Speaking for the County Government

By: Rupa ShenoyCook County board members say they aren’t divided by political distinctions—instead, they fall along a spectrum depending on their level of support for the administration of board president John H. Stroger Jr.

On one end are the veterans, defenders of the board’s efficiency and effectiveness, whom new board members view as complacent loyalists. On the other are the newcomers and the self-declared reformers whom the long-serving commissioners see as uninformed press-mongers. The differences were highlighted after the November election brought five new commissioners to the 17-member board. Many predicted they would usher in a more open government.

At the center of the board is Stroger. After 33 years on the board, including nine as its president, Stroger is the leader of the veterans, and argues that the county government is in excellent shape. But he also says he welcomes discussing any changes the new commissioners suggest.

Stroger recently discussed the workings of the board in a wide-ranging interview with The Chicago Reporter.

What impact are the five new commissioners having?
I think we have some fine new commissioners. And I think that all of them have something to bring that will improve the quality of the government. And I think that they should—some of them—try to really learn as much as they can about the government before they try to change it. I don’t think you change anything unless you understand what the process is all about.

What do you see as commissioners’ responsibilities?
The commissioners mostly are the legislative branch of the county government. We have what is called an executive form of government, and the commissioners act as the legislators, and they’re in a quasi-supervisory role. … They have the right to scrutinize the budget and make any recommendations.

The number one power that I have is to prepare every year and initiate an executive budget to be sent to the county board of commissioners. Then there are other responsibilities I have, in terms of managing the government. … And those type of things I have a right to run on a day-to-day basis. …

[The commissioners] ought to all be willing to stand up for what they believe in. If there’s something that they’re right on, then I’m prepared to say they’re right.

In the same meeting last year when you announced the appointment of Stephen A. Martin Jr. as chief executive officer of the Department of Public Health, you also changed the job qualifications for the position.
We decided to do that to make certain that the statute reflected the qualifications of the person who is in the office at that time. … And [with Martin] being an epidemiologist, dealing with communicable diseases and so forth—I think it’s much better for us.

The board had to approve Martin’s appointment, right?
There was no opposition to it. As a matter of fact, they were praising me for selecting him.

But they say they didn’t know anything about him.
What you’re saying is that they were derelict in their responsibilities. My job was to make the appointment. I tried to get the best possible person to submit to the board. If anybody had questions, they should have asked me—or even subjected Dr. Martin to questions.

If they’re not reviewing your appointments, do you see that as a lack of oversight on their part?
In this case, it was. Most of the time those people are asking all kinds of questions. Here, they probably thought [the appointment] was a good move.

Commissioners also say they can call a committee any time, but don’t because they don’t see the use.
If they call a committee without anything to do, I don’t think that would be good judgment. You have to have a subject matter, in my opinion, to hold a hearing.

Commissioners Roberto Maldonado and Bobbi L. Steele held a committee meeting on the sheriff’s deputies who allegedly beat jail inmates. What could result?
The sheriff personally wasn’t at the jail, but he’s responsible, like I’m responsible for the people who work at the county under me. In this instance, the sheriff said he had his internal investigation going on. [And the commissioners] were trying to satisfy the public outcry over these jail officers. …

There are a lot of people who might get beat up in the jail, a lot of people who are mistreated in our different institutions and never come forward. But, when the board shows a concern and sensitivity, and says that they would like people to come forward, we take all the information that we induce from these people.

And, if it [involves] the sheriff, we send it to the sheriff. If it’s the state’s attorney, we send it to the state’s attorney.

The board passes all the items introduced. Some say this means there is no debate. Is that true?
It depends. Some people like to come around and try to work and negotiate things before they get on the floor. But Mr. [Carl R.] Hansen likes to argue things on the floor. So does Mr. [Mike] Quigley. And now Mr. [Larry] Suffredin always seems to want to. … I think it should be a mixture. I don’t think we should just get on the floor to talk and waste time. But sometimes you have to be on the floor to motivate other people. Lots of times I’ve been out there and heard discussions that made me rethink my position. I talk on the floor, and I call people up on a one-on-one basis.

Why do you stress loyalty among your employees?
I’m looking for people who are loyal and intelligent and committed. And, if you ever get to be the boss, don’t get a person just because he or she is a Phi Beta Kappa. Find out something else about the person in terms of loyalty, because your leadership role depends on how loyal to you they are. You don’t want them to do anything wrong, but you don’t want them to be undermining you in your leadership role. … The people who work for me and are appointed to key positions, I think they ought to have a sense of loyalty to what our government stands for, and I speak for the government when I’m the president.

Is it accurate to say you’re a product of the Machine?
I’m a political product of the Democratic Party, like all these other guys. Like George Bush—a good example. He’s a political product of the Republican Party. And I would like to say I’m a person who had the chance to grow up as a Democratic leader because, frankly, a person like me could never have had that opportunity without an organizational structure to support me. …

You asked about patronage. You can’t use patronage anymore. It used to be, when I first came into the Democratic Party, the committeemen could call elected officials and say, ‘Fire this guy,’ or, ‘Put this guy on.’ You can’t do that now. And nobody does that.

Why are you still here, at 74?
I’m not telling you I want be here forever. But I have enjoyed what I’ve done over the years, the changes I’ve made—the single-member districts, where people have to run from [particular geographical] districts. From the beginning I started trying to push for a new hospital. And I’ve been fortunate to live long enough to see that they built a new hospital. This job’s all about people—usually people on the low end of the socio-economic totem pole.