http://www.reformcookcounty.com Hosted by Tony Peraica Thu, 04 Mar 2010 06:32:50 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Cook County's post-Sept. 11 security initiative, dubbed Project Shield, which has come under fire for being sharply over budget and years behind schedule, is proving to be an even bigger drain on taxpayers. And in the end, it will provide a more porous security net than envisioned. What's the average cost of ... http://www.reformcookcounty.com/spending/project-shield-a-big-drain-on-cook-county-taxpayers/ Alan W. Reiner, Special Agent for the FBI has filed an affidavit made in support of a criminal complaint charging Patrick Slattery together with City of Chicago officials, devised, intended to devise and participated in a scheme and artifice to defraud the Chicago of money, property, and the intangible ... http://www.reformcookcounty.com/corruption/corruption-in-city-of-chicago-hiring-process/ Jose and Sandra Ruiz what they thought was their dream retirement home in the Bridgeport Village development, in Mayor Richard Daley's11th Ward, for $900,000. And now, according to a federal lawsuit they've filed against the Daley administration and some of the mayor's political clique, they lost their home and their ... http://www.reformcookcounty.com/corruption/ex-bridgeport-village-couple-building-a-case-against-city-hall/ From "Watchdog Jenkins": Corruption does not exist in a vacuum; meaning that Illinois did not earn its reputation for being the US' most corrupt state simply because of a mysterious culture of corruption that exists behind closed doors. Instead, all of Illinois’ illicit activities occur right out in the open; utilizing ... http://www.reformcookcounty.com/taxes/how-to-find-a-crooked-property-tax-lawyer-using-public-records%e2%80%a6/ In the world of political warfare, Shaw Decremer is a lieutenant. His troops: an army of state workers commanded by house speaker Michael Madigan. Their enemies respectfully call them "the Madigoons." A FOX Chicago News investigation found scores of supposedly full-time state employees, like Decremer, jumping on and off the state ... http://www.reformcookcounty.com/corruption/illinois-taxpayers-pay-for-madigan-goons/ ANALYSIS & OPINION BY RUSS STEWART Platitudes do not necessarily presage performance. In 2008, Barack Obama ran as a “reformer” who would bring “change.” Instead, he has governed as a typical tax-and-spend liberal Democrat. But the proper platitudes do, however, presage victory, especially in a Cook County Democratic primary where minorities and ... http://www.reformcookcounty.com/todd-stroger/%e2%80%9ceverybody-hates-todd%e2%80%9d-spurs-preckwinkle-win/ The Chicago Tribune released this video regarding the Better Government Association's Anti-Corruption Report. The report lists the nearly 150 people who have been convicted of corruption, what they did and how they did it. The serious crimes include bribery, ghost payrolling and a myriad of other scams. This corruption has cost ... http://www.reformcookcounty.com/corruption/culture-of-corruption-in-cook-county-government/ From the Sun-Times Media Wire Chicago - "I was afraid and I did the wrong thing." That's what former commander of the Melrose Park Police Department, Guy "Ric" Cervone, told the federal judge when he was allowed to speak. That statement was one of more than 100 requests for the judge's ... http://www.reformcookcounty.com/corruption/melrose-park-police-commander-sentenced-to-60-days/ Former Melrose Park Police Chief Vito Scavo was sentenced to six years in prison today for extorting business owners in town to hire his private security firm — a considerable break in sentencing from the maximum 25 years prosecutors had sought. Scavo apologized at the hearing before U.S. District Judge Joan ... http://www.reformcookcounty.com/corruption/six-years-for-melrose-park-police-chief-scavo/ From fraud and bribery to blurred ethical lines in government circles, Illinois has a political history smeared with corruption. It's a system that historically has been known more for trying to keep secrets than pushing for transparency. But amid the cries from the public and the call from President Barack Obama, ... http://www.reformcookcounty.com/budget/cook-county-ill-puts-local-government-checkbook-online/