Double Dare in Cook County

By Kevin Robinson in News on Apr 13, 2007 1:50PM

That Todd Stroger. He makes being Cook County Board President seem easy. When he isn't slashing budgets, trying to hand out no-bid contracts to his mobbed-up friends, and devastating the already minimal social safety net that the county has set up for the most vulnerable residents, he's running late to an endorsement session held by black ministers or trying to get family members cushy jobs on the county payroll. And this week was no exception.

The Toddler is trying to get his cousin, Donna Dunnings Lewis, appointed chief financial officer of the county, a $142,820 a year job. Along the way, he's also asked the board of commissioners to approve his appointments of Joseph Fratto as county comptroller, and Takashi Reinbold to replace Dunnings Lewis. Although they haven't been confirmed yet, he's already had their names stenciled on the door of what would become their offices. According to Larry Suffridin, however, Stroger has asked the board to delay the hearings, since Dunnings Lewis doesn't have the support of the commissioners that will be present for the hearing.

Even Mike Quigley, The Toddler's new best friend, has gone in front of the press to wring his hands and try and talk tough about it, telling the Sun-Times, "I don't think they have the votes for some of these, and doing things like this is just daring people to take them on. They just don't get it." We hear that bookies are already taking wagers on how long it will be before Mike Quigley flips and votes to confirm Dunnings Lewis. (Our guess is that he'll justify the move by pointing to the savings the county will incur by not having to get the door repainted. Then he'll send flowers to Stroger and Beavers just for good measure.)