Posted on 08/02/2015 9:03:08 AM PDT by george76
No introductions are needed when the law firm of Crane and Norcross goes to Cook County Assessor Joseph Berrios asking him to lower the value he’s placed on properties owned by the firm’s clients.
The Chicago law firm comes to Berrios to lower the property assessments on hundreds of properties across the city and suburbs each year, saving some of its clients as much as $100,000 or more in property taxes as a result.
Since September 2009, when he launched his first campaign for assessor, Berrios’ campaign funds have gotten $60,900 in contributions from employees of Crane and Norcross, records show. The funds he controls have gotten another $29,100 from Madison Appraisal, a firm Crane and Norcross often uses to compile the data it submits to persuade Berrios to lower property assessments.
Now, Berrios has hired a Crane family member as his chief deputy assessor — Christopher M. Crowley, the founder of Madison Appraisal. Crowley’s uncle, Michael Crane, heads Crane and Norcross. Crowley’s sister and father work for the law firm.
Crowley — the only applicant for the $144,337-a-year job.
...
Berrios’ hiring decisions have come under fire since he took office in December 2010 and hired his sister and his son. His daughter already had a job with the assessor’s office.
...
Two other top property tax appeals firms are run by two of the state’s most powerful politicians: Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan, D-Chicago, and Ald. Edward M. Burke (14th). Madigan is chairman of the Illinois Democratic Party. Burke has one of the largest political war chests in Illinois.
As Chicago Democratic committeemen, both Madigan and Burke helped elect Berrios chairman of the Cook County Democratic Party.
(Excerpt) Read more at chicago.suntimes.com ...
It’s The Chicago Way.
They can’t pay all their bills because the crooks have stolen too much.
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