The Stroger beat goes on and on
Monday, Nov 27, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller
The Sun-Times had a big headline on Sunday’s paper taunting Todd Sroger. The headline pointed to this editorial deep inside the paper.
Todd Stroger must immediately fire Gerald Nichols, his father’s former patronage chief who is still drawing a six-figure salary for doing next to nothing. The newly elected County Board president must distance himself from the do-nothing insiders of his father’s era. Asking for Nichols’ resignation but insisting that he will continue to be an adviser is far short of what’s needed to persuade voters that Stroger won’t run county government as a bloated haven of patronage and cronyism that wastes the taxpayers’ dollars. Stroger needs to demonstrate in the strongest way possible that he understands he needs to break with the past and that he is committed to doing so.
After his father, John Stroger, suffered a stroke in March, Todd Stroger controversially replaced him as the Democratic nominee on the Nov. 7 ballot. During his campaign, he portrayed himself as an agent of change who would reform the patronage-heavy county government. The first thing he said he would do would be to fire Nichols. Then post-election, Stroger backed off that pledge. While Stroger now says he will ask for Nichols’ resignation effective Dec. 31 — he doesn’t want to fire anyone during the holiday season — he says Nichols can — get this — provide him with insight that no one else can.
“He obviously knows everybody in the county, I don’t care what people say,” Stroger said.
The only way that makes any sense is if Nichols is going to identify all the patronage workers he put in place so Stroger can then fire them. Somehow we doubt that’s what he meant. Stroger also said he hadn’t seen anything about Nichols’ being investigated by the feds even though the Sun-Times has reported that six times in the last two months.
The editorial writers also expressed exasperation over interim county board president Bobbie Steele’s announcement that she wants her son to take her commissioner job.
She has performed her interim job admirably, bringing intelligence and common sense to tackling the county’s problems. No one can blame her for deciding to retire when she gets the best pension. But she will tarnish the fine work she has done if she goes through with her stated intention to get her son appointed to the County Board to replace her. Bequeathing government positions to children is bad old-style politics and she shouldn’t do it.
- Chad - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 4:50 am:
To the Sun-Times Editorial Board: Thanks in part to your insightful endorsement of Mr. Stroger, you can look forward to many more such editorials these coming years. You now have an example of the behavior you actually sought — actions by an insider, whose status you believed was necessary in order to implement reform.
- wndycty - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 6:14 am:
Don’t blame me I voted for Claypool. I could never vote for Peraica and his behavior on election night reinforced my decision. I’m an African American Chicago Democrat but I had to take a stand against Todd and unfortunately he has conducted himself in a manner that reinforced that decision as well. I’m still hoping he will make me regret my decision not to vote for him but so far he hasn’t.
- Leroy - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 6:49 am:
My guess is Todd STROGER was elected so that things would not change from his father John STROGER’s administration.
Why would anyone (especially the newspapers) think differently?
- Cassandra - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 8:01 am:
Somebody who knows something about Cook County civil service regs would have to tell us if Nichols could be fired for anything but cause.
I believe that I read that his job is technically in the Highway Department, which means he could be occupying a slot with major civil service protections which makes it virtually important to fire him.
This happens all the time in state government. Put somebody in an MC job slot with lifetime job protection then move them elsewhere to do the work you really want them to do…be an administrative assistant to a honcho, run some patronage, whatever. Who will complain? Nobody smart. Most people won’t even know.
As I’ve said before, Stroger may have said he is going to fire all these people because he knows
he can’t. The civil service protections will make it far too difficult. Or maybe he doesn’t even know what he can and can’t do. That’s more likely.
Another reason why civil service job protections regs need to be drastically overhauled. There is no need for public employees in the 21st century to have these massive job protections. It means a less competitive and hence lower quality civil service if you can only fire somebody with extraordinary effort and often not even then.
- Snidely Whiplash - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 8:07 am:
This deal was known from the beginning, but the media insisted on turning a blind eye toward it as they praised the do-nothing, inauguration-hog Steele as a “reformer.” We will never have reform if all city and county offices are treated as inheritances, and the mechanism for inheritance is now solidly in place. Only the voters can stop this practice, but they seem content to be boondoggled and pickpocketed while they complain about corruption and high taxes.
And while Stroger repreatedly stated he knew nothing about the budget and had done nothing to prepare one, we now find out that neither has Steele. She got to play bigshot on our dime, and now she’s going to earn nearly double her county commissioner salary sitting home until the day she dies, while her unknown son takes on her role as yes man and collects an additional $85k commissioner salary. How many annual bungalows are going to be taxed just to pay the Steele family their hundreds of thousands of dollars per year for doing virtually nothing?
I guess that doesn’t matter, since the voters will likely give her annointed son an 80%+ plurality when he finally has to actually run for the job (as an incumbent).
All hail the informed and intelligent voters of Cook County!
- Just Observing - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 8:39 am:
The Sun-Times is absolutely pathetic.
1. They knew what they were getting themselves into with Todd when they unbelievably endorsed him;
2. For them to condemn Steele for “bequeathing” her position to her son and than referring to it as “bad old-style politics” is so hypocritical of the paper that just recently endorsed Todd Stroger.
The Sun-Times editorial board should be embarassed.
- fedup dem - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 9:13 am:
If the Sun-Times editorial board members had any honor as journalists, they would all resign their posts. Indicating that you made a mistake in endorsing Toddler does us no damn good. Giving up your cushy jobs should be the minimal amount of repentence for the damage you brought ot the people of Cook County.
- Ravenswood Right Winger - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 9:17 am:
Wait, I am thoroughly confused. The Sun-Times endorsed Stroger, saying that as a Democrat he would be the best choice to work with the Democrat-majority Cook County Board of Commissioners to reform Cook County government. To quote G-Rod, “what were they thinking?”
- Black Democrat - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 9:41 am:
I only have one person to blame for this corrupt,bloated, who cares about the taxpayers and voters and that person sits on the 5th floor at city hall and is named Rich Daley!
Without Daley, neither Todd or Steele could get away with this. Daley agrees to it, like a mafia boss, because once he gets his boys and girls to spill blood, he owns them for life. Then King Richie stays in power and will eventually anoint his successor, which will be ,most probably, his son who is in the arm forces right now!!
The Sun-Times should’nt be enraged and should stop writing stories on corruption, because they endorsed Todd Stroger.There endorsment was about circulation and not about integrity and doing the right thing.The mSun-Times are just agitators trying to stir the pot, then after it starts a fire, they hide behind the wall and state they had nothing to do with it.
I pity our community in Cook County because with so called leaders like Bobbie Sttele,Todd Strogers,Beavers,Jackson and Daley, they have destroyed the integrity of our democracy and our hope for a better community. Daley and Jackson and Beavers and Steeles and Stroger continue to play race politics over good goverment and have destroyed the voters faith in elections, no wonder nobody wants to vote anymore.
I hope Patrick Fitzgerald is successfull in prosecuting Daley and the rest of these vagabond thieves in our community, because if he leaves and can’t do it, forget about the County and the City,Baghdad will be a better run city than ours!
- VanillaMan - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 10:55 am:
Sorry, but Stroger was chosen by the Sun-Times to do this job, against all intelligence or logic.
Therefore, they have no room to be critical. They helped make the mess we are in by endorsing Toddler. They need to stop complaining as he wets his pants.
- Bubs - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 10:58 am:
The only thing that surprises me is why anyone is surprised. It isn’t like the voters weren’t warned.
Next - the property tax hike!
- Wumpus - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 11:14 am:
This is the second article in which the Sun Times has forgotten whom they endorsed.
What has Bobb(I)e Steal done outside of hold inagural balls? She got all 4-6 of her kids county jobs, now she wants to get him her job too? As for Old Man Stroger, we can beleive that he was not mentall competent after suffering a stroke, but this woman is disgusting. But hey, the voters already gave their consent to do this type of stuff, so get it while the getting is good.
- Anonymous - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 11:18 am:
Anyone that voted for the Toddler with illusions that he was either a reformer or even competent just wasn’t paying attention. Of course we had to vote for either an idiot or a nutjob (I chose the nutjob), so I realize it wasn’t a great choice.
Well at least we’ll have plenty to entertain us as we watch services decline and taxes go up. My favorite line from Stroger to date was in one of the Nichols stories from the Sun-Times earlier in the week. “Maybe I don’t read the papers thoroughly, but I haven’t seen anything about Gerald Nichols being under federal investigation.” Nevermind the six Sun-Times reports that mentioned precisely that in the previous few weeks.
This should be fun…in kind of a tragicomic sort of way.
- colt 45 - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 12:07 pm:
i agree 100% with vanillaman. he’s their president. thanks sun times.
- Jake from Elwood - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 12:15 pm:
Todd the Reformer is already flouting his election promises–is this some sort of record?
Bobbie Steele has been exposed as a hypocrite, doing exactly the same thing she blasted the Strogers for doing five months ago.
Hmmm. . . smells like reform to me!
- Levois - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 12:18 pm:
I saw the headline on a Sun-Times paper. They said he made them look bad.
- toughen up todd - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 12:36 pm:
By Todd’s logic, firing a mall santa after christmas is not smart since he will know most of the patrons in the mall. His unawareness of Nichols’ problems may not some sort of denial…he might just be that unaware of things. His whole campaign was premised on ‘I’m going to have to study that answers’….Well Todd, the test has started and so far, you have failed. It will be interesting to see how he handles the ‘Teflon Mario’ Moreno issue too, especially with a former employee squawking this one loudly.
On the other hand, maybe the S-T supported him knowing they could keep running already written stories that they have had in the hopper for some time now. Nothing in business like effiency.
- Tom - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 12:39 pm:
Todd Stroger is not yet Board President and he is already putting on rousing displays of cluelessness and incompetence. If he and Daley asked Cook County residents to take a punch to the nose there would be a line of masochists a mile long.
- blogman - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 1:11 pm:
This clown won’t change anything. He won’t be allowed to by Daddy’s guys who put him there and if he was elected this time, why won’t he get elected next time?
- Bubs - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 1:14 pm:
Re: Steele
I’m sure all those men and women who gave their lives in the American Revolution to end the effect of hereditary power in this country are turning over in their graves . . . again.
Welcome to Illinois!
- Thomas - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 1:47 pm:
The property tax bills are coming AFTER THE ELECTION.
All this talk about how bad Peraica is is without any subtance.
My property tax bill (on a three flat) DOUBLED.
County government is a joke.
What is the deal with Commissioner Joseph Moreno.
- Dave Wannstedt - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 2:19 pm:
I am getting hot and bothered over all of this, my mustache might need a trim. This is going to happen for four years, then come election time he’ll finally fire Gerald Nichols. He’ll also say that he learned a lot during his first term, and he’s ready and willing to do better…bla bla bla. This is pathetic. Voters of Cook Co. put the most inexperienced candidate in a long, long, long time in charge of the second largest county in the country! Wow, Cook Co. is pathetic.
I’m glad I’m living in Pittsburgh.
- Cassandra - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 2:22 pm:
I don’t know if Steele did a good job or not but that pension is something no sensible person could turn down. She is correct in saying that she didn’t set the pension up to benefit herself, it was there when she arrived.
The fault is in ourselves here in Cook County.
We voted for the folks who put in these lush pension add-ons and now we’re paying and paying and paying…..
- Truthful James - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 2:36 pm:
Cassandra is correct. There is no way that Ms. Steele can afford to stay as an ordinary Commissioner. Since salary and pensions were the original motivations for getting to be a Commissioner (and not doing a public service of running a tight ship) of course she has to retire. She has to afford all the fundraisers for the mob that got her there. Maybe Blago can find a State job so she can double dip when she retires from that.
- Garp - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 3:10 pm:
It was the Suntimes crying how County Government was adrift without a President which allowed Steele to be slid into the presidency for a few months so she can grease her slide into retirement.
It was the Suntimes who endorsed son of Stroger helping to build his weak credibility and allowed him to win the Presidency.
It will be the Suntimes that endorses Steele’s son for County Board when he runs for re-election after they slide him into the post.
The only reason a newspaper has the ability to influence elections is because their opinion is considered credible by their readers. They appear to be making great strides in establishing the opposite
- Judgement Day Is On The Way - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 3:14 pm:
Cassandra is proably correct about terminating the employment of all the political hirings that have occurred in violation of Shakeman.
However, don’t be too suprised if the Feds don’t get really cold hearted about this entire hiring issue at Cook County.
For example, I wouldn’t be at all suprised to see the federal grand jury identify and put the names of current Cook County employees who they feel are cases where their employment was made through political clout - entered into the grand jury record.
Can’t sue a federal grand jury for including such evidence as part of their grand jury deliberations. And taking this action would virtually force Cook County HR to address the continued employment status of these individuals.
Feel for all those grand jury members, though - having to sit through all of that testimony.
If I knew that my name was going to be placed into the grand jury record as a “political employee” in violation of Shakeman, or the alternative to keep me out of the “big show” was to roll and tell the Fed’s what I knew, just let me know when I can testify. When one is dealing with a federal grand jury, having a low profile is a very good thing.
- Bill - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 3:51 pm:
President-elect Stroger has not taken office yet! He, therefore, has no authority to hire or fire anyone at this time. When he assumes office, I am confident that President Stroger will look at all jobs to determine where and when efficiencies can be found. A strong leader, President Stroger will not be swayed by the press or anyone else as he tries to deal with budget problems that were allowed to fester by the all talk and no action commissioners claypool, peraica, hansen, et al.. Despite their obstrustionism, President Stroger will work hard to eliminate waste, improve services, and save the taxpayers of our great county money.
- cermak_rd - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 4:22 pm:
Good grief, Bill, you’re beginning to sound like Pravda in the bad old days. And I voted for Stroger! I simply could not make myself give up the pleasure of voting against Tony.
I really don’t think you can blame the Sun Times for Stroger. All they did was endorse him. It was either endorse Stroger the ineffectual, Peraica the Angry or not endorse anyone. It was the voters of Cook County who elected Stroger not the paper.
- Bill - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 4:28 pm:
Cermak_rd,
You made the right choice! Todd won’t let you down.
Pravda?Goebbels? I’m just stating facts as I see them…and I am grateful to the majority of voters who agreed with me.
I think that you are right though, that if the repubs had run credible candidates the results might have been different.
- RoseyB - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 4:41 pm:
Isn’t it time for the suburbs to secede? They have nothing to lose and lot of tax dollars to gain by letting the City and County of Chicago stand on its own.
And given that situaiton, Mayor Daley would fix the problems. He understands that he can’t replace the suburban taxes that have been going to support the Chicagoans who are consuming county tax dollars.
- Tom - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 4:43 pm:
Bill, I see no evidence from Todd Stroger’s legislative or aldermanic career to suggest that he is “a strong leader.” He’s been a make no waves, go with the flow type.
I am amused at how readily you regurgitate the party line. Were those bland, vague talking points in the 3:51 post emailed to you from the Stroger camp, or were they from Corruptovich?
- The Picolo Player is a... - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 4:47 pm:
I voted for Todd. I’m glad I did. I truly hate Tony and all he stands for.
But…
I’m with the Sun-Times on this one. C’mon Todd! Fire that guy already!
Sheesh!
- Bubs - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 5:34 pm:
“All talk, no action”, Bill? Look again.
Those same “do nothing” types in the Reform Bloc, like Peraica and Claypool, combined to defeat John Stroger’s bloated budget last year, 9 votes to 8, defending the average taxpayer from the vicious greed of your Machine.
They will likely have to do the same thing again this year, as Machine greed, like rust, never sleeps.
- Bill - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 5:45 pm:
Okay everybody. Gerry just said that he will resign at the end of the year. Are you happy now? Will you refrain from slandering the President-elect for a few days until he takes office. I guess that you will all really take pleasure in Gerry’s misfortune. It is a sad end to a stellar career in public service. Thanks, Gerry for your dedicated service to the people of cook county.
- Bubs - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 5:54 pm:
C’MON BILL!!!
Finish it off properly:
“. . . and I promise to visit once a month.”
P.S. for Billy: Why does a man with a job that even the current County Board President cannot define need to stay to the end of the year?
- Bill - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 6:00 pm:
Bubs,
There are a lot of loose ends to tie up….if you know what I mean.
- Bill - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 6:01 pm:
…and i think he has some vacation time coming.
- Bubs - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 6:03 pm:
Oh, they are loose all right. Will a shredder be involved in this task? Inquiring minds want to know.
- Bubs - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 6:05 pm:
P.S. They can pay him for the unused vacation, so that’s not it. Good try, though. Partial credit will be awarded.
- Randy Alesia - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 6:31 pm:
Maybe Todd Will hire some of the out of work Peraica supporters who are jobless now…Tony Peraica whats he thinking?
- Judgement Day Is On The Way... - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 7:49 pm:
“Will a shredder be involved in this task? Inquiring minds want to know.”
Meaningless to shred most documents at this point. The Fed’s look to already have literally gotten TONS of records from Cook County (like approx. 27,000 employee records; all records for employees under the office of the President of the Cook County Board).
Let’s not forget that Cook County is already under a federal consent decree. Out of those 27k jobs, only 500 are exempt from that consent decree.
So the Fed’s already have all the employee files, plus if there were files missing (think of “out” cards being in file), they know who is supposed to have possession of those missing files. Pucker factor, there…
Now, it’s been a while since a review of the cosent decree, but if it’s standard, the Fed’s can raise questions about a case of specific employment, and it easily arguable that Cook County will have to provide sufficient evidence showing that a specific person was employed in accordance with the terms of the federal consent decree. Having missing or incomplete data in cases like this is a very bad thing - Federal Grand Juries then to look badly on this type of situation.
If the individual’s file has been ’sanitized’, it’s probably going to be apparent. And it’s going to be really tough to figure out where the fed’s are probably looking, particularly with all the information already in their possession.
And if you try and cover it up, it’s conspiracy and with an existing consent decree in place, that’s big time trouble for the players at Cook County. Can you say “court appointed federal monitor” and/or “RICO”.
Fun and games at Cook County.
- NoGiftsPlease - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 9:01 pm:
I believe this means that Cook County is not ready for representative government. When the public and pols get up and shamelessly declare that bequeathing an elected seat to a child is like taking over the family business. When that happens, I can honestly say they are unqualified to hold public office because they don’t understand the difference between holding an elected position and “taking over daddy’s church.” (to quote the younger Steele, I believe, because I only caught a fragment of the television interview)
- Edward - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 10:33 pm:
All the people who hate on Tony Peraica are for petty and personal reasons not any real policy or serious ethical reasons. He is supposedly rude, or arrogant, or oppossed some guy in Berwyn for Committeeman, or went up against some Mayor who did not support him, or didn’t get along with another Commissioner. All very petty.
Peraica oppossed every tax increase. He is inteligent and analytical in hearings. He has tried with Commissioners Claypool and Quigley to reduce the size of government. He has exposed corruption. He has protected the environment and like Claypool supported the Sierra Club issues at the County. He has protected good groups like the Boy Scouts.
He may not be perfect, but Peraica is one the best commissioners, more honest than 95% of the other politicians, and would of been a change for the better even if a Dem would of beaten him in 4 years.
He did better than any Republican including Judy Bar Topinka and Maureen Murphy. It was not razor thin but closer than any Republican in a long time since O’Grady or O’Malley (and not even Irish)and if it was not such a Dem County or year it might have been different.
I am glad that Peraica is still a Commissioner to give some oversight and accountability to County Government.
- JESUS FREAK - Tuesday, Nov 28, 06 @ 4:39 pm:
ME TO.HEY TONY PEACE OUT MY BROTHER….LETS GO BURN ONE!!!!
- Frank Coconate(Peraica supporter) - Tuesday, Nov 28, 06 @ 4:44 pm:
As a supporter for Tony Peraica I can only say this..He paid us well,told us lies,made us all Gomilinski,Stroger,Murphy,Serpico haters.Now i have to turn democrat.OH GEEEZZ!!!!!THANKS TONY,NOW IM ALSO HOMELESS AND UNEMPLOYED.
- Randy Alesia - Tuesday, Nov 28, 06 @ 4:50 pm:
QUIT CRYING FRANK,You were homeless and broke long before you jumped on Peraicas bandwagon.Once again only to Hi-Jack his campaign for youre own selfish and dishonest reasons.Frank was the offical Waterboy for mr.Peraica.He poured water,Madlener flushed toilets