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What happens in Vegas does not necessarily stay there

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Illinois

What a dumb idea.

“Hey, I know what we should do this weekend. Let’s take up the cable industry’s offer of a free trip to Las Vegas for an ‘educational’ experience!”

Brilliant.

With just a month left in the legislative session, an estimated 12 to 14 members of the Illinois House and Senate spent a couple of days at a trade show for the cable television industry.

The three-day, expenses-paid junket came as the cable industry is fighting an attempt by telephone giant AT&T to change state law in a high-stakes battle for the eyes and wallets of television viewers. […]

While in Las Vegas, the lawmakers stayed at the Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel which, according to its Web site, features rooms with flat-panel television screens, a steakhouse called Envy and â€œconvenient monorail access to the Strip.â€

At the convention, the lawmakers got to see exhibitors ranging from HBO to Hustler TV, according to an overview of the conference.

The Tribune has a list of attendees…

At least 11 lawmakers accepted the invitation, according to two members who took the trip: Senators attending included Environment and Energy Chairman James Clayborne (D-Belleville), Dan Cronin (R-Elmhurst), Kirk Dillard (R-Hinsdale), Randall Hultgren (R-Winfield) and Carole Pankau (R-Itasca); House members included Reps. Mike Bost (R-Murphysboro), Marlow Colvin (D-Chicago), William Davis (D-Homewood), Kenneth Dunkin (D-Chicago), Kurt Granberg (D-Carlyle) and Susana Mendoza (D-Chicago).

Davis, Mendoza and Cronin are not on the two main committees invited to the conference.

Some lawmakers said they are paying for part of their trip. Mendoza and Dunkin, for example, said they paid for their airfare.

So how is the trip logged? As a gift…

A House ethics officer signed off on the trip but told lawmakers they would have to report it as a gift on their financial disclosure forms because the sponsor would likely spend more than $500 on airfare, meals and lodging, said Steve Brown, spokesman for House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago).

Bad idea all around.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, May 8, 07 @ 8:41 am

Comments

I’m sure the next campaign opponents of these legislators are already planning attack ads featuring the most outlandish Las Vegas images possible. Talk about a dumb political move!

Comment by fedup dem Tuesday, May 8, 07 @ 8:49 am
Well, look at this way… ATT just found 12 - 14 votes. Either that or some challenger is going to have some really low hanging fruit come election time.

Comment by Greg Tuesday, May 8, 07 @ 9:05 am
If you want to go to Vegas - take a $99.00 flight and pay for it yourself. It is no big deal.

Comment by Shelbyville Tuesday, May 8, 07 @ 9:23 am
I think that this situation shows the contempt our lawmakers have for the citizens of this state. It also shows that they have little worry that they will not be reelected despite their graft.

Comment by i d Tuesday, May 8, 07 @ 9:48 am
Granberg didn’t learn his lesson last year obviously.

Comment by S.I. Anon Tuesday, May 8, 07 @ 10:43 am
Hmmm. It’s nice to know that these officials get not only free meals, booze and lodging during session but also free trips! Yahoo!

And yes, SI Anon, Granberg did not learn his lesson. And I’m surpised that Mike Bost would do this.

Comment by Team Sleep Tuesday, May 8, 07 @ 10:58 am
i.d. good point, are you just figuring it out? Look at their pensions….100%funded, raises…if they don’t vote on it, they get it. Oh and state ethics…they don’t have to follow. (Right Emil?)If the normal State employee would do this, they would be fired.

Comment by He makes Ryan look like a saint Tuesday, May 8, 07 @ 11:12 am
Maybe they took the Illinois Tollway helicopter.
Opps! Blago sold it! Where did money from that sale go Rod?

Comment by Mustang Ranch Tuesday, May 8, 07 @ 11:18 am
ATT gets zero votes because:
1. Legislators pimped by the opposing side seldom flip.
2. ATT drop $75K of the Governor’s Party looks sleazier …remember he gets to sign a bill.

Comment by Elijah Lovejoy Tuesday, May 8, 07 @ 11:27 am
It just goes to show you, this type of money-driven politics is prevenant in both the Democratic and Republican parties. That’s one reason that I am a member of the Green Party–we don’t accept contributions from corporations; and therefore, there is absolutely no chance of a conflict of interest. Period.

On another note, this whole issue reminds me of that old commerical, with slight modification. “I accept the contributions so that I can get elected. I get elected so that I can serve the people; but if I want to serve the people, I can’t do anything that jeapordizes my contributors.”

Our legislators have a cash addiction.

Comment by Squideshi Tuesday, May 8, 07 @ 12:38 pm
What would be even more interesting (and insightful) would be to find out WHO ARE THE LOBBYIST that treated our legislatures to this trip? Are they steak or the sizzle lobbyist? What lobbyist or lobby groups represent the cable industry in Illinois?

Comment by Anon Tuesday, May 8, 07 @ 2:52 pm
Squid: “we donâ€™t accept contributions from corporations; and therefore, there is absolutely no chance of a conflict of interest. Period.”

There are still plenty of ways to cash in without taking contributions from corporations.

Comment by Gene Parmesan Tuesday, May 8, 07 @ 3:48 pm