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* WBEZ interviewed all of the candidates for Cook County Board President as well as Sen. James Meeks (D-Chicago). Meeks said he’s worried that four black candidates “cancel each other out” against one white candidate…
A few weeks ago, Meeks organized a quiet, private meeting with the four African American Democrats: Clerk of courts Dorothy Brown, Congressman Danny Davis, Chicago Alderman Toni Preckwinkle and Stroger.
MEEKS: I just wanted them to make sure that they were dialoguing with each other, that they were not saying anything disparaging about each other, and that - at a certain date - they could come back together again and maybe determine who had front-runner status.
Meeks says he hopes one or more of the black candidates then drop out, making it less likely, he contends, that Terry O’Brien wins. O’Brien, chair of the water and sewage agency with that impossibly bureaucratic name… is that one white candidate Meeks was referring to.
But, so far, none of the African-American candidates seem concerned abut the racial dynamics, at least in public. Here’s Danny Davis’ reaction…
DAVIS: I can’t think of any particular reason that an African American voter wouldn’t vote for me, but I can’t think of many reasons that other voters wouldn’t vote for me either, if they’re looking for the best-run government that Cook County can have.
* Meanwhile, the Tribune editorial board pins the Stroger tax hike on Speaker Madigan because he has so far refused to move a bill that would allow a smaller override margin on the county board. The margin is currently four-fifths…
…Madigan wants to protect the thousands of Democratic patronage jobs in county government. Many of those payrollers donate money and campaign time to Madigan’s party. Overriding Stroger’s veto and lowering the sales tax would begin to force some economies — such as eliminating a few do-little patronage jobs — on Stroger’s government.
So let’s bestow on Madigan the honor he richly deserves: co-ownership of Stroger’s galling tax hike. They’re the taxmen.
Madigan has historically opposed lowering the veto threshold at least since the 1980s. That wasn’t mentioned in the editorial, of course.
…Adding… As a commenter correctly points out, the bill the Tribune wants passed during the veto session has an effective date of January 1, 2011. So, even if it had passed last spring, it wouldn’t have impacted any of the sales tax veto override attempts. Oops on the Trib.
* The Cook County Democratic Central Committee meets for a slating session today, and the Tribune came out hard against slating Joe Berrios for county assessor…
Berrios isn’t just an old-style ward-heeler. He’s an ambitious ward-heeler who would bring his disregard for basic ethical principles to an office that by definition is highly vulnerable to clout and favoritism. If the Democratic bosses slate Berrios, they’ll be saying to the taxpayers of Cook County: We’re backing a guy who plays by our rules. Joe takes care of us, and we take care of Joe. As for you, well, tough.
* And here’s some underreported county news…
In the first of four public hearings on the Cook County Health and Hospitals System’s 2010 budget, the tension that dominated recent budget discussions in county board chambers was nowhere to be found.
In fact, it was hard to detect a pulse at Provident Hospital last night, despite the fact that health system board members control the county’s second largest budget - nearly $1 billion in taxpayer dollars.
However, health system leaders told those at the sparsely attended event that the system’s increased patient volume and negotiations with government leaders has led to increased revenue this year, and a projected revenue increase of about $100 million next year.
The dollars rolling in are softening the burden to taxpayers, as system leaders are requesting $74 million less in county tax subsidies, relying more on the revenue generated from patients and federal funding. And as health system board members prepare to submit their budget to the county board, that’s a good thing.
That it is.
* Related…
* Legislators take on Cook veto-override issue
* Bill would make it easier to override Stroger veto
* Show Stroger he’s not king
* It’s time to fix unfair override system
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Sep 10, 09 @ 9:49 am
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Meeks is correct, of course. What he is up against however is stronger than party loyalty. The County is in chaos and hungry politicians sense opportunities for personal advancement during these times.
What Meeks has to do is pay for polling and start showing the weaker candidates that what they think they can do, can’t be done. He needs to get them to consider their inner need to survive, over their inner need to win big. HOWEVER, if the polling isn’t showing a clear leader, then Meeks will not be able to get one of the candidates to drop out, and I sense that may be the case, currently.
But Meeks is right.
Comment by VanillaMan Thursday, Sep 10, 09 @ 9:57 am
If Meeks really wants to play kingmaker, he’s going to have to flex his muscle at some point, either indirectly or directly. Is he willing to make an endorsement and throw his crew behind it? Otherwise, it’s just talk.
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Sep 10, 09 @ 10:02 am
Will we be hearing about the outcome of the Quinn and Leaders meeting yesterday, or did I miss something?
Comment by You Go Boy Thursday, Sep 10, 09 @ 10:10 am
Patience, please. We covered most of it yesterday, however.
Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Sep 10, 09 @ 10:14 am
Right, thank you.
Comment by You Go Boy Thursday, Sep 10, 09 @ 10:27 am
Rich,
I’m starting to come around on your opinion of the Berrios/Madigan pending disaster. I think Madigan would be wise to steer clear of that entire assessor race.
Comment by Frank Thursday, Sep 10, 09 @ 10:27 am
thanks for putting up the info about the Cook County Hospital system. had not even heard about the hearings. getting better
in the system, with some good new staffers, but Provident is a money drain, located not too far from County. not necessary, another Stroger failure.
Comment by Amalia Thursday, Sep 10, 09 @ 10:33 am
Madigan might oppose lowering the veto threshold but he allowed a floor vote on legislation that would have rolled back Cook’s sales tax and required voter approval for it to be raised that much again.
HB715 sponsored by Sidney Mathias got a majority but not a super-majority.
Is it political cover for the Speaker? Probably. But if he’s going to be criticized on the veto override bill he can point to a Republican bill that was brought to the floor not to just change the override but undo the tax hike and it was not supported by the members.
Comment by Michelle Flaherty Thursday, Sep 10, 09 @ 10:41 am
Black candidates, white candidates. Sigh, it never ends.
Comment by Speaking at Will Thursday, Sep 10, 09 @ 10:48 am
Hey Rich, the Trib is wrong again. Kotowski’s SB 1868, as it passed the Senate, wasn’t effective until 2011. Which means even had Madigan allowed it to pass, it wouldn’t have changed the veto override this year or next so the Stroger veto would still have been sustained. Consequently, it’s bogus to hang upon Madigan “co-ownership” of the sales tax hike because SB 1868 bill wasn’t passed.
Comment by reformer Thursday, Sep 10, 09 @ 10:54 am
Reformer - not so fast.
In October, 1996, long before the present outrage over the recent Cook County sales tax increase, Rep. Fritchey was joined by Congressman (then County Commissioner) Mike Quigley in announcing legislation to reduce the votes required to override a veto from 4/5 to 3/5.
The real kicker is that Todd Stroger the candidate supported the bill. But 3 months later, President Todd Stroger opposed the bill. Imagine that.
Madigan proceeded to bury it in the Executive Committee. If he had let the bill get a fair vote, it would have sailed out and Cook County would not have the sales tax level that it does.
Comment by Speaking truth to power Thursday, Sep 10, 09 @ 11:04 am
Speaking Truth: You don’t refute my point that Mother Trib is wrong in blaming the Speaker because the Kotowski bill didn’t pass since that bill wouldn’t have stopped Stoger’s vetoes from being sustained.
Comment by reformer Thursday, Sep 10, 09 @ 11:07 am
Speaking Truth:
Wanna make sure I’m clear on your timeline because in Oct. 1996 Madigan wasn’t House Speaker, Lee Daniels was.
So it would appear, at least initially, that any failure for it not moving forward would be due to the Republican leadership at the time.
Madigan resumed control in January — which I’m guessing is the “three months later” you referenced.
Comment by Michelle Flaherty Thursday, Sep 10, 09 @ 11:15 am
Pardon my foggy state, but I just awoke from a several week slumber, and am just regaining consciousness.
I understand how Meeks might be able to influence a primary election field, or a general election contest, but my question for today is; will the Cook County Democratic Central Politburo be expected to make a slating endorsement for Board President? If so; how, if at all, would Meeks play into this process?
Presuming he is not a Committeeman with any weighted city or suburban vote; how could he influence the slate making process; given that he may have no vote? Also; assuming that there is insufficient weighted vote at this time to endorse a single candidate for Board President; will they meet again at a later date and try to take another shot at it, after petitions have been filed and accepted, and a financial reporting period or two has passed?
At what point do they say; there will be no slated candidate in the primary?
Comment by Quinn T. Sential Thursday, Sep 10, 09 @ 11:16 am
===In October, 1996===
I assume you meant 2006?
Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Sep 10, 09 @ 11:18 am
I indeed did mean 2006. My apologies
Comment by Speaking truth to power Thursday, Sep 10, 09 @ 11:25 am
Good for the good people overseeing the Cook County health system. That revenue has always been available, and more, but nobody was willing to make the effort to collect it. Good job!
Comment by steve schnorf Thursday, Sep 10, 09 @ 1:30 pm
Meeks wouldn’t have to worry about anyone “cancelling” anyone else out, if we had Instant Runoff Voting. Meeks should support IRV.
Comment by Squideshi Thursday, Sep 10, 09 @ 3:34 pm
I thought Meeks was running for Gov since education did not get the changes meeks wanted.
Comment by Ghost Thursday, Sep 10, 09 @ 3:59 pm
Trib, Shmib. Good job calling them out, Rich!
You are right on the money. If the Trib/Shmib would just bother to do some research once in a while, it wouldn’t make these dumb mistakes.
Oh, who am I kidding? They would never let the facts get in the way. Silly me.
Comment by this old hack Thursday, Sep 10, 09 @ 5:40 pm
The credibility of the Tribune was shot to hell in the adjacent editorial they ran on Thursday (to the criticism of Berrios), in which the Zell rag said Preesidential vetos can be overrriden by a 3/5ths vote of Congress. Apparently Bruce Dold and the rest of the Tribune editorial board slept thru their Constitution classes in school; an override requires a 2/3rds vote in each House of Congress.
Comment by fedup dem Thursday, Sep 10, 09 @ 10:00 pm
I am the person strategically responsible for Danny Davis running for Cook County Commissioneer in 1990, and for preventing a solo white candidate from winning the highly contested 1996 Democratic Primary for Congress (which included Danny Davis, Ed Smith, Dorothy Tillman and Bobbie Steele). Having said that I believe despite his positive qualities, Danny Davis would approach being an unmitigated diaster as President of the County Board. Todd Stroger is unelectable and might even be defeated if he were unopposed by a write in candidate. It has happened before in Cook County. Bob Hatch was elected a State Senator in the 1960’s as a write in candidate and as a Republican to boot. I personally favor Toni Preckinkle and Dorothy Brown (one should get out). Senator Meeks is strategically correct when he states that the presence of three strong African American candidates plus Stoger, the incumbent, does give the very able Terry O’Brien a chance to win the Democratic nomination, and if this happens no one can say it was unexpected.
In a general election the strongest candidate for the Democrats for many reasons is Toni Preckwinkle.
The criticism of Joe Berrios is excessive, but as Party Chair, he would be wise this year to limit slating to Judges and Water Reclamation District candidates. He would do better without the endorsement than with it in the present field of candidates.
Comment by Phil Krone Friday, Sep 11, 09 @ 5:53 am