Stroger to suburbs: Drop dead

Just when we think Cook County Board President Todd Stroger can't get any more obtuse, he outdoes himself.

We're referring to his comments Wednesday virtually daring the Northwest suburbs to try to secede from Cook County.

"If you want to take your ball and go home," he said in an interview with Joseph Ryan of the Daily Herald, "then take your ball and go home. I'm not going to try and stop you."

We're dating ourselves here, but it reminded us a little of the episode in 1975 when New York City went bankrupt and President Ford refused to provide a federal bailout.

The New York Daily News splashed a memorable headline on its front page: Ford to City: Drop Dead.

Oddly enough, Stroger made his comments on the same day he was supposed to be meeting with suburban constituents at a town hall meeting organized by the Palatine village council at Harper College. Or rather, the same day he did not show for that meeting.

It also was the day we last editorialized about him. Responding to his snub of the suburbs, we expressed more than a little anger and frustration with him, and we hear the county board president didn't take too kindly to that.

That's understandable. No one likes criticism. And particularly when it's leavened with a bit of outrage, it's hard not to respond in kind. We understand that and don't particularly fault Stroger for being annoyed with us or his other critics.

But we do fault him for failing to understand or play out his role. And that role is this: He is a public servant. Not just a public servant, but a leader. The leader for Cook County government. That's different than just being the top guy. And it's certainly different than being a dictator.

And if he plays his role correctly, he understands that suburbanites are his constituents. Whether we're riled up or not. Whether we're fair or not. Whether we're correct or not.

And when we're upset, as suburbanites certainly are about Cook County government's fiscal malfeasance and general corruption, his role is to try to listen, understand and respond.

Frankly, behind all the outrage in Wednesday's editorial, that's what we were saying. Listen to us. Listen to us before it's too late.

Instead, Todd Stroger in effect said: Suburbs, drop dead.

On its face, seceding from Cook County doesn't seem practical, either politically or financially.

But 235 years ago, breaking away from the British Empire didn't seem practical, either. What forced it to happen was King George's incredible indifference and arrogance.

Which is it going to be, Mr. Stroger? Are you going to be a leader? Or are you going to continue being King George?