Marathon Pundit: Patronage hiring still thrives in Cook County

Because Cook County recently increased it's sales tax share by one percent, soon Chicagoans will pay the nation's highest sales tax.

What we get in return is an employment program for connected county residents.

From Northwestern University's Medill News Service:

Job applicants with minimal qualifications are being hired by the county, and until recently, their credentials were not checked, said a federally appointed judge charged with looking into illegal patronage in Cook County government.

Judge Julia Nowicki outlined to the Cook County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday the problems she has uncovered since early last year while evaluating the county’s hiring practices.

This was the first time she spoke to the board since releasing her findings in March. The meeting grew heated at several points when commissioners defended hiring practices and questioned the validity of her report.

Cook County hires employees under the so-called "rule of seven," under which the first seven applicants who fulfill the minimum qualifications are interviewed for the position. Politically connected applicants with advanced knowledge of a position have an advantage over other job seekers, according to Nowicki.