Cook County officials oppose further cutbacks

February 22, 2008

By steve patterson, Sun-Times News Group

There are just two pressing budget choices facing the Cook County Board next week - raise taxes or cut spending.

So when a few elected county officials stood strong Thursday in demanding that their budgets not be cut - and called on the public to join them in pressuring the board - it led to questions about whether those officials were supporting the alternative: raising taxes.

They wouldn't answer.

But they did describe the consequences - including closing courthouses and more rounds of layoffs - if further cuts are made.

None would voice support for a higher sales, gasoline, vehicle, parking, hotel or alcohol tax to keep the government operating while adding millions more dollars and more than 1,000 new employees to the payroll, as is now being proposed.

Commissioner John Daley (D-Chicago), chairman of the board's powerful finance committee, said those who have publicly supported higher taxes "got screwed" during subsequent political campaigns, so he doesn't blame others for not doing the same. Daley said he will support a higher sales tax to balance the county budget, but he's in the board minority.

The board has seven days left to pass a budget. While board President Todd Stroger needs just one more vote to pass a new sales tax, there hasn't been much budging among those opposed to it.

Stroger's office can't specifically say what will happen to county government if a budget isn't passed by Feb. 29, but some services would shut down.

Some commissioners say that's all empty threats, similar to those made during last year's budget crisis, designed to simply scare the public.

But Sheriff Tom Dart, State's Attorney Richard Devine, Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown and others insist the threats are real.

Dart said it would be "a monumental step backward" to make cuts on top of last year's cutbacks, while Public Defender Ed Burnette said "we owe it to taxpayers" not to allow more.

Burnette didn't have much to say, though, about a lawsuit he filed against Stroger last year, fighting any attempts to make him and his staff take unpaid days off as other county employees had to do. That lawsuit finds taxpayers paying for lawyers for both Burnette and Stroger.

http://www.southtownstar.com/news/80758 ... ty.article

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At what point do they realize that if they end the sanctuary policy insanity they would not be broke with taxpayers fleeing in droves?