Stupid human tricks
Tuesday, Jan 18, 2011 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Of all the dumb things to do, this ranks right up there…
During her final days in office, former state Rep. Careen Gordon scored a lucrative state job after casting an important vote that helped pass Gov. Quinn’s controversial 67 percent income tax increase.
Gordon (D-Morris) and a spokeswoman for the governor said there wasn’t any deal to trade Gordon’s vote for the $85,886-a-year seat on the Illinois Prisoner Review Board.
“There was no quid pro quo,” Quinn spokeswoman Annie Thompson said Saturday. “Bottom line, she was appointed because of her extensive background in criminal justice. . . . She was just the ideal candidate.” […]
“There was no deal. That’s untrue,” she said. “My background is a perfect match for someone on the Prisoner Review Board. I’m done talking about it. I’m done being called a liar.”
And…
Gordon said she and Quinn discussed the tax increase when she approached him about the appointment in November, but he didn’t ask for her vote.
This appointment could have, and should have, waited. I, for one, don’t think there was a direct, absolute quid pro quo here. You can get around that pretty easily. In politics, some things are just left unsaid. And the way the “Honest Services Fraud” law has been diluted by the Supreme Court, you’d have to prove a direct bribe to bring any charges, so that’s not gonna happen.
But giving Gordon a job this soon certainly makes it look like something fishy is going on. Stupid, stupid move, governor. Truly.
* And stuff like that only fuels stuff like this…
Lame ducks would be dead ducks, under a Constitutional amendment some Downstate Republicans want Illinois voters to decide.
The income tax hike which passed the legislature in the final hours of the 96th General Assembly — Tuesday night in the House and in the wee hours Wednesday in the Senate — got the minimum votes needed to pass: sixty in the House and thirty in the Senate. Of those voting Yes, twelve representatives and one senator were not coming back when the 97th General Assembly was sworn in at midday Wednesday.
Representatives led by Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet) want to change that. Rose has filed a Constitutional amendment which, if the legislature and governor approve, would allow voters to decide that the outgoing General Assembly could not convene between an election and the inauguration of the new one.
The proposal, discussed at news conferences in Champaign and Decatur Friday, comes in light of not just the tax increase, but also the death penalty repeal and civil unions, also approved during the post-election veto session or the January lame duck session.
* To the Wayback Machine, Sherman! Decatur Herald & Review, January 13, 1997…
Democrats took control of the Illinois House last week as a result of the swearing-in of legislators elected in November.
Republicans were unable to give up control of state government without a final show of power.
Their actions included redistricting the Illinois Supreme Court to give the 4-3 Democratic body a 4-3 Republican split, ending straight-party voting, and imposing enormous new paperwork burdens on the Cook County assessor.
It was the straight-party campaign, run by Cook County Assessor Tom Hynes, that resulted in Democrats winning back the House. “They were obviously acts of retribution,'’ said state Rep. Michael J. Madigan, D-Chicago, who became speaker the day after the Republican efforts.
State Rep. Lee A. Daniels, R-Elmhurst, who relinquished the speakership to Madigan, was fairly candid in his last hours of power. It could, Daniels acknowledged, be labeled “a partisan last day, obviously with some justification.'’
There is little new under the Statehouse dome.
* Statehouse roundup…
* Senate lawyer: Monken out as Illinois State Police director
* New bill would impose pension
reforms on existing participants [fixed link]
* Third-act twists
* Area legislators clash on state’s income tax hike
* Backlash expected from tax hike vote
* Topinka sounds off on tax hike
* Moffitt Optimistic for Bi-Partisanship
* Flood to keep Senate GOP out of their office for two weeks
* Southland senators: Lou gone, Toi on way up
* Unpaid rent, bills add up as legislator, CPS feud
* Tax credit is incentive to hire temporary workers
* Gun pointed at Rep. Acevedo: A van pulled up to him and an occupant pointed a gun at him, but did not fire it. Acevedo loudly announced his office and the van “took off,’’ police said.
* Illinois death penalty decision leaves uncertainty
* Free rides for seniors now up to Quinn
* Up in smoke: A medical marijuana supporter shares his pain
* Jim Nowlan: Can Illinois make ‘clean’ coal pay off?
* New lieutenant governor ’still just Sheila’
- U-Haul Ho! - Tuesday, Jan 18, 11 @ 7:49 am:
The phrase ‘quid pro quo’ has set democracy back decades.
Of course there was no ‘quid pro quo’. For there to be a ‘quid pro quo’ we would have to have a recording of said transaction, either verbally or in writing. Unless you are completely incompetent (I’m looking at you, Blago) there never *should* be a ‘quid pro quo’
All two politicians need to do is agree to something verbally, and by definition ‘quid pro quo’ cannot be proven. Then they cane run out to the media and gleefully announce “NO QUID PRO QUO! NO QUID PRO QUO!”
- WRMNpolitics - Tuesday, Jan 18, 11 @ 8:00 am:
There rarely is “a deal” when it come to trading a vote for a job.But all too often there is a silent understanding that if I vote the way he wants me to, then my stock will rise as he makes appointments. It would be interesting to know what other people were in line for the appointment and their credentials.Quid pro qou, is replaced in Illinois by “I got mine”.
- OneMan - Tuesday, Jan 18, 11 @ 8:01 am:
== Gordon said she and Quinn discussed the tax increase when she approached him about the appointment in November, but he didn’t ask for her vote. ==
Hate to say I told you so…
- Retired - Tuesday, Jan 18, 11 @ 8:16 am:
Rich,
The link for the pension reform bill is not about pension reform.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jan 18, 11 @ 8:19 am:
Thanks. Fixed. http://www.nwherald.com/2011/01/14/new-bill-would-impose-pension-reforms-on-existing-participants/a3iozcf/
- Don't Worry, Be Happy - Tuesday, Jan 18, 11 @ 8:34 am:
The article notes that Gordon recently moved to Chicago. How recently? Was she still a resident of her district when she voted for this? Doesn’t moving out of your district disqualify you from holding your seat?
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jan 18, 11 @ 8:36 am:
DWBH, I really doubt it. Residency is about elections.
- just sayin' - Tuesday, Jan 18, 11 @ 8:37 am:
Rs and Ds are united by their immaturity and silliness in this state.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Jan 18, 11 @ 8:48 am:
–Taxpayers could be left holding the bag in a legal feud involving the Chicago Board of Education, Cook County and state Rep. Monique Davis over more than $1 million in unpaid rent, taxes, interest and penalties.–
I don’t get this one at all. This has gone on for more than 20 years. How is that possible?
Forgive my ignorance: I understand GA members get district office appropriations, but do the individual members control the money? Don’t the building owners bill the state directly and the comptroller cuts the check?
If Davis has not been paying rent all these years, where’s the money that was appropriated for her office lease? Was it unspent? Spent on something else?
I hesitate to ask — is anyone else out there pulling this stunt?
- Fed up - Tuesday, Jan 18, 11 @ 8:56 am:
I wonder if anyone voting against the tax increase was given a lucrative state job by Quinn.
- Skeeter - Tuesday, Jan 18, 11 @ 9:04 am:
I only met her a few times (and never had a problem with her), but I thought the impression of Gordon was that she was one of the least liked members. More than a few Dems have told me “If we had to lose one, we are glad it was her.” So I bet a lot of Dems are reading this story and smiling.
- Segatari - Tuesday, Jan 18, 11 @ 9:09 am:
>Representatives led by Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet) want to change that.
Was this gentleman in office in 1997? Were any of the people pushing this in office in 1997? You could play the hypocrisy card if they were in office in 1997 but doesn’t seem likely the same bunch from 1997 are there in 2011.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jan 18, 11 @ 9:11 am:
Segatari, I was there. And so therefore I have a keen remembrance of it.
- jeff - Tuesday, Jan 18, 11 @ 9:13 am:
What is bothersome is neither Gordon or the Governor seemed to care about how it appears. I continue to get the feeling I work for them.
- The Gimmees - Tuesday, Jan 18, 11 @ 9:22 am:
Where are all the defenders of the purist to argue that Gordon voted her conscience?
- Leave a light on George - Tuesday, Jan 18, 11 @ 9:23 am:
@jeff
Because if Gov. Q does or says something it must be right. His motives are as pure as new snow.
- cassandra - Tuesday, Jan 18, 11 @ 9:32 am:
If Quinn decides to kill off free senior rides, he should give the change a long lead time. If thousands of seniors have to go down and reapply, for the half price cards this time, in the middle of winter, they’ll remember come election time. There is also the prospect of thousands of seniors who haven’t been watching the news getting on the bus and finding their cards no longer work.
Ah, Democrats, Democrats. They say they’re for the people but really, it’s all about money….for themselves and their relatives and cronies, really. Not that much has changed since the 19th century. I hope the seniors call them on it.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jan 18, 11 @ 9:33 am:
===kill off free senior rides===
It ain’t killed off.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Jan 18, 11 @ 9:36 am:
Lol, I’m so glad all of the power and prestige that comes with being Lt. Gov hasn’t gone to Simon’s head!
- jeff - Tuesday, Jan 18, 11 @ 9:37 am:
Just thought of this. Does Gordon do a Carol Ronen? Serve for a few months and retire with a sweeter pension. That would be the icing on the cake.
- Responsa - Tuesday, Jan 18, 11 @ 9:38 am:
We all get it. Quinn didn’t need to “ask” for her vote. All he needed to do during his meeting with her was muse (in his sincere down home way) that he is sure hopin’ all the current legislators realize how important a tax increase is toward getting our wonderful state, the Land of Lincoln, back on track.
They disrespect us with this stuff. They really do. But, congrats on your nice lucrative new state job, Careen!
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jan 18, 11 @ 9:38 am:
jeff, that law has been changed.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Jan 18, 11 @ 9:39 am:
Perhaps the Senate won’t get around to confirming Ms. Gordon either.
- Just Asking? - Tuesday, Jan 18, 11 @ 9:45 am:
Do the new pension reforms that began on Jan 1st affect the house and senate members?
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jan 18, 11 @ 9:46 am:
To JA and others: Try using the Google before posting here.
But to answer JA’s question: Yes.
Again, this isn’t Google. It makes life a whole lot easier if commenters inform themselves before posting.
- Skeeter - Tuesday, Jan 18, 11 @ 9:50 am:
One note about ducks and the GOP desire to end that session — a lof of the same people who want to get rid of them also want term limits. However, a term limited member would pretty much be a lame duck for all of the final term.
The idea of the lame duck is that the person will do whatever the person wants without having to answer to the voters. That’s what happened last month and that would happen the instant a person won election to a term-limited final term.
- Ahoy - Tuesday, Jan 18, 11 @ 9:52 am:
Just because different Republican’s did something 15 years ago doesn’t mean that new Republican’s can’t push for a fix of the current system.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Jan 18, 11 @ 9:56 am:
When I hear about this stuff, what blows me away is how small the amounts are that these people sell their integrity for. So you scrap your way through all of the petty local party stuff, spend years in the cutthroat Springfield game, eventually lose a hard fought election and after all that you cash in for a job paying less than a mid-tier finance job? 90 grand is a lot, but how much more is it than the job she could’ve gotten otherwise?
- Observer 99 - Tuesday, Jan 18, 11 @ 10:10 am:
“Representatives led by Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet) . Rose has filed a Constitutional amendment which, if the legislature and governor approve, would allow voters to decide that the outgoing General Assembly could not convene between an election and the inauguration of the new one.”
Approval of the Governor is not needed. Right?
- cassandra - Tuesday, Jan 18, 11 @ 10:12 am:
OK, kill off universal free senior rides. Still, that leaves a couple hundred thousand seniors whose free cards won’t work if Quinn signs the bill-56 percent of the current 431,000 users per above article. A lot of them probably don’t make much more than the half price cutoff-most, I would guess.
It’s the Quinn admin. If Quinn doesn’t veto, they’ll mess up the implementation. Seniors getting on the bus and having their cards rejected, seniors lined up at the CTA/RTA office or wherever in the snow getting new, half price cards…..
The Democrats….warriors against the middle class….who’d have thought it.
- Jaded - Tuesday, Jan 18, 11 @ 11:19 am:
I am not in the habit of defending Quinn, but Madiar and Cullerton are wrong about the appointment thing. The Senate (Repub or Democrat) has had an ongoing war with the Governor (Repub or Democrat) forever on this appointment thing. As far as the Governor is concerned, and for the appointment process, the Senate is a continuous body. General Assemblies end on the terms of the House, not on the terms of the Senate and the House has no say in the appointment process. Some directors have served forever (Lumkin from Public Health in the 90’s comes immediately to mind) without being confirmed.
For his part, Quinn could just refile these appointments while the Senate is gone and restart the clock, but unless the terms to which they are appointed have expired, he doesn’t have to. Finally, if Topinka is smart (which is debatable, I know) she should just stay out of this one.
- shore - Tuesday, Jan 18, 11 @ 11:26 am:
$90k a year for a prison review board? No wonder we had to raise taxes.
- Bitterman - Tuesday, Jan 18, 11 @ 11:40 am:
No matter which party is weilding the power during a lame ducker, it would seem a good civic move to strictly limit post election action. Veto override consideration and emergency legislation only perhaps. And/or with current overtime rules on votes (2/3) required.
- Jim - Tuesday, Jan 18, 11 @ 11:51 am:
Bitterman makes an excellent point. Elected officials must be held accountable.
- formerpolitico - Tuesday, Jan 18, 11 @ 12:05 pm:
Unless he dies in office, every legislator has a last term during which he cannot be voted out regardless of his votes. The term “lame duck” used to mean only officeholders who were actually defeated for re-election and were serving out the term after rejection by the voters. Now the press uses that term to describe every last-term officeholder, even a President the day after his re-election! Term is misused!
- Tom Joad - Tuesday, Jan 18, 11 @ 12:14 pm:
My understanding is that a legislator has to have continuous service in state government to add the salary of a non legislative job to her pension. Had the Gov waited to appoint Gordon, she would be paying into Social Security not the state pension fund.
- bman - Tuesday, Jan 18, 11 @ 12:27 pm:
this only underscores the sleeze politicians revel. The elctorate doesn’t help when voting on party lines instead of merit.
- Louis G. Atsaves - Tuesday, Jan 18, 11 @ 12:45 pm:
In 1997 the power in the House was shifting from the GOP to the Democrats. So the GOP back then abused their power on the way out to hobble the incoming Democrats.
In 2011 the power in the House was shifting from the Democrats to the Democrats. So the Democrats abused their power on the way out to hobble incoming Democrats?
Oh! I see!
- Segatari - Tuesday, Jan 18, 11 @ 12:46 pm:
>Segatari, I was there. And so therefore I have a keen remembrance of it.
You didn’t answer my question, and you deleted the response saying you didn’t answer my question. I’ll ask one more time, Chapin Rose a member of the Illinois House in 1997? Were any of the co-sponsors of his bill (whoever they are) members of the Illinois House in 1997? Yes or no?
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jan 18, 11 @ 12:49 pm:
I didn’t delete your response. I’ll check Akismet file.
But, to me, it doesn’t matter. History is history.
- Phineas J. Whoopee - Tuesday, Jan 18, 11 @ 1:03 pm:
Speaking of paybacks, when MJM announced his house leaders it seemed like half his caucus is now a leader. Did they increase the number of leaders and was it because of their votes?
- dupage dan - Tuesday, Jan 18, 11 @ 1:15 pm:
How does PQ offering, and Gordon accepting, this position equate to being a dumb thing? What are the possible repercussions? Does this hurt PQ? Gordon? Any laws broken? Is PQ hurt politically by this?
Jeff @ 9:13 am is right. Neither seemed to care about the appearances here. So, how is it a dumb move?
PQ has shown his stripes. Nothing but an old style political hack. Anyone who voted him should come to that realization by now.
- Pluotcrat03 - Tuesday, Jan 18, 11 @ 1:20 pm:
So what is the deal on the decades of non-collection of leasehold taxes and rent from the esteemed representative of the 27th district?
Is this fiscal neglect common in the management of CPS assets? Did the representative collect the money from the State to fund the office?
It would seem to be a job for the AG to discover the extent of the malfeasance committed by the representative as well as how many others aided her in this rip off of the taxpayers.
- CircularFiringSquad - Tuesday, Jan 18, 11 @ 1:31 pm:
Not only was Capt Fax there, but so were Billboards Cross and RxRon where both there and Billboards was collecting a leadership check too!
- tired of press - Tuesday, Jan 18, 11 @ 2:23 pm:
Quinn has been stacking the PRB with former prosecutors who won’t ever vote to let anyone out. He is doing that b/c he is so scared of a offender recommitting a crime under his watch.
If he cares about preventing future victims, he needs to help overhaul the IDOC to lower recidivism. But actually, that might take too much effort and guts for this particular Democrat.
So, in goes Rep. Careen Gordon who is safe and moralistic, and owed a big favor. Disgusting.
- Segatari - Tuesday, Jan 18, 11 @ 2:59 pm:
>I didn’t delete your response. I’ll check Akismet file.
Yes you are correct, you didn’t delete it…somehow because you still have me in your “tinhorn” category the response was hid and even after I refreshed the page and searched for my name before posting the deleted charge, it reappears after I make another post.
>But, to me, it doesn’t matter. History is history.
Ah but it DOES matter, because you are possibly tagging people that were NOT INVOLVED AND NOT IN OFFICE in 1997 with hypocrisy. I wouldn’t take too kindly to being blamed for something I wasn’t involved in. Different set of people, different ideology, different points of view.
- Loop Lady - Tuesday, Jan 18, 11 @ 2:59 pm:
DuPage Dan: Says who? You? Oh you must be right.
Have you ever met Gordon? Know that she is no pushover? Former district attorney? Naw, don’t let her qualifications get in the way of your opinions….and they are just your opinions…
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jan 18, 11 @ 3:14 pm:
===because you are possibly tagging people that were NOT INVOLVED AND NOT IN OFFICE in 1997 with hypocrisy.===
This is what I wrote…
===There is little new under the Statehouse dome.===
- Quinn T. Sential - Tuesday, Jan 18, 11 @ 4:20 pm:
{Senate lawyer: Monken out as Illinois State Police director. A Jan. 14 letter written to state Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka by Eric Madiar, chief legal counsel to Senate President John Cullerton, said Monken and 37 other unconfirmed appointees of Gov. Pat Quinn are no longer entitled to be paid salaries or other expenses by the state.
Funny, I seem to recall some conversation about this very issue last week.
- Proud union member! - Tuesday, Jan 18, 11 @ 4:22 pm:
-tired of press-
The IDOC is turning into a liberal playground for this Governor. “New left wing ideas with no experience”.
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Tuesday, Jan 18, 11 @ 4:27 pm:
Everyone’s missing a really important point here:
This was not Pat Quinn’s tax hike plan; This was Mike Madigan’s tax increase plan.
Quinn wanted 1%, and he wanted it to be permanent.
Senate Democrats wanted more.
Madigan passed his “Just Right” Plan and left town before anyone could stop him.
If you look at the rollcall, you’ll see alot of surprising names who voted for the tax hike…not many of whom could seriously be labeled allies of The Governor.
As for Gordon, she’s been voting her conscience since ‘06. A tough prosecutor, she also voted to repeal the death penalty. You think that was Pat Quinn’s doing too?
Tin foil, anyone?!?
The timing was stupid, I’ll grant you that. But the plot is ludicrous.
- Katiedid - Tuesday, Jan 18, 11 @ 5:26 pm:
Gordon’s been pushing for a job - any job - since November 3rd (or, possibly, late in the day on the 2nd!). I agree with YDD - the timing is stupid, but she needed a job come the 97th GA. Yes, she may have campaigned on a pledge not to raise taxes, but, let’s face it, she knew there was no way she was going to get elected if she didn’t and it didn’t work anyway. How do we know that this isn’t how she truly wanted to vote (yes, I know it might be shocking for some that politicians might be less than truthful in their campaign ads!) and now that she doesn’t have to worry about getting re-elected, she voted the way she really wanted to? I don’t disagree with anyone that the way this was handled was incredibly dumb on the part of the Gov and Gordon, though.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jan 18, 11 @ 5:33 pm:
===Gordon’s been pushing for a job - any job - since November 3rd===
…of 2009. lol
- Jon Zahm - Tuesday, Jan 18, 11 @ 6:41 pm:
Having worked to remove Gordon from office for several election cycles I’m glad she’s finally gone. But typical of liberal Democrats, she ends up with a better job than the one she had after losing. A real slap in the face to the taxpayers. Couldn’t she get by on $60,000? No, let’s give her $86,000. It’s someone else’s money.
- dupage dan - Wednesday, Jan 19, 11 @ 9:37 am:
I’ve been cut to the quick - accused of having an opinion by Loop Lady!