Musical chairs
Monday, Jul 27, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Commissioner Maldonado moves to the city council…
Chicago Mayor Richard Daley has appointed Cook County Commissioner Roberto Maldonado to replace outgoing Alderman Billy Ocasio in the 26th Ward.
Ocasio now works for Gov. Pat Quinn. He had asked Mayor Daley to appoint Rev. Wilfredo De Jesús to his seat, but that ran into loads of trouble, so he then asked Hizzoner to put his wife into the slot.
And now Maldonado will have to be replaced on the county board, hence our headline.
…Adding… Rich Samuels of WTTW asks via Twitter…
What does this mean for the override of Stroger’s sales tax rollback veto?
Maldonado voted for the rollback, and Daley’s brother was a prime mover behind the vote, so I’m guessing the commission gets another vote to override. But will an appointment happen within the required veto override time frame?
* By the way, I forgot all about posting this, so here’s Greg Hinz’s piece about Todd Stroger’s new campaign team…
Mr. Stroger retained Ray Harris and DeLane Adams, who recently went into the political consulting business after years working in organizing and intergovernmental relations (lobbying) for AFSCME. the big public employee union.
Mr. Harris conceded that Mr. Stroger, who has received about as bad of press as a public official can get, faces a challenge. “It’s not for the weak-hearted,” he joked.
But the incumbent also has a story to tell, Mr. Harris added. “There are a lot of positive things he’s done for the county.”
- Former Traffic Prosecutor - Monday, Jul 27, 09 @ 2:54 pm:
Why would he take a “step down” to the City Council? Is this going to be a semi-retirement for him…?
- Bluefish - Monday, Jul 27, 09 @ 2:54 pm:
I wonder if this has something to do with him being one of the Cook County 14 who voted to cut the sales tax by 1/2%?
- 47th Ward - Monday, Jul 27, 09 @ 3:01 pm:
FTP, this is a promotion for Maldonado. As long as Aldermen retain the final say in ward zoning decisions, Alderman will always be a plum job. County Commissioner, on the other hand, is the JV job, Alderman is where the action is.
In some ways, Quigley moving to DC can be viewed as “semi-retirement,” while Davis leaving Congress to run for Cook County President is just, well, kind of dumb. Too many headaches at the County Building, and too many headlines to boot.
- Former Traffic Prosecutor - Monday, Jul 27, 09 @ 3:22 pm:
47W: I’m not sure I agree with you. He goes from having a constituency of 300,000 to a constituency of 60,000; he goes from being Chair of the relative poweful Hospitals & Law Enforcement Committees to being the most junior alderman, and (if I’m not mistaken), he has a smaller staff as an alderman. He might make (slightly) more as an alderman than as a commissioner, but it won’t be much.
As Alderman Burke has shown us, being an alderman is a great way to use city zoning regs to get a lovely home built for yourself, but given the nature of the County Board and the balance between the Republicans, the North Side/Suburban Democrats, and the South Side Democrats, it seems he’d have more power staying on the Board…
- Louis G. Atsaves - Monday, Jul 27, 09 @ 3:24 pm:
So Maldonado will not be around to cast an override vote of the partial sales tax reduction. Does this accidentally (or not so accidentally) save Stroger’s veto?
I guess the accidentally vs. not so accidentally depends on whether one wears a tin foil hat. But it’s hard not to be cynical in a situation involving government in Illinois these days.
- Third Generation Chicago Native - Monday, Jul 27, 09 @ 3:33 pm:
Maldonado replacing the 26th Ward Alderman Ocasio, who will be working for Quinn. Quinn also resides on the West side, I wonder if it’s the 26th Ward.
It will be interesting to see what happens with Maldonado’s Cook County Commissioner post. His district borders John Daley’s and Moreno’s. As far as John Daley goes, he used to be a Todd supporter, the Democrats who fought Todd are Claypool(northside), Suffredin(northside), Moreno(SW Side), Maldonado (SW side) and previously Quigley (north side). Now Daley(SW side) is not on the Todd Bandwagon anymore. The far South Cook County, Democrats are Butler, Sims, Beavers, Murphy and Collins. Earlean Collins can go either way on Todd, and she has but the rest of the far South Cook Commissioners stick together.
It will be interesting to see who ends up in Maldondo’s district. I am sure John Daley (Comish) will be watching his neighboring district closely.
Todd Stroger getting ready to run, and geering up for it, no surprise.
- Third Generation Chicago Native - Monday, Jul 27, 09 @ 3:34 pm:
Keep in mind that Todd Stroger and Bill Beavers were Aldermen before going to the County.
- 47th Ward - Monday, Jul 27, 09 @ 3:35 pm:
FTP, you’re right that Aldermen represent fewer constituents, but they are kings of their Wards. Ask a Chicagoan who their County Commissioner is sometime. Then ask who the Alderman is.
Maldonado’s Chairmanship looks good on a resume, but almost got him in some trouble with the G (the Faustech contract I believe). And since law enforcement only applies to unincorporated Cook County, well, you can see my point about this being the red-headed step child of Illinois government.
- Judgment Day Is On The Way - Monday, Jul 27, 09 @ 3:40 pm:
“Maldonado’s Chairmanship looks good on a resume, but almost got him in some trouble with the G (the Faustech contract I believe).”
Yes, it did. Mentioned a number of times, in fact.
- Here we go again... - Monday, Jul 27, 09 @ 3:59 pm:
Maldonado was heard saying that he wants to collect 2 pensions, one form the county and the other from the city council, what a hog…
It also appears that there was a deal struck that would allow Rev. De Jesus to be the commissioner of the district since he does not live in the 26th ward but lives within the district boundaries…
Whatever happened to the separation of church and state?
- Third Generation Chicago Native - Monday, Jul 27, 09 @ 4:14 pm:
Here we go again….does the Rev Meeks come to mind?
- Here we go again... - Monday, Jul 27, 09 @ 4:16 pm:
Like I said when is this going to stop…here we go again.
- wordslinger - Monday, Jul 27, 09 @ 5:53 pm:
The only aldermen who ever went willingly to the County Board or Congress were the ones who were certain they could still control the aldermanic and ward committeman seats.
- Quizzical - Monday, Jul 27, 09 @ 9:26 pm:
The picture on the Sun Times site of Daley at the press conference with Maldonado is priceless. Daley can’t even feign enthusiasm anymore for the hacks he’s appointing to the city council.
- Lebowski - Monday, Jul 27, 09 @ 10:31 pm:
TGCN - Actually, Maldonado’s district is on the NW side of Chicago and does not border Daley’s or Moreno’s. I also wouldn’t call Butler or Beavers “far South Cook County”, rather Southsiders. Also, Collins’ district includes the West side and suburbs, and is not “far South Cook County”.