Reform and renewal
Tuesday, Jun 20, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller
Nope. Not political.
Drivers are bombarded by about 25 signs related to toll collection as they get within a mile of each new streamlined plaza on the Illinois tollway system, but one type of sign stands out above the rest.
The big blue signs, stretching over as many as four I-PASS lanes, say: “Open Road Tolling. Rod R. Blagojevich, Governor.”
They are the most expensive signs on the tollway system, costing about $15,000 each, according to the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority.
More than 90 percent of the signs on the toll roads are made in the toll authority’s sign shop and cost as little as about $200 apiece, officials said. It comes out to an economical $10 per square foot on average, they said.
But the $15,000 signs bearing the governor’s name are made by a tollway contractor, Western Remac Inc. of Woodridge. The signs, mounted on the steel monotubes above the open-road tolling lanes, require special materials and galvanized brackets that the tollway sign shop cannot install, said tollway spokeswoman Kathleen Cantillon. […]
Whether representing public education or a not-so-subtle form of campaigning, 32 such signs will be posted–at a cost of $480,000–across the 274-mile tollway system when the conversion of 20 traditional mainline plazas to open-road tolling is completed later this year–just in time for the fall election.
And it turns out that the sign company is also a contributor.
A suburban sign company being paid to erect massive placards touting Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s open road tollway transformation has also been a donor to his political campaign.
Western Remac Inc., based in Woodridge, gave $1,200 to Blagojevich’s 2002 bid for governor. However, representatives of the governor’s office and tollway said the donations carried no influence.
“The answer is no. The company was chosen by the tollway, competitively,†said Blagojevich spokeswoman Rebecca Rausch.
“We have dealt with this firm for more than 20 years,†said tollway spokeswoman Joelle McGinnis.
Currently, the firm handles work the tollway’s sign shop can’t handle.
But Topinka has her own problems.
Republican state Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka has pledged to end no-bid contracts as part of her campaign for governor, but a change in a long-term office lease is netting one of her donors hundreds of thousands of dollars.
An aide to Topinka, who is challenging Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich, said that the office space was inherited from past treasurers and that a move to a new location would not be cost-effective or in the best interests of taxpayers.
At issue is a state lease Topinka’s office has with longtime Springfield developer Charles Robbins for space in the Jefferson Terrace building only blocks from the state Capitol. Robbins has donated $41,000 to Topinka since she became treasurer in 1995.
Robbins, who has donated nearly $200,000 to political candidates from both parties over the last decade, also is an investor in a Springfield bank that has had contracts with Topinka’s office and has donated to her campaigns. He said his political donations represent his interest in good government and allowing candidates to get out their message.
Since 1989 state treasurers have been leasing space in the Jefferson Terrace building, but Topinka has extended the lease and expanded the amount of space her departments are using, resulting in larger payments to Robbins.
When you constantly blast your opponent for being corrupt and hold yourself up to a higher standard, every pimpy little issue can be used against you. Just ask Glenn Poshard… or Rod Blagojevich.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Jun 20, 06 @ 6:42 am:
There is a huge difference between the two situations. Blah-Blah creates his new campaign themes specifically to draw cash from the ones who will be given the contracts. Blah-Blah even allows those future contract holders to write the specs for these campaign commercials in order to specifically help themselves and only themselves. Well of course, Rod too.
Topinka’s office in Springfield is in the building that has housed the Treasurer’s office since the 1980s, well before she was elected Treasurer. She even shows up for work.
- wndycty - Tuesday, Jun 20, 06 @ 6:44 am:
Is Judy going to hold herself to the same standards she holds Rod to? I expect an announcement any day now that the Treasurer’s Office is going end its Jefferson Terrace lease.
As for the open road tolling signs, I have a few questions. Regardless of whether or not Rod’s name is on them, would new signs have been ordered as part of the overall overhaul of the tollway system? Does his name cost additional dollars?
If Judy unfortunately wins the governorship would the state be able to remove and/or replace his name with Judy’s without having to purchase new signage? Would Judy pledge NOT to have her name on the signs should she win?
I would think if Judy and her supporters have a problem with Rod’s name appearing on the signs, she SHOULD come out and pledge that she WILL NOT put her name on the signs should she win.
We all know she has no ideas and is a major HYPOCRITE because she likes to cricize Rod without acknowledging her own questionable deals.
Welcome back Rich, I hope you enjoyed yourself in San Fran.
- B Hicks - Tuesday, Jun 20, 06 @ 7:31 am:
This is exactly what Topinka describes as pay-to-play.
Disgusting hypocrite.
- poet - Tuesday, Jun 20, 06 @ 7:56 am:
“I am Ozymandias; look upon my tollway and despair!”
- Big Al - Tuesday, Jun 20, 06 @ 10:06 am:
I wonder if Blago is able to sell the Toll Road will he command the buyer to install larger signs with his name on them.
- Go Figure - Tuesday, Jun 20, 06 @ 10:43 am:
The big blue signs, stretching over as many as four I-PASS lanes, should say:
“Rod R. Blagojevich, Governor - Indicted.â€
Then, the people of Illinois would be getting their moneys worth ($15,000.00 each).
- Truthful James - Tuesday, Jun 20, 06 @ 10:43 am:
And the interesting part is that after Blago decides he doesn’t want to be governor any more, all those signs will have to be replaced, at somebody’s cost. Vote for governor the person with the fewest letters in his name?
- Get Real - Tuesday, Jun 20, 06 @ 12:18 pm:
The Blagojevich administration are nothing but obstructionists and liars!
Once the Illinois Tollway is sold to a private enterprise will those stupid signs be torn down or will we have pay over and over and over again?
- Pingu - Tuesday, Jun 20, 06 @ 1:57 pm:
I’m sure that the sign company was chosen competitively. After all, there were probably multiple Blagojevich donors lined up for that contract.
- Bubs - Tuesday, Jun 20, 06 @ 2:05 pm:
Pimpy indeed. Does Pearson have an ax to grind?
- Ashur Odishoo - Tuesday, Jun 20, 06 @ 4:10 pm:
I agree with Rich. If you throw stones, you better not live in a glass house. However, Topinka doesn’t seem to have established a pattern of reward for political donors.
Some businessmen are always going to try to buy influence no matter what. You can see Robbins donates to both parties, he is obviously motivated by personal gain. I’m not sure I blame Topinka. Yet, people will always throw stones.
Blagojevich actually turned the State Budget into a Frequent Donor Awards Program. There is a HUGE difference between systemmic collusion and an occasional questionable donor.
I just hope the voters know the difference.
Ashur Odishoo
Candidate
State Representative 11th District
- Jeff Trigg - Tuesday, Jun 20, 06 @ 6:45 pm:
It only will take 1.2 million cars paying a $.40 toll to pay for the signs. No big deal. Blagojevich and Topinka are BOTH bad for Illinois. Don’t vote for either one or you are the problem.
- Cassandra - Tuesday, Jun 20, 06 @ 7:21 pm:
It’s clear that many businesses wishing to do business with the state donate to both parties
to ensure that they will have a foot in the door
when contract time comes.
Should we blame them? I think not.
When voters rise up and demand legislation that
prohibits potential contractors from making political donations, this type of corruption will go away. Not before.
- KenoMan - Tuesday, Jun 20, 06 @ 7:38 pm:
How can the Tollway have TWO spokespersons for the same story? (see above)
Couldn’t HotRod decide which one to hire from his clout list?
- 47th Ward - Tuesday, Jun 20, 06 @ 8:06 pm:
Ummm, Jeff Trigg:
Where is this forty cent toll of which you speak?
- Jeff Trigg - Tuesday, Jun 20, 06 @ 8:40 pm:
Irving Park, Cermak, 82nd Street, 83rd Street, and 163rd Street, Belvidere, Marengo, Elgin, Devon and River Road, Aurora and York Road toll plazas for I-PASS users.
- 47th Ward - Tuesday, Jun 20, 06 @ 9:12 pm:
Thanks Jeff Trigg,
I only meant to suggest that infrequent tollway users like me are paying twice that rate. As a cash paying customer of ISTHA, my biggest complaint is that they’ve removed the baskets. I need to wait in line to hand over my eighty cents. Long lines usually.
Otherwise, we’re in complete agreement.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jun 21, 06 @ 6:58 am:
Rich,
What “little issues” were used against Poshard?
- Truthful James - Wednesday, Jun 21, 06 @ 7:54 am:
Jeff — the additional cost of the signs comes off the same pot of money which might be used for additional maintenance.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jun 21, 06 @ 8:01 am:
Coin baskets don’t vote…gotta protect the patronage jobs. Nice to see our tax dollars being spent so efficiently.
Besides, slow service encourages more to get I-Pass, making the program numbers look even better, as if it wasn’t a good idea already.
- Wheres the leadership??? - Wednesday, Jun 21, 06 @ 9:08 am:
My suggestion (and money saving idea) Don’t let ANY governor’s name on any sign, building etc. Office, yes, buildings no. They change every 4 or 8 years and it just cost the taxpayers more money to have them all changed.
- Not So Fast - Wednesday, Jun 21, 06 @ 3:43 pm:
No Pay-to-Play fron Rankin-Bass
http://static.flickr.com/9/76477517_32f3748b33_o.jpg
- reddbyrd - Thursday, Jun 29, 06 @ 5:36 pm:
Old timers might recall GOPs blasting Ds for taking space in the Robbins bldg. Guess it all worked out — for Charley