Asian Carp: 'Nice Try, Suckers'
Extra, Extra
Around Town
Red-Light Cameras Not So Special?
Todd Stroger dismissed a 54-page report (PDF) on patronage yesterday. The report, filed last week by retired Cook County Circuit Judge Julia Nowicki, the federally appointed hiring monitor for the county, documents allegations by more than 220 people that illegal patronage practices occurred over two years ending February of last year.
Among the allegations in Nowicki's report are an employee boasting that he was a "soldier for Stroger", and would be promoted shortly. According to witnesses, after working five hours on his first day, he had "already identified co-workers he intended to impose severe discipline upon when he became supervisor." After he was denied a promotion he was unqualified for, the department's Executive Director made him a "lead worker," a position created to grant him supervisory powers without going through the job-posting process. Once promoted, that employee sold political swag out of his office, including "sweaters, t-shirts, skull caps, baseball caps, and jackets."
"We have cooperated with her office, but the way the report was written, it makes it appear there have been things that have been going on that are illegal in hiring since I've been the president," Stroger told the Tribune. After disputing the findings, he admitted that he hadn't read the report. "I haven't read her report yet," Stroger said, but "I can read the newspaper.... I've got a good education." Stroger may feel the need to defend his academic credentials, since, according to Nowicki, "except in the case of requiring documentation regarding college and high school credentials and licenses, no action is taken to verify whether information on the applications is accurate."
add to stumble upon
add to reddit
tweet this
post to facebook
"except in the case of requiring documentation regarding college and high school credentials and licenses, no action is taken to verify whether information on the applications is accurate."
Well, I actually can't hate on Cook Co. too much here. That is very very common.
seriously, this guy is horrible. he'd rather read the newspapers than the actual report?
also, 220 people? this must be grounds for some sort of impeachment or something
Tod Stroger is a disgrace. The people who voted for him are idiots. Cook county government is an unneeded waste.
It wasn't the people who voted for him as much as it was the Tribune and Sun Times which failed to point out what was going on when this all went down.
Yes, it WAS the fault of the people who voted for him.
Citizens who are Democrats in Cook County, including some commenters on Chicagoist, could not stomach voting for Peraica, a Republican.
The Democratic votes should have realized that the issues addressed by the core principles of Democrats are decided in Springfield and Washington.
Those voters would NOT see significant issues women's rights, gay rights, or national defense decided by the Cook County Board. On those issues within the county, things like same-sex benefits would pass even WITH Peraica as president.
Please, Democrats, consider voting for a Republican Cook County Board president. You won't be betraying your values. You can vote Democratic for everything else, i.e., where Democratic principles are truly on the line.
Kevin: Does this make it harder for Stroger to use the sales-tax increase to hire 25,000 new workers, as you claimed will happen?
Democrat here, voted for Peraica.
It is the fault of all the morons who listened to the precint capt and voted how they were told. the democratic lemmings of crook co. are now approaching the cliff its a long way down and you deserve to crash and burn. This is what ignorant voters and machine politics gets you the highest taxes in the country supporting the most corrupt goverment in the country.
It was the fault of a lot of people!
First, all the people who didn't vote in the primary at all!
That means you, the lazy suburbanites who never came out & voted for Claypool! He only need 10% more of the burb dwellers to vote that day.
Second, all the black people who voted for Toddler in both the primary & the general election.
When are people going to realize, just because someone is of the same race, religion or ethnic background, it doesn't mean that they will do you any good!
The people getting screwed the worst by Toddler & his gang of thieves are poor black people, & if they voted, they voted for him!
None of them are getting any county, no work jobs, the way Toddler's family & pals are!