Fighting conflicts

In a Jan. 14 article, Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx settled 5,208 property tax appeals in her first 11 months, refunding $79 million. The largest single settlement was $2 million to AT&T, who was represented by Chicago Alderman Edward Burke's law office. This is the same Burke who held a fundraiser for Foxx and gave her a $10,000 campaign contribution. You also had an editorial that day pointing out the obvious conflicts of interest with legislators such as Speaker Madigan and Burke, having law offices that make millions from tax assessment appeals.

Also in the news recently are stories about Cook County Assessor Joe Berrios, ally of Mike Madigan and Chairman of the Cook County Democratic Party. Berrios has been fined for breaking rules on nepotism by hiring his sister, son and many other family members and for accepting campaign contributions from property tax lawyers in excess of legal limits.

I was speaking with a local businessman recently who had his $21,000 assessment almost dropped in half after two successful appeals, but will now have to pay his lawyer over $3,000 per year for three years to have his assessment where it should have been originally. The only ones who benefit from this broken system are the lawyers, I wonder why Attorney General Lisa Madigan does not look into this obvious corruption that is taking millions of dollars out of the pockets of Illinois taxpayers? But that is a different conflict of interest story.

Michael Haase

Mount Prospect