Name That Party: Unemployment Comp Claim Edition
On the Chicago Sun-Times's Web site today, it's reported that former Cook County Board President Todd Stroger has applied for unemployment benefits. Stroger had been earning $170,000 at his job, and his former employer is appealing his eligibility. Not mentioned, of course, is the fact Stroger is a Democrat.
A little more than four years ago, Stroger was endorsed by then-Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) as "a good progressive Democrat" who will "lead us into a new era of Cook County government." He certainly did. His tenure was marked by scandal after scandal after scandal. Still, Stroger was constantly on the prowl for new talent to bring to government. So impressed was he with one restaurant busboy he encountered that the man ended up with a $61,189-a-year county job. The guy sure must have known how to handle a glass of ice water.
Still, what eventually damaged Stroger most severely was shoving through a sales tax hike that gave Chicago the highest one in the nation. Finally, an issue that even the sophisticated voters of Cook County could understand. Stroger lost the primary.
So Todd no longer is in a position to lend a hand to deserving busboys in the area. He's been reduced to filing a jobless claim for himself. That's newsworthy. So is his political affiliation.
- Mike Bates's blog
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Comments
Whodathunkit?
Submitted by Ashrak on Sat, 03/05/2011 - 3:43pm.
Raising taxes sees jobs lost.
Whenever I here the "raise taxes on the rich" argument, I like to say "OK then, just how many cents of each dollar earned must belong to government"?
Progressives duck that question more than their subset of man made global warmers do when asked how glaciers melted before human industrialized.
If they want to talk "fair share", then by all means, lets just establish what that is. Get em all on record. Then, when spending outtracks that taxation too, which it always does, their own words can be put right back to them.
I agree with the statement at the end of this article that it is newsworthy that a once elected official seeks unemployment payments after having such lucrative employment. I also agree that his party affiliation matters. Here is what I was just talking about. Democats always talk about "the rich" and "need". So why would he "need" said payments when he is so "rich"? I would like to see him asked that question.
I think "fair share" would be
Submitted by goldbough on Sat, 03/05/2011 - 11:46pm.
I think "fair share" would be the amount that would leave each person with enough money to be middle class or lower.
I wonder if Todd & Barack
Submitted by Miss_Me_Yet on Sat, 03/05/2011 - 4:14pm.
I wonder if Todd & Barack ever shared a glass of ice water on one of those sweaty, sweltering hot, hot, hot Chicago days, or nights....you know, back in the day.
Liberals ... we can't live with them, they couldn't survive without us ...
It's Not Impossible.
Submitted by Tenebrous on Sat, 03/05/2011 - 5:12pm.
Obama does have a track record for homosexual dalliances.
Visions and Principles blog
I believe
Submitted by Bob K on Sun, 03/06/2011 - 12:35am.
it is known as being on the down low. Would not doubt it a bit.
Todd & Barack can commiserate...
Submitted by Unsilent_Minority on Sat, 03/05/2011 - 6:28pm.
...at Man's Country Chicago. And, hell, they can even invite Rahm to celebrate his mayoral erection, er, election.
I stopped buying the Sun
Submitted by kurt mueller on Sat, 03/05/2011 - 5:59pm.
I stopped buying the Sun Times or visiting their website when they blamed the Tuscon shootings on right-wing rhetoric. They are beneath contempt.
Cook County. What more needs
Submitted by Cowboy on Mon, 03/07/2011 - 3:57am.
Cook County. What more needs to be said about that?
As for the Sun Times, it didn't buy it for the 50 years I lived in the Chicago area.