Stop Corruption in Cook County Now!
For too long Cook County has been plagued by impropriety, cronyism, irresponsibility and corruption. And if you don't believe it, read the articles below.
The good news it that It doesn't have to be that way. You have the power to vote for a candidate with a proven track record of fighting against corruption and that candidate is Roger Keats. Read a "Brief History of Corruption in the Cook County Courts" to learn how Roger Keats was instrumental in cleaning up Cook County Courts.
Articles on Corruption in Cook County:
Deals keep sewage boss flush
O'Brien companies have made millions from government
Chicago Sun-Times
November 2, 2009
BY TIM NOVAK Staff Reporter
For 21 years, Terrence J. O'Brien has been on the board of Cook County's sewage-treatment operation, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago.
During that time, O'Brien and his friends have started more than a dozen companies, including two engineering firms that have landed at least $3 million in contracts over the past decade from governments including the state of Illinois, the City of Chicago and the town of Cicero.
Water district chief owns firm that helps polluters
Crain's Blogs Greg Hinz
Posted by Greg H. at 10/30/2009 10:49 AM CDT on Chicago Business
As president of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, Terry O'Brien's job is to maintain the safety of the region's drinking water by reining in big polluters and making sure their waste is properly treated.
As 50% owner of an environmental consulting firm, the same Mr. O'Brien's job is to make life as easy as possible for his dozens of corporate clients, some of them heavy polluters. As his corporate Web site puts it in bold-face type, "Our first priority is to our clients."
Chicagoans taxes up 9 percent, Obama's taxes up 1 percent
Obama's bill barely edges up--but he still pays more than $22,000
October 30, 2009
BY TIM NOVAK Staff Reporter/tnovak@suntimes.com
Many Chicago homeowners will see their property taxes rise sharply in the tax bills going out this week. But not President Obama. His taxes on his Kenwood mansion are up just 1 percent, records show. Obama owes $22,456.43 in real estate taxes this year on his Kenwood mansion -- $223.09 more than he paid last year, when he was running for president.
President Obama paid $1.65 million for the Kenwood mansion he and his family moved into in 2005. His real estate tax bill this year is $22,456.43 -- a 1 percent increase from last year. The median tax bill for city homeowners is up 9.6 percent. That's largely because the 7 percent exemption given to homeowners is being phased out.
But the president didn't take that exemption during the last two years. So he's not experiencing the pain of losing it, like most other Chicago homeowners.
State Cracks Down on Job Training Program
Your Tax Dollars Being Used For Political Work?
By Dane Placko | FOX Chicago News
Updated: Wednesday, 28 Oct 2009, 11:13 PM CDT
Published : Tuesday, 27 Oct 2009, 9:49 PM CDT
Chicago - Workers enrolled in a state-funded program to provide job training tell Fox Chicago News they instead spent their time gathering signatures on petitions for political candidates.
A Fox Chicago News investigation found several Earnfare workers who said they were told to pass petitions for Cook County Board President candidate Dorothy Brown, among other candidates.
"That's our job description for every day, go out and do petitions," said one worker who wished to remain unidentified.
The workers said they were assigned to do clerical work and maintenance for the Mother's House social service organization at 49th and Ashland on Chicago's south side. When Fox Chicago News visited the agency on Tuesday, we found stacks of blank political petitions on a table in the office.
We also found Hassan Muhammad, a political field director for Brown's campaign. He denied the Earnfare workers were being used for political work, and then pushed a Fox Chicago cameraman out of the office.
County Workers Caught Asleep On The Job
myFOXchicago.com | FOX Chicago
Updated: Wednesday, 20 May 2009, 9:48 PM CDT
Published : Wednesday, 20 May 2009, 9:14 PM CDT
High above the loop on the 24th floor of the Cook County Building, where we're told our tax dollars are hard at work, we found this county employee fast asleep at his desk.
Workers give to Stroger's campaign, get big raises
August 24, 2009
BY CHRIS FUSCO Staff Reporter with The Better Government Association
Patronage workers give to Stroger's campaign fund, get big raises
Patronage workers with the Cook County Forest Preserve District are seeing more green these days -- in their paychecks.
With people everywhere facing tough financial times, the 28 forest preserve patronage workers who've been on the payroll since 2006 all got hefty raises in the following two years, an analysis by the Chicago Sun-Times and the Better Government Association has found. They're among 38 forest preserve workers who are exempt from the Shakman court order that bans political hiring in city and county government.
On average, the exempt employees were paid $98,071 last year. Nine of them saw their salaries increase 19 percent or more between 2006 and 2008.