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* So, what’s going on here? From the Trib…
In an unusual move, the Stroger administration has sent notices to Cook County’s employee unions warning that layoffs are coming and casting the blame on commissioners who reject the tax increases in his stalled budget.
Some of the nine board members singled out by name for opposing “new revenues” called the notices a scare tactic and said they are counterproductive to working out a budget deal with Board President Todd Stroger, who has failed to win passage of a 2-percentage-point increase in the sales tax. […]
Anders Lindall, a union spokesman, called the letter “factually inaccurate,” noting some of the nine commissioners have supported new revenue although they oppose Stroger’s sales-tax increase.
* The Sun-Times reads between the lines and comes up with a possible answer…
Cook County Board President Todd Stroger believes he’s just one vote away from passing a higher county sales tax, according to a letter sent to union leaders this weekend. […]
The letter names those nine in assessing blame for layoffs. Noticeably absent is Commissioner Earlean Collins, who has been publicly mum about her tax position.
* Meanwhile, in county political news, the Sun-Times ran a story today with the blaring headline: Brookins faced slum landlord suits…
Before Ald. Howard Brookins had trouble as a tenant, he got into trouble as a landlord.
Brookins, seeking the Democratic nomination for Cook County state’s attorney, faced three lawsuits filed by the City of Chicago in the late 1990s arising from his ownership of properties on the South Side, records show. The suits alleged Brookins failed to provide heat and committed other infractions of the municipal code — nearly a decade before he allegedly failed to pay rent on his downtown law office.
But is it a bum wrap?
Brookins (21st) said although he was listed as the property’s owner at the time of the violations, he had actually sold it to a man named Joseph Miller.
“At the time those lawsuits were filed, I no longer had control of the building and did not own the building,” Brookins told the Sun-Times.
Why even bother running a story if he wasn’t responsible for the buildings?
* One more note of interest: Ald. Ed Smith will receive the endorsement of the IVI-IPO today. Smith is running against incumbent Cook County Recorder of Deeds Eugene Moore. Moore has been slated by the county party, but Smith has Mayor Daley’s endorsement.
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Jan 8, 08 @ 9:58 am
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===Why even bother running a story if he wasn’t responsible for the buildings?===
you want the reporter at the suntimes to do fact checking and a little investigation before writing the story? Thast just crazy talk.
On the Stroger guide, who advises this guy? He has all the polictical subtelty of a bull in a china shop. I will be surprised is such a poor power play to bring the Unions in to his aid on the tax increase does anything but backfire magnificantly.
Comment by Ghost Tuesday, Jan 8, 08 @ 10:11 am
Only in “Kook County”…..
Comment by Patriot Tuesday, Jan 8, 08 @ 10:20 am
Is Noonan writing the CapFax blog these days?
Comment by phocion Tuesday, Jan 8, 08 @ 10:26 am
Rich, I sorta see your point on Brookins, but the article goes on to say that Brookins voided the contract to sell, re-asserted ownership and sold the property to another party.
It also seems likely that since the problems were “egregious” that Brookins was probably warned before he sold the properties. It seems improbable he was ignorant that his building wasn’t heated.
Why would Brookins be in a rush to unload properties to someone who couldn’t make the payments required by the contract? I suspect he knew the properties were dilapidated and he wanted to avoid dealing with the problem.
Comment by Carl Nyberg Tuesday, Jan 8, 08 @ 11:19 am
Sticking it to the Chicago media today, huh? lol.
Comment by The 'Broken Heart' of Rogers Park Tuesday, Jan 8, 08 @ 11:47 am