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

Local legislators stand with taxpayers on fight to repeal Cook County sales tax

Two legislators stood by taxpayers and voted to repeal the repressive 1 percent Todd Stroger Cook County Sales Tax. That's the tax that Cook County Commissioner Elizabeth "Liz" Doody Gorman has been fighting to lift off the backs of taxpayers. Without Gorman's campaign and repeated attempts to repeal the tax, that fell short on the county board, the issue would not have made it to the agenda of the Illinois House of Representatives.

Two legislators in particular stood out, State Rep. Renee Kosel (R-New Lenox) and State Rep. Kevin McCarthy (D-Orland Park) both voted to repeal the sales tax in Wednesday's (Oct. 14) vote in the Illinois General Assembly.

Here's an overview of all the legislative skanks though who stuck it to the taxpayers. The vote was SIX (6) VOTES shy of passing and relieving you of the oppressive Stroger 1 Percent Sales Tax and several Cook County Legislators were responsible for keeping it in place.

Click here to read the full story and see the list of how your legislator voted.

Although McCarthy voted to repeal the sales tax, his critics said he was given a pass by Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan who ordered the failure of the repeal. His army of legislators, who rely on his for campaign funding to win re-election, include McCarthy who may or may not be facing a challenge from Orland Fire Protection District Trustee James Hickey (who has been trying to solicit signatures on his petitions. Click here to read story.) McCarthy was told he could vote "for the repeal by Madigan to protect his re-election bid. McCarthy would dispute that but he doesn't talk that much with the local news media, so who knows?

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Commissioner Joan Murphy tells Orland audience her tax policies not driving business out of town

Leave it to Cook County Commissioner Joan Patricia Murphy who appeared on a  panel hosted by the Orland Park Chamber of Commerce to show how much she closes her eyes to reality, declaring that her tax increase proposals have not driven businesses out of town.

Of course Murphy would argue that going in to a re-election campaign against challenger Nick Valadez that she is Miss I-Love-The-Taxpayers, when she doesn't. Murphy introduced the largest tax proposal ever to come to the Cook County board, and tried hard to increase the sales tax in Cook County by 2 percent, double what County Board President Todd Stroger proposed -- the Oppressive 1 percent Stroger Sales Tax.

Businesses are fleeing from Cook County, especially from the Cook County region and I am surprised that some of the panelists and members of the Orland Park Chamber of Commerce didn't challenge Murphy or put pressure on her since they are the ones being hurt the most.

Cook County Commissioner Liz Gorman also participated and detailed her own, different, strategy from Murphy. Gorman has been the leading voice in fighting and repealing the Stroger 1 percent sales tax and although the effort did not succeed -- thanks to the flip-flop vote of Deborah Sims, the fact is that thanks to Gorman, the sales tax is now a front-and-center issue going in to the elections next year and taxpayers feel that they have someone on their side -- Gorman -- who at least will fight for their rights.

That's more than what Murphy and Sims have done. And they are upset that I am criticizing them, but the FACT IS that THEY voted to increase taxes and if they don't want to defend that or if they just want to make excuses, that is their problem. Not everyone knows how to represent the best interests of the community.

Also attending the event were State Reps. Renee Kosell and Kevin McCarthy, State Sen. Ed Maloney, and representatives for Congressmen Bobby Rush and Judy Biggert, and US Sen. Roland Burris.

Click here to read the Orland Prairie article on the Chamber's event?

Gorman on WLS Radio, and Chicago Tonight this evening

Liz Gorman, who sponsored the legislation to repeal the repressive Tod Stroger 1 Percent Sales Tax, appeared on the Roe Conn radio show this afternoon and will be on Chicago Tonight this evening on Channel 11. Check it out!

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Here is the break down of the vote on the repeal of the repressive Todd Stroger 1 Percent Sales Tax that took place on Tuesday May 5. The ordinance was sponsored originally by County Commissioner Liz Gorman, and received 12 votes of support, three no votes with two commissioners absent.

This is a breakdown of the vote, plus the county's links to the commissioners who need to be pressured, followed by my analysis below:

NOT PRESENT FROM THE BOARD
Earlean Collins, 1st District
Phone: (312) 603-4566
Fax: (312) 603-3696
Phone: (312) 603-4566

Deborah Sims, 5th District
phone: (312) 603 6381

Voting to KEEP the Sales Tax
Robert Steele, 2nd District
Phone: (773) 722-0140
Email: rsteele@cookcountygov.com

Jerry "Iceman" Butler, 3rd District
Phone: (312) 603 6391
fax: (312) 603-5671
Email: jbutler@cookcountygov.com

William M. Beavers, 4th District
phone: (773) 731-1515
fax: (773) 933-5535


Voting to REPEAL the Sales Tax

Joan Patricia Murphy, 6th District
phone: (708) 389-2125
fax: (708) 389-2240
Phone: (312) 603-4216
Email: jpmurphy@cookcountygov.com

Joseph Mario Moreno, 7th District
Roberto Maldonado, 8th District
Peter N. Silvestri, 9th District
Bridget Gainer, 10th District
John P. Daley, 11th District
Forrest Claypool, 12th District
Larry Suffredin, 13th District
Gregg Goslin, 14th District
Timothy O. Schneider, 15th District
Anthony J. Peraica, 16th District
Elizabeth "Liz" Doody Gorman, 17th District

Stroger plans to Veto the Repeal this morning, exposing his hypocrisy. In a transparent political move to try to save his crashing political career, Stroger proposed repealing or rolling back .25 percent of the 1 percent Sales Tax Increase that he proposed and that is punishing the people of Cook County.

But the board, thanks mainly to Gorman, pushed through the plan to roll the sales tax back completely.

In addition to Gorman and Suffredin deserving praise for their courage to stand up for the rights of Cook County taxpayers, Commissioner John Daley and Mario Moreno also deserve praise for telling Stroger to his face that he needs to wake up.

Joan Murphy, though, the chief sponsor of the sales tax, only supported the repeal hoping that she will be able to withstand an election challenge in the Spring of next year (2010). Murphy will go down with Stroger, most likely losing their re-election bids in the Democratic Primary and will not make it to the November 2010 General election.

Murphy needs to go. She's the biggest hypocrite.

Although there is little the county's voters can do about tyrants Bill Beavers, Jerry Butler and Robert Steele (remember Robert Steele's mother, Bobbie Steele, took the job of County Board President mainly to increase her retirement -- pathetic. Talk about putting meaning behind your last name. Just spell it right -- STEAL.)

Notice that Simms and Beavers have the least contact information.

-- Ray Hanania
http://www.radiochicagoland.com/

County Commissioner Liz Gorman does the heavy lifting on the Sales Tax Repeal

While others were grabbing the spotlight, credit Cook County Commissioner Liz Gorman with doing the "heavy lifting" to put together the campaign to repeal the abhorent Todd Stroger 1 Percent Sales Tax. Gorman came up with the original proposal and got strong help from fellow commissioner Larry Suffredin. The original plan was to repeal it in stages, .25 percent each of four years. Gorman then pushed to have the repeal expedited, with Suffredin's backing and the backing of others, and she went around and rounded up the vote for today's meeting.

In the end, the board decided why waste their time playing piecemeal rollbacks and they went full steam -- after finding their courage with Gorman and Suffredin's help -- and rolled the Todd Stroger 1 Percent Sales Tax completely as of Jan. 1, 2010.

Stroger's flak, Christien Geovanis, was on Chicago Tonight blathering about how the sales tax has been raised in years and it was costing county government money. Are you kidding me? The sales tax is a built-in tax generator that Geovanis either ignored or is just to blinded by her exhorbitant taxpayer salary. As the cost of products rises, so too does the revenues from the originals ales tax of .75 percent.

Geovanis also tried to argue that Stroger does not fear the public's wrath. Great. She said he will veto the repeal Wednesday (May 6, 2009), the next day of the vote. When he does that, he will seal his fate as one of the shortest serving and most despised Cook County Board Presidents in Cook County History.

But, he still has time to hang out at his favorite exclusive clubs and restaurants to hire the wait staff when one of his lackies expresses some favor for them.

Gorman stepped back to let the talking heads grab the spotlight, but she is working hard to bring that sales tax down. Even if Stroger vetoes the repeal -- he only needs four lackies to do it and he has three (who voted against the bill already -- losers Commissioners William Beavers, Robert Steele, and Jerry Butler. Pathetic. Uncaring. Bureaucrats who are enjoying their clout at the expense of the public trough. Gorman's drive may well have put the first of many nails on Stroger's Political Coffin.

Hopefully, he'll be out on the street where he'll be forced to enjoy his clout on his own dime instead of at the expense of the taxpayers. I wonder how many of the consultants will bail on Stroger and suck up to the successor once Stroger finds himself trying to recover from his political illness. Tragic.

-- Ray Hanania
www.RadioChicagoland.com

I interviewed Gorman and Suffredin on WJJG 1530 AM Radio Tuesday afternoon when I subbed for Judy Baar Topinka. Click here to listen to the Podcast Audio of the 60 minute interview.

Who voted how in screwing the taxpayers by refusing to repeal the Sales Tax

Breakdown of who screwed the public at Tuesday's Cook County Board meeting:

Voting For Sales Tax Reduction (Yeaaaaa1)
Forrest Claypool (D-12th)
Mike Quigley (D-10th)
Tony Peraica (R-16th)
Liz Doody-Gorman (R-17th)
Peter Silvestri(R-9th)
Gregg Goslin, (R-14th)
Tim Schneider (R-15th)

Voting to Maintain Sales Tax Hike (Boooooo!)
Earlean Collins, (D-1st)
Robert Steele, (D-2nd)
Jerry Butler, (D-3rd)
Bill Beavers, (D-4th)
Deborah Sims, (D-5th)
Joan Murphy, (D-6th)
Joe Moreno, (D-7th)
Roberto Maldonado, (D-8th)
John Daley, (D-11th)
Larry Suffredin, (D-13th)

At least for Orland Park residents, Gorman came through.

The worst part is not one of the Sales Tax proponents protested President Todd Stroger's insult to them when he refused to allow the rperesentatives for the people speak out against the sales tax. Stroger arrogantly appeared before reporters after boasting he's been doing a great job.

Yes, a great job at screwing the public, Todd!

Ray Hanania
www.OrlandParker.com