Why John O’Sullivan Backed Forrest Claypool

My State Representative and the Worth Township Democratic Committeeman, John O’Sullivan is backing Forrest Claypool for Cook County Assessor. He is doing so out of loyalty to the working people of our Legislative District – the hard working tax paying citizens of our community. John O’Sullivan honors commitments. Real politics is based upon the obligation of the man elected to the people who voted for him. To some people in and on the fringes of politics it is a parlor game.



Some people want to make everything a Race issue. It seems to me that the upcoming race for Cook County Assessor is more about property taxes than anything else and that, unless tax attorneys could be conceived to be a Race, this race is anything but racial –it is election of a person who will best serve the interests of Cook County home owners and tax payers. I am no demographer, but I must wonder - are there really a powerful number of black and Hispanic tax attorneys in Cook County? If not, then, perhaps, this election should only be about electing the person who would make the fairest Cook County Assessor. John O’Sullivan believes that Forrest Claypool would be that person.



John O'Sullivan is what he is -a 25 year union laborer from a family of union men and women. A Pro-Life Democrat, husband of an elementary school teacher and the father of 3 boys receiving Catholic educations at catholic schools, John has served as a volunteer youth wrestling, football and little league coach at his alma mater, parish and Park District respectively. John also serves as the Worth Township Democratic Committeeman and Illinois Representative from the 35th Legislative District - for both of these positions, O'Sullivan accepts no compensation. John is also a man who is not afraid to take stands, which made the subject of a recent Carol Marin article in the Sun Times



John O'Sullivan is backing Democrat tuned independent Forrest Claypool over Democratic Party Chairman Joe Berrios for Cook County Assessor much to the chagrin of party bosses.



I ran into John O’Sullivan and asked him about his endorsement of Forrest Claypool for Cook County Assessor. Johnny O’s answer was very much the same as the one that he gave to Carol Marin and it struck the same notes that Mike Houlihan wrote about in the October issue of Irish American News. Mike Houlihan writes, “The old Democratic Party was hijacked over the last thirty years by eugenics, philosophers, and advocates of what Clarence Thomas called ‘social engineering.’” Instead, Johnny O’Sullivan concerned not with engineering society, but in backing the candidate best suited to make decisions that will help Cook County home-owners and tax-payers.

I asked O'Sullivan, who is also a staunch Governor Pat Quinn supporter, about his endorsement of Forrest Claypool and he stated, “I’m not taking aim at any machine. My responsibility is to the taxpayers. My loyalty is to my community. I'll be damned if I'm going to be intimidated by threats of retribution by those who seek to inject race into politics. I faced the same threats four years ago when I backed Forrest Claypool over John Stroger for Cook County Board President and, still, I was elected this year with a 75% majority for Worth Township Democratic Committeeman. The office of Cook County Assessor is an economic office and who we elect should not be based on racial or party politics. Joe Berrios is not a bad person but I am supporting Forrest Claypool because he has a strong record of standing up for the taxpayer. I also know many working and middle class Hispanics and African Americans who are also supporting Forrest Claypool for the same reason."



This is politics at its best. John O’Sullivan is meeting his obligation to the voters and to man he believes will best serve the home owners and tax payers of Cook County.



That is a solid answer from a very solid man.