Progress Illinois

The Civic Federation came out with its latest review of Cook County’s finances today. Not surprisingly, the watchdog group is ripping Board President Todd Stroger and his allies on the board for their “stunning failure of fiscal responsibility.” Laurence Msall, who heads up the Federation, was nothing short of disdainful in his analysis of Stroger’s plan to sell $740 million worth of bonds this year to balance the $2.9 billion 2009 budget. From the report (PDF):

Cook County President Todd Stroger argues that the borrowing is essential because the massive one percentage point sales tax increase approved last year will not generate sufficient revenues to pay for the County’s spending plan … The failure of this government to consider the long-term implications of its fiscal actions is extraordinary and irresponsible.

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The waste and excess exhibited by Cook County Board President Todd Stroger's administration is extensive.  But the most embarassing item on the list has to be ... paper. 

Yes, paper.

This week, Stroger's staff released its 2009 budget document, only to find themselves quickly recalling all copies:

Cook County Board President Todd Stroger's $2.9 billion budget proposal -- which he refused to release publicly after making his budget address on Tuesday -- was so rife with miscalculations that critics say it's nearly impossible to get a clear picture of the county's finances. [...]

On Wednesday, Stroger's staff "demanded" some commissioners return the error-riddled copies while corrected versions are being made.

This isn't an isolated incident.  Back in July, the Stroger administration spent nearly $25,000 on the first issue of Cook County magazine, the brainchild of the county's substantial PR operation.  But unlike the budget -- which briefly made its way into the hands of the county commissioners -- it never saw the light of day:

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During his six years on the Cook County board, Commissioner Larry Suffredin has seen his fair share of malfeasance, manipulation, and all around lousy governance. But according to a statement he sent out Friday, this week marked “a new low.”

The north suburban commissioner used that language after learning that Board President Todd Stroger’s administration recently sent out a letter warning current and former county employees that the pension fund is broke and jobs are on the line -- all part of an effort to scare up support for a questionable $740 million bond proposal. (Click the image to the right to read the letter from pension fund director Daniel Dengan.)

Suffredin’s office responded: “The Cook County Pension Fund is currently the best funded public pension fund in Illinois. Current pension benefits are not in jeopardy.”

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Yesterday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on Sen. Dick Durbin's proposal to help struggling homeowners by allowing bankruptcy courts to renegotiate the terms of certain mortgages.  As we noted on Tuesday, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart flew to Washington to testify before the committee about the foreclosure crisis in Chicagoland.  Dart told NBC 5 that the situation represents "utter chaos."  Durbin said he doesn't expect his plan to move forward during the lame duck session thanks to a White House that "is not open to the changes that we think will be necessary."  Watch:

(H/T HuffPo Chicago)

Last week, FOX News Chicago exposed how some Cook County commissioners are converting a $1,200-per-month expense account into personal income or using it to lease a car or pay off their own education expenses.  Like many stories of government waste in Chicago, the FOX investigation surfaced, caused some brief consernation, then quietly slipped away.  When confronted by FOX's Dane Placko about his pocketing of the monthly checks, Comm. William Beavers' brazen response said it all.  Watch:

No one should be "all right" about Beavers turning taxpayer dollars into a de facto $14,000 pay raise. We decided to follow-up on the story to learn what -- if anything -- is being done to address the issue.  What we found is that Commissioners Mike Quigley and Tony Peraica are angling behind the scenes to eliminate the $245,000 contingency fund from next year's budget. Until Board President Todd Stroger rolls out the much-anticipated 2009 spending plan, however, nothing's likely to happen on this front.  In the meantime, Quigley and Comm. Larry Suffredin are drafting a proposal for stricter oversight on how the money's being spent.

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Last month, the Tribune reported that pollution in Northeastern Illinois was among the worst in the nation. New research released this week again shows why people living in the region ought to hold their breath.

The new report found that residents of two heavily-populated regions of California are more likely to die from a pollution-induced respiratory illness than a car wreck. The study -- conducted by California State University -- further detailed how this spike in health problems has impacted on the local economies. According to the research, reducing particulate levels 50 percent to meet high federal standards would prevent:

- 2,760 hospital admissions
- 2,800 trips to the ER
- 18,060 cases of bronchitis
- 141,370 asthma attacks
- 3,860 pre-mature deaths

The savings to local governments in the two regions: $28 billion per year.

There's reason to believe that Chicagoland residents are at greater risk than their California counterparts and similar efforts to cut down on pollutants would have an even larger impact here. 

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More bad news emerged on the Illinois foreclosure front today. The number of homeowners slapped with bank repossessions, foreclosure, default or auction sale notices came to 12,681 in October -- a 24 percent increase from September and a 31 percent increase over the same month last year.

Homeowners in Cook County fared the worst. They made up more than half of the total foreclosure filings in the Prairie State. From the Sun-Times:

Some 6,885 homes received foreclosure notices in Cook County, representing one in every 313 homes. In Will County, the number was 990 homes, or 1 in every 226 homes. In DuPage County, the number was 807 homes, or one in every 441, and in Lake County it was 815 homes, or one in every 307 homes.

For more on what certain banks are doing to stem the tide of foreclosures -- here in Illinois and nationwide -- check out this post from yesterday.

The beleaguered Cook County hospital system appears poised to make a comeback.

After two-years worth of cuts to health clinics, women's and pediatric care, and dozens of other essential services, funding will be restored to these sectors at the start of 2009. By garnering the county commissioners' approval of their $930 million budget proposal, the new Health and Hospitals System Board of Directors proved that they can operate free of political influence.

No amendments were tagged onto the spending plan (despite an attempt by some suburban Republicans to expand a community health initiative). Had they done so, it would have presented a major setback for the hospital board members who've embraced the monumental task of fixing the failing system, said Patrick Keenan-Devlin, a health care lobbyist with Citizen Action. "It would have undermined their independence from the beginning," he said.

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Just weeks after he was hit with a dismal job appproval rating of 13 percent, more bad news is emerging for Gov. Rod Blagojevich today.

Fed-up voters overwhelmingly backed a Cook County advisory referendum to add a recall amendment to the state constitution enabling lawmakers to send unpopular elected officials packing. The question asked: "Shall the State of Illinois Constitution be amended to establish a recall process for the office of governor and other statewide elected officials?" The measure passed by a 57-43 percent margin in the city and a 63-37 percent margin in the county, according to preliminary election authority results.

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The moratorium on foreclosure evictions that propelled Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart into the national spotlight last week and secured his "good-guy" reputation back here at home has officially concluded.

Satisfied by the Cook County's decision to incorporate new renter-friendly provisions into the foreclosure eviction process, Dart has announced that he'll resume all law-abiding evictions on Monday.

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