Sparland, Il faces state investigations over FOIA issues as village officials resignation

This story has been printed in the Chicago Tribune however the original story is for the Peoria Star: http://www.pjstar.com/news/x1481469243/Another-resignation-cuts-Sparland-board-down-to-three

The resignations come in the wake of a third investigation by the Illinois Attorney General's Office into village practices. That involves alleged failure to comply with the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, while two earlier probes focus on possible violations of the state's Open Meetings Act.

In addition, the board had to revote on some major ordinance amendments that had been passed with illegal "proxy" voting by absent members, including a water rate increase. The village also faces enforcement action from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency over a sewer problem. And Fluffers, which opened last spring, has continued to generate divisions on the board

Here is earlier article on the story:

http://www.pjstar.com/news/x2140450728/Sparland-faces-new-investigation-alleged-violation-of-Freedom-of-Information-Act

Resident Margaret Murry, who has been a vocal critic of village government in recent months, submitted the FOIA request on Nov. 17 to village clerk and then-FOIA officer Susan Persinger. Murry asked for records that included meeting minutes, copies of some ordinances and amendments, certain financial records and the oaths of office taken by elected officials.

State law requires a response to FOIA requests within five working days. Murry asked the AG's Office to review the matter after two weeks had passed.

"The public body has failed to respond to my request," she wrote.

The investigation comes at a time when the village has no one filling the legally required position of FOIA officer

Issa to launch probe of Obama actions on Solyndra, LightSquared

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) said Tuesday that his committee plans to investigate government loan programs to private corporations in light of allegations of improper dealings between the White House and failed energy company Solyndra and wireless start-up LightSquared.

"I want to see when the president and his cronies are picking winners and losers… it wasn't because there were large contributions given to them," the chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee said Tuesday morning on C-SPAN.

Click on the following for more details:  http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/182553-issa-to-investigate-government-loan-programs

Quinn hires ex-lawmaker Careen Gordon for another state job - chicagotribune.com

 

An ex-lawmaker whose appointment to the state parole board ran into trouble amid Senate questions about a potential quid pro quo has landed a new state job.
Former Democratic Rep. Careen Gordon started Monday as an $84,000-a-year associate general counsel for the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.
Gordon landed in the new post a month after resigning her spot on the Illinois Prisoner Review Board instead of facing a difficult Senate confirmation vote. Critics questioned whether Gov. Pat Quinn gave Gordon the nearly $86,000-a-year job as political payback for key vote in favor of a tax increase in January.

Click on the following for more details:  Quinn hires ex-lawmaker Careen Gordon for another state job - chicagotribune.com

Canadian government could be toppled by opposition on Friday - The Washington Post

Canada’s three opposition parties said Wednesday they planned to topple the conservative government in a vote of no confidence in Parliament on Friday and trigger the country’s fourth election in seven years

allegations — supported Monday by a Parliamentary committee — that [Prime Minister] Harper has acted in contempt of Parliament by failing to disclose the full financial details of his tougher crime legislation, corporate tax cuts and plans to purchase stealth fighter jets.

Opinion polls expect Harper’s Conservative Party to win, but not outright, meaning he will continue to govern with a minority in Parliament, dependent on opposition votes to stay afloat.

Click on the following for more details:  Canadian government could be toppled by opposition on Friday - The Washington Post

McHenry County passes ethics rules

 

The McHenry County Board approved an ordinance, 22-2, that will require county officials and candidates to list all properties owned in the county aside from their residence. It also will require them to list any interest in and indebtedness to entities doing business with any county unit of government in excess of $1,200.

Click on the following for more details:  Northwest Herald | County passes ethics rules

Something new? Or is this something from the primary?

I saw this today not far from my subdivision.

It reminds me of this that I saw during the primary election--

 

 

OR this from the newspaper

 

which relates (I believe) to this story from 2008—Boone County Journal,  August 29, 2008

Interesting.

Scientists overcome hurdles to stem cell alternatives

 

can use laboratory-made versions of naturally occurring biological signals to quickly convert ordinary skin cells into cells that appear virtually identical to embryonic stem cells

described in a paper published in the journal Cell Stem Cell, could mark a pivotal moment in the long, contentious history of embryonic stem cell research.

click on the following for more details:  Scientists overcome hurdles to stem cell alternatives

Pope May Be at Crossroads on Abuse, Forced to Reconcile Policy and Words - NYTimes.com

The article as a whole is a good summary of the events involved in the possible   scandal .

In an unsigned editorial on Thursday, L’Osservatore Romano, the Vatican newspaper, criticized The[New York] Times for an article published Thursday on the abuse issue. The Italian editorial said that Benedict had always handled such cases with “transparency, purpose and severity,” and accused the news media of acting “with the clear and ignoble intent of trying to strike Benedict and his closest collaborators at any cost.”

Click on the following for more details:  Pope May Be at Crossroads on Abuse, Forced to Reconcile Policy and Words - NYTimes.com

Vatican Declined to Defrock U.S. Priest Who Abused Boys - NYTimes.com

The internal correspondence from bishops in Wisconsin directly to Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the future pope, shows that while church officials tussled over whether the priest should be dismissed, their highest priority was protecting the church from scandal

Click on the following to read the entire NY Times article:  Vatican Declined to Defrock U.S. Priest Who Abused Boys - NYTimes.com

Quinn defends taking $24k interest payments from Senate campaign fund

Gov. Pat Quinn said today he would soon close a campaign account from his losing 1996 U.S. Senate race that has paid him $24,000 in interest. 

fund alive by pumping in a series of personal loans and then soliciting political donations so he can pay himself back, at interest rates approaching 10 percent

Dan Hynes, Quinn's Democratic challenger for governor, called the Quinn Senate fund "very peculiar."  "I really can't understand why it happened, how it happened and what the explanation is,"

Click on the following for more details:  Clout St: Quinn defends taking interest payments from Senate campaign fund

Our View: Enbridge owes county a bridge

Chronicle believes pipeline company which recently completed its run across Boone County needs to pay damages for a  DeKalb County bridge.

Enbridge – or the company Enbridge contracted with – contributed to the bridge’s collapse and, therefore, should pay to replace the bridge. In April, DeKalb County Administrator Ray Bockman said he was trying to work out a deal in which the company would pay to replace the bridge and any out-of-pocket expenses the county or township have incurred, which he estimated to be a little over $933,000. Surely, the cost to replace the bridge increases as time passes.

Click on the following for more details:  Our View: Enbridge owes county a bridge | Daily Chronicle

Muslims Say F.B.I. Tactics Sow Anger and Fear

a cleric in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, sued the government, claiming that the F.B.I. had threatened to scuttle his application for a green card unless he agreed to spy on relatives overseas — echoing similar claims made in recent court cases in California, Florida and Massachusetts

Muslims Say F.B.I. Tactics Sow Anger and Fear - NYTimes.com

Illinois Fair Map Initiative - Press Conference 12-3-2009

League of Women Voters of Illinois

A nonpartisan political organization, dedicated to Making Democracy Work, through voter education, issue advocacy, and citizen participation.

Statement by Nancy Marcus
President, League of Women Voters of Illinois

The League of Women Voters has historically promoted the idea that citizen participation is key to maintaining and strengthening democracy. We are pleased to join with the Better
Government Association, the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform and members of the Illinois Reform Commission to launch a citizens’ initiative and the “Take Back Illinois” campaign, the goal of which is to garner petition signatures to place the Illinois Fair Map Amendment on the November 2010 general election ballot.

The principles embodied in the Fair Map Amendment correspond well with the elements LWVIL believes are essential: a redistricting process that is timely and transparent, includes a formal announced timetable, makes information and related data available to all who wish to participate in the process, offers ample opportunity for public reaction to any proposed maps, maximizes diversity, and results in maps which offer voters a choice of candidates for election.

Illinois has serious challenges ahead. As you may know, a report released by the Pew Center on the States last month reported that Illinois is among ten states where the consequences of the current economic downturn is wreaking havoc, in part because Illinois’ leaders have been putting off making tough decisions and where the political resolve to enact long-term fixes to its fiscal problems is lacking.

The League of Women Voters of Illinois believes that underlying this analysis as well as a myriad of other issues is a lack of accountability on the part of those who’ve been elected to the Illinois General Assembly. Sadly, this includes a seeming indifference to the culture of corruption that has for too long been a hallmark of politics as usual in this state.

The League believes that redistricting is the next item on the reform agenda in Illinois. A citizen initiative involves the public in a significant way both by collecting signatures and also because of the amendment itself which allows for public participation. This proposed amendment makes the process more transparent and creates an independent commission all of which will result in legislative districts that will elect legislators who understand the enormous challenges and respond with laws that reflect the public interest.

To view other political stands of the League go to:  http://www.lwvil.org/

The League is seeking 500,000 signatures  for the redistricting referendum.

Cops probe burglary in Blago's attorneys' office

 

Burglars broke into the offices occupied by two members of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich's legal defense team overnight and stole eight computers and a safe, police said Friday.

Click on the following:  Daily Herald | Cops probe burglary in Blago's attorneys' office

DuPage water board accidentally spends $19 million

DuPage County Board Chairman with the approval of the DuPage County Board appoints the Chairman and six of the Commissioners. Six Commissioners are elected by the mayors/presidents of the municipalities within a County Board District.

The board approved a contract with an accounting firm last week to perform a forensic audit on the commission's finances after the depleted reserves were recently discovered

Currently, the commission buys water from Chicago at a rate of $1.82 per 1,000 gallons and sells it for $1.42 per 1,000 gallons.

"Some of us have asked questions for years, and no one has held staff accountable,

the group is also expected to discuss creating a position for an ethics officer or commission, hiring a new finance administrator and meet in closed session to debate litigation and personnel matters

Click on the following for more details:  Daily Herald | DuPage water board accidentally spends $19 million

Dozens in Congress under ethics inquiry

AN ACCIDENTAL DISCLOSURE
Document was found on file-sharing network

The 22-page "Committee on Standards Weekly Summary Report" gives brief summaries of ethics panel investigations of the conduct of 19 lawmakers and a few staff members. It also outlines the work of the new Office of Congressional Ethics, a quasi-independent body that initiates investigations and provides recommendations to the ethics committee. The document indicated that the office was reviewing the activities of 14 other lawmakers. ….

The investigations by two separate ethics offices include an examination of the chairman of the Appropriations subcommittee on defense, John P. Murtha (D-Pa.), as well as others who helped steer federal funds to clients of the PMA Group. The lawmakers received campaign contributions from the firm and its clients. A document obtained by The Washington Post shows that the subcommittee members under scrutiny also include Peter J. Visclosky (D-Ind.), James P. Moran Jr. (D-Va.), Norm Dicks (D-Wash.), Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) , C.W. Bill Young (R-Fla.) and Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.).

The document also indicates that the House ethics committee's staff recently interviewed the staff of Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) about his allegation that a PMA lobbyist threatened him in 2007 when he resisted steering federal funds to a PMA client. The lobbyist told a Nunes staffer that if the lawmaker didn't help, the defense contractor would move out of Nunes's district and take dozens of jobs with him.

Together, … seven legislators have personally steered more than $200 million in earmarks to clients of the PMA Group in the past two years, and received more than $6.2 million in campaign contributions from PMA and its clients in the past decade, according to an analysis by Congressional Quarterly and Taxpayers for Common Sense.

Click on the following for more details: Dozens in Congress under ethics inquiry - washingtonpost.com

Inside Rod Blagojevich's jobs machine

The Chicago Sun-Times' special report today details how former Gov. Rod Blagojevich doled out jobs based on clout while at the same time declaring a state hiring freeze. 

On his first full day as governor in 2003, Rod Blagojevich ordered a freeze on state hiring.  Only essential jobs would be filled, he said, promising to rein in a record state budget deficit and put an end to what he called "taking care of insiders first and taxpayers last."

Behind the scenes, though, Blagojevich aides flouted the supposed freeze, forging a patronage machine that -- despite their boss' public promises -- eventually would provide state jobs or promotions to nearly 2,500 people

members of Chicago's City Council and members of Congress. Lobbyists and Blagojevich's own top fund-raisers asked for and got people state jobs, too.

Neither Blagojevich nor anyone from his Office of Intergovernmental Affairs is charged with any hiring-related crimes, though U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, whose office charged Blagojevich, said in a 2006 letter that there were "very serious allegations of endemic hiring fraud" under Blagojevich.

Click on the following for more details, such as names of sponsors and recipients:  Inside Rod Blagojevich's jobs machine :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Gov. Blagojevich

Kane Co. Clerk eviction threat extended :: Beacon News :: Local News

a letter sent to county officials, Rockward Associates restates that the county owes around $80,000 in unpaid and future rent.

"If the County of Kane has not vacated the premises by December 31, 2009, the owner will seek the assistance of the court," the letter states.

The county is in the process of taking the property through an eminent domain lawsuit that is ongoing in court

Kane Co. Clerk eviction threat extended :: Beacon News :: Local News

Quinn vetoes campaign finance bill | Daily Chronicle

The veto was the latest chapter for a bill that has been criticized ever since it passed the General Assembly

Quinn and lawmakers talked about improving the bill and closing loopholes that critics said plagued the legislation, they declined to say what specifically they found objectionable

Quinn vetoes campaign finance bill | Daily Chronicle

Daily Herald | Workers sue Home Depot to get overtime

Three former employees - Gary Ottaviano of Far Northwest suburban Marengo, Jenny Macias of Far Southwest suburban Shorewood, and Cruz Plaza of Algonquin were all assistant store managers who Home Depot said were exempt from state overtime laws.

Home Depot's policy, according to the suit, was to fire assistant store managers if they worked less than 11 hours a day. The assistant store managers were also not paid overtime during their training period of two to eight weeks.

Though they were considered managers, the assistant store managers had no power to hire or fire employees, and had no input to staffing.

The suit estimates there are hundreds if not thousands of people who would qualify for the legal class as assistant store managers.

 

Click on the following for the rest of the story:  Daily Herald | Workers sue Home Depot to get overtime