The adage, you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear comes to mind when pondering Cook County’s new logo and creation of yet another county department, adding Public Information to the existing Emergency Management function. We do not quarrel with the Emergency Management function or have a problem with Ms. Marasco, but adding the spin doctor aspect is disturbing.
We are told this maneuver is going to educate the public, translate commissioner intent and improve communication. The new department rollout party was capped off with a large logo-emblazoned sheet cake courtesy of the taxpayers via a county credit card. The new position comes with an annual base salary of $67,904, not including benefits.
The county website last week was abuzz with breathless anticipation of a public reveal ceremony touting a “crisp clean and efficient logo” and a new era of increased transparency and accountability. This plan is sure to enlighten constituents (that ill-mannered collection of bullies with their pesky uninformed opinions which is causing the county board such discomfort, that they can’t think straight). This assumes they were ever thinking straight to begin with, but you could have fooled us.
Who needs representative government when the board has already transitioned to an administrative form of government? Translation: Cadwell tells the county board what to do and they simply show up and vote “aye” in group-think, lock step. Does anyone remember voting for Mr. Cadwell to represent us? It would be no surprise if all business at the regular county board meeting would soon consist of a single item on the consent agenda. All our stressed out commissioners will have to do is show up, rise for the Pledge and make one unanimous “yes” vote. Meeting adjourned.
But what takes the cake, so to speak, is the irony of the county board decision to institute a Committee of the Whole format, fondly referred in the official minutes as the “COW.” Complete lack of transparency was the predominant theme for the vast majority of the April 18 regular board meeting. They spent most of it trying to hide the COW. Cadwell and Doo- Kirk wanted no live feed of the COW meetings whatsoever. When that didn’t fly, the conversation further deteriorated to consideration of other less than transparent schemes such as video recording the COW, but delaying its release up to 2-3 weeks. A classic moment for the ages occurred when a bewildered Board Chair Jan Sivertson declared, “Let’s record, be transparent, but no camera.”
In the end, Bossy the COW will get her picture taken but her reveal will be delayed about 60 minutes before posting. What on earth does that accomplish, you ask? Please refrain from asking questions for which the commissioners have no answers. After all, in Doo-Kirk’s words, they have got work to do and are making fabulous progress. She didn’t say towards what, but we invite you to speculate. Perhaps the COW should be led to the abattoir.
In all seriousness, the situation is grim. We have a weak board, plagued by a lack of critical thinking, budget busting decisions and a callous disdain for citizen concerns. They have shamelessly abdicated their elected responsibility to constituents. The commissioners increasingly show up unprepared, unquestioning, and react to the growing number of critics by manipulating facts, marginalizing the opposition and obfuscation. They want protection and insulation from the criticism, and now have hired a spokesperson to make their message more palatable. Ms. Marasco certainly has a formidable task ahead.
Carol and Nick Burger
Grand Marais
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