Cook County Highway Department Wasting Your Money

By Prescott Carlson in News on May 21, 2009 7:20PM

Especially relevant in light of Cook County President Todd Stroger arguing that a 133% sales tax increase needed to stay in place to maintain crucial county services, Fox Chicago's Dane Placko teamed up with the Better Government Association to take a look at what our tax dollars are providing within the Cook County Highway Department. What Placko found was troubling and sadly not surprising, including a supervisor not doing any actual work until almost 5 hours into his shift, another supervisor driving aimlessly around the northwest suburbs for hours, and a patronage hire making $88,000 a year who was asleep at his desk and when pressed had trouble coming up with what his job description was.

Just a refresher, the county commissioners responsible for the extra stream of sales tax dollars into a bottomless pit of waste are William Beavers (D-Chicago), Jerry Butler (D-Chicago), Joseph Mario Moreno (D-Cicero), Deborah Sims (D-Chicago), Earlean Collins (D-Chicago) and Robert Steele (D-Chicago). [Fox, via Beachwood Reporter]