Riddles Comedy Club returning, in Alsip on 111th Street

When I first got into comedy (the way I always do everything, with a bang and lots of controversy), Riddles Comedy Club was the first place that reached out to me to give me support. The Orland Park club supporting an Orland Parker was great.

I did my first three ever comedy open mics at Riddles Comedy Club beginning in November 2001 just putting together material and trying to figure out how to make American Arab comedy work. And then the owner at Zanies heard about me and scooped me up and put me on stage where I did thirty shows and then booked for a full week in August/September 2002 over the Labor Day Weekend. Just before the show, Jackie Mason announced a new Broadway play and he wanted to come through Chicago to practice and ready for New York and Zanies asked me to set aside three of my nine shows so Jackie could headline. Did I have a problem, they asked? No. But make sure to tell Mason I am Palestinian, I said. The owner and manager laughed saying the Middle East conflict had "no place" on a comedy stage.

Of course, I had sold out the nine shows to friends, family and news media. And the night of the show, Mason discovered I wasn't just an Arab -- gasp! -- I was Palestinian. And he told Zanies I could not perform with him "because I was Palestinian." Sure enough, that decision exploded in headlines and a five-day tsunami of controversy erupted. I think I did the Today Show, Good Morning America, CBS morning News, Donahue, Hannity & Colmes (Hannity is such an ass), ABC, NBC, FOX and CBS network news interviews, CNN and MSNBC and even interviews remotely in London, Paris, Moscow, Beirut, Jerusalem ... hey, doesn't everyone know Palestinians and Israelis don't seem to get along, and it's not really about the Hummus.

But that weekend when I was canned from Zanies -- and then decided to cancel the remaining six shows after I started receiving death threats (it was after Sept. 11, 2001 and I am an Arab who everyone thinks is Muslim and related to Bin Laden of course) at Zanies, Ken Stevens at Riddles reached out and invited me to do some sets on his stage not just for the publicity but because he cares about the comedy industry. He gave me tips, pointers and I still sucked! But hey, who cares? It was fun and the audiences loved it. I think I have some of the old Riddles shows on Youtube or Google video. Now I do standup all over the world (London, Dublin, Toronto, New York, LA with the Israeli Palestinian Comedy tour www.IPComedyTour.com). I have a performance this Sunday for Hadassah in Morton Grove and bookings through the coming year.

I really owe my comedy career to Bin Laden, my overall insane career in journalism, but most especially to Riddles Comedy Club which really gave me my first start.

Last night, I was performing at St. Xavier for 100 screaming little old ladies and seniors and that was a blast, too. And as I drove home on 111th Street I happened to see Riddles Sign back up on a club storefront.

Riddles is reopening at 5055 W. 111th Street in Alsip. The grand opening is this weekend, Nov. 20. Here's their web page www.MyRiddlesComedyClub.com. Check it out. The place closed in Orland a number of months back, maybe even longer. It had changed hands and Ken had left. But Ken is back and professional comedy is returning to the Southwest Suburbs, finally. There isn't a better club around.

Break a leg Ken (and whatever else you can -- I love the fact that comedy is so full of violence!) I look forward to seeing you soon. (Check the Radio Chicagoland web site at www.RadioChicagoland.com. Im working on getting Ken and some of Riddles' great comedians on the show soon.)

-- Ray Hanania

www.RadioChicagoland.com

Liz Gorman refuses to give up on effort to cut back the repressive Stroger sales tax

Cook County Commissioner Elizabeth "Liz" Doody Gorman first proposed repealing Cook County Board President Todd Stroger's repressive 1 percent sales tax last May 5. The ordinance she introduced morphed through her absolute perseverance into a campaign to continue fighting for the rights of taxpayers and she would not let up.

Today, Tuesday, Gorman with the backing of the majority of the county board, voted 12 to 5 to roll back half of the Stroger Sales Tax, a huge tax relief for cook county's overtaxed residents. The sales tax has raised hundreds of millions of dollars off the backs of economically oppressed residents and taxpayers.

Here's a link to the full story. Click HERE.

Gorman's refusal to back down when the first motion was defeated is responsible for Tuesday's vote. She is persistent and refuses to back down. And her persistence and the momentum gained by the full board, including by Commissioners Gregg Goslin, Timothy Schneider, John Daley and Peter Sylvestri to name only a few, was so impressive that the Illinois General Assembly took notice and intervened to weaken Stroger's ability to defend the sales tax hike. The legislature reduced the number of votes required to override Stroger's anti-taxpayer veto from 14 to 11 of 17 board members.

This week is a victory for taxpayers and Gorman and many of the board members deserve credit for refusing to back down.

-- Ray Hanania
www.RaqdioChicagoland.com

Pat Maher accuses Gorman of sponsoring challenger in Democratic primary

Pat Maher, the president of the Orland Fire Protection District, is accusing Cook County Commissioner Elizabeth "Liz" Doody Gorman with sponsoring one of his challengers. Their evidence is that one of the candidates, Donna Sanders, a respected member of the local library board, is backed by Orland Hills Mayor Kyle Hastings. He says that the petitions for Sanders and John Maher, another candidate in the crowded primary, will be made available to the public.

Maher's campaign has been trying to ignore the challenge from Dr. Victor Forys, who has the backing of most Democratic leaders in the 17th County district in the February 2, 2009 Democratic Primary.

I had a chance to review all the petitions for all the candidates and the only thing thats truck me as odd was the petitions circulated by Maher's dad, Orland Park Village Clerk David Maher. In one instance on one of the petitions circulated by David Maher, the signatures of four family members at the same address were signed exactly alike, as if one person signed them.  That's how it looked to me. Of course, being a village clerk, David Maher would know that each voter must sign their own petitions and no one can sign for some else

In the release, Maher also denies he raised taxes for the Orland Fire Protection District, which is not truthful. The fact is Maher cut back the amount of taxes in the county's budget one year, and  then increased it back, creating an artificial reduction in taxes. The tragic fact is that under Maher, the Orland Fire Protection District has the largest tax bite of any government agency on your property tax bills. Look at them yourself, 12.51 percent of the entire property tax bill -- the largest bite with the exception of the schools -- is what the OFPD takes from your taxes.

You can bet this is going to a muddy campaign. Here is Maher's press release and statement from his campaign manager in front of the release, Trevor Montgomery:

Mayor Kyle Hastings of Orland Hills, his family and supporters circulated the vast majority of Donna Sanders petitions. Hastings is a known ally of Republican incumbent Liz Gorman. Paid workers circulated the majority of John Maher's petitions. Other petitions were circulated at a bar in Orland Park that has hosted recent fundraisers for Liz Gorman and is owned by a support of Gorman's. John Maher has only voted once since 2002 and filed at a different address than he is registered to vote. Copies of petitions filed by John Maher and Donna Sanders are available upon request. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 11/16/2009

Media Contact: Trevor Montgomery

Democrat Patrick Maher Shuts Down Gorman’s Political Games

Republican incumbent Liz Gorman is already playing the tired old political games for which our failed Cook County Board is known.

Patrick Maher, Democratic candidate for the Cook County Board, has filed a petition challenge against two candidates — John Maher, of Palos Heights, and Donna Sanders, of Orland Hills. Maher said the addition of John Maher, in particular, to the ballot is a clear attempt by Gorman to confuse Democratic Primary voters.

“Putting someone with the same last name on the ballot to manipulate voters is one of the oldest and lamest tricks in the book. John Maher and Donna Sanders have a history of not voting in Democratic primaries, they are not active in local Democratic politics and they are not serious candidates. Most importantly, they did not meet the qualifications for appearing on the ballot,” he said.

Both John Maher and Donna Sanders filed petitions rife with errors.

“I’m not going to allow the Republican incumbent to hijack the Democratic Primary so she can pursue her selfish political agenda. She knows that I’m the strongest candidate in the field. My concern is that the primary voters and my campaign do not fall victim to politics as usual.” Maher said he personally filed the challenges because it was important for him to ensure that the Democratic Primary ballot includes only serious Democratic candidates.

“We’re at a crucial turning point in terms of Cook County government. I put my own name on these challenges because I’m not going to hide, to have someone else go through the process for me. I’m not going to play games. My campaign is about fixing the way politics is done and changing the way politics is conducted on the Cook County Board,” he said.

Gorman is already pulling out all the stops in her bid to interfere with the Democratic Primary and smear her strongest likely opponent in the General Election. Just last week, she sent out a misleading email indicating that the Orland Fire Protection District is raising your taxes. The fire protection district, of which Maher is President, has actually lowered its tax rate by over 20% and has returned more than $1.3 million in tax cuts to the voters.

A hearing will be held today at the Cook County Board of Elections regarding both petition challenges.

###

Forys appointed to state board of health by Governor Pat Quinn, faces battle in 17th District

Dr. Victor Forys, the leading Democratic candidate in the 17th Cook County Board district's battle for the party nomination in the Feb. 2, was named this week by Gov. Quinn to the Illinois Board of Health.

Quinn and a laundry list of leading Democrats have endorsed Forys in his bid to the win the Democratic primary, but many media have been pretending he doesn't exist as a candidate to promote their friend and heir to 19th Ward political clout Pat Maher, the controversy-plagued president of the Orland Fire Protection District.

The 17th District is solidly Republican and the seat is now held by Elizabeth "Liz" Doody Gorman, who in two terms has become the leading advocate for tax reduction on the Cook County board.

It's a fascinating race and any Democrat who wins the primary will have a tough time defeating Gorman, whose record on fighting taxes has emboldened not only other county board members but the Illinois General Assembly to fight the tax-raising administration of Cook County Board President Todd Stroger. Two other candidates are running in the Democratic primary and one more is running in the Republican primary. (You can read a complete story by clicking here.)

Forys is being written off because the district is a bowling alley that geographically looks like it is founded on Orland Park. But while Orland Township may look like it has the weighted vote, as you move north, the voter density increases significantly.

The district, as you can see, stretches from Wheeling and Northfield all the way down along the Cook County Board to Orland Township in the South.

Forys ran in the last battle for the Congressional seat vacated by Rahm Emanuel, the chief of staff to President Barack Obama, which was won by former County Commissioner Mike Quigley. Although Forys did not win, he raised a substantial amount of money and received strong endorsements, as he is doing again this year.

Forys believes that he can win the Democratic Primary on Feb. 2 by allowing Maher, who is backed by the 19th Ward Machine that is trying to put Orland Township is a political headlock, to fight with Gorman. And Maher hasn't hesitated to attack Gorman, even though the winners of the Democratic and Republican primaries won't face off until 9 months later. Maher is hoping to deflect voter attention away from the Orland Fire Protection District's outrageous tax increases and from the fact that the OFPD takes the largest bite out of the district's taxpayer's pocketbook of any other taxing body save for the schools -- more than 12.5 percent of the county's bills pays for Maher's fiefdom.

Maher is the politically ambitious son of Orland Park's part-time village clerk David Maher, who  is a county patronage employee working for 19th Ward superstar and Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart. Stroger oversees their budget and all are Democrats.

But Gorman has elevated herself above Maher and others by being the most vocal anti-tax member of the Cook County Board. Gorman was the only county commissioner to challenge a $190,000 county loan to controversial Regional Schools Superintendent Charles Flowers.  Flowers budget has since come under scrutiny. A report by the auditor general shows that Flowers has since mismanaged millions of dollars in funds. His office has an annual budget of about $1 million and is reportedly more than $1 million in debt. The audit shows that Flowers has borrowed money to pay for all kinds of expenses, without proper records, but he insisted he has repaid everything.

Gorman was the only voice to challenge Flowers' poor leadership. But this past June, the entire County board joined Gorman to repudiate Flowers and reject the loan and acknowledge Gorman's leadership.

And, Gorman was the leader of a coalition of Republicans and Democrats on the Cook County Board to repeal Todd Stroger's repressive 1 percent sales tax, which is crippling the county's taxpayers and forcing businesses to relocate to neighboring counties. Stroger used his veto to block the last effort. Gorman was so persistent that she help force the county board to try three times to repeal and roll back the tax and that caught the attention of the Illinois General Assembly which then voted to reduce the number of votes needed to override Stroger's outrageous 80 percent override vote need.

Now, Gorman and others are planning to launch another drive to rollback the sales tax with a better chance of withstanding Stroger's pro-tax veto.

Forys will have his work cut out for him in November against Gorman, but first he has to win the February Democratic Primary, and that's a race some don't want you to know he is in.

Of course, don't right off  Donna Sanders who also hails from the Orland Township district and is running in the Democratic primary. A popular library turstee, Sanders has real credentials and you can't ignore the powerful woman's vote in this district. They have a voice. On the Cook County Board, that voice, though, belongs to Gorman.

-- Ray Hanania

www.RadioChicagoland.com

"Mahers" crowd the suburban 17th District Cook County Board race

There were too many "Mahers" running in the last election. Two in the village race, one in the Township race. And now, we have three again in the race for the Cook County Board's 17th District in the Republican and Democraic primaries on Feb. 2, 2010. Election contests in the February 2, 2010 primary will be held for President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, County Clerk, Treasurer, Sheriff, Assessor, County Commissioner (Districts 1 – 17), Board of Review Member (District 1); Water Reclamation District Commissioner (3 seats), Regional Superintendent of Schools and Township Committeemen.


In the 17th Cook County District, a Wild West gunfight is shaping up with three Mahers all lined up with ambitions unholstered. They are:


Patrick Maher, the beleaguered president of the Orland Fire Protection District. A democrat.


Gerald Maher, who lost twice in his bid to unseat Orland Park Village President Dan McLaughlin. A Republican.


And John J. Maher of Palos Hills. A Democrat, also.


That's two Mahers in the Democratic primary and one in the Republican primary. On the doubly odd chance that it could happen, we could see two Maher's actually running against each other in the November election.


Of course, they are all trying to unseat Elizabeth "Liz" Doody Gorman, who I think is invincible. Gorman refused to give up and stubbornly fought to repeal the 1 percent Todd Stroger Sales Tax that other commissioners insisted could not be repealed.


And although three efforts to roll back and repeal the sales tax failed, the fight itself was so impressive, it opened the eyes to the sleepy taxpayers into believing that they are more important than the greedy county board president and his selfish patronage politics. More importantly, Gorman's persistence pushed the Illinois General Assembly into also believing that some action was necessary.


The legislature made a largely symbolic effort to repeal the sales tax but House Speaker Michael J. Madigan, the Democratic Party leader, refused to undermine his pal Stroger and pulled the plug on the effort using some legislative puppets he controls through fundraising and campaign donations.


But the legislature did change the rules reducing from 14 to 11 the number of votes needed on the Cook County Board to override a veto by the county board president who more than likely won't be Stroger after next November's genera; election -- maybe even after next year's primary. Stroger is being challenged by some seasoned heavyweights including Congressman Danny K. Davis, County Circuit Clerk Dorothy Brown, Ald. Toni Prekwinkle and WRMD President Terrence O'Brien.


There are other candidates in the 17th District race. On the Democratic side, the Democratic bigwigs have circled around Dr. Victor Forys, while Maher has the predictable alliances from Orland Park.


And, Republican Mark Thompson of Des Plaines and the Maine Township supervisor has also entered the race. Who's behind him? (A certain disgruntled Republican county board commissioner, I presume.) Who's behind John Maher? Who knows! And there is also Donna Sanders of Orland Hills running in the Democratic primary, too.


The Green Party has two candidates in the primary, Matthew J. Ogean of Orland Park (Who is also running for Orland Township Green Party Committeeman) and Richard Delka of Des Plaines.


Gerald Maher is also challenging Gorman for Orland Township Republican Committeeman. McLaughlin is running for Orland Township Democratic Committeeman, and he is unchallenged.


Here's a link to the complete list of filed candidates: Click here.

-- Ray Hanania
www.RadioChicagoland.com

Maher's Orland Fire Protection District jacks up taxes a whopping 12.51 percent of the total bill

I have to say when I first met Patrick Maher, the president of the Orland Fire Protection District, I thought he was a pretty decent and honest person. Of course back then, the meeting I had with him was to simply put to rest many of the issues that plague the Orland Fire Protection District that he heads.


Since then, Maher only answered one issue, arguing that he's not going to make senior citizens pay for ambulance service by the OFPD. He just wanted the seniors who have insurance to submit the ambulance service costs to their insurance companies to see if the OFPD could recover money.


I wasn't sure why any Fire Protection District would have to worry about money but over the past year, I have seen why. Maher's OFPD spends like there is no tomorrow. And he has not been accountable on the major issues I have asked him about.


I am not sure why. He seemed like a good guy. A father with kids who takes them to sports games the way I take my son to participate in sports leagues too. But I do think it has a lot to do with the people he has chosen to associate himself with. Of course, for some, there was no choice.


But first, let's talk about the issues I have concerns with that Maher just can't seem to answer no matter how many times I ask him. Which makes me believe there are no real answers.


First, Maher has a battalion chief whose big-assed SUV is seen all over the place by a lot of people outside of the Orland Fire Protection District. This battalion chief drives his gas-guzzler everywhere like its his personal limousine doing personal things like taking his kids to sports activities outside of the district in places like Lemont.


Maher promised to look in to it, but apparently he doesn't want to do anything about it. The only vague response I got was that somehow Lemont and Orland have some kind of deal. I think it has to do with the fact that Maher's brother, David B. Maher, ran and lost in a bid to become a trustee out in Lemont this past April.


Maher did absolutely nothing about it.


Next, Maher decided to run against Elizabeth "Liz" Doody Gorman for the office of Cook County Commissioner from the 17th District. Originally, I wasn't a big fan of Gorman's and my criticism has been published -- mostly dealing with minor political issues. But since then, Gorman, on her own, has done some amazing things fighting for the rights of taxpayers not just in the 17th District but in the entire Cook County. I have gotten to know her and recognize that she has the chutzpah to take on Cook County Board President Todd Stroger's government-as-usual, tax-hike driven antics.


If it wasn't for Gorman, the fight to repeal Stroger's 1 percent sales tax would have been forgotten long ago. The board would have made one effort and then turned their backs on the issue. But Gorman wouldn't let them do that. She persisted. Gorman made the fight against Stroger's Sales Tax a key focus of the county and she was the spirit behind the repeated efforts to repeal the tax. She just wouldn't give up. That fight helped give taxpayers hope that the repressive 1 percent sales tax will be repealed.


And, if it wasn't for Gorman making this tax fight the high profile battle that she did, the Illinois legislature would never have taken notice and finally, after many attempts, decided to roll back the number of votes it takes on the Cook County board to override a veto by the board president. It was 14 votes before and thanks to the legislature, and Gorman, it is only 11 (of 17 commissioner) today. That means that the county board commissioners -- who had 14 votes to repeal the Stroger tax, (betrayed only by the shameful conduct of Deborah "Do Nothing" Simms who voted for the repeal and then flip-flopped to support Stroger's veto)  -- can override Stroger's veto and put him in his place until he is replaced in office next year.


Liz Gorman's name is synonymous with the fight against rising taxes. And she has promised to try AGAIN to repeal and rollback the sales tax.


Yet this is what Maher wrote on his slick web site about the whole issue:

Patrick Maher supports legislation proposed by Illinois Sen. Dan Kotowski to lower the threshold for overriding a veto by the Cook County Board President. On two recent occasions, Todd Stroger used his veto to block the will of the voters to rollback his wildly unpopular tax increase. The proposed legislation would allow a 3/5th majority, rather than a 4/5ths majority, to override a veto. Currently 14 of the 17 members must agree for an override to pass.

Patrick Maher has reached out to local legislators to encourage them to support the measure. The incumbent Cook County Board Member from the 17th District has turned a blind eye to this important issue.

Gorman has "turned a blind eye to this important issue?" What planet are you on Maher? Why would you say something so stupid on your web site? 


But I don't think Maher is really running the show. When I first met Maher, the political enabler for the meeting was Tom Dubelbeis, the former Orland Park trustee whom I never had any real contacts with. He told Maher he could arrange the meeting. Turns out Dubelbeis not only is helping to run Maher's campaign, he is on the Orland Fire Protection District payroll.


Maher has to make it through the Democratic primary February 2 where he faces a tough challenges from independent Democrat Dr. Victor Forys. Forys has gotten all the big Democratic endorsements and most Democrats view the Maher race as a case of clout: a father (Orland Park Village Clerk and Cook County government patronage employee David Maher) using his clout to help his son get on a better more lucrative public payroll.


BUT TAXES IS THE ISSUE THAT CONCERNS ME MOST


I'm most concerned about taxes. Maher says he is going to fight taxes and he cites the great job he has been doing heading the Orland Fire Protection District.


Yikes! Maher's Orland Fire Protection District spends more money than most other Fire Protection Districts, it seems.


And when it comes to fighting taxes? Well, like all of you, I got my tax bill this weekend and I am pissed off!


Outside of the taxes for schools, which ALWAYS go up, Patrick Maher's Orland Fire Protection District had the highest tax increase in the county for Orland Park. The taxes for Maher's Orland Fire Protection District claimed 12.51 percent of the pot, which drove up taxes as much as 30 percent in some cases.


The Orland Fire Protection District is taking more money from your taxes than any other government agency on the list, with the exception of the school districts. The village is taking 7.4 percent. The Library is taking 3.01 percent. The OFPD District is taking twice as much as the county, which is taking only 6.86 percent for all county agencies.


What the hell are you spending all this money on Mr. Maher?


For the life of me I don't understand why a major city like Orland Park doesn't just have it's own Fire Department. Why do we have this overlapping tax-spending government called the Orland Fire Protection District taking more money out of our pockets?


Under Maher, the costs of politically connected attorneys hired by the district have skyrocketed. Some insist that the spending is politically motivated and that the legal work should be done in-house. And there is a big messy lawsuit out there, too.


But 12.51 percent? That is absolutely outrageous.


And yet, this is what Patrick Maher has to say about taxation and his promise to protect the interests of the taxpayers:

As President of the Orland Fire Protection District, taxpayers in Orland Township have seen the reforms initiated by Patrick Maher.

Patrick Maher and the fire protection board inherited a multi-million dollar deficit and, with a responsible spending, the district eliminated its deficit, balanced the budget, improved fire and emergency services AND saved taxpayers over $1.3 million.

Was that before or after you hammered the taxpayers with an increase this past year (12.51 percent of the county's total tax bill) in new taxes Mr. Maher?


Pat Maher was first elected to the Orland Fire Protection District in 2003. He was then fast-tracked as OFPD President in 2006 after being anointed with his father's clout.


So, Maher above says he "inherited" a multi-million deficit. Who did he "inherit" the deficit from? Himself? He was on the board for three years before becoming el Presidente!


And, if he turned the table on the so-called "deficit" -- every politically connected child put in office by their father always insists they had a "deficit" that they "inherited" -- but never from their parent, of course -- when and how did that table turn?


Did it turn in 2006 when he "inherited" the deficit from himself on the board? Or, is he using this windfall tax increase to cover the excessive spending in the OFPD?


Patrick Maher is a huge disappointment for me personally. I really liked him. I just don't like the bull-s--- that seems to be written all over his phony PR claims and campaign boasts and I am cautious about some of the political people he has chosen to surround himself with.


I am not convinced that Maher's Orland Fire Protection District's really cares about the  taxpayers at all. I have a nagging suspicion that his administration is all about the same old political patronage and insider clout that plagues the very Cook County Board he's trying to get elected to; a county board where Maher's 19th Ward relatives have had a longstanding and cozy political relationship with the Stroger's.


-- Ray Hanania
www.RadioChicagoland.com

2nd Maher throws hat in for Cook County board ... and Orland Township committeeman

Gerald Maher, who was soundly defeated in a bid to unseat Orland Park Mayor Dan McLaughlin last Spring, has turned his sights against his own Republican Party and is soliciting signatures to challenge Elizabeth “Liz” Doody Gorman both as Cook County Commissioner and the GOP Committeeman.

Maher, a Republican, believes he didn’t get enough support from Gorman and the Orland Township Republican Party in his bid to unseat McLaughlin and even alleged that Gorman backed McLaughlin.

McLaughlin, a union communications director, is also the Democratic Committeeman of Orland Park. Here's how Maher and McLaughlin did in the past three elections:

2001

Dan McLaughlin      6771 votes

Gerald Maher          2704 votes

2005

Dan McLaughlin      9248 (unopposed)

2009

Dan McLaughlin      5427

Gerald Maher         3049

Gerald Maher denied his candidacy is intended to help the candidacy of Patrick Maher, the Orland Fire Protection District president and the son of Orland Park Village Clerk David Maher, a McLaughlin ally.

“I am running because I want to make a difference in the 17^th Cook County District,” Maher said Tuesday during a telephone interview while soliciting signatures for his petitions. “Liz Gorman has been in office eight years and what has she done? Nothing. But absolutely, this has to do with her not supporting me and not doing what a committeeman is supposed to do when I ran for office.”

Maher said he is running for both positions that Gorman holds including Republican Committeeman for Orland Township.

Gorman, who has been leading the effort to repeal Cook County Board President Todd Stroger’s oppressive 1 percent Sales Tax, scoffed at Gerald Maher’s assertions.

“He’s a stalking horse,” she said. “I put out a mailer for every one who ran for office and the only group I endorsed who lost was Gerald Maher’s slate. The highest vote getter came from the Republican side and I am proud of that. I had him in the endorsement sheet and he didn’t even have a mailer,” Gorman said.

“At the end of the day, everyone will figure out that Gerald Maher is a disgruntled wannabe public official who is upset not because I and the Republican Party did not help him. He is upset because has tried repeatedly to win office and has been consistently rejected by the voters. ‘Liz Gorman’ didn’t make him lose. We did everything for him. He lost because the voters don’t like him. He did it to himself.”

Gorman also said that she finds it ironic that Gerald Maher and David Maher got into a high profile battle over who was using whose name to win votes. (Read the story on the Maher vs Maher name controversy?) She is referring to the letter that was published in the Orland Pairie newspaper just before the village election in which David Maher, the village clerk, blasted Gerald Maher for using their good name.

Gerald Maher said he despises the tactics David Maher used in the last election and he insisted his own candidacy is not an effort to boost David Maher’s son’s chances next year. He also denied that Gorman endorsed his candidacy, but Gorman showed me her Township GOP brochure that in fact did include Maher's Ad, discounted.

“Is my candidacy a plus or minus for Pat Maher. I see it as an absolute minus. Contrary to what his father claims, I have been to Tipperary, Ireland and that is where the Maher name originates,” Gerald Maher said.

“They don’t pronounce it Mah-her there. They pronounce it ‘Maer.’ That name belongs to me as much as it does anyone else. For them to think they have the ownership of that name is naïve at best. Is it helping Pat Maher? Absolutely not. It is just the opposite.”

In an unexpected move, Gerald Maher's brother Robert Maher announced his unequivocal support for Gorman, blasting his brother and blaming him for his own election defeat. Robert Maher served as Orland Township Supervisor and was ousted in the April 7 elections by Democrat Paul O'Grady.

"I lost the election to Paul O'Grady mainly because my brother Gerald ran against Mayor McLaughlin and that caused a lot of confusion. But I think worst of all is my brother Gerald ran a terrible race," Robert Maher said in a telephone interview.

"I want to make it clear that I wholeheartedly support Liz Gorman's re-election for the Cook County Board and for Republican Committeeman. She has led the fight to repeal the 1 percent sales tax and to challenge County Board President Todd Stroger. She could not have done more for me in my election bid and I believe she is one of the most effective Republican leaders and county commissioners we have."

Patrick Maher is expected to file next week for the office of County Board in the Democratic Primary. He is expected to face Dr. Victor Forys in the February primary election. The winners of the Democratic and Republican primaries will face-off in the November 2010 general elections.

end