Kass- Why does Madigan not want tax bill sent before the election?

Because in Madiganistan, the political boss is doing all he can to ensure he stays in power

Here in Madiganistan — once known as the Land of Lincoln — taxpayers are routinely slapped in the face by the political warlords.

And now the Democratic Party bosses are adding a twist. They're slapping you in the face with a Cook County property tax bill you haven't yet received.

That's right. You haven't received it yet. But they're slapping you with it just the same. Here's why:

The bill won't come until after the Nov. 2 elections. And that surely helps the Illinois Democrats and the supreme warlord of Madiganistan, Michael Madigan, the Illinois House speaker from Chicago who also runs the state Democratic Party.

Because when you finally get the bill — and by most accounts it'll be a big one even as your property values shrink — you'll probably feel like taking it out on the candidates. But guess what?

By then it'll be too late. You won't get your tax bill until after the voting is done, about the time you're brining your Thanksgiving turkey with apple cider, brown sugar and kosher salt. Some might call it an unfortunate coincidence. But you're not some chumbolone, are you?

By law, the Cook County tax bills should have been sent out by Aug. 1. County officials routinely miss that deadline, but the upcoming bill will be the latest anyone, even the most grizzled politico, can remember.

So write your checks and shut up, because this is Madiganistan. The warlords have spoken. And you? You're just paying rent.

"We're very concerned about it," said Laurence Msall, president of the Civic Federation, a non-partisan tax and government-spending watchdog group. "We're disappointed that the responsible county agencies weren't able to get bills out in a timely fashion. From our perspective, it's a shame."

Msall did not blame Madigan. I'm the one doing that. He's the boss now. And when there is no smoking gun, when the fingerprints are smudged, the first thing you must do is figure out who benefits.

None benefit more than Boss Madigan. He's pushing all his resources into his candidates for the Illinois House, so that they can make him speaker once again.

Then he can continue running the state, even while reaping wondrous fees as a big-time tax reduction attorney for the downtown commercial real estate clients. If that doesn't smell like good government, what does it smell like?

The only way Madigan keeps his power is if Cook County voters cast ballots for his Democratic legislative candidates who will reaffirm him as speaker.

Democratic Party ideals are important to millions of people, legitimately so, but here in Madiganistan, the machine bosses are Democrats primarily because that's been their path to power and treasure. In Texas, they'd probably be Republicans.

The fellow who blew the whistle on the scheme is Cook County Assessor James Houlihan. For this sin, he will soon exit politics.

Back in March, the commissioners of the Madigan-controlled Cook County Board of Review — the group that hears tax appeals — began complaining in a pre-emptive strike.

The board is run by Madigan's guy Joe Berrios. Madigan installed him as Cook County Democratic Party chairman. Berrios just happens to be the Democratic/Madigan candidate for county assessor.

Berrios and his board said Houlihan was responsible for the delay, arguing that the assessor had not finished reassessments on time. Berrios said Houlihan's new method of determining the assessment values of real estate had created a record number of appeals.

Houlihan accused the board of intentionally stalling the appeals, thereby making sure the bills wouldn't come out before the election.

"First of all, they weren't ready," Houlihan said of Berrios. "Second of all, they took to politicize it by sending that letter and starting the blame game."

Did the Nov. 2 election have something to do with it?

"The election was definitely a factor," Houlihan said.

No further questions, your honor.

Berrios denied it. He said he wanted to get the tax bills out early but couldn't, because of the record number of appeals and Houlihan's alleged bureaucratic fumbling.

"Everybody's trying to get them out as early as possible," Berrios told us. "The treasurer (Maria Pappas) is trying to shave some time off too. Maybe they'll go out before Nov. 22."

But not before Nov. 2, right?

"You'll have to check with the treasurer," he said, thereby proving that classic Chicago saying: We don't want no fingerprints nobody left.

So there was no effort by you or Madigan to delay the bills until after the election?

"Absolutely not," Berrios said.

See? I may have been all wrong about Boss Madigan. It just has to be a coincidence. Democratic officials are pointing fingers, and the result is that voters in Cook County won't get to clutch their crumpled tax bills while standing in the voting booth. Amazing, eh?

After the November elections, the state legislature has another treat in store — a push for a state income tax increase.

And we, the people of Madiganistan, might as well just tattoo our foreheads with "Chumbolone" and start dancing with bells on our toes.

As you step lively to the music, please remember this:

Don't ask for whom the property tax bill comes.

It comes for thee (eventually).

But not before Election Day.

jskass@tribune.com

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/ct-met-kass-1021-20101021,0,2544367,full.column