From The Chicago Sun-Times

Want to do business with Cook County government?

September 8, 2004
BY STEVE PATTERSON Staff Reporter

A proposal being presented to county commissioners today would require all
county contractors to disclose political ties -- including which campaigns they
contribute to and which consultants they hire -- before being awarded a
contract.
The ordinance, sponsored by Mike Quigley and Joseph M. Moreno, is aimed at
making government more "transparent."
"We've seen recent revelations with scandal in privatization and
contracting," Quigley said. "The public perception is these deals are done based on
clout-heavy agreements, so let's make everything transparent to the public."
The ordinance is among several that could be introduced today, the first
county board meeting since July.
Another calls for exploring a new prescription drug program for patients at
county clinics and hospitals, in hopes of saving the county money and making
the pharmaceutical services more convenient. "There are pharmacies on every
corner across Cook County, but we're running our pharmacies ourselves," said
Commissioner Gregg Goslin, who wants the county to solicit bids for new providers.
Patients at county facilities can wait in line several hours to fill a
prescription, and with 2.2 million prescriptions filled each year, Goslin said the
county also struggles to retain pharmacists due to better salaries and benefits
in the private sector. "I just want to see what's out there and open access
throughout the county," he said.
Also being introduced is a Quigley-backed plan to post all property
assessment information online. While much data is already available through the county
assessor's online site, Quigley said there is little public access to
information on those who've appealed their assessment, whether that appeal was granted
and what a person's final tax bill is.
"There is a general distrust of that process," he said.
Each measure is likely to be referred to a committee for further study.