Cook County Board Chairman: 'I'm doing a damn good job'

The Chicago Sun-Times reports:

Self-described Cook County Board reformers took one last shot at repealing the county's sales tax increase that went into effect this month, but they didn't have the votes to make it happen.

The County Board on Tuesday easily killed the sales tax rollback plan offered by Commissioner Tony Peraica.


The proposal sparked a lengthy debate peppered with finger-pointing, name-calling and tricky parliamentary maneuvers that ended in an anti-climactic 10-7 vote.

Peraica took most of the heat. Commissioner Earlean Collins said Peraica's move was "all talk." Other board members criticized Peraica for being "irresponsible" by trying to repeal the tax in the middle of the year.

"To vote in favor of the repeal of the sales tax today would be to send our government to bankruptcy court possibly or to stop essential services," Commissioner Roberto Maldonado said.

When the rather long-winded arguments were over, Board President Todd Stroger said he is irritated by the constant criticism of his administration.

"I'm doing what's best for the people. That's how I'm running the government. And until this place falls apart, then I'll step up and say, you know what, I screwed up," Stroger said. "But until then, I'll tell you I'm doing a damn good job."

On July 1, the county's portion of the sales tax increased 1 percentage point -- a penny on the dollar -- to 1.75 percent, giving Chicago the highest sales tax in the country at 10.25 percent.

Remember, Obama endorsed Todd Stroger the unreformer.I guess Obama doesn't care that the Machine he's part of, has the highest sales taxes in America.