Are term limits desirable? Is it better for society to rotate these positions more frequently? How many years should they be allowed to serve before taking some time off? 8, 10, 12 or 20 years? Tell everyone what you think.
Not only should we have term limits, we should have a confidence / no confidence vote at the midpoint of every elected official's term. Office holders who get a "no confidence" vote would be encouraged to immediately resign and move on.
Imagine if we took a confidence / no confidence vote on Barack Obama this coming November!
If they were concerned about that, I suspect they'd be running and trying to rake in lots of campaign cash for the legal defense fund. No politician wants to be represented by the Office of the Federal Defender.
Among the serious names mentioned: Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, state Comptroller Dan Hynes, state Attorney General Lisa Madigan, Cook County Commissioner Forrest Claypool, Cook County Assessor Jim Houlihan, 2004 Senate candidate Gery Chico and Reps. Mike Quigley, Luis Gutierrez and Jesse Jackson Jr.
I want to speak of term limits. I think that both the new mayor and the new alderman should vov to limit their stay in office to no more that eight years. Who agrees?
Some local governments have term limits. In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the mayor cannot be elected three consecutive times, but there is no limit on how long any individual can serve as mayor. Frank Rizzo was elected mayor in 1971 and 1975; he attempted to repeal the term limit, but failed and could not run in 1979. He ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for mayor in 1983 but he lost to Wilson Goode. In 1986, he switched to the Republican Party, and ran as a Republican in the mayoral elections of 1987 and 1991.
Limits vary from city to city even within the same state. For example Houston, Texas has a 3- two year term limit while San Antonio, Texas has a 4- two year term limit.
A two-term limit was imposed on New York City Council members and citywide elected officials (except for district attorneys) in New York City after a 1993 referendum (see the Charter of the City of New York, §1138). On November 3, 2008, however, mayor Michael Bloomberg signed a bill extending the two-term limit to a three-term limit and has now been elected to a third term.
In Cincinnati, Ohio, the term limit for mayor is two successive four-year terms. Council members are limited to four successive two-year terms. There is no limit to total terms that may be served, just a limit on successive terms.
Daley is a great example of why need term limits. His first 3 terms were great but then he got tired and overconfident, sloppy. .The result, this past term has been an absolute disaster. He should have left before all this damage occureds.
Two term limit for mayor and alderman. Dan Hynes, are you kidding me, he is done with politics and wouldn't have a chance anyway. LIsa Madigan would be a tough combo of money and no corruption (outside of being the Speaker's daughter), Dart would have some umph but a county sheriff, Meeks maybe. To think that a minirority won't be in the run-off is plain stupid.
I hear Tom Hynes is going to draft Aurelia Pucinski for mayor. He always took Aurelia Pucinski over his own employees that she screwed when she lost to Stroger in 1994. Tom was always good to selling out to someone else.
Dan Hynes…goose egg in the old days even bigger goose egg today! Has the same sleepy boring eyes as his father.
I like the Russ Stewart’s description of Dan Hynes.. a political retread that can’t have new tread retread onto. Basically he’s done.
DID MAHER REALLY VIOLATE A MANS REAR END IN A BROOM CLOSET SOMEWHERE, I ONLY THOUGHT THE 19TH WARD PEOPLE DID THAT AT ELECTION TIME, LACE CURTAIN NARROW BACKS,
The Patrick Maher story is getting a great deal of attention. Why do you ask is this important to the 19th ward because: He is Hynes family; he is the god son of Tom Hynes. He was and is supported in his campaigns from the 19th ward staffers and Matt O’Shea. Are we to assume that the 19th ward Democratic organization did not know about his criminal background? Nothing could be more of a pressing issue to the people of the 19th ward to know about during election time as yet another example of the fraud, lies and deceit from the 19th ward democratic organization to serve their own circles interest. Question: is that who got him off from this and tried to have his record cleared downstate and in the college? Also this Patrick Maher’s FATHER works for the Cook county sheriff as a high ranking staffer of the sheriff and get this; his job is to check the backgrounds of people!!! WTF! You cannot make this shit up. The bad PART is this: Why did the Hynes family cover up for Maher? Why did the Hynes family not come forward and make sure that Maher never ran for public office after he beat a man so badly he still has brain damage to this day?, why did they take part in his cover up, when he lied about his past record and lied about his birthday on official documents ? What other politicians covered up for him? Did the mayors and committeemen, and township officials of: Orland Park, Orland Hills, Tinley park cover up for him? After all many of them are all also related, If they did we need to call for their resignation from public office as well. This goes COVER UP very deep. Question isn’t it against to law in Illinois to fraudulently fill out and report you r paperwork to the Illinois department of elections and cook county board of elections, election filings and campaign declarations? Why did Mr. Maher use his wrong birthday and why did he check “never” arrested on his applications? This is a felony! Where are the states attorneys investigating this crime? He needs to be charged and soon! When will the Orland park fire board call for his immediate resignation?
I call on this blog to ask for the names and resignations of all other persons elected and not that knew about this cover up and did nothing.
I like the Idea of two (2) 4 year terms and a final 3rd two (2) year term for a total of 10 years max. 10 years is all anyone would need to make effective quality change if they are able to make a difference.
HYNES BEAT SOMEONE UP, WHAT DID HE DO. BEAT HIM WITH PURSE OR UMBRELLA,AS FAR AS DART IS CONCERNED THAT KID WAS A SNITCH AT ST. BANABAS AND USED TO GET PANTSED BY OTHER KIDS IN THE JOHN.
Did anyone see Fox news last night. They were talking about the democratic candidate for County board Pat Maher. This guy is a violent piece of work and despite that he is rammed down out throat by his uncle Tom Hyness. Teen age fight my ass. The victim got 25 stitches and a broken jaw. That was not a teenage fight.
Then the coverup. He forgot that he was arrested. He is a liar. Pat Mahers father is David Maher, also on the sheriff's payroll doing nothing. How did he get that job.
Somebody should do a blog about the Hynes family. Corruption personified.
Anonymous said... what is this story all about? Hynes beat someone up? im confused? 08 September, 2010
No Hynes did not beat anyone up, his nephew Patrick Maher running for the county board did. Maher has been backed by the 19th ward Democratic organization for several years in his runs for campaign as has his father, who also works as a high ranking official on the Sheriff Darts staff. Maher is a Hynes nephew and God Son of Tom Hynes; the entire Hynes family and their friends covered up for him and have been part of the cover up going forward. Maher lied about his conviction; he lied about going to school there and he lied about his birthdates being wrong on ALL OF his campaign disclosures and questioners. His excuse was he forgot about the arrest and conviction, and the wrong birthdates on “multiple forms” must have been a typo on his behalf. LIAR! And by the way is it not a felon to lie on state and county election documents? Danny boy Hynes you are an Attorney and a public office holder, is it not a criminal offense????? Go to fox news Chicago and look under investigations by Dwayne Placko, the special investigation ran last night (9-8-10) on fox news. The problem here is all the cover up lies and other politicians that are involved which all stem from the 19th ward. Also implications that Tom Dart may have involvement because Patrick Maher’s father works as high ranking official under the sheriff and his job is to handle investigations.
Is this the same guy who the sheriff authorizes to illegally use the sheriff’s department internet fraud resources to try to track down the bloggers on here and other site??? Well is it MR. DART??? Will you continue to condone that even if you decide to run for mayor. I call on Sheriff Tom Dart to fully investigate this! this favortism, family corruption MUST STOP!
Candidate Patrick Maher, Who is Running for Cook County Board, Might Be Running From Past
Patrick Maher is running for Cook County Commissioner on a campaign of ethics reform and cleaning up county government.
But a FOX Chicago News investigation found that Maher has not been forthright about an ethical lapse in his own past, and might even have tried to cover it up.
The issue: In 1991 Maher, then a freshman at Illinois State University in Bloomington, was arrested and charged with felony aggravated battery after the brutal beating of another student. According to police records, Maher and a friend went to the dormroom of a man who had once dated Maher's girlfriend. The victim suffered a broken jaw, broken eye socket and 25 stitches. Witnesses described finding a "puddle of blood" in his dorm room. He was hospitalized for two days.
Maher plead guilty to misdemeanor battery after the jury hung on the felony charge.
Yet when asked on one candidate questionnaire to explain any criminal background, including arrests, convictions and major traffic violations, Maher responded "none."
"I probably forgot I got arrested. I was 20 years old. It was a mistake," he said.
But then, after telling us it must have slipped his mind Maher said: "I regret it every day of my life. It was something I shouldn't have been there for. It was a mistake."
On top of that, two separate candidate questionnaires-- one for the Sun-Times, the other for the Southtown Star-- give inaccurate birthdates for the Orland Park resident. Maher was born on November 18, 1971, but on the newspapers' questionnaires, his birthday is listed as November 19, 1971.
We asked Maher if he filled out the forms himself.
"I fill out most of them, yeah. I fill out all of them," he said. "I made a mistake. It's probably a typo." Maher denied changing the birthdates in order to make a background check more difficult.
Maher later blamed his former campaign manager for the errant information. But the former campaign manager told Fox News Maher reviewed all the questionnaires before they were submitted and raised no objections. The former campaign manager also said he asked Maher whether there were any issues in his past that the campaign should know about and Maher told him there were none.
We found another "typo" that critics might say shows an attempt to erase what happened at ISU in 1991. On Maher's LinkedIn page, he says he attended Northern Illinois University from 1990 to 1995. There is no mention of ISU, even though Maher didn't start at Northern until 1992.
Someone who hasn't forgotten about the beating is Karen Peterson, the victim's mother.
"My son's injuries were severe," she wrote in a letter to FOX Chicago News. "Perhaps the most frightening of all, short term and long term memory loss. I am appalled that Mr. Maher currently holds an elected position and is seeking a second elected position. I question how many voters Mr. Maher made aware of his criminal record prior to his election."
For the past seven years, Maher has been a member of the Orland Park Fire Protection District, and its president since 2006. He comes from a politically-connected family. His father, David Maher, is Village Clerk of Orland Park and an investigator for the Cook County Sheriff's department who also does background checks on prospective employees. Maher's uncle is Democratic powerbroker Tom Hynes and his cousin is Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes.
Maher is now running against Republican Cook County Commissioner Liz Gorman on a platform of restoring ethics to county government.
His website says it's time to hold elected officials accountable.
Three days after we went to Maher's house to ask him about what happened at ISU, Maher's campaign released the following statement:
"Almost 20 years ago as college student, I got into an altercation with another student and later plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge resulting from the incident. I was deeply ashamed of my actions and learned some valuable lessons about personal responsibility. Lessons I will share with my children as they get older and begin to face the world on their own. I am running for Commissioner because I believe that my adult life experiences, as a small business owner, as an elected official and most importantly as a Father & Husband, make me the best qualified candidate to solve the problems facing Cook County."
Someone who hasn't forgotten about the beating is Karen Peterson, the victim's mother.
"My son's injuries were severe," she wrote in a letter to FOX Chicago News. "Perhaps the most frightening of all, short term and long term memory loss. I am appalled that Mr. Maher currently holds an elected position and is seeking a second elected position. I question how many voters Mr. Maher made aware of his criminal record prior to his election."...........
For the past seven years, Maher has been a member of the Orland Park Fire Protection District, and its president since 2006. He comes from a politically-connected family. His father, David Maher, is Village Clerk of Orland Park and an investigator for the Cook County Sheriff's department who also does background checks on prospective employees. Maher's uncle is Democratic powerbroker Tom Hynes and his cousin is Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes. .....
UH HELLO 19th WARD..Maher's uncle is Democratic powerbroker Tom Hynes and his cousin is Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes.
You know what i am disgusted and sickened by these friggin politician LIAR. , i was just going through some of the old blogs posted on here and as an Italian Catholic in Mt. Greenwood this previous blog from a earlier segment really points to the obvious. These politicians are all sinners, this Maher guys beats a kid to daylight, the kid well man now, has brain damage to this day and Maher has the arrogance to run for public office because his family can protect him???? His family covered up for him, his father covered up for him? Ok so he forgot about being arrested and convicted of a felony??? So did his mother and father and Uncle Tom Hynes, and cousin Dan Hynes forget he was arrested? What did the other mayors, and village clerks know? And commissioners know, what did the township commissioners know?? Do you not see how they all lie and cover for each other? Sinners all of you.
Our politicians are OUT OF CONTROL everywhere! Re read this blogger post simple but it was to the point, they are all liars and hypocrites to take care of their own family friends and mainly protect their interest which of course is MONEY, but because they march in parades and give away a free hot dog in the park WE LOVE THEM, wake up... good for you blogger!
Anonymous said... you know as i was sitting in Mass this morning after receiving communion, i thought about the adulters, the "pro_choice" baby killers and I thought how could our 19th ward organization claim to be Catholics? and how could the citizens who claim to be catholic support them????? Mayor Richard Daley, The Beloved past assessor Tom Hynes, Danny Hynes, Michael Madigan, Alderman Rugai, Jerry Joyce, Kevin Joyce, Tom Dart, Michael Sheehan, Skinny Sheehan, Kathy Meaney, Rose Bilecki, Tom Ryan, Ed Harmening, the mayors of Oak lawn, Marionette park, Evergreen park, Worth township Democratic Party chair John O’Sullivan and many others: how can they all claim to be good catholics when they support abortion? this is disturbing when you ponder the thought. bless them and forgive them Holy Father, for they are NOT what they claim to be. 05 September, 2010
Cook County Commissioner Liz Gorman released the following statement today regarding the escalating scandal involving Patrick Maher, the cousin of Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes, the president of the Orland Fire Protection District and a candidate for the 17th District Cook County Board seat.
(Read the background on Maher's criminal past and Maher's statement released last night? Click here?)
Last night Fox News Chicago ran a story about Patrick Maher, a Democrat who heads the Orland Fire Protection District, and my opponent in the upcoming November General election. I encourage you to take a look at the news story yourself. You can click here to view the video and read the accompanying article. Watching this expose on Maher's battery of a young man, I took the words of the victim's mother to heart 'I am appalled that Mr. Maher currently holds an elected position and is seeking a second elected position. I question how many voters Mr. Maher made aware of his criminal record prior to his election.' I am calling on convicted batterer Patrick Maher to immediately resign from the Orland Fire Protection District, as by his own admission he has violated his own policies for employment with the district: "It is of capital importance that the personnel hired are of sound moral character for they serve not only the public in times of emergency but also as exemplary figures in the public eye. There is no room for the thief, the cheat, or the deceiver of the innocent." (source: http://www.orlandfire.org/EMPLOY.htm) I would encourage you to forward this information to any friends and family you have in the area, the people and voters of our communities must know the truth about Maher and voice their opinion.
I'm just categorically opposed to all legislative term limits. (For one, what legislator will actually truly support this idea...) With term limits in effect, and I know I'm citing federal officials, but then we would have been without the services of Ted Kennedy, Russ Feingold, Dick Durbin, etc. because of the term limits. Term limits do take care of poor officials, but they also get rid of the truly brilliant statesmen as well.
If we're so focused on the "out of touch" ones, hey, let's just throw 'em out on our own! We gotta vote them out!
Three terms for alderman, no more.
ReplyDeletetwo terms cut alderman to 25.
ReplyDeleteNot only should we have term limits, we should have a confidence / no confidence vote at the midpoint of every elected official's term. Office holders who get a "no confidence" vote would be encouraged to immediately resign and move on.
ReplyDeleteImagine if we took a confidence / no confidence vote on Barack Obama this coming November!
i would like to see mr. maher violate the college kid in the broom closet, thats what i want to see.
ReplyDeleteDaley is gone.
ReplyDeletehmmm aldermen calling it quits,mayo not running,could club fed be far behind?
ReplyDelete". . . could club fed be far behind?"
ReplyDeleteIf they were concerned about that, I suspect they'd be running and trying to rake in lots of campaign cash for the legal defense fund. No politician wants to be represented by the Office of the Federal Defender.
Daley not to seek re-election.
ReplyDeleteGinger for mayor!!!
Dany Hynes Mayorr
ReplyDeleteFirst Kevin Joyce, then Ginger now Daley. do u really believe nothing is up?
ReplyDeleteAmong the serious names mentioned: Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, state Comptroller Dan Hynes, state Attorney General Lisa Madigan, Cook County Commissioner Forrest Claypool, Cook County Assessor Jim Houlihan, 2004 Senate candidate Gery Chico and Reps. Mike Quigley, Luis Gutierrez and Jesse Jackson Jr.
ReplyDeleteDart is the man.
ReplyDeleteDAN HYNES FOR MAYOR
ReplyDeleteTom Hynes for mayor.
ReplyDelete"Homer Simpson for Mayor"!
ReplyDeleteHe's way smarter than Daley ever was!
I am perplexed at best. Why are all these leaders leaving political office? What did I miss?
ReplyDeleteI am prepared to work day and night to get tom dart elected.
ReplyDeleteI hear that Dart and the Hyneses don't get along that good. I don't think that dart can get elected without their ok.
ReplyDeleteI want to speak of term limits. I think that both the new mayor and the new alderman should vov to limit their stay in office to no more that eight years. Who agrees?
ReplyDeleteSome local governments have term limits. In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the mayor cannot be elected three consecutive times, but there is no limit on how long any individual can serve as mayor. Frank Rizzo was elected mayor in 1971 and 1975; he attempted to repeal the term limit, but failed and could not run in 1979. He ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for mayor in 1983 but he lost to Wilson Goode. In 1986, he switched to the Republican Party, and ran as a Republican in the mayoral elections of 1987 and 1991.
ReplyDeleteLimits vary from city to city even within the same state. For example Houston, Texas has a 3- two year term limit while San Antonio, Texas has a 4- two year term limit.
A two-term limit was imposed on New York City Council members and citywide elected officials (except for district attorneys) in New York City after a 1993 referendum (see the Charter of the City of New York, §1138). On November 3, 2008, however, mayor Michael Bloomberg signed a bill extending the two-term limit to a three-term limit and has now been elected to a third term.
In Cincinnati, Ohio, the term limit for mayor is two successive four-year terms. Council members are limited to four successive two-year terms. There is no limit to total terms that may be served, just a limit on successive terms.
Daley is a great example of why need term limits. His first 3 terms were great but then he got tired and overconfident, sloppy. .The result, this past term has been an absolute disaster. He should have left before all this damage occureds.
ReplyDeletefrank rizzo,open your fukin ears jackass!
ReplyDeleteTwo term limit for mayor and alderman.
ReplyDeleteDan Hynes, are you kidding me, he is done with politics and wouldn't have a chance anyway. LIsa Madigan would be a tough combo of money and no corruption (outside of being the Speaker's daughter), Dart would have some umph but a county sheriff, Meeks maybe. To think that a minirority won't be in the run-off is plain stupid.
I hear Tom Hynes is going to draft Aurelia Pucinski for mayor. He always took Aurelia Pucinski over his own employees that she screwed when she lost to Stroger in 1994. Tom was always good to selling out to someone else.
ReplyDeleteDan Hynes…goose egg in the old days even bigger goose egg today! Has the same sleepy boring eyes as his father.
I like the Russ Stewart’s description of Dan Hynes.. a political retread that can’t have new tread retread onto. Basically he’s done.
YES!!! TERM LIMITS, SO WE CAN GET RID OF NOT ONLY DALEY, BUT BURKE AND MADIGAN TOO.
ReplyDeleteprepare for higher taxes, the city is broke!
ReplyDeletemassive layoffs and pension reductions coming for city workers,o'hare expansion may grind to a halt.property taxes are gonna skyrocket!
ReplyDeleteDID MAHER REALLY VIOLATE A MANS REAR END IN A BROOM CLOSET SOMEWHERE, I ONLY THOUGHT THE 19TH WARD PEOPLE DID THAT AT ELECTION TIME, LACE CURTAIN NARROW BACKS,
ReplyDeleteOK Sizzle Chest Frank Fucking Rizzo for Mayor Fuck the 19th ward democaratic organization they are jackasses.
ReplyDeleteThe Patrick Maher story is getting a great deal of attention. Why do you ask is this important to the 19th ward because: He is Hynes family; he is the god son of Tom Hynes.
ReplyDeleteHe was and is supported in his campaigns from the 19th ward staffers and Matt O’Shea. Are we to assume that the 19th ward Democratic organization did not know about his criminal background?
Nothing could be more of a pressing issue to the people of the 19th ward to know about during election time as yet another example of the fraud, lies and deceit from the 19th ward democratic organization to serve their own circles interest.
Question: is that who got him off from this and tried to have his record cleared downstate and in the college?
Also this Patrick Maher’s FATHER works for the Cook county sheriff as a high ranking staffer of the sheriff and get this; his job is to check the backgrounds of people!!! WTF! You cannot make this shit up.
The bad PART is this:
Why did the Hynes family cover up for Maher?
Why did the Hynes family not come forward and make sure that Maher never ran for public office after he beat a man so badly he still has brain damage to this day?, why did they take part in his cover up, when he lied about his past record and lied about his birthday on official documents ?
What other politicians covered up for him?
Did the mayors and committeemen, and township officials of: Orland Park, Orland Hills, Tinley park cover up for him? After all many of them are all also related, If they did we need to call for their resignation from public office as well.
This goes COVER UP very deep.
Question isn’t it against to law in Illinois to fraudulently fill out and report you r paperwork to the Illinois department of elections and cook county board of elections, election filings and campaign declarations? Why did Mr. Maher use his wrong birthday and why did he check “never” arrested on his applications? This is a felony! Where are the states attorneys investigating this crime? He needs to be charged and soon!
When will the Orland park fire board call for his immediate resignation?
I call on this blog to ask for the names and resignations of all other persons elected and not that knew about this cover up and did nothing.
what is this story all about? Hynes beat someone up? im confused?
ReplyDeleteI like the Idea of two (2) 4 year terms and a final 3rd two (2) year term for a total of 10 years max.
ReplyDelete10 years is all anyone would need to make effective quality change if they are able to make a difference.
fox news today said city looking to outsource cfd.
ReplyDeleteHYNES BEAT SOMEONE UP, WHAT DID HE DO. BEAT HIM WITH PURSE OR UMBRELLA,AS FAR AS DART IS CONCERNED THAT KID WAS A SNITCH AT ST. BANABAS AND USED TO GET PANTSED BY OTHER KIDS IN THE JOHN.
ReplyDeleteroe conn said sources at city hall are thinking of trying to outsource cfd to highest bidder,ambulence service first.
ReplyDeleteDid anyone see Fox news last night. They were talking about the democratic candidate for County board Pat Maher. This guy is a violent piece of work and despite that he is rammed down out throat by his uncle Tom Hyness. Teen age fight my ass. The victim got 25 stitches and a broken jaw. That was not a teenage fight.
ReplyDeleteThen the coverup. He forgot that he was arrested. He is a liar. Pat Mahers father is David Maher, also on the sheriff's payroll doing nothing. How did he get that job.
Somebody should do a blog about the Hynes family. Corruption personified.
Anonymous said...
ReplyDeletewhat is this story all about? Hynes beat someone up? im confused?
08 September, 2010
No Hynes did not beat anyone up, his nephew Patrick Maher running for the county board did.
Maher has been backed by the 19th ward Democratic organization for several years in his runs for campaign as has his father, who also works as a high ranking official on the Sheriff Darts staff.
Maher is a Hynes nephew and God Son of Tom Hynes; the entire Hynes family and their friends covered up for him and have been part of the cover up going forward.
Maher lied about his conviction; he lied about going to school there and he lied about his birthdates being wrong on ALL OF his campaign disclosures and questioners.
His excuse was he forgot about the arrest and conviction, and the wrong birthdates on “multiple forms” must have been a typo on his behalf. LIAR!
And by the way is it not a felon to lie on state and county election documents?
Danny boy Hynes you are an Attorney and a public office holder, is it not a criminal offense?????
Go to fox news Chicago and look under investigations by Dwayne Placko, the special investigation ran last night (9-8-10) on fox news.
The problem here is all the cover up lies and other politicians that are involved which all stem from the 19th ward.
Also implications that Tom Dart may have involvement because Patrick Maher’s father works as high ranking official under the sheriff and his job is to handle investigations.
Is this the same guy who the sheriff authorizes to illegally use the sheriff’s department internet fraud resources to try to track down the bloggers on here and other site???
Well is it MR. DART???
Will you continue to condone that even if you decide to run for mayor.
I call on Sheriff Tom Dart to fully investigate this!
this favortism, family corruption MUST STOP!
Gerald X. O'Sullivan
Candidate Patrick Maher, Who is Running for Cook County Board, Might Be Running From Past
ReplyDeletePatrick Maher is running for Cook County Commissioner on a campaign of ethics reform and cleaning up county government.
But a FOX Chicago News investigation found that Maher has not been forthright about an ethical lapse in his own past, and might even have tried to cover it up.
The issue: In 1991 Maher, then a freshman at Illinois State University in Bloomington, was arrested and charged with felony aggravated battery after the brutal beating of another student. According to police records, Maher and a friend went to the dormroom of a man who had once dated Maher's girlfriend. The victim suffered a broken jaw, broken eye socket and 25 stitches. Witnesses described finding a "puddle of blood" in his dorm room. He was hospitalized for two days.
Maher plead guilty to misdemeanor battery after the jury hung on the felony charge.
Yet when asked on one candidate questionnaire to explain any criminal background, including arrests, convictions and major traffic violations, Maher responded "none."
"I probably forgot I got arrested. I was 20 years old. It was a mistake," he said.
But then, after telling us it must have slipped his mind Maher said: "I regret it every day of my life. It was something I shouldn't have been there for. It was a mistake."
On top of that, two separate candidate questionnaires-- one for the Sun-Times, the other for the Southtown Star-- give inaccurate birthdates for the Orland Park resident. Maher was born on November 18, 1971, but on the newspapers' questionnaires, his birthday is listed as November 19, 1971.
We asked Maher if he filled out the forms himself.
"I fill out most of them, yeah. I fill out all of them," he said. "I made a mistake. It's probably a typo." Maher denied changing the birthdates in order to make a background check more difficult.
Maher later blamed his former campaign manager for the errant information. But the former campaign manager told Fox News Maher reviewed all the questionnaires before they were submitted and raised no objections. The former campaign manager also said he asked Maher whether there were any issues in his past that the campaign should know about and Maher told him there were none.
We found another "typo" that critics might say shows an attempt to erase what happened at ISU in 1991. On Maher's LinkedIn page, he says he attended Northern Illinois University from 1990 to 1995. There is no mention of ISU, even though Maher didn't start at Northern until 1992.
Someone who hasn't forgotten about the beating is Karen Peterson, the victim's mother.
"My son's injuries were severe," she wrote in a letter to FOX Chicago News. "Perhaps the most frightening of all, short term and long term memory loss. I am appalled that Mr. Maher currently holds an elected position and is seeking a second elected position. I question how many voters Mr. Maher made aware of his criminal record prior to his election."
For the past seven years, Maher has been a member of the Orland Park Fire Protection District, and its president since 2006. He comes from a politically-connected family. His father, David Maher, is Village Clerk of Orland Park and an investigator for the Cook County Sheriff's department who also does background checks on prospective employees. Maher's uncle is Democratic powerbroker Tom Hynes and his cousin is Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes.
Maher is now running against Republican Cook County Commissioner Liz Gorman on a platform of restoring ethics to county government.
ReplyDeleteHis website says it's time to hold elected officials accountable.
Three days after we went to Maher's house to ask him about what happened at ISU, Maher's campaign released the following statement:
"Almost 20 years ago as college student, I got into an altercation with another student and later plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge resulting from the incident. I was deeply ashamed of my actions and learned some valuable lessons about personal responsibility. Lessons I will share with my children as they get older and begin to face the world on their own. I am running for Commissioner because I believe that my adult life experiences, as a small business owner, as an elected official and most importantly as a Father & Husband, make me the best qualified candidate to solve the problems facing Cook County."
Someone who hasn't forgotten about the beating is Karen Peterson, the victim's mother.
ReplyDelete"My son's injuries were severe," she wrote in a letter to FOX Chicago News. "Perhaps the most frightening of all, short term and long term memory loss. I am appalled that Mr. Maher currently holds an elected position and is seeking a second elected position. I question how many voters Mr. Maher made aware of his criminal record prior to his election."...........
For the past seven years, Maher has been a member of the Orland Park Fire Protection District, and its president since 2006. He comes from a politically-connected family. His father, David Maher, is Village Clerk of Orland Park and an investigator for the Cook County Sheriff's department who also does background checks on prospective employees. Maher's uncle is Democratic powerbroker Tom Hynes and his cousin is Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes. .....
UH HELLO 19th WARD..Maher's uncle is Democratic powerbroker Tom Hynes and his cousin is Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes.
enough said!
You know what i am disgusted and sickened by these friggin politician LIAR.
ReplyDelete, i was just going through some of the old blogs posted on here and as an Italian Catholic in Mt. Greenwood this previous blog from a earlier segment really points to the obvious.
These politicians are all sinners, this Maher guys beats a kid to daylight, the kid well man now, has brain damage to this day and Maher has the arrogance to run for public office because his family can protect him????
His family covered up for him, his father covered up for him? Ok so he forgot about being arrested and convicted of a felony??? So did his mother and father and Uncle Tom Hynes, and cousin Dan Hynes forget he was arrested? What did the other mayors, and village clerks know? And commissioners know, what did the township commissioners know??
Do you not see how they all lie and cover for each other?
Sinners all of you.
Our politicians are OUT OF CONTROL everywhere!
Re read this blogger post simple but it was to the point, they are all liars and hypocrites to take care of their own family friends and mainly protect their interest which of course is MONEY, but because they march in parades and give away a free hot dog in the park WE LOVE THEM, wake up... good for you blogger!
Anonymous said...
you know as i was sitting in Mass this morning after receiving communion, i thought about the adulters, the "pro_choice" baby killers and I thought how could our 19th ward organization claim to be Catholics? and how could the citizens who claim to be catholic support them?????
Mayor Richard Daley, The Beloved past assessor Tom Hynes, Danny Hynes, Michael Madigan, Alderman Rugai, Jerry Joyce, Kevin Joyce, Tom Dart, Michael Sheehan, Skinny Sheehan, Kathy Meaney, Rose Bilecki, Tom Ryan, Ed Harmening, the mayors of Oak lawn, Marionette park, Evergreen park, Worth township Democratic Party chair John O’Sullivan and many others: how can they all claim to be good catholics when they support abortion?
this is disturbing when you ponder the thought.
bless them and forgive them Holy Father, for they are NOT what they claim to be.
05 September, 2010
tick tock tick tock remember to vote all incumbants out!
ReplyDeleteeveryone will stand before GOD one day and have to explain themselves.
ReplyDeleteCook County Commissioner Liz Gorman released the following statement today regarding the escalating scandal involving Patrick Maher, the cousin of Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes, the president of the Orland Fire Protection District and a candidate for the 17th District Cook County Board seat.
ReplyDelete(Read the background on Maher's criminal past and Maher's statement released last night? Click here?)
Last night Fox News Chicago ran a story about Patrick Maher, a Democrat who heads the Orland Fire Protection District, and my opponent in the upcoming November General election. I encourage you to take a look at the news story yourself.
You can click here to view the video and read the accompanying article.
Watching this expose on Maher's battery of a young man, I took the words of the victim's mother to heart
'I am appalled that Mr. Maher currently holds an elected position and is seeking a second elected position. I question how many voters Mr. Maher made aware of his criminal record prior to his election.'
I am calling on convicted batterer Patrick Maher to immediately resign from the Orland Fire Protection District, as by his own admission he has violated his own policies for employment with the district:
"It is of capital importance that the personnel hired are of sound moral character for they serve not only the public in times of emergency but also as exemplary figures in the public eye. There is no room for the thief, the cheat, or the deceiver of the innocent." (source: http://www.orlandfire.org/EMPLOY.htm)
I would encourage you to forward this information to any friends and family you have in the area, the people and voters of our communities must know the truth about Maher and voice their opinion.
Liz Gorman
17th District Cook County Commissioner
I'm just categorically opposed to all legislative term limits. (For one, what legislator will actually truly support this idea...) With term limits in effect, and I know I'm citing federal officials, but then we would have been without the services of Ted Kennedy, Russ Feingold, Dick Durbin, etc. because of the term limits. Term limits do take care of poor officials, but they also get rid of the truly brilliant statesmen as well.
ReplyDeleteIf we're so focused on the "out of touch" ones, hey, let's just throw 'em out on our own! We gotta vote them out!