Lawless believes in the crafting of a government that will: 

• Renew commitment to hard-working taxpayers
• Reform programs and services that improve the lives of residents of the 1st district
• Revitalize economic opportunities
• Rebuild confidence in local solutions;
• Restore citizens’ faith in the values and principles of accountability, responsibility, and common sense.

 Ronald Lawless believes that informed, active residents are the best decision makers…

"Let's imagine the possibility…"™

Cook County government is in financial crisis. One of the biggest sources of this pressure is soaring health care costs.  Our County is the largest provider of indigent health care in the state.  Demand for public health care services increases with the rising number of uninsured individuals. County expenses for providing that care increases at the same time. Cook County government has been significantly strained by the urgent costs of public health services. 

Cook County faces a $740 million shortfall in 2009. This figure that represents one-quarter of the total proposed budget. I share the concern of many who would like the county commissioners to tell us, “where the money has gone?”

Doesn’t the county publish its budget annually in the newspapers? If so, the answer to this charge may be “get the paper.”

The only effective way to begin to ascertain where the money goes is to institute government transparency immediately. This means providing details about staffing, purchasing and appropriations as well as other funding allocations for Cook County’s various agencies and services. This includes Cook County Courts, the Jail and Juvenile Detention Center, the Cook County Forest Preserve.

Cook County residents must have greater input to the decisions that directly affect them and the taxes and fees they pay. It is time for residents of Cook County to demand much greater accountability from their commissioners, and for the secrecy to end. County government deserves to be governed by the policies of openness and accessibility to information advocated by the President of the United States. Lack of proper, clear and full financial information serves neither the commissioners of Cook County nor the residents they serve.

Rather than make hard choices, the Cook County Commissioners have stood by in silence in answer to calls for more public information. This cannot continue. Please join us as an advocate. We have to begin to change the landscape of county government now.