Quigley offers 'pro-green' budget cuts;
Stroger aide says board member's ideas worth exploring
Chicago Sun-Times
April 22, 2005
By Steve Patterson
An environmentally friendly proposal to cut Cook County spending
was unveiled Thursday, calling for steps from more recycling to more
complicated changes for policy and purchasing.
Commissioner Mike Quigley laid out his plan for "Greening Cook
County" in a 59-page report detailing steps the county can take
to further protect the environment, while saving $12.2 million by 2010.
Quigley's pre-Earth Day proposal was delivered to commissioners Thursday
and while Cook County Board President John Stroger has yet to see the
plan, a spokesman voiced some support for it.
Higher taxes for gas guzzlers
"President Stroger is always willing to explore options that are
environmentally friendly and have the potential to reduce costs," spokesman
John Gibson said.
Quigley proposes higher vehicle taxes for gas-guzzling vehicles, with
property tax cuts for those who build "structures meeting green
standards."
He's also pushing for more electronic filing with county offices, while
hoping to build upon an already-passed plan to buy hybrid-fueled vehicles.
He credited the county for taking some steps, urging it to do more to
influence "change in people's mind-sets and in changing the marketplace
with our purchases.
Copyright 2005, Chicago Sun-Times, Inc.
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