Peraica counters Stroger budget
The vitriol and personal attacks that have surrounded the Cook County budget discussions are unfortunate and accomplish little but damage the faith of the taxpayers in our government.
The members of the Cook County board don't have to love each other. They don't have to get along. But we do have to pass a sensible budget that serves the residents and taxpayers of this county.
I oppose Todd Stroger's budget proposal because it unfairly and oppressively reaches into the pocketbooks of Cook County taxpayers to fund a government than has proven to be anything but efficient and accountable.
Todd Stroger has proposed $1 billion in new taxes to cover an alleged $230 million budget deficit.
First, why propose new taxes that equate to more than four times the alleged budget gap? Furthermore, not only do we believe the alleged gap is greatly inflated, Todd Stroger has failed to include the county's contingency fund of more than $60 million in his calculations.
Additionally, despite Commissioner Beavers' assertion the budget has been "cut to the bone," we continue to uncover tens of millions of dollars that are being misused, abused, spent wastefully, or used to hire friends of political insiders.
Finally, Todd Stroger's repeated assertion that tax increases will create "increased revenue" for the government is wrongheaded. Higher taxes cause consumers to spend less, and employers to hire less workers, lay off employees, or move out of Cook County altogether. Decreased spending by consumers and less jobs created by employers means less - not more - tax revenue.
The formula for successful budgeting is simple: Run an efficient government, have a system of fair taxation that encourages economic growth and attract new jobs.
I have proposed a budget plan that would enact a modest 2 percent cut (from the FY 2007 budget) in most county departments, which would allow each department to identify waste and duplication while still serving the county taxpayers. These cuts would allow us to cover our budget gap and force our government to operate more efficiently.
Tony Peraica
County Commissioner
Riverside