Bellar: 'GOP Can't Beat Dems Until RINO Liz Gorman Is Defeated'

I believe the citizens of the 17th District truly deserve to know the truth and the whole truth about the current Cook County Commissioner’s personal and professional behavior which reveals ineptitude and appears as a Democratic Protection Plan. It is apparent by the following, that the voters of the 17th District voted for a Republican and they ended up with a RINO who is self-serving and undermining the ethics of the office. The malversation must seize and desist!      

I am currently running for Cook County Commissioner, District 17 as The REAL Republican against the incumbent, Liz Gorman. In my attempting to do so I have been subject to the following:

1.)   I attended an open Republican Family Picnic this past fall where I was immediately told by Sean Morrison that I was not welcome there, and if I attempted to get any signatures for my petitions, I would be arrested. I should have called their bluff, but I complied.

2.)   I was verbally and physically accosted by the incumbent’s husband, Gerry Gorman, in the parking lot of Giordano’s in Orland Park. A report was filed with the Orland Park Police.

3.)   I appeared before the Illinois State Board of Elections on Feb. 10 and on Feb. 19 to respond to an investigation by a friend of the incumbents and defend whatever they are claiming. This tactic zaps my time and money, as I was advised to be present with an attorney. I did appear and two charges were immediately dropped and the third appears to be a confusion of forms by their attorney, which was also dismissed on Feb. 19. All charges were dismissed.

4.)   Joe Walsh, who gave me an endorsement, when I never even asked for one, turned around and publicly in the newspapers withdrew the same. I saw him last week and he said he was sorry. I have forgiven him. The incumbent works extremely closely with Sean Morrison, the Republican Committeeman for Palos Township, who advertises on WIND 560 many times during Joe Walsh’s show. So it was withdraw the endorsement or lose a paying advertiser.

5)   Both Liz Gorman and I presented ourselves to citizens at a Tea Party meeting at the Oak Lawn VFW last week. When it came to taking questions from the audience, Liz Gorman announced over the microphone that she will answer questions from any one present but she will not take questions from me. That speaks a lot right there. What has she to fear? Conversely, she had her buddy, Sean Morrison ask questions of me, to try to instigate some unrest, yet I was able to succinctly address his questions, and received audience applause after I did.

Now on top of all this I need the voters to know the truth of this commissioner’s activities which are all purely motivated by self-interest. Liz Gorman’s loyalty to the Democratic Machine is quite evident by her orchestrations

1)  Regarding the entire Metra Fiasco, when Brad O’Halloran resigned, Gorman should have resigned also. Gorman personally selected Democrats on METRA and PACE Boards. Gorman hand-picked her political ally, fellow Democrat, O’Halloran to METRA.  ("Robling: Liz Gorman's Man Brad O'Hallaran Must Go," Illinois Review, July 17. 2013.) This patronage scandal which involved Mike Madigan, cost the taxpapers, $771,000 in severance pay, hush money and millions more in legal fees to expose the cover-up.

2)  Liz Gorman practices patronage politics by hiring her own family members. Her children have been hired in local Orland government jobs they are not qualified for.

Gerry Gorman works as Judy Baar Topinka's comptroller consultant. Again for a person, who has filed bankruptcy, is that the best we can do.

3)  In 2006, as Republican Committeeman for Orland Park Township, Gorman refused to endorse the Republican nominee for Cook County Board President, even though the alternative was Democrat Todd Stroger.

4)  In 2007, as County Commissioner, Gorman voted against the alternative proposal to Todd Stroger’s budget and voted in favor of Stroger’s version.

5)  After the passage of Stroger’s 2007 budget, when Todd Stroger unilaterally and illegally moved millions of dollars from the previously approved accounts to those of his choosing, Gorman sided with Stroger and refused to support a "No Confidence Resolutions" condemning his improper actions.

6)  As Cook County GOP Chair, Gorman only recruited one candidate to run county wide in 2008. She recruited Ed Baron to run against her Republican adversary, Tony Peraica. She demonstrated that she would rather fight with another Republican than defeat Democrats.

7)   In 2010, Gorman drew the ire of the federal courts for illegally transferring money from one of her campaign funds after a federal judge forbade her to do so.  ("Cook County Commissioner Embroiled in Legal Dispute," Chicago Tribune, Oct. 13, 2010.)

8)   In June 2011, Liz Gorman was the main sponsor of legislation which eliminated county imposed limits on candidates for Cook County Assessor and Board of Review. ("County Rolls Back Campaign Contribution Limits Aimed at Assessor Joe Berrios," June 14, 2011.)

9)  Aug. 2011, Liz Gorman was ranked second on a list of 62 elected officials who were solicited by lobbyists in an attempt to influence county government, according to data released by county clerk David Orr’s office.

10) In July 2011, Liz Gorman received a $1500 campaign contribution from Midwest Gaming and Entertainment, according to campaign financial disclosure records on the Illinois State Board of Elections website.

11) In 2011, Liz Gorman also received a campaign contribution from liberal Democrat Jeff Tobolski. Gorman was the only Republican to receive contributions from Tobolski, who has also given contributions to tax-and-spend Democrats including Governor Pat Quinn.

12) Not to mention the bankruptcy case which allowed the Gormans to forego payment of millions of dollars in personal and business debt. ("Gorman Debt Cases Closed By Court, Southtown-Star, Sept. 24. 2012). Despite Liz Gorman saying she is a fiscal conservative, her personal bankruptcy filing submitted a few days after her last re-election listed her monthly income as $6,500 per month and her monthly expenditures as $13,000 per month. Why would we let a public official spend one more penny of our tax money for one minute more, when they can’t even balance their own personal expenses?

13) The Gormans walked away from $13.5 million in personal debts, but Cook County taxpayers can’t walk away from their debts like the Gormans. We need to operate the hospital, the jail, the courts, and many other basic service businesses and residents need to operate in Cook County. The voters deserve to have responsible people in charge of their tax money who can add.

14) Liz Gorman is a Democrat who snuck into the Republican Party and has spent the last four years voting with the Democrats, appointing Democrats to positions of power and promoting weak Democrats over Republicans. If she is going to be a Democrat, she needs to run as a Democrat, not as a Republican.

15) Jim Hickey is listed on the ballot as a Democrat, who is running in the General Election for Cook County Commish Dist. 17. Gorman has historically given political money to Hickey and was a key supporter in his election for Orland Fire Protection Board President. It appears he is there only as a shill so Gorman will win.

 16)  Voters shouldn’t take my opinion as a political opponent to judge the charter of a public official, but I think the opinion of a Federal Judge carries a lot of weight When the Chrysler Corporation was defending themselves against false allegations by the Gormans in regard to their failed car dealership, U.S. District Court Judge Frank Easterbrook said “Plaintiffs (the Gormans) have behaved like a pack of weasels and can’t expect any part of their tale to be believed. When a Federal Judge calls you a lying weasel at the end of a year’s long federal trial, it is very hard to escape or hide that definition of your true character for the rest of your life

I could go on with many other facts here, but I am hoping that the voters are finally fed up with the deal making with Democrats to undermine Republicans. My point is the voters now have a chance to vote in a REAL REPUBLICAN. I have never filed for bankruptcy; I have never foreclosed on property. I used my own wages to pay for my two Master’s degrees, unlike the incumbent who used contingency money to pay to the University of Notre Dame for her education. 

I am also proud to say my husband has established his own career for more than 30 some years and outstanding in his field of entrepreneurship, thus he does not need me to secure employment for him. I have no intent to accept any pension as a commissioner, and have several marketable skills of employment to return to in due time.

I would very much appreciate any and all support you are willing to provide me in disseminating to the public the true character of the two names they will see on the ballot on March 18th, the best advice is to skip the name in the first slot and vote for the REAL REPUBLICAN in the second slot.