From the Tony Peraica for Cook County Board President campaign:
With last night's announcement that John Stroger will remove himself from the ballot for November's General Election - and will instead push for his son, 8th Ward Alderman Todd Stroger, to assume his place on the ballot - even a blind man can see the priorities of the Democrat Machine: politics takes precedence over governing.
John Stroger is reported to have decided to resign his position on the ballot and from his south-side County Commissioner seat . even as he remains in place as Cook County Board President. Even after much county business has grinded to a halt, Stroger and the Machine are content to leave Cook County government paralyzed under an absentee landlord, without direction and without leadership.
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Deals are being cut in smoke-filled back rooms, securing Cook County's place as the Capital of Cronyism and the Nadir of Nepotism: Under the Stroger-Beavers-Daley Plan, Todd Stroger will replace John Stroger, even as Alderman William Beavers' daughter replaces Beavers as 7th Ward Alderman after Beavers assumes John Stroger's County Commissioner seat.
Apologists for this cynical move argue that this is nothing new, it's been done by the families Madigan, Hynes, Lipinski and others. But stop and think for a moment: just because someone gets away with bank robbery, does that mean we should legalize bank robbery? Democrat Alderman Ricky Munoz had it right when he said today in Crain's Chicago Business that the father-to-son move "looks awful. I don't believe public office is to be bequeathed."
Todd Stroger is a pleasant young man, but even Democrat ward bosses have publicly called him a "lightweight," clearly agreeing with Tony Peraica that Todd Stroger does not have the ability to preside over a $3 billion corporation, which is exactly what Cook County government is.
The message is clear. The politics of patronage matter more to the machine than the interests of Cook County voters and taxpayers.
Even Democrat rank-and-file voters have had enough: In the primary election, almost half the Democrat electorate voted for reform, by casting their vote for Forrest Claypool. In November, reform Democrats, Independents, and Republicans will again have a chance to cast their vote for reform: for Tony Peraica.
Now is the time for Cook County to stand up . to say, "I've had enough" . to put a stop to the corrupt "machine" politics that takes the voters and taxpayers for granted.
Now is the time to join Tony Peraica's campaign for reform.
Join Tony's campaign now by signing the petition at www.stopthemachine.org.
