About the Candidate
Name: Bob Fioretti
DOB: March 8, 1953
Occupation: Attorney
Political Experience: Former Chicago 2nd Ward Alderman (two-terms), Senior Supervising Attorney of the General Litigation Division for the Corporation Counsel as part of Chicago Mayor Harold Washington’s administration, Appointed to numerous cases as an Illinois Special Assistant Attorney General and Special Assistant State’s Attorney.
Website: www.fiorettiforcook.com
Twitter: @BobFiorettiChi
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FiorettiForCook
Instagram: @BobFioretti
Candidate Statement
I am Bob Fioretti. I am an attorney, former two-term Chicago alderman, and fellow resident of Cook County. I am running for Cook County Board President to defeat Toni Preckwinkle on November 8th.
Public safety is a priority.
Crime has surged throughout Cook County and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle is the chief architect of the failed policies causing this crime surge. Preckwinkle, along with her protégé and hand-picked State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, have repeatedly failed Cook County residents by enacting harmful, dangerous policies and have been ineffective at providing public safety. Preckwinkle led the vote to defund police, continues to minimize law enforcement, and treats violent offenders as victims, while disregarding the well-being of law-abiding Cook County residents.
Not only is crime on the rise — county spending is out of control, infrastructure is crumbling, and taxes are higher than ever. Families and seniors are being taxed out of their homes due to the most burdensome property taxes in the United States. Preckwinkle, and her incompetent allies fail to even provide residents with their property tax bills on time.
It is time for residents to demand accountability and enact the change required to fix the problems plaguing our county. As alderman, I focused on tax and fee reduction, economic development, and helped create over 8,000 jobs. I focused on allocating resources towards mental health. As a civil rights attorney, I advocate for violence prevention efforts and stand against corruption. As Cook County board president, I will continue to support these efforts.
Cook County deserves better than the failed attempt at leadership of Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle.
I am Bob Fioretti, and I am asking for your vote on Nov. 8. Thank you.
Candidate Q&A
Why are you running?
Crime is surging and out of control and we have been spending beyond our means for years at the county-level and the only way to stop the out-of-control spending is to elect new leadership. I am running for Cook County Board President because it is time, we had a county leader who will take a responsible approach to the budgeting process and put Cook County residents first. I have a proven record of job creation. We need to reduce spending, lower taxes, grow our tax base, and focus on making our communities safer. I will fight to make Cook County government work for the people instead of just the select few well-connected political insiders.
What does this office do well, and what needs fixing?
As Alderman, I fought for mental health resources for our city. As a civil rights attorney, I have advocated for violence prevention efforts. As County Board President, I will continue to support these initiatives. However, we need to put the safety of our residents above political ideology. I don’t believe redirecting money away from frontline policing is the right approach. We need to make sure we have enough officers on patrol before making commitments to funding other services. My focus will be on hiring new officers, training them, and developing policies to retain our police officers. Keeping our residents safe is job one.
What is the most pressing issue facing your constituents and how do you plan on addressing it?
We must get crime under control, and I will work with other county and local leaders and local law enforcement officials to ensure proper policies and resources are in place to provide the public safety that Cook County residents pay for and deserve. We need to take a hard look at where we are spending money. We need to stop funding programs like the guaranteed income pilot program when we are not adequately funding pensions and other spending obligations.
As County Board President, I will advocate for fiscally responsible budgets and stop using taxpayer money to fund pet political projects. Taxpayers deserve better. As Alderman, I have a track record of attracting new businesses and supporting the growth of existing businesses that create jobs and grow our tax base. As County Board President, I will work with our commissioners to make sure we are on a path to adequately fund our pension obligations.
What specific steps would you take to ensure your office is accessible and responsive to your constituents?
It is important to end the arrogance coming from the Cook County Board President’s office which continually ignores the will of the people. When Cook Country residents expressed opposition to policies such as the soda tax and other outrageous policies Preckwinkle has supported over the years, she has ignored their opinion and done whatever she wanted to do.
Unlike my opponent, I will listen to Cook County residents. One thing I would do is hold town halls and meet with actual voters to hear from them about their concerns. I will hold department heads accountable and ensure their departments are responsive the needs of Cook County residents. I also will make every effort to reach across party lines for the good of our residents.
