Peraica’s Transparency Resolution Attracting Attention

February 4, 2009 by CookReformer
Filed under: Budget, Reform, Spending, Taxes

The Chicago Tribune’s Hal Dardick posted in the paper’s Clout Street blog about Tony Peraica’s resolution to post the county’s check register online:

Posting the register would allow residents “to see where their money is being spent and perhaps wasted,” Peraica said. He also said the data could be compared to campaign disclosure reports, to see which vendors receiving county checks also are making political donations….“We are not changing the law,” (Adam) Andrzejewski (director of FortheGoodofIllinois) said, noting that county payments are considered public information subject to the state Freedom of Information Act. “We are simply changing county policy.”

Chicago’s News Bench also posted on the resolution:

Tony Peraica just can’t help himself. He’s a Cook County Commissioner, but don’t hold that against him. He’s one of the good guys, fighting to reform one of the most corrupt and inefficient county governments in the nation. Today, Peraica introduced a resolution to put the Cook County check register online.

And here’s OpenIllinois.org’s take:

Kudos to Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica for introducing a resolution to post the Cook County check register online. During a press conference this morning, Commissioner Peraica spoke about the need to restore confidence and trust in government. Commissioner Peraica cited the growing need for creating accountability and transparency.

And this from the Illinois Policy Institute:

Taxpayers deserve to know how government spends their money, and transparency gives them that chance. It serves as an x-ray machine and allows people to look into the details of the budget books and understand where their tax dollars go – and to whom. [...] It’s simple, good policy – and we’re seeing dramatic, public support all over the state of Illinois.

And you can read Sunshine Review Blog’s take here.

All in all…not a bad day’s work for Commissioner Peraica.