Tuesday, May 30, 2006
The Pegasus Project
Back on February 2, 2003, I wrote an article for Illinois Leader entitled, “I’m Rod. Fly Me…For Free.”
The fruits of part of what I found—horse race track owners flying gubernatorial candidate Rod Blagojevich around the state—were harvested last Friday. That’s when Governor Rod Blagojevich signed legislation awarding the industry $36 million a year from Chicagoland’s four casinos over two years.
A company controlled by Richard Duchossois (who owns a big part of Churchill Downs, to which he sold Arlington Park) provided one fly-around on October 23rd. Add to that $25,000 in cash from Churchill Downs that had an Octobler 25th date and you have a big chit.
Cicero’s Sportsman’s Park spent $75,990 on nine free plane trips from August 18th through September 21st. That’s a lot of “face time.”
On May 28th, Sun-Times Springfield Bureau reporter Tracy Swartz quoted Cindi Canari of the Illinois Committee for Campaign Reform as saying the industry had contributed $250,000 to Blagojevich.
May 8th, Sun-Times Springfield Bureau Chief Dave McKinney reported the beneficiaries:
· track owners 40 percent…, leaving the rest for breeders, farmers and others in horse racingWhether one uses the $250,000 contribution-to-date figure or the $81,322 spent on the fly-arounds or the $106,322 contributed at the end of the 2002 campaign, the horse racing industry got a huge return on it “investment.”
· Arlington Park - $4.2 million
· Hawthorne Race Course - $4 million
· Balmoral Park Racetrack and Maywood Park to split $4.09 million
Somewhere between 132-1 to 405-1.
The odds for the tracks were lower, a bit over 11-1, if one goes with the $106,322 pre-election figure I found.
Here are the details of the fly-arounds:
Duchossois Industries Inc, Elmhurst $5,332 10/23And, the story of Pegasus:
Sportsman’s Park, Cicero $5,524 8/18
Sportsman’s Park, Cicero $8,760 8/23
Sportsman’s Park, Cicero $24,812 8/26
Sportsman’s Park, Cicero $5,512 9/2
Sportsman’s Park, Cicero $10,254 9/4
Sportsman’s Park, Cicero $5,202 9/14
Sportsman’s Park, Cicero $5,799 9/15
Sportsman’s Park, Cicero $4,964 9/16
Sportsman’s Park, Cicero $5,163 9/21
Bellerophon tried to use Pegasus to fly to Mount Olympus, but Zeus was not amused and sent an insect to bite Pegasus. Pegasus then bucked off Bellerophon, who fell to earth and died.Another reference mentions that Pegasus is most closely related to Corinth.
Moral:Don't try to crash Mount Olympus without an invite.
Are there parallels today?
This article originated at McHenry County Blog, where today you can learn which Illinois politician is responsible for May 30th not being celebrated as Memorial Day, plus how McHenry County resident George Dunne, who died Sunday, helped State Rep. Penny Pullen pass her HIV public protection bills. Read more...
Monday, May 29, 2006
Has Obama decided to run in 2008?
Dunn served as a senior adviser to Bill Bradley in 2000 and is playing a similar role for Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh as he weighs a run for president in 2008. Moore was involved in Rev. Jesse Jackson's 1988 presidential race, served in the Clinton White House and led minority outreach for John Kerry's presidential bid in 2004.
Political insiders will continue to wonder about Obama's plans given the incredibly active travel and fundraising schedule he's maintaining. Obama has already visited 21 states to raise money for Senate candidates and raised better than $1.5 million into Hopefund in the first four months of the year.
My two cents: Obama is a good looking, well spoken man, who can speak off the cuff on a variety of issues and sounds like a moderate. He's been the recipient of a lot of good press and the incredible luck to have run against
Obama's 2004 keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention introduced the man to the American public, and they liked what they saw and heard. The speech generated the first chatter about him as a possible presidential candidate. But he's always hemmed and hawed about the subject of a presidential run and insisted that as a freshman senator, his job is to learn the ins and outs and so on. It's this aura of humility that makes him all the more appealing to voters.
I believe that the instant the electorate get the idea that this guy is actually taking steps to run, the bloom is off the rose. It's at this point that the conventional wisdom switches from "Gee, that Barack Obama guy might make a good president some day" to "Gee, look who's gotten a swelled head."
In other words, Obama stops being a dream candidate in the public's eye as soon as he says he wants to be a candidate. I think this will be the case in 2008, at least.
I'm not one who thinks that Hillary Clinton has the Democratic nomination in her pocket. Still, the presidential nominees of both parties have for the past several election cycles been those candidates whom candidate conventional wisdom has said would win because of support from their party's movers and shakers (good thing we have primary elections, huh?). Still, if Obama is serious about seeking the White House, he might want to wait and prove he can win a tough statewide election, and then mount a run in 2012 or 2016, when he really can claim to be a seasoned candidate.
It's going to be hard to resist running. Obama was a first-hand witness to and beneficiary of the Illinois GOP's self-destruction brought about by decades of pinstripe corruption, which culminated in corrupt George Ryan administration. President Bush and a handful of GOP greed- and ego-heads seemed determine to bring down the Republicans on a national level. The conventional wisdom is that the GOP is going to loose control of one or both chambers of Congress this year and probably the White House. Obama wants to be in place when that happens, much as he was in 2004.
Hat tip: Bill Baar's West Side and Illinoize.
Cross posted at Peoria Pundit. Read more...
Memorial Day in Illinois
Crossposted on Marathon Pundit.
I took this photograph about two hours ago while in front of the Morton Grove Public Library, I used my Treo 650.
The statue was erected in 1920 to honor the local soldiers who served our country in the Great War.
And in the spirit of the National Review listing of the 50 Greatest Conservative Rock Songs Ever, here is one more great conservative rocker, Paul McCartney's Freedom:
This is my right, a right given by God
To live a free life, to live in Freedom
We talkin' about Freedom
Talkin' bout Freedom
I will fight, for the right
To live in Freedom
Anyone, who wants to take it away
Will have to answer, Cause this is my right
We talkin' about Freedom
Talkin' bout Freedom
I will fight, for the right
To live in Freedom, ah yeah, come on now...
You talkin' about Freedom
Were talkin' bout Freedom
I will fight, for the right
To live in Freedom
Everybody talkin' bout Freedom
Talkin' bout Freedom
I will fight, for the right
To live in Free----------dom
Oh, Cal Skinner wanted to know if any Illinois bands made the NR list. The answer is yes, Cheap Trick with Taxman, Mr. Thief. Read more...
State Car Title Loans
TG wrote a comment to a Quad City Times article on the prospect of leasing tollways by Matt Adrian.
It made me smile so broadly, I thought I would share it with you:
TG wrote on May 28, 2006 6:19 PM:Maybe, after the election, the Governor can fulfill his promises by going to Pink Slip Loan Financing."Great idea Rod. How about just taking all of the Illinios owned vehicle titles to a title loan place. You can get cash now and not have negative effects until later! Has anyone ever taught you the pitfalls of immediate gratification, Rod?"
Also at McHenry County Blog, where you can see my "Message of the Day," a bumper sticker in Spanish, appropriate for Memorial Day. Read more...
Olive-Harvey immigration forum fosters dialog between Black and Hispanic students
I've blogged a few times about immigration over on my blog. The only point of view I have on immigration is only that I believe that our government should enforce the borders. I almost wonder what the impact of illegal immigration has been in say the Chicago area?
That being said this Chicago Defender article has gotten my attention. Olive-Harvey College is located on east 103rd Street on the south side of Chicago and according to this article they are a minority there. With Hispanic students wanting their faculty and peers to have a grasp on the issue of immigration, the Organization of Latin American Students hosted an informal forum on a Thursday evening attended by 40 people. Here's a quote...
“We wanted to let the community know, but particularly let the immigrant community know, that they can come to this college and find opportunities,” said Edgar Casillas, president of OLAS at Olive-Harvey. “This college is for everyone.”The idea of this forum is to "is to bridge a coalition with the African American students, who make up about 90 percent of the student body population."
“We wanted to inform them about the political issue that is going on nationwide,” Casillas said. “Before, we had an Afro-Latino Expedition to link together the African Americans and Latinos. Because most of the people don’t know that we do have African roots in our Latino countries. The second largest African population outside of the continent of Africa is in Brazil, which is a Latino country.”Although the attendance (most of the school's black students didn't show up) was not very good for this forum the assistant dean of Research and Planning at Olive-Harvey, Andrew Sund believed this forum was necessary...
Finally, here are some student responses on this issue...“Olive-Harvey has been serving a predominately African American community for years here on the far South Side of Chicago,” he said. “But there is a growing Latino community, Hispanic community, on the South Side, South Chicago, Southeast Side of Chicago that is beginning to take advantage of the various courses and curriculum opportunities offered by Olive-Harvey. And they are becoming 10 to 15 percent of the student population.
“And this was a students’ initiative. They wanted a forum here for their community that was really informational. So that the community could become aware of what are the proposed reforms, but also what are the current opportunities that exist for immigrants with different statuses in terms of education, in terms of social services and in terms of possibilities in becoming citizens."
Read more...David Simmons, an African American who is part of theatrical production at Olive-Harvey...
“It’s going to cost us as a country either way,” Simmons said. “It’s cheaper to make them citizens than to deport them and go through all of that drama.
“But I don’t like the idea of illegal immigrants coming to America and getting the jobs that we can do, only because they will accept less money for those jobs. It’s makes it harder for those American families who are willing to work hard just to survive with the prices of everything going up anyway.”
Simmons added that if illegal immigrants are going to be legalized, he wants to see the process made fair and not just concentrate on Hispanics. He said the same process should apply to Africans and people from the Caribbean.Denise Williams, president of the Olive-Harvey chapter of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society, said she is for making illegal immigrants legal.
“This is a free country. They are here, so why send them back,” Williams said, who is African American. “They make up a population just as well as we do.”
Sharice Latham, vice president of Phi Beta Kappa, told the Defender that the immigration issue is simply a human issue, and she sees the illegal immigrants struggles similar to those of African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement of the ’50s and ’60s.
“The thing about it is, not only have they (Hispanics) supported their cause, but I’m also seeing other people begin to support their cause, which just shows how determined they are to be here.”
Sunday, May 28, 2006
Campaign Finance CSI
Two former executives of Intercounty Title Company and Independent Trust Co. (also known as Intrust) just got sentenced to 14 years in the Federal pen for defrauding 20,000 investors.
Laurence Capriotte and Jack Hargrove are the bad guys in this $90+ million scheme.
Just for fun, I decided to see to whom these crooks made campaign contributions.
None of the recipients have been accused of doing anything wrong in connection with the contributions, but let's take a look anyway.
I tried “Independent Trust” first and guess what popped up?
$500 to Citizens for Governor George Ryan--since convicted of racketeering--on September 22, 1998.
Now, it wasn’t Independent Trust Company. It was Independent Trust Corporation (15255 S 94th Ave Ste 303, Orland Park, IL 60462), but the odds are good that the two are related, if not the same company. The Illinois Secretary of State’s Office has only the Corporation registered.
Next I plugged in “Capriotte.”
Not a dime of contributions.
Next in was “Hargrove.”
There’s more than one, so I looked for “Jack Hargrove” and found a $2,000 October 17, 1997, contribution to Poshard for Governor.
I’m not sure what to make of the two contributions. It is interesting that Ryan’s contribution comes after the one to Poshard.
While the Tribune story did not mention Intercounty Title Company, the Associated Press story did.
Typing in just “Intercounty,” I hit paydirt.
56 contributions totaling $58,499 from different entities, all located at 120 W. Madison in Chicago.
Most are for Intercounty Title Co Of Illinois, a couple are listed Intercounty National Title and one as Intercounty Title Co Sas PAC, which I cannot find registered as a political action committee.
So, let’s see who Intercounty sought to influence.
Let’s go for the big ones first.
Getting $5,000 were
· Friends of Lee Daniels (plus $1,600 in 1995 and 1997)All were in 1996, except DeLeo’s, which was in 1998.
· Committee to Elect James A. Deleo and
· Aldo DeAngelis, P.A.
Citizens for Emil Jones received $2,500 in 1996.
Citizens for Jim Myers got $1,650 in 1997, following $500 in 1995 and $1,250 in 1994. Myers’ committee also got a $298 CD player in 1999.
$1,600 was given to Citizens to Re-Elect Thomas J. Walsh in 1997 (plus $500 in 1999).
$1,500 was given to Jesse White in 1998, while State Rep. Bob Churchill got the same amount in 1996. Churchill also received $250 in 1997.
Citizens for George Ryan received $1,400 in 1997.
Which other folks who have been governor got checks from Intercounty?
For contributions $1,000 or less, plus those to others who were or became governors, go to McHenry County Blog. At the bottom of this story is that link, plus a link to where you can play Campaign Finance CSI. (Well, maybe there was no political crime, but it's a catchy title, isn't it?)
There are some names of individuals next to some of the Intercounty entries that might yield further clues to why these folks were making political contributions. Read more...
Saturday, May 27, 2006
If you fight a lost election then take the high road.
via Paul Dailing in the Kane County Chronicle,
On Friday, Laesch spoke in front of Hastert's Batavia office, in defense of a contested ABC News report that stated that the FBI is investigating Hastert, R-Plano. Laesch gave the same speech later in the day in front of the DeKalb County Courthouse.I heard Eliot Cohen on talk show after writing this column and he said Congress has probably dropped the ball the most of all branches of government since 911.
[...]
Laesch said he believed Hastert is involved.
"My guess is that ABC has a quality source within, and that person is telling the truth," Laesch said, calling Hastert one of "the ringleaders for the culture of corruption."
I look at the creation of Department of Homeland Security --for starters-- and agree. Laesch should take the opportunity to call Hastert on it.
Forget the culture of corruption stuff. It's forgotten fast in Illinois. Use the platform to ask hard questions. It may not get the press coverage but who knows. Laesch would be doing the country a better service. Read more...
"I still have a name. You're Public Official A."
Forget Church tomorrow, this sounds way to good to miss!
Gov. Blagojevich and Republican challenger Judy Baar Topinka fought their first bout of face-to-face verbal combat Friday, battling over everything from ethics to vision in a contentious hour of finger-pointing, chest-thumping and name-calling.It's Dick Kay's farewll show. What a great way to leave the business.
"You have the most investigated administration in the history of the state of Illinois -- the most investigated," Topinka told the governor. "I still have a name. You're Public Official A."
The hourlong debate between Gov. Blagojevich and Republican rival Judy Baar Topinka airs at 9 a.m. Sunday and again at 11 a.m. Monday on "City Desk" on WMAQ-Channel 5. It is the final episode of the show to be hosted by retiring NBC5 political editor Dick Kay.Read more...
Obama watch: The Fix
via Chris Cizzla's The Fix,
I voted for him but seems all he's done so far is write another book and raise piles of cash.Obama Staff Move Prompts Renewed '08 Speculation
Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) has brought on two nationally known Democratic consultants as advisers in recent weeks, prompting renewed speculation that the freshman senator may be considering a 2008 White House run. Sen. Barack Obama (AP)
Anita Dunn, a partner with Squier Knapp Dunn, a media consulting company, and Minyon Moore, who is with the Dewey Square Group, are now serving as advisers to Obama.
cross posted at Bill Baar's West Side Read more...
It's About Concrete, Silly
So, O’Hare Airport’s $15 billion expansion is in trouble and is going to cost more than city officials predicted.
Ho, hum.
Opponents have been predicting that for years.
Right after the plan was announced, WTTW had a panel discuss it. One of the proponents was Lester Crown of Material Service fame. Material Service, as in, “We sell gravel.”
There may be more of McHenry County in Cook County than in McHenry County, thanks to Material Service and other gravel pit owners.
Now, last Thursday's Daily Herald’s editorial asks,
Will this plan fly?It’s first paragraph is
"The reason — the only reason — to expand O’Hare Airport is to substantially increase the airport’s capacity and reduce its delays in a cost-effective manner."To say there is some doubt is a substantial understatement.
As the Daily Herald concludes:
"Some observers have suggested another course and say that adding one runway and extending an existing runway would significantly reduce delays at much lower cost. It is time, before the city goes further down the uncertain path it is on now, to fully analyze this and perhaps other options in an open-minded search for the most cost-effective modernization of this vital airport."Could former U.S. Senator Peter Fitzgerald have been right…again?
I wish Daily Herald Jack Mabley were still with us so he could write an “I told you so” column for the Daily Herald. He convinced me that this mega-expansion of O’Hare was unnecessary, as was the Peotone Airport.
Mabley argued that Gary’s airport would work quite find, thank you. It’s 35 minutes from the Loop, but in another state, of course.
But Chicago/Illinois politicians can’t control the contracts there, can they?
It’s really all about concrete.
Also posted at McHenry County Blog. Read more...
Let the Floggings Begin!
Rich Miller gets in the first licks on the Governor's education gamble this Holiday Weekend. It's a doozie:To me, this looks more like a $10 billion plan to eliminate a potentially devastating African-American opponent from the campaign and the foundation for millions of dollars of TV ads, hundreds of newspaper headlines and dozens of stump speeches rather than something that will actually become law one day.
Stay tuned for more weekend editorials and columns as they become available, and please post links to any I miss.
UPDATE: Downstate Democrats have come out against the Governor's proposal in full force. Read here.Read more...
"If all the money is going to Chicago, there's no way I'm going to support this." (State Rep. Brandon Phelps)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)