video details how Daley's organization uses clout

A Proviso Probe reader sent me a link to a video from the blog/video blog Chicago Clout. The video is titled, "Connecting the Dots Patrick McDonough" which isn't very self-explanatory.

McDonough is a whistleblower about corruption in City of Chicago contracting. If I followed the story correctly in the video, McDonough was the person who got the ball rolling in the Hired Truck Scandal.

The video portrays Sen. Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) as a politician who is being influenced by campaign contributions to vote against his constituent's interests.

The northwest portion of Harmon's Senate district included Bensenville. Bensenville is one of the communities that would be adversely affected if O'Hare Airport were expanded.

(The Harmon-O'Hare connection does provide a reason why Harmon was carrying Mayor Richard M. Daley's water on legislation affecting Midway Airport.)

The video explains how Daley or his allies used union members as political workers under the auspices of the unions having their own political operation.

Q: What did you have to do politically, Pat, to keep your job?

Pat McDonough: We were expected to work precincts. We mainly worked through Plumbers Local 130. We were sent to assigned targeted areas which is called the Political Action Task Force of Plumbers Local 130. So we were sent to any area throughout the city that was targeted by what the Mayor wanted.

Union members who did the political work were rewarded with promotions, overtime and benefits.

To me this sounds quite a bit like the unhealthy--illegal?--relationship between SEIU 73 and Eugene Moore and Emanuel "Chris" Welch. Moore is the Cook County Recorder of Deeds, former Proviso Township Democratic Committeeman and political boss with significant influence at Proviso Township High Schools (District 209). Welch is the president of the D209 board of education.

legislature overrides Blagojevich veto, extend 7% property tax increase cap

Oak Park Journal:

SPRINGFIELD, IL – Illinois State Senator Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) announced that legislation extending the 7% property assessment cap for an additional three years will become law. Senator Harmon joined his colleagues in both the Senate and the House recently to override the Governor’s veto of House Bill 664....

With the Governor’s veto overridden by both the House and the Senate, the last hurdle remaining for the proposal is approval by the Cook County Board, which is expected to meet on the issue soon.

I have an inkling that this issue is more complicated than extending cap good and not extending cap bad.

But I need to get more info to explain it.

which state Senators are up for election?

For some reason, the General Assembly website doesn't make it clear which state Senators are up for election.

The State Board of Elections has a document (pdf) under "Candidate Information" and "General Assembly" that has the list of Senators up for four-year terms.

Three of Proviso's four state Senate seats are up for election: Sen. Louis Viverito (D-11th), Sen. Dan Cronin (R-21st) and Sen. Don Harmon (D-39th).

The following is the list of districts across Illinois up for election: 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 18, 20, 21, 23, 24, 26, 27, 29, 30, 32, 33, 35, 36, 38, 39, 41, 42, 44, 45, 47, 48, 50, 51, 53, 54, 56, 57 & 59.

You can cross reference the district number and the incumbent on the Illinois General Assembly web site.

A07, Sen. Don Harmon's picks for Triton [D504]

Sen. Don Harmon wrote in the Wednesday Journal:

Oak Park and River Forest voters also have an opportunity to open a new era at Triton College. Oak Park resident Thomas Gary is poised to be the first African-American trustee in the college's history, and the first Oak Parker in recent memory to serve on the board. Thomas brings an impressive record to the table. He served two terms on the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners, served on my legislative staff and the staff of Cong. Jesse Jackson Jr., worked on the Service Academy Nominating Committee of Senator Barack Obama, and currently works at the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity bringing economic development and job training programs to communities in our metropolitan region. He also recently returned from a tour of duty with the Naval Reserve in Iraq.

Thomas has chosen to coordinate his campaign with the campaigns of incumbent trustees Diane Viverito of Elmwood Park and Steve Kubiczky of Riverside. I applaud his efforts to build a district-wide coalition that will help not only his election efforts but also his ability to work with his future colleagues on the Triton Board. I know Diane Viverito through her work with Cook County Commissioner Peter Silvestri, and she is a thoughtful and hard-working public servant. Mr. Kubiczky is a dedicated and detail-oriented trustee. I expect these three candidates will work as well at the board table as they do on the campaign trail.

Thomas Gary was motivated to run for the Triton Board, in part, by the series of articles in Wednesday Journal detailing the board's operation. He has long been a proponent of open and transparent government, dating back to his service on the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners. I have encouraged Thomas to make compliance with the Open Meetings Act a top priority for his service on the Triton Board, should he be elected. I trust he will do his best, and I know that Oak Park and River Forest will be better served by having him at the board table.

No matter how you vote, I strongly encourage you to cast a ballot in our local elections. I hope you will join me in voting "yes" to abolish the Cicero Township Trustee of Schools, and to elect trustee candidates Maureen Sherwood and Louis Angeloni. I also hope you'll join with me in supporting a balanced coalition of leadership for Triton College by supporting Oak Parker Thomas Gary and his coalition partners Diane Viverito and Steven Kubiczky.

This was at least partially in response to the Wednesday Journal endorsing Irene Moskal Del Giudice, Alfonza "Al" McKinnor and Thomas Gary.

Harmon is a master deal maker. I think it's reasonable to speculate Harmon got the Stephens political machine to support Gary so he's supporting the Stephens candidates in Oak Park.

Harmon is Oak Park Township's Democratic Committeeman and his senate district includes Melrose Park and Stone Park.

A07, Tapia-Reyes quits race for Triton board [D504]

Dolores Tapia-Reyes has withdrawn her candidacy for the Triton College board of trustees.See Wednesday Journal (Bill Dwyer).

Tapia-Reyes wouldn't confirm other's contentions that she was pressured into withdrawing, or any motives for someone doing so. However she said that she felt her effort lacked adequate support, and realized she wasn't adequately prepared personally and politically for the undertaking.

One observer of the Triton scene, who asked to remain anonymous, insisted that Tapia-Reyes was pressured to back off her candidacy by people concerned that her presence on the ballot would hurt Oak Parker Thomas Gary's chances for election. State Senator and Oak Park Township Democratic Committeeman Don Harmon, the source added, wanted her off the ballot.

Harmon denied pressuring Tapia-Reyes off the ballot.


Harmon's district covers a large section of Leyden Township where Don Stephens is the Republican Committeeman. Stephens' committee raised over $250,000 in the second half of 2006 and gave most of it to things he didn't need to fund. One of the causes Stephens didn't fund was Harmon's Republican challenger, Jim Rowe.

Stephens' son, Mark, is the president of the Triton board.

Did Harmon and Stephens clan make a deal or come to some sort of understanding?

Mark Stephens did withdraw his support of current trustee Irene Moskal Del Giudice of Schiller Park.