Former Chicago Ald. Bill Beavers indicted

The Capitol Fax has a round-up of yesterday's news about former Chicago Alderman and current Cook County Commissioner Bill Beavers indictment by federal authorities. Apparently he didn't pay taxes on his various sources of income especially using money from his campaign funds as his own income. It was also noted in various reports that he used this money for gambling and it's known that he will go to the riverboat.

If you know very little about Beavers he used to be a Chicago Police Officer and then found himself as Alderman of the southeast side's 7th Ward. He gave that position up in 2006 when he was elected Cook County Commissioner to replace the late John Stroger. John Stroger was also county board president when a week before the 2006 primary election he had suffered a debilitating stroke.

This set off a firestorm back then when Stroger's son Todd started to campaign to replace his father as not only Democratic nominee for county board president, but for that position itself. Beavers made sure to note that the white politicians were able to do this switcheroo and place a relative in a similar position as Todd was. Very unabashed as many reports or even comments on blogs had described. Needless to say while a lot of people laud Todd for his ability to financially work the county very well he was a one-termer.

When Beavers gave up his position as Alderman of the 7th Ward, he bequeathed it to his daughter Darcel, but was routed in 2007 by Sandi Jackson who continues to hold the seat today. Bill Beavers an old school politico was unable to hold the seat for his daughter and was unable to remain 7th Ward Democratic committeeman as he was also routed by Ald. Sandi Jackson for that position in 2008.

Oh yeah about Sandi Jackson, Beavers was said to be a rival of the Jackson. Namely in one report, the Jesse Jackson faction of the Chicago Democrats. Yeah Rev. Jackson and of course his son Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr . who just so happens to be married to Ald. Sandi Jackson.

BTW, he brought up the fact that he refused to wear a wire for the feds to trip up his colleague Commission John Daley. Not sure how to read that but Daley wasn't aware of anything like that. Who knows if Mr. Beavers was merely making something up to cover his tail.

I have little issue with the old school. There are some old school politicians black or white or whatever still around in Chicago. There wouldn't be a lot of sadness on my part of Bill Beavers as one of those old school pols find himself out of the system!