Holy Recording Technology Batman

The Sun Times is reporting that someone within the Blagojevich administration wore a wire on the hiring thing.

At least one official hired by Gov. Blagojevich's administration wore a hidden recording device as part of the federal government's ongoing investigation of the governor's hiring practices, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned.

Wore a freakin wire, I am looking forward to see how the administration spins this one.

Remember kids, Mr. Fitzgerald is getting some partisan attacks due to the 'Scooter' indictments, nothing like coming home and nailing a Democrat governor to try an counter the partisan stuff.

OneMan

Rich over at CapitolFax had a post asking what Governor Blagojevich can do to move the focus away from the investigations and on to what he is doing.

My Thoughts
-- Have one-on-one conversations with just about every major media outlet in the state and talk openly and frankly about what is going on. Start with Doug Finke

-- Stop hiring politically connected people at this point for 96K a year jobs at DNR, IDOT, etc. If you didn't run as the reform guy this wouldn't be news but you did so it is so you need to stop.

-- A little less 'press staged' message will go further in the long run.

-- Try to encourage the GOP circular firing squad, bring up intelligent Design once in a while.

OneMan

Just remember kids they are 'requests for information' the feds are not really investigating anything.....

Or as DCFS was heard quoting Uncle Junior "I've got federal marshals so far up my a-- I can taste Brylcream."

Somewhere there was a report listing the current federal "requests for information" but I can't find it, however lets not forget IDOT.

Found that link listing all the known investiagations.

OneMan

Sneed takes a break from reporting on dead people who can't attend baseball games to offer up this nugget.

Good grief: Leave it to U.S. Sen. Byron Dorgan, who represents my home state of North Dakota, to weigh in on Judith Miller's involvement in the White House leak case.

*To wit: Democrat Dorgan wants the Pentagon's inspector general to probe why journalists are permitted temporary access to classified information during overseas operations.

*Nitwit: It's called freedom of the press. I've always hated North Dakota jokes, but this time I think I've found one.

So with your logic you should be able to walk into the pentagon and say. I want to see classified stuff and since I am with the press you need to give it to me? Methinks you are a bit confused about who the Nitwit from North Dakota is.

Do you really think it is not a bad idea to ask at least why the government might share classified information, information that we do not want to share with the general public with someone who's job it is to share information with the general public.

OneMan

The AP had this in a story today.

The influence of evangelical Christians in the Republican Party hurts the organization and divides the country, former U.S. Sen. John Danforth said during a visit to the Bill Clinton School of Public Service on Wednesday.

Danforth, a former Republican senator from Missouri and an Episcopal priest, met with students during a seminar and held a luncheon talk at the graduate school.

Read the whole thing, it's an interesting take on the party from someone who was and still is considered a social conservative.

OneMan

Excellent!

OneMan has been a bit busy lately, between the world series and some stuff with work... More blogging to come soon.

Seriously, World Champs I mean, how cool is that. Perhaps we can get Ozzy to run for the GOP nod for Governor. Now that would be a debate worth seeing.

Can't stop giggling and smiling right now. It sounded like a neighbor set off a tactical nuke about 20 minutes ago.

Some fox reporter is in a group of Sox fans and said he feels like a cork in a bottle. Dude, the line is 'In the fo'c'sle of a tramp steamer' as said by John "The Bulldog" Drummond" after a Bulls Championship when he was doing the crowd shot.


Upate: Eric Zorn was nice enough to point out that is was after a Bears playoff loss to Washington that the 'fo'c'sle comment was made.
OneMan

More from Dr. K..

Make the Lt. Governor's office TRULY a co-governor's post. The office is extremely important from a constitutional standpoint of needing someone who can assume the duties of governor immediately, but in practice the office has been a waste of taxpayer's money. In the last 30 years, two sitting lieutenant governors have resigned, citing boredom or a better job prospect. Since the 1930s, only two lieutenant governors have taken over in state emergencies. I'd discuss overhauling the office every morning during breakfast with the governor. Reforms needed including having all the statewide officials (Governor, Attorney General, Auditor, Comptroller, and the Lt. Governor, etc.) having federal governor style cabinet meetings and giving the Lt. Governor a greater role to play in presiding over the legislature. Unlike the past Lt. Governors, I should be able to get along with the Governor very well and be a full partner in his addition.

I would suspect most people don't even understand why we need a Lt. Governor at all and some of us would argue that we don't need a Lt. Governor at all. The Vice-President is not a co-president so why should we have a Lt. Governor that is a co-governor? Do we need two governors? As for

Also I suspect you would want to be a full partner in his administration not addition (see the last line).

Reforms needed including having all the statewide officials (Governor, Attorney General, Auditor, Comptroller, and the Lt. Governor, etc.) having federal governor style cabinet meetings and giving the Lt. Governor a greater role to play in presiding over the legislature.

The state constitution in 1970 took away all the role the Lt. Governor had with the legislature, what do you propose a "greater role" is? State level cabinet meetings with the statewide elected officials would be interesting since they all have their own platforms and agendas since they are all elected on their own.

The office of Lt. Governor is so important that Article 5 section 7 of the state constitution states in part....

If the Lieutenant Governor fails to qualify or
if his office becomes vacant, it shall remain vacant until
the end of the term.

Yeah Co-Governor, that's the answer.

I got a request from Dr. Kathuria to circulate some petitions for his bid for Lt. Governor. He has a web site however I can't seem to find a committee with the board of elections.

He has some press releases from his senate campaign and a "Why I want to run" thing that has some interesting stuff I might take a look at.

I will this time highlight one paragraph.

I have made political donations to organizations associated with the Republican Party of over US$ 20,000. These groups include: Federal Independent Campaign Committee, President George W .Bush, Illinois American Republican Council, Federation of Indian Association, IVI-IPO, Punjabi Culture Society, Jack Rayn For US Senate, Dupage County Republican Central Committee, Sikh Religious Chicago, Leader Media PAC, USA. India Foundation, 42nd Ward Organization, Rauschenberg For U.S Senate, Citizen for Judy Barr Topinka, Indian American National Asso., Milton Township Republican Council, AIA American Indian Association, Wheaton Township Republicans, Bobby Jindal, Family Pak Federal, Friends of Lauzen, Asian American Coalition, Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church, Illinois Forum, Joe Wiegaind For State Representative, Republican National Committee.

Ummm besides the US$ 20,000 refernce seems more like something you would see in the Economist magazine than something in a letter to Republican County Chairs.
I would argue also argue that the Punjabi Culture Society, Sikh Religious Chicago, India Foundation, AIA American Indian Association, Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church may not be "organizations associated with the Republican Party"

Also I think it is Rauschenberger For U.S Senate not Rauschenberg For U.S Senate, since Steve is running for Governor it might be a good idea to spell his name right.

OneMan

Sneed points out that in fact dead people can not attend the World Series.

Rich has a post about how only 14,000 prescriptions were filled during the first year of I-SaveRX and was curious about how much the state has spent on this....

One hint is from an audit of IDPR

Five out-of-country travel vouchers for Department employees to participate in fact finding trips to Canada and Europe for the GovernorÂ’s Task Force on Importation of Canadian and European Drugs, totaling $12,371, were not approved in advance by the Chairman of the GovernorÂ’s Travel Control Board.

So almost a dollar ($.88)peprescriptionon went to regulatory travel.

More to come, also using the words Rod Blagojevich and Taxes will really goose your hits.

OneMan

The PJStar has some Blagojevich tax scoop.

The federal tax return for Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his wife for 2004 shows that the couple had an adjusted gross income of $375,063 and gave $6,800 to charity. That's about 1.8 percent. In 2003, their adjusted gross income was $227,497, and they gave $2,385 to charity.

Better on the donations this year wonder if the observations about last years being about 1% had anything to do with that? According to some law professors at Yale the national average is about 2% so he is at least getting closer to average. According to Turbo Tax in 2002 the average charatble donation for someone with an income over 200K was 17K between 100 ~ 200K was $3,875.

OneMan

Got some mail from Ron, nothing special but interesting that it has come this early.

Also got a happy birthday letter from Dan Rutherford.

OneMan

Ok kids, here is one to think over what if the folks in the state house who have been pushing for more casinos use AllKids as a way to get it. That is approve a south side license and a near the Wisconsin border license and say the states cut would go to pay for AllKids also auction off the license for a current revenue boost? How about Video Poker for the same result?

Now if that happens what do you do if you are Gov. Blagojevich, go to the people and fight it, call their bluff and say no gambling expansion period or go along and in the process get AllKids as well as make some state reps happy.

Just askin.

OneMan

Yes, Yes, Yes.

BTW, if you want to take OneMan to a World Series game please feel free to reach me via e-mail.
Yes!

OneMan

From The Sneedster

It's no secret Mayor Daley is a huge White Sox fan. Now comes word Gov. Blagojevich, an equally huge fan of the Cubs, claims he'd love to be general manager of the Cubbies. But his bravura was reportedly booed -- albeit jokingly -- by fervent White Sox boosters at a Thursday fund-raiser for state Senate President Emil Jones.

Way to easy but I will try one. I doubt the Players Union would go for the Cubs not making a pension contribution so the Cubs could get some better middle relief.

OneMan

The hire a temp as Chief of Staff of the city of Aurora is moving forward.

I am still really torn on this, on one hand I think the mayor should have whomever he wants to be his chief of staff so I guess I can't get my dander to up on this, on the other hand.

A) I think it is playing fast and lose with the rules I don't buy the since it isn't explicitly against the rules it must be ok approach.
B) Is it a good idea to have a chief of staff who does not partake in the same benefit system (health, pension, etc) as other staff members of the city.
C) Since he is a temp what additional liability issues might the city be facing. If he is injured on the job is it the responsibility of the temp firm to pay workmen's comp to him? What if he does something bad or negligent (unlikely but things happen) is the temp firm responsible for that as well?
D) I thought a big part of the purpose for the collect a pension from government don't work for government was to prevent someone from retiring then turning around and working as a consultant. I thought this happened quite a bit after one of the big early retirement waves at the state level a few years back so they modified the law to prevent that.
E) Finally, what's next? Is it going to be ok to do this for a hire at the department head level? Will this logic and method someone who used to work for the city? The County?

I think these are questions that someone needs to ask.

OneMan

Rich over at CapitolFax had a post asking if AllKids is going to help Blagojevich's re-election chances.

Well in my humble opinion, not much because health care right or wrong is not really a winning issue in this state (ask Blair Hull and to a less extend Jim Oberweis). It's not really the issue that I think Illinois voters are going to be focusing on at all. If voters really cared about access to health care we would have the Clinton health plan and President Gore. I suspect most voters will see it as a 'that's nice' thing and that's about it. Sort of like the state RX program, I don't see that as a big decider issue for most of the middle that both sides are going to fight over.

What I think the middle is going to be focusing on is what seems to be a climate of corruption within the political process. With continuing revelations out of the Ryan trial and the real possibility of further indictments within various government entities ending business as usual is going to be the big issue.

The attempts I suspect we will see of make hobgoblins out big business, insurance companies, attorneys and others will end up falling on deaf ears.

Real reform of the process and government is going to be the big issue.

Some blog thoughts
If you really want Aurora scoop go to the OpenLine blog. Seriously good stuff over there kids.

Beth a woman from my past (like grade school) has a blog and is a professional writter, so besides having actual interesting things to read, she can spell and stuff. It's a must read for me every day.

One of the links Beth has had recently is one for an interesting candidate for president.

Another one I read is the Nuprin Diaries he is teaching English is Korea, (full disclosure, he is sort of a relative of mine). Anyway funny, interesting stuff.

OneMan

Some Aurora News, the mayor wants to hire a cheif of staff that retired from a job with a different entity of government. In order to get around the law that says you can't collect a government pension and get paid by a government job they want to hire him via a local temp agency....

Jay Stewart, executive director of the Chicago-based Better Government Association, said, though, that Weisner's plan "raises some red flags."
"It strikes me as a crafty way to get around the letter of the law, but forgets about the spirit of the law," Stewart said. "There are reasons why we have these kinds of rules in place, particularly because of concerns about double-dipping."

I am in favor of the mayor having the person he wants, but then again this seems a bit too clever.

OneMan

Has anyone else caught those new NBC TV commercials on the radio that are suposed to sound like some 'Morning Zoo' talking about what is going to be NBC any given night.

Is it just my opinion or are they really stupid.

OneMan

Here is an interesting thought, there has been a lot of buzz about Patrick Fitzgerald and the grand jury with Carl Rove. I wonder how dependent the stuff Sneed had a little while back about more coming from the US Attorney as well as the 'Public official A' stuff is being impacted by Fitzgerald's work in DC.

Also if he goes after Rove it might make sense for some more indictments to come down the pipe in Illinois to show that Fitzgerald is non-partisan.

Then again perhaps there is nothing related between the two and I am just speculating.


OneMan

The Aurora Township clerk (Juan Thomas) is apparently is some hot water with the ILLINOIS ATTORNEY REGISTRATION AND DISCIPLINARY COMMISSION. Follow the first link for some background as well as Thomas' explanation.

This might pose a bit of a challenge for Juan's plans to run for Petka's seat to say the least.

Update: I have turned off the comments, if you want to comment about X's support of Y please get your own blog.

OneMan

Some fun from Openline in the Beacon

They definitely should increase the fines from parking violations in Aurora from $10 to $25. Maybe if they start doing the fines at a heftier price it will keep my taxes down in Kane County. Let the ones that are breaking the law start paying the price.

FYI -- The letter writer was from North Aurora, because the solution to keeping taxes down in Kane County has to be higher parking fines in downtown Aurora.

This has to do with the front-page news story about the drug dealers being arrested in the Sept. 29 Beacon News. There was one thing missing from the story — how many of these gentlemen didn't have citizenship? How come we don't report the citizenship of these people

Because it is about as relevant as if they had Masters Degrees.

Not to get off on a rant here, but as I grow older I am getting more and more annoyed with people seeming to blame every problem in Aurora on illegal aliens. There are a lot more issues I think this city needs to deal with than the imigration status of my neighbors.

OneMan

The Beacon had this from Sandwich

SANDWICH — Fire Chief Richard Kell will retire Oct. 11 in the wake of a conflict last week when two trustees intervened in Kell's hiring decisions.

Kell, a 30-year veteran of the department, said he is retiring to spend more time with his family. But after the disagreement last week with the Fire Protection District Board, he faulted the two trustees for interfering with department's day-to-day operations, a charge backed up by other former employees.
--snip --
Former EMS Coordinator Jack Taxis said he resigned earlier this month because Bark and Weismiller were micromanaging the department in a way that jeopardized its emergency preparedness. For example, he said, Bark and Weismiller have tabled for five months Kell's plan to utilize $80,000 in fire department funds to help replace an ambulance that breaks down frequently.

Because, you wouldn't want to spend money to replace an ambulance that breaks down.

This whole thing just strikes me as strange, follow the link for more.

OneMan

A letter to the editor in the Sun Times..

The signatories to this letter have a combined 138 years on the bench of a state public utility commission and have served 25 governors. We write to support the need for state utility commissions to exercise independent judgment on the difficult and often politically charged issues that come before them.

The Illinois Commerce Commission has pending before it proposals by ComEd and Ameren to purchase power through a market-based competitive process. ComEd and Ameren have indicated that because residential rates were cut by 20 percent and then frozen for nearly a decade and the price of energy has risen, rates are likely to rise. Gov. Blagojevich is understandably concerned about a rate increase. However, in the midst of the hearings on ComEd's and Ameren's proceedings, the governor wrote two letters to the commissioners indicating that he might fire them if they continued considering ComEd's and Ameren's proposals. The governor, it would appear, believes that ICC commissioners are mere functionaries of his administration, existing only to carry out his particular policy viewpoint. In fact, the ICC's role and purpose are quite different.

We take no position on ComEd or Ameren's proposals or on the appointment of any specific individual to the commission, but we do stand up for the independence of commissioners to make the correct policy judgments. The ICC is a quasi-judicial body that was created nearly a century ago to address fundamental policy issues associated with our most vital utility infrastructure. In weighing the public interest, the ICC is charged by law to balance the interests of customers and utilities alike. An independent commission is the appropriate venue for addressing these difficult questions in a fair and balanced fashion.

Moreover, the commission deliberates all issues in an open and transparent process in which all interested parties have an opportunity to voice their position. The law directs the commission to weigh the evidence presented in each case and make a decision based only on the facts. Commissioners must not be influenced by outside pressure, including the governor.

Speaking from experience, commissioners must move forward to complete their regulatory responsibilities. The law requires it, and the public relies on them to do so. The commission must not abandon this longstanding legal process, which is fundamental to fair and equal treatment for all customers and utilities.

Calvin Manshio, former commissioner,
Illinois Commerce Commission
(and 18 past and present public utility commissioners
in eight states and the District of Columbia)

When the Sox do well during the playoffs, how long will it be before you start seeing the Governor acting like a Sox fan...

OneMan

Got an e-mail from Joe Birkett today (I suspect I am not the only one) about how he is thinking about what his next move is.

I like Joe, really but do we need another candidate for governor?

OneMan

The Sun Times shares a bit about fund raising, the governor and the state pension systems. (Read the entire store)

Gov. Blagojevich has netted more than $500,000 in political contributions through companies that do business with state pension systems, a Chicago Sun-Times analysis of campaign records has found.

Yet again some timing between donations and actions seems a bit interesting with this administration.

Since Blagojevich took office, Edgewater has been awarded investments totaling $50 million from the teacher pension board. Edgewater made a $10,000 contribution to Blagojevich on Nov. 4, 2003 -- five days after the Teachers' Retirement System board voted to invest $25 million with Edgewater.

You want to show some leadership governor, return all the money you have gotten from anyone who does business with the retirement funds or their agents and don't appoint a former Democratic State Senator to be in charge of one of the funds.
OneMan

I have been out of town since Friday, anything happen in politics in this state?

Ok, so no Edgar. So lets get a nominee and get down to business.

OneMan