Saturday, January 31, 2009

Blagojevich Is Not a Cuckoo!

As you can plainly see from this cartoon drawn for my Libertarian Party campaign against Rod Blagojevich and Jim Ryan in 2002, Blagojevich is not a cuckoo.

Mayor Richard Daley is only half right.

Blagojevich is a bird.

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Quinn, Blagojevich, and the Illinois Sierra Club in Happier Days

Pics from 2006 when most of the impeachable crimes had been committed. What it be too much for the Sierra Club (and Quinn) to say to Illinois Voters, We're sorry for endorsing him? Blagojevich fooled us and we should have known.

Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich today announced a strong proposal to require Illinois' coal-fired power plants to install pollution controls to reduce the levels of toxic mercury they put into Illinois' air and water. Blagojevich's plan would require Illinois coal plants to reduce mercury pollution by 90% by 2009.
Governor Blagojevich's proposal will not only protect the health of Illinois children, it will also set an example for America to follow in addressing a major public health problem," said Jack Darin, Director of the Sierra Club, Illinois Chapter.

Mercury from coal-fired power plants ends up in lakes, rivers, and oceans, and certain species of fish accumulate dangerous levels of the toxic metal in their muscle tissue. When people eat these fish, they are exposed to potentially harmful levels of mercury. The Illinois Department of Public Health has issued a warning about the dangers of eating large predator fish from all Illinois waters due to statewide mercury pollution.

The Bush Administration has proposed substantially weaker pollution controls that could allow Illinois coal plants to delay or even entirely avoid installing pollution controls. Governor Blagojevich and Attorney General Lisa Madigan filed suit against the Bush Administration's proposal in April of 2005.

"Mothers and women hoping to have children shouldn't have to worry that by eating fish or feeding it to their kids they could be doing permanent damage to a child's brain,” said Darin. “We hope Illinois power plants will heed Gov. Blagojevich's call to clean up their act and protect our children's health. The technology to protect our kids is available, affordable, and it's time we put it on these smokestacks.”
The crimes were known when you stood with him. How many kids were saved in those remaining years to have put Illinois through this? Was Blagojevich worth it? Would Topinka have been that dastardly?

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Quinn Can Lead to a Cleaner Future

IIllinois Governor Pat Quinn takes office with more knowledge and experience dealing with the energy, environmental, and conservation challenges facing our state than any new governor in Illinois history. As Lieutenant Governor, he pushed the boundaries of his job description to become Illinois' most visible environmental advocate, championing major upgrades to the policies protecting our drinking water, our public lands, our energy policies, and many more.

As Quinn said after taking the oath of office, "I'm an organizer. Early to bed, early to rise, organize, organize, organize". This inclination to action has attracted him to many good fights on behalf of the people versus the powerful. By lending the power of his office, his good name, and his knack for attracting public attention to causes that might otherwise go unnoticed, he has made a critical difference in many campaigns for a cleaner and greener Illinois. When developers wanted to cash in by building condos on prime bald eagle habitat on an island in the Illinois River, Quinn led an effort to save Plum Island, and it is now forever protected. He sided with Sierra Club and local officials against Gov. Blagojevich's IDNR to stop a coal mine in an Illinois River wetland connected to Banner Marsh, a major state wildlife area. He championed homeowners in DuPage County who were not notified that their drinking water was contaminated by leaking toxic waste, and worked to change our laws to require notification and give Illinois EPA more authority to crack down on polluters.

Now Quinn takes over the Governor's office in the midst of simultaneous crises of corruption, fiscal collapse, and a shrinking economy. He could be forgiven for momentarily forgetting his populist roots as he suddenly inherits such immense problems and responsibility, but his first hours indicated, if anything, a renewed commitment to change. In his first evening as Governor, Quinn spoke to the need for a major new capital spending program to have sustainability as a fundamental principle, including smart, clean energy as a priority. He said he would reopen closed state parks, and would appoint a natural resource professional to run the troubled Department of Natural Resources.

The problems he faces are big, and the competition for his attention will be intense, but Quinn can get off to a fast start making Illinois a leader in the new green economy. While corruption has dominated the headlines, environmental advocates have made big changes in recent years. New energy laws will require 25% of Illinois' electricity to come from wind and other renewable sources by 2025, and Ameren and ComEd are beginning major new programs to help homeowners and businesses save energy this year. We are moving to protect our rivers and lakes from phosphorus pollution from sewage plants and lawn runoff, and this year Illinois coal plants will install cutting edge technology to eliminate 90% of mercury pollution from their smokestacks.

However, big questions about our future face Quinn, the new General Assembly, and all of us. Will Illinois help Obama lead the country and the world to global warming solutions by becoming a clean car state, and setting state limits on greenhouse gas emissions? Will we focus new federal and state capital investments on transportation and energy projects that put people to work giving us cleaner air and healthier communities? Can we protect Illinois' remaining wetlands, prairies, and forests for future generations? How will we make sure a growing population and economy has access to clean, safe drinking water? How can we rebuild the Illinois DNR in the midst of a state fiscal crisis?

Fortunately, Quinn will have a lot of allies in tackling these questions. Changes in the Senate leadership have put John Cullerton and Christine Radogno, both longtime environmental champions, in charge of the Democratic and Republican caucuses, respectively. In the House, the 2008 elections were bad news for some who resisted change, and good news for a new class of leaders who have clean energy high on their list of priorities. In both the House and Senate, Quinn will find new allies for change, even among longtime veterans who will now see the writing on the wall. He can work with Attorney General Lisa Madigan, who has been a vigilant enforcer of our environmental laws, and who helped stem the Bush Administration's attacks on our environmental laws with regular legal challenges. State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias has come up with creative ways to put the power of the state's purse to work protecting the planet. Old divides between interest groups are melting, and new alliances forming, as the very broad appeal of change becomes clear. Businesses see the imperative of energy efficiency in cutting costs. Organized labor recognizes the tremendous employment potential of smart energy solutions. Hunters and anglers are teaming with birders and hikers to demand effective protection of Illinois' outdoors. Faith congregations recognize solving the climate crisis as a moral imperative. Mayors and other local government officials, from Waukegan to Chicago to Rock Island to Carbondale, have made commitments to reduce greenhouse gases locally and are poised to help craft state solutions.

Many members of Illinois' political establishment have, in the past, snickered at Quinn. Constantly picking the people over the powerful has not exactly been the golden rule of Illinois politics. But now, change is not just in vogue, it is in demand. The people of Illinois demand clean government, and they are beyond hungry for leadership they can trust to deliver a smart energy future, and to be a good steward of our air, water, and natural resources. Pat Quinn has what it takes to be that leader, but he will need help. The General Assembly must also embrace change, and each of us must hold all of our elected officials to a new, higher standard. Let's change Illinois from the capitol of "pay to play" to a laboratory of fresh, new ideas that will revitalize our economy, give us a all a cleaner, healthier place to live, and give America real examples of the change we need.

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GOPUSA ILLINOIS Daily Clips - January 31, 2009

Articles of interest to Illinois Republicans recently posted by ABC7, NBC5, CBS2, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Crain's Chicago Business, Daily Herald, Suburban Chicago News, Suburban Life, Pioneer Local, Southtown Star, Rockford Register Star, Bloomington Pantagraph, Peoria Journal Star, Springfield State Journal Register, Belleville News Democrat, Southern Illinoisan, Illinois Review, Public Affairs, Champion News, Illinois Family Institute, Americans For Truth, Chicago Daily Observer, Tom Roeser, Capitalfax, etc. Since January 1, 2005, GOPUSA ILLINOIS has brought 41,299 such articles and information on many upcoming events to its subscribers' attention each morning, free of charge, and without any advertising. To view the January 31, 2009 GOPUSA ILLINOIS Daily Clips, please visit www.gopillinois.com or www.illinoisreview.com. Thanks

Friday, January 30, 2009

IL-05 Primary Roundup Week 1

In Illinois, the first step for getting on the ballot is collecting signatures on one's nominating petitions. a sub-element of this step is staying on the ballot, as four of the 14 democrats competing for Rahm Emanuel's Congressional seat have discovered. The Cook County County Officers Electoral Board has set February 5th hearings for three of the cases (Charles Wheelan, Pete Dagher and Carlos Monteagudo) and continued the process for Roger Thompson. College students connected to the Bryar campaign, Mary Scala and Rudolph Trejo ("son of a former 32nd Ward Democratic Organization precinct captain"), were the objectors for Wheelan, Thompson and Dagher; Thomas Root was the objector for Monteagudo.

The second step (in Illinois elections) is the ballot lottery for those who are first to file their nominating petitions (iow, are in line when the Clerk's office opens up for filing). Charles Wheelan won the first ballot position. The complete ballot order is here:

Charles J. Wheelan DEM
Sara Feigenholtz DEM
John A. Fritchey DEM
Victor A. Forys DEM
Pete Dagher DEM
Jan H. Donatelli DEM
Frank Annunzio DEM
Carlos A. Monteagudo DEM
Paul J. Bryar DEM
Roger A. Thompson III DEM
Tom Geoghegan DEM
Cary Capparelli DEM
Mike Quigley DEM
Patrick J. O'Connor DEM

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Some more Blago damage: Park closings

Sitting on my desk is the 2009 Illinois Travel Guide. On the cover is Abraham Lincoln. The anniversary of the birth of the greatest Illinoisan is next month, and the state bureau of tourism made the right decision by focusing on Honest Abe for this year's guide.

A project like this takes months to produce. Most of the work on this year's guide was probably completed when then-Governor Rod Blagojevich sneaked back to Illinois on the day Barack Obama gave his acceptance speech...

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Quinn's first days in office

In his first full day as Illinois’ top executive, Gov. Pat Quinn addressed ethics and political campaigns, two topics fresh in the minds of voters after former Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s legal and political problems.

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Pat Quinn in Charge

If there was any question whether Pat Quinn was ready to lead, the Illinois state government website announced he was. When I looked last night -- granted, shortly after Blagojevich was removed from office -- the website still had Rod Blagojevich, governor in the right hand corner. This morning, the transition was complete.

Can't wait to drive the tollway free of the reminder that it was paid for, pay to play...

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GOPUSA ILLINOIS Daily Clips - January 30, 2009

Articles of interest to Illinois Republicans recently posted by ABC7, NBC5, CBS2, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Crain's Chicago Business, Daily Herald, Suburban Chicago News, Suburban Life, Pioneer Local, Southtown Star, Rockford Register Star, Bloomington Pantagraph, Peoria Journal Star, Springfield State Journal Register, Belleville News Democrat, Southern Illinoisan, Illinois Review, Public Affairs, Champion News, Illinois Family Institute, Americans For Truth, Chicago Daily Observer, Tom Roeser, Capitalfax, etc. Since January 1, 2005, GOPUSA ILLINOIS has brought 41,246 such articles and information on many upcoming events to its subscribers' attention each morning, free of charge, and without any advertising. To view the January 30, 2009 GOPUSA ILLINOIS Daily Clips, please visit www.gopillinois.com or www.illinoisreview.com. Thanks

ICPR Statement: Time to Get to Work

The Illinois Campaign for Political Reform released this statement on the future of Illinois politics:

Rod Blagojevich has been removed from office. Now, the real work can begin.

The waning days of the Blagojevich Administration became a circus, with a one-man carnival-barker/freak show in the center ring. But until the political system that allowed someone like that to assume the duties of governor is changed, the Era of Corruption will continue.

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Turning The Page on WhatsHisName

State Senator Ricky Hendon said something remarkable during the impeachment trial yesterday, and I'm paraphrasing here:

"Congratulations to the press. You have reestablished your power. Use it wisely."

Its going to take ALL of us to "turn the page", move beyond our former governor, and move Illinois forward.

And just as even the lowliest fungus needs a ray of light to survive, our former governor needs media attention.

Bloggers, t.v. reporters, newspaper editors: You want to stick it to our former governor? Stop covering him.

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Meet Gov. Pat Quinn

By Bethany Jaeger
Pat Quinn was once booed on the House floor in 1976 (see our recent Pat Quinn profile here). Tonight, he received a standing ovation as he took the oath as Illinois’ 41st governor. Before all constitutional officers and legislative leaders, as well as family and friends and some lawmakers, Quinn smiled and raised his right hand.

  • Public employee positions will be “under review.” He said, “If you are doing a good job and being diligent, that’s what we’re looking for.”
  • The recently appointed director of the Department of Natural Resources, former Rep. Kurt Granberg of Carlyle, might not be up to par with Quinn’s desire to have a “natural resources professional” in that position.
  • He plans to open state parks and historic sites that Blagojevich closed after cutting state funding.
  • He will take down the Chicago Tollway signs with Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s name on them and might replace them with signs that say, “The people of Illinois welcome you.”
  • Quote of the night: “I am proud of being frugal. I’m a VIP member of the Super 8, and I moved up from Motel 6.”
  • He followed up with this: “I think being frugal is useful, but I am very generous. I think everyone will tell you that I’m very generous to a fault.”
  • He would not address whether he will run for governor in 2010. “I don’t think the people of Illinois need politics right now. We’ve had our dose of that — a heavy dose — for the last seven weeks. I think this should be a year of governance, where people really work on repairing damage and making things better. And there will be plenty of time for politics in 2010.”
Blagojevich: I will continue to fight for the people
By Jamey Dunn
At the same time Quinn gave his news conference, Blagojevich spoke outside of his home and said he was “saddened” but “not surprised” by the Senate’s decision to remove him from office. He listed what he deems as his accomplishments in health care and education and listed all the public servant jobs he has held from his most recent office back to when he was a prosecutor. He said that although he is no longer governor, he will continue to fight for the people of Illinois and to prove his innocence.

"I love the people of Illinois today now more than I ever did before."

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Thursday, January 29, 2009

Senate president sets a new tone

By Hilary Russell
Breaking promises, dismissing the legislature and provoking unconventional — and allegedly illegal — methods of fundraising will no longer be the rule to follow, said Senate President John Cullerton, a Chicago Democrat, following the conviction of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich. The conviction immediately removed Blagojevich from office and forbids him from holding any public office in Illinois in the future.


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Unanimous vote to convict Blagojevich


By Jamey Dunn
Senators on both sides of the aisle expressed disappointment with then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich before unanimously voting — 59 to 0 — to remove him from office Thursday. They also voted to prevent him from holding any future public office in Illinois.

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Advocates for Intercity Passenger Rail Call on Congress and President Obama to Increase Funding for Rail in Stimulus Plan

(Cross-posted at Midwest High Speed Rail, Improving Amtrak Incrementally)


Chicago Union Station, Great Hall

Thursday, January 29th, 12:30 pm

Contacts:

Representative Elaine Nekritz, Chair of the Illinois House Rail Committee

Paris Ervin, Illinois Department of Transportation

Rick Harnish, Midwest High Speed Rail Association

Laura Kliewer, Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Commission

ADVOCATES FOR INTERCITY PASSENGER RAIL CALL ON CONGRESS AND PRESIDENT OBAMA TO INCREASE FUNDING FOR RAIL IN STIMULUS PLAN

Chicago press conference one of several held around the Midwest this week



Participants:
Illinois Secretary of Transportation Milt Sees, Representative Elaine Nekritz (D-Des Plaines), Representative Dave Winters (R-Rockford), Representative Al Riley (D-Hazel Crest), Representative Naomi Jakobsson (D-Urbana), Representative Paul Froehlich (D-Schaumburg), County Board Member Michael Richards (D-Champaign), Rick Harnish of the Midwest High Speed Rail Association, Laura Kliewer of the Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Commission, John O'Brien, United Transportation Union


The economic stimulus plan currently being considered by Congress provides an incredible opportunity to build a modern regional passenger rail network that makes America more energy-efficient, sustainable and prosperous, and while there are encouraging developments in the Senate led by Dick Durbin, the first drafts of the federal stimulus plan miss the mark.



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Blagojevich makes his case

by Bethany Jaeger, Jamey Dunn and Hilary Russell
Gov. Rod Blagojevich made his case to the state Senate rather than to the national media this morning, asking legislators how they could impeach him for pushing and prodding — sometimes too hard, he said — to protect seniors, infants and middle-class parents.

“I want to apologize to you for what happened,” Blagojevich said to the senators this morning, “but I can’t because I didn’t do anything wrong.”

House Prosecutor David Ellis disagreed and said that the ends don’t justify the means. When the camera is on, Ellis said in his rebuttal, the governor’s "for the little guy." When the camera is off, he’s for legal, personal and political gain, referring to one of the direct quotes in federal transcripts of 61 secretly recorded conversations.

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GOPUSA ILLINOIS Daily Clips - January 29, 2009

Articles of interest to Illinois Republicans recently posted by ABC7, NBC5, CBS2, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Crain's Chicago Business, Daily Herald, Suburban Chicago News, Suburban Life, Pioneer Local, Southtown Star, Rockford Register Star, Bloomington Pantagraph, Peoria Journal Star, Springfield State Journal Register, Belleville News Democrat, Southern Illinoisan, Illinois Review, Public Affairs, Champion News, Illinois Family Institute, Americans For Truth, Chicago Daily Observer, Tom Roeser, Capitalfax, etc. Since January 1, 2005, GOPUSA ILLINOIS has brought 41,194 such articles and information on many upcoming events to its subscribers' attention each morning, free of charge, and without any advertising. To view the January 29, 2009 GOPUSA ILLINOIS Daily Clips, please visit www.gopillinois.com or www.illinoisreview.com. Thanks

The Last Days of Rod Blagojevich

Looks like these are the last days of Governor Blagojevich. While there will be a collective sigh of relief across the land that we will have seen the last of this Governor's corrupt rule, it will neither be the last we see of Blagojevich, abuse of power in Illinois government nor the last of the corrupt political system in which the Governor arose.

It is important to realize that this has been a family feud, a war amongst the members of Illinois' political "machine," over who will control the levers of state government (and, thus, the money that flows from it). Ridding ourselves of Rod Blagojevich only removes the most public embarrassment that stems from the corruption endemic to the state's politics. But it won't change the fact that the state remains one of the most corrupt in the nation.

This is Illinois, as one political reporter likes to remind us. Corruption is endemic here. Abuse of power is common. It is, as Illinoisans like to remind outsiders, the price of getting things done. People accept it. That's the way it's been since people can remember.

By most accounts, Quinn hasn't even spoken to Blagojevich — with whom he was twice elected, in 2002 and 2006 — in more than a year. At one point, as Quinn was pressing the governor over taxes and electricity rates, Blagojevich said Quinn was no longer a part of his administration. "Quinn is known as a gadfly," Blagojevich told a radio station last year. "That's one of his charming qualities."

For his part, Quinn said on Meet the Press, "I tried to talk to the governor, but the last time I spoke to him was in August of 2007. I think one of the problems is, the governor did sort of seal himself off from all the statewide officials, [from] attorney general Madigan and myself [to] many others, and that's no way to govern. You have to be able to reach out and touch people and listen."


More to the point, Pat Quinn has not only kept his distance from Blagojevich, but also kept his distance from the family feud inside Illinois' political "machine." Which only leaves him as their next target when Blagojevich is removed.

Quinn has been hard at work preparing for his inevitable elevation to Governor. When it became apparent that Blagojevich would be removed from office, he created the Illinois Reform Commission. Several news reports note that Quinn has been laying the groundwork for a smooth transition. He's promised to do two things that have rankled average people in Illinois, live in the Governor's Mansion in Springfield (Blagojevich wasted hundreds of thousands of dollars flying back and forth from Chicago to Springfield while the Legislature was in session -- which is supposed to last a mere two months) and remove the gigantic signs over Illinois' tollways with Rod Blagojevich's name on them. Quinn called these "a symbol of 'pompous government.'"

The challenge facing Pat Quinn in Illinois is the same one facing Barack Obama in Washington: changing the course of politics in their respective capitols. The impeachment of Rod Blagojevich was not an rising of a public (or government) horrified by Blagojevich's eggregious abuses, but the end-game of a long internal battle for power and control of a corrupted system. Our new governor will have his work cut out for him, and will need all of our support.

One national reporter (and I've forgotten who he was) keeps asking, Why didn't someone say something before Hospital Executive 1 was being extorted for $50,000? The answer is simple: people here in Illinois are so accustomed to the corruption in the state's politics that it doesn't occur to them to speak out about it. Everyone already knows. And speaking out could cost you your job, even in the private sector. The real answer, then, is fear. People are afraid, and Pat Quinn can't change anything about Illinois' politics until he can diminish the fear that average people have about speaking out about the corruption and abuses of power they see regularly in their government.

The smart politicians in Illinois have figured out just where are the fine lines are in ethics and reform laws. And they've figured out numerous ways around them. Blagojevich's rush for money before December 31st was merely another in an attempt to circumvent our good government laws. While one violator may be removed, others remain. Pat Quinn will soon enter the lion's den. With our help, he won't be alone.

You can visit Pat Quinn's websites here:

Campaign Site
Standing Up for Illinois, Office of Lt Governor Pat Quinn
Reform Illinois Now

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