Surprise! Two State Income Tax Raisers Get Cushy Cook County Jobs!

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Two lucky persons from Oak Lawn who were appointed to fill terms in the Illinois General Assembly, who voted for Gov. Patrick Quinn’s humungous 67% state income tax increase, ended up with cushy jobs with cash-strapped Cook County, according to a report published by the SouthtownStar.

John O’Sullivan and Michael Carberry were selected by house Democratic leaders to replace Rep. Kevin Joyce (D) and Rep. James Brosnahan (D). The votes of the Oak Lawn twins were needed to push through Quinn’s state income tax increase, wrote columnist Phil Kadner.

According to a spokeswoman for the Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, they were both “highly qualified individuals.”

Kadner pointed out that although Preckwinkle was forced to cut her own budget by 20% and close Oak Forest Hospital, she nevertheless found funds to hire these two highly qualified individuals. O’Sullivan was hired as a regional superintendent in the Cook County Forest Preserve District at $85,000 a year. Carberry was appointed a deputy director in facilities management for Cook County at $99,833 a year.

“Is it possible that these two ‘highly qualified individuals’ were hired as a reward for providing the necessary votes to pass Quinn’s 67% state income tax increase?” asked Jim Tobin, President of Taxpayers United of America. “Considering the drastic cuts in Cook County’s budget, they must be extraordinarily highly qualified individuals.”

“All incumbent Springfield Democrats supported the income tax increase in a structured vote,” said Tobin. “It’s time to throw these Democrats from office.”

For more information, see “Governor Quinn is Governor Bribe.”