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  We asked you how you think Todd Stroger is performing as president of the Cook County Board. Here is what you had to say. 


We really enjoyed the 'expose' on Todd Stroger. As times are tough enough we are paying the highest sales tax in the country with nothing to show for it except some flowers along Lake Shore Drive during the summer. What are these excessive rates doing for Chicago tourism and conventions? I only wish I were a friend or relative of Todd Stroger. Believe me I actually need a job. I think all the tax payers of the city would love to have Todd's email address. --Jill Armstrong

I am ashamed to be a resident of Cook County, Illinois. I have friends that live all over the U.S., who are paying about one-tenth what Cook County residents pay for county taxes, with much better hospitals and schools. I believe that Todd Stroger is a crook, and he and his cronies are ruining Cook County. Mark my words, more and more hard-working, middle-class people who actually put in an honest day's work for their wages, are going to leave Cook County and move to neighboring counties, thereby causing even more hardship on taxpayers who stay. For me personally, when my son graduates high school in one year, my wife and I are out of here. Good luck with Stroger and all his friends and relatives taking your hard earned money. He's not going to get mine for much longer. --Randy Senn

He sucks, Todd has failed the people of Cook County and The Mayor is going to take the fall with him for letting sales taxes go up. Todd gets an F for his performce. Todd What are some of the postive thing you've done for Cook County? Other than rasing taxes and losing jobs and closing programs. What have you done for me lately? --Ron Satch

Horrible! The people in Chicago & Cook County who voted him in office is getting exactly what they deserve. The only bad thing about this is that I have to pay for it to! --Larry Brown

He's performing well if he's in a money blowing contest. $112,000 purchasing agents?$120,000 media liason? $150,000 secretaries? Where do I line up to get a piece of this money blowing extravaganza? --K. O'Sullivan

Todd Stoger has a complete disregard and distain for the citizens of this city. He has not presented a plan of action improve government and services - just enough taxes to kill the poor and drive out anyone who can afford to leave the county. Where are the county services? Where is the innovative thinking? Where is the reformer? Where is the leadership? Todd Stroger's actions prove that he views his position as an entitlement, or more accurately, an inheritance. What we need is a Robin Hood to help us deal with this ?Sheriff of Cook County?. Maybe he could call on Stroger's six-figure club and give back to the poor county tax payers? --Kathryn Hrynewycz

Could you see him working in the business world. He would not make it to his 6 month review before he was fired. People need to be more responsible when voteing. --Daniel Ahern

How did this happen? First we allow his father to run the County while he is in a coma. Then we allow the monarchy-like succession of power to put Todd in office. Then we sit back and watch him raise our taxes while he "manages" his super inflated budget. And all the while we silently stand by as he continues to hire his friends, relatives and friends' relatives for six figure positions...doing what??? How can this be happening? Does anyone have jurisdiction over this guy??? Why do we just look the other way when it comes to his brand of brazen, blatent croneyism? We may as well tell Richard M to bring back, in the open and for all to see, the old ways of Richard J. I am totally disgusted by this. --Embee

Shame on everyone of you that live in Cook County that voted for Todd Stroger. We had all seen for years the corruption and fiscal irresponsibility of his family and their connected cronies. If the voters continue to vote based on political affiliation and race instead of taking the time to look into someone's past and record than everyone of you has no one to blame but yourselves. Shut up and pay your high taxes, you deserve it!! --D.B. in Logan Square

Stroger is a typical product of the Chicago political machine... He is an incompetent, bumbling fool whose only claim to fame was a Father that was as bad or worse than he is... Chicago and Cook County politics in particular, is a cesspool of the worst magnitude and should be cleaned out by the Feds... Stroger exemplifies the worst of the worst with his nepotism and cronyism... He is stealing on a wholesale level from the people of Cook County and should be recalled or impeached with his crooked style of politics... He is doing a great deal of harm to the people of Cook County just as his Father did and we personally are getting sick and tired of this wholesale corruption, stealing, and lack of competent leadership... RIDE HIM OUT OF TOWN ON A RAIL!!!!! --Mr. and Mrs. Les Adams

He is a disgrace! His nomination was a sham, and he is an expensive joke in office. Everytime he raises our taxes he hires/raises more relatives. He & the governor make a mockery of their offices. --Nancy Weiler

He gets an F in my book, it's all politics and how they can STEAL more from hard working citizens so they can put more in their own pockets. You hear of how they need more money and soon after that their friend and they get raises etc.,something wrong with that picture. If they want to save money why don't they start cutting at the top and work their way down instead of starting with the citizens,you never hear of the CEO's etc,taking pay cuts god forgive they have to make cuts, but yet their quick to stick it to everyone else. Stroger needs to step down or get taken out. --Cortes

On a scale of 1 to 10 a -10. --Paul Randall

Todd Stroger is performing poorly as president of the Cook County Board: nepotism, patronage, corruption, arrogance...an indictment can't be too far behind. When Durbin and Obama sent a letter to Cook County voters endorsing Todd Stroger, I gave up on the Democratic Party in Cook County. --Carolyn

Todd Stroger represents everything this we must get beyond. He is the the worst of the worst in terms of corruption and patronage -- which I would hope this city, county and state could finally put in its past. --M. Williams

What perfromance a man who hires family members and friends if all I needed to do was know todd stroger to get a high paying job....That's not right and then when something goes wrong what do I say...There's nothing I can say because what would I be doing nothing.... --Derrick S.

000....another bandit like his father and Mayor Daley....none of the people I know will be voting for him.....good luck Todd you bandit. --Rocco Saliano

It was absurd that he was elected in the first place. He has lived up to the expectations for continued waste, hiring incompetents, and raising taxes while patronage runs wild! When will the voters wake up and elect some competent and and not self-serving. --Wesley Baumann

You missed Stroger's sister, Yanni Clark in your list of hires. She has been employed for years by the County without any real job assignment. --Heather

Todd Stroger not only should be impeached but sent to jail for stealing tax payers money. He only gives jobs to relatives or friends and only the highest paying jobs. Fires the normal worker and now with the tax increase wants to hire again only supporters. I want the same job. --William Smith

Chicago is not benefiting from anything he is doing. He is their for his personal goal, getting rich and sharing with family and friends. --Mary

Shame, shame, shame. Todd does not seem to think ethics and the rules of law apply to him; only citizens, who are not part of his inner circle. --Steve Hart

He is just another crooked politician who had everything handed to him by his daddy. Now he is giving everything to his family who don't know what it is like to have to work for a paycheck because they had thier job hanaded to them. His cousin who makes over $100,000 a year says she works 12-17 hours a day and don't get to see her kids. BOO -HOO, there are women who makes minimum wage who works harder than she does to support their kids. I'm sure she was just exagerating. I hope Stroger and his slacking relatives read this because I am sure he sleeps good at night knowing he laid off other people who are not his family or friends. I hope he loses his next election. --Steve

I think he is doing a terrible job and I wish he could be impeached. He is really bad for the county. If you wanted to buy something expensive would you by it where taxes are the highest. Health care and law enforcement are being cut only his People are making money I hope that the Democrates will forget about patronage and think of the people and not run him again. I would hate to vote Republican but I couldn't in good conscience vote for him and abstaining is not something I could do every vote against him has to be. --Carolyn Kaplan

From the beginning, Todd Stroger was clearly in over his head. He has no idea how to lead, and holds the public in low esteem thinking we would overlook his hiring and overpaying his friends and relatives. --G. Bodmer

Chicagoans should be outraged! Todd Stroger should not have received this post to begin with. Chicago Democrats are getting exactly what they deserve. Until they wake up and eliminate the tax and spend Stroger machine and politcal friends and family members, they will continue to suffer. Rise up Chicago voting people, Stroger must be taken out of office. He has failed the citizens of a great city all for his personal gain + friends, friends of friends, etc's gains. Chicago should be embarrassed to have the highest sales tax in the country. --Jim Stried

I think that it is an abomination. The same old politics as usual if not worse. As a matter of fact I believe it is much worse than when his father was board president. Todd Stroger seems to have no shame in exploiting the public for the personal gain of his family and friends. We should not be paying the highest taxes in the nation as residents of Cook County. --Thomas Johnson

I'm disappointed by Cook County's civil servants who don't serve, but take. Stroger seems to throw temper tantrums (i.e. closing much-needed basic care facilities) when he doesn't get his way (increased taxes) instead of incisive and considered budget cuts and efficiencies. Employment is "all in who you know," but make sure "who you know" is actually qualified, that pay is within the average of the bell-shaped curve, and that their job is actually necessary. Do we really need a six-figure purchasing agent for Cook County? --Liz Wheeler

I think Stoger is incompetent, is concerned with using the office for gain for himself and his friends - and cares little for the people he is supposed to serve - He should not be allowed to remain in office. --Delbert Mueller

As a Dictator; Spoiled Brat, do what he wants or he'll hurt others any way he can and blame you; as to getting things done and helping the people of Cook County, on the scale of 1 to 10, I'd give him a minus 25 ("-25"). --JoAnn

The citizens of Cook County need to implement an immediate recall of Stroger. We can not wait for his term to end. One of the retail capitals of the world is now labeled AS HAVING THE HIGHEST TAX RATE IN THE COUNTRY. The man is destroying Cook County. --D. Marshall

Not very good. He got the job on clout anyway......Talk about nepotism! --Stefanie

I feel he has done a very poor job and needs to be replaced. --Herman Roebke

Appalling and Shameful. Forget about CPS, Gun violence, and a failing economy...let's have a 10% sales tax to pay do-nothings . Greed RULES! Think i can get a job with Todd? --Sean

I am a life long Chicagoan and in my opinion Todd Stroger is the worst type of politician, greedy, arrogant and obnoxious. He only cares about power he gets from being Board President. I will work to defeat him regardless of who his opponent is. --James Hague

I think he is a disgrace to his office and the entire city. No wonder Chicago politicians are considered corrupt it all starts at the top. --Leonard Vanderweel

The situation is outrageous. He is flagrantly abusing the good will and hard earned money of taxpayers - and flaunting it with his programs and hiring practices. If California can oust a governor - why can't we get rid of this guy and get someone who truly has the citizens of Cook County in mind. --Cindy Bokhof

I am frankly very disgusted in the way Todd Stroger has handled the county government. Unfortunately I live in one of the cities within the county. Being a Bridgeport resident only makes it that much more difficult to live and raise my four children. Todd stroger has been blatent in the way that he has chosen to hire and "compensate" his staff. I am only surprised that the FBI has not poked their nose to investigate such hiring practices, which I believe are unethical and if they are not, they should be against the rules. This is not the 70's or even the 80's, if Daley get heat on his hiring practices and everytime a police officer shoots his/her gun, this guy should be ousted. I feel like if I were under the Castro or Hugo Chavez regime! --Luz Perez Kwiatkowski

He's the most incompentent politician I've ever known. He did not do anything good but put his citizens in misery. --Ly

Under his leadership I will now have to pay the highest sale tax in the country....and who benefits from that increase? Apparently not me..but most definitely his friends and family members who work for Cook County and who are enjoying high salaries and pay increases! We won't forget this when the next election comes due! --Sharon King

I think that if our representatives in government were more accoutnable to the people instead of the big political machine than the average income taxpayer would not be getting squeezed with a smile. Stroger has done a terrible job, and I wish there was some kind of recourse before the next time he is up for election. BTW Mike Flannery is the best political reporter this town has!! --Tony S.

Awful. How can LA and NYC be so much easier to manage that their taxes are lower than our little city in the Midwest? By the way, how can you have a hospital named after you while you are still alive and go to a hospital across the street when you're ill (his father,and dont give me that bit about how his records were at Rush) --Dave

Cook county get what they deserve. After all, they voted for him and his ilk. --John Roma

Mr. Stroger is continuing proof that single party rule is a path to mutual self destruction for Cook County. Politicians are serving themselves first and consolidating power to our detriment. --Stephen Brian

I think he is one of the most "brazen" crooks in government! This is an outrage. We the citizens of Cook County keep paying, and he uses our money to line the pockets of his friends and relatives. Hopefully he will be a one term County Board President! Hopefully, the voters will remember all this in 2 years! I will! --Judy Ball

In my opinion, Todd Stroger is demonstrating his lack of compassion for the taxpayers by rasing the sales tax to 10%. What a burden this is in this time of extraordinarily high utility bills...especially oil and gas. It doesn't affect him or his "six figure club" members since they can afford it on their salaries. What about a little consideration for the rest of us? --Celeste Compton

Stroger's ineptitude and arrogance is insulting to me as a citizen. We need to be able to recall elected officials, or have a vote of no confidence. --Canto Lee

Whenever I think of Todd Stroger, I am reminded of the former Duvalier Government of Haiti. I see very little difference. --Jon K. Evans

I think he is doing very poorly. He claims he has no money to meet the budget and raises taxes. Then in the same breath creates jobs for friends and relatives. I think BOZO would do a better job managing Cook County. --Arnie

He is the worst thing to happen to Cook County in a long time. He gutted and ruined the State's Attorney's Victim Witness program ( once an award winning program). Now it can hardly service the victims of crime and their families. --Terri Donners

The same terrible job that the Governor is doing. They both use their position to "better" themselves and their family and friends, leaving the rest of us to pay the bill. --Rhonda

Todd Stroger is proof that Chicago/Cook County/Illinois politics are alive and well, and more corrupt than ever. The fact that Stroger inherited the job from his father just shows how things run. Never has there been talk of attracting business, cutting taxes, making things better for county tax payers(note tax payers NOT residents)Objective #1 is how to stay in power, suck more money out of tax payers and keep it coming. And the City and State point fingers AND DO THE SAME !!! What happens when all the tax payers LEAVE, i.e. Palatine? Sounds like DETROIT !!! --Roman Gajda

This is what you get when you steal an election. I am a Dem. but they stuck it to us. You can't get worse!!! --Howard Horwich

There ware many problems with the county before he came and things have gotten worse. They built a big expenses hospital and you still have to wait for hours for care and days to get your medications. Now they have closed many facilities when they are most needed. The only good that has comes from this admin is the filling of the pockets of the elite --Mary

It was obvious even before your report tonight that Mr. Stroger is doing a horrible job. The magnitude of his conceit and disregard is staggering. To whom is he accountable? It's obvious that it isn't the voters of Cook County! --Lisa

I think he is arrogant and disgusting. He has no compassion for the people whom he claims to represent, and obviously doesn't care what people think of him. I do hope people remember how poorly he has served us. --K. Poindexter

Hey if the family member who is getting 160,000 dollars is complaining she is working 12 to 17 hours a day maybe they should fire her and hire 2 for less then half the money. Impeach Todd Stroger, is that possible? --Jeff

TERRIBLE !!!!! He should be out of that office.... He should be ashamed of himself for the taxes he imposes on hard working people. What goes around comes around.........and eventually it will. --Nancy Carollo

I think he has no regard for the people of Cook County - both the poor and those of us who pay taxes. His constant hiring of relatives and cronies reeks. He should be recalled - we can't afford to keep him. I buy as much as I can outside cook county and will continue to do so as his tax is driving people away. --Ruth Baker

I don't think he is honest; I think he is arrogant, secretive, and a blatant user of nepotism in his appointments. I think he is driving business out of Chicago. I would happily vote for his opponent in the next election, and I have never voted for a Republican in my life. He's a disgrace. --Roger Greene

The man is an incompetent idiot. His performance is atrocious and if he gets re-elected then shame on us. --Judy Goral

I feel Mr. Stroger is an embarrassment to Cook County,Chicago and Illinois Politics. Allthough I no longer live in Cook County, I was born and raised in the coiunty. Mr. Stroger should be ashamed of the way he is running the county. I have allways been a supporter of Mayor Daley and currently a supporter of Mr. Obama and hope they both have the sense to distance themselves from Mr. Stroger and his antics. --Dominic M. Messina

I do not think Todd Stroger is doing a good job for Chicago. But then, I don't feel many of the top Democrats are doing a good job. We are paying the highest sales tax in the country in an economy where people are struggling to pay for their mortgages, rents and food and now with the gas prices as high as they are, he wears a smile on his face, as he pays people huge salaries. The average guy on the street is lucky he can feed his family. I myself will not vote for him to stay another term. --Sandy

President Stroger would be my first choice if any recall amendment ever passed. He will take this city down if he is not stopped. He has no regard for the citizens of this county. All he cares about is lining his pockets and those of his family and friends. I will vote for anyone who runs against him in 2010 and will actively work to see him unemployed! --Colleen Leahy

Lousy-patronage is rampant, budget out of control, taxes are out of control driving businesses out of Cook county, lousy services, can't wait to vote him out. --Harold Sanger III

Thank you Todd Stroger...because of you I will not spend one penny in Cook County!! I will shop in Lake, McHenry or any other county where you are not!! You are a goldmine for collar counties!! Keep screwing up and destroying Cook County!!! My advice to any business in Cook County...move while you are still in business!!! --John Kasperski

(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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