Walter's Perspective: New Style Politician Turns Old Style
CHICAGO (CBS) -- In government and politics tonight, all the talk is about money. It's about all the politicians are talking about – budgets in the red, staggering budget deficits, having to cut back on public service, and to lay off public employees.
The new president of the Cook County Board, Toni Preckwinkle, has laid off more than 300 employees and still is $300 million in the red. She's said publicly she has to cut back on county pay, while privately passing out pay raises to political pals hired as personal bodyguards.
She hired three bodyguards nine months ago and already has raised their pay, one of them by 25 percent, altogether at a cost of almost a quarter of a million taxpayer dollars.
The Cook County Assessor, the County Recorder, the County Clerk, the County Sheriff – they don't even have bodyguards.
President Preckwinkle campaigned for the job as a new style politician, got elected and became old style.
