* Ensuring that African-American voters come out in strength during the fall campaign is always a high priority for Democrats. Without all of this base, they have big trouble. But they’ve been voting in such high numbers for the past several cycles that appeasement may no longer be necessary. Still, few want to take that chance, which is why we’re seeing more stories like this…

“I think because of the sheer numbers, having a candidate that appeals to the African-American voting base is going to be very important to the Democratic Party,” said Larry Rogers, an attorney who serves on the Cook County Board of Review. Rogers said he has been approached by people who would like him to run for Cook County Board president, which he said he would consider only if Stroger opts not to run for re-election; and also by people who would like him to run for attorney general, should Lisa Madigan run for governor rather than seek re-election.

One of those encouraging Rogers is state Sen. James Meeks, himself considering a run for governor if Gov. Quinn and/or Lisa Madigan do not meet his challenge to run on a platform of adequately funding education in Illinois.

Meeks argues that Jesse White’s presence alone on the statewide ticket will not be enough to motivate the black electorate. Meeks made the same threat four years ago but backed down when then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich promised to increase education funding, a promise, Meeks notes, that never came to fruition.

State Rep. David Miller (D-Chicago) is considering a run for lieutenant governor, either on his own or — some say — as an unofficial running mate with Madigan if she declares.

Go read the whole thing before commenting, please.

* We can probably expect more of these stories as well, which could negatively fire up the African-American base…

Mayor Daley said Friday he would not be drawn into a political fight with embattled Cook County Board President Todd Stroger over which politician has raised taxes more.

Earlier this week, Daley joined his brother, County Board Finance Committee Chairman John Daley, in supporting the repeal of Stroger’s one percentage point increase in the Cook County sales tax very detrimental” for retailers and consumers

Stroger responded by reminding reporters of all the taxes Daley has raised.

A bitter black/white split is the worst case scenario for the Democratic Party. They could wind up saddled with candidates who hurt them in the fall instead of helping them.

* Also, this parking meter disaster has taken lots of the shine off of Daley’s administration, which could easily impact next year’s contests. Disaffection is clearly mounting…

In this new era of skyrocketing meter rates, at least one man found a way to park his car for hours in a traffic-clogged neighborhood without having to spend a pocketful of quarters.

Should it surprise longtime observers of Chicago politics that this guy works for a City Council member?

Zodak Yonan, an aide to Ald. Thomas Tunney, infuriated neighbors in Lakeview by parking at an expired meter thanks to a “44th Ward Official Business” placard he displayed on the dashboard.

And, on a related note, now we discover that even the elevators aren’t safe…

What is it about stepping into an elevator that makes us start to hyperventilate? Some say it’s acrophobia (fear of heights); others blame claustrophobia (fear of enclosed spaces). We don’t know the scientific term for fear that the elevator hasn’t been inspected for eight years, but after reading Tribune reporter Azam Ahmed’s work last week, we think we’ll just take the stairs.

Ahmed reported that nearly 70 percent of Chicago’s 20,000 elevators didn’t get their “annual” inspection last year, as required by law. The records don’t reflect follow-up inspections on those that failed. Some elevators haven’t been inspected since 2001, according to city records.

The city that works doesn’t.

* But, you can’t beat somebody with nobody, and the Democrats are obviously counting on more Republican division…

[Potential Republican gubernatorial candidate Dan Proft] considers House Bill 750 and the idea of shifting school funding away from property taxes “Idiotic. Stupid. It’s just another fraud.”

And so he will throw a little dynamite into an otherwise orderly GOP primary election, if you know what I mean.

He considers the field of GOP contenders incapable of translating true Republican principles into public policy.

“Voters are more cynical than ever before. You can’t trot out there and say, ‘I’m for education, jobs and lower taxes.’ That doesn’t cut it,” Proft said.

* Related…

* Stroger deadline today on vetoing tax repeal

* Deadline Looms for Veto of Sales Tax Repeal

* Device alerts drivers to red-light camera locations

* Will Stroger veto sales tax hike repeal?

* Todd Stroger’s decision

* More than 1,100 city workers to be laid off

* Daley: City not hiding anything from unions

* U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. speaks at Lincoln College graduation: Moments later, the Illinois Democrat’s microphone failed, and to illustrate his point, he continued his speech without missing a beat.

* Burris Keeps 2010 Guessing Game Alive

* Schakowsky funder draws Valerie Jarrett, Tina Tchen, Sen. Amy Klobuchar

* Rep. Biggert will face rematch with Dem foe: Businessman Scott Harper is set for a rematch with Rep. Judy Biggert (R-Ill.), after filing a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission.

* Shimkus, Costello weigh in on cap-and-trade issue: While Shimkus rejects the conclusions of a long list of eminent climate scientists — including the Nobel Prize-winning U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change — Costello said he thinks “the science is there to back it up. The question is how do we address this.”