Sunday ethics - It takes more than a bill
Sunday, May 17, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Kudos to Mark Brown for pointing out something that desperately needs to be said over and over again. It takes more than a change in legislation or the process to clean up Illinois govenrment. Much more. As his prime example, Brown reexamines Mayor Daley’s widely ridiculed comment from the other day that the city is “leading by example” on ethics reform and doesn’t need to look to the governor’s reform commission for advice.
Daley has, indeed, enacted countless reforms in the past two decades…
When it comes to enacting legal and procedural ethics reforms, Daley has been a step ahead of most government officials in Illinois, if always a step behind the scandal that prompted him to take action. Time and again, the mayor has been at the forefront, whether it was putting city contracting data online, imposing his own campaign contribution limits or requiring lobbyists disclosure.
Am I trying to tell you he has run an ethical government? Far from it.
But you would be hard-pressed to name anybody in Illinois more adept at papering over corruption scandals with reform measures, some of which have even been useful.
And in that regard, Daley’s reform example is a cautionary tale on the limitations of what we should expect to result from whatever reforms are enacted by the General Assembly in the next few weeks. […]
Over the past two decades, Daley has “reformed” the hell out of City Hall — on paper — and yet I’d guess there’s not many of you who believe Chicago government is any more honest below the surface than when he started.
Exactly. Should there be reforms? Yes. Should we expect that they’ll stop crooks like Rod Blagojevich? Heck no. Go read the whole thing.
* The Daily Herald surveyed all of its legislators in its readership area and found broad support for most of the reform commission’s report…
Responding to a Daily Herald survey, suburban lawmakers overwhelmingly support the bulk of the ideas put forth in a recent ethics reform report that good-government groups are trying to enact in the wake of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s arrest, impeachment and ouster from office. […]
The most contentious issue among those surveyed was the idea of giving county prosecutors greater powers to eavesdrop and wiretap in much the same way federal authorities go after corruption. Out of the 47 suburban lawmakers surveyed, a dozen said “no” to the idea and another 10 had serious questions or were unsure. […]
“How far will ‘big brother’ go?” asked state Sen. Carole Pankau, an Itasca Republican. […]
State Sen. Dan Cronin, an Elmhurst Republican, said a central contracting person is not a guarantee against abuse, noting that Gov. Blagojevich essentially tried to do the same thing with more sinister motivations.
You can see a larger version of this flash file by clicking here…
* Related…
* Ethics commission member expresses some reservations
* Redistricting reform to wait for later
* State Employee Salaries: This searchable database contains job and salary information for over 82,000 Illinois state employees in calendar year 2008, reflecting the amount each employee made that year
* Marin: Tell legislators what’s at stake: their jobs
* AG Madigan FOIA proposal draws rapid responses
- Team America - Sunday, May 17, 09 @ 2:43 pm:
It doesn’t shock me that Senator Terry Link isn’t in favor of giving power to order wiretaps to State’s Attorneys. If his phone could only talk…
- wordslinger - Sunday, May 17, 09 @ 2:45 pm:
Brown’s column is a sober counter-point to some of the irrational exuberance expressed by “the reformers.”
It’s like Phil Rock used to say: “If there was a simple solution, I would have announced it by now.”
- Arthur Andersen - Sunday, May 17, 09 @ 3:46 pm:
Great Rock quote, word. We could use more guys like him these days instead of the empty suit reformers.
A hinky purchasing czar is one reason to avoid this idea; the other, and equally valid, hits about two years down the road, when Sen. Cronin says to his assistant, “I need a pencil.” “OK, Senator, we’ll get you one through CENPURCHCOM. It will cost $5 and be here in about six weeks.”
- The Doc - Sunday, May 17, 09 @ 5:05 pm:
Interesting that every single legislator in the DH poll favored a new redistricting process, save for Terry Link, who’s a “maybe” (insert Team America commentary here).
The question is relatively broad, but I would expect a lot more resistance, particularly behind closed doors, if and when such a measure comes closer to reality.
- Team America - Sunday, May 17, 09 @ 6:53 pm:
Doc- Link is an “unsure” on the chart, but if you look at his comment in the Herald, you can pretty much tell which way he’s going to go on this:
“While I am supportive of the concept of statewide grand juries, giving elected county prosecutors - who are politicians - the power to wiretap other politicians and citizens should raise concerns for every Illinoisan.”
- 2ConfusedCrew - Sunday, May 17, 09 @ 6:55 pm:
Some of these people are really too much.
Rock, who was one of the steadiest hands in IL government, was villified for borrowing and repaying from a campaign fund for college loans
The Sun Timesman pretends he had credibility when the former Bright One bosses are in the pokey for their hijinks.
Of course a cross the street there is the other banrupt pub with their TWO federal probes. Pot calling the kettle black? Yup.
Did everyone miss Pat Collins hauling down about 400K in Indiana as a special ag negotiating plea deal for an open and shut bid rigging deal.
Lets start chuckling our tongues over that one.
Meanwhile try to remember most of the people in government are honest.
- Lazy intern - Sunday, May 17, 09 @ 7:17 pm:
The interactive listing of positions gives me hope for the future of our state. However the change we deserve and need will only happen when the legislators are willing to create a new universe of state politics and not try to create small caveats that retain vestiges of our current system for their advantage.
- Pot calling kettle - Sunday, May 17, 09 @ 8:47 pm:
Did someone use my name???
I like that everyone is for non-partisan redistricting. Easy to be for something you know will never come up for a vote.
- muon - Sunday, May 17, 09 @ 10:58 pm:
Pot, for the House members most are on record in favor from the vote last year on HJR 44. It passed 98-10-1 but was never called in the Senate.
- muon - Sunday, May 17, 09 @ 10:59 pm:
edit - that should be HJRCA 44 of the 95th GA.
- The Doc - Monday, May 18, 09 @ 8:21 am:
TA, I was referring to the question about redistricting, not wiretap authority.
I’m a bit wary of the wiretap legislation, especially here in Cook County. But redistricting reform is a no-brainer, and anyone who isn’t on board needs to be thoroughly questioned as to why.
- Arthur Andersen - Monday, May 18, 09 @ 8:46 am:
2 Confused, by your “logic”, we should throw your sponsor and meal ticket on the same sleaze pile with Mark Brown and the Tribbies because he has been investigated by the Feds and definitely has plenty of associates and colleagues doing time in the Graybar.
For God’s sake, I hope you were loaded when you wrote that post. The only cogent sentence was the bit that most people in government, like most people in society, are honest, unless you’re Pat Collins, who thinks everyone is a crook.
- Concerned Observer - Monday, May 18, 09 @ 8:55 am:
Thanks for bothering to reply, Emily. Example 115 why I didn’t pull your level in November.
- Team America - Monday, May 18, 09 @ 8:57 am:
Oh, sorry, Doc. I agree that redistricting is the best idea that will never happen, sadly.
- Pot calling kettle - Monday, May 18, 09 @ 10:56 am:
muon: To clarify, it’s easy to be for something you know won’t be passed and signed into law. The House voted on it because they knew it would not make it through the Senate.