Cook County Board President Todd Stroger plans to show he's sticking up for his financially struggling constituents today by proposing a one-year statewide moratorium on home foreclosures and a halt to county business with "unfair lenders."
Later in the morning, County Board committees plan to consider his administration's request for authority to issue up to $3.75 billion in bonds in coming years.
About $3 billion would be for refinancing of debt, under conditions being questioned by critics. The rest would be used to fill a hole in the county pension system, create a liability fund for the county's massive public-health system and pay for capital projects.
As if that weren't weighty enough, commissioners also expect to hear from patronage-busting attorney Michael Shakman, who is expected to oppose Stroger's selection for an independent county inspector general, and from county Assessor James Houlihan on a proposal to restructure the county's property assessment classifications.
And, that all will come after a breakfast debate between Democrat Anita Alvarez and Republican Tony Peraica in the race for state's attorney.
As if that weren't weighty enough, commissioners also expect to hear from patronage-busting attorney Michael Shakman, who is expected to oppose Stroger's selection for an independent county inspector general, and from county Assessor James Houlihan on a proposal to restructure the county's property assessment classifications.
And, that all will come after a breakfast debate between Democrat Anita Alvarez and Republican Tony Peraica in the race for state's attorney.
Well, he has to do something to take people's minds off his sales tax increase! I'm surprised he hasn't suggested raising them still further and outright paying these irresponsible borrower's mortgages!
Wow.
If the Toddler calls for a halt on foreclosures, it's going to be crisis averted.
Is this guy channeling Blagojevich to get his name in the media for no good reason? No serious person will take this nonsense seriously.
And he's operating under what authority on this?
I'm in! I can buy a couple of plasma TVs now that I don't have to pay my mortgage for the next year. Maybe I can spend a few weeks in Mexico. Thanks Todd!
Does anything that Stroger recommends surprise you.. We have someone in a powerful office that has no concept of how this county should be run. The only reason he is our Board President is because of his Dad. Now he wants to stop foreclosures?? What about the banks that need to get there money? How about those employees? Will we the tax payers back the loans if the consumers can't pay after the moratorium?
Think before you speak Todd.
Stroger....Moratorium on foreclosures?
Is this fool taking lessons from the fool running the state?
By the way I saw Stroger and Blago on TV talking about the disaster in Illinois but I was confused as which disaster.
Were they referring to the floods or their leadership?
How nice of Todd, he will prevent businesses from enforcing terms of legal agreements. So will he also offer property tax amnesty to those who can't afford to pay their mortgages? Or will he insist that county gets their money, even while preventing others from getting theirs?
TODD MUST GO!!!! He sure does sound good in his proposal...now ask him what the end result will be. HE WON'T HAVE A CLUE, NOR WILL ANY OF THOSE OTHER IDIOTS!!!! Bail outs, Moratoriums?!?!?! This is NOT the answer. People should never have gotten into their mortgage in the first place if they knew they could not afford it. Now "we" must save them??? NO WAY! hit the streets! move into an apartment!!! This is your fault not mine!!! This brings me to my most important issue of the day.....I hear an awful lot about bailouts, but what about prosecuting the bankers, real estate agents, lenders all of whom allowed these mortgages & loans to take place......