Sun-Times: ‘Stand up to end corruption’
We urge you to read today’s Chicago Sun-Times commentary “Time to Stand Up to End Corruption” … and to take the suggested action to contact your legislative officials (the commentary provides their contact information.)
Lack of Details, Lack of Clarity, More Attacks from Todd Stroger
Todd Stroger continues to deal with the scandal regarding the departure of his cousin/county CFO Donna Dunnings, as the Daily Herald reports this morning that his administration has now been subpoenaed over the matter by the Cook County State’s Attorney.
But Todd also took some time this last Sunday to appear as a guest on ABC 7 Chicago’s “News Views” program.
In addition to defending himself over the Dunnings matter, he also shared some interesting statements in defending his massive county sales tax hike - and attacking me for wanting to fully repeal that tax increase.
In particular, he attacked me for “not caring” about the county’s health system, and that the system would collapse without the tax increase. Obviously, this is a comical attack at best, with the tens of millions of waste, fraud and abuse that has been uncovered by my office and local news organizations over the past year.
On this very Web site, we have shared stories and evidence of millions in wasteful spending.
But rather than own up to the waste - Stroger would rather attack me (and keep on spending our money.)
Stroger also fails to discuss how the county plans to keep tax revenues flowing with the slowed economic growth that will be caused by the tax hike. Loss of business, consumer spending and jobs equals loss of tax revenue. He still (falsely) believes that he can tax his way out of an economic crisis.
History proves him wrong.
In his interview, Todd once again claimed that federal stimulus money is what is allowing him to proposed a miniscule .25 decrease in the sales tax increase. However, there are serious questions about whether he is allowed to use stimulus funds to do this - or, if as several commissioners have pointed out - stimulus funds are only supposed to go for new projects.
That being said, in a recent press conference, Stroger couldn’t even pinpoint ballpark ranges of stimulus funds that might be coming in to the county - and could not provide a dollar-to-dollar explanation of how those funds could be used to rollback a portion of the sales tax hike.
Once again - we saw a lack of details, lack of clarity and cheap political attacks from Todd Stroger.
Silencing the Cook County Taxpayers
During the special meeting of the Cook County Board today - a meeting which was called to discuss the county’s financial situation amidst the questionable departure of the county’s CFO (and Stroger cousin) Donna Dunning … Todd Stroger shut off Commissioner Peraica’s microphone - because Commissioner Peraica had the audacity to question Commissioner Stroger.
Commissioner Peraica has been twice elected by the constituents of the 16th District to represent them - and the silencing of the commissioner is the equivalent of silencing the 16th District taxpayers.
Watch the video below to view this egregious abuse of power:
It Pays to be a Cook County Democrat Insider
As if the recent scandal over the departure of his cousin/Cook County CFO Donna Dunnings wasn’t enough …
As if he wasn’t getting enough blow back over his paltry, political proposal to reduce the sales tax hike by a mere quarter of a percent …
Now Todd Stroger is in the news today for hiring yet another political insider to the county payroll in a highly-paid position.
Cook County may be struggling with an ongoing financial crisis, but board President Todd Stroger has found taxpayer cash to hire another connected south suburban supporter to a $61,000-a-year job.
Merrionette Park Mayor Dennis Magee - also a Democratic Committeeman for Worth Township - is due to start work Friday working as an administrative assistant for the Cook County Forest Preserve District, according to district spokesman Steve Mayberry.Magee, 61, has been collecting a pension from the county since retiring in August from County Clerk David Orr’s staff. He worked for the clerk’s office for 24 years and retired on a salary of $82,000, Orr spokeswoman Courtney Greve said.
But here’s the best part:
Magee can legally collect his pension from the county while being paid by the Forest Preserve.
Good work if you can get it, eh?
It pays to be a Democratic insider in Cook County - especially when the incumbent Board President is looking to shore up support the year before he is sure to face a contentious Primary Election.
Tony Appears on WTTW’s “Chicago Tonight”
Peraica tax repeal proposal picking up steam
Momentum is picking up for Commissioner Peraica’s proposed ordinance to fully repeal the massive sales tax increase enacted last year.
Since last week, the Chicago Tribune, Sun-Times and Crain’s Chicago Business have all endorsed his tax relief proposal.
And this morning, we learn that County Board Finance Chair John Daley may, in fact, be considering supporting Tony’s proposal.
When Tony proposed a sales tax hike repeal last year - his fellow commissioners “pooh-poohed” it as a media stung. Now that they all see how it’s hurting the taxpayers - they may just be realizing how right Tony was (and is).
My Latest Appearance on My Fox Chicago
I thought you might enjoy my latest guest appearance on My Fox Chicago this morning … addressing the latest calls for Todd Stroger’s resignation:
Scorched Earth Policy in Lyons?
We received the following alert over the weekend from the Village of Lyons President-elect Christopher Getty:
Outgoing Mayor David Visk and the outgoing TLC Village Board is making a last minute desperate attempt to Increase the Water, Sewer, & Garbage Collection Rates. They want to approve a staggering $3 Million Bond Issue. They want to strip the Mayor of all his Appointment Powers; extend the redevelopment agreement of Smith Park so that it cannot be saved. They want to purchase more contaminated land and are also planning on making last minute appointments to boards and commissions. They want to hand out a new Contract to an Unnamed Village Manager. This appears to be a scorched earth policy which is an attempt to leave the new village board and the residents in total disarray.
Please stand with me by attending the Lyons village board meeting, Tuesday April 21st, at 6:30pm at the New Village Hall.
Yet another bad week for Todd Stroger
This week started off with Todd Stroger trying to re-brand himself as a tax cutter (by responding to Peraica’s full tax hike repeal with a miniscule .25 reduction plan of his own.)
But, as we saw, Todd’s lack of details or knowledge about his tax plan, combined with numerous personnel problems in his administration - caused the Stroger train to run off the rails yet again.
- First, Tony Peraica got the ball rolling by showing the media the truth about Stroger’s tiny tax reduction plan.
- Then, media walked away from Todd’s press conference realizing that Todd didn’t have a grasp of the details of his own tax reduction plan.
- Next, the Sun-Times rips Stroger’s tax plan and lauds Peraica’s.
- Then, news breaks about Todd forcing out his cousin from her job as the county CFO - due to her relationship with a recently-fired, highly-paid highway department employee who was also an ex-felon.
- As if that wasn’t enough, a Cook County workers gets sentenced to 4 years for theft - this same worker, by the way, was hired even though she had a prior history of felonies.
- Then, today, the Sun-Times comes out and rips Stroger over the fiasco with his cousin in an editorial titled, “Soridid Dunnings Debacle is another Stroger Fiasco.”
Nope, it wasn’t a good week to be Todd Stroger. Unfortunately for the county taxpayers - Todd has had way too many of these kinds of weeks.
Perhaps the voters will save him from further grief by sending him to an early retirement in 2010.
Stroger Forces out Cousin from Job as County CFO
Filed under: Budget, Corruption, Reform, Spending, Taxes, Todd Stroger
It’s reported today that Todd Stroger has forced out his cousin from her position as Cook County’s chief financial officer due to the disclosure of her relationship with a convicted felon who was also on the county payroll.
More from CBS 2 Chicago:
Stroger “asked for and accepted” Dunnings’ resignation, according to a news release from Stroger’s office.
The move follows what the news release called “disclosure of issues related to a personnel matter that could conflict with her ability to fulfill her responsibilities as chief financial officer.”
Further information was not provided in the news release, but in an interview Friday morning on the WLS-AM show “Don Wade & Roma,” Stroger said the controversy stemmed from Tony Cole, a former college basketball star who received a patronage job in late 2008, and was fired after Stroger learned that he had a felony criminal conviction.
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