County Budget/Layoff Update

By Kulmeet Galhotra | Published: February 20, 2009

There is good news and bad news to report to the membership following an afternoon at the County Board Building.   

Many members who would be affected by layoffs (and several others) attended the County Board meeting today and most spoke to some of the Commissioners and/or their staff about the impact the cuts would have on the office and their jobs.  The Board voted, however, to adopt the budget with the 4% cuts.  That’s the bad news.

But at the same meeting, questions were raised by Commissioner Suffredin about whether adopting the budget would lead to the layoff of Assistant Public Defenders.  The head of the Bureau of Administration, Mark Killgallon,  addressed the Commissioners and told them that he would be working with the Public Defenders office to prevent the layoff of front-line attorneys.  Continued questioning on this issue was not had due to a motion by Commissioner Periaca who argued that further discussion was not appropriate and out of order since the Finance Committee had already addressed these issues and voted for across-the-board cuts in previous sessions.  So the assurance from Killgallon that he would work with the office to make sure there were no layoffs is the “good news.”

On Monday, February 23rd, the union will be meeting with the Public Defender to discuss the budget and find other areas to implement budget cuts.  In addition, talks are ongoing with the Board President’s office to determine if money not utilized by other departments  may also be used to prevent the layoffs of front-line attorneys.

So while there is reason to be nervous, it’s not  yet time to panic. As soon as  I have more information, I will update the membership.

 

In Solidarity,

K. S. Galhotra, President

Local 3315

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  • stu smith

    We all know that there are too many cases and not enough attorneys or investigators. We have to insure that not only are there no layoffs of attorneys but our budget for investigators and experts must be the same or even increased. It does us little good to have the courtrooms staffed if we can’t competently do our jobs because the resources needed outside of court to prepare our cases have been reduced.

  • Justice Cardozo

    My My My…Burnette has about 6 weeks left on his contract….seems Stroger can tell him to jump and Burnette’s response will be “How High”!!!!!!
    Is Ed keeping the Union updated on his future….Doesn’t Ed “owe” the Union to which he is not a member an update on his job situation?
    You remember, the Union that wanted to organize a protest of the rank and file at the County Building of a potential dismissal of an employee, Burnette, who serves at the pleasure of Todd Stroger.

    Funny how DUMB this Union is SUPPORTING an in-law of the 36th Ward Banks Family Machine for Congress in the 5th instead of County Commissioner Mike Quigley who ACTUALLY has stood up for the RANK AND FILE in the Office.

    HOW MANY WAYS CAN WE SHOOT OURSELVES IN THE FOOT AND DO THE DAMNED WRONG THING…POLITICALLY AND OTHERWISE?

  • Bruce Mosbacher, Executive at Large

    Mr. Justice Cordozo:

    You must be upset that Crede will be playing for the Twins!

    1. Ed has met with the Local’s executive board recently and seems to be keeping us informed of his job situation. Brother Galhotra has reported on that on this site. Also, the Local is aware of the CCL proposed resolution on selecting the next PD, and is aware that Ed is not the only serious candidate for the job.

    2. As to the endorsement in the 5th Congressional District, I assume that was made by Council 31, not our Local, via normal democratic means. Our Local did not make that endorsement and sometimes in a democracy reasonable people can disagree. In the recent Presidential Primary AFSCME backed Clinton and 31 broke off and backed Obama. So be it.

    3. Local elections are now set. I hope your rant indicates that you are motivated to run for Local office and help guide the political decisions of the Union for the next two years.

    Bruce

  • Justice Cardozo

    Council 31 is a hat in hand clownish operation with its record of PATHETIC Political endorsements…Rod Blagojevich and Todd Stroger come to mind.

    OH MY…THE UNFAIRNESS OF IT ALL…TODD STROGER TRYING TO GET RID OF ED…
    CRY ME A RIVER….WHEN IS THE UNION PICNIC DOWN AT THE COUNTY BUILDING TO ACT LIKE HAPLESS POOCHES IN SUPPORT OF THE BOSS????

    LMAO!!!!!

  • Bruce Mosbacher, Executive at Large

    Mr. Justice Cordozo:

    I suppose you were a big supporter of the three previous Cook county public defenders and you will be a big supporter of the next boss regardless of who it is.

    Bruce

  • Justice Cardozo

    Personally we can like or dislike the boss.
    As a Union, you people were way out of bounds organizing a big sobfest to whine in front of the County Board on behalf of Ed Burnette.

  • Bruce Mosbacher, Executive at Large

    I don’t recall the board organizing that and I don’t recall attending that, but hey I’m only about 30 months from retirement so my memory ain’t so good.

    Bruce

  • Justice Cardozo

    Luckily the County Board meetings that were to address the dismissal of Ed were postponed, as was his dismissal, sparing the Union embarrassment and sparing the people duped into the scheme the loss of a personal day.

    Why don’t you concern yourself with the MEMBERSHIP?

  • Bruce Mosbacher, Executive at Large

    I do and I do work for our brothers and sisters almost every day. I will give you a list if you would like to see what a job on the executive board entails so that you can decide which office to seek in our upcomming elections. This week I plan to attend a day of contract negotiations, work on two old promotion grievances, monitor caselaw developments and write hot legal topic updates for this websites if necessary, and assist the board and the president deal with the layoff crisis. Any questions?

    Bruce

  • Justice Cardozo

    Why did you jump in Burnette’s back pocket?

  • Bruce Mosbacher, Executive at Large

    I didn’t and it certainly would not help him.

    Bruce

  • Chris Anderson

    Justice related Agencies in Cook County need supplemental funding from (1) the State and (2) the Federal Government. With respect to the State: Cook County’s population is 41% of the State of Illinois but gets almost NO funding from the State for felony prosecutions, but, nevertheless, the citizens of Cook County generate well over HALF the operating budget for the ENTIRE State. Consequently, Cook County must disproportionately bear the financial burden of felony cases, which are SOLELY dictated by the Illinois State General Assembly pursuant to Article VII, Section 6(d)(2) of the Illinois Constitution. Similarly, the Federal Government dictates rules for Abuse and Neglect Cases, exhaustion of State remedies in Post-Conviction, Habeas and Appeals, Juvenile placement, DUI’s, Adam Walsh sex-offender reporting violations and commitments, Elder Abuse, Internet Crimes, Fraud, Domestic Violence, Gun and Ammo possession, Gambling, Controlled Substances and Cannabis, Financial Crimes, and Penitentiary Contraband Cases, BUT does NOT contribute practically ANY funding for such cases. Cook County alone is 2% of the entire population of the United States; so to put that in perspective: that’s the entire percentage of each of the 50 states IF they were equal! But they are not, Cook County ALONE approximates the ENTIRE population of the 8 least populated States COMBINED, which is 16% of the States! So, to recapitulate: the State of Illinois and Congress need to help fund Cook County because we disproportionately bear the burden of the laws that THEY have passed, WITHOUT almost ANY funding for same!!!! Our focus should be on our U.S. and Illinois Representatives to grant proportionate funding to Cook County for the criminal justice system rather than focusing on in-fighting in Cook County.

  • Chris Anderson

    For far too long Republicans have hijacked the legislative debate for morality legislation passing draconian criminal laws, but funneled all the funding to non-Union, Republican States and Corporate-Military interests, thereby bankrupting Union States and their own Corporations, also closing Union States’ Military bases and needed services by the Veteran’s Administration. It is time, NOW, for Democrats to DEMAND proportiante funding for these very measures!!!! Republican Governors are refusing to take Obama’s reconstruction funding?! GOOD!!

  • Stephanie Schlegel

    Who the heck is Justice Cardozo, and why is he / she afraid to tell us his / her name?

    btw, Cardozo, I agree with your point about Council 31′s endorsement in the 5th. It
    is just plain dumb and the same old same old. I will not be following my brother’s advice on who I should vote for in March. And I urge our local members in the 5th district to do the same.

  • Marienne Branch

    Thank you, Chris … for the recapitulation. And the comments. Excellent points of which I was not aware.

  • Justice Cardozo

    The Union did a great job in protecting these jobs.
    If we have to sing Kumbaya for Ed…..we can do it at Jean’s.
    Steph, at least Mike Quigley takes our phone calls and Sara is a decent person.
    This Fritchey is married into the 36th Ward Machine Banks Family….
    Some “reformer” he is..probably in the Blagojevich-Burris mold.