Cook County Blog

Two things happened at about the same time; first, Dorothy Brown called a press conference for her campaign for Cook County President, calling for ethics reform.  Dorothy Brown is the Cook County Clerk of the Circuit Court right now.  Her press conference was held on the fifth floor of the County building, an ethical no-no.  Reportedly, her aids were carrying campaign signs - another no-no.

And in other related news, Angelo Colon, a Cook County Clerk since 1999, was charged with solicitation of a bribe and corruption.  He allegedly accepted $13,000 from a woman to get her husband, who is charged with drug trafficking, out of jail.

And we're to believe that Dorothy Brown is qualified to become Cook County President.

puhleez.

From the Southtown Star:

A 55-year-old man is being sought for leaving Cook County Commissioner Deborah Sims two threatening voicemail messages a day after she cast a controversial vote in September.

 He apparently left two 'vulgar' and "racist' comments on her voicemail.  The article talks about only one of them.

"I'm very disappointed in your vote. You flip-flopped, actually lied, and I hope you get ... AIDS and die," Stroh says in one message, police said.

But that's enough to get you charged with a hate crime, I guess.


To engage in that kind of racial comments and threats, I think that's inappropriate, it's wrong and I condemn it in the strongest possible terms," Peraica said.

Stroger and Madigan Meet Econ 101

Crain's reported yesterday that Mike Madigan lifted a hold on legislation that would slash Stroger's one percent sales tax increase. A companion bill reduces the number of commissioners necessary to override his veto.

There is a very interesting explanation at the Huffpo of how Cook County's taxes are laid on top of each other.

The Cook County tax mess is thick and deep like horse manure you need to have long boots on to shovel.

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paras-bhayani/stroger-and-madigan-meet_b_314300.html

My Suburban Life:

The issue

The village (Bartlett) set up a tax-increment financing district (TIF) in December 1986 to revitalize its downtown by attracting new businesses and upgrading buildings and infrastructure. In May 2009, trustees brought up the idea of a one-year extension. Extending the TIF district for one more year would generate about $1.5 million, however, if the extension is granted, other taxing bodies would have to wait until the TIF expires to see any of the additional revenue.

More of this capital improvement stuff.  Fighting over the scraps...like vultures.

Since the TIF will not end on its own, the board must vote on an ordinance at its Oct. 20 board meeting. Mraz said the money has been locked up by Cook County and Bartlett won’t see the money if they do not make a decision. Taxing bodies must be notified of the decision by Nov. 1. The board will have three options: They can vote to extend the TIF, not extend the TIF, or extend contingent upon the fact that a portion also is refunded back to the taxing bodies.

Read the whole thing at My Suburban Life. 

This is ridiculous.

Sentence the murdering sociopath idiot already, and let the families finally put this behind them.

Crain's Chicago Business - - Leftists, naturally.

Chanting "Patients, not profits!" According to the article-they were socialist protesters, presumably affiliated with ACORN, SEIU, AFSCME, etc.-calling themselves

Healthcare-NOW! and the Center for the Working Poor. They plan similar protests next week in several other U.S. cities, including Philadelphia, where Cigna's corporate headquarters are located.

There they were, punching back twice as hard.

Officer Robert Perez says the protesters were arrested on criminal trespassing charges.

Little do they care about the law, though. I wonder who bailed them out.

A commenter on that article:

More free loaders who dont understand THAT IT IS THE GOVERNMENT WHO SET UP THE CENTRALIZED HMO'S and now merely want a lateral move SO THE GOVERNMENT WILL COLLECT THE MONEY FIRST.

Reform back to capitalism

Daniel T. Zanoza, Executive Director at Republlicans for Fair Media asks "Illinois Review U.S. Senate Poll Tainted: Mark Kirk Included, Andy Martin Not: Why?"

Off the top of my head I'd say-and I'm not speaking for Fran here, I'm just guessing- because he's a jackass and extremely litigious....an embarrassment...a loose cannon...and on and on. Sometimes I agree with his "take" on things, sometimes not - but at the very least, he seems to be a 'colorful' character.

Don't blame me for saying that; blame wikipedia:

Anthony Robert Martin-Trigona, usually known as Andy Martin (born 1945 in Middletown, Connecticut) is an American journalist, perennial candidate, and vexatious litigant

Why is he a "perennial candidate" who has never won an election, one might ask?

You might answer this question with the same answer as the previous.

From an article posted October 6th at Clout Street

The Cook County Board today voted to expand the power of county’s inspector general to investigate elected officials.

Inspector General Patrick Blanchard and his successors now will be able to initiate an investigation of an elected official on their own, providing they meet a U.S. Supreme Court standard of suspicion.

 Sounds pretty subjective.

Previously, the inspector general could investigate elected officials only if someone signed a complaint against that official.

Commissioner John Daley, D-Chicago, noted that the state now uses the same suspicion standard, one that falls somewhere lower than probable cause.

With the hearsay law in place, and now a standard that 'falls somewhere lower than probable cause', I see a lot of potential trouble here.  As if Cook County doesn't have enough.

On a smaller scale, Governor Quinn's capital improvement plan is the equivalent of the Stimulus Package; a waste of taxpayer dollars to be thrown at improving roads, bridges, etc. And the jobs that it would produce would only be temporary; they would go away when these projects are completed.   Quinn's plan involved the assumption that a hefty revenue stream would be pouring in from videogaming to pay for it.

Knowing the history of problems in Illinois with graft and lobbyists, special interests and union organizers, it should come as little surprise that Bridget Gainer, was, according to the Southwest News Herald:

appointed by Chicago Machine committeemen to succeed Mike Quigley in the 10th district in Chicago,

Gainer is a former lobbyist for AON, and her father is Bill Gainer, who is personal friends with the Daleys.  In fact, she-

received at least $2,000 from casino-related interests to her election campaign committee three weeks before proposing the video gaming machine ban.

So we can see the handwriting on the wall here.  With cash incentives, Gainer then proceeded to artificially influence the marketplace and take away the casinos' competition for the revenues.  Although, as some have pointed out, poor people tend to gamble; and in a sense, this is taking advantage of some of the most vulnerable among us.

Asked about Gainer receiving funds from two executive of the 10th Casino licensee, Midwest Gaming & Entertainment LLC, Pappas said that the vote might have been different at the Finance Committee if other commissioners knew.

There are more donations to Gainer from 'interested parties' that people should have been aware of:

On June 30, 2009, Gainer’s election campaign received $1,000 from Leslie Bluhm. Bluhm is listed on Gainer’s disclosure forms as working with “Lamb Partners.” On the same day, Gainer also received $1,000 from Gregory Carlin, who is also listed as an executive with at Lamb Partners.

Leslie Bluhm is the daughter of Midwest Gaming Chairman Neil Bluhm, and she is also a “partner” in Midwest Gaming. Gregory Carlin is President of Midwest Gaming. Neil Bluhm has many corporate interests in Illinois including Lamb Partners. He is also president of JMB Realty Corporation.

Gainer’s legislation was fast-tracked through the county board over the objections of several commissioners who asked that public hearings be held first. In fact, no "public hearings" were held on Gainer’s bill which sat dormant in the Finance Committee until Gainer asked Finance Committee Chairman John Daley to put the bill on an agenda for a vote. That vote was taken last Thursday, October 1, 2009 immediately after a few members of the public, last minute, were allowed to speak on the issue.

It is highly unusual for an appointee to become the point person for legislation like this.  It is even more unusual for legislation to be fast tracked so quickly without much of an opportunity for debate.  The measure was passed yesterday, October 6, when the full board voted on it. With the cigarette ban which has reduced revenue that would have poured into the Capital Improvement Program, and now this - Quinn is going to have to invent some additional ways to rape taxpayers to pay for it.