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This just in… MOU’s now posted

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Illinois

You can find all the FY 07 Memorandums of Understanding that Governor Blagojevich and others in his administration were forced to sign this spring at this page.

(Just for fun, check out IDOT’s MOU)

(And don’t miss the humungous list at the State Board of Education)

UPDATE: Lee Newspapers now has a story online.

Four years after assailing pork barrel spending, new records show Gov. Rod Blagojevich OK’d more than $70 million in pet projects and programs for Democratic lawmakers in the new state budget.

Most of the largesse is bankrolling hundreds of social service and educational programs in his hometown of Chicago, but the spending also includes $75,000 for a parade celebrating Puerto Rican heritage in Chicago and $600,000 to help Saint Xavier University in Chicago upgrade its track and field program.

Documents detailing the previously secret spending agreements were released Tuesday by House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago. They represent the results of the closed-door wheeling and dealing that led to the approval of the state budget in May.

‘’It’s a terrible way to do business,'’ said state Rep. Bill Mitchell, R-Forsyth. ‘’It’s all just a backroom deal.'’

State Rep. John Bradley, D-Marion, defended the agreements, saying they are necessary in a $55 billion budget.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Jun 20, 06 @ 5:51 pm

Comments

Olivio? Isn’t he the ignorant socialist of the 13th ward??? I am glad to see that Blago could keep politics out of his Memorandums……………

Comment by Lovie's Leather Tuesday, Jun 20, 06 @ 6:41 pm
Did Meeks get an MOU? Or is the Governor’s word golden with him?

Comment by I"m running for Governor, really! Tuesday, Jun 20, 06 @ 7:05 pm
Look at all those MOUs. No one can trust the governor - not even his own party. How can someone support a person that isn’t true to his word?

Comment by Anon. Tuesday, Jun 20, 06 @ 7:44 pm
Screw the MOU’s, what about the IOU’s he’s leaving in the state’s savings?

Comment by poet Tuesday, Jun 20, 06 @ 8:23 pm
Why is the Illinois State Police buying the city of Gillespie a police car?!!!!! Why isn’t the city buying their own car? How is that fair to every city, village or county in this state?!! This particular mou just opened up a can of worms now the state will have to buy every municipality a squad car!

Comment by Lori Tuesday, Jun 20, 06 @ 8:25 pm
I’m almost speechless. Just when you think he can’t do anything else unsavory, he takes it to another new height. Who the h-ll does he think is going to pay for all HIS largesse? He doesn’t give two FF’s for the citizens of this state or the legislature for that matter either. So them kissing his butt has only made them look like greedy pigs at a time when the state is broke.
What poor excuses for men they all are.

Comment by Disgusted Tuesday, Jun 20, 06 @ 9:06 pm
Well, normally I am a fan of the Southern Democrat, Representative John Bradley but I couldn’t disagree more with his comments. “These are necessary in a $55 billion budget”… what would it matter if it were a $2bil or $200bil budget? If the state owes money as it is, I say we can’t afford pet projects. We have to cut spending and pay debts instead of robbing other funds. Robbing Peter to pay Paul still isn’t right, at least I don’t believe it is.

Comment by Hmmm... Tuesday, Jun 20, 06 @ 11:02 pm
Again I ask, where were all of you concerned citizens when Gov. Ryan was going about the state spreading pork where it would do him and his Republican Paryt the most good?

Comment by B Hicks Wednesday, Jun 21, 06 @ 6:38 am
Where was I? In 2002, I was at the ballot box voting for reform and renewal. Unfortunately, all I got was renewal.

Comment by A concerned citizen Wednesday, Jun 21, 06 @ 6:55 am
I never thought I’d say this, but where’s the bald lady when you need her on TV screaming “Stop the insanity!!”?

Comment by Jack Blades Wednesday, Jun 21, 06 @ 7:02 am
I am pretty confident that this exhaustive list is only the MOU’s worked out by the Speaker and his members. There’s still a whole list of Senate MOU’s out there somewhere.

Comment by Not the complete story Wednesday, Jun 21, 06 @ 7:13 am
Why did the MJM release this embarrassing information he agreed to support?

Did the guv go back on a promise?

Is Bradly being sacrificed for some reason?

Is the speaker pushing to encourage the guv to call a special session on ethics and corruption before the election to disarm the Republican campaign.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Jun 21, 06 @ 7:42 am
Sure looks like business as usual to me…

Comment by Anon Wednesday, Jun 21, 06 @ 7:51 am
Does it ever end? I am sure this goes on with either, but I thought this cat was bringing an end to business as usual

Comment by Wumpus Wednesday, Jun 21, 06 @ 8:30 am
Thank God the system got changed as Rod promised many, many times. MOU must be Latin for “Trust”.

Comment by zatoichi Wednesday, Jun 21, 06 @ 8:46 am
7:42 AM Anonymous asks exactly the right question.

Why is the Speaker releasing these publicly? Why now?

Comment by the Other Anonymous Wednesday, Jun 21, 06 @ 8:52 am
the State is subsidizing so many community festivals led by various ethnic groups, I wonder if Capt Blago is going to break federal/state campaign laws and campaign at those events: i.e. Puerto Rican Heritage Fest, South Jazz Festival (Jazz Unites), etc

Comment by Big Al Wednesday, Jun 21, 06 @ 9:34 am
looks like the speaker wants to distance himself from blago when blago loses. smart move by the speaker. gets the information out early showing he has nothing to hid. i for one think these mou’s are good public policy. makes the reps and senators more accountable for their pork. let’s see, a rep or senator gets a police car for one community and all the other communities in the district get see it in writing and then ask the rep or senator for a police car for their community. now in many cases it all a little fuzzy.

Comment by ron Wednesday, Jun 21, 06 @ 9:37 am
Dear Ron,

I could not agree more. You can hammer a nail where it’s supposed to be hit.

Comment by Pat Hickey Wednesday, Jun 21, 06 @ 10:54 am
Rod Blagojevich is a good man. And thorough

Comment by Maude Lebowski Wednesday, Jun 21, 06 @ 12:28 pm
The speaker is distancing himself from the Gov this early in the campaign with ugly news? Why would he want to whip up anti-incumbent fever any futher?

Only if he knows something about investigations that we don’t, serious money is at risk, the Gov really annoyed him, or it’s part of a campaign strategy to protect incumbents by passing major ethics and corruption reform in special session, perhaps over the Guv’s reluctance to cut off his presidential funding supply.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Jun 21, 06 @ 1:24 pm
The Speaker published the MOUs last year too. Any member who helped get money for their district wants credit for it too.

Comment by Goodbye Napoleon Wednesday, Jun 21, 06 @ 2:04 pm
I agree with B Hicks. Where were all the complaints when the Reub governors did this? My area got nothing. But, I am represneted by Angry Frank Watson and his sidekick Ron Stephens. I can remember when the Old State Capitol in Vandalia got a new copper dome and nobody complained. Watson had his picture taken with it in the background. This has gone on for years. It is not right, I agree. But, to complain that Rod is a bad governor because of this is wrong. He has many things to point to and complain about but this isnt one of them.

Comment by Southern Illinois Democrat Wednesday, Jun 21, 06 @ 4:50 pm
This is going to cause someone BIG problems in the future. Do these signatories actually think these are legally binding?

Comment by Ashur Odishoo Wednesday, Jun 21, 06 @ 5:06 pm