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Cook County Board Limits Stroger's Hiring Powers
By ,
May 5, 2010 at 11:52 pm
The Crook, err Cook, County Board has voted to place limits on Toddy Boy Stroger's ability to hire cronies, excuse me, I mean qualified professionals.
Cook County Board member John Daley, brother of Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, said "It is unfortunate that we have to address this, micromanage this, but this is our responsibility..." Oh, it is the board's responsibility to reign in members and county executives, but why did they just wake up to this now? They could try, ya know, paying attention! If they did crap like this wouldn't be allowed to happen, or at least, it come to light before the decisions and, more importantly, payments are doled out.
Todd "I Won Because My Dad Died and His Cronies Put Me In Here" Stroger hired some buddies from his miserable campaign to get elected to a second term.
Stroger's administration paid $24,975 to a company owned by Carla Oglesby, Stroger's campaign manager, after she was hired as a deputy chief of staff at an annual salary of $116,000. Now, she's on unpaid leave while an inspector general (read: tool) investigates.
Another Stroger buddy boy, Vincent Fry, was given a $24,995 contract in March to audit the use of federal grants provided to the county for housing and community services. Fry is a campaign consultant that worked on the Stroger campaign finance team. Fry made over 60k from the campaign. Why work for such less money? $25,000 dollars requires board approval. Boo hoo! Fox Chicago ace Dan Placko has even more on Stroger and his just-below-the-limit expenditures.
As the Chicago Tribune reports, two of the measures require Stroger to report within three days all contracts, new hirings, firings, promotions and raises not pre-approved by the board. Stroger said he's a-o-k with that move. He's all Yankee doodle dandy with that because it does not limit him spending on his fellow crooks and liars, it only makes him hand in a token report about it. It's sort of like when criminals rob a place and then purposely call the cops as part of a game to tell them about he crime.
Little Toddy got upset by the third measure though and threaten to flush more hard-earned taxpayer money down the black hole toilet of ethical hell. That measure was a freeze on any new hires not required by court orders or needed to ward off an "emergency." Todd, fighting that one might be a good argument for a competent, ethical executive. But it's not fighting the good fight when your doing it. Your desperation to keep your hands deep in the big giant cauldron of Twix, Starburst, and Mrs. Field's cookies reeks of nepotism. Frankly, it's also pathetic that even a lame duck would resort to suing over that. Go out and work in the real world and realize your buddies can't always be your big giant buffer.
The Cook County Board did the right thing today. Unfortunately, it was too little, too late. However, this won't keep the board members from getting deep in the well themselves. Until citizens get back their government, it's politics and political games as usual. This is actually quite a tame story when you think about it: no steroids or hair involved.
This entry is featured on today's "Hot on ChicagoNow:"
http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/hot-on-chicagonow/2010/05/hot-on-chicagonow-may-6-2010.html