Cook County

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

David Orr | Posted 11.09.2009 | Chicago


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.

Frivolous Lawsuits Costing Cook County Millions: Study

Daily Herald | Ted Cox | Posted 10.29.2009 | Chicago


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

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

Ray Hanania | Posted 10.09.2009 | Chicago


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?

County Spending $1.6M To Advertise Forest Preserve

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


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...

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

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


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

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

Chicago Public Radio | Rob Wildeboer | Posted 08.13.2009 | Chicago


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 ...

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

Daily Herald | Rob Olmstead | Posted 08.06.2009 | Chicago


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

What Do We Owe the Chicago River? Disinfection

Henry Henderson | Posted 07.26.2009 | Chicago


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.

Cook County Mismanagement Cost Taxpayers Over $225,000

Daily Herald | Rob Olmstead | Posted 07.11.2009 | Chicago


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...

County Workers Stockpile Over $2 Million In Overtime Pay

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


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...

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

Huffington Post | Posted 05.23.2009 | Chicago


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...

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

Associated Press | Posted 05.18.2009 | Chicago


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...

Sheriff Sets Up Suburban Government Corruption Unit

WBBM Newsradio | Posted 05.17.2009 | Chicago


[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...

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

Chicago Tribune | Posted 05.16.2009 | Chicago


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 ...

Some Honesty Regarding the Cook County Craigslist Thing

Craig Newmark | Posted 04.06.2009 | Chicago


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.

Cook County Patronage Watchdog Quits, Cites Stroger Resistance

Associated Press | Posted 04.03.2009 | Chicago


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

Three Townships Voting On Secession From Cook County

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


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

What Recession? Cook County Officials Submit Gilded Wish List

NBC Chicago | Steve Rhodes | Posted 03.08.2009 | Chicago


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...

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

Mike Quigley | Posted 03.01.2009 | Chicago


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.

Cook County CFO Gives The Finger During Budget Meeting

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


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

Ald. Toni Preckwinkle To Run For Cook County Board President

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


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

County Employees Paid Overtime On Off Days

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


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...

Feds Probe County Commissioner

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


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

All I Want for Christmas Is a Modernized Cook County Government

Mike Quigley | Posted 01.18.2009 | Chicago


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?

Tribune To Cook County: Downsize Now

Chicago Tribune | Posted 01.18.2009 | Chicago


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...