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In a time of ever-increasing cynicism about our governmental officials, the Suburban Cook County Tuberculosis Sanitarium District has once again given credence to every negative suspicion harbored by the public. In a move as flagrant as it is misguided, the district recently approved a number of retirement perks for its employees, including an $800,000 retiree health insurance trust and a $15 million tax reimbursement account. The packages will be funded from the proceeds of the district's sale of its land in Hinsdale -- a transaction that itself has been shrouded in controversy. Throughout much of the wrangling over the legality of the Hinsdale land sale, the TB District attempted to placate an already agitated public by claiming that all proceeds from the sale would go directly to the taxpayers. Considering the fact that tuberculosis has all but disappeared in Cook County and that the TB District has nonetheless demanded more of the taxpayers' money each year, it seemed only fair that taxpayers would get some benefit from the land sale. However, with mounting criticism of the district, including a proposal in the General Assembly to dissolve it (H.B. 3868), the TB District realized that its days were numbered. So, instead of following through on its pledge and refunding the taxpayers a share of their hard-earned money, they decided to take care of themselves while they still have the chance. This should come as no surprise for an organization that has long been characterized by waste, inefficiency and a total disregard for the concerns of the taxpayers of Cook County. Now the district can no longer even lie to itself. In what is expected to be one of its final acts, the district made clear just whom it values most. Thanks to modern medicine, the public no longer has to fear the catastrophic consequences of tuberculosis, and with the help of the General Assembly, the public will no longer be subjected to the suffocating grip of the TB District. While dissolving the TB District will not alone avert fiscal catastrophe, it will be an important step on the path to restoring fiscal discipline. The residents of Cook County deserve a leaner, more responsive government. Please call Speaker Michael Madigan and your local legislators and urge them to support H.B. 3868. Anthony J. Peraica, Cook County commissioner, 16th District