Secession from Cook County?

On the campaign trail to become the Cook County Commissioner from the 14th District, I have learned so much from the residents I have talked to. One sentiment that has dominated many of those conversations has been the widespread dissatisfaction with Cook County government, a concern that runs so deep that it has led many to support secession from Cook County.

I have been a history and government teacher for over 25 years. I have always been fascinated by how things change over time -- the big picture. I certainly know well the most significant secession story in U.S. history that led to the Civil War in the 1860s. Secession, of course, lost.

Cook County was created in 1831 by the Illinois legislature. Illinois at that time had 54 counties, and Cook County was carved out of then Putnam County. Later on, DuPage County was carved out of Cook County. Daniel Cook was the first Attorney General of Illinois, and an early state leader and representative. Today Illinois has 102 counties, a very large number compared to other states.

A side note here, that speaks directly to the problem we have in Illinois with the patronage "machine" style of politics, is that we have more counties, more local units of governments, more districts with governing authority -- from mosquito abatement districts to townships to school districts -- than any other state in the nation. By far. And we have lots more people who are paid salaries, small or large, by the taxpayers to govern these various boards and units of government than any other state. By far.

One example: Cook County has 17 Commissioners on its governing Board. Los Angeles County, with a population much larger than Cook, has only 5. All these jobs, all these units of government, all these layers of governance -- all generate more loyal people with a paycheck willing to support politically those that helped them get the job.

I would vote to reduce the number of commissioners in Cook County, even if it meant losing my own position.

Cook County has a population of about 5 1/2 million people. It is larger than 30 states, and is home to 44 % of Illinois' entire population. Yes, Cook County is large. It is the second-largest county in the nation, after Los Angeles. And half of its population lives in the suburbs surrounding Chicago. Cook County has a population larger than the next 5 counties combined.

The communities of the 14th District are far away from vital county services. The public hospitals, for example, are typically 90 minutes drive away from the west end of Barrington Township.

Cook County actually once considered seceding from Illinois in 1925. It would have become the "State of Chicago." This rebellion was led by those objecting to Illinois legislators because they were dominated by rural and agricultural interests and were neglecting the urban needs of this vital population center. The rebels even held a "tea party" on August 8, 1925.

The modern "secession movement" of the 1970s and beyond has been born out the the sense of disconnect that the more suburban/rural areas of Cook County have felt from the Chicago-dominated governance. Here is a way to help understand the reasons for this -- a theme I often used with my high school social studies students: Geography is the Mother of History.

If you look at a map of Cook County, there is a clear "panhandle" in the north/northwest suburbs and townships that was created when DuPage County was carved out to our west. These northern suburbs have 2 of the 17 commissioners on the County Board -- the 14th and 15th Districts -- and represent only 12% of the County's population. The 14th runs all along the northernmost border of Cook County, everything south of Lake Cook Road, from western New Trier and northwest Golf townships in the east all the way west to Barrington Township and the Kane county line. It is a huge district geographically that is heavily populated on its eastern and midsections, with more rural and sparser population in the western end.

In recent years, several townships have voted to actually secede from Cook County, two of them in the 14th District -- Barrington and Palatine townships. New Trier Township had a move just last year to consider the same question. The voter approval margin was almost 2 to 1 in favor of secession. In Palatine Township, the vote was 73 -27% in favor of secession.

There has actually been some discussion for years about creating a new "Lincoln County" out of that northwest "panhandle" of Cook County and pieces of neighboring DuPage, Kane, McHenry, and Lake Counties. It is amazing that our state's most beloved favorite son, Abraham Lincoln, does not already have a county named after him.

Secession is legal but extremely difficult. And over half of Cook County residents would have to approve it first, which seems unlikely for the near term.

But what does it tell us, that so many people want to change the governance of their home communities and create a whole new county?

Creating a new county would be very, very expensive. One industrious intern who researched this issue documented clearly that secession would not be a tax savings at all, at least not in the short term. Hospital systems, Sheriffs, Courts, etc., would all have to be set up anew. Forest Preserve land would have to be purchased. Buildings and offices to duplicate a whole new county government would have to be paid for. It seems unlikely that the factors needed to create a new county could come together -- the cost of establishing a new county, and the permission of all of the rest of Cook County to let its more prosperous areas go.

Practically speaking, therefore, as your most devoted candidate to represent us on the Cook County Board, it's clear to me what we must learn from all the secession talk still circulating around our area of the county: Cook County government needs to do a much, much better job for all its residents, and especially for those who feel so disenfranchised in the 14th District.

It seems logical to also conclude that the 12-year incumbent representative of the 14th District is not doing a good enough job of advocating effectively for our interests.

Cook County government needs a housecleaning in the 2010 elections. Only then can it do the job necessary to help meet our needs and make us feel connected, served, supported, and understood. Cook County government needs to do a much, much better job of serving the suburbs and residents of the 14th district. In order for that to happen, it needs the most energetic, articulate, knowledgeable advocate it can possibly have.

Jennifer Bishop Jenkins, reporting for duty!