BARACKATEERING

Lately, due to the loud public discourse that we are witnessing at these town hall events, and by the "tea parties" both in the recent past and the near futures, I have heard that the American people are basically revolting against "Chicago style" and/or "Cook County style" of politics. As a citizen and as a man who has done business in Chicago and Cook County for almost three decades, I can confirm what the American people are speaking about. I even have heard the new phrase for this type of politics by people who live outside of the state of Illinois. It is being referred to as ... BARACKATEERING.

Recently, we have witnessed a form of Barackateering by Rep. Henry Waxman, (D-CA), of the 30th district of the state of California. Waxman is the Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. In July 2009 he launched his own personal investigation of the health insurance companies by sending out letters to 52 of these insurance providers whose annual premiums come to $2 Billion dollars or more. He wants to know in detail all financial information pertaining to revenue, profits, and above all, compensations. This is how "Chicago Style" and "Cook County Style" politics works. This is the first step. A nicely worded letter is the first step to intimidation, followed then by extortion. (Hey Henry! Why not clean up your own houses in DC first before you try to clean up private enterprise?).

But where did Henry Waxman learn how to do this? Let me take you locally here in Chicago. I give to you our own Dorothy Tillman, former alderman of the 3rd Ward of the city of Chicago. The 3rd ward is one of the poorest districts in Chicago. And, I can say with the utmost confidence that the 3rd ward under Dorothy Tillman has not ever advanced economically under her so called leadership. Just like the congressional district of Congressman Maxine Waters.

Tillman in in 2002, authored, and had unanimously passed, a bill in Chicago that requires ALL companies who do business with the city, investigate themselves, then disclose and declare, ANY past ties with slavery, no matter how minute. As a result of this, in 2005 she campaigned against a $500,000,000.00 refinancing deal between the Bank of America and the city. Why? Because Bank of America's ALLEDGED ties to slavery. In 2004, Bank of America purchased Fleet Boston Financial, which at one time was known as Providene, and Providene was supposedly founded by a slave owner ... in 1791.

Tillman disguised herself as an advocate for Americans of African decent. She is an avid supporter of slavery reparations. Meaning she is trying to profit of the toil and torture of her ancestors, if her ancestors were indeed slaves. The death of over 600,000 Americans, who fought and died to end the institution of slavery, and the assasination of a president was not compensation enough for her. Waxman is doing the same, by trying to make himself out to be the champion of the downtrodden and uninsured.

However, the personal monetary profit that both Waxman and Tillman may make for themselves is not the real danger here. It is the precedents that they are creating. Tillman went after businesses dealing with the city, (which the city is suffering for ever since, because some business are saying that they don't have to take this, and they are moving out to the suburbs), Waxman is going after private insurance companies. If they are allowed to do this, then this opens the doors to give other self-centered and self-serving politicians the ammunition to go after any private business and any American citizen that they so choose.

But, it could all backfire in their faces too. Because as we all have seen lately with the heated debates at these town hall meetings, the "silent majority" has decided not to be silent any longer, and are using the tactics that the left has made into an art form against them, and it seems to be working.

Now here is my question to all the citizens of Chicago and Cook County. When are YOU going to start to revolt against the "Chicago Style" and "Cook County Style" of politics?