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Chicago Gets Googled
Among all of the jockeying for Cook County State's Attorney and the sparks and drama of the presidential primaries, one of the more significant local races this primary season hasn't gotten nearly the attention that it deserves.
28th Ward Alderman Ed Smith is running against Eugene Moore for Cook County Recorder of Deeds. "The Recorder of Deeds Office is the worst ran county office in Cook County," Smith said in a debate with Moore on Fox News Sunday. The county's problems are deeper than just bad leadership--there's also a severe lack of transparency and accountability.
The office records financial information – property sales, mortgage values and rates, condo conversions and default rates. But it's all kept in a maze of papers in the basement of the county building, which means creating statistical models out of that info is expensive and time consuming, so its value as analyzable data is lost. Although not nearly as sexy as county board president or state's attorney, the recorder of deeds could potentially hold the key to understanding the local real estate market and population trends, greater academic research and more streamlined revenue lines for the county.Smith is running to clean up that mess, hoping to bring the Recorder's office into the digital age. He told the Tribune "I endorse the ultimate elimination of the Office of Recorder of Deeds," favoring merging the office with Cook County Clerk's Office, something that most other municipalities have already done.
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I use to think Smith was a dumb arrogant ward boss, especially because his staff looked like westside buffons, a step above the crack heads who work for Ricky Hendon. But I have grown to respect him for his independence and progressive policies and his work on a major public health issue. I won't mention said issue because idiots
like Spav1 won't vote for him.
Oh and the dude writes detective and romance novels! Not that I like dectective( unless its Walter Mosely) or Romance novels, but still!
I bet you don't live in the hood.
Crack Heads are the bread and butter in da hood (like the brothers say), and besides they add character to a city awash in yuppies and babycarts.
True dat, Golden,
I don't, but I would like one of those grey stones while mortagages are cheap!
Spook,
I still think ed smith is just trying to line up a do nothing job (recorder of deeds) to pad his pension from the city. But if he really follows through with trying to eliminate this waste of money office I would be happy to sing his praises.
The only question I care about in the voting booth is:
"Which one of these guys is gonna make Stroger's, Daley's, or Blago's lives a little harder?"