If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
Are there two states of Illinois, Chicago and the rest of the state? That was the theme of a discussion I attended last week at the University of Illinois Springfield.
Whether she runs for governor or not, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan would need nine lives to bring the state's notoriously broken regulatory system into compliance with the nation's most reckless coal industry.
Governor Pat Quinn is smart, well meaning, and as honest as Abe. Too bad he's become the Rodney Dangerfield of Illinois politics (and No. 70 on the Power 100 list).
When the governor proposes his FY 2014 budget in March, rather pushing another round of mental health funding cuts, Quinn needs to recommend more money for mental health care.
When two of your top party officials think the biggest problem with the Republican Party is that Republicans are participating too much, you can probably expect big problems.
The ex-governor interrupted his cross-country perp walk to pose with anyone who wanted a photo. Most Chicagoans fondly wished him well and he smiled warmly and thanked them.
Now, when a politician is running for election it makes sense to list off your own accomplishments while in office. Yet speaking about free mammograms in one sentence and how much he'll miss his family in another just seemed bizarre.
Misfits, addicts and criminals caught up in public scandals are often rewarded with TV exposure. Why do we watch? And what does it say about us?
Why does corruption seem to thrive in our wonderful state (and my native Chicago!), and what can citizens do to stop it?
Tough times? Try some tunes! We've got political carols! Financial carols! Scandal carols! Carols from the world of sports! Yes indeedy, friends -- it's a holiday miracle!
Are longer prison terms the antidote to political corruption in this state? Will that be the legacy of the three-year Blagojevich spectacle? All that remains to be seen.
Once the media had moved on from the news that the Herman Cain train had finally stopped rolling, attention was turned to bigger and better (if less funny) things
Illinoisians can't fix Springfield, and Americans can't fix Washington, until we make it possible for decent, dedicated people to win elections without relying on big money.
In a blatant disregard of regulatory guidelines, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources has quietly entangled itself in an inane and potentially deadly coal slurry scandal.
Like the original "Kingmaker" of the 15th century's War of the Roses, who 'made' Richard III, Valerie Jarrett plays the same role to Barack Hussein Obama.
