Workers give to Stroger's campaign, get big raises

Sun Times ^ | 08/24/2009 | Chris Fusco

[fiscon1]

Patronage workers with the Cook County Forest Preserve District are seeing more green these days -- in their paychecks.

With people everywhere facing tough financial times, the 28 forest preserve patronage workers who've been on the payroll since 2006 all got hefty raises in the following two years, an analysis by the Chicago Sun-Times and the Better Government Association has found. They're among 38 forest preserve workers who are exempt from the Shakman court order that bans political hiring in city and county government.

[1rudeboy]

[Oldpuppymax]

Chicago must be the most thoroughly corrupt city in the nation.

[Toddsterpatriot]

I blame Ben Bernanke.

[1rudeboy]

We wouldn’t have this problem if he didn’t print the money in the first place!

[fiscon1]

I think some cities, like Atlanta, would challenge but Chicago is up there. By the way read some of the comments following the story. It appears some patronage jobs are to comment on negative stories and spin them positive.

[Toddsterpatriot]

There was no corruption in Chicago when we were on the gold standard.

[fiscon1]

I hope that’s a joke. There’s been corruption in Chicago as long as Chicago has been called Chicago. You do know that Richard J. Daley was mayor of Chicago while we were on the gold standad.

[Toddsterpatriot]

I hope that’s a joke.

You mean Chicago corruption existed before Alan Greenspan took over at the Fed? Well, that's a relief.

Yes, that was a joke.

[texas booster]

And why should forest preserve workers, who are probably the equivalent of hourly workers, be exempt from political patronage rules?