CHICAGO, IL – Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica (R-16) today marked “National Sunshine Week” by signing the Illinois Policy Institute’s “Transparency Pledge.” He also noted his recent resolution, passed by the Cook County Board, to put the county check register online.

“Transparency has been my guiding principle since being elected as commissioner in 2002,” said Peraica. “Taxpayers have the right to know how their tax dollars are being spent – and deserve a government that operates in the sunlight, rather than the shadows.”

An initiative of the American Society of Newspaper Editors, “Sunshine Week” is a national initiative to open a dialogue about the importance of open government and freedom of information.

In addition to the online check register resolution passed last month, Peraica noted his efforts over the past several years to put county employee salaries and vendor contract online at www.CookEmployees.com.

Peraica also has introduced a pending resolution for the County Board to form a private sector, bi-partisan “Waste Commission” to identify waste, abuse and cost saving opportunities in the county budget.

Several Chicago news organizations also have highlighted Peraica’s use of Twitter to “live tweet” county board meetings to provide real-time updates to taxpayers on the deliberations of the elected county commissioners.

“It’s time for a new era of open government in Cook County, in which we shine the light on no-bid contracts and pork-barrel boondoggles for political insiders,” said Peraica. “We ask our taxpayers to pay the highest sales tax in the country and foot the bill for a bloated, wasteful budget. They deserve nothing less than a government that is open, honest and transparenty.”

Click here to view Peraica’s signed Transparency Pledge.

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