Quigley disappointed by 2008 budget, but not discouraged

Despite my best efforts to prevent the passage of any additional taxes, on February 29 the Cook County Board voted 9 to 8 to pass a 1 percent sales tax increase. I, along with seven of my fellow commissioners, voted against this unnecessary tax; unfortunately we did not hold the majority in the end.

I understand the burden this tax increase will place on consumers, business owners, and taxpayers as a whole, paying a bit more for everyday purchases while facing an economic downturn. With the highest sales tax of any big city in the U.S., Chicago now faces the loss of conference and tourism business, two markets which currently provide many jobs to Chicagoans and bring in significant revenue. This is a regressive tax, and to think that it will not hurt Chicago's economy is simply wrong.

Taxation is not a concrete solution to the problems Cook County faces. For years I have pointed out that the County faces a structural deficit that cannot be temporarily mended through taxation but must be eliminated by completely restructuring or reinventing Cook County. I have authored numerous reports on how to cut costs, increase efficiency and transparency, improve services to citizens and "green" our operations. While a few of my recommendations have been adopted, many more have been ignored by the current and previous administrations.

In an effort to balance this year's budget without raising taxes, I worked with other commissioners to craft budget amendments that would have reduced our deficit by $80 million. Unfortunately, many of these amendments were rejected. One amendment I introduced would have cut each commissioner's office budget by $60,000 and devoted the resulting $1.02 million to reducing the serious backlog of mammograms at Stroger Hospital. For some women, receiving a prompt mammogram can mean the difference between life and death. Sadly, our amendment was rejected 9 to 8.

Although I am sorely disappointed by the outcome of this budget cycle, I am not discouraged. I will continue, as I always have, to press for reform. My office has a long list of initiatives that we are excited to pursue this year; and we are always glad to receive input from our constituents.

I will continue to work for increased efficiency, accountability, and transparency in county government. The citizens and taxpayers of Cook County deserve no less.

If my office can ever be of assistance to you, please do not hesitate to contact us at (312) 603-4210.