Randy Sherman runs a sham organization that has almost no membership. It is the Randy Sherman Committee for Honest Government in reality and decisions are not based on anything much more than Randy's personal opinion. He has every right to hold those opinions, but giving weight to the organization as being representative of a larger group of community residents is inaccurate. Their endorsements, their occasional cable show and their credentials as reformers are as phony as a $3 bill.
If anyone is foolish enough to believe that the U.S. Attorney has not already reviewed all of the transactions of Bob Creamer and Citizen Action after 7 years of investigation and trial preparation they are very seriously underestimating Mr. Fitzgerald and his team. All of the documents that outline the transactions presented by Mr. Sherman are publicly available to you from the Illinois State Board of Elections. Rest assured that they have been reviewed and are not illegal, immoral or unethical. A loan was made and a loan was repaid on a number of occasions. It is that simple. If you review the reports you will see that it is completely and accurately reported within the specifications of the law.
I have worked year after year to add new voters to the rolls: tens of thousands in my 12 years. In each election year we add new voters and some years we have been able to add thousands and thousands of new voters. There is no rocket science to why our numbers are low. The 49th Ward has a large non-citizen population, a significant number of students who maintain their voter registration at their home address and even with the increase in home ownership we see a turnover in residents that we guess is about 25% every four years.
Mr. Sherman has a long and unattractive history in the 49th Ward. He is actually a former member of the 49th Ward organization who left when I made it clear I was abandoning the old machine ways. From chanting "Baby Killer" at train stations to pro-choice people as long as 20 years ago to today he has a long and personal problem with anyone who is not a part of the dying Democratic Machine. That is the kind of reformer Randy is and that is the kind of organization the Illinois Committee for Honest Government is.
David Fagus
20 comments:
> ... their credentials as reformers are as phony as a $3 bill.
I hope baby Jesus does not read blogs.
>Rest assured that they have been reviewed and are not illegal, immoral or unethical.
Rove had a rough night last Thursday, but he was not indicted on Friday, proving I guess that he did nothing illegal, immoral or unethical.
It is like Dave Fagus and Joe Moore to come up with an outrageous lie when confronted with the unpleasant truth. I am pro-choice, and I have never called anyone "Baby-Killer." Fagus and Moore know this, but Moore has operated for years on the philosophy that why should he tell the truth when a lie will serve him better. It appears that Fagus has chosen to follow that policy.
The size of the Illinois Committee for Honest Government does not change the pitiful vote totals produced by the 49th Ward since Fagus abandoned those who had selected him in May of 1993 to replace former State Rep. Lee Preston (Preston having stepped down from the committeeman's post to run for judge).
I was one of those who attended that meeting and supported Fagus, Preston's former aide, assuming (as did the rest of those present) that Fagus would continue to provide an alternative to Moore in the Democratic Party politics of the 49th Ward. However, within a year Fagus had turned his back on those who had selected him as committeeman to instead kiss Joe Moore's political mistletoe.
Had these two individuals produced strong results for Democrats, I would not have a leg to stand on. But the vote totals, which anyone can check, are a quantitative measure of their failure as community and political leaders.
No amount of false claims or bad-mouthing about me will add a single additional vote to the pathetic totals produced by Moore, Fagus & Co. since 1994. What they apparently hope to do is to create a phony smokescreen to try to cover their own shortcomings. They are the issue here, not me, for I have chosen not to seek office.
As for the state of the investigation against their friend Bob Creamer (who they indicated over the years was innocent and would stand up to defend himself), I am quite content to let the process work itself out for now. All I will say is that candidate filing ends on December 19, two days prior to Creamer's sentencing, a fact neither Fagus nor Moore can dispute. I have no way of knowing if Creamer will implicate anyone on or before his December 21 sentencing. What I do know is that absent any such statement of implication, there is less to mitigate the length of Creamer's sentence.
As for those loans that Fagus touts were so innocent; could someone explain why Creamer had to borrow additional times from Joe Moore's campaign committee just days after repaying on the earlier loan? If I didn't bring these matters up, someone else would do so in time, as the records are part of the State Board of Election's public files for Moore's campaign committee. if someone wants to dispute the issue, they simply check out the record themselves.
RANDALL SHERMAN
Secretary/Treasurer, Illinois Committee for Honest Government
who do you believe with these 2 polarized statements (Fagus and Sherman)- one thing I can see that seems true as they don't like each other one bit!
Thomas - thanks very much for that very clear explanation and that excellent rant at the end. I really appreciated them both.
>The check kiting for which Creamer was convicted occurred when he transferred funds from one of HIS accounts (Bank A) to another of HIS accounts (Bank B), and back again. Therefore, only one person was needed for this type of kite.
May I ask, what is your source on this?
>A loan was made and a loan was repaid on a number of occasions. It is that simple.
Strategic Consulting made a series of interest-free, short-term loans of at least $25,000.00 to Citizens for Joe Moore since 1999, even though Moore did not run for any office in 2001:
Strategic Consulting to Citizens for Joe Moore
$6,000.00 loaned 6/12/2002, repaid 6/20/2002
$5,000.00 loaned 1/26/2001, repaid 11/9/2001
$4,000.00 loaned 1/22/2001, repaid 5/4/2001
$10,000.00 loaned 11/4/1999, repaid 12/31/1999
Thank you for helping us understand these loans.
What was the purpose of these loans?
For example, why did Citizens for Joe Moore borrow $6K and pay it back 8 days later?
Did Joe get a tip on horse?
> ... credentials as reformers are as phony as a $3 bill.
Dear Committeeman Fagus,
Thank you for participating in the "Broken Heart." Thank you for you recent post on how to identify true reformers. I would like to learn more about this.
Is being a reformer like being a Bahai, you can be one simply by considering yourself one, or is it more like being an Eagle Scout, where you have to actually DO something first?
Can you please name one thing you have reformed?
Thank you in advance for your reply.
>That is the kind of reformer Randy is...
What kind of reformer are you?
>I made it clear I was abandoning the old machine ways.
Dear Committeeman Fagus,
Thank you for participating in the "Broken Heart." Thank you for you recent post on your efforts to abandon old machine ways. Thank you for helping us understand this. I would like to learn more about "the dying Democratic Machine" you mentioned.
What are some examples of "old machine ways" you have abandoned? Can you please expand on this?
Were "old machine ways" a big problem in the organization you inherited from Lee Preston?
How about the old machine way of offering free space in taxpayer-funded offices to friendly political committees? What's more "old machine" than that? Do you think you might eventually someday get around to abandoning that old machine way?
Would the Alderman's office be willing make space for a desk and take in mail and answer the phone for the Illinois Committee for Honest Government?
By the way, where is your office currently? Your mail and phone goes to the ward office. What's with that?
Have you looked into Gateway Mall? I hear they may have some space available. You can contact the management company:
Barbara L. Muehl, Senior Property Manager
Trident Developments, Inc
450 E Devon Ave # 250
Itasca IL 60143
Or you can contact Ms. Meuhl through the Howard Special Service Area Commission, where she is a commissioner.
Or you can contact them through Kimberly Bares at DevCorp North, 773-508-5885.
How about the old machine way of running the ward office as a small business offering custom legislative services to real estate developers in exchange for campaign contributions? What's more "old machine" than THAT? Do you think you might eventually someday get around to abandoning that old machine way?
Thank you in advance for your thoughts and ideas.
> ... the dying Democratic Machine.
Dear Committeeman Fagus,
Thank you for participating in the "Broken Heart." Thank you for you recent post regarding the impending death of the Machine. Thank you for helping us understand this. I would like to learn more about "the dying Democratic Machine" you mentioned.
Are you familiar with this paper?
The New Daley Machine: 1989-2004
This paper was presented to the City Futures Conference held in Chicago in July, 2004. The principle author is Dick Simpson. Simpson is a former Chicago Alderman. He is also has a Ph. D. in political science (I hope that is OK with you). He is a professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
The Machine is a scientific phenomenon. Scientists can measure it. Simpson and his team studied patterns in voting in the Chicago City Council and in campaign contributions to the Mayor. They conclude that the Machine is thriving. The rumors of the death of the Machine are greatly exaggerated.
What is your evidence that the Machine is dying? Is this another of your theories?
We look forward to your ideas on this.
>Rest assured that they have been reviewed and are not illegal, immoral or unethical.
The self-described local Democratic leader and deep thinker is favoring us with a sneak preview of a major rally cry they plan to roll out for the March 2006 primary elections:
"Vote for Us! We Haven't Been Indicted Yet!"
>A loan was made and a loan was repaid on a number of occasions. It is that simple.
Correction
I misread the campaign disclosure web site and wrote up these loans backwards.
Citizens for Joe Moore made a series of interest-free, short-term loans of at least $25,000.00 to Strategic Consulting since 1999:
Citizens for Joe Moore to Strategic Consulting
$6,000.00 loaned 6/12/2002, repaid 6/20/2002
$5,000.00 loaned 1/26/2001, repaid 11/9/2001
$4,000.00 loaned 1/22/2001, repaid 5/4/2001
$10,000.00 loaned 11/4/1999, repaid 12/31/1999
What was the purpose of these loans?
For example, why did Strategic Consulting borrow $6K from Citizens for Joe Moore and pay it back 8 days later?
Did Bob get a tip on a horse?
>As for those loans that Fagus touts were so innocent; could someone explain why Creamer had to borrow additional times from Joe Moore's campaign committee just days after repaying on the earlier loan?
Thanks to Mr. Sherman for the correction and for participating in the "Broken Heart."
Mr. Fagus?
What about the old machine way of picking judges? What's more old machine than that, Mr. Fagus? Do you think maybe some day you might get around to abandoning that old machine way?
We look forward to your response.
Making the slate
November 27, 2005
BY ABDON M. PALLASCH, Sun-Times Legal Affairs Reporter
Monday was "slating" day, where the political masters of Chicago's 50 wards and 30 suburban townships decide which lawyers run with their blessing for Cook County Circuit Court.
... the process at its core remains a political one in which proven loyalty to the party outweighs legal credentials.
Sitting in yellow stacking chairs or standing near the silver coffee urns at the back of the room, the pols smile for speeches like this:
"What I am most proud of [is] he has been an eight-year volunteer for the 49th Ward Democratic Party," Committeeman David Fagus says of prosecutor Mike McHale. "He has gone out and gotten petitions and knocked on doors. He has done the hard work for the Democratic Party."
Legal reform groups say this is the wrong way to pick judges. Twenty Cook County judges chosen this way have been sent to prison in about as many years for taking bribes and other crimes.
Making the slate
Dear Mr. Fagus,
Did you have fun this week hub-nobbing with pols of the Cook County Democratic Central Committee?
In a speech, did you share with the group the news of the impending death of the Machine?
Did you outline your credentials as a reformer and progressive?
Did you present your theory about East-West Streets?
Any plans to open up your web site to comments?
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