Similar positions, different priorities in Cook County board race

Maine Township Republican Committeman Mark Thompson calls himself the underdog in his race against Cook County Commissioner Elizabeth "Liz" Gorman, so he's throwing a lot of stones at his opponent in his effort to win the party's nomination for Cook County Board's 17th District seat.

While the two candidates see eye-to-eye on most issues, they differ on which issues take top priority.

Both candidates want to repeal the county sales tax hike, cut spending, end patronage hiring, and amend the property tax bills so they include an itemization of tax increment financing district (TIF) spending.

Gorman's top priority is reforming the county's ethics policies. In September, she successfully pushed an ethics ordinance that combats nepotism in the county. The ordinance calls on anyone doing business with the county to reveal any family relationship with government employees, and also removes anyone with a family interest from making a hiring or contractual decision.

"At the fundamental root of Cook County government's problems is the unethical approach taken by its administration in its hiring practices, tax and spending policies, execution of operations and services, etc.," she wrote in a Daily Herald questionnaire. "There are many other examples of this unethical approach throughout the county government that must be addressed."

Her other top priorities are downsizing county government and creating long- and short-term strategic plans.

What's most important to Thompson is reducing spending, cutting taxes to spur job growth, and reforming the county's health-care system. Since health care accounts for $1 billion of the county's $3 billion budget, eliminating patronage jobs and making the system operate more efficiently would have a major, positive impact on the county's finances, he said.

"Cook County must live within its means," Thompson wrote in his questionnaire. "The taxpayers cannot afford this any longer."

Despite the candidates' similar views, the campaign has featured a considerable amount of heated rhetoric, mostly coming from Thompson.

Thompson, 54, an attorney from Des Plaines with a long history in Maine Township government, described his opponent as "a Republican Blagojevich" and the protégé of deposed Chicago alderman Ed Vrdolyak.

Gorman, the 44-year-old incumbent from Orland Park, says that's not true and categorizes Thompson as the puppet for Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica. He denies this.

Last week, Thompson filed a complaint with the State Board of Election accusing Gorman of several campaign disclosure violations.

One claim was that Gorman billed the county $14,475 for her tuition at Notre Dame University, where she earned her MBA in 2008. Thompson claims the taxpayers shouldn't have to pay for her education, which doesn't "directly relate to her public duties."

"Are we ready to start paying for MBAs of all the members of the county board or all state legislators? What if someone decides they want a law degree, are we going to pay for that, too?" Thompson said.

Gorman says she paid her tuition with a combination of personal, campaign and county funds that are allotted to her by ordinance. She says the education she received is directly related to her job, and her classes were on topics like financial and strategic planning and negotiating.

Gorman hired a lawyer to fight the complaint, which she described as "egregious allegations."

"There's nothing here. It's just administrative harassment from a career-long bureaucrat," she said.

District 17 is a long, thin district that stretches into Des Plaines, Mount Prospect, Wheeling, Prospect Heights, Rosemont and Elk Grove Village on its north end and Orland Park on its south end.

The winner of the Feb. 2 primary election will run against the winning Democratic candidate Nov. 2.