Thursday, March 11, 2004

County budget over with two Stroger vetoes of smart amendments

The Chicago Tribune has a good story here on the end of the 2004 (or is it 2003?) county budget, that avoided a hike in the sales tax and a new lease tax, but did impose a 90 cent tax on cigarettes sold in Cook County.

There were two amendments (one by Quigley, one by Collins) that didn't get the 4/5 vote needed to override the President's veto.

FOUR-FIFTHS???!!!

What the -- ? That's ridiculous. Totally ridiculous.

The Trib article by Mickey Ciokajlo suggested that the 80% override rule is a county code, so presumably, the commissioners could pass an ordinance bringing that 80% down to 60%, as is common in almost every other legislature in the Western World. I hope they do.

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