Sunday, July 27, 2008

Cook County Wastes $24,999 For Propaganda Magazine: Misspellings, grammar errors put Magazine on ice


The Chicago Sun-Times reports on how Cook County wastes taxpayers money to promote its' own propaganda:
Tired of getting "pummeled by the newspapers every day," Cook County Board president Todd Stroger's administration has decided to counter with a new magazine overseen by county officials.

Publisher/editor Theresa Tracy said Cook County magazine would be "independently published" and a "credible, compelling and valuable resource" for county residents.


But county officials have the final say on what's published. And Tracy accepted $24,999 from Stroger's administration last November to launch the magazine -- $1 under the amount that would have required the approval of the full Cook County Board.

Tracy said there should be no "perception that we were just a house organ."

But, according to an agreement between the Stroger administration and Tracy obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times, county officials were seeking a "non-threatening news environment that ensures regular, positive press -- to counter-balance negative press often found in the mainstream media."

Tracy also agreed to give the Stroger administration final say on whether to distribute the magazine.

County Commissioner Robert Steele, a Stroger ally who's listed on the masthead as "Cook County Board liaison," said Stroger's press office was instrumental in the creation of the magazine.

"The press office looks at it, reviews it and says whether it's the message we want to get out," said Steele, who added that he "referred several ideas to the editor and talked to the press office about whether that's the message we're trying to get out. I'm supportive of it."
Cook County is taking some flack now because Chicago now has the highest retail sales tax in the nation at 10.25%.All this thanks to Obama supported Chicago Democratic Machine hack Todd Stroger.