Cook County takes 3% of worker charity donations
From Sunshine Review
25 August 2008
Cook County Board President Todd Stroger kicked off the summer with a charity drive among county workers. On their paychecks of May 30, workers found a letter from Stroger, encouraging them to donate to "several charities that are making a real difference in our communities."[1] What the letter failed to mention is that 3% from all donations go into the "Cook County Charity Fund," instead of the selected charity.
[edit] "Deceitful and Arrogant"
The 3% is listed in the fine print at the bottom of the charity payroll deduction form. When county Commssioner Forrest Claypool learned of the practice, he declared it "incredibly deceitful and arrogant," going on to explain, "The notion is: Employees get to direct where their hard-earned dollars go. Todd Stroger should make donations to his charity and let the employees make donations to the charity they want, rather than forcing them to make donations where they might not want their hard-earned money to go."
[edit] "Something for Earthquakes"
As of July 31, the Cook County Charity Fund had a balance of $58,590. According to County chief administrative officer Mark Kilgallon, the Fund collects around $7,000 a year. In response to the criticism, Kilgallon said the fund lets the county contribute to "miscellaneous charities that came up - something for earthquakes and major events in the world."
