The fight for the open 5th Congressional seat is getting ugly.
And Cook County Commissioner Mike Quigley deserves a knock for moving it in that direction.
With Election Day looming Tuesday, mailboxes in the North Side and suburban district have been littered with flyers, including a cheap and misleading one by Quigley. The Chicago Sun-Times editorial board endorsed Quigley and we stand by that endorsement. But that means we're holding him to a higher standard, including calling him out when he strays.
Several of his ads blame his opponents Sara Feigenholtz and John Fritchey, both state representatives, for giving Chicago the highest sales tax in the nation.
That's not accurate.
Last year, both Fritchey and Feigenholtz voted for a bill to bail out the CTA, which included a .25 percent sales tax increase. The vote was needed to avert a CTA meltdown and an immediate fare hike. A few months later, the Cook County Board also voted to raise the sales tax, this time by 1 percent. That's the vote that gave Chicago the dubious honor of having the nation's highest sales tax.
And, more importantly, Fritchey and Feigenholtz were right in voting for that small tax increase to keep our buses and trains running.
Quigley argues that the CTA is mismanaged and bloated and should have been reformed before it got any more money. He says that's what he demanded at the Cook County Board. Sure, the CTA could be better managed. But it's no Cook County Board.
Plus, there was wide support for the CTA bailout. There was almost no support for a sales tax hike at the county board.
Quigley has an excellent reputation as a detail-oriented reformer. Let's keep it that way.
This blog brought to you by the Sun-Times editorial board (click on names to read bios):
Translation: Quigley lied, and he's wrong on mass transit. Why is that so hard to say? Because then you'd have to actually admit that you were wrong to endorse him?
Quigley is NO reformer. Where have you and the sun-times been for the 10 years that Quigley has been a County Commissioner? He has never reformed anything because he is a weasel.
He has never stood for ANYTHING!
Has he ever stood for anything on his own???? Without using President Todd Stroger' name???
Just what we need. A Congressman who cannot run on any of his accomplishments but on the backs of others who are less fortunate.
Cook County DID NOT RAISE YOUR PROPERTY TAXES LIKE QUIGLEY HAS ALWAYS TOLD US! Its a LIE! Read your tax bill.
Too bad the sun-times did not pick that up about Quigley.
Mike Quigley is BAD GOVERNMENT! Please, do not VOTE for him!
Politics as usual in Illinois AND thats what we are sick of! Mr.Quigley will not get MY vote because he's has shown he has no moral fortitude and is right up their with Blagojevich & Burris. P.S. Someone tell Rep.Danny Davis that not ALL Black people are for Mr. Burris, he will not resign so let him ride the tainted bronco until ALL the people of Illinois can vote him out if he's stupid enough to run in 2010. I am a Black resident of Chicago & its embarrassing to have Mr.Burris as Senator until 2010 AND Bobby Rush is living back in "THE DAY" when he was a Black Panther member, playing the RACE CARD AGAIN is depiccable!.
Umm...think you hit it on the head there Dave.
so what is todd strogers excuse for raising the sales tax?
Mr. Quigley endorsed Todd Stroger AND voted for Toddster's budget.
what other reasons do we need to NOT vote for Mr. Quinn??
if you want real reform, vote Republican - that should shake things up!