$$$$$$$$$888 MILLION

An $888 million tax hike with a $3.2 billion budget. TRIPLE the sales tax. DOUBLE gas and parking taxes. And a 2.8% increase in the PROPERTY TAX levy.

Ah yes, the refuge of criminally incompetent tax and spending Democrat jerks---there's a "structural deficit".

And he has added some new people to make some offices more "efficient". There is an inverse relationship between adding bureaucrats and efficiency. Tribune:

As officials combed through the budget, numerous errors that the finance office said it would fix later only compounded the confusion. For example, one part of the budget shows Stroger recommending 1,660 jobs for the state's attorney's office while in another portion the figure is 1,586.

Administration officials said they were adding more than 600 jobs to the health services bureau but the budget shows an increase of only 420 jobs. When asked about the discrepancy, the budget department presented a breakdown of new positions that showed yet another figure.

The Sun Times jeers at Stroger's, "Trust Me" on its front page:

Cook County Board President Todd Stroger admits he wants more of your tax dollars than he really needs to operate his government every year.

But, he argues, it's more fiscally responsible to ask for more now, so as not to have to keep coming back to ask you for more year after year.

He doesn't want to be bothered with "patchwork taxes" every year. (Gee, why even bother with elections. Why indeed.) Does the Toddler think we should trust him to spend our money wisely?

It will all go to his many close, personal friends and family. Count on it.

UPDATE: Tribune editorial "Stroger Goggles":

Board member Michael Quigley put it succinctly after Stroger spoke: "The price of patronage, of corruption, of inefficiency, has come due, and Cook County can't ask taxpayers to pay that bill. This government has never evolved, never streamlined. Until that happens, the public is right to be upset."

Stroger says he's not hearing from upset people. Apparently he can't see them through his Stroger Goggles. If you're not happy with his $890 million a year tax grab, let him know. His phone number is 312-603-6400.

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