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* Chicago Federation of Labor President Jorge Ramirez sent out a press release today, but let’s just focus on these two touted wins…
Brandon Johnson, an organizer with Chicago Teachers Union, was triumphant over incumbent Richard Boykin in the race for Cook County Commissioner of the 1st District because Johnson is entrenched in the labor movement. A strong labor coalition, made up of public sector unions and building trades, joined forces on the ground through door knocking/canvassing, phone banking and mail. Johnson will be a strong voice for the families in his district.
Bridget Degnen handily defeated incumbent Cook County Commissioner John Fritchey (12th District). It was labor’s early support that educated the community on the importance of having a commissioner like Degnen who represents the interests of working families. Degnen is committed to keeping our neighborhoods safe and supporting a compassionate approach to Illinois’ health care system.
Those two incumbents were mainly targeted for refusing to go along with the pop tax…
The tax fueled public outcry from shoppers and business owners across the county, ultimately surviving less than two months before being repealed by a vote of 15 to 2, and was phased out in December 2017.
That revolt left Preckwinkle with a $200 million budget shortfall, hundreds of layoffs and sparked a challenge from Fioretti, who announced plans to take her on less than a month after its repeal.
It was repealed, voters moved on, Preckwinkle regained her popularity and then thumped Fioretti but good.
* From the twitters…
Quite a few people were screaming that commissioners would lose their job over the soda tax - they were right - just not the people they thought. Preckwinkle won big last night. pic.twitter.com/DhsjD9RIed
— Kyle Hillman (@kylehillman) March 21, 2018
* This group is funded by the pop companies and their allies. It’s an interesting take…
“This election is a victory for Cook County working families and small businesses who overwhelmingly opposed the unfair and harmful beverage tax. Nearly every candidate running for the County Board campaigned in opposition to the beverage tax, underscoring that the tax was both bad policy and unpopular with voters. We hope Cook County’s political leadership has gotten the message. Citizens For A More Affordable Cook County looks forward to working with commissioners to ensure they manage a responsible budget and make the County a more affordable place to live and do business.”
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Mar 21, 18 @ 2:10 pm
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I didn’t see this coming. Preckwinkle has a lot of power still. It looks like the voters didn’t like the lay offs due to the repeal of the soda tax. Taxes are about to sky rocket in Cook County. I love CC and IL but I live in FL 7 months out the year. I hope IL and CC comes up with a plan to fix the tax issue without more lay off.
Comment by Rocky Rosi Wednesday, Mar 21, 18 @ 2:23 pm
Horrible result for Cook County taxpayers last night. Watch the conintued poplulatioon loss as Prekwinkle will continue to over tax and over spend.
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Mar 21, 18 @ 2:24 pm
Fiortetti, Boykin and Fritchey would’ve been better off had the pop tax not been repealed last year.
Comment by anon2 Wednesday, Mar 21, 18 @ 2:28 pm
No one led the charge against the very unpopular soda tax more then Boykin, and he loses. Maybe he didn’t get his message out, but this is surprising.
Comment by James the Intolerant Wednesday, Mar 21, 18 @ 2:29 pm
“I’m saying: Hire from our neighborhoods, and that head tax would be less,” Johnson said. “You would generate revenue in the immediate. We would begin to confront unemployment.”
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-met-cook-county-board-races-20180316-story.html
I’m not sure that’s the type of idea the Citizens For A More Affordable Cook County mean when they look to promote “a more affordable place to…do business.”
Comment by COPN Wednesday, Mar 21, 18 @ 2:30 pm
I don’t think I knew Fioretti was on the ballot until I saw it with my own eyes yesterday. Did he do any campaigning?
Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, Mar 21, 18 @ 2:30 pm
I wish this was the last we’d see of Fioretti, but I fear it is not.
Comment by Precinct Captain Wednesday, Mar 21, 18 @ 2:32 pm
Fioretti did way better than I expected
Comment by Ron Wednesday, Mar 21, 18 @ 2:35 pm
Nobody who initially voted for the soda tax lost last night. And one initial supporter is now headed to the US House of Representatives.
The only possible partial exception to this trend would be the retiring of Ed Moody from the Cook County Board, after he voted for the soda tax. But I see no particular public evidence at least that he would have really been endangered by his vote any more than the rest of the pro-soda Commissioners were, and / or that he retired to get out ahead of a crushing defeat on that issue.
Comment by ZC Wednesday, Mar 21, 18 @ 2:36 pm
For the life of me this one has me totally confused. Theses two commissioners vote against one of the most hated and despised taxes ever and they get tossed over it. If they try to bring it back again in the future voters will go ballistic so maybe just maybe that’s what they deserve.
The other comical part is both the Sun Times and Tribune blasted Preckwinkle over introducing this tax yet they turned around and endorsed her. Please explain that conundrum to me.
The Tmes I understand it’s a bought and owned paid fir labor blog. The Tribune however what’s that about?
Comment by Old Time R Wednesday, Mar 21, 18 @ 2:37 pm
= I hope IL and CC comes up with a plan to fix the tax issue without more lay off.=
This is the problem in Illinois. Wanting services but not wanting to pay for them. This is why we have so much debt (borrowing from a very sustainable pension system). Maybe Florida gives you everything for free. Or wages are so low that the taxes follow.
Comment by JS Mill Wednesday, Mar 21, 18 @ 2:40 pm
–Preckwinkle regained her popularity–
Perhaps. But doubtful.
Fioretti was likely much less popular.
Comment by King Louis XVI Wednesday, Mar 21, 18 @ 2:42 pm
I wonder what Amazon is thinking today of these two wins, particularly the candidate who wants a new county payroll tax.
Comment by Not It Wednesday, Mar 21, 18 @ 3:02 pm
Great to see labor candidates do well. Kudos to the volunteers who worked the ground game.
Comment by Grandson of Man Wednesday, Mar 21, 18 @ 3:13 pm
Low turnout is probably how these tax and spenders won. They would be toast in a large turnout. The kleptocracy continues.
Comment by Ron Wednesday, Mar 21, 18 @ 3:44 pm
Cook County government is one of the most bloated worthless entities that exist in Illinois. Amazon probably did take not unfortunately.
Comment by Ron Wednesday, Mar 21, 18 @ 3:52 pm
Obamacare Medicaid expansion has been a boon to Cook County, financially for the hospital and in human terms. Many more people have health insurance now. Preckwinkle touted this. Rauner would have vetoed ACA Medicaid expansion.
Comment by Grandson of Man Wednesday, Mar 21, 18 @ 4:13 pm
MESSAGE to DEM OFFICEHOLDERS: Stop worrying about what the Trib editors say regarding taxes.
The sky has fallen not on you who have been courageous enough to vote to fund services, but on Boykin and Fritchey.
Comment by Truthteller Wednesday, Mar 21, 18 @ 4:18 pm
When the unions and everyone else who feeds off Cook County is told by President Preckwinckle to make examples out of commissioners like Fritchey and Boykin, they will jump and ask how high. She plays old school politics as well as anyone else.
Comment by Shytown Wednesday, Mar 21, 18 @ 4:23 pm
but now that Trump and national Republicans are destroying ACA, that is one vacuum of resources.
Comment by Ron Wednesday, Mar 21, 18 @ 4:27 pm
The mass exodus of taxpaying people will continue as Prekwinkle finds all sorts of new “revenue” to further coddled public employees
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Mar 21, 18 @ 4:29 pm
Grandson of Man - I feel the need to remind you that the Rauner administration has fully embraced the Medicaid expansion. They have used the expansion of health insurance to low income communities (which is almost entirely funded by the federal government) to eliminate all sorts of state funded health programs that were funded by GRF. This is one of those things that Rauner doesn’t talk about because it gets him in trouble with conservatives, and democrats don’t want to give him credit for, so it largely has gone unnoticed.
Comment by Just Me Wednesday, Mar 21, 18 @ 6:19 pm
=Theses two commissioners vote against one of the most hated and despised taxes ever and they get tossed over it=
Evidently, not as hated and despised as it seemed.
I thought it was a great idea - more for health reasons than for tax reasons - and apparently, I’m not alone.
Comment by TinyDancer(FKASue) Wednesday, Mar 21, 18 @ 6:52 pm
So Johnson will be a strong voice for the families in his district while Bridget Degnen represents the interests of working families. This begs the question…why aren’t Johnson’s families working?
Comment by City Zen Wednesday, Mar 21, 18 @ 7:05 pm
–So Johnson will be a strong voice for the families in his district while Bridget Degnen represents the interests of working families. This begs the question…why aren’t Johnson’s families working?–
I’m quite certain why the dogs in my neighborhood are barking.
Parse the pepper out of the fly stuff of a run-of-the-mill press release in order to yank your crank on a racial stereotype.
Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Mar 21, 18 @ 9:31 pm
–that is one vacuum of resources.–
What’s that, the opposite of some abundance of nothing?
Don’t they have English as a second language courses on the Island of Misfit Bots?
Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Mar 21, 18 @ 9:35 pm
Cook County lost another 20,000 people last year. I’m sure some of the highest taxes in the nation has nothing to do with it.
Comment by Ron Thursday, Mar 22, 18 @ 7:47 am
The loss of Fritchey on the Board is horrible. One of the few good guys looking out for taxpayers and not county workers
Comment by Ron Thursday, Mar 22, 18 @ 8:26 am
The American Beverage Association Is a trade group for products that typically result in diabetes. They are hardly standing up for the little guy or gal.
Just like the National Rifle Assocation represents gun manufacturers; they used to represent hunters and sportsmen.
Comment by Mike Cirrincione Thursday, Mar 22, 18 @ 9:24 am
Boykin was all Astroturf while Johnson is actual grassroots. Get the difference?
Comment by West Sider Thursday, Mar 22, 18 @ 9:30 am
Prekwinkle has admitted this has nothing to do with health. She has very hungry public worker benefits feed.
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Mar 22, 18 @ 10:39 am