Cook County Pays Government Workers to Lobby For Tax Hikes

The Chicago Sun-Times reports:

Cook County taxpayers paid Friday to shuttle in demonstrators to support a tax hike.

Just before a county budget hearing, a van from the county-owned Provident Hospital dropped off pickets set to rail against job cuts proposed by the County Board.

And the van driver -- from Star Detective Agency -- was even told which protester would call so they could then be picked up and shuttled back to Provident Hospital.

Though the protest appeared to have the blessings of some hospital leaders, hospital chief Dr. Robert Simon was clearly embarrassed to learn that taxpayer funds were used to help organize it. "It was wrong," he said. "This was not authorized."

Hospital union leader Anthony Pleasant said "we just took it upon ourselves" to use a county vehicle and promised to find another way back, while also vowing to reimburse the county for gas use.

He was one of dozens of employees jamming the area outside the board room. Leaders said they were on vacation or compensatory time.

But any protests for or against tax hikes or job cuts fell on deaf ears, as the County Board spent another day arguing the budget and getting nowhere.

There remains a $238 million deficit in the $3 billion budget, and Board President Todd Stroger wants to fill that with hikes in the sales, parking and gasoline taxes.

Commissioner Deborah Sims suggested the board "give people a Christmas present" and pass the taxes, but it's clear there isn't support for that, so the board is now preparing to make cuts.

The county is now in its 2008 fiscal year. A budget must be passed by Feb. 28.

When your salary comes from the taxpayers you want higher and higher taxes.Government workers shouldn't be allowed to vote,it's a conflict of interest.