At midnight on February 29th President Stroger was threatening to shut down Cook County Government unless his sales tax increase passed. I voted for a compromise that I believe offered the best chance for reforming Cook County and insuring that all vital services continued. I'm not totally happy about the compromise but it was a case of choosing the lesser of two evils.
As you are aware, President Stroger has been working for months to impose a sales tax increase to fund the county's budget. I have fought hard to stop that increase, because I do not believe a tax is necessary. We should reduce our spending to make government more efficient and avoid the tax. I presented many ideas to stop a tax increase that were voted down by the Commissioners supporting President Stroger.
Without the compromise, President Stroger would have totally shut down all services of the County government – including hospitals, courts and the County Jail – which would have adversely affected all citizens, especially the most vulnerable. It would also have opened the County to huge financial liability for damages to those who would have been injured by such a dangerous move.
I chose to prevent such a tragedy by negotiating a compromise with President Stroger just before the midnight deadline for passing a County budget. He initially had insisted on a 2% increase in the County sales tax. I agreed to support only half that amount in return for a major concession on the part of the President.
This was the agreement to have the President give up control of the Bureau of Health. The Bureau is the largest unit of County government and is responsible for most of our current financial problems. The key to the compromise was transfer of control to run the Bureau of Health to a newly created independent Governance Board. Political considerations in hiring and contracting at the Bureau have led to continuing financial shortfalls for the five years I've been on the County Board . The President's office has continued to use this important health resource as a piggybank for jobs and contracts to serve political needs rather than those of our citizens. Last year President Stroger and Dr. Robert Simon, his director of health services, closed clinics and caused thousands of patients to look for health care elsewhere. This act put an unsustainable financial and service burden on non-county hospitals and clinics, which can ultimately result in higher medical costs to all citizens.
The independent Governance Board will for the first time allow Cook County health services to be run by health administration professionals who will know how to deliver services efficiently and to bill and collect for those services in a timely manner. Dr. Simon will be replaced by an appointee of the independent Board.
That was my compromise: a vote for a sales tax reduced to 1% in return for President Stroger surrendering his control of the Bureau of Health and all its patronage jobs and contracts. In the long run this will save Cook County taxpayers millions of dollars and provide the health care services our citizens deserve.
I was elected to the County Board to reform this government. I have no apology for my latest decision and my vote for what I think will bring about the most long-lasting true reform. You have my firm commitment to continue fighting to control spending, improve management and working to cut back on these taxes, which I fundamentally believe are not the right solution to running our government.
10 comments:
Looks like I'll be shopping out of the county now. I used to go to Evanston to save a few dollars on higher priced items, now i'll save money using the gas and leaving the county. No money gains as more and more people leave the county to save money. You can save sometimes $0.20 a gallon getting your gas out of the county as it is right now. And how can they shut down hospitals and jails? It is illegal for the police and fire departments to go on strike, so i guess its more toddler crap. Thanks to you who voted for the moron.
Larry the Boogieman said....> "Without the compromise, President Stroger would have totally shut down all services of the County government – including hospitals, courts and the County Jail..."
Oohhh, don't scare us, Larry.
I wonder: Will the hourly billing from Larry's firm to the board reform (lower) its rate to meet the mandated limit per hour now? That's another email question of mine that went unanswered.
Well, let's see, you're about his height - so your that full of shit too, and you spew it every day on your "blog"
And I'll bet he is re-elected again during the next election. He is after all, a Democrat.
All Toddler and his handlers need to do is get five loyal lackeys on that hospital governace board and we will be just as screwed as before, except for now paying the highest sales taxes in America. With a sleazeball lobbyist like Suffredin watching, does any rational person doesn't think they are going to get screwed?
The claim by Larry the Lobbyist that Toddler would shut down all of Cook County government were untrue, and Suffredin knew it. Earlier on that Friday, Chief Judge Timothy Evans had ordered all court operations to continue, regardless of what the County Board did or didn't do, and ordered that all court employees be paid regardless of the budget situation. so this is a case where Larry the Lobbyist compunded his treachery with an additional pack of lies.
Natass is like a yapping little dog. Too much noise.
Anybody got an extra small muzzle?
Come shut me up Rogers!
Dare you - Wanna meet IRL?
I'll kick the ever loving shit out of your old and worthless ass!
Well......
You never shoed up to The Oasis or Pumping Company - so I think you are just plain scared of me a 40 + year old man.
Yap, yap, yap, yap, yap.
What an angry little puppy.
ooh, wow, natas is tough, he wants to meet IRL!
says the big guy who hides behind a false name.
If you weren't such the big pussy, you'd let us all know who you really are.
yeah, that's what i thought
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