2013 - April 9

Supervisor, Proviso Township

4 Year Term, Vote For 1


This is the first time I've paid any attention to this governmental entity according to an article in the Forest Park Review from 2005:

"In terms of our tax bill, it is really 2.5 percent of our property bill,"... around $10 - $15 million."...Of this money, he said, 60 percent goes to the Proviso Mental Health Commission .... The 40 percent of your taxes that is going to Proviso Township, that is being spent on services for seniors."




It's a bit disturbing that all of the candidates involved are running unopposed this time out. In the article cited above, it was mentioned that the township was renting office space in Broadview at "$4,000 a month for 1,800 feet". I wonder who owned that property -- and whether we're still paying that much.

There's no incentive to participate in this micro-level of government other than self-service. Even if a do-gooder were elected, he or she would be an ineffective minority.


Michael A. Corrigan Township Alliance Party 71



Clerk, Proviso Township

4 Year Term, Vote For 1



Anthony "Tony" Williams Township Alliance Party 72



Assessor, Proviso Township

Steven J Zawaski Township Alliance Party 73



Trustee, Proviso Township

4 Year Term, Vote For 4



Mari Herrell Township Alliance Party 74

Clarence E Thomas Township Alliance Party 75

Joseph Christopher Township Alliance Party 76

Evelyn Chavez Township Alliance Party 77



Commissioner, Forest Park Park District

6 Year Term, Vote For 2



John Doss NonPartisan 91

Samuel Alonzo NonPartisan 92

Matthew Walsh NonPartisan 93



There are two older incumbents and one 20-year old kid running for the two seats on the board -- and I have no idea who to vote for -- so I won't.

Board Member, Forest Park School District 91

4 Year Term, Vote For 4



Mary Win Connor NonPartisan 141

Rafael Rosa NonPartisan 142

Thomas Bradley Keefner NonPartisan 143

Brian Moritz NonPartisan 144

Michael J. O'Connor NonPartisan 145

Eric Connor NonPartisan 146



I'll trust the Forest Park Review on this one -- and they wrote:

Brad Keefner and Brian Moritz are the two other candidates associated with Mannix. We question their reasons for running. Neither has children in the district, neither has ever shown the slightest interest in public education in Forest Park. While Moritz has been invisible in this race, Keefner seems to have his heart in the right place. But as a newcomer, his community connections are thin. We'd like to see him show up on more citizen commissions and volunteer groups in town before he runs for office. The long and short of it: We urge voters to avoid these candidacies as a signal that our public schools are not to be politicized.




Board Member, Proviso Township High School District 209

4 Year Term, Vote For 4



Kevin R. McDermott NonPartisan 161

Teresa D. McKelvy NonPartisan 162

Brian Cross NonPartisan 163

Daniel J. Adams NonPartisan 164

Jorie Wright NonPartisan 165

Arbdella "Della" Patterson NonPartisan 166





Hurray for Kevin McDermott! He's volunteered to once again suffer through another term as the minority voice on a school board that's been run for the benefit of local politicians. Other than Brian Cross, he's the only candidate to have a 4-year college degree. While unlike Brian Cross, who works for the Cook County Recorder of Deeds, he's not a government employee.

As McDermott points out on his website the students at our district high schools perform 50-70% under the state average on their test scores - and this situation has not been improving over the past 5 years.

Perhaps the best solution is to make more special schools for the bright and motivated kids - like the Math and Science Academy in Forest Park. Or -- perhaps invite private charter schools to operate in this district.

But at the very least we can have a qualified school board that 's trying to make positive changes instead of merely advancing their personal political careers in county government.


Trustee, Triton Community College District 504

6 Year Term, Vote For 3



Vanessa Moritz NonPartisan 201

Thomas Gary NonPartisan 202

Diane M. Viverito NonPartisan 203

Irene Moskal Del Giudice NonPartisan 204

Charles Fredrickson NonPartisan 205

Colin Brady NonPartisan 206




Though none of the candidates has a website - it's been reported here that Thomas Gary ,Diane M. Viverito, and Vanessa Moritz are a slate that's opposed by three candidates supported by a local Republican politician, Tony Peraica.


It's good to see someone interested enough in these positions to recruit candidates for them -- but if Peraica has some serious public purpose, why doesn't he tell us about it? Googling his candidate names brings up absolutely nothing - so it appears it's just a political game for him.

So I'm inclined to vote for Gary, Viverito, and Moritz.



Trustee, Proviso Township Trustees of Schools, Township 39N, Range 12E

6 Year Term, Vote For 1



Mark Walsh NonPartisan 231





Question Yes No


Should video gaming continue to be prohibited in the Village of Forest Park?


I can't make up my mind on this one so I won't vote it.

I don't think gambling is positive behavior - but then neither is drinking alcohol -- and I'm doubting that prohibiting either one accomplishes anything more than a nice warm feeling of moral superiority.