Illinois House Speaker Helps Keep Cook County Sales Tax High: The Madigan-Stroger Connection

Crain's Chicago Business reports:

If you look through Mr. Madigan's financial disclosure reports, the contributions from county employees almost leap off the page.

Just one of Mr. Madigan's several committees, the 13th Ward Democratic Organization -- besides being speaker, Mr. Madigan is the ward's Democratic committeeman -- got at least $42,000 from county workers in the second half of last year. Folks like county administrative assistant Joe Bishop, who gave the speaker's committee $2,500; engineer James Fadziejewski, $1,800; court liaison Steve Gruca, $2,200, and safety coordinator Steve Hensley, $2,500.

Safety costs, doncha know?

That $42,000 was nearly a third of what the committee got in the second half of last year in individual contributions detailed in its Board of Elections disclosure report.

You'll want to read this one.