Illinois Review reports:
"As of today Chicago has highest sales tax in the nation," the IL GOP writes today. "Fight for increase led by Obama's pick for Cook County Board President . . ."For more on how Obama supported big taxing Cook County Democrats:
there is the Cook County government, a $3 billion operation that most taxpayers don't think about but which provides necessary and critical services to the indigent, particularly health care. In 2006, the Cook County Board President, John Stroger, faced near-daily chronicling of the incompetence, scandal, and patronage under his administration. These revelations included not only the typical employment of family members and friends, but more disturbingly what one Chicago newspaper referred to as a "catalogue of horrors" at a County hospital and what another uncovered at the Juvenile Detention Center where staff encouraged fights among the youth in "the gladiator room". Although normally untouchable, challenging Stroger was a formidable reform candidate, Forrest Claypool, who had been endorsed by every major paper in Chicago. This 'machine versus reform' race provided Obama with a seemingly tailored opportunity to demonstrate his new brand of politics and yet, although Claypool was a senior advisor to him during his Senate race, Obama chose not antagonize the machine and remained silent throughout the campaign, even after Stroger suffered a debilitating stroke a week before the election. Following Stroger's victory (52% to 48%), local committeemen selected Stroger's son, Todd, to replace him on the general election ballot, and despite general voter outrage over this cynical act of nepotism, Obama immediately embraced Todd Stroger, calling him a "a good progressive Democrat" who will "lead us into a new era of Cook County government." To no one's surprise, since winning the general election, Todd Stroger has hired a plethora of family members and friends, while slashing essential positions and services, including nurses and law enforcement officials, and proposing massive tax increases.Obama the "unreformer" in action.Here's an ABC TV Chicago report from September 22, 2006,on how the FBI views Cook County government:
FBI agents armed with search warrants carried out raids at several Cook County offices in downtown Chicago Thursday in connection to an investigation in to political patronage hiring. Agents are expected to return Friday.
The feds have been all over the Daley administration, the Blagojevich administration, and Thursday they were all over Cook County government. Agents armed with subpoenas and requests for information were at all three of the medical facilities, the hospitals, and the forest preserve district.
At the county building, a dozen FBI agents armed with search warrants started poring over documents at 9 a.m. We don't know how many different investigations of corruption are going on countywide, but the target seems to be allegations of political shenanigans when it comes too hirings and promotions.
The office of human resources, on the 8th floor of the Cook County Building, was off-limits to the media Thursday as FBI agents armed with search warrants seized employment records in a widening federal investigation of corruption in local government..
"The federal government has indicated this area here is being searched. Right now," said Mark Kilgallon, human resources director. Kilgallon said he couldn't comment on what they were searching for.
A spokesman for temporary board president Bobbie Steele says their attorneys tell them not to talk about the raid.
"We are looking at our options and we are fully cooperating with this investigation," said Chinta Strasberg, county spokeswoman.
The raid confirms the feds are indeed investigating the administration of former county board president John Stroger for allegedly manipulating the county's hiring and promotion policies to reward political allies. Four of Mayor Daley's lieutenants were convicted of similar charges at City Hall.
The government is also looking into alleged abuses by Governor Rod Blagojevich's political operatives.
"This building, including the City of Chicago, is a hot bed for corruption, and I don't think anyone should be surprised that it exists at the city, state or county level," said Commissioner Mike Quigley, (D)-Chicago.
