www.ChicagoGOP.com

Dear Chairman Neal:

Full participation by the citizenry in the election process is a noble and necessary goal for every democracy. The many past efforts of the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners to encourage voter registration and higher voter turnout are worthy of great commendation. A second fundamental principle, however, is that only citizens be entitled to vote, and that voter fraud be opposed resolutely. A third principle is that the government cannot use its resources to support the political efforts of a single private group.

It is therefore regrettably necessary to question the circumstances surrounding the recent actions of the Board in connection with a June 29, 2008 rally in favor of illegal immigrants. The rally was part of a recent voter registration effort being led by the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR). The first stated purpose of the ICIRR is “to provide a pathway to citizenship for undocumented workers, families, and students.” Significantly, ICIRR’s announced goal for its campaign is to “register 20,000 immigrants to vote” in Illinois, without expressly limiting the campaign to U.S. citizens. Reports have been received that the organizers of the rally have boasted that the Board intended to send 2-3 employees to assist in the “registration” effort.

We must first question the propriety of the Board’s involvement in any capacity whatsoever with such a rally. The blatant misappropriation of public resources to support only certain political groups and causes has, regrettably, become an illegal and unconstitutional scourge in our community. For example, we challenge the Board to identify the last time it sent employees to act as registrars at a rally by a Republican or politically conservative group. Such blatantly illegal actions by the Board must cease immediately.

As a second matter, we hope you will agree that any attempt to influence local elections by registering significant numbers of illegal immigrants would be an extremely serious matter. The Chicago Republican Party must therefore demand review of the registrations obtained by the ICIRR, to verify that the persons registered are citizens and entitled to vote.

Please contact me at your earliest convenience to discuss how the review demanded in this letter can be effectuated, and the cessation of illegal favoritism by the Board.

Regards,

Eloise Gerson
Chairman
Chicago Republican Party

Commissioner Peraica opposes tax hike.

As the stock market officially enters bear market territory, gasoline taxes reach record highs, and the real estate and loan origination businesses on life support; Chicago becomes the highest taxed city in the country at 10.25%.

"How much is enough," stated Chicago Republican Party chairman Eloise Gerson. "Todd Stroger not only broke his campaign promises, but did the opposite. The voters need to understand this tax is a corruption tax."

Commissioner Tony Peraica held an anti-tax rally at the State of Illinois building. Elected officials and volunteers joined together to support Commissioner Peraica's desire to roll back the tax hike.

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AS THE OWNER OF A SMALL JUICE COMPANY AND A COOK COUNTY TAX PAYER I FEEL OBLIGATED TO REPORT MAJOR CORRUPTION THAT I HAVE WITNESSED OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS IN COOK COUNTY PURCHASING.

MY COMPANY HAS BEEN THE LOW BIDDER FOR FRUIT JUICES TO STROGER HOSPITAL FOR THE LAST 3 YEARS BY A AVERAGE OF $35,000 PER CONTRACT ONLY TO BE DENIED TWO TIMES AND THROWN OUT THE 3RD.

EVERY TIME I WOULD BE THE LOW BIDDER SHARON BOURCHER WOULD FIND A BOGUS REASON TO NOT ACCEPT MY COMPANY. EVERY TIME HER EXCUSES WERE PROVEN WRONG TO HER SUBORDINATES BUT IT NEVER SEEM TO MATTER. THIS LAST YEAR I FOUGHT IT AND WON THE BID BUT ONLY TO HAVE THE CONTRACT TERMINATED BY COOK COUNTY BECAUSE THE CASES I DELIVERED WIEGHED 7 LBS. MORE THAN THE OTHER VENDORS AND CONTRACT WAS AWARDED BACK TO HOME JUICE.

ALL THIS IS WELL DOCUMENTED BUT WHEN PRESENTED TO COOK COUNTY PURCHASING I WAS TOLD TO DROP IT AND THAT NO MATTER WHAT I DID I WOULD NOT GET THE BUSINESS OF COOK COUNTY UNLESS "I PLAYED BY THEIR RULES". LATER I RECIEVED A CALL FROM THE SALES REP AT HOME JUICE WHO TOLD ME THAT I WAS GOING TO LOSE STROGER HOSPITAL AND OAK FOREST HOSPITAL TO HIM BECAUSE SHARON BOURCHER WAS ON HIS PAYROLL AND THEY DO WHAT HE SAYS.

I SINCERELY HOPE SOMEONE WILL LOOK INTO THIS MATTER BECAUSE AS A TAXPAYER I AM APPAULED THAT COOK COUNTY PAYED OVER $100,000 IN THE LAST 3 YEARS FOR JUICE MORE THAN IT SHOULD HAVE.

 I WOULD BE HAPPY TO PROVIDE ANY MORE INFORMATION AS NEEDED. I AM A SMALL BUSINESS MAN WHO JUST WANTS TO DO BUSINESS HONESTLY AND EVERY WHERE I TURN IN COOK COUNTY I RUN INTO A POLITICAL WALL AND I AM SICK OF IT! I HOPE THE REPUBLICAN PARTY CAN RESTORE SOME CLEAN GOVERNMENT TO COOK COUNTY AND I WILL BE GLAD TO HELP IN ANY WAY I CAN.

 The close primary has left many Democrat supporters on both sides bitter. A significant number (nearly 40%) of Clinton supporters have stated they will not vote for Obama. A similar number of Obama supporters stated they would vote for McCain if Clinton recieved the nomination.

The recent attempts at party unity were designed to reduce the anger between the factions. Only time will tell if the effort was be successful. The difficult part will be measuring Democrat unity. It is unlikely voters will be honest about this is poll questions.

If only 10% of Clinton supporters vote for McCain, this will result in a 5% advantage to McCain. This will be huge in the swing state battlegrounds like the industrial midwest and west states.

The older voters have not identified with Obama. This may be extremely critical because older voters are the most reliable voters. Young voters are notoriously unreliable.

Community organizers for the "New Americans Democracy Day" are claiming the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners are sending employees to register voters at tomorrow's Democrat rally.

From the webpage:

Come and join Senator Dick Durbin, Illinois elected officials, and leaders of the immigrant rights movement for the Launch of the National Campaign to register and mobilize Immigrant Voters in order to win full citizenship for immigrants in the U.S.

These would be taxpayer funded employees working at a Democrat political rally led by Senator Dick Durbin and congresswoman Jan Shakowsky specifically aimed at illegal immigrants. The rally organizers are claiming that 2-3 city employees will be dispatched to help them register illegal immigrants.

Hillary Clinton hasn't forgotten that her defeat came not at the hands of voters but because of her opponent's ability to out-organize her in caucus states. By some measures, she equaled or surpassed Barack Obama in the popular vote. Nonetheless, Mrs. Clinton will officially rally today behind Mr. Obama in hopes of giving Democrats their best shot to win a presidential election since 1996.

But she has a price. Mrs. Clinton will show up today in Unity, N.H. for a symbolic event with Mr. Obama and the downpayment seems to begin with $10 million in cash -- the amount her campaign still owes outside vendors. She has told Mr. Obama that unless he helps her pay off that debt, she just won't have the time to campaign for him this summer. She also told him she needs a jet to ferry her about the country. Supporters even prevailed upon Mr. Obama to write a personal $2,300 check -- the maximum legal limit -- to Mrs. Clinton's campaign. Most of all, Mrs. Clinton wants him to open his innovative and powerful fundraising network to her by sending out an email blast to his million-strong donor list seeking contributions to retire her campaign debt.

Mr. Obama is resisting, of course. His fundraising list -- made up of small donors who don't expect to be treated to a dinner and a photo with the candidate and instead simply send in $10 or $100 over the Internet -- is one of the most powerful political assets ever built. It allowed him to raise record amounts of money without spending time running from one small gathering of big donors to another. Once Team Hillary is inside the walls of his fundraising network, her staff would be able to record the name and details of everyone who responds to the appeal -- creating her own list for 2012.

-- Brendan Miniter

Gun Lobby Quickly Sues To Overturn Chicago Ban

U.S. Supreme Court: Americans May Own Guns For Protection, Hunting; Ruling Casts Doubt On City's Decades Old Law

CHICAGO (CBS) - A U.S. Supreme Court decision has been the talk of the nation on Thursday. A handgun ban in Washington, D.C. has been struck down by the high court.

As expected, strong reaction has been pouring in on both sides of this emotional issue.

Gun control advocates like Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley were outraged, while gun rights activists have already sued to overturn a similar ban in Chicago.

The 5-4 ruling specifically struck down a ban on handguns in Washington, D.C. The court ruled that the District of Columbia's 32-year-old ban on handguns is incompatible with gun rights under the Second Amendment.

The decision goes further than even the Bush administration wanted, and leaves most gun laws intact, but could invalidate Chicago's.

Chicago has a similar ban on handguns and within minutes of the high court's ruling, the Illinois State Rifle Association began the court fight to get Chicago's ban overturned as well.

In Chicago, unless your gun was purchased before the ban went into effect in 1982, it is illegal to possess a handgun within city limits. Only police officers, aldermen and a handful of others are exempt from the ban. While other firearms can be registered, under current law, handguns cannot be registered and are considered illegal.

But gun rights advocates hope to change that. The Illinois State Rifle Association filed a lawsuit with just that purpose in mind at 9:15 a.m.

"We want to overturn this ban. It's pretty onerous. It takes the right of self-defense away from every Chicago citizen," said Richard Pearson, director of the Illinois State Rifle Association.

The National Rifle Association also plans to file lawsuits in Chicago and several suburbs, as well as San Francisco, challenging handgun restrictions there based on Thursday's outcome.

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