http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=87850&src=1

(THE ARTICLE: Cook County commissioners Friday overwhelmingly shot down a proposal calling for 7 percent across-the-board cuts in county offices — a result that jibed with the pleas of county workers but put the board no closer to plugging a looming budget hole. The proposal, backed by four Republican commissioners, was lambasted by other county board members as crude, inefficient and ill-conceived. Supporters, though, argued it was at least a solid step toward erasing what for now remains a roughly $238 million budget shortfall. The 7 percent cuts would have saved about $95 million. “We are going to have to cut costs to balance this budget. Period,” commissioner and proposal sponsor Gregg Goslin said. “This is an honest, sincere attempt to begin that process.” Commissioner Mike Quigley acknowledged cuts likely loom in the future, but urged cooperation among government offices first to determine what can be sliced — and where. He denounced the 7 percent across-the-board approach as a waste of time and, because of the sheer volume of the printed-out proposal, a “waste of rainforest.” Until people work together, Quigley told the board, “all we’re going to do is run reams of paper through our machines, pass them out and throw them in the recycling bin.” In the meantime, the board appears stalemated. Though commissioners have repeatedly stressed they have only two options — beefing up revenue or cutting costs — little progress actually has been made toward putting the plan back in the black. Earlier this week, in a lengthy session that stooped to name-calling, shouting and taunting, commissioners haggled for hours before cutting a mere $1 million from the $3 billion budget. Friday’s tamer meeting yielded only $100,000 in total budget savings. “How many days can we spend cutting $1 million a day?” Commissioner Peter Silvestri asked. “By that mathematical formula, in 235 days, we’ll have a budget.” Silvestri joined Goslin and commissioners Timothy Schneider and Liz Gorman in supporting the 7 percent cuts. Eleven others voted against it, on the heels of presentations from Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown and County Treasurer Maria Pappas, who said such cuts would serve only to devastate services in their already depleted offices. “That is not a way to balance the budget,” Brown told commissioners. “Enough is enough.” Cook County President Todd Stroger has proposed a 2 percentage point sales tax hike to help trim the budget shortfall; that plan also has drawn its share of opposition. The board also plans a hearing on another package of utility taxes — proposed by Commissioner William Beavers — for next Thursday or the following Monday. Beavers on Friday urged support for tax increases, saying something must be done to make inroads in the budget process. In the same breath, he alleged much of the board’s bickering has been more about politics than actually balancing the spending plan. Stroger, who talked with the media Friday for the first time since this week’s raucous meeting, also blamed the earlier blow-ups — which included accusations of racism — on politics. He remains optimistic the board can work out the budget kinks before January, though, “I think we also realize we’re going to be meeting an awful lot,” he said.)

– 56th House District: Kegarise ballot challenge heads for judge’s hands - Ashok Selvam

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=87832

(THE ARTICLE: The GOP could know by Monday if only one candidate’s name will appear on the February primary ballot for the heated 56th District state House race. Charlotte Kegarise’s nominating petitions have been under scrutiny since Charles Linkenheld of Schaumburg, a supporter of her rival, filed an objection on Nov. 13 to knock Kegarise off the ballot. Anita Forte-Scott is the other Republican challenger for the Feb. 5 primary for the seat currently held by Democrat Paul Froehlich. The primary will be the first electoral challenge for him since he left the Republican Party back in June after leading the Schaumburg Township GOP for nearly a decade. Retired Judge John E. Morrissey will hear arguments Monday morning in Chicago on the challenge to Kegarise’s petitions. The judge will then submit a recommendation to the state elections board, which is to certify the decision Thursday. But Kegarise’s camp is charging she’s hasn’t received a fair shot to be on the ballot. Her attorney, Don Laxton, said the state board failed to notify them properly of hearings on the matter. No one from her side was present Thursday in Springfield for the state board’s record check, which infuriated Laxton. He said he’s going to move Monday to restart the challenge process. “Both parties are supposed to be there, and one is and one isn’t,” he said. “That doesn’t cut it. She’s not getting her due process.” Laxton said he’s represented candidates on both sides of ballot challenges for 30 years and has “never seen anything like this.” Linkenheld is a former GOP precinct captain, and has the backing of state party organization lawyers. He couldn’t be reached for comment Friday but his attorney, John W. Countryman, said he was in Springfield Thursday on another case when Kegarise’s happened to be called. He also said he wasn’t properly notified. Countryman asserts that 113 of Kegarise’s nominating signatures are faulty. That would reduce the number of valid signatures on her petition to 445 — below what’s needed to get on the ballot. According to the state elections board, Linkenheld is challenging 172 signatures on Kegarise’s petition. She needed 500 to get on the ballot and turned in 558. Countryman said he made a motion for default, based on the fact that no one from Kegarise’s side was present Thursday. That would have kicked Kegarise off the ballot, though Countryman said that motion was denied. That doesn’t sit too well with Kegarise, who said the state GOP is working against her. “I don’t think because you aren’t affiliated with a certain group of people you should be denied that right,” said Kegarise, who is president of the Schaumburg Township Elementary District 54 school board. Forte-Scott is president of the Schaumburg Township District Library board, on which Froehlich’s wife, Marilyn, also has a seat. Forte-Scott denied having anything to do with Linkenheld’s objection. “I just think he’s someone who believes in me,” she said. “He’s told me he feels uncomfortable with what they’re doing.” In the Democratic primary, Froehlich is being challenged by Schaumburg attorney John Moynihan. The 56th includes most of Schaumburg and parts of Bloomingdale, Elk Grove Village, Hanover Park. Hoffman Estates, Palatine, Rolling Meadows and Roselle.

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