Zabrocki Breaks Party Lines, Backs Democrat Hastings
Tinley Park Mayor Ed Zabrocki says he's endorsing Michael Hastings in the 19th District State Senate race because he believes the Democrat is the best candidate for the village.
When Tinley Park Mayor Ed Zabrocki made the decision to endorse candidates in November's election, his criterion was straightforward.
"I look at what person is going to have the best potential to do the most for our community," Zabrocki, a Republican, said this week.
READ: Check Out the Bios and Backgrounds of the 2 Candidates in the 19th District
It's that guiding principle that led the mayor recently to cross party lines and back Democrat Michael Hastings in the 19th District State Senate race. Calling Hastings "a young, dynamic individual," Zabrocki said he thinks the candidate has the right skills to help the General Assembly solve the state's financial problems.
"That doesn't mean I think his opponent is a bad person," Zabrocki said of Republican candidate Edgar Montalvo, who has been endorsed by the Chicago Tribune. "I just think Mike would do a better job."
Zabrocki has known Hastings since 1996, when the U.S. Army veteran was a student at Andrew High School. The two met when Hastings volunteered to help fight flooding in the village, organizing members of the high school's football team to fill sandbags, Zabrocki said.
READ: Zabrocki, Other Area Mayors Put Support Behind Peloquin
"He brings to the table a sense of community," Zabrocki states in a press release from Hastings campaign. "From serving in Iraq to volunteering on one of our local high school boards, he puts the sense of community in practice.”
Candidate endorsements are a relatively new practice for Zabrocki, who said he avoided doing until recently. But as the decisions in Springfield were having more of a negative effect on the village, Zabrocki changed his stance and has thrown his support behind candidates whose positions are aligned with the best interests of the village.
"I usually don't endorse people," he said. "I've gotten more involved in the last couple of years because of the state of the state."
PATCH ON POLITICS: State House Endorsements with a Chuckle and a Shake of the Head
Besides backing Hastings in this election, the mayor also has endorsed 1st Congressional District GOP candidate Don Peloquin and incumbent Will County Board President Jim Moustis.
Zabrocki's endorsement adds to the list of political officials in the district backing Hastings, including Orland Park Mayor Dan McLaughlin, Orland Township Supervisor Paul O’Grady and Bremen Township Supervisor Maggie Crotty, who currently holds the 19th District seat but has decided not to run for another term.
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Mary Carumba
9:24 am on Thursday, October 25, 2012
Hastings and his crooked father are two of a kind. If this kid is anything like his daddy he's not a valid candidate.
Concerned 19th District Resident
10:01 am on Thursday, October 25, 2012
He lives at home with his mom and dad in Orland Hills and claims that as his address since leaving the military. His campaign office is in Orland Hills and all of his fund raisers were in Orland Hills none of which are actually in the 19th District. Mike can't even vote for himself. He has not paid any property taxes and his mom works for Orland Township and his dad works for Bloom District 206. Does anyone really think he is going to reform pensions that affect his own family (who support him) ? A vote for Mike Hastings is a vote for Mike Madigan and keeping the "business as usual" in IL .
Ed
11:22 am on Thursday, October 25, 2012
He doesn't even work. That's right, he doesn't even have a job!
Jack
9:24 am on Thursday, October 25, 2012
We have always known the Rupubs in Tinley were Demos in sheeps clothing. They sure tax like Demos and spend like them to. It is time for a clean out of the elected clowns in Tinley. Their tax policies are pricing people out of their homes and businesses, look at Oak Park Ave. What's the difference between Tinley and Orland? Nothing!
Susan
9:25 am on Thursday, October 25, 2012
Zabrocki is a republican just like Colin Powell is a republican.
Gehrig
9:47 am on Thursday, October 25, 2012
Zabrocki is a Republican just like Mike Madigan is.
Ed
11:32 am on Thursday, October 25, 2012
Someone should check his military history too. He claims do have a Bronze Star but he isn't listed as having one on the various military web sites.
Janice Hankosky
1:04 pm on Thursday, October 25, 2012
Mmm...just like Crook County...they all stick together.
Ray Blah Blah Blah
2:07 pm on Thursday, October 25, 2012
Cook County Commissioner Liz Gorman is a big Hastings supporter as well. The RINOs are everywhere!
Rich Schmidt II
1:05 pm on Thursday, October 25, 2012
Also, who allowed Zabrocki to put rope lights on the new 80th ave train station. At night it looks like a combination of a strip club & circus in town. What a shame!
Ray Blah Blah Blah
2:08 pm on Thursday, October 25, 2012
Zabrocki allowed Zabrocki to do whatever Zabrocki wants. Its his town, you just live here and pay for it.
Rob Piorkowski
1:24 pm on Thursday, October 25, 2012
read his bio, Hastings is also for combining the school districts. Which means transfer downstate teacher pension debt to US!!!
Concerned 19th District Resident
3:22 pm on Thursday, October 25, 2012
His own SD 230 is under-funded by over 24 million dollars.
He claims a balance budget but I too can have a huge credit card balance and only pay the minimum payment but owe thousands. It is all smoke and mirrors. It will be passed on to the taxpayers and he will blame the state when they dump their share onto the local governments. Andrew taxpayers be prepared for a BIG jump in your tax bills.
Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas, in an effort to highlight the amount of information she is now making available about taxes on the Internet, placed a 139-page insert inside printed copies of the Tribune and Suntimes distributed on July 12, 2012. "Read Your Tax Bill,” released by Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas, details how each of the 550 tax agencies in the county has raised its property tax levies in a decade, as well as how well municipalities are funding their own employee pensions.
Pappas said her compilation of tax data is the first of its kind in the nation and that it was inspired by a very fundamental reason: “Because everyone comes to me and says, ‘Why are your Cook County property taxes so high?’” Pappas said her figures come directly from the taxing bodies themselves, in response to her request for information.
“I didn’t change a comma, a period, nothing,” she said.taxpayers can visit Pappas’ website at cookcountytreasurer.com and view their taxing districts’ financial statements.
Thunderstorm
1:40 pm on Thursday, October 25, 2012
The IEA local of 230 isn't supporting him.
No job? He is not a sales person? Maybe he is, just not in the right business.
Concerned 19th District Resident
3:00 pm on Thursday, October 25, 2012
He defeated the business world in 2 and half years working at J&J selling medical devices and he left that job to go to law school. He couldn't get into John Marshall so he had to go to Thomas Cooley in Lansing Michigan and then transfer to John Marshall. He is a student.
Concerned 19th District Resident
2:59 pm on Thursday, October 25, 2012
http://www.chicagolawbulletin.com/News-Extra/SCHOOLS-jc3232012.aspx
Thunderstorm
6:24 pm on Thursday, October 25, 2012
He also went to the University of Illinois for his MBA. How can a person go to school full time and work full time? Something had to give guess it was his job.
Ray Blah Blah Blah
2:00 pm on Thursday, October 25, 2012
First, what is this Zabrocki is a Republican stuff? Zabrocki supported only Democrats for state representative and senator since he resigned months into his term as sate rep in 1995. Joe Vince, when was the last time Zabrocki endorsed a Republican?
This leads to my second point, Zabrocki claims he doesnt endorse.He endorses all the time! Kevin McCarthy (D) was Ed's favorite legislator! Please! Every time McCarthy ran my mailbox was full of material from the Mayor for him.
Zabrocki consistently works against Republicans.
This is an old fashioned, backroom deal. Zabrocki is afraid Hastings growing political clout will result in an opposition ticket in the April municipal election supported by the new senator.
Hastings will not be a senator for our area, but tow the Democrats machine line in Springfield. Zabrocki knows this and is supporting him anyway, horrible leadership especially from an elected official who has been in office for more years than many of us have been alive. Zabrocki and his allies have been in office since GERALD FORD was president!
Janice Hankosky
3:37 pm on Thursday, October 25, 2012
I knew something was fishy with Zabrocki when I went to jury duty years ago and the judge asked me how I felt about Zabrocki. When I said I could take him or leave him I was dismissed.
ruth pauly
9:45 pm on Thursday, October 25, 2012
How many people remember our wonderful mayor sending out a letter endorsing Democratic State Rep Keving McCarthy? The Republicans had a fine candidate in Jeff Junkas in 2010 who competed well. McCarthy got that push from Zabrocki and the naive people of Tinley park went along with the endorsement. McCarthy won and then voted in the 67% tax increase we all were against and then he retired. Ruth Pauly
TP Karen
7:33 am on Friday, October 26, 2012
Yes, I believe Tinley was Ill-served with the reelection of McCarthy. We never saw him or heard from him until he had a viable opponent in Jeff Junkas. Too bad Zabrocki's endorsement helped in the defeat of Mr. Junkas. It was time for a change .... Yet another justification for the term limit argument!
mr joe
8:11 am on Friday, October 26, 2012
its time for zabrocki ti ride off into the sun set. does he know the meaning of the word retirement?