Da Mare, Listlessly UPDATED

Cross posted from ICPR's blog, The Race is On:

Yesterday’s revelation that the Mayor’s Office of Intergovernmental Affairs kept a 60-page clout list, detailing over 5,000 applicants and their political sponsors, has provoked outrage and indignation in the press and even around the water cooler (and not just at our office). In size and scope, this list dwarfs any previously disclosed lists maintained by either Gov. George Ryan or Gov. Rod Blagojevich. While there is broad consensus that patronage hiring and civil service should not mix, maybe it’s worth exploring why.

Mark Brown’s column today notes that patronage hiring “gives political leaders too much power.” Without disagreeing, I think that condenses the effect too much. Here’s my unpacking of the problems of patronage (in no particular order):

* Telling staff that the quality of their work is meaningless cheapens their labor and their lives. This is equally true of front line workers and supervisors.

* Putting workers in a position where they believe that their jobs depend on political work coerces them to forfeit their political independence

* Showing taxpayers that government will waste their money for private, electoral gains fuels backlash at government efforts for the common good.

* Locking a block of voters and campaign workers to a particular candidate dilutes the deliberative function of elections.

* Giving one set of candidates ready access to campaign cash and workers (I won’t use the euphemism “volunteers” in this context) disadvantages competing candidates and ideas and perverts the outcome of elections.

I’m sure there are other reasons, that’s what I came up with in 15-minuts of keyboarding. And we should distinguish between a system of tracking all applicants and their rec. letters from what we seem to have here, which tracks only those applicants with politically-connected sponsors. Handing the public payroll over to political insiders is a horrible idea for many, many reasons.

On an unrelated note, I would hope that Corporation Counsel Mara Georges will finally stop saying that the Shakman Decree is outdated and should be dumped, and that the aldermen will stop complaining about the cost of the Shakman monitor. At the very least, the list shows that the City needs a refresher on Shakman compliance. If Chicago's aldermen really want to stop acting like sheep, they'll demand an end to these abusive hiring practices.

UPDATE: The Tribune has posted the list here. (pdf; zoom in 200% to read the names)

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Freedom Folks on Pat Quinn

I like him. I wish he was Gov.... Freedom Folks among the few who follow him here.

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“Firm that made toll signs also a Blagojevich donor”

That’s what the Daily Herald state government reporter John Patterson discovered.

What a surprise.

Actually, the idea of checking out such a connection flitted through my mind yesterday, too, but I didn’t follow through. I’m glad Patterson did, because the public ought to know that

Western Remac Inc., based in Woodridge, gave $1,200 to Blagojevich’s 2002 bid for governor.

The company has been a tollway vendor for 20 years, a tollway spokesman told him.

What the contribution shows--at minimum--is that vendors think it is in their best interest to contribute to Governor Rod Blagojevich’s campaign fund.

Or should that read, “Rod R. Blagojevich,” as the sign says?

Maybe, since gubernatorial contributions are only shown to Friends of Blagojevich after the primary election in 2002, it shows how nervous this long-time vendor was that he would lose his connection to the tollway.

Or maybe the owner is just a Democrat that one of Blagojevich supporters hit up.

All of its contributions are to Democrats (Lisa Madigan, Richard M. Daley and John Schmidt), except the most recent of $250, which went to the man who took control of Cicero--Larry Dominick.

32 of the $15,000 signs have been ordered.

It takes 37,500 forty-cent tolls to raise $15,000 to pay for one sign.

It takes 1.2 MILLION passes through the automatic toll lanes to pay for all 32 signs.

Pretty expensive for campaign signs.

Read yesterday's story on the signs, including what Tribune readers think about it, go to McHenry County Blog.

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'All my guys were qualified'

via Sun Times,

Political operative Dominic Longo, of the controversial Coalition for Better Government group, made no apologies for going to bat for his people. "All my guys were qualified," Longo said.

Amazing Daley's administration could keep a list like this secret for so long in the first place. Or why no one assumed it existed in the first place and sent an FOI request for it.... if there is such a thing as an FOI request for City Government. Or maybe just why a reporter never asked about it for all these years.

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Marking "His" Territory

Lots of animals mark their territories.

Dogs pee. Politicians put up signs with their names on them.

During a campaign, yard signs mark current and, sometimes, eventually hoped for territories.

When a new president of the Cook County Board takes office, the signs in the Forest Preserve are changed to reflect that fact.

Back in 1973, the “People’s” Governor, Dan Walker, the man who somehow captivated the media by walking from the bottom of Illinois to the Wisconsin border, decided that he did not need to put his name on the state’s welcoming signs.

When Walker made the announcement, I was in my first year in Springfield, just as was he. I sent him a congratulatory letter and a press release of praise to local papers.

How ironic that it took over 30 years for a subsequent governor--Rod Blagojevich--to decide to undue that good work of his Democratic Party predecessor.

No longer do just the people of Illinois welcome visitors. Not now that Rod's name is on the sign.

Even the little "welcome to Illinois" on Route 47 north of Hebron has it.

But, that was not enough.

As Jon Hilkevitch writes in his “Getting Around” column in today’s Chicago Tribune, the new

Open Road Tolling – Rod R. Blagojevich, Governor

signs sprouting on all the toll roads cost $15,000 apiece.

“The signs, mounted on steel monotubes above the open-road tolling lanes, require special materials and galvanized brackets that the tollway sign shop cannot install,” the reporter explained.

Tollway spokesman Kathleen Cantillon explained,

We consider it an important sign.

Right.

Important politically.

At least pee is free. It doesn’t waste our tax money.

= = = = =

The Chicago Tribune has a poll on its web site on whether the new blue Blagojevich signs are worth $15,000.

At 2:15 Monday afternoon 7.7% (600) were in favor, while 92.7% (7,756) voted, "No."

= = = = =

More good stuff at McHenry County Blog.

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Blagojevich Takes Another Hit on Education Funding

The Building Owner's and Managers Association (BOMA), released a study of Chicago's commercial real estate last week, blaming Illinois' over-reliance on property taxes for school funding for high vacancy rates in Loop high rises. From The Chicago Reader (circluation 158,000):

“Illinois’ dependence on property taxes jeopardizes Chicago’s long-term economic prospects,” says Ron Vukas, executive vice president of the association, which represents about 80 percent of the commercial rental buildings in the Loop. “We need a change.”
....
For starters, the vacancy rate in downtown office buildings remains stubbornly high. At about 18 percent, roughly five points higher than the national average, it’s below the rate in Houston (21.2 percent) and higher than rates in New York (8 percent), Boston (11.5 percent), and Los Angeles (around 15 percent).
....
New office buildings have gone up in the Loop over the last few years. But according to the report they’re being built not for a new market but for an old one, as tenants move from one building to another. “Notwithstanding a few significant moves by companies to Chicago, on average the city has added only 100,000 square feet of new tenant-occupied space a year over the last five years,” the report says. “Those 100,000 square feet translate into just one large new commercial tenant a year for the whole city.”
....
According to BOMA, rising property taxes are the chief culprit in making it hard to keep commercial tenants downtown, let alone draw new ones. Tax increases are forcing both tenants and landlords to pay a significant chunk of their income in property taxes. “Chicago had the highest property taxes over the last ten years, with an average of $6.98 in taxes per square foot,” says the report. “This compares to $5.31 for New York, $2.78 for Dallas, $2.40 for Atlanta and $1.98 for Los Angeles. By far, Chicago leads the other cities in how much of a building’s income goes to taxes. Nearly 25 percent of a building’s income in the city goes to property taxes alone. In New York and Dallas, that figure is 12.6 percent. In Atlanta, 9 percent and Los Angeles 7 percent.”
....
In this regard, the report is aimed at Governor Blagojevich as much as Mayor Daley. It’s Blagojevich who’s resisting attempts to have the state pick up a greater share of educational funding—he doesn’t want to back away from his promise not to raise taxes, particularly on the eve of his reelection campaign against Judy Baar Topinka. The best bet for some sort of change will come after next fall’s election, when the newly elected governor has more freedom to act boldly.

“I don’t have a prediction for what will happen with property tax legislation,” says Vukas. “But it really worries me. People think these downtown buildings are cash cows. They don’t get it.”

Of course, the problem for Vukas and BOMA if Blagojevich wins while maintaining his "no new taxes" mantra is that he will cling to that soundbite like a shipwreck survivor clings to driftwood as the '08 Presidential race approaches.

The article also takes a look at the impact that TIF districts have on the overall tax burden, showing once again why The Reader is one of the best sources for in-depth public policy reporting. This week's round-up of the police torture scandal centered around Jon Burge is also a must read.

UPDATE: BOMA's study is here.

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Arlene Jones asks Why can’t the West Side get that casino?

If we're going to gamble, this makes sense to me.

A license for a 13th casino that is still available. Why can’t the West Side get that casino and have a group of African Americans become part of the investors in it? The jobs to build any part of the new Entertainment District would put a priority on local African-American participation. No one wants to see folks just gamble, so we can include a first-class hotel with an auditorium offering musical acts and plays. How many of us have gone all the way to Merrillville, Ind. for a concert or play?

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RTA Universal Pass Roll-Out Time

My family kids me about how my little computer work space looks like the office of the hero in the movie “A Beautiful Mind.”

Well, it’s time to take down one of those notes.

That little article published on December 18, 2005, in the Chicago Tribune stimulates this post.

Its headline:

One card for Metra, Pace, CTA? They’re working on it

Sure…

Just like in 1974, when the RTA Citizens Committee for Better Transporation (Really. That's what the proponents' committee was called) made this false promise boldly, although not often:

Public transportation, when and where you need it, thoughout the region.

What an outrageous promise!

Then.

And, in December, Steve Schlickman, RTA Executive Director, said the RTA’s “goal” is to have the “universal fare card available to Metra riders in six months.”

The RTA's six months is up.

A footnote:

Steve’s father, State Rep. Gene Schlickman (R-Arlington Heights), and I were on Milt Rosenberg’s Extension 720 the Friday before the primary election RTA referendum in 1974.

As we sat at a hotel bar that is now near the last CTA station before O’Hare after taking the negative side of the question to WGN radio’s 50,000 watt listeners, I asked,

Are you more conservative than you before this campaign started?

He agreed that he was.

Both of us would have been labeled moderate Republicans at the time.

The opposition committee was know as "kNOw RTA." We arrived at this title at a meeting in State Rep. Don Totten's basement shopping center office in Schaumburg. Since the opponents had those like Don and me who thought government had no business in subsidizing trains and buses, plus mass transit proponents like State Reps. Gene Schlickman and Don Deuster, we had to reach some compromise that would fit us all.

We decided that using a combination of the words "NO" and "know," would allow fit us all. While the mass transit proponents among us were in favor of the public's subsidizing train and bus travel, they believe that if people knew enough about the actual RTA plan that they would vote "No."

Hence, the small "k" and "w" in the final "kNOw RTA" button design. What you see here is the prototype. Above is the cover of the pamphlet, 188,000 of which were printed in my father's office at the tip of the "V" of the Crystal Lake Plaza, plus the cost and benefit analysis on the first inside page.

If you want to read the rest of the opposition pamphlet, including a larger view of the McHenry County pitch, click here.

McHenry County voted 93-7% against creating the Regional Transporation Authority. the paper ballot RTA referendum passed by less than 13,000 votes and no recount was allowed, even though there was obvious vote fraud in Chicago.

Also posted on McHenry County Blog.

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Patronage Tax

Patronage politicians often say that it is OK to hire your friends as long as they are as competent as other applicants.

Makes sense, doesn’t it?

But, there is a cost to patronage hiring because the best qualified are often not hired.

Andrew Jackson is credited with starting the “spoils system.” Chicago politicians obviously have been excellent students.

Today, the Chicago Tribune starts what I hope will be a continuing series. It was written by reporters Laurie Cohen, Todd Lightly and Dan Mihalopoulos.

This a big step beyond the typical television finding of guys leaning on shovels or operating a business while on a public payroll.

It took a lot of work to see what a former legislative assistant to State Rep. Eddie Acevedo (D-Chicago) cost Chicago taxpayers because she backed a garbage truck into a pole severely injuring her helper. The article says Acevedo is a leader in HDO, the Hispanic Democratic Organization.

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Madigan should start blogging

He's writing a lot notes. Here's Matt Adrian writing about him in The Southern. Check the link because there is space for comments. They'll be worth watching.

House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, outlined 17 questions that should be answered before the state's 274 miles of tollway are placed on the auction block. Questions raised include who will be in charge of road repairs and how much authority would private companies have to raise tolls.
[***]
Madigan has penned several such memos in recent weeks. A similarly worded letter was sent to Gov. Rod Blagojevich raising several questions about his proposal to sell or lease the Illinois Lottery.

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a self-serving letter written simply to cover his own behind.

It just seems lame to me trying to stick Hastert with the culture of corruption label on a perfectly legit land-deal when we have so many fish-in-the-barrel to take pot-shots at in Illinois.

Banker Alexi Giannoulias -- the Democratic nominee for state treasurer -- is accused of approving a $1 million loan to an 86-year-old mentally incompetent woman whose "business partners" have been suspected of fraud in the past.
[***]
Additionally, Giannoulias wrote a letter to Billings, expressing his concern to her about their history, recommending she hire an attorney to help review the documents.

However, attorney Peter King, representing Billings' estate, which filed the suit against Broadway, called that "a self-serving letter written simply to cover his own behind."

The suit marks the second time questions have been raised about bank loans tied to Giannoulias.

Corruption is rampant in Illinois and it's mostly among Democrats because that's mostly what we have.

At least Durbin and Obama both voted against the culture of defeat when the both voted to yea to table amendment 4269 to the Defense Authorization Act,

To require the withdrawal of the United States Armed Forces from Iraq and urge the convening of an Iraq summit.

My problem is I'm not sure if Durbin and Obama voted to table this because they believed it wrong, or if because they're more Democrats covering their own behinds.

cross posted at Bill Baar's West Side

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$550,000 for paper shredders.

I kid you not. (Via Dan Curry.)

State Sen. Bill Brady (R-Bloomington) wants to know why the state plans to spend $550,000 on paper shredders in light of budget concerns, ongoing federal investigations and recent reports that a Governor's employee was fired when she refused to shred documents.

You know the saying about giving a bottle of whiskey and the car keys to a teenager? I'd say "giving" $550,000 worth of paper shredders to a Blagojevich administration under investigation is pretty similar.

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