Flowers to foe: “I’ve already done that”
In office for 20 years, Cook County Board of Review Commissioner Larry Rogers and other elected officials are hitting the pavement, putting out “fires of lies” sparked by opponents financed by people with deep pockets and duplicitous motives.
Rogers and Representative Mary Flowers (D-31st) were among candidates at a candidate’s forum held Saturday, March 16, at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition headquarters. They were interviewed by WVON talk show host Rufus Williams.
In office for 20 years, Rogers’ Board of Review is viewed as the last hope for some homeowners on the South, West and some suburban areas, who complain about the high taxes billed by Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi’s office. Rogers takes pride in getting those taxes reduced, but his achievements have rubbed the Assessor the wrong way. He’s out for political revenge.
Rogers later told the Chicago Crusader, that Kaegi is backing Larecia Tucker, an African American on the Rich Township Board of Review and a real estate agent from Chicago Heights, IL. Rogers resents the lies he says are being told during this campaign by Tucker and Kaegi.
“She is spreading lies during this campaign and she needs to stop,” said Rogers. “My opponent’s millionaire donor has spread lie after lie after lie to mislead voters and tarnish my name,” he said referring to Kaegi, who unlike other assessors is spending more than $800,000 to back Tucker.
Normally assessors stay out of elections for fear of creating a possible conflict of interest, especially in this race because it is Kaegi’s office that determines the amount of taxes to be paid.
According to Rogers Kaegi is doing this “while hiding in his million-dollar home in the suburbs. That is why homeowners file their appeals in Roger’s Third District office.
Kaegi is seeking political revenge against Rogers for accepting campaign money from tax appeal lawyers, and Tucker is accusing him of being guilty of ethics violations for in the past hiring his half-brother, Frederic Everly, who later became a tax appeal lawyer and handled his clients seeking tax breaks.
After appearing at the candidate’s forum hosted by the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, Rogers told the Chicago Crusader, “My opponent’s millionaire donor (Kaegi) has spread lie after lie after lie to mislead voters and tarnish my name while hiding in his million-dollar home in the suburbs.
“This type of dark dishonest, and cowardly campaigning needs to stop. It runs good people away from serving in public office,” he said.
Rogers was first elected in 2004 and began focusing on community outreach events to lower taxes for residents living in the South and West Sides of Cook County. “We’ve done over 500 community and faith-based outreach events through these areas.”
When asked about hiring his half-brother, Rogers said, “Every administration needs trusted individuals. Fred Everly is a competently and capable lawyer who was hired based upon his qualifications and experience.”
“No one has ever suggested that Fred did anything but act appropriately when he worked for Cook County, and I appreciate his hard work and the assistance he provided to me and the citizens of Cook County,” Rogers told the Crusader.
“My opponent has been financially irresponsible, and her history includes filing for bankruptcy, moving out of her residence due to foreclosure and has scrubbed her social media of her family background for some reason,” charged Rogers.
“She has been rejected by Cook County voters twice and is now being used by a multi-millionaire who wants to control and buy the Board of Review with over $800,000 in contributions to help her election.
“This millionaire wants my opponent to review and deny everyday homeowners’ appeals and keep assessments and taxes high,” he stated. “The suburbs in particular cannot afford to have Larecia Tucker denying their appeals.”
When it was Flowers turn to be interviewed, she received thunderous applause from mostly women. Flowers’opponent is Michael Crawford, an educator being financed by the state’s first African American Speaker of the House, Emanuel “Chris” Welch.
It was Welch who targeted Flowers for defeat after she refused to come to his office to be reprimanded “and cussed out” for questioning why one of his now former white staffers had begun to take on the appearance of Hitler.
Welch stripped Flowers, who is the longest serving State Representative in Illinois, of her leadership, causing her to lose $8,000 in pay. With the help of several of her supporters, Welch convinced the unions to back Crawford who several years ago told her she has been in office too long.
At the PUSH candidate’s forum, Flowers first thanked Reverend Jackson for the sacrifices and civil rights achievements he made on the behalf of the Black community even though Jackson endorsed Crawford.
In peeling off the layers of lies she said Crawford, who has no political experience and is the dean of The Chicago School, a private college for psychology, and Welch, are telling voters, Flowers said she is proud of her more than 300 pieces of legislation that have led to policy changes.
A reliable source provided a chart to explain Flowers’ tenure relative to her colleagues’ in the House Democratic caucus. Welch has the largest House Democrats in history and the median tenure among House Democratic caucus members is just over five years compared to Flowers’ 39.25 years.
Welch is only going on 12 years tenure. “Flowers is one of the few people with enough tenure and institutional knowledge to go toe to toe with the Speaker and he seems to believe this undermines his credibility as a leader,” the source said asking not to be identified.
When Crawford said he wants to introduce a bill dealing with autism, Flowers said she has already done that, when Richard M. Daley became mayor. “I was the one who created the Office of autism and funding for autism.”
And, when Crawford complained about the garbage in the 31st District and getting rid of boarded up buildings, Flowers said, “As legislators, we don’t deal with garbage. That’s an alderman’s job, and as far as abandoned buildings, I passed a bill requiring the posting of yellow
‘Do not enter’ warning signs to prevent people from entering these buildings. I did that because the bodies of several dead children were found inside of these abandoned buildings.”
On election day Flowers said, “I hope people will understand the significance of my seniority and my institutional knowledge and the contributions that I have made throughout my political career, that has been on behalf of not only those in the 31st District. My legislation has benefited everyone in the entire state.”
When asked what she would say to her voters, Flowers said, “My constituents will know what to do, Punch 72.”
Alderman David Moore (17th) is also in a battle, with Illinois Senator Willie Preston (D-16th), who is hoping to defeat Moore for his committeeman’s seat. “He wants to then take me out as alderman,” Moore said. “I told him that is not my seat. It’s the people’s seat and whatever the people decide, I’m more than OK with that.
“Government is for the people by the people, and I always respect the people’s decisions,” Moore stated.
