The consequences of elections

Since the November elections, I've been taking a little break from writing about politics. The consequences of the Democrats taking over Congress has been widely reported in the national media, and I have nothing to add. But there have been some interesting little aftershocks at the local level in Chicago.

Prior to November 8, it looked like there might be at least one big name on the ballot to run against Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley this coming February -- namely, Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL). While I acknowledge that Daley has done many good things for the city, I think he needs to be held accountable for pervasive corruption (Hired Truck and patronage scandals) and for the occasional abuse of power such as the midnight demolition of Meigs Field. If the Aldermen won't put checks on his power, the voters at least have the opportunity to elect someone else. I was hoping Jackson would run, but he was disinclined to give up his seat in Congress just as his party attained majority status.

As of year's end, 2006, there are two less-well-known candidates challenging Da Mayor: Dorothy Brown and Bill "Dock" Walls. Both are positioning themselves as reformers, which unfortunately splits the opposition vote. In my opinion, Brown has the more impressive resume of the two, but it will be a long shot for either to unseat Daley.

Another result of the November elections was that Todd Stroger succeeded his father, John Stroger, as Cook County Board President. The younger Stroger was handpicked by the Cook County Democratic Central Committee to replace his father on the ballot after John Stroger, incapacitated by a severe stroke, was forced to withdraw from the race. The choice was controversial, but good, old-fashioned nepotism was validated by the voters on Election Day.

Commissioner Bobbie Steele was appointed interim Board President in July, serving for the remainder of John Stroger's term, and I thought she did a reasonably good job. However, she retired shortly after the election (no surprise -- as a retiring president, she gets double the pension than as a mere commissioner) and picked her son Robert as her replacement. As in the case of Todd Stroger, there are some doubts about Robert Steele's qualifications, and the voters of Steele's district had little say in his selection.