It seems like we continue to bend over and take it. Some may call it a slap in the face. Either way, David Fagus once again screwed the people who voted at the polls. According to the Sun-Times, the committeemen from the 49th ward brought in the troops to vote for Todd Stroger for Cook County Board President during Saturday nights Independent Voters of Illinois-Independent Precinct Organization endorsement session.
Can anyone say David Fagus is out of touch with his 49th ward constituents?
35 comments:
Living in this ward also means that we don't like government gone awry.
We don't like being played for fools.
We don't like that "our" democratic leaders don't trust/listen to us.
We don't like being told what to do, who to vote for.
We don't like the political and governmental waste that this guys father reigned over.
We don't like that there are plenty of more qualified people on the CC board who could have been chosen.
We respect that John Stroger was/is seriously ill, but we don't like that we were kept in the dark while back room games were being played. (even Cuba named an interim president within a week)
We are just plain fed up with all of this. Forest Claypool represented a glimmer of light. That door has been shut. Now, we want to let them (Stroger Empire, Fagus, Moore) know that we are not happy. How? By voting for a change.
Todd Stroger is not a change.
Jim very well said! I agree with you as I am sure many people in the ward do. Taxs go up for example 30% the people in office vote for raises for themselves lets say 20%, however the services provided do not improve 30%, the work our elected officsls do not improve.
The point we should keep in mind is that as you said is "vote for a change" and if the next people voted in do not do a good job in office, we will vote them out,and keep voteing people out until someone represents what the people cry out for. Those things we ask for are well documented in this site "The Broken Heart of RP"
Dave - I guess you just don't recognize a coronation when you're part of it do you?
Toddy is hardly someone I can get behind, and since he had no record worth printing when he was crowned do you intend to manufacture one for him?
This report could have been an opportunity to produce real research for use by many to advocate for change. Unfortunately it came up short.
If I recall correctly, a big reason it came up short was due to the lack of cooperation by the very entity being studied. You wouldn't happen to know why they resisted do you? And if areas of the county system are bloated and others are understaffed, then you just confirmed what many of us suspected: INCOMPETENCE RULES!!!!!
Managing your resources can be a challenge, but it takes leadership to do it and if the county is that messed up, where has the leadership been?
Given an opportunity to sing Toddy's praises you passed. And where can we find the solid research you referred to? Why can't you point to it? Or is that another example of:
Election rhetoric often is exaggerated for effect.
Of course I am sure you would NEVER stoop to that.
Seriously Dave, do you really believe we are willing to endure endless patronage that accomplishes nothing besides give people paychecks without any accountability?
Fagus made a statement all voters should emblazon on their minds:
"Election rhetoric often is exaggerated for effect."
If we believed his anti-abortion, anti-gay, pro-gun blast at Peraica, then we wouldn't be on this blog responding, would we? So we're progressive liberals? Some are, some aren't. There's nothing progressive about following the herd. Yes, election rhetoric is often exaggerated for effect, and that's your whole existence in this sham. The board president isn't powerful enough to overturn Roe v Wade, the gun laws, or Gay Rights, you know it, and now you've been apprised that I know it, and many others know it.
Oh, while you're being so sanctimonious about human rights, just remember, we're watching you, Berryhill and Van Man and expect you to obey every bloody election law.
> There is only one candidate who has a good record on these issues and that is Todd Stroger.
What is Todd Stroger's record on ANYTHING? Please educate us. Lay it out o fearless leader.
You.ve got an awfully lot of fucking nerve citing this report, ashole. Did you read the report you stooge? YOU are specifically identified as one of the main problems in our county health care system:
Protecting the Legacy of Caring for Vulnerable Populations:
Essential Priorities for the Cook County Health Care System
"The Bureau’s capacity to operate efficiently has been hampered by many factors, including the system’s dated human resources system, which prevents timely hiring and firing of employees, and limits the flexibility needed to attract and retain highly competent employees. With the President’s Office as the sole hiring authority, there is a clear opportunity to use the system for political hiring at the expense of best qualified health management leadership. ... most of those interviewed for this report perceived patronage was engaged by the President’s Office to staff a number of key positions within the Bureau. If true, some people may rationalize that such approaches to hiring are simply the nature of government, but such hiring practices at all levels of government are being challenged, and more importantly, they are not likely effective for managing a complex health care system that depends on highly skilled, experienced, and creative staff.
According to our review of various United States county governments’ and the extent to which they influence decisions regarding personnel changes in their local public health systems, the Cook County government has the most. As noted above, for many of the interviews we conducted for this study, there was a sense that hiring decisions were made according to levels of patronage or political loyalties. The Shakman decree37 is designed to limit politically related hiring within the Cook County government to a few exempted high-level positions. However these include virtually all leadership and key management positions across the County. These except positions are at the sole discretion of the Office of the President. These can be filled without openly competing in a candidate search such as those conducted by other health systems. This type of hiring system has a long history in the Cook County government, but it was abandoned long ago by most other county governments in the United States. If the Cook County system is to overcome the challenges facing health care systems everywhere, the County government will need to rethink its current hiring system. In the private sector, finding people who are qualified to effectively respond to the clinical, regulatory, and financial challenges in health care industry is difficult enough; the County’s political and bureaucratic hiring practices can only constrain the health care system’s ability to recruit people with the expertise needed to make the system efficient.
If you want to get all wonky with us why don't you allow comments on your own blog you flaming hypocrite? I bet you enjoy going to cocktail parties and casually mentioning how, yes, you are a blogger.
Hiring freeze? What hiring freeze?
August 27, 2006
BY STEVE PATTERSON Sun-Times Staff Reporter
Almost 1,300 people were added to the Cook County payroll in the months after Cook County Board President John Stroger suffered a stroke that left him incapacitated and unable to run county government.
Stroger's campaign manager and his chief of staff's daughter were among those added to the payroll -- even amid a hiring freeze -- while more than a dozen others who were hired have ties to powerful political machines, records show. ...
Summer Whigham is one of 39 new counselors at the troubled juvenile detention center, long described as a dumping ground for patronage workers. ...
Summer Whigham's hiring means that since 2001, her parents, [Stroger chief of staff and longtime friend] James and Spring, and brother, James, have all been on the county payroll.
Also hired after Stroger had a stroke in March was his campaign manager, Bruce Washington, at $133,000 a year ...
Other new hires since the fiscal year began include Maria Moreno-Szafarczyk, sister of Commissioner Joseph Mario Moreno, as an $85,000-a-year assistant superintendent at the juvenile center, and Ebonie Taylor-Brookins, wife of Ald. Howard Brookins (21st), as a $33,000-a-year aide to Cook County Board of Review Commissioner Larry Rogers Jr
More...
Now Hugh, be fair. The report does not name Dave by name. I searched the document and Fagus is not there. However, what is more illuminating is the comment in the report regarding why it could be labeled deficient. Something the writers agreed could be the case;
Despite our best efforts to prepare a well-informed report, this document may still be
criticized as imperfect. To that we would agree. First, the six month timeline outlined by
the project’s sponsor limited the scope and depth of any primary data gathering and
interview process. Additionally, we were limited to easily accessible public data for this
analysis, as there was little cooperation from the Office of the President of Board or the
State Department of Healthcare and Family Services for more detailed, but otherwise
difficult to access public data. Although many individuals were willing to discuss the
pressing issues facing the Cook County health system, including Cook County
Commissioners, civic leaders, other health care providers, and, notably, physicians who
work in Cook County hospitals and clinics, we have been unable to secure the timely
cooperation of the leadership of the Bureau of Health Services in the preparation of this
report. Therefore, there may be facts and Bureau-based initiatives that are unknown to
those we interviewed or otherwise unavailable to us.
I'd sure wish Dave, who thinks Toddy is the one we need to vote for, would explain how Toddy is going to fix the problem of an uncooperative leadership.
How about it Dave.
That's rich, Fagus, pulling out the old scare tactic "the Republicans are worse." Please, do you take the voters for being that stupid. As if your leadership and the leadership of the local Democratic party has been the solution. Patronage patronage patronage -- and YOU supported more of it with Todd "Urkel" Stroger. We did NOT get here because of the other party. While we can bash them for much, we can't bash them for the poor state of affairs in Cook County or even RP since our leadership here since the beginning of time as been the Democratic party and it's very impressive machine.
It's time for a change and I'll take Republican leadership over status quo if only for a change of scenery. Let's see if they really are so horrible. Surely they can't be any worse! You and your party have completely usurped the democratic process to make Florida look like child's play. At least people there actually got to vote even if some votes were "disqualified? or whatever.
As for dismissing the report of ex-county employees: well then, we should discount the stories of ex-any company employee who blows a whistle. By that rationale we should give the Bush admin a pass on the whole Valerie Plame affair because Joe Wilson was an ex-employee with an axe to grind. Mark Felt, aka Deep Throat, he was lying; let's ressurect Nixon. Big Tobacco should get back all the money they paid out because what Jeff Wigand said clearly can't be trusted.
You really are a sinister Fagin and we're all your little Oliver Twists. Unfortunately, I don't see similar ending for you which means we're all destined to a life of enforced crime with the likes of you and your party pals around.
> The plan put forth by Forrest during his campaign is validated by the Northwestern report because it shares the same authors.
That bastard Clypool! Wow, he is one powerful guy - his clout extends deep into acadamia. Claypool obviously used his patronage network to packed the staff of the Institute for Healthcare Studies of the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University with his toadies. How shameful!
> ... these folks were not coming in as either fair or objective researchers.
The IHS of NU not objective enough for you? Here's hoping the next panel to take a close look at Cook County is a grand jury. Objective enough for you asshole?
Why don't we take this over to YOUR blog hypocrite?
> {Stroger] has ... thoughts
Since when?
> Todd Stroger will do that ...
Tell us what Todd Stoger has DONE o fearless leader.
> I have been in health care administration for nearly twenty years, and I was in it for years before I ever became a politician.
Oh, I get it - you're a Healthcare Professional, and it's just a wild-ass coincidence you are a committeeman and major Stoger Dynasty suck-up.
Say Fagus, what is the difference between this post...
"The Last Day"
.. and giving your boss a blow job?
" You are blessed with many admirable qualities."
Commissioner Quigley to appear this evening on Chicago Tonight!
Commissioner Mike Quigley will appear on “Chicago Tonight” on WTTW/Channel 11 at 7 p.m. tonight to discuss the latest Cook County jobs scandal. (Reruns are shown at midnight and 1:30 a.m.)
The Commissioner has been critical of the County’s personnel practices for years. He has again renewed his call for a job/desk audit and other sweeping reforms in light of Sunday’s Chicago Sun-Times article revealing that hundreds of employees were hired after former President John Stroger’s stroke - despite a hiring freeze.
Chicago Tonight E-Alert: August 28, 2006
News Analysis with Carol Marin
Nearly 1,300 people have been hired by Cook County this year in spite of a hiring freeze. Who was behind these new hires made after former board president John Stroger's stroke? Carol Marin and her panel discuss the latest mystery coming out of the cook county offices.
Guests:
Commissioner Mike Quigley
Alderman Todd "Urkel" Stroger
Commissioner Tony Peraica
Dave - please quit with the "election rhetoric." It's getting very tiresome.
Kheris, just today Todd Stroger said to people in our ward who asked your question that he has every intention of shaking things up in the administration, both at the Bureau of Health and downtown.
The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
He has, for example, thoughts about introducing technologies that will help reduce some of the time it takes to get through the emergency room the same way it has dramatically change the pharmacy problem of a couple of years ago.
Thoughts aren't a strategy or a plan. Where is his? And if he has one, why don't you point us to it?
There are answers out there that can and will make the system better: better managed, more efficient, less expensive and higher quality of care. Todd Stroger will do that, but you not only have to change the culture; you also have to have a vision.
It takes more than vision. It takes leadership and so far you haven't produced anything indicating that Toddy knows how to even spell the word. Since the answers are out there as you say, Toddy should be able to craft a strategy and plan that makes sense fairly quickly. Especially given your special expertise in the matter.
What are you waiting for?
Just turned on WTTW...boy, Toddy isn't the brightest bulb. Carol Marin asked who should investigate and he mumbled and groped for a response. Not a public speaker, not a viable thinker, not a viable president. A lousy liar to boot. Everyone's exaggerating, Toddy doesn't know what went on, and bla bla bla
Maybe I just won't bother going to the polls.
EEEK!!! NO NO NO Carol -- You must vote! Even to vote Republican, you must vote. That's their plan. To piss off enough people that only Toddy's supporters turn out and he wins by default. Make them work for a win, and let's do what we can to keep it from them. The machine will never believe that its demise is at hand if the people don't go to the polls and express their will.
Hey Fagus,
In a press release today, Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica stated:
"Todd Stroger - who is still, according to the latest press reports, under investigation by the State Board of Elections to determine whether he illegally used his taxpayer-funded Aldermanic offices for campaign purposes..."
Can you please confirm or deny that Alderman Stroger is currently under investigation by the Illinois State Board of Elections?
By the way, Fagus, where is your office? Your web site states:
"I will continue to receive mail at:
David Fagus
Democratic Party of the 49th Ward
7356 N. Greenview
Chicago, IL 60626
Our phone number is (773) 973-4949."
The address of the 49th ward office. And this phone number rings through to the 49th Ward office.
Oh, look! Here's pretty photgraphs of the 49th ward office - on the web site of the Cook County Republican Central Committee! Isn't that odd? Why don't you have any pictures of your office on YOUR web site?
Mr. Fagus, what about 'selling out' a whole ward to Todd Stroger? What about the hiring freeze? What about the illegal campaign tactics we've witnessed?
Since you avoided me at the Allegro farce, can you continue to avoid me and the other voters? Cussing isn't as 'inappropriate' as misappropriation of funds or stacking an election is it?
Thomas Westgard cried......> "I've spent months on my own blog, pounding the crap out of Fagus for his cowardly choice to support a mentally incompetent John Stroger over Forrest Claypool in the primary, a corrupt and foolish decision for which he deserves nothing but contempt. He has not had the spine to respond to those observations, or explain that choice to the 49th Ward."
Boo hoo Tom. Cry me a river. Maybe it's because you rarely post stuff. And when you do, you put people to sleep with your 'oh holier than us' - dribble.
> Toddy isn't the brightest bulb. Carol Marin asked who should investigate and he mumbled and groped for a response. Not a public speaker, not a viable thinker, not a viable president. A lousy liar to boot.
Todd looked weak, weak, weak.
"I"m not sure..."
"I don't know..."
Did you see how he grabbed the issue of the day and ran with it?
The Dems of Cook need to hire a high-powered image consultant FAST to slap some listick on this one.
> The solution cannot be more Republican leadership.
Maybe you and your pals should have thought of that before you slated a boy. If you loose the County leadership, it's on you and your pals.
You've got a lot of fucking nerve calling for Democratic solidarity on this. You and your pals are not democrats or Democrats. Call yourself what you are:
Concerned Cook County Employees
You don't like my language? Well, my neighbors and I don't like you and your pals hijacking our party.
Sure, you'd rather talk about my vocabulary than to briefly outline Todd Stoger's record of accomplishment.
If you are uncomfortable with hostility maybe you should have thought about that before you slated a boy.
Shakman goes after county hiring
BY ABDON M. PALLASCH Sun-Times Staff Reporter, August 29, 2006
... patronage hiring has become rampant in county government again.
"It has become clear that ... Cook County has engaged in substantial, illegal patronage hiring and promotion of non-exempt employees in violation of the judgement"
More...
> I have been in health care administration for nearly twenty years
Oh, I get it - when I read about patronage in County government, they're talking about someone else, not YOU!. OK, sure.
Todd Stroger ... appeared on WTTW's "Chicago Tonight" program Monday and offered different takes on the filing.
[Todd] Stroger said he did not think too many members of his 8th Ward Democratic organization had county jobs or a favored status for promotions
- Shakman goes after county hiring, Sun-Times, August 29, 2006
At least 17 of the party's 80 ward and township [Democratic] committeemen [who nominated Todd "Urkel" Stroger] are on the county payroll ...
Of those 80 committeemen, 80 have relatives on the county payroll ...
In Chicago's 46th and 49th wards -- lakefront areas where a few elected officials have endorsed Claypool -- committeemen Tom Sharpe and David Fagus have endorsed Stroger. They both hold county jobs.
Stroger's home turf, the South Side's 8th Ward, hopes to produce a big turnout for Stroger in what otherwise is forecast to be a low-turnout election. At least nine of the officials on the ward organization's letterhead hold or until recently held high-paying county jobs.
- County workers push Stroger's bid, Sun-Times, March 17, 2006
> Toddy isn't the brightest bulb. Carol Marin asked who should investigate and he mumbled and groped for a response. Not a public speaker, not a viable thinker, not a viable president. A lousy liar to boot.
OUCH!
After seeing Todd "Urkel" Stroger appear before the cameras, I think the best strategy for the Concerned Employees of Cook County might be to lease him a condo somewhere and hole him up til after the election.
Sheesh!
> Does Todd Stroger really know anything about technology at all?
Urkel bragged on his geek cred to Carol Marin on Chicago Tonight. He said his father never used a computer, but he gets his e-mail on his phone! Every family hopes the next generation will do a little better than the last.
> Toddy isn't the brightest bulb. Carol Marin asked who should investigate and he mumbled and groped for a response. Not a public speaker, not a viable thinker, not a viable president. A lousy liar to boot.
In his current state, Todd Stroger should be shielded from the public. He should get a designated spokeperson. Maybe the Concerned Cook County Employees could see if Darcel Beavers is available.
John Stroger, how do I love thee?
Let me count the ways, there are 113,703!
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