’t know, essentially, who’s running this government,” County Commissioner Forrest Claypool said during a board meeting.
Claypool, who lost to Stroger in the Democratic primary in March, asked for, but did not receive, information from the administration about who is making policy decisions.
“I think it’s an important issue to raise. I think it’s the elephant in the room,” said Claypool. “Right now it might appear, and may in fact be, that unelected bureaucrats are making critical, important decisions that should be made by elected officials as a matter of public policy.”
County officials responded by insisting that Stroger is still in charge, although last week Stroger’s son said his father was not running the county.
How long do you think should John Stroger should be given before he has to decide whether he returns to work?
Meanwhile, Sneed has this to say:
Sneed hears Ald. Todd Stroger (8th), son of ailing Cook County Board President John Stroger, is a shoo-in for his father’s job.
- Two Cents - Thursday, May 4, 06 @ 6:57 am:
I think it’s highly unlikely that the Cook County committeeemen would rubber stamp at deal that made Todd Stroger his dad’s replacement.
There are four huge “plums” in Illinois government: Governor, Secretary of State, Chicago mayor and Cook County Board President. Each is a bastion of political power, so much so that they just can’t be handed off, or so one would think.
While it’s true that the Hynes, Madigan and Lipinski kids got their starts with help from their fathers, none of them started with the top prize. Hynes and Madigan went through tough election cycles and were elected to mid-level state positions. Lipinski had the easy road by being appointed after the primary but being a Congressman is nowhere near the top.
Politicians have been waiting patiently for the Cook County Board spot to come open and now that it has some of them have the only chance they ever will to try to grab for that gold ring … with the knowledge that whomever makes it will have an easy road inthe general election. To me that makes any appointment of Todd Stroger far less than a shoo-in.
- Cassandra - Thursday, May 4, 06 @ 7:27 am:
The Todd Stroger rumor has been around for weeks and for those of us who live in Cook County, with its extraordinary corruption and nepotism, the possibility of the son taking over the father’s job seems all too likely. Stroger’s huge Cook County patronage army is no doubt terrified at the prospect of the job leaving the Stroger family. Thousands of patronage jobs are at stake. These folks, and their political sponsors, will go to huge lengths to ensure that the job stays in the Stroger family.
Cook County residents had a chance to fix this by electing Claypool, who, while not perfect,
might have made some progress towards cleaning up
Cook County’s cesspool government. They didn’t take the chance. Another example of why fixing corruption is not a priority for Illinois residents. They don’t perceive it as affecting them.
Do gooder groups have been rather silent on this issue of potential blatant nepotism by the way.
Maybe they are afraid of giving it more legitimacy. It may be time to speak out, though, before it’s a fait accompli.
- the Other Anonymous - Thursday, May 4, 06 @ 8:48 am:
I have a family member who has suffered through a stroke. While recovery lasts a long time, and there’s improvement in condition for at least six months, most of the recovery happens in the first six weeks or so. So, while John Stroger may still improve some, his ability to function is essentially known.
Given that news reports indicate that he is not dealing with county business, it seems to me that it’s highly unlikely that John Stroger can perform the job. Given that, he should make a decision to step down — the sooner the better.
That’s the good medicine, good government answer. The political answer depends on what result one expects from replacing Stroger either as a candidate or as Cook County Board President. To continue patronage and machine control of the County, Stroger should not step down at all from the post of President, and the decision of who to replace him on the ballot should be made in August/September.
We’ll see what happens.
- Anon - Thursday, May 4, 06 @ 9:48 am:
Why is Tony Peraica no where to be found in all of this discussion?
- Smoke and Mirrors - Thursday, May 4, 06 @ 10:37 am:
Look, just by reading what’s been going on here, it seems like the Stroger people are keeping Cook County residents in the dark about John’s condition…they are probably doing this as back room meetings and deals are being cut to put his son in charge…the residents of Cook County deserve better than this…shame on them!!
- THE HANKSTER - Thursday, May 4, 06 @ 10:45 am:
I hear Jesse White to President and Dan Hynes to Secretary of State.
It is a joke that not one person seems to have any answer as to who is running the county and/or when they will put in a new president. It is not exactly a secret Stroger isnt coming back.
- Wumpus - Thursday, May 4, 06 @ 11:01 am:
The cook county voters do not derserve beter than this. They voted for Stroger knowing that his condition was being hidden. They put up with the corruption, from CCB, City Hall, etc. They desrve just what they are getting.
- Levois - Thursday, May 4, 06 @ 11:12 am:
I don’t think they should put his son in. I can be wrong on this, but putting the son as President of the County Board. They might eat him alive. Well that’s my perception.
- Politburo Pete - Thursday, May 4, 06 @ 11:21 am:
Cook County government resembles the old Soviet Union, where the public was kept in the dark about the true condition of its leaders, while decisions were made in secret by unknown power brokers.
Same thing happening here. Only at Cook County could they get away with it. Can you imagine if this was the mayor or the governor? No one would tolerate the secrecy and vague re-assurances that the chief executive is still “in charge” despite the fact that no one has seen him for months and his own family says he’s not involved.
Especially with a nurses stike on the way and the county drowning in red ink (can everyone say “mid-year tax increase?”)
But we’re only talking about poor people here, so let’s not get all worked up, right?
A nurses strike could be deadly. It’s a life and death issue. The public has a right to know who’s pulling the strings, if anyone. Or if Cook County is just lumbering along from crisis to crisis until something blows up so bad that people will demand an identifiable and clearly elected leader be put in charge.
- Cynthia - Thursday, May 4, 06 @ 11:28 am:
Cynthia is wondering who is in charge too…
- ChicagoCynic - Thursday, May 4, 06 @ 11:41 am:
Thank God someone finally raised the obvious. This whole thing is disgusting. I’m sorry Stroger had a stroke, but we’ve got a looming $100 million deficit and serious issues to deal with. Stroger needs to come to terms with his reality very soon and let the taxpayers in on his plans. If he’s not able to serve (which seems pretty obvious), he should resign and we should have someone we can hold accountable, not Chief Whigham and his BS answers about how the county is on autopilot. We pay our taxes and deserve real answers.
And Todd for President? Cmon, who are they kidding. They just want someone anonymous that they can control. Even for Cook County, this is outrageous.
- Flotsom & Gagsom - Thursday, May 4, 06 @ 12:12 pm:
Sneedless to say, the weak point here that everyone seemed to miss is that this factoid came from Mike Sneed. My guess is that one of her friends reached her on vacation and planted the story. The truth about Mike Sneed is that if you want to plant a story, all you need to do is write it verbatim for her and she’ll run it. Even then, she usually gets it wrong. That’s what methinks.
- Merlin - Thursday, May 4, 06 @ 12:15 pm:
The only person who could move Todd Stroger out of the way would be Jesse White and he probably doesn’t want the job. The fact is the committeemen have to appoint a black politician they trust and those two are it.
- Doug Dobmeyer - Thursday, May 4, 06 @ 12:59 pm:
Cook County government was and is now even more of a farce. John Stroger was overdue to be gone and now this stroke business is only prolonging and allowing the bad-doers to continue their reign.
Todd Stroger is a joke - a half ass former state rep and now an alderman, as if that gave him any reason to be CC Board Prez.
The script that has been played out is the same as a bad play from the Dark Ages.
The best solution would be to declare the seat open and hold a special election. Let the voters of the county elect someoneinstead of 80 Dem committee people.
I saw one the other night, arrogant as hell. And he was supposedly a do-gooder liberal!
There is no reform in politics unless people seize the moment and demand reform.
John Stroger hopefully he’ll recover and live to retire. His time is long past to run government in Cook County.
Doug Dobmeyer
- Randall Sherman - Thursday, May 4, 06 @ 1:26 pm:
Regarding the report in Ms. Sneed’s column on the prospects of Chicago Ald. Todd Stroger (8th) being named to replace his ailing father on the ballot for Cook County Board President, I suspect the reaction from the Republican candidate, Cook County Comm. Tony Peraica (16th) would be, “Thank you, Lord!”
Now Todd Stroger is a nice guy, and I didn’t mind working with him in an office for about two years more than a decade ago. But if his last name was not Stroger he would be running a comic book store, not serving in the General Assembly or the Chicago City Council, much less running for County Board President.
A debate between Tony Peraica and Todd Stroger would not be a pretty sight, because Todd’s inexperience and lack of knowledge of the workings of county government would be painfully evident.
- Establishment Republican - Thursday, May 4, 06 @ 1:29 pm:
Peraica is working very hard, reaching out to traditionally Democrat parts of the county, including the 8th Ward.
I cannot believe that the Democrats would be so foolish as to pick Todd Stroger to be their candidate, but as a Republican I certainly hope that it happens.
- Skoien's hair piece - Thursday, May 4, 06 @ 1:47 pm:
I think I’d take a vacant office over Peraica anyday, he’s a loud mouth hack.
- Anonymous - Thursday, May 4, 06 @ 2:24 pm:
It’ll be Jesse White. He’s in his 70’s and can’t pass up the opportunity to increase his pension by at least 50 percent (Cook Board president salary is 170 and probably more before the next term; Sec of State pays 115-120 I believe? Last 4 years salary determines annual pension for life. Too good to pass up for Jesse.
The ward bosses aren’t in a hurry, though. Hence all the secrecy about Stroger’s true condition. They’ve got a lot of jobs and contracts to protect and negotiations behind closed doors to secure them.
- Truthful James - Thursday, May 4, 06 @ 2:56 pm:
Wumpus –
You have got it upside down. All the machine hacks worked to ensure the Stroger reelection, precisely because they were aware of his dire condition. Now they are trying to find the lever which will vault them to the top. It is not a pretty thing, squabbling over John’s remains before he leaves.
A case can be made for Jesse. A case can be made for Houlihan as well, if it comes to that. The latter has pulled the wool over taxpayers eyes and he needs to move up before the wool shrinks.
But to ask the machine to swallow Todd is a bit much. Perhaps he can learn the workings from John Daley, who will point out where to sign his name.
- Wow - Thursday, May 4, 06 @ 3:18 pm:
Just to clear some things up:
State Statutes regarding Cook County mention an “…inability to act” provision which would trigger the selection of a replacement for the President. Key, however, is that it does not declare who makes such a determination or what criterion comprises such a determination. It is not a power vested with the County Board in the statutes or the ordinances. There is no precedent and no case law to guide such a determination. Unless the President believes he cannot serve, no one can make that determination for him.
That’s the process. The rest of this is just a bunch of foot-stomping by people who can’t stand the result of the election. Get over it. Whatever the President decides, there is a process to pick an acting president or a nominee.
BTW, there are plenty of counties around the country that have an order of succession in case of absence or disability that involve administrative personnel, essentially members of the executive branch of government and non-elected.
You can look it up.