Preckwinkle: Fiscal responsibility requires making tough choices

Your editorial assigning blame for impending job reductions in Cook County was stunningly simplistic and shockingly ill- informed.

My job is to run Cook County efficiently, accountably and responsibly. I’ve never shied away from addressing difficult issues head on and I never will. The Sun- Times ignores the reality that governments at all levels are starved for revenue. Residents demand services— in Cook County, these include running our hospitals, jail and court systems— but the traditional revenue streams that we rely on are shrinking.

When I recognized that Cook County needed to raise revenue, I looked to a source that would have a public health benefit. Public health advocates support this tax, and cities across the country— including Philadelphia, Pa., Berkeley, Calif., and Boulder, Colo.— already have enacted it. Seattle, Wash., recently passed a similar measure.

A last- minute lawsuit prevents us from collecting the tax. I believe we will prevail in court, but until then, we must immediately cut expenditures. And since 87 percent of our budget is driven by personnel, that unfortunately includes jobs.

I’d rather not do this, but fiscal responsibility requires making tough choices. While I am responsible formy own budget, which is 7 percent of the General Fund, I have no control over how separately elected officials manage theirs. And because most of the County’s money is spent in public health and public safety, those arenas— as I have said for months— will be disproportionately affected. We will work with the sheriff to find meaningful savings while protecting his core missions.

I am sorry the Sun- Times Editorial Board did not allow me to refute the falsehood that we targeted a subsection of Teamsters who are sheriff’s employees because their union opposed the beverage tax. The public deserves to know that is a lie.