EXTRA: Politically poisonous mailings out of Cook County Board district

Presta not really a Democrat

A pair of political mailings received Wednesday, trying to influence the votes of those casting ballots for the sixth district of the Cook County Board.

Patricia Joan posing as her mother

That was the seat held for many years by Commissioner Joan Murphy, D-Crestwood, until her death in 2016, and her replacement wasn't interested in keeping the post any longer the necessary.

WHICH MEANS THIS south suburban post is vacant, and up for grabs.

The center of the district’s population is Crestwood (which many of us know only for allegations of a tainted public water supply, and its cantankerous former mayor, Chester Stranczek), but the district shoots all the way to the southernmost Cook County border then travels east to the Illinois/Indiana state line – winding up in places like Sauk Village and Lynwood.

As a result, two of the candidates seeking the Democratic nomination (most likely to be the real election, with Nov. 6 being a mere formality) are Crestwood residents.

Current Mayor Lou Presta wants the post, and is going around with the slogan “Lou Can Do.” Although a new political mailing contends he’s not really a Democrat. He has a history of being a Republican backer and political operative.

Vote for Miller, instead?

WHICH WOULD MAKE sense, since Crestwood has a history of being a Republican enclave. But like I said, the larger area is Democrat – and Presta would be condemning himself to defeat if he tried to run as a GOPer.

But Murphy’s daughter, Patricia Joan Murphy, wants us to know he’s “a Republican running in a Democratic primary election.” In addition to being a financial deadbeat – she included excerpts of a Chicago Sun-Times story about the liens filed against Presta for unpaid taxes

Of course, Presta feels the need to retort. His mailing refers to Murphy, the daughter, as “an imposter.” He contends she is running for office on a name so similar to that of her mother in hopes of confusing voters who might not realize she is deceased.

Although personally, I feel that anybody who doesn’t realize which of their government officials is alive, and which are no longer with us, doesn't deserve a ballot -- no matter how much it is their Constitutional right..

I FEEL FOR anybody who received these mailings, particularly if they came one on top of the other on the same day. More of the trash that causes many people to turn away from an interest in electoral politics.

It might even be enough to write both off and vote for the third candidate in that particular primary – Donna Miller, a healthcare issues expert and the spouse of former Illinois state Rep. David Miller – who gave up that post back in 2011 to go back to being a dentist.

Sixth district will see share of political smears

Then again, Miller comes from Lynwood, which I suspect means many of the Crestwood-area types will want to view the district as their own – and not one to be held by someone from outside their enclave.

Which is why I’ll be watching this Cook County district come Election Day; to see not only who won, but which brand of knuckleheaded nonsense managed to prevail.

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