March 31, 2021
BENIGNO USING NORRIDGE AS HIS "GOLDEN PARACHUTE"
Persistence is an admirable characteristic. But being obsessively persistent can be borderline insane - you know, pathologically doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Illinois Deputy Secretary of State Tom Benigno is running for Village of Norridge president seat for the third time. That's the epitome of persistence. He lost 1,722-1,206 in 2013 and 1,747-1,155 in 2017. "Most of our (village) revenue comes from retail sales taxes (like Harlem-Irving Plaza), not property taxes," said incumbent president Dan Tannhauser, who replaced Chmura in July 2019. Why would Benigno give up his $188,000-a year state job? He's really not. Jesse White, Benigno's boss, is age 86, and has announced his retirement at the end of his current term, which is Dec. 2022. That means Benigno will be history. But Benigno has been working for him since 1999, so he is eligible for a Tier-One state pension, which is 85 percent of his salary on retirement, which computes to $159,800-a year for life, or $13,300-a month, with a 3 percent annual increase. And who said that "public service" isn't "rewarding"? "I will serve full-time (as village president) if elected," said Benigno, age 64, "and retire" from his state job. When I interviewed him in 2017 he said he could multi-task and do both jobs. Full Article...
March 24, 2021
CHICAGO STILL 'SECOND CITY' IN 'OPPORTUNITY STRUCTURES,' AND BIG APPLE REMAINS THE BEST
In a political context, the so-called "opportunity structures" are a precious commodity. They are a euphemism defined by an acronym - OTRF, which means a plethora of Offices To Run For. Chicago's estimated population in 2019 was about 2.6 million, New York City's 8.4 million, and Los Angeles's 3.8 million. That makes the Big Apple the most populous, as always, and Chicago "The Third City." But when it comes to opportunity structures, meaning elected jobs for ambitious politicians, Chicago remains the Second City, far better than LA and devoid of those annoying term-limits. But when it come to homicides, Chicago ranks Number One, with 774 homicides in 2020, compared to 447 in NYC and 349 in LA. NYC has a 2021 mayoral election, and LA in 2022. There may be portents for Chicago in 2023. Full Article...
March 17, 2021
COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS PAUSE POLITICAL FUNDRAISING
Someone wrote or sang that money can’t buy happiness. What rock did he crawl out from under? A politician certainly did not say it. Money buys public office and that means power. Politicians view money in two ways: As a mechanism to get into power, stay in power or to accumulate more power by running for a more prestigious office, and to deter and/or intimidate opponents from trying to take it away. That’s called “buying happiness.” Politics is a social endeavor. It used to be called “pressing the flesh,” as in meeting, greeting, hugging, and even kissing babies. The public used to want to see their elected officials, and their supporters and donors wanted their candidate to know they existed. COVID-19 has upended the whole fund-raising system. No more group gatherings or rallies. No more boring community meetings. No more $100-and-up fund-raisers where a donor/campaign worker can eat and drink with abandon while socializing with his/her peers and the candidate. Attached is a FUNDRAISING CHART detailing 2020 receipts and 12/31 cash-on-hand of various politicians. Full Article...
March 3, 2021
WHY THE GEORGIA RESULT WILL NOT OCCUR IN FLORIDA, TEXAS, NORTH CAROLINA AND OHIO -- DIFFERENT DEMOGRAPHICS
FL, TX, NC and OH ain't GA. The demographics are different. Georgia's Black population is 31.9% and growing; if that racial demographic turns out at 75-80%, a conservative white Republican is doomed. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, I guess. Politically speaking, I have a feeling Donald Trump’s departure from the White House makes many hearts of Americans grow fonder. Here's my analysis of trends in those 5 states. Full Article...
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