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Stop the presses!

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Illinois

* You gotta watch closely for the potential bait and switch in this story…

It’s been threatened to shut down and has laid off hundreds of workers.

So why is publicly-funded Chicago State University paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to well connected lobbyists?

That’s just one of several questions CBS 2 investigator Brad Edwards had for Chicago State University leaders. […]

CBS 2’s Brad Edwards showed him a list of expenditures. CBS 2 investigators found the school spent $1.9 million in less than three years on lawyers, lobbyists and PR pros.

But then the story only details about $250K over three years (for an average of about $84K per year) for lobbying and public relations work. They undoubtedly had other similar costs (I know of at least one), but is this mostly for legal work? From the way the story was presented, it kinda looks to me like the numbers could’ve been padded to make a point.

People don’t like to hear this, but a corporation or entity that’s in trouble needs lobbyists and/or PR help the most. And CSU has most definitely been in trouble. The school is literally fighting for its very life, so I can’t blame them for hiring some top lobsters and public relations types. My only suggestion would be to hire a connected Republican or two, considering that their main political problem right now is the governor’s obvious wrath. But that’s just me.

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Dec 8, 16 @ 11:30 am

Comments

Definitely the best/worst headline I’ve seen in memory:

“CHICAGO STATE PAYS LOBBYISTS TO LOBBY”

Comment by Reality Check Thursday, Dec 8, 16 @ 11:34 am
Fake news has always been mainstream…

Comment by Liberty Thursday, Dec 8, 16 @ 11:35 am
Seems the PR advice money might have been better spent on some crisis communications advice.

Comment by OneMan Thursday, Dec 8, 16 @ 11:36 am
And everyone wonders how in the world we got an unqualified and mendacious President Trump?

Stories like this (and email email email during the campaign) gave us President Trump and Governor Rauner.

Please journalists actually do your jobs instead of stupid stuff like this. Just to cite one example, I have yet to see a journalist ask Rauner on camera why he hasn’t fulfilled his constitutional obligation to produce a budget yet.

Comment by Chucktownian Thursday, Dec 8, 16 @ 11:40 am
It’s not fair to single out CSU when all the other universities and colleges have internal state employee paid liaisons. At least CSU isn’t on the hook for state pension, health care and other benefits. CSU is trying to manage a very difficult fiscal situation and are trying to make improvements with limited funding. It is unfortunate that folks want to keeping kicking when they are down.

Comment by Anon Thursday, Dec 8, 16 @ 11:42 am
Off the top of my head, I’d suggest they say something like …

In a perfect world, the governor and lawmakers would stand up for higher education and the unique role schools like CSU play in our communities and economy.
However, we obviously do not live in a perfect world. Too often our leaders have failed this school, our students and all of higher education.
We’re not about to roll over and die.
We’re going to fight for our students, our faculty and our future.
So, yes, we hired lobbyists and joined the game down in Springfield just like the U of I and all the other schools.
Hopefully the day will come when Illinois gets back to investing in higher education and we can re-prioritize these dollars for a better cause.
But right now, if we don’t fight for ourselves, no one else will.

Comment by Michelle Flaherty Thursday, Dec 8, 16 @ 11:44 am
If CSU didn’t hire lobbyists they would be in worst shape! Only was to fix CSU $$$ issues is for the board members to pick up the phone and start dialing for dollars.

Comment by Rocky Rosi Thursday, Dec 8, 16 @ 11:46 am
I liked the part where one of their lobbyists (I mean “PR consultants”) is an employee of Mike Madigan (I mean “consultant”).

Comment by Not it Thursday, Dec 8, 16 @ 11:48 am
This type of discussion is going on right now with way too many human service providers whose boards are looking where to cut.

It makes no sense that in times when you need lawmakers to understand the real world impact of the budget mess,you get the rid of the experts who know how to convey that message to the people you need to her it.

Lobbyist are always the easy target but I wonder if those who want to get rid of them understand the people who may oppose you getting want, have their own lobbyist trying to prevent you getting that.

Comment by Give Me A Break Thursday, Dec 8, 16 @ 11:50 am
Is this one of those situations where we need monitors on the monitors. With the media under siege from politicians and extremists, it’s critical for journalists to double and triple check their facts. Editors need to do their job by ensuring this gets done.

During my career, I learned about “The three C’s of reporting.” These are:

1. Conflict
2. Criticism
3. Controversy

Now more than ever, there needs to be an extreme focus on a fourth C - Credibility.

Comment by Norseman Thursday, Dec 8, 16 @ 11:51 am
Chicago State University: “But right now, if we don’t fight for ourselves, no one else will.”

When someone is trying to kill you, you fight back or die. CSU should not be shamed for fighting back.

Comment by MAMA Thursday, Dec 8, 16 @ 11:51 am
BTW, how much has U of I and ISU paid for lobbyists?

Doesn’t that seem like a relevant question?

Comment by Chucktownian Thursday, Dec 8, 16 @ 11:55 am
no offense to Steve Brown, but it’s not a good atmosphere to be sending money that way when the Gov is at war with his boss, his government boss.

also, THAT much to Jimmy DeLeo (D, How Ya Doin’?) good god.

Comment by Amalia Thursday, Dec 8, 16 @ 12:00 pm
It only took two minutes to load because of the three ComEd ads blanketing the story.
Will CBS do an investiagtion into how the energy bailout now pays for ads that ultimately fund CBS investigations into how taxpayer money is being wasted? (sarcasim)

Comment by DG Thursday, Dec 8, 16 @ 12:00 pm
For those of you who want to reflexively defend CSU go right ahead. But this institution has been a nasty piece of work for decades at many levels.

Comment by Federalist Thursday, Dec 8, 16 @ 12:01 pm
= - Federalist - Thursday, Dec 8, 16 @ 12:01 pm:
“For those of you who want to reflexively defend CSU go right ahead. But this institution has been a nasty piece of work for decades at many levels.”

Please explain your words: “But this institution has been a nasty piece of work for decades at many levels.”

Comment by MAMA Thursday, Dec 8, 16 @ 12:09 pm
Were you expecting quality investigative journalism from local TV? Their “I-Teams” are often all flash and hyperbole, little substance.

Comment by John Gregory (ex-IRN) Thursday, Dec 8, 16 @ 12:14 pm
CSU have third less staff than a year ago but are trying to manage a full load still to their credit. Nobody is telling them or any of these universities much much state funding there will get. Tough to manage. With a mission serving primarily African working female moms, I hope the previous posts put it into perspective the unique challenges CSU is faced given with their assigned mission over the last decade.

Comment by Anon Thursday, Dec 8, 16 @ 12:22 pm
I wonder what people would say if Lance Trover was on contract with entities that receive state money?

Comment by Holy Roller Thursday, Dec 8, 16 @ 12:23 pm
This is disgustingly stupid.

All state universities have to manage their PR and legal work, and it ain’t free.

CSU has had its problems, but perhaps this is their attempt to get things in order? I guess we can’t tell, given that this “story” is so lousy on context.

CBS was also, FYI, the most Trump-friendly network of the 3. Shocker.

Comment by Blue Bayou Thursday, Dec 8, 16 @ 12:25 pm
Lame TV news at its lamest.

The state is running up $14 billion in unpaid bills, and this is your “scoop?”. Get a clue, Einsteins.

Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Dec 8, 16 @ 12:32 pm
I was asked to explain my comments. CSU is so bad it would take a doctoral dissertation to even begin.

But CSU is well know for having one incompetent and nasty President after another. Always had to be Black no matter what. Insider promotions and vindictiveness were SOP. Incompetence in educational development and budgetary administration were also SOP.

I was with The AFT UPI Local 4100 which served five campuses including CSU. The stories from the faculty and staff were horrendous and never ending. However bad it was at our campuses, CSU could always ‘outdo’ us.

The story provided today is typical of the institutions continued incompetence. But anyone can believe what they want and if anyone wants to continue to defend CSU go right ahead.

Comment by Federalist Thursday, Dec 8, 16 @ 12:58 pm
It is shameful that CSU is paying Steve Brown for this work. Its equally shameful that they are not the only entity that receives state money which employs Brown. The conflicts aren’t just perceived, they are real. Brown’s defiant actions and the willingness of so many on this site to act as if it’s no big deal make it very easy to understand why our state is in such a sorry state. Atlas Jimmy D had the good sense to retire from the State payroll before he started getting paid by CSU.

For God’s sake, Brown has an office in the Speaker’s suite and attends the morning HDem strategy/ bill review meetings where it is impossible to believe budget issues related to higher education are not discussed.

Shameful!

Comment by Altgelds Ghost Thursday, Dec 8, 16 @ 1:16 pm
So, Federalist, even though CSU is about 74% Af-Am, you note derisively that they “always” have to have a black president.

Any complaint that Harvard, or the U of C, or the University of Utah has to have a white president?

Or is it just coincidence?

Why does wanting a black president at a majority black institution bear mentioning when it never does at majority white institutions?

Comment by Blue Bayou Thursday, Dec 8, 16 @ 3:35 pm
Chicago State is almost 150 years old and it did not assume it “African American” majority status until the Seventies. Locked away in an archive room are the portraits of all of the previous principals and presidents who were white. CSU has had a succession of black presidents since the late Seventies.

The enrollment has been plummeting and CSU has a sizable campus that is much larger than is necessary for its current numbers.

In order to save the campus, some type of purge of the corrupt political hacks needs to take place. The current leaders cannot be trusted with a dollar.

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Dec 8, 16 @ 6:31 pm