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Round-Up: State Government

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Illinois

* Your government in secret: Public officials are blocked from information too

“Public bodies have gotten comfortable with an unenforceable law and have gotten very good at roadblocks, making it brutally difficult to give access to information that the public is entitled to or board members are entitled to,” said Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s deputy chief of staff, Cara Smith.

* 7 board members who ran into roadblocks

* Ruff Law a recipe to cook lame ducks

State Rep. Renee Kosel (R-New Lenox) has introduced the Paul Ruff Law in the Illinois General Assembly.

The measure is officially known as House Bill 4627, but I’m calling it the Paul Ruff Law after the man who inspired it, the oafish assessor of Frankfort Township.

* Amendment gives power back to citizens

* Student lobbyists to take on lawmakers

posted by Mike Murray
Tuesday, Oct 20, 09 @ 8:06 am

Comments

Mike, fyi the News-Gazette is reporting on their website that Chancellor Herman has decided to resign.

Comment by Arthur Andersen Tuesday, Oct 20, 09 @ 8:31 am
Great idea to separate Round-up: Downstate from Chicago.

Comment by You Go Boy Tuesday, Oct 20, 09 @ 8:40 am
AA, what took so long? Sewing up the golden parachute?

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Oct 20, 09 @ 9:37 am
word, Herman is a mathematician by education and I would guess that he was crunching the numbers, if you will, on the various scenarios. If he gets the same deal as White, that is indeed a soft landing given his greater involvement in the admissions fiasco. I don’t think that either one of them can look forward to a quiet, long stretch in the halls of academia, though. Too much other wheeling and dealing went on over the past five years to sweep under those pretty rugs in the Illini Union.

Comment by Arthur Andersen Tuesday, Oct 20, 09 @ 10:15 am
White got a super bonus for making it to the end of the year even though he really didn’t. Then he gets a tenured spot at $300K. Herman will probably cut a similar deal. The U of I sure is good at making millionaires out of failed bureaucrats. Who says there is a funding crisis in higher ed.?

Comment by Bill Tuesday, Oct 20, 09 @ 10:59 am
Herman’s is even better than White’s. Basically, he does squat for the rest of this year at chancellor’s pay (but does give up the 5-year bonus.) and then goes on one-year sabbatical at professor pay of measly $244k then comes back to teach two math classes.
His resignation is effective Monday. Wish he would can the Zooker and Coach Guenther first.

Comment by Arthur Andersen Tuesday, Oct 20, 09 @ 11:45 am
Those rat-bastroids get the golden chutes while the academic professionals, who make the U of I run on time, get another year of net lower wages. Oh I know, I know, they are lucky to have a job.

I’m beginning to think those folks have it right when they claim the middle-class is shrinking and the divide grows ever-wider between the wealthy and the hoi polloi.

Comment by RobRoy Tuesday, Oct 20, 09 @ 1:50 pm
AA, I think the universities are state treasures like Illinois topsoil, Lake Michigan, and the rivers.

But the Herman extravagance is wild. Brings me back to the days at NIU and Clyde “The Glide” Wingfield, he of the $10,000 ceremonial mace (for his inaguration) and $20,000 moving-the-bathroom-across-the-hall in the presidential house.

These guys make Clyde look like pikers.

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Oct 20, 09 @ 3:33 pm
word, I fully agree about our State universities. I’ve spent many of my best moments (and a few of the worst, but then I gave up the sauce) as a student, alum, and parent on that campus these yahoos have sullied.

Winfield was another classic, but as you say small taters compared to these guys.

Did you catch the Flava Flav “medallion” the Big U bought for Joe White’s inaugural? A guy could be blinded by the reflection off the thing.

Comment by Arthur Andersen Tuesday, Oct 20, 09 @ 5:29 pm
et tu, Lon?

Comment by Bill Tuesday, Oct 20, 09 @ 6:26 pm
Lon Monk, from L.A. sports agent to Decatur stool pigeon to soon-to-be Yankton jail bird.

Couple wrong turns on the highway of life there.

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Oct 20, 09 @ 6:48 pm
Bill, Lon reaaly doesn’t (now or ever) live in Decatur, right?

Has to be a typo.

Comment by Arthur Andersen Tuesday, Oct 20, 09 @ 10:39 pm