When you start writing about SIUC and their problems, you need to frame the discussion first with the environment of Illinois. By most measures Illinois is the most corrupt state in the USA. There are no campaign contribution limits (see Green party proposal to fix), most levels of government than any other state (someone tell me why Carbondale Township, Mosquito Abatement District, Park District, library, three elementary school systems and a high school system need to exist in the same little town?) where politicians can be parked on the taxpayer's pocketbook until they are ready to run for higher office. I'm not going to get into Chicago, it is bad, but I'm trying to ignore it.
Do we need to get into how many governors go to jail?
I feel that any position nominiated by the governor in Illinois is suspect. But the real question is why are Illinois' voters allowing this to happen?
2 comments:
Can I stop laughing abou the campaign finance proposal? If anyone thinks limits, caps, time-freezes, etc. are going to work, they don't know history, human behavior, or government. Read the chapter on campaign finance "reform" in Steve Gillon's _That's Not What We Meant to Do: The History of Unintended Consequences_.
"Contracts should be awarded on the basis of merit," Whitney said.
Ha! Except for things like veteran, minority, female status, etc. Does anyone remember Daley's "friends" and family being awarded "minority" contracts in Chicago? As someone who has followed this trail of institutionalized corruption can attest, there's nothing like shielding yourself with some well-intentioned cause....
The law school, which does terrible marketing with its speakers, brought FEC Commissioner here who argued against all limits on contributions except for full disclosure. This speaker came here THREE times and was a highly controversial national news item. Did anyone pick up on it?
If you get a product and don't market it, you got nothing...
I realize I'm late with this, but if you slap on campaign funding limits it is a whole lot easier to figure out who has cross the line. In Illinois right now cross the line is legal.
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