Sunday, December 2, 2012
Take the Patch Poll: Does Pat Quinn deserve re-election or would you put another Democrat on the ballot in 2014?
Pat Quinn is so unpopular, according to a recent Public Policy Polling survey, that Lisa Madigan and Bill Daley would easily beat him in a Democratic primary while Kirk Dillard and Dan Rutherford would topple him in the general election. Quinn says he's going to run for re-election in 2014, but as 2012 comes to an end only 25 percent of Illinois voters approve of the job he's doing as governor. Public Policy Polling says 64 percent of voters disapprove of Quinn's performance — "making him the most unpopular governor PPP has polled on anywhere in the country this year." And there seems to be good reason for that. Last week, 24/7 Wall St. published a ranking of all 50 states, and Illinois emerges as the third-worst-run state in America, …
Thursday, November 29, 2012
If the Irish can stack government with family, the Puerto Rican can, too, says Berrios, who has several family members on his assessor's staff and a host of others on county, school and state payrolls.
"In government," says Joe Berrios, Cook County Democratic Party chairman, "people help people." So why shouldn't he help the people named Berrios with government jobs? Berrios believes he's just like President John F. Kennedy — minus the Irish, of course — and entirely justified in putting relatives on the government payroll. The various Berriosi pull in more than $1 million in salary and pension benefits, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. His family members are eminently qualified to hold the various positions he's hired or promoted them into. And, really, you shouldn't question this. As he told the Sun-Times Wednesday: “Look at a great president that we had, President Kennedy. Who’d he appoint attorney general? You know? Same thing…
Sunday, November 11, 2012
A columnist who's covered Jackson since his first days in public office suggests Obama's rise sent Jackson to his downfall.
U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.— who came into Congress bearing the heavy weight of his family name and lofty ambitions — counted Chicago's third airport as a signature issue for the better part of his time in office. And there's been no stauncher advocate for that project than Southtown columnist Phil Kadner. Construction of such an airport would bring much-needed jobs to an area plagued by chronic unemployment, and the airport itself, once realized, would serve as an economic engine for decades to come. So went the mantra. Targeted for a rural area outside the 2nd District until the latest congressional remap put the land into his district, Jackson's pursuit of the airport irritated Democrats and Republicans alike, from Chicago to Will …
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Patch broke down the voting precincts in Lincoln Square, revealing where the most Obama lovers and Romney supporters reside.
President Barack Obama may have snatched 84 percent of Chicago constituents on Tuesday, but in some parts of the neighborhood, some voters thought Gov. Mitt Romney should have been the next commander in chief. Patch broke down the more than 80 different precincts in two different wards to find where Obama’s biggest supporters live, and more importantly, where Romney’s largest following resides. Wards 47 and 40 each claim parts of Northcenter and Lincoln Square. So, where were the most votes cast for Romney? A total of 179 people in 47th Ward Ald. Ameya Pawar's 4th precinct selected him—a higher tally for Romney than any other precinct in the ward, according to Chicago's online election results. The 4th Precinct is in Northcenter, near …
Friday, November 9, 2012
Almost 30 students from Amundsen High School put in 14-hour days on Tuesday to help their neighbors decide the future of a nation.
Amundsen High School senior Gabriella Aguirre slept soundly on Tuesday, but not because she worked more than 14 hours at local voting precinct. It was because Barack Obama was re-elected as President of the United States. Aguirre was one of about 25 Amundsen students that worked as election judges on Tuesday. She, along with fellow seniors Stephanie Figueroa, Magdalen D’Alessio and Xuan Huynh, all predicted Obama’s victory. While working the polls, students saw hundreds of voters, some more outspoken than others. Huynh encountered a woman wearing a t-shirt with a photo-shopped image of her and Obama walking down the beach together. Like us on Facebook! Weird encounters aside, all four students ran into confused voters who went to the wrong…
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
More than two dozen Chicagoans gathered Tuesday night in a Lincoln Park bar where Patch—and Barack Obama—dominated the scene.
Ebonie Durham didn't flinch as election results began trickling in Tuesday night, showing Mitt Romney taking an early lead in electoral votes. "I'm not worried," she said, pulling up a voter map of the U.S. on her iPad. The 28-year-old West Garfield Park resident was among about 30 people at the North Side Patch Election Party at Beer Bistro, 1415 W. Fullerton Ave., in Lincoln Park. A thunderous applause filled the upstairs party area of the bar around 11:30 p.m., when an announcement affirmed Barack Obama as president of the United States. "I told you!" Durham said, later adding that, "I just wish Americans didn't get so caught up in the drama and hype of the polls. It was very straight-forward who would be the winner of this election…
Check out the vote totals for races affecting Chicago's north side, including the 5th Congressional, 24th State Senate and Cook County battles.
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Wednesday, November 7, 2012
While the elephant (and donkey) in the room this Election Day is the presidential race, people are also heading to the polls to vote for federal and state representation, as well as local referenda. We've got a roundup of results for races affecting the north side, including: The 5th District covers the entire North Side of Chicago: Bucktown and parts of south Lincoln Park: District 10 (Choose three for a six year term) Clerk of the Circuit Court: Dorothy A. Brown (D) vs. Diane S. Shapiro (R) Diane Shapiro (R) is making her second run for the Clerk spot against current clerk Dorothy A. Brown (D). Brown drew criticism for her alleged mishandling for her “Jeans Day” fund into which court employees chipped in $2 or $3 for wearing jeans on …
He promises in Daily Herald article to be accessible to his "new constituents."
U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Chicago), will retain his 5th District seat after a convincing win in Tuesday's General Election over Republican candidate Dan Schmitt and Green Party candidate Nancy Wade. Quigley got about 70 percent of the vote Tuesday from residents in the 5th District, which include almost all of Elmhurst, and parts of Bensenville, Hinsdale, Western Springs, Oakbrook Terrace and other communities stretching all the way to the lakeshore. Quigley has represented the district since 2009. He delivered a message to his "new consituents" in this Daily Herald article. Quigley, who was uncontested in the March Primary election, was a Cook County commissioner before being elected to Congress. According to his website: "He began his …
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
McCormick Place is filled with celebration as the race is called.
- ELECTIONS
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Tuesday, November 6, 2012
LIVE from McCormick Place: Patch reports live from the Chicago celebration. Comments on this post are set for pre-publication review.
The former lawmaker was ousted from his seat in the Illinois house, but beat challenger Lance Tyson in the race to win Tuesday’s election.
Former state lawmaker Derrick Smith has been re-elected to his seat in the Illinois House Tuesday after being impeached and expelled for allegedly taking $7,000 bribe, according to CBS Chicago. Smith took an early lead in Tuesday’s election against challenger Lance Tyson, an independent lawyer, the Chicago Tribune reports. Later, with half the votes reported, Smith had 62 percent of the vote compared to Tyson’s 38 percent. The House of Representatives expelled Smith in August after his alleged felony crime in March, Huffintington Post writes. Smith was bribed to write an official letter of support to a fictional daycare center he thought was seeking a state grant. The FBI informant delivered an envelope filled with cash to Smith, and Smith…
my opinion
8:50 am on Friday, February 8, 2013
Stop kidding yourselves people. Everyone in Springfield knows that Mike "the maggot" Madigan rules the state. Hey Mike, why won't you let any reporters interview you? Why do you think he got Lisa elected? Smart politics and self preservation, so the State Attorney General's office won't come after him. Lisa must be proud to be his daughter......thanks daddy for making my career. more ›