Posting Date: May 27, 2008
Zalewski’s Son To Fill Bob Molaro’s Seat
All the news media that always ignores the Southwest Side will be up in arms when they hear this Southwest Side story.
Ald. Mike Zalewski’s son, Michael J. Zalewski, is expected to be endorsed next week to succeed Bob Molaro in the 21st Illinois House.
According to the alderman, Molaro will step down before his re-election to fill a judicial vacancy, probably replacing Judge Daniel P. Darcy in the 3rd Sub-Circuit.
Oh, don’t get your panties in a bunch. Why shouldn’t a father support his son’s appointment to fill a vacated elected government seat?
It’s done all the time in private industry. It’s done all the time in the hypocritical, double-standard-filled Chicago news media.
Oh yes. The news media always greases the job-circuit for their kids. Do you really think they care about impropriety when putting their kids at the head of the line for big media jobs? Ahead of thousands of others who are better trained and better qualified in journalism but lose out because they don’t have clout?
Yet, for some reason, politicians are held to a different standard.
The media could care less, so why should you?
The media will cry this is “inside politics.” Unfair to taxpayers. An example of politicians using their government clout to give their children an edge.
Maybe so. But the bottom line is that once Michael J. Zalewski gets into office, he still has to run for re-election. Silver-spoon journalists don’t have to worry about running for office.
If Michael J. Zalewski gets appointed to replace Molaro, as is expected, he has to put his name on a legislative district ballot and win the majority of votes in his district.
The bottom line is voters do get a voice in who represents them. And it is a voice, especially on the Southwest Side, that voters don’t have in the Chicago news media.
Michael J. Zalewski, 29, is a lawyer with five years experience in the Cook County state’s attorney’s office. He works for the law firm of Chico & Nunes. His wife, Carrie, is a lawyer, too.
I spoke with Ald. Zalewski and he was very frank with me.
“My son came to me years ago. He loves politics and government service the same way I do. He said he wanted to get into politics and I said the best way to do it is to start from the bottom and work the precincts. Knock on doors. Run a precinct. Meet the people. Learn how to be a good representative and learn what’s important to the voters and people you may someday represent,” Ald. Zalewski told me.
To get appointed, the Democratic committeemen in the House District representing the townships and wards would get together — that’s expected to take place next week.
Zalewski is the 23rd Ward Democratic Committeeman. His son, Michael J., has the backing of all of the key committeemen of the wards and townships in the legislative district. Committeemen use a weighted vote reflecting the total number of votes cast in their ward and township, so some committeeman’s support means more than others.
Besides his father’s support, Michael J. Zalewski is expected to also have the backing of Bridgeview Mayor and Democratic Committeeman Steve Landek and Stickney Township Committeeman Michael Looney. And, he should have the backing of the committeemen in Proviso Township, Berwyn, Riverside and House Speaker Michael J. Madigan’s 13th Ward, which only has a half of one of the house seat’s precincts.
Unlike the children of journalists who keep their jobs based on clout, Michael J. Zalewski will have to prove himself and run for re-election.
I have no doubt he will earn the voters’ trust.
(Ray Hanania is an award winning columnist and author. He can be reached at www.hanania.com.
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