Cook County Health and Hospitals produces a budget surplus for FY09; Brought $231M to county coffers

CHICAGO – Financial data released today showed that the newly formed independent Cook County Health and Hospitals System surpassed their revenue projections for FY2009 and spent less money than they were allocated in the FY2009 budget.

Combined, the CCHHS made a positive contribution of about $236.5 million to the taxpayers of Cook County.

According to data from the Cook County Comptroller’s Office, the CCHHS:
- contributed $231.3 million to the County’s general fund in FY2009
- brought in $194M more revenue then was budget in FY2009
- spent about $42 million less than what was budgeted in FY2009

“These numbers show that we are committed to making sure that we are using our resources wisely without affecting patient care,” said CCHHS CEO William Foley. “We will continue to find ways to make our System more efficient while also searching for opportunities to better serve
our patient’s needs.”

CCHHS (formerly known as the Cook County Bureau of Health Services) oversees a comprehensive, integrated system of healthcare throughout Chicago and suburban Cook County through its hospitals, ambulatory and community health network clinics, public health department, correctional
healthcare facility, and outpatient infectious disease center.

The CCHHS is comprised of: John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County , Provident Hospital of Cook County, Oak Forest Hospital of Cook County, Cook County Department of Public Health, Cermak Health Services, the Ruth Rothstein CORE Center and the 16 Ambulatory and Community Health
Network ACHN) health centers.

This is what I have been saying all along, for the last year. There is no deficit. There is no shortage of funds.

There is no need to enact the Stroger Sales Tax.

There is ample reason to roll back the balance of the Stroger Sales Tax.

As I was saying this for the past year, I was attacked of being a racist, of not knowing the facts, of grandstanding, of misleading the public, of political chicanery.

The fact is, as we now know, and, as I have been saying for the past year, there is no deficit.

Todd Stroger has LIED to the taxpayers and the public. He has engaged in gross exaggeration to justify the unjustifiable — a 135% increase in the sales tax in Cook County.

This deception of the voters and taxpayers should be punished severely on Feb. 2nd Election Day, by voting out of office Todd Stroger, Mario Moreno, Deborah Sims, Joan Murphy, Bill Beavers and Jerry Butler who have perpetrated this hoax on the taxpayers.

Honesty in government is rule number one.

Now is the time to show all of the above the door.

Sincerely,
Tony Peraica