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Reform and renewal

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More trouble for the governor and his pals.

Two music schools that use a close associate of Gov. Rod Blagojevich as their lobbyist got $1.5 million in state grants last year, a dramatic increase from previous years, state records show.

John Wyma, a former top aide and political adviser to Blagojevich, told a state senator last year that he was representing the Music Institute of Chicago and would be working to persuade Blagojevich to release a long-delayed grant.

The Evanston-based school collected $1 million from Blagojevich’s Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity in August, state records show.

Wyma also has been hired by the Merit School of Music in Chicago as its lobbyist. After getting a combined $284,000 in state funds during the previous four years, the Merit School got a $500,000 grant from DCEO in December, records show.

Wyma didn’t register the schools as clients until Jan. 23, after they had gotten their money. Lobbyists are required to report new clients within two days of performing work for them.

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Feb 6, 06 @ 3:29 am

Comments

Red Herring, anyone?

Comment by Bill Monday, Feb 6, 06 @ 6:47 am
Better question is.When are the feds going to get out of thier dead rears and put this bunch in jail?With that much money being passed around[taxpayer dollars]someone has to be commiting a crime and if not we need to scrap our system and start from scratch.

Comment by DOWNSTATE Monday, Feb 6, 06 @ 7:02 am
Right on, Downstate. I keep wondering if it will take someone from the governor’s gang to put their hands directly in the pockets of a federal prosecutor before something is done about this daylight robbery.

I don’t care how many new ideas they all come up with - there is no money to fund them without robbing from something or someone else!!!

And to add insult to injury, a lot of these hangers-on are from other states, which they will probably return to once someone sees the light and boots them all out. They won’t even have to pay to clean up the state’s finances. This government would make Huey Long blush!

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Feb 6, 06 @ 7:16 am
THESE PEOPLE ARE CROOKS !!!

How much longer, voters?

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Feb 6, 06 @ 7:23 am
You’d like to think that voters punish incompetence by not re-electing it, but our President proves that this isn’t necessarily the case.

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Feb 6, 06 @ 7:29 am
Certainly this administration has competency problems, but the most glaring deficiency has to be the ethics issue. Ethics for two reasons - one, the hipocrosy of his 2002 Reform and Renewal platflorm, his sermonizing about cronyism, patronage, and deal-making, and his ridiculous “Rock the World” pledge immediately following the Official “A” allegations. And two, the public has recently been exposed to Republican fleecing at the national level from DeLay and others.

In terms of ethics, how different is Blagojevich from G. Ryan? Outwardly, not very. In the months that span the primary to general election, you can bet the Governor will do all that he can to divert attention away from his ethics problems and the Republican challenger will do her/his best to hone in on the ethics issues.

Comment by Former MC Monday, Feb 6, 06 @ 8:09 am
Is this illegal?

If not….we all approved it.

Oh, Cindi Canary where are you?

Comment by Cassandra Monday, Feb 6, 06 @ 8:11 am
Wyma is not the only one benefiting enormously from being close to Governor Blagojevich. Many names will continue to come out. Where is a statement from the Governor about his pal illegally lobbying. Is it okay to break the law if you are a friend of the Governor? Who is signing off in the Governor’s office on all of these issues?

Comment by Governor Hypocrite Monday, Feb 6, 06 @ 9:15 am
This latest disclosure seems to be nothing new, and in fact a couple of newspapers seem to have taken an “old news” view. That’s what is most bothersome about these continuing sagas. I’m beginning to wonder if we’re becoming numbed by the behavior and the administration wants the public to just throw up our hands and say, “that’s it, we’re just not going to care anymore…” If it isn’t the case, then the Governor has to take some extremely forcefull action, and from past experience, that’s doubtful.

Comment by Common Sense in Illinois Monday, Feb 6, 06 @ 11:12 am
10 more months of this guy

Comment by scoot Monday, Feb 6, 06 @ 12:11 pm
Jim Ryan is sitting at home in Elmhurst right now relaxing, enjoying his family, staying healthy, and laughing at all of this crap. The state would still be in a mess if he was elected, but at least Illinoisans’ wouldn’t feel the need to wash the sleaze off after reading this kind of crap!

Comment by Anon Monday, Feb 6, 06 @ 12:54 pm
How much more of these disgraceful incidents and examples of bad government do we need before voters in the March 21 primary take a serious look at Edwin Eisendrath?

Comment by Randall Sherman Monday, Feb 6, 06 @ 2:59 pm
Just what arts education neeed in Illinois, bad publicity, thansk so much.

I am a big fan of arts education in the schools, particularly music, and the cuts that have happened there make what’s happened to P.E. look like Christmas. Schools have been forced to cut programs so they can meet NCLB standards. I was never a fan of the way school sports and P.E. were done, but I think they are important to have, and I think music arts: singing, band, individual instrument education- bring back benefits far outweighing the money spent.

Comment by Fighting Ennui Monday, Feb 6, 06 @ 7:45 pm
yawn….zzzzzzzzzz

If you got the goods, bring them out. Otherwise, it’s a non-issue.

Comment by B Hicks Monday, Feb 6, 06 @ 8:04 pm
greazy like a beef burrito with lettuce

Comment by Mike's Used Sports Section Monday, Feb 6, 06 @ 9:13 pm