Chuck the food fight -- county needs a leader
Chuck the food fight -- county needs a leader
Copyright by The Chicago Sun times
June 5, 2006
BY LAURA WASHINGTON
Todd Stroger. Danny Davis. Dorothy Brown. Bobbie Steele. Michael Scott. Terry Peterson. Jim Houlihan. What do these Democrats have in common?
Media reports have placed all their toes in the swirling waters of the race for the Cook County Board presidency. It's a murky, shark-infested swamp. Of course, there isn't even an opening right now; the family of current President John Stroger has been stonewalling on whether he can remain in the race.
Let's assume for the sake of argument that Stroger, who is struggling to recover from a debilitating stroke, will not be able to serve as the Democratic nominee.
This competition is not "American Idol." It's not a popularity contest. In fact, it's not even a real election. The voters don't decide. County ward and township committeemen will cast weighted votes based on their turnouts in the March 21 primary. In typical Chicago style, the decision is being made by the politicians, not the voters.
The Conventional Wisdom of the Chattering Classes (CWCC) says that an African American will emerge as the Democratic nominee for the November faceoff with Republican Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica.
To my mind, here is an opportunity for the county's black leadership to demonstrate political maturity and cohesion. So far, it's shaping up to look like a food fight.
Publicly, they are saying one thing. Privately, it's something else. Granted, it's tough to campaign for a job by walking over someone's hospital bed. Talk to Forrest Claypool about it.
Still, this is Chicago, so that still hasn't stopped some contenders from hustling under the radar for votes and grabbing headlines, aimed at getting a favorable reading from the CWCC.
One thing that gets lost in all the hot air is the reason why they should be competing -- for the hundreds of thousands of people who depend on county services, the indigent and vulnerable among us.
The politicians aren't talking about it, but the issue should be who is best qualified to lead the county out of its morass. The primary campaign highlighted the challenge: reforming myriad county programs that are rife with alleged corruption, featherbedding and basic incompetence.
Consider the contenders:
There's 8th Ward Ald. Todd Stroger. His public flip-flops about his father's condition and intentions are laughable. Cook County government -- a $3 billion corporation -- requires a keen administrator. He's a nice young man, but Todd Stroger has never run anything.
Rep. Danny K. Davis, aka The Voice of God, proclaims he is getting a raft of spontaneous "calls" for him to run. Davis is a veteran legislator and grass-roots advocate for the disadvantaged. No African-American official has worked harder to build political bridges between blacks and Latinos. Unfortunately, his operation has a reputation for disorganization, and I wonder about a congressman who would participate in a "coronation ceremony" for Sun Myung Moon. Davis did the crowning.
Cook County Commissioner Bobbie L. Steele is a 20-year board veteran and says she is up for the job. As a woman who has paid her dues, she's my sentimental favorite. She is up against her gender, and she knows it. Black male politicians are a sexist bunch, and they are not about to move over for any woman. I must say that even though he has no official sway in the decision, kudos should go to the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. for backing Steele.
Ditto for the ambitious Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown. Besides, her independent black base gives the royal families of Stroger, Daley and Jackson the heebie-jeebies.
If the food fight continues, the CWCC suggests that Terry Peterson, who heads the Chicago Housing Authority, Chicago Board of Education President Michael Scott and Ald. William Beavers (7th) are acceptable compromise candidates. They would be just dandy with Mayor Daley and brother John, the heavyweight County Board finance chairman.
Scott is an agile political survivor who might do it if Daley asked, but he abhors the limelight. Peterson told the Chicago Sun-Times' Fran Spielman that he doesn't want the job.
The joker in the deck is Cook County Assessor Jim Houlihan. There a tiny problem there. He happens to be white. He also happens to be very qualified. Houlihan is a policy wonk who actually has a plan to turn the county around.
Finally: My mystery candidate is one who could handle those sharks with aplomb -- CHA Board Chairwoman Sharon Gist Gilliam.
Cook County needs a leader and a manager -- not a placeholder or a puppet.
Copyright by The Chicago Sun times
June 5, 2006
BY LAURA WASHINGTON
Todd Stroger. Danny Davis. Dorothy Brown. Bobbie Steele. Michael Scott. Terry Peterson. Jim Houlihan. What do these Democrats have in common?
Media reports have placed all their toes in the swirling waters of the race for the Cook County Board presidency. It's a murky, shark-infested swamp. Of course, there isn't even an opening right now; the family of current President John Stroger has been stonewalling on whether he can remain in the race.
Let's assume for the sake of argument that Stroger, who is struggling to recover from a debilitating stroke, will not be able to serve as the Democratic nominee.
This competition is not "American Idol." It's not a popularity contest. In fact, it's not even a real election. The voters don't decide. County ward and township committeemen will cast weighted votes based on their turnouts in the March 21 primary. In typical Chicago style, the decision is being made by the politicians, not the voters.
The Conventional Wisdom of the Chattering Classes (CWCC) says that an African American will emerge as the Democratic nominee for the November faceoff with Republican Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica.
To my mind, here is an opportunity for the county's black leadership to demonstrate political maturity and cohesion. So far, it's shaping up to look like a food fight.
Publicly, they are saying one thing. Privately, it's something else. Granted, it's tough to campaign for a job by walking over someone's hospital bed. Talk to Forrest Claypool about it.
Still, this is Chicago, so that still hasn't stopped some contenders from hustling under the radar for votes and grabbing headlines, aimed at getting a favorable reading from the CWCC.
One thing that gets lost in all the hot air is the reason why they should be competing -- for the hundreds of thousands of people who depend on county services, the indigent and vulnerable among us.
The politicians aren't talking about it, but the issue should be who is best qualified to lead the county out of its morass. The primary campaign highlighted the challenge: reforming myriad county programs that are rife with alleged corruption, featherbedding and basic incompetence.
Consider the contenders:
There's 8th Ward Ald. Todd Stroger. His public flip-flops about his father's condition and intentions are laughable. Cook County government -- a $3 billion corporation -- requires a keen administrator. He's a nice young man, but Todd Stroger has never run anything.
Rep. Danny K. Davis, aka The Voice of God, proclaims he is getting a raft of spontaneous "calls" for him to run. Davis is a veteran legislator and grass-roots advocate for the disadvantaged. No African-American official has worked harder to build political bridges between blacks and Latinos. Unfortunately, his operation has a reputation for disorganization, and I wonder about a congressman who would participate in a "coronation ceremony" for Sun Myung Moon. Davis did the crowning.
Cook County Commissioner Bobbie L. Steele is a 20-year board veteran and says she is up for the job. As a woman who has paid her dues, she's my sentimental favorite. She is up against her gender, and she knows it. Black male politicians are a sexist bunch, and they are not about to move over for any woman. I must say that even though he has no official sway in the decision, kudos should go to the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. for backing Steele.
Ditto for the ambitious Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown. Besides, her independent black base gives the royal families of Stroger, Daley and Jackson the heebie-jeebies.
If the food fight continues, the CWCC suggests that Terry Peterson, who heads the Chicago Housing Authority, Chicago Board of Education President Michael Scott and Ald. William Beavers (7th) are acceptable compromise candidates. They would be just dandy with Mayor Daley and brother John, the heavyweight County Board finance chairman.
Scott is an agile political survivor who might do it if Daley asked, but he abhors the limelight. Peterson told the Chicago Sun-Times' Fran Spielman that he doesn't want the job.
The joker in the deck is Cook County Assessor Jim Houlihan. There a tiny problem there. He happens to be white. He also happens to be very qualified. Houlihan is a policy wonk who actually has a plan to turn the county around.
Finally: My mystery candidate is one who could handle those sharks with aplomb -- CHA Board Chairwoman Sharon Gist Gilliam.
Cook County needs a leader and a manager -- not a placeholder or a puppet.
posted by Carlos T Mock at 8:33 AM
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