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* My weekly syndicated newspaper column…
If I’ve heard it once, I’ve heard it a thousand times: “Legislators don’t lose elections over what happens at the Statehouse, they lose because they don’t take care of business back home.”
There’s a lot of truth to that. Visible, accessible legislators with topnotch constituent services usually don’t lose elections. If you look at the roster of losing Democrats in 2010, you’ll see a bunch of incumbents who became invisible in their districts, or let things slide. That’s not a 100 percent hard and fast rule, of course. Nothing approaches universality in the political business. Some districts change, some people are elected as onetime flukes. But constituent services are all-important. Period. End of story.
In most parts of the state, however, taking care of the home front means making sure that local political and business powers are constantly stroked. And this is where members have often gone too far, particularly with the legislative scholarship program. The number of city, downstate and suburban party chairmen, precinct captains, fundraisers and other honchos who have “absolutely brilliant children totally deserving of these scholarships” has been a constant refrain. It is probably the most abused program in all of state government.
That’s not to say the scholarship program has done no good. Plenty of kids have gone to college, or medical school, or law school who never would’ve otherwise managed to do so without a legislative scholarship. Legislators often get into this business to help people, and many are deservedly proud of the real, honest good they’ve done with this program.
But recent revelations have convinced all but the most hardcore legislative adherents that this program is so rife with abuse that it must die.
How, for instance, can anyone defend Sen. Martin Sandoval (D-Cicero) handing out scholarships to five unrelated students whose “official” address all happened to be the home of Sandoval’s fundraiser and an Ed Burke precinct captain?
Former Rep. Bob Molaro (D-Chicago) also has been questioned about scholarships awarded to all four children of a campaign worker who doesn’t live in the district.
The Illinois State Board of Education forwarded the Sandoval case to the FBI, as well as one involving Rep. Dan Burke (D-Chicago), who gave a scholarship to the daughter of a legislative aide who didn’t’ appear to live in his district. The feds were already investigating the Molaro scholarship when the Board of Education referrals arrived.
ChicagoTalks.org took a look at legislative scholarships last summer and found that about a third of sitting state legislators had awarded scholarships to kids outside their districts. Some of those scholarships can easily be explained away because parents moved, or kids just went to school in the legislative district, or other honest mistakes were made. Some of the questioned scholarships also appear to have been totally legal. The Board of Elections’ online legislator locating system apparently isn’t 100 percent accurate.
Whatever the case, it’s against the law to award one of these scholarships to a student who doesn’t live in a legislator’s district, and it has been for a very long time. If the feds really wanted to, they could conceivably indict a large number of legislators for mail fraud. A very big chunk of the General Assembly might be wiped out on this residency issue (including, possibly, even some leaders). And it goes without saying that it’s totally indefensible to hand out scholarships to the progeny of party functionaries, brilliant or (far more likely) not.
If the General Assembly cannot find a way to once and for all reform this program, then legislators must end it. And, frankly, I’m not sure how the scholarship program can be reformed, since way too many legislators have resisted, circumvented or blatantly ignored past reforms.
If they want a district-based program for truly needy and deserving students, then they should set one up with real oversight and regulations. Otherwise, this must end, or the feds will do the job on their own and a whole lot of legislators might wind up in prison.
Heck, that could happen anyway.
Discuss.
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Sep 26, 11 @ 8:09 am
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Put me in charge of the oversight committee for a modest honorarium. How will the new districts affect the borders?
I agree, end it.
Comment by Wumpus Monday, Sep 26, 11 @ 8:42 am
There are many good, honest legislators, then there are the ones with a penchant to abuse their positions.
Sure, some make mistakes and some have the appearance of wrongdoing when it isn’t. But for those knowingly abusing their power and responsibility I say “Off with their heads.”
I would be very, very disappointed if the feds didn’t prosecute every one of them. Folks, this is a felony offense. Because many committed it doesn’t give them leverage to get out of the punishment.
Comment by Justice Monday, Sep 26, 11 @ 9:14 am
This is one of those things that if you were from another state or not an insider you would just say-there’s no need for this program in the first place. reallocate the funds to the university system for merit aid for illinois students and move on.
Comment by Shore Monday, Sep 26, 11 @ 9:51 am
Hey, Rich, we pretty much agree. You’d better re-think your stance.
Comment by Jim Monday, Sep 26, 11 @ 10:11 am
I agree, end it. After all there really isn’t any money there it is just a program where the Universities eat the tuition of those chosen and probably then pass that cost on to everyone else. Maybe without this program tuition for everyone else will go down? LOL!! sorry
Comment by Irish Monday, Sep 26, 11 @ 10:21 am
Ha. Reform in Illinois? Just vote to end the leg scholarships.
Everybody who is not one of the chosen few is aware of, and is pretty darn sick of the “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know” abuses in this state–with the taxpayers always (surprise!)getting stuck with the bill.
Comment by Responsa Monday, Sep 26, 11 @ 11:08 am
It’s not even a scholarship, as Irish points out. It’s a tuition waiver that gives these folks permission to hand out “free college” at the institutions’ expense. All of these universities already have need-based and merit-based aid. Let’s limit the legislators to writing letters of recommendation for their friends’ kids.
End it. Now.
Comment by Ray del Camino Monday, Sep 26, 11 @ 11:12 am
–there’s no need for this program in the first place. reallocate the funds to the university system for merit aid for illinois students and move on.–
There are no funds to re-allocate. It’s a baronial waiver. That’s what makes it worse.
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Sep 26, 11 @ 11:13 am
{And it goes without saying that it’s totally indefensible to hand out scholarships to the progeny of party functionaries, brilliant or (far more likely) not.}
Just because one; or perhaps both of your parents are hacks does not automatically qualify the progeny as the Village Idiot. There are plenty of examples where bad genetic code can be over-ridden.
In some cases the educational opportunity provided by the legislative scholarship could be just what is necessary for some of these young people need in order to prevail in that effort.
Comment by Quinn T. Sential Monday, Sep 26, 11 @ 11:34 am
Sounds like a good number of legislators may be facing a fed induced “extinction event”.
Makes me wish I was a criminal lawyer.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quaternary_extinction_event
Comment by IrishPirate Monday, Sep 26, 11 @ 11:46 am
that would be really really funny if they indicted 1/3 of the legislature on mail fraud. Louisiana and New Jersey would have a hard time matching that.
Comment by shore Monday, Sep 26, 11 @ 12:29 pm
End it or turn it all over to a board Durbin style.
Comment by Ghost Monday, Sep 26, 11 @ 12:41 pm
Ironic that they stand by this program but the GA actually cut the state’s MAP (monetary assistance program) by $17 M for this fiscal year. MAP has real tests for students of need. If the students that legislators want to help really need financial help - they should apply for MAP grants.
The GA scholarship program is a joke. End it. Kudos to you Rich for saying it.
Comment by siriusly Monday, Sep 26, 11 @ 1:52 pm
well said siriusly- and it is especially egregious when the State has fallen down so miserably in it’s responsibility to fund public education in general…this perk is like awarding legislators for their lack of fiduciary responsiblity…end it now…
Comment by Loop Lady Monday, Sep 26, 11 @ 2:46 pm
Just end it. This isn’t Christmas and our elected officials need to stop thinking of the taxpayers as Santa Claus.
Comment by Aldyth Monday, Sep 26, 11 @ 2:58 pm
I was sickened to hear of the alleged abuse of this program.
I have been proud to administer the GA Scholarship from this office for more than nine years though two State Reps. In our office it is done in a way that is both fair and unbiased.
Winners are chosen by several higher ed & community organizations. Outside of our contact person from each committee, we don’t even know who sits on those committees. When the apps arrive at the committee locations, they are double blind. I spend weeks processing and whiting out all identifying information, making copies and finally distributing to the committees. The committees do not know the identity of the applicants, their address, nothing personal.
We make each applicant provide solid proof of residency. If they cannot provide proof, their app is disqualified.
My Rep. has given me instructions NOT to tell him the names of the applicants until they have been chosen by the committees. I am proud of the way we have handled the scholarship. We have given it the respect it deserves.
That being said, there are opportunities for abuse for personal gain. Not everyone will police themselves and do what is right, so sadly, for that reason, it should end.
Our office will pass the most harsh scrutiny. Nobody could be harder on us than we have been on ourselves.
We have helped kids that otherwise would not been able to afford college. None have been contributors, and in fact, last year the son of a former political opponent won. You should have seen my Reps face when the name was announced! We had a good laugh, and he commented that our process works EXACTLY the way it was intended.
If the GA Scholarship is ended because of the abuse by some, it will be sad. However, it will be completely understandable.
Comment by Say WHAT? Monday, Sep 26, 11 @ 5:10 pm
Don’t end it. Doesn’t cost that much to the universities…what’s the marginal cost of one more student? $.05? Also, they have been instituting double diget tuition increases in a zero inflation economy. Too bad for them if it’s kept.
I say end the careers of the GA members who abuse it. Maybe the State’s Attorney General might initiate that. The abuses are fraud on all of us, right?
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Sep 26, 11 @ 6:34 pm
last anon was Park. Sorry….C Cleaned yesterday.
Comment by park Monday, Sep 26, 11 @ 6:35 pm
Find all the patronage here:
https://spreadsheets.google.co
m/pub?key=tPKxCoq0DzsHo80EELQ
06lA&single=true&gid=0&output=html
Comment by candid Tuesday, Sep 27, 11 @ 11:33 am