Crook County's Jeans Tax

[Alpha Mare]

Cook County Board President Candidate Dorothy Brown is feeling the squeeze today over a practice of charging her more than 2,100 employees in the County Clerk’s office a fee to wear denim to work.

Critics say its an unethical fund-raising scheme.

Under the so-called “jeans tax” employees are given the option of wearing denim to work on Fridays if they agree to pay a $2 to $3 fee, according to the Chicago Tribune.

What’s got political types scratching their heads is what happened to the money, because there doesn’t seem to be an accounting.

Her ethics have been called into question at other times as well. Near the beginning of the campaign she held a press conference from her County Clerk’s office – an ethical no-no for politicians.

Brown’s campaign spokesman Toure Muhammad said the campaign was assembling records, but that it would take time to give an accounting of where the jeans money went.

http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local-beat/Jeans-Tax-Raises-New-Ethical-Questions-About-Dorothy-Brown-82257007.html


Yeah. they'll get right on it.

[Odin's Hand]

Nice little side business she's set up for herself as a "servant of the people".

[thundley4]

I've heard of companies doing this and then either donating the money to charity or using it for employee parties.

[NHSparky]

I've heard of companies doing this and then either donating the money to charity or using it for employee parties.

And yet you don't hear about the CEO taking off with the money.

[debk]

I've heard of companies doing this and then either donating the money to charity or using it for employee parties.

When I worked for Talbot's years ago....they would do this about once a month. We had to pay $5, and the money went to Susan J Komen, Am Cancer Society, Am Heart Assoc, St Jude, Juvenile Diabetes, March of Dimes, etc. Just about every month is taken by a major health organization for campaigning and Talbot's was big into promoting good health.

I think it's a good idea....provided the money actually goes where it's supposed to...and not in someone's pocket.

[Celtic Rose]

When I worked for Talbot's years ago....they would do this about once a month. We had to pay $5, and the money went to Susan J Komen, Am Cancer Society, Am Heart Assoc, St Jude, Juvenile Diabetes, March of Dimes, etc. Just about every month is taken by a major health organization for campaigning and Talbot's was big into promoting good health.

I think it's a good idea....provided the money actually goes where it's supposed to...and not in someone's pocket.

That is a good idea, and I would happily support it at work.  My office is pretty good about getting involved in charitable causes, and they are matching all donations to Haiti relief.  We also help support a battered women's shelter, but I hear that that may be ending because the administrators of the shelter are really bad at communicating with us and we've had issues.

[debk]

That is a good idea, and I would happily support it at work.  My office is pretty good about getting involved in charitable causes, and they are matching all donations to Haiti relief.  We also help support a battered women's shelter, but I hear that that may be ending because the administrators of the shelter are really bad at communicating with us and we've had issues.

Most people participated and this was 14 years ago. The catalog call center is here, and even though we worked in cubicles and never saw the public....we still had a really strict dress code. If wearing a skirt, had to wear nylons or tights, slacks required socks. Colored jeans were considered the same as denim.

$5 was cheaper than a drycleaner's bill...