America's worst government update: Cook County Board President Stroger won't meet with Palatine secessionists

Let the secession begin. The hack that Barack Obama enthusiastically endorsed for Cook County Board President two years ago, Todd Stroger, said he would meet with Palatine residents in a town hall meeting on Wednesday, after village officials, in response to a county sales tax hike, proposed seceding from Cook County.

But Stroger is wimping out, he announced today he won't be there.

From the Daily Herald:

In a press release, Stroger accused Palatine officials of manipulating the format of the meeting so that it would no longer be community-based.

Palatine Mayor Rita Mullins said officials made clear to Stroger from the beginning that the format of the event would be a village council meeting because state law required it as she and the councilmen would be gathered in one place discussing village business.

"This change in format diminishes the ability of the community to voice their concerns and instead allows for political grandstanding by village council members," said Stroger

Stroger's father, the late John, withdrew from the ballot after narrowly winning in the Democratic Primary. Voters in America's second most populous county smelled something rotten, and it took a last minute push by top Democrats pushed Stroger over the top in the general election.

As I have in the past, I'm drawing upon Eric Zorn's November 2, 2006 column:

Obama's staff released a profoundly disheartening letter to voters this week in which Obama, joined by Sen. Dick Durbin, endorsed Cook County Board presidential candidate Todd Stroger.

The letter, which puffs lots of hot air into the saggy balloon of Stroger's legislative resume, refers to him as "a good progressive Democrat" who will "lead us into a new era of Cook County government."

Todd Stroger was a "strong voice" in Springfield, the letter says. He has "worked assiduously" for the poor as an alderman. Yet, of course, the record reveals that Stroger is an unimaginative legislative drone whose reform credentials are wholly imaginary--an unlikely trailblazer to a new era.

Stroger pushed a one-percent county-wide sales tax increase. In a few months Chicagoans will pay the nation's highest sales tax, 10.25 percent. Suburbanites like myself will pay a little less.

Palatine faces a different problem. It's located in the far-northwestern corner of Cook. When the higher sales tax kicks in, shoppers in Palatine will pay 10 percent sales tax, just across the Lake County line, purchases made in Deer Park will have to hand over just seven percent.

Where would you shop? What will this do to businesses in Palatine and other border communities?

As I've said before, let the secession begin! Please take Morton Grove with you.

Finally, from a Chicago "free registration required" Tribune editorial last month:

Stroger, too, will be up for re-election in 2010. He is a humiliation to many of the politicians who endorsed him in 2006. They can apply pressure most citizens can't. So when you encounter a Democratic pol—a member of Congress, a state or county official, an alderman—be sure to ask: Did you endorse Todd Stroger? How's that working for you?

So how about it, Barack? Can you finally speak out against Stroger? What is your opinion, senator, that Chicagoans will soon pay the nation's highest sales tax?

Related posts:

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Stroger to meet with Cook County secessionists
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Something else for Obama to be silent on: Chicago will have the nation's highest sales tax
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Technorati tags: politics Election Democrats Illinois Politics Cook County Stroger taxes Obama Barack Obama Palatine