Cook County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is the second most populous county in the United States after Los Angeles County. According to 2008 US Census Bureau estimates, the county has 5,294,664 residents, which is larger than the populations of 29 individual U.S. states, the combined populations of the seven smallest US states, and home to 43.3% of Illinois residents. There are over 130 incorporated municipalities in Cook County, the largest of which is the county seat, Chicago, which makes up approximately 54% of the population of the county. The county is divided into thirty different townships. Geographically the county is the fifth largest in Illinois by land area and shares the state's coast line on Lake Michigan with Lake County.

Government and politics:

Cook county's current County Board president is Todd Stroger. The county has by far more Democratic Party members than any other Illinois county, and is one of the most Democratic counties in the United States. It has voted only once for a Republican candidate in a Presidential election in the last forty years, when county voters preferred Richard Nixon to George McGovern in 1972.

The Circuit Court of Cook County, which files more than 1.2 million cases every year, the Cook County Department of Corrections, which is the largest single-site jail in the nation, and the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center, the first juvenile center in the nation and one of the largest in the nation, are solely the responsibility of Cook County government. The Cook County Law Library is the second largest county law library in the nation.

The Bureau of Health Services administers the county's public health services and is the second largest public health system in the nation. Three hospitals are part of this system: John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County, Provident Hospital, and Oak Forest Hospital of Cook County, along with over 30 hospitals.

The Cook County Highway Department is responsible for the design and maintenance of roadways in the county. These thoroughfares are mostly composed of major and minor arterials, with a few local roads. Although the Highway Department was instrumental in designing many of the expressways in the county, today they are under the jurisdiction of the state.

The Forest Preserve District, organized in 1915, is a separate, independent taxing body, but the Cook County Board of Commissioners also acts as the Forest Preserve District Board of Commissioners. The District is a belt of 69,000 acres (275 km²) of forest reservations surrounding the City of Chicago. The Brookfield Zoo (managed by the Chicago Zoological Society) and the Chicago Botanic Garden (managed by the Chicago Horticultural Society) are located in the forest preserves.

In the 1980s, Cook County was ground zero to an extensive FBI investigation named Operation Greylord. Ninety-two officials were indicted, including 17 judges, 48 lawyers, 8 policemen, 10 deputy sheriffs, 8 court officials, and 1 state legislator. Cook County is the fifth largest employer in Chicago.

In March 2008, the Cook County Board increased sales tax one percent, increasing the county sales tax rate from 0.75% to 1.75%. This followed a recent quarter-cent increase in mass transit taxing coming into effect in April. In Chicago, the rate increased to 10.25 percent, the steepest of any major metropolitan area in America.[5] In Evanston, sales tax reached 10 percent and Oak Lawn residents will pay 9.5 percent.[6] On July 22, 2008, the Cook County board voted against Cook County Commissioner's proposal to repeal the tax increase.

On 2010-03-17, purnima > wrote:
>
> Cook County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is the second
> most populous county in the United States after Los Angeles.......

Another whack-job to the ever expanding score file. :\

nb

On Mar 17, 11:15*am, notbob > wrote:
> On 2010-03-17, purnima > wrote:
>
>
>
> > Cook County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is the second
> > most populous county in the United States after Los Angeles.......
>
> Another whack-job to the ever expanding score file. *:\
>
> nb

Now, was that rec.food.cooking, or rec.cook.county? I get so
confused.

Cindy Hamilton

"purnima" > wrote in message
news
>


<Snip>
> In March 2008, the Cook County Board increased sales tax one percent,
> increasing the county sales tax rate from 0.75% to 1.75%. This followed
> a recent quarter-cent increase in mass transit taxing coming into effect
> in April. In Chicago, the rate increased to 10.25 percent, the steepest
> of any major metropolitan area in America.[5] In Evanston, sales tax
> reached 10 percent and Oak Lawn residents will pay 9.5 percent.[6] On
> July 22, 2008, the Cook County board voted against Cook County
> Commissioner's proposal to repeal the tax increase.

& a very good Greek town!

--
Dimitri

Corned beef

http://kitchenguide.wordpress.com.

On Wed, 17 Mar 2010 15:15:54 GMT, notbob > wrote:

> On 2010-03-17, purnima > wrote:
> >
> > Cook County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is the second
> > most populous county in the United States after Los Angeles.......
>
> Another whack-job to the ever expanding score file. :\
>
I think purnima posted to the wrong group (at the very least).


--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

Cindy Hamilton wrote:
>
> Now, was that rec.food.cooking, or rec.cook.county? I get so
> confused.

We call it "Crook County".

Today there is corned beef with home brew nut brown ale in the sauce.

This morning I tried to find something green in my clothes closet. I
wore out my Marvin The Martian tie last year so my favorite green item
is gone. At first the only green item I could find was our Scottish
Clan tartan tie (MacDougal) that has a lot of red and green in it. With
a bit of reflection I decided that someone might see that as a political
comment that I didn't intend. The search continued. I found a green
teeshirt to go under my button shirt. No tie today so it shows a little.

sf wrote:

>>> Cook County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is the second
>>> most populous county in the United States after Los Angeles.......
>>
>> Another whack-job to the ever expanding score file. :\
>>
> I think purnima posted to the wrong group (at the very least).

Bless his heart!

Bob

In article >,
sf > wrote:

> On Wed, 17 Mar 2010 15:15:54 GMT, notbob > wrote:
>
> > On 2010-03-17, purnima > wrote:
> > >
> > > Cook County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is the second
> > > most populous county in the United States after Los Angeles.......
> >
> > Another whack-job to the ever expanding score file. :\
> >
> I think purnima posted to the wrong group (at the very least).

Whaddayamean, wrong group? He posted to the foodbanter group, didn't he?

:-)

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA

"bulka" > wrote in message
...
> As long as we are talking Chicago and St. Pat's, if you are close, do
> this:
>
>>> REAL PARADE!
>
> The Annual Real St. Patrick's Day Parade will be March 21, 2010,
> Kickoff between 3-5pm, or come at noon to help with floats (2025 S
> Halsted -- enter through back alley).
>
> All -- people, costumes, floats, music, intoxicants -- are welcome. So
> are kids, but if you bring them you are responsible for their safety
> at the Whale, in the Tetanus Garden, and on the street.
>
> You can google or search facebook for Ever So Secret Order of the
> Lamprey, or Burning Whale for background, or just show up. A great
> bunch of idiots, a really stupid parade, usually a bbq or some drunken
> party after.
>
> I can't make it this year, but tell them Pope Decorously Incontinent
> Oh Damn sent you.
>
> B


St Patty's day in Chicago is DANGEROUS (at least for me) I had to hold on to
the building to walk....

Never again.


--
Dimitri

Corned beef

http://kitchenguide.wordpress.com.

On Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:30:55 -0700, "Dimitri" >
wrote:

>"bulka" > wrote in message
...
>> As long as we are talking Chicago and St. Pat's, if you are close, do
>> this:
>>
>>>> REAL PARADE!
>>
>> The Annual Real St. Patrick's Day Parade will be March 21, 2010,
>> Kickoff between 3-5pm, or come at noon to help with floats (2025 S
>> Halsted -- enter through back alley).
>>
>> All -- people, costumes, floats, music, intoxicants -- are welcome. So
>> are kids, but if you bring them you are responsible for their safety
>> at the Whale, in the Tetanus Garden, and on the street.
>>
>> You can google or search facebook for Ever So Secret Order of the
>> Lamprey, or Burning Whale for background, or just show up. A great
>> bunch of idiots, a really stupid parade, usually a bbq or some drunken
>> party after.
>>
>> I can't make it this year, but tell them Pope Decorously Incontinent
>> Oh Damn sent you.
>>
>> B
>
>
>St Patty's day in Chicago is DANGEROUS (at least for me) I had to hold on to
>the building to walk....
>
>Never again.

You ain't kidding about that. I worked with a bunch of Irish born
guys who came to Chicago and became citizens. They always took two
days off and were useless when they came back. And they stunk so bad
nobody wanted to work around them.

Lou

On Mar 18, 4:30 pm, "Dimitri" > wrote:
> "bulka" > wrote in message
>
> ...
>
>
>
> > As long as we are talking Chicago and St. Pat's, if you are close, do
> > this:
>
> >>> REAL PARADE!
>
> > The Annual Real St. Patrick's Day Parade will be March 21, 2010,
> > Kickoff between 3-5pm, or come at noon to help with floats (2025 S
> > Halsted -- enter through back alley).
>
> > All -- people, costumes, floats, music, intoxicants -- are welcome. So
> > are kids, but if you bring them you are responsible for their safety
> > at the Whale, in the Tetanus Garden, and on the street.
>
> > You can google or search facebook for Ever So Secret Order of the
> > Lamprey, or Burning Whale for background, or just show up. A great
> > bunch of idiots, a really stupid parade, usually a bbq or some drunken
> > party after.
>
> > I can't make it this year, but tell them Pope Decorously Incontinent
> > Oh Damn sent you.
>
> > B
>
> St Patty's day in Chicago is DANGEROUS (at least for me) I had to hold on to
> the building to walk....
>
> Never again.
>
> --
> Dimitri
>
> Corned beef
>
> http://kitchenguide.wordpress.com.


Dimitri - if you can find Pilsen, this isn't the tourist green-tinted
river, polititicians in limos deal. Not to mis-represent, it is still
a bunch of drunks. But we are all marching, not watching. We've had
floats catch fire on purpose and some, not really so much on purpose.
Boom boxes with the Irish Rovers and unicorns while the Mexicans in la
pueblita are coming home from church thinking, como se dice en espanol
"What the **** with these gringo?" Then they come to the after party
with the kids. Then they go home and come back with tequila and
menudo.

Saint Patrick's dream, I think. Never saw a snake.

Pope D I Oh Damn