Cook County Blog

Cook County bans video poker in unincorporated areas (Daily Herald)

The Cook County Board stood up to 11th-hour lobbying by the video-gambling industry today and passed a ban on video poker in unincorporated areas.

In some ways, it was a redundant act, in that the county already bans video gambling, but the new ordinance, sponsored by Democratic Chicago Commissioner Bridget Gainer, specifically addressed language and machines cited in the new $31 billion state public-works bill passed earlier this year in Springfield.

"It's just not the way to fund governmental operations," said Riverside Republican Commissioner Tony Peraica. "We need to stop enabling the state legislature in their foolishness."

Republican Commissioner Liz Gorman, of Orland Park, noted that the public-works bill, which intended to fund about one-third of its total cost through video gambling, had the backing of Republicans in the General Assembly. Gov. Quinn, however, worked to add language allowing local governments to "opt out" if they so desired, and Cook's action today followed DuPage and Lake counties and dozens of municipalities in doing so.

At the moment, the ban affects only 53 places with liquor licenses in unincorporated Cook. Yet it adds political momentum to the public outcry against expanding video gambling.

53 places with liquor licenses in unincorporated Cook; I wonder how much the Casinos think they're going to make on this maneuver when the competition is taken away from them like this.

Gorman called it "hypocritical" and said that it was about protecting the larger gambling industry from video competition, adding they should either ban all gambling or none at all.

Gainer appears to be the hero today.

The commissioners voted unanimously 15-0, however, to approve Gainer's "Sunshine" lobbying-reform initiative. It will call on all lobbyists to register and report their activity online through the office of County Clerk David Orr, who helped form the ordinance.

The new law will also ban all county employees from lobbying on county affairs for a year after they leave their government positions. The lobbying Web site is due to be up and running by next summer.

Gainer is a former lobbyist for AON, her dad is Bill Gainer, a retired lobbyist who is good friends with the Daleys. Bridget is said to have been placed there to give Stroger the majority of votes on the Board. There is so much cronyism and nepotism here it's difficult to fathom.

None of this, as far as I can tell, works to the benefit of taxpayers.