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* 2:07 pm - As I suggested to you yesterday, Paul Vallas has decided not to run for Cook County Board President next year…

After months contemplating switching political parties and running for Cook County Board president in 2010 as a Republican, the former Chicago Public Schools chief has decided to renew his current contract as chief of the Recovery School District in New Orleans.

Vallas said today he feels strongly that his work to restore public schools in the Hurricane Katrina-ravished area is not close enough to completion to allow him to leave. […]

“I’m not going to be able to transition out of here and run,” Vallas said.

“I’ve got too many things pending here. Our test scores took off here, but there’s more to do. Politics would create too much of a hardship.” This comes as bad news for the Illinois Republican Party, which has been searching for a political star to back in a prominent ballot position.

* 3:39 pm - House GOP Leader Tom Cross talked to WUIS about the budget, capital bill and other stuff. Raw audio is here. Cross talks up front about something I’ve been telling readers about since the end of session - a little provision that Speaker Madigan inserted into the BIMP bill.

* 4:01 pm - A pay freeze is the least of their worries…

The Quinn administration today sent a memo to state agencies stating that merit-compensation workers will not get a pay raise starting July 1.

* 4:05 pm - From Tony Peraica’s Twitter page…

Vallas NOT running in Cook County… I would like to hear from all of our followers, should I run, or not?

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Jun 11, 09 @ 2:07 pm

Comments

Paul is very realistic. It’s hard to be a patronage army.

Comment by Steve Thursday, Jun 11, 09 @ 2:11 pm
Shocking. Not.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Thursday, Jun 11, 09 @ 2:15 pm
If memory serves, when Mike Ditka opted out of running for the US Senate, the GOP had no ‘bench’ to turn to. So hopefully, after hanging on to the thread of hope for Vallas (who’s a Democrat), they have a second choice. But really, I can’t wait to see who it is.

Comment by Out There Thursday, Jun 11, 09 @ 2:16 pm
Hopefully Sen. Matt Murphy takes the lead now for Cook County Board President.

Comment by Catonian Thursday, Jun 11, 09 @ 2:17 pm
Vallas is turning into Edgar. Float your name every four years. Decide no. Waste a bunch of time.

Comment by No Suprise Thursday, Jun 11, 09 @ 2:19 pm
Smart call. No Republican can win statewide in Illinois now - much less countywide in Cook.

The GOP is just too much of a joke here.

Comment by just sayin Thursday, Jun 11, 09 @ 2:32 pm
I think Vallas had a chance to make some inroads in Illinois even if he ran and lost as Cook Cty board president. Waiting for one or more election cylces to pass will doom any further chances for him. Time to move on.

Comment by dupage dan Thursday, Jun 11, 09 @ 2:33 pm
Well, it was good while it lasted…he’s still a Goper & maybe he will run for office in the future.

Vallas Gov 2014….LOL.

Comment by scoot Thursday, Jun 11, 09 @ 2:35 pm
Just sayin,

Really, no Republican can win statewide?

I was just thinkin’, what with MJM runnin roughshod, RodB joinin GR in Terre Haute and the Illinois gov’t collapsing while the dems hold the house, senate AND the govs mansion - no dems can possibly win statewide office.

Are there any other political parties out there?

Comment by dupage dan Thursday, Jun 11, 09 @ 2:38 pm
- dupage dan -
LOL - You’re just baiting Squideshi, right?

Comment by A Citizen Thursday, Jun 11, 09 @ 2:44 pm
Think about it - who is really wanting to govern over a government as broken down, corrupted, bankrupted, and distrusted as much as ours are?

It isn’t even a matter of the challenge facing anyone elected to fix the budgets, it is the sheer lack of cooperation and the constant refusal to admit accountability from those who will share power with them.

I don’t blame Vallas for turning down the “opportunity” while he is enjoying the daily challenges of trying to fix the disaster that is the New Orleans Public School System.

Comment by VanillaMan Thursday, Jun 11, 09 @ 2:44 pm
Paul Vallas had everyone’s respect. It is too bad that his decision came down the way it did. New Orlean’s gain, Cook County’s loss.

No Surprise at 2:19 PM was probably correct as to how many Illinois Republicans will view this latest “teaser” by Paul. I think that Vallas realized that with his decision he will have effectively ended all likeliehood of his future chances for getting elected to a major political office in Illinois.

Comment by John Doe Thursday, Jun 11, 09 @ 2:49 pm
wow, can you imagine if the choice is stroger v peraica! hope claypool or preckwinkle can prevail in the primary

Comment by corvax Thursday, Jun 11, 09 @ 2:59 pm
Out There…

there was a bench, just none of them wanted to step up and run….

To the best of my recollection not a single state senator or even state rep offered to run.

There is a difference between having a bench and having guys on the bench who don’t want to get into the game.

Also not exactly a ton of Republican’s in Cook anyway…

Comment by OneMan Thursday, Jun 11, 09 @ 3:05 pm
So Paul Vallas is officially a member of the Jim Edgar/Bill Daley Club for Non-Candidates.

Good Grief.

Comment by Cosmic Charlie Thursday, Jun 11, 09 @ 4:13 pm
Run, tony, run!

Comment by Reformer Thursday, Jun 11, 09 @ 4:25 pm
Well, at least Vallas was In and then Out quickly enough to do no damage. Edgar tends to wallow in the valuable lime light eating up real campaign time prior to bowing out. Edgar has become a joke . . . really!

Comment by A Citizen Thursday, Jun 11, 09 @ 4:52 pm
Claypool, now!

Comment by Amy Thursday, Jun 11, 09 @ 5:03 pm
I was very sorry to hear about Paul Vallas. Politics aside, I think he could have made a huge improvement in Cook County.

The citizens lose on this one.

Comment by Bubs Thursday, Jun 11, 09 @ 5:06 pm
I was actually hoping Paul would run for Governor. If he ran for Cook County Prez or Guv, he could have been a game-changer for the GOP.

It still eats at me that my native Metro-East was the culprit that boosted Blago over Paul in the primary that led to Patti’s husband becoming Governor.

Comment by Levi voted for Judy Thursday, Jun 11, 09 @ 5:42 pm
Vallas should be in his second term as governor right now. No impeachment for him. We had our chance.

A good man, a good manager, not a great speaker, he has proven himself to be dedicated down in Louisiana. Cook County and Illinois could use him but he’s right to stay out of it. This is such a cluster right now.

Comment by DuPage Dave Thursday, Jun 11, 09 @ 6:00 pm
Face it Vallas was terrified of Boxed Tom as the statewide Moses leading the GOPs make to stardom.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT
The Circular Firing Squad must be thrilled Vallas out and and Tristano/Levine Mentor In.
Way to go Tugboat Andy

Comment by Boxing Cross Thursday, Jun 11, 09 @ 6:55 pm
Another blown opportunity by the circular firing squad.

Comment by the ole precinct captain Thursday, Jun 11, 09 @ 8:15 pm
Hey, when Tony loses, do you think his supporters will storm the right building this time?

Comment by Feldman Thursday, Jun 11, 09 @ 8:40 pm
Did we all notice how proud fast Tony P and BrickheadJoe are of their Twitter “Awards”
I think that sums up the state of affairs for the Cicular Firing Squad

Comment by Boxing Cross Thursday, Jun 11, 09 @ 8:55 pm
Well color me shocked. Had 4 years of no raises under Blago, now here we go again. Everyone who works for me makes more than I do. I’m doing 3 people’s jobs. And Rich I read between the lines - no tax increase and even after over two decades service to the state, I’ll be one of the first to go because the union and CMS wouldn’t let me join AFSCME. Am I warm?

Comment by Merit Comp Slave Thursday, Jun 11, 09 @ 10:14 pm
Expect a lawsuit from Merit Comp employees who haven’t received raises this year. Merit Comp employee raises are given on a calendar year basis. That means some will have gotten a raise this calendar year and others won’t. You’re treating a class of workers differently. Bad move. Let the class action lawsuit begin.

Comment by RJW Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 12:00 am
If I were a state employee, I’d be really PO’d that I wouldn’t be getting even a CPI raise so that the state can subsidize K-12 and university system raises that often average several times the CPI.

From the NEA most recent “Rankings” report:

Illinois average K-12 spending per pupil-16th

Illinois average K-12 teacher salary-6th

I guess all that education funding per pupil, which has accelerated at about double the CPI over the last decade or so, wasn’t “for the children” after all!

Comment by PalosParkBob Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 6:09 am
Quinn froze the salaries of 4700 workers out of 65000.

So more meaningless press releases. Must be a good time to be a merit comp employee (the few that have not been unioized and are getting 8-9% raises a yearbetween step and cola); frozen salaries (again) and madigan wants you all fired for taking management jobs.

Comment by Ghost Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 10:51 am