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Stopping a criminal

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Illinois

* As usual, Kurt Erickson gets it…

As predicted, the Blagojevich scandal has spawned a growth industry among good-government types, who are calling for significant changes to state laws aimed at legislating ethical behavior.

Based on six years of observing the man, it seems dubious a measly thing like a law might have stopped someone like Blagojevich.

After all, he essentially told lawmakers several times he was going to move forward with his plans regardless of what the statute books said about the limits on his powers.

“Sue me,” was one of his catchphrases.

Should some laws be changed? Yes, of course. But, the only way to stop a real criminal is by arresting or indicting him/her. Passing new laws just means more charges can be filed, which is helpful in its own right, to be sure. But new laws wouldn’t have stopped Rod Blagojevich. What we may need is more prosecutors.

* And speaking of not preventing anybody from behaving a certain way, this is from the governor’s Illinois Reform Commission Terms of Use page…

You are granted a limited, non-exclusive right to create a text hyperlink to the Website for noncommercial purposes, provided such link does not portray the Illinois Reform Commission or any of its products and services in a false, misleading, derogatory or otherwise defamatory manner [Emphasis added]

That language seems to be boilerplate crud used by people who have no concept of how the Intertubes work. Is that derogatory enough to make the commission stop me from linking to them?

* And speaking of criminals, Gary Goehl, who once worked for Cook County Treasurer Ed Rosewell, did 18 months in federal prison and was, according to some, ” the recipient of more illegal loans than any civic official in Chicago history,” has an op-ed in the New York Times…

If you had connections or could be useful to Rosewell, a close confidant to Mayor Richard J. Daley (the father of the current mayor, Richard M. Daley), you could count on me to, say, simply erase the taxes on your property, even going back several years. Another service I rendered to the banking community was to dump million-dollar chunks of county money in “operating accounts” — the kind that paid no interest. In an era of stagflation, when interest rates were well into double digits, every million-dollar account I opened amounted to tens of thousands in annual profits for the lucky banker. As an expression of abiding gratitude, these bankers gave me cash donations for Rosewell, and basically carte blanche to write myself the interest-free loans that eventually led to my downfall.

One deeply appreciative steward of the public purse was a banker from suburban Chicago with strong ties to organized crime and friends in high places in the state capital, Springfield. It came as a little bit of a jolt, given my lowly station in Chicago’s municipal pecking order, when he told me that he was considering having the governor name me state insurance director. That I knew nothing about the insurance industry was not a handicap in his eyes; he would effectively run the department himself.

When I asked him how he could get away with it, he explained that all such appointments were subject to free-market pricing, and that he had already forked over the requisite sum — $50,000. In short order, however, my sponsor became entranced by the siren song he was using to lure me into the job. He decided to award it to himself. The announcement was followed by the Chicago news media’s exposing his ties to organized crime, and he was obliged to withdraw.

* Anyway, there was, apparently, one upside to Rod Blagojevich’s total ineptness as a leader…

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said today that Illinois may have benefited in winning quick approval for so many transportation projects in the federal stimulus program because of the state’s long dysfunctional government under ousted former Gov. Rod Blagojevich. […]

“These projects have been sitting on a shelf, ready to go because the state could never pass a capital budget,” LaHood said, adding other states also had long-standing delays in approving public works funding measures.

So far, more federal transportation stimulus money has been approved for Illinois than for any other state, and we have Rod Blagojevich to “thank.”

* But there were many downsides, including the deteriorated mass transit system…

How do you get the point across that public transit is old, in disrepair and needs fixing?

Well, you could try trapping a group of state lawmakers and media types in an old Pace bus without air conditioning on a hot spring day, then driving them in circles around the Loop looking for the Van Buren Metra station.

Such was the glamorous junket I took Friday along with the Regional Transportation Authority, Pace, Metra, the CTA and assorted wonks. We started out with the Cicero Metra station which seemed to be falling apart slowly, stared at rusty Pace buses and shook our heads over holes in the canopy at the Wabash/Madison CTA El platform.

It was bad, bad I tell you. The piece de resistance was the trip from Cicero to Chicago in the 100-degree bus.

* Related…

* LaHood denies playing favorites with stimulus funding

* No favoritism in giving out stimulus funds, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says

* Illinois leads nation in recovery road funds, projects

* Transit agencies push for capital bucks: Metra, Pace and the Chicago Transit Authority officials say their agencies need about $10 billion in capital funding to replace old cars, buses, locomotives, stations and rail infrastructure - and to expand and improve service in the future. As it turns out, RTA leaders were preaching to the choir. Lawmakers from the city and suburbs agreed a capital program that helps public transit is long overdue

* Need united front to return passenger trains to our region

* These are celebrities? Get out of here

* Blago vs. ‘Speidi’ in Costa Rica?

* Rod’s reality?

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Apr 20, 09 @ 2:13 am

Comments

Goehl’s book sounds interesting. I’d forgotten about Rosewell. There’s a guy who came to a hard and bitter end very late is his public service/criminal career.

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Apr 20, 09 @ 6:58 am
This whole “celebrity” thing is ridiculous. No wonder NBC ratings are flat-lined. Pathetic.

good comment by Erickson in regards to ethics laws and Blago. Erickson is one reason I still read the Pantagraph. OK, need the local news and grocery ads that don’t make the online edition.

Curious as to who was the banker with ties to organized crime? Any relation to someone in the political arena today?

Comment by Nearly Normal Monday, Apr 20, 09 @ 7:54 am
== But new laws wouldn’t have stopped Rod Blagojevich. What we may need is more prosecutors. ==

That is analogous to the gun control arguments.

Much of the fault, IMO, is with the Illinois Democratic Party for not calling out the former Governor’s behavior and for implicitly condoning his activity with its tacit support of his candidacy. The party officials now are washing their hands of the mess with these task forces, “joint” committees, etc., when they could have very well, if not easily, prevented much of the damage to the state by having the ethical courage to do the right thing. The party’s inaction really smacks of aiding and abetting criminal behavior. Its ironic that the director of the TRS got legislatively terminated for the same inaction. Ethical people do not need ethics laws, and unethical people will not obey them.

Comment by Captain Flume Monday, Apr 20, 09 @ 8:36 am
The reason — the ONLY reason — that Illinois leads the nation in stimulus projects is because of the pent-up list of stuff that needed to be done because of the lunatic we had in charge for six years. I would say “in the governor’s mansion” but of course that cliche doesn’t work in this case because he was never there.

So of course we have a huge amount of shovel-ready work, and a state government that’s willing to get them done because of the new guy that’s in charge.

These meme of some Chicago gang in the White House needs to be shot down. People need to be reminded of what Blago did.

Comment by Angry Chicagoan Monday, Apr 20, 09 @ 8:52 am
Laws are no good if no one enforces them.
Laws are no good if those who write them, break them, or refuse to even pick up a telephone and report the lawbreaker.
Laws are no good when after a lawbreaker is stopped, the law writers pretend they never supported the lawbreaker, although the nominated, and re-nominated him to the state’s highest office.
Laws are no good when the law writers have no sincere interest in obeying them.

As voters we have two choices. We threw out the GOP when they proved to be corrupt. Now we need to throw out the hypocritical Democrats for the same reasons.

Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Apr 20, 09 @ 8:57 am
Most people do not fall into the category of saints (do the right thing no matter the consequences) or determined criminals (commit crimes even if there’s a high likelihood of being caught). Most people are in between saints and determined criminals. They are “normal people”.

One can create a system where “normal people” are inclined to do the right thing and follow the written rules. And one can create a system where “normal people” are inclined to bend and break the rules because of the incentive structure. Imagine sales people paid on commission who have little chance of being held accountable for acting unethically.

Illinois law could be modified so that “normal people” are more inclined to behave ethically.

Comment by Carl Nyberg Monday, Apr 20, 09 @ 9:24 am
so, what’s your problem with the Illinois Reform Commission?

Comment by BannedForLife Monday, Apr 20, 09 @ 9:25 am
Illinois does need to improve the enforcement aspect of the law.

I have reported crimes to the Cook County State’s Attorney to have them ignored. I have reported unethical lawyers to the ARDC to have CYA responses written. I have reported bogus campaign filings to the State Board of Elections to be told that I need to pay for a lawyer and an investigator to get information that probably requires a subpoena anyways and then the State Board of Elections will consider the case.

So, enforcement needs to be strengthened.

Comment by Carl Nyberg Monday, Apr 20, 09 @ 9:30 am
The basic formula for reducing corruption is to increase transparency and decrease conflict-of-interest.

Comment by Carl Nyberg Monday, Apr 20, 09 @ 9:32 am
We will have corruption as long as our political parties don’t feel an obligation in nominating qualified ethical candidates.

When two crooks represent each political party, one of the crooks will win.

Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Apr 20, 09 @ 10:03 am
I wonder if Dog the Bounty Hunter was invited on the jungle reality show to keep an eye on Blago Of course, if Blago did make a run for it, that would give Dog material for his own show, right?

Comment by Secret Square Monday, Apr 20, 09 @ 10:18 am
The basic formula for reducing corruption is to increase transparency and decrease conflict-of-interest.

The general public, by and large, does not pay attention to these type of things.

I would suggest that the basic formula for reducing corruption would include the fear of getting caught.

Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Monday, Apr 20, 09 @ 11:33 am
Weak ethics laws are the ultimate refuge for scoundrels. “Well heck, what we did was legal so what’s your problem.”

You toughen laws not just because you expect the new laws to eliminate the bad conduct, but because elected and appointed officials need to to adhere to higher standards and the law makes it clear what those standards are.

Why is this so complicated to understand?

Comment by Chicago Cynic Monday, Apr 20, 09 @ 11:37 am
== elected and appointed officials need to to adhere to higher standards and the law makes it clear what those standards are. ==

The ethics laws being made by the very people who are supposed to adhere to them? If public officials have no higher standards to begin with, how in the world will a law that they make going to affect them? Not at all, that’s how. Legislators are exempt from arrest during and going to and from sessions and hearings (except felonies), they are exempt from the smoking ban in their “private” offices in public buildings, etc, etc. The idealist in me thinks tougher, or more specific, ethics laws are a good thing. The realist in me knows those laws won’t make much difference.

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Apr 20, 09 @ 1:40 pm
Anonymous 1:40 p.m. was me, sorry.

Comment by Captain Flume Monday, Apr 20, 09 @ 1:41 pm
=== That language seems to be boilerplate crud used by people who have no concept of how the Intertubes work. ===

A good example of why all works of state government should be explicitly placed in the public domain, just like all works of the federal government already are. We’ve already paid for them with our tax dollars!

Comment by Squideshi Monday, Apr 20, 09 @ 11:29 pm