The North Shore Tea Party, the first one that is, has ended. The timing, it turns out, could have been a little better--many basements in the area are still flooded, downed trees have caused havoc--as you'll read a couple of posts down--and today was the hottest day since last number. Turnout was modest, But CLTV, the Chicago area all-news cable channel and Pioneer Press covered it.
The Tea Party was sponsored by the North Shore Tea Party Coalition, Free Citizens United, and the Niles Township Regular Republican Organization.
Speaker were WLS-AM's Dan Proft, Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica (R-Riverside), Rosanna Pulido, a candidate in April's Congressional election, Sheila Weinberg of the Institute for Truth in Accounty, State Senator Matt Murphy (R-Palatine), Trustee Brendan Appel of Northfield Township, Extreme Wisdom's Bruno Behrend and myself.
The theme today was to get involved and get informed. Pulido reminded attendees that "most people don't know who their state represenative is." Which is a real shame, as she was speaking Democratic legislators and our governor, Patrick Quinn, another Democrat, are conspiring to raise the state sales tax by 50 percent.
Peraica railed against the evils of "The Chicago Nine" who live within ten miles of each other, they include all of Illinois' constitutional officers, the leaders of each chamber of the state legislature, Mayor Richard Daley and Todd Stroger, the president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners. All of them are Democrats.
When my turn came, I kept it simple, telling the audience that the next time they're in while shopping, mention to the person standing next to you that Cook County has the nation's highest sales tax rate--10 percent, and tell that person that there has to be a better way.
There's an election next year.
From small things, big things emerge.
Oh, I almost forgot the event's superb host, Morton Grove's Patrick Kansoer, who roasted on that platform for almot two hours.
Correction June 21: It was Dan Proft, not Tony Peraica, who spoke of "The Chicago Nine." Although I'm pretty sure Peraica would concur with Proft's use of the moniker.
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