News Archive
Why evict patients who need help?
Chicago Sun-Times
By Mark Brown, Columnist
April 8, 2007
A ragtag procession of patients in wheelchairs made their way
down the long drive leading from Oak Forest Hospital to the
159th Street entrance on Friday afternoon to hold a rally protesting
their threatened relocation.
Read more
County clout survives as workers lose jobs
Chicago Sun-Times Editorial
April 6, 2007
After the Cook County Board passed its budget in February, some
1,700 county workers lost their jobs, most of them front-line
workers like nurses, prosecutors, janitors and court clerks.
The cuts were brutal and demoralizing, but given the county's
precarious financial situation, they might have been defendable,
if not for the fact that far too much fat and patronage escaped
the ax. Nearly every day since then, it seems, we find more
proof that clout trumps common sense in President Todd Stroger's
world.
Read more
Cook County needs to retain commitment to long-term patients
Daily Southtown Editorial
March 25, 2007
The issue: Cook County's top health official is considering
eliminating most or all of the beds in Oak Forest Hospital's
long-term care unit.
We say: Closing -- or even reducing -- this unit would be disastrous
for the needy patients who require the complex care the facility
provides. The county should look for cuts elsewhere and not
put patients' health at risk. Read more
$130 million in unpaid hospital bills found
Chicago Sun-Times
By Steve Patterson, Staff Reporter
March 21, 2006
More than $130 million in unpaid Cook County Hospital bills
have been found stuffed into boxes — and officials said
40 or 50 more boxes could be stashed somewhere else. Read
more
No clear victory for taxpayers, but it's a start
Daily Southtown Editorial
March 1, 2007
The issue: Cook County board balanced the budget by cutting
front-line workers rather than patronage workers.
We say: The budget resolution might have been a step in the
right direction, but the test next year may be even tougher.
Read more
Stroger won budget battle -- now wage war on patronage
Chicago Sun-Times Editorial
February 26, 2007
The 2007 budget that was approved by the Cook County Board in
the wee hours last Friday was a clear political victory for
President Todd Stroger. In his first big test as county leader,
he won a showdown with a bloc of commissioners who pushed a
rival spending plan. But a political win for Stroger is not
necessarily a victory for Cook County residents. Read
more
Now, streamline Cook County
Chicago Tribune Editorial
February 25, 2007
As Thursday night lurched into Friday, the 17 members of the
Cook County Board argued a refreshing question: Which of two
proposals would best start to downsize their bloated government?
Read more
Jackson rips Stroger budget plan
Daily Southtown
By Jonathan Lipman
February 22, 2007
U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. stepped into the Cook County budget
mess Wednesday, threatening county commissioners in his congressional
district with "political consequences" if they don't
oppose board President Todd Stroger's spending plan. Read
more
Joy of tobogganing slides into memory in Cook County
Chicago Sun-Times
By Mark Brown, Columnist
February 21, 2007
I was driving through Western Springs past Bemis Woods on Tuesday
morning when I noticed the Cook County Forest Preserve District's
sign for the toboggan slides. "Closed for the 2006/2007
season," said the sign, as if this were some temporary
condition. Who are they kidding? The toboggan slides at Bemis
Woods have been closed since 2000.
Read more
Tuning out Todd
Chicago Tribune Editorial
February 14, 2007
During his inaugural address on Dec. 4, Cook County Board President
Todd Stroger made some worthwhile promises. He said he would
slay the "sacred cows in Cook County government" and
balance its 2007 budget without a tax increase... Read
more
Study: Patronage bad for county's health
Chicago Sun-Times
By Steve Patterson, Staff Reporter
August 8, 2006
Cook County runs an "archaic" health system set up
to allow "a clear opportunity to use the system for political
hiring," according to an analysis released Monday. Read
more
Out with the friends and family
Chicago Tribune Editorial
August 4, 2006
J.W. Fairman, the new superintendent of Cook County's juvenile
detention center, confirmed Thursday that five top leaders of
the chaotic facility will be forced out. Read
more
Juvenile center's chief gets forced out
Chicago Tribune
By Ofelia Casillas and Mickey Ciokajlo,
Tribune staff reporters.
August 1, 2006
The beleaguered superintendent of the Cook County Juvenile Detention
Center was forced to resign Monday, following reports of continuing
problems and resistance to court-ordered reforms at the facility.
Read more
Juvenile center reports falsified, memo says
Chicago Sun-Times
By Abdon M. Pallasch, Staff Reporter
July 30, 2006
A confidential memo from a Cook County government analyst to
County Public Safety Director J.W. Fairman Jr. blasts the county's
Juvenile Detention Center for turning over monthly information
that "rarely reflects accurate or reliable data."
Read more
Claypool targets juvenile site
Chicago Tribune
By Ofelia Casillas
July 27, 2006
Cook County Commissioner Forrest Claypool called on incoming
interim Board President Bobbie Steele Wednesday to replace the
Juvenile Temporary Detention Center’s superintendent and
senior staff in an effort to root out the facility’s persistent
problems. Read more
Juvenile center workers resist reform, official says
Chicago Tribune
By Ofelia Casillas, Tribune staff
reporter. Tribune staff reporter Mickey Ciokajlo contributed
to this report
July 26, 2006
Employees at the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center
have resisted efforts by a new court-appointed official to reform
the beleaguered facility, according to memos obtained by the
Tribune. Read more
Hiring freeze? Cook County seems to be adding jobs
Chicago Sun-Times
By Carol Marin, Sun-Times columnist
July 19, 2006
Has somebody been frantically padding the payroll of Cook County
government since President John Stroger's stroke in March? Read
more
A fraud on Cook County voters
Chicago Tribune Editorial
July 9, 2006
For 117 days since he suffered a stroke, Cook County Board President
John Stroger has been incommunicado, with aides and family members
asserting that they are relaying his wishes. The record suggests
that those surrogates have misled citizens about Stroger's health.
Read more
County seeking $200 mil. loan
Chicago Sun-Times
By Steve Patterson, Staff Reporter
July 8, 2006
Twelve weeks ago, Cook County chief of staff James Whigham --
running the county's day-to-day operations -- flatly denied
the county was in such dire financial straits that it would
have to borrow money to make ends meet. Friday, things changed.
Read more
Walling out Cook voters is a risky strategy
Chicago Sun-Times
By Dick Simpson
June 30, 2006
Todd Stroger is about to be anointed to succeed his father as
Cook County Board president. He is so weak that Ald. William
Beavers is being sent over to the County Board to "watch
his back." Meanwhile, John Stroger, who is suffering from
a stroke, is supposed to continue to serve as the president
of the Cook County Board because anyone chosen to do so might
come to like the job too much. Read more
County probe into padded mileage went unheeded
Chicago Sun-Times
By Steve Patterson, Staff Reporter
June 26, 2006
Cook County Highway Department employee Allen Back reported
he drove 720 work-related miles in his personal car between
August and September in 2004. But when county investigators
checked the odometer on Back's Hyundai, they determined he had
driven only 244 miles total during that time, an internal county
memo obtained by the Sun-Times shows. Read
more
Your $7,705,994--for this fiasco?
Chicago Tribune Editorial
June 22, 2006
Imagine voters elected you as one of 17 members of the Cook
County Board. Your job is to manage a $3 billion budget. Read
more
County hasn't joined beetle battle
Chicago Sun-Times
By Gary Wisby, Environment Reporter
June 15, 2006
"Everybody in the Midwest" knows the only good way
to detect the emerald ash borer is to cut the bark of some ash
trees -- weakening them to attract the destructive beetle. Everybody,
it seems, except the Cook County Forest Preserve District. Read
more
Commish: 'There's a crisis coming'
Daily Southtown
By Jonathan Lipman, Staff writer
June 14, 2006
Cook County's revenue problem has more than doubled, leaving
the county about $40 million behind with half the fiscal year
gone, county officials said. Read more
Nurses plan 1-day strike if talks make no progress
Chicago Tribune
June 6, 2006
Cook County's nurses union on Monday announced plans for a
one-day strike on June 23 if "substantial progress"
is not made at the bargaining table. Read
more
County politics
Chicago Tribune Letter to the Editor
May 25, 2006
The Tribune recently published an interview with Cook County
Commissioner Tony Peraica, the Republican nominee for Cook County
Board president ("Stroger, others in spotlight now; Peraica
wants it Nov. 8," Perspective, May 14). In his remarks,
Peraica made false statements about my positions in the recent
Democratic primary election. Read more
So much talk, so little change
Chicago Tribune Editorial
May 18, 2006
So after nearly a year of intense scrutiny on problems at Cook
County's youth detention center, a host of independent reports
about the terrible conditions for kids, and repeated federal
court hearings, the result is ... (deep breath) ... little change.
Read more
County approves juvenile jail agreement
Daily Southtown
By Jonathan Lipman, Staff Writer
May 17, 2006
Cook County's juvenile jail will get increased monitoring
but no change in leadership under an agreement approved Tuesday
by the county board. Read more
Todd Stroger expects dad to stay on ballot
Chicago Sun-Times
By Fran Spielman, City Hall Reporter
May 17, 2006
Ald. Todd Stroger (8th) said Tuesday he's "not looking
for a fight" with Rep. Danny Davis and now expects his
stroke-stricken father, County Board President John Stroger,
to recover enough to return to office and remain on the November
ballot. Read more
County finances heading south
Daily Southtown
By Jonathan Lipman, Staff Writer
May 16, 2006
Cook County revenue continues to fall and while budget officials
say the county won't go broke this year, some commissioners
are getting worried. Read more
Cook hospital bills piling up
Crain's Chicago Business
By Greg Hinz
May 15, 2006
Bad debt at Cook County's hospitals and clinics has soared
to more than $300 million a year — three times what it
was a decade ago. It's a figure likely to intensify the already
lively debate about whether the county is doing what it should
to get patients and their insurers to pay their bills. Read
more
Theory of relative-ity wrong for public office
Chicago Sun-Times Editorial
May 11, 2006
As Lisa Madigan has shown with her strong, principled performance
as Illinois attorney general, having your father's name and
help from his political muscle to get elected doesn't mean you're
not up to the challenges of the job. But whatever advantages
she had as the daughter of House Speaker Mike Madigan, she had
to get more votes than her opponent. Read
more
Todd Stroger: Mom wants Dad out
Chicago Sun-Times
By Fran Spielman, City Hall Reporter
May 10, 2006
Yonnie Stroger will have a lot to say about whether her husband
remains on the Democratic ticket after suffering a serious stroke
-- and she has her mind made up: She wants Cook County Board
President John Stroger to retire. Read
more
The void at Cook County ...
Chicago Tribune Editorial
May 5, 2006
A question that ought to concern voters is now on the table.
As Cook County Board member Forrest Claypool phrased it at a
board meeting Wednesday: "We don't know, essentially, who's
running this government. ... It's the elephant in the room.
Right now it might appear, and may in fact be, that unelected
bureaucrats are making critical, important decisions that should
be made by elected officials as a matter of public policy."
Read more
Claypool asks who's in charge of county
Chicago Tribune
By Mickey Ciokajlo, Tribune staff
reporter
May 4, 2006
After weeks of whispering about who is actually running Cook
County government since Board President John Stroger suffered
a stroke, a prominent Democrat raised the question in a public
setting Wednesday. "We don't know, essentially, who's running
this government," County Commissioner Forrest Claypool
said during a board meeting. Read more
Hospital revenue trailing budget
Daily Southtown
By Jonathan Lipman, Staff Writer
May 3, 2006
Cook County's hospitals have collected about $23 million less
than expected so far this year despite long-promised overhauls
of the hospital billing systems. Read
more
Stroger campaign official gets county job
Chicago Sun-Times
By Steve Patterson, Staff Reporter
May 2, 2006
Six weeks ago, he was running Cook County Board President
John Stroger's political campaign. A year ago, he was suspended
from a state job as auditors raised questions about a controversial
contract he oversaw.
Now, Bruce Washington has landed a lucrative county job. Read
more
Failing the kids
Chicago Tribune Editorial
April 21, 2006
An apparent agreement to create a new reform plan for the Cook
County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center is a terrible disappointment,
and it should be rejected by the federal court. It offers little
chance of making the facility safer for kids. Read
more
