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Robin Kelly, David Orr vouch for Berrios opponent Kaegi in new ad

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Robin Kelly: I’m Congresswoman Robin Kelly. We all know our property tax system is broken and our communities are paying the price. But this March, we can fix it. And Fritz Kaegi is leading the charge.

Fritz Kaegi: I’m Fritz Kaegi and I’m running for assessor because we all deserve fairness. And that’s worth fighting for.

David Orr: Fritz is a progressive Democrat. He’s a finance professional. He’s a numbers guy. And he’s the best candidate to clean up the mess in the Assessor’s office.

Robin Kelly: They say we can’t beat the machine, but We Can!

Crowd chant: We Can!

* Related…

* 1 Berrios challenger could be off ballot, leaving a one-on-one race for Cook County assessor

* Berrios challenger Kaegi calls assessor’s office ‘for sale’ as candidates hold dueling news conferences: Cook County Assessor Joe Berrios and primary challenger Fritz Kaegi engaged in political stagecraft on Wednesday via dueling news conferences scheduled for the same time and the same floor of the County Building. First, Berrios announced he was extending the deadline for senior citizen homeowners to seek a property tax exemption, saying, “I have always paid special attention to seniors.” Kaegi, meanwhile, waited in the hallway outside the assessor’s office for Berrios to finish. Then, Kaegi stood behind a sign declaring Berrios’ office was “for sale” and accused the incumbent of “auctioning lower property tax assessments in exchange for campaign cash.” Kaegi was referring to Berrios’ acceptance of campaign contributions from property tax appeals lawyers, whose work Kaegi said ends up giving owners of more expensive properties a break, increasing the property tax burden on owners of lower-priced properties. That “leads to a structurally racist outcome that most impacts black and brown communities all over this county,” Kaegi said.

* Berrios, Kaegi Clash Over Tax System During Melrose Park Forum: Kaegi, said he is the only candidate in the race who is a certified Illinois assessment officer (“which is required for every township assessor and county assessor in the state except Cook County”) and that he would commit to three immediate priorities once he gets in office. If elected, the Oak Park resident said, his first-year priorities in office would be to implement a valuation model “that is more accurate and less regressive,” reveal how taxpayers’ assessments are calculated, and refuse to tax donations from property tax appeals lawyers. “I can do all of this in the first year without any new laws,” Kaegi said.

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Feb 8, 18 @ 11:49 am

Comments

If this guy loses, I may give up. Disgraceful he only got Orr and Kelly, he should be endorsed by everyone (and I know nothing about him other than he’s not Berrios).
Meanwhile Berrios takes in 50 k from lawyers in the sunshine column to the right.

Comment by Rutro Thursday, Feb 8, 18 @ 12:07 pm
The more goo-goos he can get to vouch for him, the more better.

TII.

A dude puts up more than a million bucks of his own cash to become Cook County Assessor because he wants to do good?

You could forgive some for being skeptical. Given our colorful history, that’s a big ask. Might require more faith than that of a mustard seed.

Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Feb 8, 18 @ 12:12 pm
No one knows Robbin Kelly.

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Feb 8, 18 @ 12:29 pm
Why not “Yes we can?” We all know that’s got a we bit more resonance.

Comment by Chicago Cynic Thursday, Feb 8, 18 @ 12:46 pm
===No one knows Robbin Kelly.===

Says someone who posts as “Anonymous”

Comment by wndycty Thursday, Feb 8, 18 @ 1:00 pm
@ wordlslinger;, Agree makes no sense, but to me neither does Pritzker.

Comment by Rutro Thursday, Feb 8, 18 @ 1:34 pm
Rutro, with his bankroll, Pritzker isn’t putting up beer money.

Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Feb 8, 18 @ 1:43 pm
Sometimes I have a hard deciding whether Berrios or Dorothy Brown is the worst public servant in America. Both richly deserving of being thrown out of office

Comment by The Way I See It Thursday, Feb 8, 18 @ 2:56 pm
If the office is For Sale, is Kaegi promising to forswear any and all donations from the property tax lawyers?

Comment by anon2 Thursday, Feb 8, 18 @ 3:03 pm
Don’t know if Mr. Fritz can beat Barrios but I did like this ad. The message was clear, good validators, love we can beat the political machine in the end. 8 out of 10.

Comment by Property Tax Guy Thursday, Feb 8, 18 @ 3:22 pm
- anon2 - Thursday, Feb 8, 18 @ 3:03 pm:

“If the office is For Sale, is Kaegi promising to forswear any and all donations from the property tax lawyers?”

Yes, that’s been his promise seen the start of the campaign, and the first item on the platform on his website.

http://fritzforassessor.com/fritz-plan/

Comment by 7432 Thursday, Feb 8, 18 @ 4:50 pm