Todd Stroger has got to go

I am angry, outraged and completely disgusted by what is going on in Cook County politics. As a resident of this county, I feel the need to call all other residents to action, but not to secede from the county as others have proposed.

Todd Stroger is thumbing his nose at us by appointing his cousin to a high-paying position and then increasing her salary with a 12 percent raise! The fact that Donna Dunning is his cousin is just topping on the cake -- a 12 percent raise is ludicrous for anyone.

Other Cook County employees were told there would be no raises. Most people, when they get a raise, will get a "cost of living" increase, this means 3 to 4 percent.

In these economically difficult times, Mr Stroger and the Cook County Board felt it was acceptable to reach into our pockets for an additional 1 percent increase in our sales tax. How can he justify the use of our hard-earned tax money for such an exorbitant raise for his cousin!

In a television interview, Ms. Dunning lists several things as justification for the raise, the last of which is that she is the first black and the first woman in that job. How does her race or gender earn her that sort of raise? Absurd!

That 12 percent raise is a slap in the face to the taxpayers who have to struggle to just to feed their families and pay their bills on yearly incomes that are half of what Ms. Dunning is being paid before the raise.

I strongly encourage those in power to find a way to remove Todd Stroger from office as quickly as possible. I have been a lifelong Democrat, but I would readily vote for almost any Republican over Todd Stroger and I am sure I am not the only one. This man needs to go! Cook County residents unite. Our battle cry is: Remove Stroger Now!

Cynthia Kehoe

Elk Grove Village