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'People will be striking deals'; New leadership, political alliances in board's futureChicago Sun-TimesOctober 23, 2006By Steve PattersonThe wave of reform that crashed over the Cook County Board four years ago isn't likely to be replicated in the Nov. 7 election. In 2002, a block of "reformers" won seats on the board, but this year, more than half of those running have no opponent or an invisible one. Despite the lack of overwhelming shakeups, there will be a new board president, and outspoken Ald. William Beavers (7th) is expected to be a new commissioner on the 17-member board. Many expect board President Bobbie Steele to retire after the election, handing her district seat to someone else -- likely one of her children. And the board will be without its two most elder statesmen -- Democrat John Stroger and Republican Carl Hansen -- for the first time in decades. It all means new dynamics and new political alliances. "People will be striking deals for nine votes, and the question will be how do you do it," veteran Commissioner Mike Quigley asked. "Does it happen along political lines, racial lines, party lines, no taxes/yes taxes? That'll be the interesting thing to watch." If Democrat Todd Stroger wins the presidency, he'll take the post without having a board vote -- although Beavers is expected to carry Stroger's agenda as a South Side commissioner, filling the seat of his father, John Stroger. As board president, John Stroger struggled in recent years to build nine votes to pass bills. Todd Stroger has already aligned himself with some of his father's critics, though some question whether those relationships will hold up as Stroger settles into the job and his commitment to reform gets a true test. 4 with a fight Republican Tony Peraica wants to hold both the president's seat and his west suburban seat. If he wins the top job, Peraica faces trying to push his agenda past a board that is ruled by Democrats and includes Republicans who haven't always supported him. But Peraica spent four years establishing himself as one of those "reformers" and would likely find support from those he has teamed with in the past to fight tax hikes. Commissioners Deborah Sims, Joseph Mario Moreno, Roberto Maldonado, Quigley, Forrest Claypool, Larry Suffredin and Gregg Goslin are all running unopposed. Commissioners Jerry Butler, Steele and Liz Gorman join Beavers in having opponents waging campaigns with no campaign committees. Those with a fight: • • Republican Tim Schneider, a business owner from Bartlett, beat 32-year northwest suburban commissioner Hansen in the primary but has seen some of Hansen's supporters shift to Democrat Jim Dasakis, a restaurant owner from Hoffman Estates. Hansen was never close with "reformers," but Schneider has reached out to those members already. Dasakis is aligning himself with Todd Stroger. • • Peraica faces a stiff challenge to hold on to his district seat, as attorney Bill Gomolinski has big-name Democratic supporters behind him. Though the seat has long been held by a Republican, Gomolinski is posing a threat. • • Joan Murphy is trying to repeat as commissioner for the south and southwest suburbs, a rare feat in a seat with high turnover. The Democrat is challenged by Republican newcomer Michael Hawkins. • • Republican Peter Silvestri, village president of Elmwood Park, is vying for his fourth term on the board, with a challenge from a Chicago schoolteacher, Democrat upstart Jodi Biancalana. • • John Daley, chairman of the county's powerful Finance Committee and the board's unofficial leader, has a challenge from Carl Segvich, a rare Republican in the Democrat-dominated South and Southwest Side district.
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