Thursday, May 15, 2008
Congressional Car Rental Hits WBBM-Radio
Here's a perk that state legislators don't have.
WBBM radio is reporting on cars that Illinois congressmen lease at taxpayer expense.
On the list is 16th district congressman Don Manzullo.
Here's what is in the article about Manzullo:
The story adds,
WBBM radio is reporting on cars that Illinois congressmen lease at taxpayer expense.On the list is 16th district congressman Don Manzullo.
Here's what is in the article about Manzullo:
“Rep. Don Manzullo of Rockford who leases a 2007 flex fuel Mercury Mountaineer for $465/month which gets 13 mpg city/18 mpg highway.”Congresswoman Melissa Bean (D-8th District) did not make the list.
The story adds,
“In addition to allowing members of Congress to charge taxpayers for the car leases, House rules allow them to put auto insurance and gasoline to run the cars on the taxpayer tab.”
Labels: Car Rental, Don Manzullo, Melissa Bean, Perk, WBBM-AM
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Message of the Day – A Concept
At my Oberlin College Class of 1964’s fifth reunion, I asked one of the government professors, Reich, I believe, why political scientists didn’t study corruption.
He told me it was the grease that made the gears of government move or something very close to that.
In other words, it was no big deal.
In my third year as McHenry County Treasurer, I didn’t think the answer made sense.
I had been reading weekly, sometimes daily, of the corruption of Cook County Assessor Parky Cullerton. Cullerton and other investors in Plum Tree National Golf Course on Route 14 in McHenry County between Woodstock and Harvard had miraculously received the most dense zoning ever granted in unincorporated McHenry County.
The town homes (I think) have not been built because of soil conditions for septic fields, I suppose.
But, that’s where the McHenry County Democratic Central Committee holds its golf day, attesting to the club's party pedigree.
Since 1969, scholars have studied political/governmental corruption.
That came home as I was driving to pick up my son at South Elementary School on the day former Governor George Ryan went to prison.
I was listening to WBBM Radio to catch up on news I had missed while trying to replace some of the sleep I lost staying up until 5 AM writing articles about the Tuesday Crystal Lake city council and McHenry County College board meetings.
“Holy Trinity of Corruption” was what I heard.
And guess what state was one of the three?
No fair.
You’ve been reading newspapers and watching the news all the time you have lived in Illinois. That confers an unfair advantage.
The WBBM-AM story quoted Dr. Larry Sabato of the University of Virginia Center for Politics.
The part of the story that caught my attention follows:
He told me it was the grease that made the gears of government move or something very close to that.
In other words, it was no big deal.
In my third year as McHenry County Treasurer, I didn’t think the answer made sense.
I had been reading weekly, sometimes daily, of the corruption of Cook County Assessor Parky Cullerton. Cullerton and other investors in Plum Tree National Golf Course on Route 14 in McHenry County between Woodstock and Harvard had miraculously received the most dense zoning ever granted in unincorporated McHenry County.
The town homes (I think) have not been built because of soil conditions for septic fields, I suppose.
But, that’s where the McHenry County Democratic Central Committee holds its golf day, attesting to the club's party pedigree.
Since 1969, scholars have studied political/governmental corruption.
That came home as I was driving to pick up my son at South Elementary School on the day former Governor George Ryan went to prison.
I was listening to WBBM Radio to catch up on news I had missed while trying to replace some of the sleep I lost staying up until 5 AM writing articles about the Tuesday Crystal Lake city council and McHenry County College board meetings.
“Holy Trinity of Corruption” was what I heard.
And guess what state was one of the three?
No fair.
You’ve been reading newspapers and watching the news all the time you have lived in Illinois. That confers an unfair advantage.
The WBBM-AM story quoted Dr. Larry Sabato of the University of Virginia Center for Politics.
The part of the story that caught my attention follows:
"I often kid that the holy trinity of corruption is New Jersey, Illinois and Louisiana... I'm sure the vast majority of the people in Illinois, but they're not enforcing the standards of honesty. When they go to the polls, it ought to be one of the first questions they ask: Is so-and-so honest?"
”Sabato says the people of Illinois are far too tolerant, electing and re-electing politicians they like for whatever reason, and tolerate whatever they do.”
Labels: Dr. Larry Sabato, Message of the Day, University of Virginia Center for Politics, WBBM-AM
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Governor Calls for Almost 11% Tax Hike and WBBM News78 Features State Senator Pam Althoff’s Goose Liver Bill
Go Figure.
I’m driving home from my Wednesday Crystal Lake Kiwanis meeting at Colonial Café and the first story I hear features the bill McHenry County’s State Senator Pam Althoff has introduced with Chicago's Rep. Robert Molaroto to ban foie gras in Illinois.
What trivial news to cover, especially on the day that our Democratic Party's governor is proposing increasing our tax burden by almost 11%. (If you want to read the details of Althoff's bill, here is the Farm Santuary press release on the bill.)
Later I heard a story about the huge tax increase, but, as with House Bill 750—the fake tax sway proposal—the WBBM reporter did not put Governor Rod Blagojevich’s tax hike proposal into context.
Increasing the tax burden in Illinois by $6 billion will result in almost an 11% hike in annual state revenues.
Some of this will be exported to taxpayers in other states and countries, but most will be paid by us Illinois taxpayers.
I’m driving home from my Wednesday Crystal Lake Kiwanis meeting at Colonial Café and the first story I hear features the bill McHenry County’s State Senator Pam Althoff has introduced with Chicago's Rep. Robert Molaroto to ban foie gras in Illinois.
What trivial news to cover, especially on the day that our Democratic Party's governor is proposing increasing our tax burden by almost 11%. (If you want to read the details of Althoff's bill, here is the Farm Santuary press release on the bill.)
Later I heard a story about the huge tax increase, but, as with House Bill 750—the fake tax sway proposal—the WBBM reporter did not put Governor Rod Blagojevich’s tax hike proposal into context.
Increasing the tax burden in Illinois by $6 billion will result in almost an 11% hike in annual state revenues.
Some of this will be exported to taxpayers in other states and countries, but most will be paid by us Illinois taxpayers.
Labels: Farm Sanctuary, foie gras, Goose Liver, Pam Althoff, Rod Blagojevich, WBBM-AM
