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?

Commissioner Liz Gorman leads charge to push Stroger Sales tax down

Cook County Commissioner Elizabeth Doody "Liz" Gorman may not be very popular with the North Side liberals, nor the extremist wing of her party, nor with the leaders of the 19th Ward who are conspiring to take over Orland Park and the suburbs.

But she has to be popular with taxpayers, not just in her 17th District but in the entire county. Everyone said it couldn't be done, but Gorman pushed ahead and refused to give up the resistance to the 1 percent sales tax increase imposed by the beleaguered Cook County Board President Todd Stroger.

The sales tax is repressive. It has chased out more businesses and caused more lost county revenues than it can generate from the over-taxed county residents.

With the support of key members of the county board including Democrats like Commissioners John Daley and Larry Suffredin, the Gorman repeal movement redefined itself after being beat back by Stroger's veto. On Tuesday, much to Stroger's chagrin -- he should get used to it -- the Gorman repeal was approved with 13 votes rolling back the 1 percent increase by half.

It's a major blow for Stroger, who has managed politics ineptly since taking over the helm form his dying father, the popular John Stroger. But while the father led with his experience and brains. Strogers leads by consultant and adviser.

The only commissioner missing in action was Forrest Claypool who would have been there to vote and claim credit had he still been running for Cook County Board president against Stroger. But polls show that Claypool is not as popular as he thinks and his ability to raise funds was questionable enough to force him to withdraw from the contest. So, not running for anything to help himself, Claypool is just MIA.

Stroger beat back two prior efforts to repeal the tax. But this time, things may be different. Stroger has until September to veto the measure, but with the vote and assuming Claypool can manage to get himself back into his seat soon, the Gorman repeal will have the 14 votes to override Stroger's veto. And that will only set Stroger up for more troubles.

The repeal drew more votes because even Stroger's allies including Deborah Sims and Robert Steele switched to support the repeal vote. Stroger's stalwart former Chicago Alderman Bill Beavers is catching flak from voters tired of arrogant politicians like him who ignore their needs and put their own family and interests and power first, so he voted "present." Beaver is a "me-first" commissioner, but he could not stand up to the growing voter anger over Stroger's repressive sales tax.

The victory only reinforces Gorman's voter popularity. The Stroger Sales Tax is on top of their minds in Cook County and any politician who supports the sales tax hike or is silent -- and many including some of her opponents have been deathly silent on the issue -- will face a voter backlash in the Spring and next year in the general election.

As the late Mayor Richard M. Daley once said, "Good government is good politics." That means worrying about what's good for the taxpayers is the best way to reinforce your own interests. Worrying about your interests, Stroger and Beavers style, is not good government at all but Machine politics at its worst.

A NOTE ABOUT JOAN MURPHY

Even Joan Murphy, who is facing a stiff challenge from Nick Valadez, flip-flopped in the face of voter anger. Murphy is unbelievable, though. While she supported the repeal -- so she can mislead voters into thinking she supporters the interest of taxpayers -- Murphy was the lead sponsor of the proposal to not only pass the 1 percent Stroger Sales Tax. Murphy wanted to increase it by 2 percent.

You'll hear a lot of howling from Stroger and Murphy, who just might flip flop again. That's her style. Lie to the voters and confuse them, as she is trying to do in the water-poinsoned village of Crestwood where she lives and has supported the Stranczek administrations see no poison, hear no poison, speak no poison policies.

Sticking to their guns and voting against the repeal and against taxpayers were Commissioners Joseph Mario Moreno and Jerome Butler.

Give Valadez credit, too. Valadez announced his campaign to unseat flip flopping Murphy in the 6th District last week in Tinley Park, surrounded by 150 of his supporters. Without an election challenge, Murphy would simply do what she always does, ignore the taxpayers and follow the dictates of Boss Stroger.

Here's the vote breakdown on the Gorman repeal:

Yes: Earlean Collins, John Daley, Bridget Gainer, Liz Gorman, Gregg Goslin, Roberto Maldonado, Joan Murphy, Timothy Schneider, Peter Silvestri, Deborah Sims, Robert Steele, and Larry Suffredin
No: Jerry Butler, Joseph Mario Moreno
Present: William Beavers
Absent: Forrest Claypool, Tony Peraica

-- Ray Hanania
www.RadioChicagoland.com

Forrest Claypool confides to colleagues he won't challenge Stroger

Forrest Claypool, one of the leading candidates who was expected to challenge Cook County Board President Todd Stroger in the February Democratic primary has told his party allies on the county board he will not run.

That leaves declared candidate Ald. Toni Preckwinkle, a reformer who appeals to African Americans and women dissatisfied with Stroger's rule, and opens up other possible challenges, changing the horse race completely. Another candidate in the race is Cook County Circuit Clerk Dorothy Brown who has both strong name recognition, ties countywide and the ability to raise funds. She would be a formidable candidate in the Democratic primary.

Many believed Claypool was actually a weak candidate and some insiders argued that polling numbers over the past few months showed his appeal among countywide Democrats weakening. Rather than be a leader in the fight against the Stroger 1 percent sales tax, he has been meekly following along.

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Claypool's problem is reflected in the FACT that he is making

more news getting out of the race for Cook County Board President

than he ever did getting in to the race. He just never had it!

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County Commissioner Larry Suffredin immediately announced his plans to form an exploratory committee to decide if he can beat Stroger, who has been besieged by several controversies and growing unpopularity with the oppressive 1 percent sales tax hike. Suffredin originally opposed the sales tax hike, changed his vote hoping that it would bring some badly needed change to the county's health system, and then supported the repeal when those changes failed to materialize.

Another possibility is that County Sheriff Tom Dart might run for Board president in the Democratic primary.

While Democrats scramble to reposition themselves, Republicans are also taking a closer look at the race. With former Chicago Schools CEO Paul Vallas withdrawing from the contest, the Republicans are looking and possible contenders. One candidate, of course, is 17th District Commissioner Liz Doody Gorman, who has quickly risen to the top of the county list of stars first by leading the fight to repeal the Stroger sales tax and her recent victory in getting the board to reverse itself on last year's $190,000 loan to controversy-plagued Regional Schools Supt. Charles Flowers. She's been a powerful voice for voters on the county board.

But the law has been changed and if Gorman does run in November against the Democratic nominee for president, she would not be able to run for re-election to her county seat. A difficult choice but possibly a great opportunity.

That might also save Pat Maher, whose expected candidacy for the 17th District has been overshadowed by Gorman's fast action leadership on the county board. In a head-to-head race, Gorman could easily beat Maher, the president of the Orland Fire Protection District who has no real name recognition outside of this small corner of the huge 17th district. Maher's only asset so far has been his name which his family has fought hard to protect in recent elections. But outside of Orland, the Maher name means little more than that. Maher's ties to the 19th Ward, which has a huge presence in Orland Park, could both help and hurt him in the suburban county district which runs into the far north suburbs. And his ties to Stroger, through the Democratic organization, could cause him some voter grief.

Gorman would be a great candidate to lead the Republican Party going into the election. Winning the primary would be a synch.

Tough choices would have to be made by the beginning of the Fall when filing begins.

-- Ray Hanania

www.RadioChicagoland.com