Looking back at last week's election

Looking back at last week's election
For the first time in a long time, Orland Park seemed to have one political spirit. It seemed like everyone had come together for the betterment of Orland Park.
I moved to Orland Park back in 1985 and it was still filled with prairies and vacant lots that soon after were filled with new homes. I knew the elected officials back then, Mayor Fred Owens and then trustee Dan McLaughlin and Tom Charnagorsky were great friends. Tinley Park, where I lived before moving to Orland Park, was the big political pond back then where another great leader, Ed Zabrocki was building his base.
It all made for great columns at the Daily Southtown, when that was a great community newspaper, and then the Chicago Sun-Times, another newspaper that has since fallen on hard ethical, skilled and financial times.
This last election, for some reason, reminded me of the good old days of Southwest Suburban politics where everyone had the same goal, to build this area up and make it better.
For the most part, the election went smoothly. John Fotopoulos, who has run unsuccessfully for office several times before, fell short. It seemed like he was a guaranteed winner. I told him that before the election. He was first on the ballot. He was also the only independent to file, which was important because the last time he ran, he took votes away from the slate of challengers trying to unseat controversial Village Trustee Pat Gira.
This time, though, Fotopoulos had no impact on the election.
Fotopoulos told Orland Patch editor Ben Feldheim, a good young reporter, that the low turnout caused his loss. He then took a shot at Cook County Commissioner Elizabeth "Liz" Doody Gorman who is also the Republican Committeeman arguing that Liz failed to slate someone against McLaughlin.
That was kind of a dumb comment. Sometimes, it's better to acknowledge that you lost because you failed to get your message out. And what was Fotopoulos' message? I don't know. He says he didn't have the money to reach voters, but he is an attorney and I drive by his name in big letters on his law firm every morning when I head out to work. Was it the money, or the lack of a message?
Bashing Gorman is certainly a big mistake. Liz Gorman has done so much for taxpayers. Remember, I used to be one of her critics, a long time ago. It was all politics then. But since then, Gorman proved she is a courageous and creative leader. She was fearless, too. I remember when she attended the Taxpayer Protest meeting I organized many years ago, while I was criticizing her politics, and that impressed me. I thought wow, you can hit her but she won't back down?
And then she led the fight against rising taxes, which was the very purpose of the meeting I organized. More than 100 people attended at the time. Gorman was responsible for a lot of great changes, including forcing the Cook County Board to repeal the excessive sales tax hike imposed by former Cook County Board Chairman Todd Stroger. She didn't have to do that. But she did.
She defended her seat against a formidable challenge from the 19th Ward and their candidate Pat Maher, the son of the former Village Clerk, and she has probably done more to make voting count in Orland Township and the suburbs, too, for that matter.
Bashing Gorman was a mistake by Fotopoulos. Unjustified. And maybe a major part of the reason why he lost and did so badly this time is his failure to work with Gorman and other leaders in the region.
It didn't help that someone sent out a very ugly attack against Brad O'Halloran, another elected official I respect a lot. The robo-call was vicious and offensive. Fotopoulos was blamed by his political foes in a mailer and I think everyone believed he was behind it. That robo-call may have cost him the election.
The robo-caller voice was that of a woman, with a fake name, and ended saying "This call is paid for by ..." and then it just ended.
Ironically, O'Halloran was the only elected official to join Gorman in challenging the financing of the Ninety 7 Fifty development near 143rd and LaGrange Road. O'Halloran came under vicious attack from Gira, who has been a big disappointment.
Rather than attack others, elected officials and candidates for elective office should instead spend their time telling people why they should be elected and detail their creative ideas to make this a better community. Voters tend to respond more to a clearly defined vision than to balls-out mudslinging.
Criticism is ok, but what we have seen in the past hasn't been criticism. It's been vicious and way beyond the line of doing any good. Voters are smart. They can see that.
The voter turnout was low, only 5,629 people voted. But the vote was decisive. It wasn't even close. 
I believe that contrary to popular belief, people who don't won't are not protesting "bad government leadership," but rather many are satisfied with the way government is working. They are happy with what government does and they recognize that taxes do increase and must. Who else is going to pay to upgrade our roads and provide services?
Remember, they implemented early voting to help bring out more voters, but the reality is that all that happened was that people who always vote ended up voting early and people who never vote but can, didn't. Nothing will make those people vote, it seems.
Outside of the Fotopoulos debacle and the ugly robo-call, the election went pretty smoothly and it suggests maybe a new era of our leaders working together for the betterment of the community. Gorman and McLaughlin are both strong leaders. They can do a lot more together than they can apart.
-- Ray Hanania

Little league baseball, moms and not enough apple pie

Little League Baseball, moms and not enough apple pie

By RAY HANANIASouthwest News-Herald Newspaper May 13, 2010

My son is nothing like me when it comes to sports. He loves sports, I don’t.

My parents were too busy working to spend the time needed to walk me through the rigorous schedules of Little League and other sports programs when I was growing up.

And if they did, I’d probably guess I would not have been very good at it any way.

But my son is in a Little League hosted by the Orland Youth Association. I support him and cheer him on. I go to all the practice scrimmages and I go to the games. I’ve even taken him to the batting cages

Although I’ve never been more than an “Easter Sunday” sports fan (ignoring the games until the Super Bowl or the World Series), I’m really in to his performance.

OK, he’s not a “natural” yet — a term I learned from Robert Redford, not sports. But being at the games only reinforces why I stayed away from the sport. I can’t handle sports-politics!

I used to always say that politics is my sport. But after only a few games with my son in Little League, I know sports is the real politics.

I’ve learned a lot, though.

For example, “good eye” is the most popular cheer at a Little League game. That’s what you say after a batter doesn’t swing for a pitch that is a “ball.”

See? I am learning. It’s not all hopeless.

I’ve also learned not to sit next to the moms, who cheer and scream instructions to their sons on the field. “Put your ear muffs on!”

I don’t know how the coaches do it. Sitting there while the moms scream out more instructions than the coaches.

That’s not to berate the moms at all. I admire them. Men are wusses when it comes to kids.

Want to know about sex? Ask mom.

Want to know about baseball? Ask mom, too.

OK. I admit it. Every time my son gets on base, I give him $20. (It goes in his savings account.)

Ever since I offered him the payola, his batting average has shot up dramatically.

That’s what dads know best. Have a problem? Throw money at it. Punish a kid? No way. Give the kid money and ask them not to do it again. It works.

Then there are the stories about elected officials in Orland Park who use their clout to get to pick the best players so they can have the best teams.

I’m looking in to that one, of course. But I’ll wait till the season is over.

It’s all too intense for me, though. I like watching the kids play ball. Why do they have to be under such pressure? Why can’t they have fun and learn teamwork, and the game, of course?

It seems too much for me. As soon as the moms start shouting, I’m down the field near third base watching and taking pictures of my son.

In the end, though, I think the concern of the moms make it all worthwhile for the kids. They’re young. They listen to their moms.

So here’s a toast to the moms. And I’ll bet Babe Ruth’s mom was at many of his first few games yelling at him often.

“Tuck in that shirt, Little Georgie!” (That was the Babe’s real name, George Herman Ruth Jr.)

“Suck in that gut, Junior! Shoulders back, elbow out!”

“You’re not focusing on the ball, George Herman! You want to grow up like your father?”

(Listen to Ray Hanania on WJJG-AM 1530 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. Monday through Thursday. He also may be heard from 7 to 9 a.m. Fridays on www.RadioBaladi.com in the Chicago area, Dearborn, Mich. and Windsor, Ontario. Check out the Web site at www.radiochicagoland.com or call [708] 493-1530.)

names, names, names -- Maher's make for much confusion and fighting

First, the "Mahers" related to Village Clerk Dave Maher slammed the Maher's related to Gerald Maher allegedly for telling people they are related. They're not. The Maher's are two big families and, conincidentally, their main profession seems to be politics.

Dave Maher's son is Patrick Maher, president of the Orland Fire Protection District. Gerald Maher is running against Dave Maher's running mate, Orland Park Mayor Dan McLaughlin, in today's election. Gerald Maher is also the brother of Robert Maher, the Orland Township Supervisor who is seeking re-election to a second term and being challenged by Paul O'Grady, who has the backing of the Mahers (Dave and Patrick and their slate) but not the Mahers (Gerald and Robert and their slate). (O'Grady has some 19th Ward friends but he is NOT related to the former controversial sherif Jim O'Grady. His friend from high school is an O'Grady successor, Sheriff Tom Dart.)

Confused? Don't feel alone. A few days ago, in reviewing the Orland Park elections, the Chicago Tribune mixed up a photo of the Maher's and put a photo of Gerald Maher in the place for Dave Maher. Ooops!

I haven't even included Brian Maher, who is a trustee in Tinley Park and cousin of Dave and Patrick Maher.

This week also, a letter has been circulating from the Orland Township Republican Organization slamming the Dave and Patrick Maher side of the unrelated Maher family.

Can we call the Maher's a clan? Wouldn't it be easier on everyone if the political fight was between two families with different names like the Hatfields and the McCoys? Actually, I think this Maher duel is more ferocious and the Hatfield and McCoy fued ever was.

I'm sure we all can't wait until this election is over. Although in the dust and muck, voters did get a chance they would be denied in an uncontested race, to mull the local issues that impact all of us. So for that, we should all give a big shout out of thank yous to the Maher's, the McLaughlin's, the O'Grady's, the O'Hallorans, and the Younkers and Yunkers (another name similarity which I am sure was definitely politically intentional).

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

Grass gets attention in Orland Park, even when it's not officially "Tall Grass"

The amount of email letters and even some calls on the Orland Park Police Department's unruly lawn problem (Some language has been cleaned up to keep this site PG):

• Great web site. I love the local news. The other papers just do not tackle any controversy. It's good to see your site. The OPPD center is an eyesore. I drive by it everyday wondering the same thing. Keep it up. TJ West Avenue
  
• As a police officer, I know there is much talk at the station about your blog reference. The most interesting gossip is speculation that Chief Tim plans to run for Mayor. Forget about the senate, but Mayor is possible. Anonymous. PO
  
• Tim McCarthy for mayor? Yes!
  
• Cut the damn grass! I see the mayor's lawn is always cut nice and neat. Check that work out sometimes. LB, Glenlake Dr
  
• I thought it was an English Garden, but that doesn't sit well with our Irish Mayor. Debbie, Mallard Drive
  
• I love the site! Shake-em up Ray. RD
  
• Whatever happened between you and Mayor Dan? You were pals once and you served on the Civic Center Commission. Was it the Mike Brennan battle for the Orland Township? Will you be writing about that topic?

We love email here at the OrlandParker.com ... send it directly to me, if you don't want to post or subscribe to the Blogger.com system at rayhanania@comcast.net. We'll keep it all anonymous but you can identify your street name if you want it published.

BY THE WAY ... I saw two workers digging through the weeds in front of the Orland Park Police Department site this morning. The OrlandParker.com is read ... even better than the former site we ran several years ago when we were attacked by McLaughlin and Dodge. They workers didn't look too happy sloshing around in the drizzle and pulling the large plants out and putting them in a wheel barrel.

But, the McCarthy rumors are swirling around the community. I've heard them from a dozen residents and a few friends in City Hall. McLaughlin "retiring?" I don't think so, but that rumor is prompting the McCarthy for public office rumors and to be honest, McCarthy would make the town's BEST Mayor. I hope that either he does it or, if McLaughlin clings to office (as all mayors-for-life do) that Chief McCarthy will run for the U.S. Senate seat. No one is more recognizable than McCarthy, who is considered a heor for his act of saving the life of a president.

Ray Hanania
www.TheOrlandParker.com