If you don’t know the name Joe Berrios, you should. He’s one of a handful of seriously clout-heavy players who have been at the center of the Illinois Democrat machine for decades. A former State Representative, Berrios is currently:
- Chairman, Cook County Democrat Party
- Committeeman, Chicago 31st Ward
- Commissioner, Cook County Board of Review
- Candidate, Cook County Assessor
- Owner/operator, J.B. Insurance, an insurance brokerage
- Founder/Partner, B-P [Berrios-Panayotovich] Consulting/lobbying firm
- Father of Democrat State Rep. Antonia 'Toni' Berrios
So, what does this all mean? Well, let’s try and connect the dots.
31ST WARD
This is where Joe Berrios got his start. In 1976, Joe became 31st Ward Secretary under Edward Nezda, who was “made” the 31st Ward Committeeman by Thomas E. Keane who, at that time, was running the Ward from his federal jail cell in Kentucky after being convicted for insider dealing. In 1982 Berrios won election as a State Representative. In 1987, when Nezda was convicted of extortion charges, Berrios was appointed to replace Nezda as the Ward boss.
BOARD OF REVIEW
Looking to avoid a tough reelection to the General Assembly in 1988, Berrios also got himself slated for the Cook County Board of Appeals (now called the Board of Review), which is responsible for granting (or denying) property tax breaks. The Board of Review has also traditionally been a campaign favors and contribution cash machine.
COOK COUNTY DEMOCRAT PARTY
In 2007, Berrios ran against Issac Carothers and Lou Lang for the chairmanship of the Cook County Democrat Party. Carothers was backed by Mayor Daley, while Berrios was backed by backed by Illinois State Democrat Party Chair (and House Speaker) Michael Madigan, who “occasionally” lobbies Berrios before the Board of Review. Berrios won. Are you making the connections? Don't forget the IR series on State Rep. Paul Froehlich. There's a connection. And there's more...
BERRIOS-PANAYOTOVICH
Along with owning and operating an insurance brokerage, Joe Berrios is also a founder and partner of B-P [Berrios-Panayotovich] Consulting located at 33 North LaSalle Suite 3300. Not necessarily interesting until you take a look at their client list. For the sake of this post, we’d like to point out three of them: Illinois Coin Machine Operators Association, Illinois Licensed Beverage Association, and the Regional Transportation Authority.
STATE REP. ANTONIA ‘TONI’ BERRIOS
In 2002 Joe Berrios elected his then 25-year old daughter, Antonia ‘Toni’ Berrios to a newly created majority-Latino district centered on the 31st Ward. Democrat Rep. Toni Berrios now sits the following committees: Executive | Bio-Technology (Chair) | House Gambling Committee | Infrastructure (Vice Chair) | Insurance | International Trade & Commerce | Mass Transit
Let's make this simple:
|
JOE BERRIOS (Father) |
TONI BERRIOS (Daughter) |
|
Owner: J.B. Insurance |
Sits
on House Insurance Committee |
|
Client: Illinois Coin
Machine Operators Assoc. |
Sits
on Gambling Committee |
|
Client: Illinois
Licensed Beverage Assoc. |
Sponsor
of HB470 expanding sale of liquor |
|
Client: Regional
Transportation Authority |
Sits
on Mass Transit and Infrastructure Committees |
No conflicts of interest there….right? Wrong.
Joe Berrios won big for his client this year when the porked-up Capital Bill was financed by the passage of HB 255, which, among other things, legalized video poker gambling. A long-sought victory for Joe Berrios’ client: Illinois Coin Machine Operators Association.
Interestingly, Joe’s daughter – Rep. Toni Berrios – happened to sit on the House Gambling Committee, and cast a vote for its passage. When asked by Illinois Review whether she was uncomfortable casting a vote that would directly benefit her father and his client, Rep. Berrios said she and her father do not discuss issues he’s promoting in the House.
Okay. Then how about HB470? This is a bill that Rep. Toni Berrios not only voted for, but sponsored. It expanded the sale of liquor by allowing its sale within 100 feet of churches. A law that most certainly benefits another of her father’s clients: the Illinois Licensed Beverage Association.
And how about last year’s RTA tax hike? Rep. Berrios sits on the Mass Transit Committee and voted for the increase, which benefited another of her dad’s clients: the Regional Transportation Authority.
Yes, the circle of Democrat life continues. Father to daughter. Crony to crony. Deal to deal. Dust to dust. ...Time to throw them all out!
