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Reform and renewal - The Tollway’s helping hand

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Illinois

It looks like Gov. Blagojevich has his own “Cellini Hotel” situation to deal with. The master developer at the state Tollway’s oases isn’t making its rent payments, and the Tollway allegedly bent over backwards to help it out of a negative media situation, which seems even worse than the slow-motion controversy at the Renaissance Hotel (now the Abraham Lincoln something-or-another)…

Under terms of its lease with the tollway, Wilton is supposed to pay a base rent of $61,917 a month, or $743,000 a year, into the tollway’s general operating budget. But documents showed Wilton stopped making scheduled payments after June 1 of last year. […]

Wilton also has fallen behind on payments it is required to make into a special maintenance fund for oases repair and renovation based on 1 percent of sales at the oases. The tollway threatened Wilton with default after it missed nearly a year of payments, and the firm resumed making its scheduled monthly maintenance payments in January. It still owes the tollway $532,000, tollway officials said. The tollway contends it is also owed $88,000 for parking lot repairs.

In addition to the rental and repair payments, records show Wilton has not paid more than $51,000 in oases real estate taxes in Cook and DeKalb Counties as required by the lease. Tollway officials said they were unaware of the problem.

The Tollway Authority tried to help Wilton Partners look better after the Trib started poking its nose into the matter a few months ago…

When the Tribune asked the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority about rent payments made by Wilton Partners for operating the seven tollway oases, agency officials alerted Wilton to the request.

The tollway suggested that Wilton would “look better” if it allowed the tollway to apply a construction security deposit to some of the unpaid rent it owed going back to mid-2006.

The Trib has a copy of an e-mail exchange between the Tollway and Wilton after the Tribune filed a Freedom of Information Act request.

According to the excerpts, Tollway attorney Thomas Bamonte told Wilton President Scott Mayer that the Tollway would delay providing the requested documents to the newspaper until the Tollway and Wilton had agreed to apply part of Wilton’s security deposit to the back rent payments.

Wonderful.

By the way, Wilton has contributed almost $85,000 to the guv’s campaign fund.

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Jun 25, 07 @ 9:42 am

Comments

Everybody knows the governor has had a toll collection basket at his front door since before the first term. His address should be changed to Shakedown Street.

The common thought in Chicago used to be along the lines of: the citizens expect and forgive a modicum of graft, but their expectation is that it is a kind of payment for receiving excellent service. Rod has never seemed to understand the second half of this formula.

Comment by jaded Monday, Jun 25, 07 @ 10:03 am
There press department would not know how to tell the truth if it him in the face. Where is the Inspector General?

Comment by Anono Monday, Jun 25, 07 @ 10:28 am
Here’s how the “Reformed & Renewed” Tollway under Rod Blagojevich works:

If you are a driver that misses a toll- The Tollway we will track you down like a dog for the lost change, plus a $20 fine. No exceptions.

If you are a politically connected vendor that owes the Tollway money- The Tollway will cut you some slack, give you a deal. Maybe even work to change the rules on your behalf.

I bet there is still more to this story, and that folks are losing sleep over it.

Miss a

Comment by KenoMan Monday, Jun 25, 07 @ 10:45 am
And you wonder why Jones is bottling up the pay to play bill.

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Jun 25, 07 @ 10:47 am
I’d love to see those e-mails? Rich?, anyone?

Comment by team america, world police Monday, Jun 25, 07 @ 11:10 am
How long do you think it will take the feds/Fitzgerald to issue more subpoenas? I’ve noticed they are good at reading newspapers and responding appropriately.

Comment by Captain America Monday, Jun 25, 07 @ 12:30 pm
The Illinois Tollway has become Shakedown Street Central for Coruptovich and his cronies.
The inspector general’s office here at the tollway has been and is a Coruptovich facade. James Wright stuck his head in sand from the very beginning. Then he was promoted!
It started with Jack Hartman and continues with Brian McPartlin.
There really needs to be some serious investigations here!

Comment by Illinois Tollway's Blank Checks Monday, Jun 25, 07 @ 3:12 pm
The Panda Express places suck, anyway.

Fitz really needs to look into this stuff. This makes Ernie Fletcher’s reign in Kentucky look like the reign of King Friday on “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood”.

Comment by Team Sleep Monday, Jun 25, 07 @ 3:13 pm
Check out the Illinois Tollway salaries from 4 years ago to present.
Alarm bells should be going off!

Comment by Ka Ching! Monday, Jun 25, 07 @ 3:24 pm
They replaced competent staff with mega (high-priced) consultants in the name of reorganization. A cute way of generating big-time money for the guv’s campaign fund.
Couldn’t shakedown the employees so they got rid of them.

Comment by I.D.O.T. Bleachers Monday, Jun 25, 07 @ 3:34 pm
Someone should add up the contributions made to Blagojevich on behalf of the general contractors, sub-contractors, suppliers and the many consultants who have been done business with the Illinois Tollway.

Comment by $$$$$$$$$ are staggering Monday, Jun 25, 07 @ 3:46 pm
Fitz already has the e-mail, you can bet on that.

Comment by Little Egypt Monday, Jun 25, 07 @ 3:50 pm
Illinois Tollway Shakedown on Steroids

Comment by Plain and Simple Monday, Jun 25, 07 @ 4:33 pm
Just as a QOTD or a contest; can we name ONE Illinois state agency under this administration NOT tainted by scandal and/or reported malfeasance or questionable management practices? Just one.

Anybody?

Buehler???

Comment by Gregor Samsa Monday, Jun 25, 07 @ 5:49 pm
Department on Aging?

Comment by Arthur Andersen Monday, Jun 25, 07 @ 6:08 pm
The Drycleaners Environmental Response Trust Fund… because it’s the most obscure agency I can think of.

Comment by Lainer Monday, Jun 25, 07 @ 7:53 pm
I seem to remember Milo Blagojevich saying he was going to get rid of the Illinois Tollway once and for all, during his 2002 campaign.
But wait! Milo doubled the tolls.
But wait! He spent $20,000.00 per sign to have his name PRINTED on them, so we wouldn’t forget who he was.
But wait! Then and he came to the realization what a HUGE CASH COW the Illinois Tollway was.
Game over! The Illinois Tollway belongs to Milo!

Comment by $ No Freeways $ Monday, Jun 25, 07 @ 8:23 pm
The Illinois Tollway hauls in over $2 million per day 24/7.
Don’t worry, it’s in good hands!

Comment by Do the math Monday, Jun 25, 07 @ 8:31 pm
Do the drycleaners fund count if they let Blago sweep them?

Comment by Gregor Monday, Jun 25, 07 @ 9:09 pm
No comment Bill?

Comment by Holdingontomywallet Monday, Jun 25, 07 @ 9:37 pm