Cook County is so drenched with graft that when it slapped a one percent sales tax on its 5 million residents, it was immediately dubbed "the corruption tax."Corrupt and inefficient government is inexpensive, so it should by no surprise that we pay the nation's highest sales tax.
The University of Illinois at Chicago and the Better Government Association released a 30 page report that slams Cook County government, which is dominated by Democrats.
Former Chicago Alderman Dick Simpson, now a UIC professor, summed it up well, "Cook County has become Crook County." He added, "The pervasive pattern of corruption must be changed."
The report recounts decades of corruption in county government, and issues some recommendations, including a $1,500 cap on political donations to official, limits on nepotism, bans on gifts by employees to supervisors and political contributions to their elected official bosses, controls on lobbying by employees, and conducting a forensic audit of the county.
Democrats have dominated Cook County government since the 1960s. But the foul culture reaches well beyond Chicago and its suburbs. Every state constitutional official lives in Cook County, as do the leaders of both chambers of the General Assembly, and one of our senators.
Are you ready for more? The president and his chief of staff live in Cook County.
Rod Blagojevich lives in Cook County.
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