Cook County president continues dangerous debt increases

It staggers the mind how government can mismanage so much and constantly need more money. No, I'm not talking about the huge debts the federal government is running up by the second. I'm talking about the horrible management of Cook County.

Earlier this year Todd Stroger, county board president, led the passage of a sales tax increase that was supposed to bring in $400 million annually - giving Cook County the highest sale tax in the nation. But that money isn't enough - it never is for big government types. In fact, Stroger said the $400 million boost would give the county a surplus. Now Stroger claims the county needs to borrow $700 million or there will be "draconian cuts" in county jobs. The county, like the federal government and the state government, doesn't have a budget problem - it has a spending problem, as John Hood, president of the John Locke Foundation in North Carolina is fond of saying.

According to the Chicago Tribune, Stroger wants to borrow "$376 million for construction and technology upgrades, $260 million for court costs and insurance claims, and $104 million to pay the pension fund." What's grating and frustrating is the board has already given the nod for the bonds.

In an economy when people are being forced on the street and can barely pay for their mortgages - let alone a spike in property taxes - the government wants to heap more debt on the tax payers. When is it too much? Where are the foes of this kind of insanity? The Civic Federation has called out Stroger on his insanity, but that's not going to be enough and it's clearly too late if the board members are inclined to put the county further into debt. Commissioner Forrest Claypool, a likely primary opponent for Stroger's position, is also questioning the wisdom of borrowing this much money.

The big question in all this remains, however, where did all the money go?" he said to the Chicago Tribune. "Where did Stroger's massive sales-tax increase go and all those hundreds of millions of dollars?"

Claypool is at least asking questions, but again, too little too late. It's time for people to take their government back. Cook County may be a Democratic safe haven, but there are plenty of fiscally sound leaders from that side of the aisle. Take back the county and restore fiscal responsibility and sound leadership.