Pay to Play Gets its Day
Just a few years ago, getting a bill like this called for a vote would have been an impossibility. Funny what a few years of headlines and scandal can do to help move reform forward in our state. The following is a press release sent out by Comptroller Dan Hynes.
House Bill 1, drafted by Hynes and sponsored by Rep. John Fritchey, D-Chicago, prohibits business owners with more than $25,000 in state contracts from making campaign contributions to officeholders awarding those contracts, requires contractors to disclose previous contributions and prevents individuals with conflicts of interest from receiving fees from state bond sales.
“The House sent a very clear message today that
Fritchey said passage of the bill would allow the Legislature to focus on other important issues. “For too long, headlines have been dominated by corruption and pay-to-play politics, rather than key issues such as education funding reform, property taxes, and affordable health care. This legislation will not only put an end to this practice which has no place in state government, but will allow us to focus upon issues that are important to the people of
Cindi Canary, Director of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, called on the Illinois Senate to follow suit and pass House Bill 1. “The House, by this solid vote, has recognized the concerns of
posted by Rep. John Fritchey @ 4/25/2007
8 comments
8 Comments:
So I guess I will get my brother-in-law to make the donation or I will donate to the office holder/candidate of your choice. Where there is a will there is a way
If somebody is determined to break the law, odds are they can find a way to do it. But I am confident that if this bill does become law, it will have a dramatic impact on reducing the ties between contracts and contributors.
All I can do is try :)
Thank you for getting the ball rolling. You have a long road ahead. Unless all elected officials stop the payoffs nothing will ever change. I hope Franks runs for Illinois Governor, that might make a dent. Patrick McDonough
ds - i have to echo the rep's comments on this one. people are going to go 70 in a 40 zone if they want to, but you still need to set a speed limit.
Dramatic Impact? Rep., you're from Chicago-don't you think that overstates the case just a bit? This state has a long history of the kind of "family ties" that DS mentioned. Well, I don't have to tell you.
prohibits business owners with more than $25,000 in state contracts from making campaign contributions to officeholders awarding those contracts, requires contractors to disclose previous contributions and prevents individuals with conflicts of interest from receiving fees from state bond sales.
Every Local Chapter of every teachers union is in violation of this principal, as is any board member of any district that has a relative in ANY other district.
This is a drop in the Ocean, Hon. John. The entire school code is a legalized "pay to play" scheme, and it's total tax take dwarfs any "business" contract in the state.
Nice as it all is, I'll take you seriously when you classify "Ed-Mart - always the high price, always" as the rapcious and corrupt business that it is.
Until then, this is window dressing.
BTW, Are the Illinois Energy Consortium, Kensa, Jersey County Building Contractors and the other schemes/entities that enrich retired former Superintendents at taxpayer expense considered "businesses" or are they exempted?
Until they are all brought under the same scrutiny of those evil, evil businesses, how can any of this be taken seriously?
Step one in tackling a lot of things that are wrong with Illinois. And this is one good step too.
A correction. I met with the principal of one of these consortia today - Kensa - and they appear to be a reputable organization that actually does good work for a very reasonable fee.
The same cannot be said of the IEC, which appears to be a legalized, Enronesque, money laundering scheme.
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