47 Comments - VanillaMan - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 10:01 am: Very depressing! - chiatty - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 10:02 am: So far, Brookins hasn’t conned anybody into thinking that he’s qualified to be State’s Attorney, even the Chicago Defender. The race is of course getting dirtier down the stretch, with Allen and Suffredin cutting and pasting the state’s attorneys with Jon Burge, as if they had anything to do with that scandal. Brookins, meanwhile, is handing out flyers that say that he got the Defender endorsement. Question is: Will Daley stand up today and back somebody for this job? - Pro-Gunner - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 10:07 am: If elected as Cook County State’s Attorney, Larry Suffredin will use his office to contine his harassment of law-abiding gun owners and law-abiding gun shops. He is already doing so as Cook County Commissioner. - phocion - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 10:11 am: Pro-Gunner, that would be why won’t be voting in the Democratic primary. Eliminating assault weapons and cop killer bullets will make sure our police aren’t out-gunned and innocent citizens remain safe. To Democratic voters: The thought of Brookins as SA should send chills down the spine of every Cook County resident. - cash - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 10:15 am: who prepares for a recount? - BannedForLife - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 10:26 am: ” … nobody ever seems to point out all of the developer money raised by County Assessor Jim Houlihan. The spin is he’s the good guy, pushing for “reform” … ” Isn’t that the way it goes with the Illinois media? Someone claims to be a reformer and he or she is picked apart by the so-called media with non-issues like campaign contributions and a complete non-reformer usually ends up winning. - cermak_rd - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 10:26 am: Pro-Gunner, If the gun owners and gun shops (In Cook County? Where? I’ve never seen one) are law-abiding, then they’ve nothing to fear from the States Attorney’s office. They are asked to keep detailed records and the cops have a duty to check those records. - Pro-Gunner - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 10:28 am: phocion: Please define “assault weapon” and “cop killer bullet.” I am interested in your definitions. - MOON - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 10:29 am: RICH The latest filings indicate Houlihan has given in excess of $300,000 to Deratany. This is definitely a power grab by Houlihan! What chance does the tax payer have when the Assessor’s office, Board Of Review,and Property Tax Appeals Board are all under the control of Houlihan? Houlihan is responsible for the large increases in home assessments, resulting in higher taxes for the homeowners! Houlihan’s 7% solution gives the homeowners on the Northshore, Lincoln Park, and Gold Coast areas $2,000 to $4,000 relief in taxes, while the average working man will only get $200 to $400 in relief! Houlihan and our present Governor are behind this power grab. Two years from now it is time for a new Assessor, and a new Governor - wordslinger - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 10:29 am: Milan getting that ad placement for $30,000 is astounding. The media buyers for every other Illinois primary candidate, including the presidentials, are screening their calls today. - Pro-Gunner - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 10:33 am: cermak_rd: Go to www.isra.org for further information on this issue. Read “Taking a stand on a proposed gun law.” - Carl Nyberg - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 10:34 am: Which Black alderman can look an informed constituent in the eye and earnestly say, “Howard Brookins will do a good job as Cook County State’s Attorney”? - Garp - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 10:36 am: What a bizzarre election. If Brookins loses I would be surprised, however, when the turnout is as huge as it will be anything is possible. The reformers will be out in force which will help the big guy. The union support and ward support will help Allen. Milan is nothing but a spoiler to Allen and Suffredin. Alvarez could have won this thing but she needed to be on the tube a month ago. My Russ Stewart prediction. Brookins 33% Suffriden 24% Allen 21% Alvarez 13% Milan 6% Brewer 3% - amy - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 10:41 am: those Brookins/Obama punch number signs that are popping up make me sick. i’ve been struggling with the State’s Attorney’s race but have decided with friends that whoever has a percentage that was closest to Brookins would get the vote. Happily, the number is higher than Brookins’ number now and the person who has the number is Larry Suffredin, who is a great person. Vote for Larry Suffredin. - Niles Township - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 10:54 am: My prediction: Suffriden 33% Brookins: 20% Allen 19% Alvarez 16% Milan 10% Brewer 2% - Green? - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 10:56 am: I can’t figure out this Water Rec dynamic. Why is Spyropoulos spending sooo much money for this seat? And do the people - like HENDON - who have taken big money from her in this election cycle counting on the fact that nobody cares enough about this seat to call them out for selling their support. Finally, I looked at her website and professional qualifications, where are the environmental credentials? It seems that there are a lot of interesting stories in this race that the press has just totally missed. - Niles Township - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 10:56 am: Berrios 54% Derataney: 46% - Captain America - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 11:00 am: One can only hope that the word is out in the African-American community that Brookins is unqualified based upon a pattern of behaviors- civil violations/problems with the law: non-payment of rent on his law offices, tax liens by the feds for not submitting payroll tax payments, involvement with slum properties with significant building code violations, child support issues,including a contempt oif court citation. Collectively, these problems are pretty “darning.” I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Brookins does not prevail despite the demographic odds in his favor. I;’m really going to have to wrestle with my voting decision if it turns out to be a Peraica- Brrokins contest. Peraica can be beaten in 2012. It may be more difficult to dislodge Brookins. I’m ignorant about technical property tax issues, but if the choce is between Houlihan and Barrios, then a houlihan-backed candidate would get my vote every time. Barrios deserves to be punished by defeat for two reasons: The Cook County Democratic Party’s role in annoiting Tood Stroger as his father’s successor; and his testimony in favor of Stroger’s 2% sales tax increase. Furthermore, there is no question in my mind that the appeals game has been rigged in favor of the big commercial proprty owners. The best way to level the playing field is to “continue the purge” that began with Shaw’s defeat. Defeat of Barrios would send a storng message to the Cook County Board about the folly of supporting the Stroger sales tax proposal.Win or lose, I credit Derataney with running a very aggressive campaign. Which candidate for State’s Attorney did the Defender endorse? - chiatty - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 11:10 am: The Defender endorsed Brewer, who was also endorsed by the Reader. That hasn’t stopped Brookins from sending out literature claiming he got the endorsement. He is also using lawn signs that have Brookins at the top and Obama at the bottom as if he’s endorsed by Obama. Classic dirty political garbage. I’m not ready for a prediction, because it’s hard to divine where the 50% or more of undecided votes will go, but I don’t think Suffredin is going to win. I’m guessing a cliffhanger between Allen and Milan. - Captain America - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 11:21 am: I “early voted” last Wednesday - it was’t crowded - I sat there for five minutes trying to decide who to vote for on the Water Reclamation District. Voting for Kathy Meany was a no brainer. I’ve seen all the candidates make presentations. I read the newspaper endorsements - it was a mixed bag. Ended up voting for Meany, Spyropoulas, and Stinson. Had to especially wrestle with my decision between Stinson and the incumbent Avilla. I’m particularly glad I didn’t vote for Santos after reading about her spotty attendance at Board meeetings. - Annonerama - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 11:22 am: Reformer Hooli —– biggest laugh of the cycle. Rather than taking some dough from tax cases -Berrios; Hooli takes all his loot from tax cases. Some were surprised that in addition to his car payments he did not shell out a little something for legal expenses. But maybe he is part of Blaggo’s group rate at Winston. - Just Asking - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 11:29 am: Moon: This is definitely a power grab by Houlihan. You need to realize though that the only thing that the Board of Review and the Assessor can do to assessments in on an individual level. You accused the assessor of raising the assessments and therefore taxes. That really is not correct. Every assessor in this state knows whether assessments need to go up or down based on the sale of properties. If any assessor unilaterally decided to reduce or raise assessments absent actual market data, the county or state would equalize the assessments to where they should be. In otherwards the total assessed value of a jurisdiction is pre-determined by market data. The assessor’s only job is to make sure the total, pre-determined amount of assessed value is divided up equally. The other part of the equation is the amount of taxes that need to be collected. Once again the assessor has nothing to do with this. Local governments ask for a certain amount of money in what is called a levy. The amount of taxes an individual pays is simply a calculation of a levy divided by the total assessed value of the jurisdiction. This calculation results in the tax rate. Multiply the assessed value by the tax rate and you get what you owe. - Bill S. Preston, Esq. - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 11:29 am: Watch for women who voted for Obama looking at the CCSA race, noticing that Alvarez is the only woman running, and voting for her out of some sort of guilt. Garp - I agree, it really is too bad that AA wasn’t on TV earlier. Green? - this is what I’ve been saying about Spyropoulos all along… something just isn’t right. - Roger - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 11:32 am: Thank you, Rich, for pointing out the free ride Houlihan gets from the media. He’s no better or worse than Berrios and the rest of the thieves in the Cook County tax assessment system. Houlihan regularly wines and dines the press, as Neil Steinberg recently acknowledged in his column, and as a result, they portray him as being above the fray. Can you imagine what they would be writing if Madigan made a $190k donation to a Board of Review candidate? The tax assessment system is a political whore’s game in Cook County and has long been one of Chicago’s most under-report stories. Shame on the Sun-Times and Tribune. Bannedforlife, I hope you’re joking. - MOON - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 11:43 am: JUST ASKING Your argument is correct to a point! But, as your example illustrates, the higher the assessment the higher one’s taxes. That fact you cannot dispute! That is my point! - BannedForLife - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 11:43 am: well, yeah - IllinoisProgressive - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 11:50 am: I am glad that Rich Miller finally pointed out what the rest of the media has been ignoring - the trouble with the Spyropoulos capmapign. Who would spend that kind of money for that seat? Apparently her father, who is involved with gas and “big oil” has no problem spending huge amounts of money. Could there be something more than meets the eye here? I think after the BP fiasco, the pertroleum industry would be smart to have their own person representing their interests at MWRD. - Just Asking - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 11:56 am: Moon: You are correct. The only point I was making is the long running belief that the assessor controls the taxes. In that same calculation levy/EAV= tax rate, if the levy stays the same (which means taxing bodies don’t ask for more money) and the EAV increases the tax rate drops. The assessor certainly gets the blame but in reality has NOTHING to do with the overall taxes needed to be collected to pay for local government. Also, if the assessment is going up then a market is appreciating. Surely the assessor cannot control how homes are bought and sold. - Hector Murillo - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 12:02 pm: Hilary Clinton won 3 to 1 the Hispanic votes in Nevada. This was even though the unions with heavy Hispanic membership endorsed Obama (but the leadership is not Hispanic–sort of like the SEIU with heavy Jewish and far left influence in predominantly Black and Hispanic unions) So the white and Jewish union bosses endorsed Obama but the rank and file mostly Hispanic union members went with Clinton. In Florida Clinton also won the Hispanic vote for the Democratic nomination over Obama. In the Republican primary John McCain won the Hispanic vote in Florida which won Florida for him over John McCain. The knock on Obama in Florida besides voting to build a wall on the Mexican border is he has no experience with the Hispanic community. Jesse Jackson Jr here in Chicago talks about a Black/Brown alliance but it is only Browns supporting Blacks and never the other way around at least not for Jesse Jr or most of the other official Black leadership (with some exceptions). There was much ado about billboards with Congressman Luis Gutierrez for now Judge Joy Cunningham over the slated white candidate and a Black/Brown alliance but there was no corresponding Black support for Brown only Brown support for Black. Some interesting notes are that: 1. There are NO Hispanics elected Statewide at large. NONE, ZIP, ZILCH, ZIPPO, ZEROE. Never a Governor, Treasurer, Lite Governor, Comptroller or Secretary of State. African Americans have had Roland Burris and Jesse White. There has never been a major Hispanic candidate supported by the Democratic party for these offices. The Countywide offices also have no Hispanic elected office holder except for Commissioner Frank Avila of the MWRDGC which is an important but relatively obscure office. Only 1. The African American community has representation in the County Board President (even if it is controlled by John Daley), the Recorder of Deeds, and Clerk of the Circuit Court out of the major offices and two of the 9 MWRDGC Commissioners. There are no Hispanics in any of the major posts and only 1 Hispanic at the MWRDGC. Commissioner Avila endorsed Barack Obama and has made calls to California for Barack Obama. However, Senator Ricky Hendon is supporting two candidates one black and one white and targetting him for defeat uniquely so if Senator Hendon is successful there will be no Hispanics on the MWRDGC board and none at all at any post countywide in Cook County. None. Similiarly, Congressman Danny Davis (who has received Hispanic support) is not supporting any Hispanics and has a separate almost all Black slate. There is a Soul Slate that is all Black. Professor Starks has an all Black slate. Congressman Jackson is not supporting any Hispanics and is even targetting for defeat Commissioner Jose Berrios of the Tax Board of Appeals and Commissioner Avila of the MWRDGC. If Jose Berrios and Frank Avila were to lose there would be NO representation of Hispanics at any level of government. The Assessor who is targetting Jose Berrios for defeat (Jose Berrios appeals his tax assessments) has almost no Hispanics working in his office with estimates from 1 to 3% while the population is 20 to 25% in the city and growing. Judge Jesse Reyes (the only slated Hispanic judicial candidate) is not getting the commensurate Black support that now Judge Joy Cunningham got from the Latino community. There has NEVER been a Judge elected Countywide at large who is Hispanic. Out of the 200 or so judges in Cook County only 8 are Hispanic. Where is Jesse Jackson or Danny Davis or Ricky Hendon to elect a Hispanic Judge for judicial diversity or fairness. Jose Berrios is the only elected official from a district that is 1/3 of the County that employs Hispanics in any great numbers in his office. Hispanics are non existent in County government with less than 4% and with 1 or 0 (NONE) in some areas. Hispanics supported John and Todd Stroger but minority only means Black to them and there is no diversity for other minorities. If Jose Berrios loses there will be no Hispanic representation on issues dealing with property taxes and dozens of Hispanic men and women who lose jobs. Commissioner Frank Avila is an interesting example of lack of reciprocity to the extent you can vote for THREE in the MWRDGC rotating Board member race. So Commissioner Avila a licensed Engineer and the only Hispanic in the race or on that Board is not even on the top three of the supposedly liberal and committed to diversity Congresswoman Jan Shakowsky or Commissioner and leading in the polls candidate for State’s Attorney Larry Suffredin. The Cook County States Attorney has very few Hispanic attorneys and deals with Hispanics and some say heavy handedly yet Larry Suffredin is not supporting a slated, qualified, and sole Hispanic–not even when he has three choices. Hispanics have given significant Republican votes in past national elections and McCain has a Hispanic following yet Shakowsky is trying as a national leader and Democratic leader and Congresswoman to in one election to eliminate ALL HIspanic representation. NONE. No Hispanics allowed in Cook County. Congressman Jackson, who wanted to be Mayor of a City that is 25% Hispanic and growing is also oppossing every Hispanic running for office and two Hispanic incumbents one who supported him on his races and his allies (Commissioner Avila) Anita Alvarez (a non slated non incumbent) is not getting any support by even her fellow Hispanics despite her arguably superior credentials (she has been a prosecutor even longer than Bob Milan) She is considered an outstanding attorney and comptetent prosecutor without scandal and came in after the Area 2 scandals. She is the only female running. She is the only Hispanic running. It seems that being female only counts when you are trying to get into office without credentials for a MWRDGC seat or a Judge seat. It seems that diversity does not include Hispanics. Anita Alvarez is uniquely qualified but there is no Brown slate, or Spanish slate corresponding to the Rev. Sampson Soul Slate. How can Congressmans Jan Shakowsky and Jesse Jackson be national leaders and attempt to eliminate any Hispanic elected officials??? This is not leadership and if it were against groups they more closely identify with it would be racism and anti-semitism. But being against Hispanics is OK and the media doesn’t care. Sen Ricky Hendon is making racist and religiously bigotted statements against an American of Indian (east) descent yet the media says nothing. Silence on lies and explicit racist statements. Ricky Hendon is trying to eliminate Hispanics at the MWRDGC and the Tax Board of Appeals but that is not considered racist. The Democratic Leadership may not worry about the Hispanic sleeping giant because they repeat the apparently accurate mantra that Hispanics don’t vote, that the people don’t care, and their leaders are bought off. If you make an anti-Black or anti-Jewish statment or opposse their candidates than that is bad and makes a front page story–but being anti-Hispanic is the last allowable racism and discrimination in America. Barack Obama could lose the nomination because of lack of reaching out to Hispanics. The Democratic Party may have a shock without any Hispanic elected officials. The so called liberals like Shakowsky and Suffedin who supposedly believe in diversity do not include Hispanics in that Diversity. The Rainbow of Jesse Jackson Jr is only Black unless you have Green (money) and than you can buy your way in like Larry Suffedin did. The Hispanics running Countywide are: Anita Alvarez for State’s Attorney Frank Avila for MWRDGC (slated and incumbent) Jesse Reyes for Judge (sitting associate judge and slated for Countywide seat) Many people are trying to get all three to lose. Even the incumbents and slated candidates. Jose Berrios represents a District that is 1/3 the County and is the only Hispanic involved in the issue of taxation. If the Cong Shakowsky, Cong Jackson, Sen Ricky Hendon cabal plan works—There will be NO (NONE, ZILCH, ZIP, ZERO) Hispanics in any political offices at all in Cook County NONE. That is racism pure and simple. That is also stupid politics–maybe not now–but in the future. - Rich Miller - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 12:05 pm: Hector, in your long rant you neglected to mention that the city clerk, elected citywide, was slated by the party last year and is a Latino. - Rich Miller - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 12:06 pm: You also neglected to point out the unfortunately terrible voter turnout ratio among Latinos. That’s part of the problem. - Garp - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 12:11 pm: The assessor should be careful because he serves at the whim of the party. It is very easy to get people angry at an assessor because the office is screwed up, the assessment system is a scam and-whether it is true or not-it is easy to tie an assessor into raising taxes. Mr Hooligan better win tomorrow because Berrios is well liked by powerful people that don’t like an assessor who was shoved down their throats to begin with trying to take over. He ain’t Daley or even Hynes for that matter. - Darkhorse - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 12:47 pm: State’s Attorney race is wide open. But, Alvarez will get womens vote and appears to have some momentum. With that said, here is my prediction. Alvarez will pull off a Giant type of upset. Alvarez- 26% Allen- 23% Larry- 22% Brookins 21% Milan 6% Brewer 2% - Hector Murillo - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 12:47 pm: Rich, you are correct a big part of the problem with Hispanic representation is “internal” with Hispanics themselves–low citizenship, low voter registration, low voter turnout even of registered voters. However, if they have no stake eg no Berrios, Alvarez, Avila or Reyes running and constantly being eliminated by power brokers the voter turnout will decrease until they rise up against the power brokers. Yes, Rich you are correct former State Senator (a great public official in my book) Miguel DelValle now City Clerk was slated but that still does not diminish the fact: 1. No Statewide elected Hispanic officials. NONE NEVER. 2. No Countywide elected Hispanic officials (Countywide at Large) except Commissioner Frank Avila of the MWRDGC who is a good Commissioner but it is an important post but not very powerful in the political sense. There are no Clerks, Recorders, Treasurers etc. None Never The MWRDGC Avila is the first to a full 6 year term (Sen Sandoval served a 2 year unexpired term by appointment) 3. Before DelValle and after the removal of Miriam Santos (no relation to Cynthia Santos who is not Hispanic) around 1999 (?) there was no Hispanic again until DelValle in 2007. The point is not that the party or the Mayor (the Mayor (Daley) has probably brought on more Hispanics than anybody in the paltry numbers in the State, County and other units of government) have not done anything but that other powerful Congressman and political players are trying to in a Machivellean way destroy Hispanic political power. That may be their first amendment right but we can also reveal it. Congressman Shakowsky talks about diversity but is not supporting any Hispanics. Congressman Jackson wanted to be mayor of a City that is increasing Hispanic but is trying to eliminate every single Hispanic representative. Senator Ricky Hendon is using explicitly racial radio ads (just listen to them) and also trying to fool voters and bring people not on qualifications but on his political power–which is fine but we can also reveal it. I just don’t think ZERO Hispanics involved in Taxation (Jose Berrios) or ZERO Hispanics at the MWRDGC (a 1.4 Billion dollar budget that deals with water treatment and quality–and Avila is the only engineer) is fair–and it is not only not fair but racist. Diversity has to work two ways. I know Commissioner Avila endorsed Barack Obama because I was at a phone bank with him and Peter Dagher. However, there is an issue of what Obama has done for the Hispanic community and there seems to be a higher support outside Illinois for Hispanics for Hillary Clinton (like Nevada and Florida–we are yet to see in California and other states) Hispanics have voted for great African American elected officials like one of their favorites Jesse White (SOS) and historically for Mayor Harold Washington and recently in the last cycle for Judge Cunnignham–the objective statistical fact is that the Brown-Black alliance is only Browns voting for Blacks. Hispanics have always voted for Blacks and Whites. I think it is fair and just to ask for Blacks and Whites (and all) to vote for Hispanics. It must be a two way street. Again, we should all be Americans first. I also believe it should be based on qualifications BUT when there are ZERO on the State level, and 1 on the County–than you have to ask (actually Zero on the County as the MWRDGC is a separate unit of government) is there a problem? is there racism? There were no calls to make Bill Richardson (an intelligent man with an incredible resume) to bridge the racial divide in America. Obama has not endorsed any Hispanics in the last two election cycles. If Jesse Jackson wants a Rainbow than he has to include Hispanics. If Jan Shakowsky wants to preach diversity it must reach beyond money to qualified Hispanics. If it is a rant, I apologize–but it is something I strongly believe. It is hard to argue with ZERO. It is racism against Hispanics pure and simple. This election could see the elimination of any Hispanic representation beyond specific geographic boundaries. - chiatty - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 1:00 pm: Darkhorse: That would be an upset, considering AA has done virtually no campaigning and is relying solely on her hubby’s money to buy the election with her tv ads which have only been on the air for seven, count ‘em, seven days. I just don’t buy the “vote for me because I’m a woman” argument, especially when it comes to locking up murderers etc. She’s clearly qualified, especially when compared to Larry and Allen, who are lucky the courthouse hasn’t changed locations, because they’d have to Google it, but I think it’s a stretch to say that women are going to vote for Anita because of the historic Hillary factor. - Captain America - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 1:21 pm: Perdon, Hector, I hnoestly have had strong reservationa about Joe/Jose Berrios and the Board of Review for a long time. I do think he is doing a good job as Cook County Democratic Chair. Don’t forget Commissioner Maldonado on the Ccok County Board. And I would have been happy to ratify Mayor Daley’s decision by voting for the estimable Miguel de Valle but I live in Evanston now. I voted for City Treasurer Miriam Santos several times and stuck with her to the bitter end when she ran into legal problems with the feds. Anita Alvarez would be my second choice for State’s Attorney,after Larry Suffredin. I hope she runs for office again. I would be happy to vote for her in the future. Remember, most of us never heard of Anita until recently. Larry Suffredin has been “fighting the good fight” with Commisioners Quigley and Claypool against the Strogers and the non-reform Democratic majority on the Cook County Board for several years. I did vote for Jesse Reyes for Judge. Judge Reyes is supported by the Democratic Party of Evanston (he’s also endorsed by the Chicago Tribune).I was handing out sample ballots in Evanston this morning. Jan Schakowsky and Larry Suffredin are influential members of the Democratic Party of Evanston. I am lookinmg forward to supporting Manny Flores when he makes a bid for higher office. Alderman Solis and Munoz might also get my support in some future election, if they aren’t running against Manny Flores. I’m favorably inclined towards Manny Flores because I volunteered for him on the day he won the run-off against Jesse Granato. Latino politicians are on the rise in Chicago and Cook County and will rise higher very soon. But reform-oriented lakefront liberals and independents like myself are looking for Latino reformers to support,not HDO Democrats. Buenas tardes, Hector. “Si,se pueda!” - Roger - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 1:39 pm: I think Darkhourse is on to something. This is the most difficult to predict countywide race in recent memory. With the exception of Milan and Brewer, every candidate in the field has a shot. The Tribune poll proves that the average voter simply has no freakin’ idea who any of these candidates are. Just as important, if you early voted, you undoubtedly notice how “down ballot” the SA race is. Those two factors have me thinking that this contest might play out like a countywide judicial race. If it does, Alvarez has a real shot. How many times have female judicial candidates won multi-candidate races because they were the only woman on the ballot? Plenty. Also, no one is more nervous about this race than David Orr. He got away with the slow-counting problems create by his new equipment in the last two elections because: 1)he, like Houlihan, has benefited from a lazy Chicago press corps that blindly pays homage to his “reform” credentials; and 2) in the end, none of the big races, like County Board Pres, were all that close. If the State’s Attorney’s race ends up being decided by 5 or 10 thousands votes and we’re still waiting for ballots to be counted late Wednesday afternoon, David Orr is going to have hell to pay. - i need a miracle alvarez - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 1:58 pm: i hope anita wins, but i am suprised she couldn’t line up help from the moreno’s of the hispanic community, which may have given her a better shot - chiatty - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 2:35 pm: Miracle seeker: Alvarez can’t get involved in the political arena at the very last minute and hope to get help just by screaming: “I’m hispanic…I’m a woman…I’m Person of the Year” and expect to get political support. All of these politicians demand that people have given money over the years or worked in the organizations over the years in a very active way before they get support. Anita was lazy politically, just like she was lazy in the SA office after she won the Girl X case, a case that any brand new lawyer in the office could have won. The regular politicians in this race have a leg up even if Anita and Milan have forgotten more about criminal law than the other mopes know, because they have ground troops AND money. Anita has money. And Pat Quinn, who only works on Sunday, for press conferences that nobody cares about. - Anonymous45 - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 2:36 pm: I am hoping Alvarez ekes out a victory…I don’t think anyone from outside the agency can begin to institute reforms…and Milan seems like a miserable human being…Larry Suffredin a reformer? puhleeze…just what we need another clout heavy patronage pit in Cook County… - chiatty - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 2:47 pm: Anita could win. If so, she could be the first female, Hispanic, non-Spanish speaking, red-dress wearing woman to win the State’s Attorney race. Smilin’ Milan? No, he doesn’t look too happy, but I don’t know how jovial you’d be if you had to clean up everybody’s mistakes, take on the big cases and take the heat for something that happened while you were still in a fraternity. That might make one a bit sour, especially if the real opposition hadn’t been in criminal court on any matter in a decade (Allen) or three (Suffredin). - i need a miracle alvarez - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 3:23 pm: no matter who wins, i’m interested in suffredin’s tax vote post election, considering his union support - Truth - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 4:58 pm: Rich You should NOT be posting comments on the Board of Review race for Steve Brown. - Rich Miller - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 5:02 pm: I just talked to brown. He’s in southern Illinois driving through the fog. - Odyssey 2010 - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 5:17 pm: Alvarez SHOULD win. Maybe with the boys beating each other up, a big female turnout should help her. The Daily Herald endorsement in the suburbs was big. And too bad that nobody is really focusing on the fact that the main policy recommendation of the other “reformer” in the race (Suffredin) — no plea bargaining on drug and gun cases — demonstrate that he is unfit for the job (who is going to plead guilty in that case?) On the MWRD race, too bad Podgorski didn’t come out earlier with the Spyropoulos info. . .Clear case of someone just straight out buying a seat. Shame on the progressive who are taking money from her. - Chicago Guy - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 5:26 pm: So Joe Berrios spends $1.5 million of developer and tax appeal lawyer money to get re-elected and its a big deal that the Assessor gives 190 K to a challenger? Sounds like a small effort to even up the odds and make Berrios explain his record of insider self-dealing. - Anne - Monday, Feb 4, 08 @ 6:54 pm: Captain America, Hispanics are not gaining ground and after this election they are losing ground. The biggest anti-HDO elected official is Commissioner Avila. Berrios may be a machine politician but Avila is a qualified independent. Some of the other politicians you mentioned are HDO. The facts speak for themselves. Shame on the liberals who are screwing Hispanics for big oil money and a power play. Racism by any other name Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.