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Cook County

It's Time to Get Judicial Retention Elections Off the Ballot in Illinois

David Orr | Posted 11.09.2009 | Chicago

Read More: Ballot, Judicial, Judges, Judicial Retention, Cook County, Election, Cook-County-Clerk, Chicago News
David Orr

Judicial retention races are a paradox, where too much democracy means no democracy at all. Not a single judge has lost a retention election since 1990.

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Frivolous Lawsuits Costing Cook County Millions: Study

Daily Herald | Ted Cox | Posted 10.29.2009 | Chicago

Read More: Cook County, Cook County Frivolous Lawsuits, Cook County Board, Cook County Lawsuits, Cook County Corruption, Chicago News

An Illinois legal-reform group released a study Wednesday suggesting Cook County is squandering millions of dollars annually with a lax approach to fi...

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County Gaming Ban Smacks of Insider Politics, Not Concern for the Public

Ray Hanania | Posted 10.09.2009 | Chicago

Read More: Campaign Disclosures, Casinos, Midwest Gaming, Cook County, Joan Patricia Murphy, Bridget Gainer, Casino Licenses, Illinois Gaming Board, Illinois Video Gambling, Cook County Video Gambling, Cook County Board, Chicago News
Ray Hanania

We have 10 casinos in Illinois, the lottery and churches rely on bingo for most of their free cash. That kind of gambling is OK, but a bill that would compete for casino revenues is not?

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County Spending $1.6M To Advertise Forest Preserve

Chicago Sun-Times | CHRIS FUSCO | Posted 08.20.2009 | Chicago

Read More: Cook County Forest Preserve, Cook County, Cook County Forest Preserve Ads, Chicago News

Can't afford to hold on to your gym membership anymore because of a pay cut? Looking for a really cheap way to do something healthy on those unpaid fu...

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Cook County Hospital System Adds Top Execs, Former Blago Spokesman To Handle PR

Chi-Town Daily News | ALEX PARKER | Posted 08.15.2009 | Chicago

Read More: Cook County Hospitals, Jeanene M. Johnson, Cook County Health and Hospital System, Cook County, Lucio Guerrero, Deborah A. Tate, Chicago News

A former Sara Lee Corp. executive has been named as the Cook County Health and Hospitals System's new human resources director. ...

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Cook County Holding $2M In Fees Intended For Youth Courts

Chicago Public Radio | Rob Wildeboer | Posted 08.13.2009 | Chicago

Read More: Cook County, Cook County Court Fees, Judge Michael Stuttley, Cook County Juvenile Court, Chicago News

If you've pleaded guilty to something like running a stop sign or speeding in Cook County in the last year you've probably had to pay a $135 in court ...

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Over $11M In Cook County Contracts Went To Political Donors

Daily Herald | Rob Olmstead | Posted 08.06.2009 | Chicago

Read More: Better Government Association, Cook County, Cook County Politics, Cook County Board, Cook County Corruption, Chicago News

A joint investigation by the Daily Herald and the Better Government Association has found that the companies that received the 11 contracts worth $11....

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What Do We Owe the Chicago River? Disinfection

Henry Henderson | Posted 07.26.2009 | Chicago

Read More: Pollution, Chicago River Decontamination, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, Chicago River Bacteria, Environment, Cook County, Chicago River, Chicago News
Henry Henderson

I think it is a simple answer: We owe the Chicago River $1.94. That small sum buys us, finally, disinfection of the human waste being dumped into the river and its connecting streams and waters.

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Cook County Mismanagement Cost Taxpayers Over $225,000

Daily Herald | Rob Olmstead | Posted 07.11.2009 | Chicago

Read More: Cook County, Cook County Board, Cook County Public Administrator, Chicago News

The past practices of the Cook County Public Administrator's Office cost taxpayers at least $227,871 in missing funds and possibly millions more in sw...

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County Workers Stockpile Over $2 Million In Overtime Pay

Chicago Sun-Times | Mark J. Konkol | Posted 05.28.2009 | Chicago

Read More: Cook County Budget, Cook County, Cook County Highway Department, Cook County Overtime, Chicago News

If Joseph Lafata were to retire anytime soon from his job as a maintenance supervisor with the Cook County Highway Department, he'd have a nice cushio...

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Stroger Visits Cousin Dunnings 'Shocked' Over Her Firing As Cook County CFO

Huffington Post | Posted 05.23.2009 | Chicago

Read More: Donna Dunnings, Stroger Dunnings, Cook County Politics, Todd Stroger, Stroger Hiring Scandal, Cook County, Tony Cole, Chicago-Illinois, Chicago News

Cook County Board President Todd Stroger paid a visit to the cousin he abruptly fired last week, touching off a rash of criticism about his management...

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Stroger Cousin Donna Dunnings Resigns From Top County Job After 'Explosive' Allegations

Associated Press | Posted 05.18.2009 | Chicago

Read More: Todd Stroger Cousin, Cook County Politics, Donna Dunnings, Todd Stroger, Cook County, Tony Cole, Stroger Patronage, Chicago News

CHICAGO (AP) -- Cook County Board President Todd Stroger's cousin has quit her job as the county's chief financial officer amid questions about her re...

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Sheriff Sets Up Suburban Government Corruption Unit

WBBM Newsradio | Posted 05.17.2009 | Chicago

Read More: Cook County Sheriff, Cook County Corruption, Cook County, Tom Dart, Chicago News

[Cook County Sheriff Thomas] Dart has formed a new Financial Crimes/Public Corruption Unit, the first of its kind in the sheriff's office, to investig...

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Cook County Sales Tax Could Be Scaled Back Some, But Stroger Unsure How

Chicago Tribune | Posted 05.16.2009 | Chicago

Read More: Todd Stroger Reelection, Cook County Sales Tax, Todd Stroger, Cook County, Cook County Board, Taxes, Chicago News

Less than a year before he seeks re-election, Cook County Board President Todd Stroger today asked commissioners to roll back part of the major sales ...

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Some Honesty Regarding the Cook County Craigslist Thing

Craig Newmark | Posted 04.06.2009 | Chicago

Read More: Cook County, Cook County Corruption, Craigslist Prostitution Ads, Craigslist, Chicago News
Craig Newmark

"Frankly, Sheriff Dart's actions mystify me," said craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster, referencing the private civil suit filed against the online service Thursday by the Cook County (Illinois) Sheriff.

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Cook County Patronage Watchdog Quits, Cites Stroger Resistance

Associated Press | Posted 04.03.2009 | Chicago

Read More: Cook County Patronage, Todd Stroger, Julia Nowicki, Cook County Political Hiring, Cook County, Cook County Patronage Monitor, Chicago News

CHICAGO - A federal hiring monitor says efforts by Cook County Board President Todd Stroger to eradicate illegal patronage hiring is moving too slowly...

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Three Townships Voting On Secession From Cook County

Chicago Tribune | Jeff Long And Hal Dardick | Posted 03.14.2009 | Chicago

Read More: Hanover, Palatine Secession, Cook County Sales Tax, Barrington, Cook County, Cook County Secession, Barrington Secession, Hanover Secession, Palatine, Chicago News

Three northwest suburban townships are asking residents whether they want to secede from Cook County. The referendum questions in Palatine, Barrington...

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What Recession? Cook County Officials Submit Gilded Wish List

NBC Chicago | Steve Rhodes | Posted 03.08.2009 | Chicago

Read More: Todd Stroger, Cook County, Cook County Budget Crisis, Cook County Politics, Cook County Budget, Chicago News

Who says times are tough? It's all leather chairs and granite countertops these days for Cook County officials. "The recession and Cook County budget...

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Do You Think 700 Million Dollars is a Lot of Money?

Mike Quigley | Posted 03.01.2009 | Chicago

Read More: Todd Stroger, Cook County, Mike Quigley, Cook County Board, Chicago Politics, Fiscal Responsibility, Cook County Budget, Chicago News
Mike Quigley

When the Cook County budget comes up for a vote in the coming week, we will be dealing, yet again, with a patchwork set of fixes, an ill-conceived borrowing scheme, and a lack of attention to the real problems.

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Cook County CFO Gives The Finger During Budget Meeting

Chicago Sun-Times | Mark J. Konkol | Posted 02.17.2009 | Chicago

Read More: Alexis Herrera, Donna Dunnings Middle Finger, Cook County, Cook County Politics, Donna Dunnings, Chicago News

ook County Chief Financial Officer Donna Dunnings made an obscene gesture -- displaying her middle finger -- to the Sheriff's Department's budget dire...

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Ald. Toni Preckwinkle To Run For Cook County Board President

Crain's Chicago Business | Greg Hinz | Posted 02.13.2009 | Chicago

Read More: Preckwinkle County Board, Todd Stroger, Preckwinkle County Board Run, Preckwinkle Stroger, Toni Preckwinkle, Forrest Claypool, Cook County, Cook County Board, Chicago News

While the media pack has been overwhelmed covering Messrs. Blagojevich, Burris and Obama, a big local political story has been quietly developing in r...

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County Employees Paid Overtime On Off Days

Chicago Sun-Times | Mark J. Konkol | Posted 02.09.2009 | Chicago

Read More: Cook County Double Dipping, Cook County, Cook County Highway Department, Cook County Corruption, Chicago News

Last winter, Cook County Highway Department maintenance employees called in sick, took vacation or put in for paid time off on the same days they earn...

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Feds Probe County Commissioner

Chicago Sun-Times | Mark J. Konkol | Posted 01.19.2009 | Chicago

Read More: Moreno Federal Investigation, Cook County Commissioners, Chicago Medical Equipment and Supply, Moreno Federal Probe, Joseph Mario Moreno, Med Assets Inc., Ronald Garcia, Cook County, Cook County Board, Chicago News

Federal authorities have launched a probe into Cook County Commissioner Joseph Mario Moreno's push to get his pal and political supporter, Ronald Garc...

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All I Want for Christmas Is a Modernized Cook County Government

Mike Quigley | Posted 01.18.2009 | Chicago

Read More: Cook County, Mike Quigley, Chicago Politics, Cook County Board, Cook County Government, Cook County Patronage, Cook County Reform, Cook County Bloat, Reinventing Cook County, Cook County Property Taxes, Chicago Property Taxes, Cook County Corruption, Chicago News
Mike Quigley

Short of absolute dictatorships, my staff and I couldn't find an example of a more powerful veto anywhere in the world. Why does the president of the Cook County Board have this much power?

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Tribune To Cook County: Downsize Now

Chicago Tribune | Posted 01.18.2009 | Chicago

Read More: Taxes, Cook County Sales Tax Increase, Cook County Cuts, Todd Stroger, Cook County Debt, Tribune Editorial, Cook County Sales Tax, Chicago Tribune, Cook County, Mike Quigley, Cook County Board, Cook County Budget, Chicago News

Out here in the real world, the temptation of easy debt has (a) let people foolishly live beyond their means and (b) stuck all of us federal taxpayers...

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