Deborah Sims doesn't mind using taxpayer money for her own comfort

Deborah Sims, the do-nothing member of the Cook County Board who gave County Board President Todd Stroger the vote he needed to protect his repressive 1 percent sales tax on Cook County taxpayers, doesn't mind spending the taxpayer's hard-earned cash on her own comforts.

FOX Chicago news reporter Dane Placko did a report Thursday night detailing how Sims uses her $95,000-a-year salaried chief of staff to drive her around, not just to and from work but to and from political events and publicity events, and, even shopping?

Sims even uses county taxpayer money to pay to lease her big, fancy late model red Cadillac. her chief of staff drives to her home, parks his car at her house and then gets behind the wheel like a high-priced chauffeur and drives her everywhere.

It's not illegal for government officials to waste the taxpayer money on their own comforts and excessive luxuries. They get a fortune every year to pay for everything from staff, to offices, to cars (luxury cars apparently), and anything else their little hearts desire. They get the best healthcare taxpayer money can buy and they apparently don't feel they have to be accountable to the public, like when Placko asked Sims to answer some questions about her office practices and she responded saying whether she answers or not depends on the questions.

What's the issue? The Taxpayers have the right to know how their elected officials spend the taxpayer's hard earned money.

Get more information on the Sims' scandal at www.MyFoxChicago.com.

Now, while Sims is chauffeured to and from work in luxury, at the taxpayer's expense, other commissioners told Placko that they drive themselves to and from work. Well, not everyone drives. A few conscientious Cook County Board members know what it's like to be public servants and to respect the rights of taxpayers.

Cook County Commissioner Liz Gorman (R-17th) doesn't drive. She takes public transportation to and from her home to the County Board meetings and her office. I know because several times in the morning when she would appear on my radio show on WJJG 1530 AM (www.RadioChicagoland.com) she did the interviews while on the METRA train.

That's the kind of dedication that Sims doesn't understand. Gorman led the fight to repeal the repressive sales tax which is chasing businesses out of Cook County.

Let's hope Sims and Stroger are both thrown out of office on their asses and are forced to find real jobs where they have to do the work, for a change. Maybe they would come to respect the taxpayer's hard earned money if they had to worry about paying their own bills.

-- Ray Hanania
www.RadioChicagoland.com