March 2004

Let Me Assure You

ArchPundit March 4, 2004 1 Comment

The great thing about campaign season is it brings out favorite memories. Currently there is a heated race between Republicans for the seat once held by Pate Philip. Carole Pankau did not receive an endorsement, and the Trib said about her, ”
Pankau is an energetic campaigner, but her 11-year record in the House is modest.”

This is true, but a little anecdote tells the full degree of the problem with Pankau. Pankau filed HB 0584 during the 90th Legislative Session. The Bill would have eliminated the observance of Daylight Savings Time in Illinois.

Lots of bills are filed and don’t get much attention and this was one of them, until some guys in a softball league heard about it. You see, softball leagues play at night and someone has to pick up the tab for lighting after dark. If daylight savings time was eliminated, costs for softball leagues would skyrocket.

Now we have an issue. The concern goes up the flagpole to the House Democrats who have lots of softball playing constituents. A random legislative analyst gets the bill plopped on his desk and can’t figure out what the hell is going on. So he chats with the softball people and figures out it is a problem. Fair enough–it affects them if it passes, but they don’t for the life of them, know why the bill has made an appearance.

So random legislative analyst calls up the Bill’s sponsor, one Carole Pankau. The following is a paraphrase of the conversation.

RLA: Hello, I’m curious about this bill you’ve sponsored to eliminate daylight savings time. We are getting a lot of flack from softball leagues because of the increased cost to them if it were to pass. Why are you sponsoring the bill?

Pankau: Really, I’m just curious who would oppose it. I don’t know who is for daylight savings time so I thought I’d run this up the flagpole and see what happened.

RLA in his mind: No big deal, Lege members do this sort of stuff when they are bored. It is far from the dumbest question he’s heard lately.

RLA: Okay, so, ummm….well the softball players are against this so we’d really like to maybe take care of it if we could.

Pankau: Well, it’ll work its way through the process.

RLA: Yeah, but see we’d like to see it just go away. Could you withdraw it from consideration since you don’t have a compelling interest in the issue?

Pankau: No, I’d like to see what happens in committee.

RLA: Are you going to push the bill?

Pankau: No, but I want to see who opposes it.

RLA: Well, softball players and parks people are very upset about it.

Pankau: Yes, I understand.

Pankau: Let me assure you that this bill will not change the total number of daylight hours in any given day.

RLA to himself: I’m sure that wasn’t what she meant–just an awkward phrase, right?

RLA: I see your concern, but we’d really like to put this to bed.

Pankau: Let me assure you that this bill will not change the total number of daylight hours in any given day.

RLA: Well….thanks for talking to me. (hangs up phone)

The bill was then killed in a fake committee that never met, but had to be created because she didn’t withdraw the bill

(minor errors might be in the above because it relies on memory, but the money quote is dead on)

Roe V. Wade, 7 of 9, and Jack Ryan

ArchPundit March 4, 2004 No Comments

For those who believe Roe v. Wade is safe, the bombshell release of late Justice Blackmun’s papers should be a wake-up call. A turnover of two is all it will take. Already we know that Justice O’Connor would like to step down, but doesn’t feel she can until a second Bush election. In addition, Justice Stevens is 84 years old. While still sharp as a tack, he is 84 years old. Justice Ginsburg has also had serious health problems, though she appears to be fine for now.

2 votes from overturning a 7-2 opinion from only 30 years ago. If anyone is naive enough to think Jack Ryan would be a harmless conservative who really cares, ask yourself how much he cares about women’s health and autonomy if he is supporting this President’s wish to radically alter the balance of power on the Supreme Court. Despite protestations from social conservatives, the current Court is skewed to the right with only one true liberal on the bench–Ginsburg. 7 of 9 is often linked to Jack Ryan for other reasons, but let’s link this stat to him now–7 of 9 Supreme Court Justices were appointed by Republicans. That is an unhealthy balance. Let’s make sure we even it out.

St. Clair County Blues II

ArchPundit March 4, 2004 No Comments

Washington Park is considering filing for bankrupty. Apparently relying on brothe…err strip clubs for your revenue stream is not a winning strategy. Who knew?

Dan Hynes office is all over it and trying to whip them into shape. That is good news given many Comptrollers would have considered letting them slide to win favor with local pols for primary support.

How bad is Washington Park right now?

Earlier, a village worker took out a $3,500 cash advance on her credit card to complete the funding of a library literacy program when the state in December withheld the final part due to past debts.

St. Clair County Blues

ArchPundit March 4, 2004 3 Comments

It’s been a while, but let’s revisit everybody’s favorite county in Southwestern Illinois.

Another tussle has broken out in East St. Louis over the school board. Lonzo Greenwood was ousted as President of East St. Louis District 189 School Board by the state financial oversight board. It would appear the Mr. Greenwood felt he would unilaterally extend the food service contract.

The state-appointed panel voted Wednesday to remove Greenwood from the board for his involvement in extending the district’s $3.4 million food service contract with Sodexho. After the oversight panel held a hearing with Greenwood, it determined that he acted improperly when he signed a letter in 2002 extending the Sodexho contract for an additional three years.

When the School Board decided to seek bids in 2003, Greenwood produced the “letter of understanding” that he had signed in 2002. Sodexho ultimately was not the lowest bidder in 2003, but the district ended up extending the company’s contract through this school year.

The panel said Greenwood should have presented the letter of understanding for approval of both the oversight panel and the School Board. The situation is another example of the lack of internal financial control in the district, said Richard Mark, chairman of the panel.

The reality is that the East St. Louis Board lacks the capacity to run its own schools currently. There are people who could–Percy Harris is one of them, but he isn’t going to be elected and he isn’t crazy enough to run even if he could be. A full state takeover would be a far better answer for the children of East St. Louis.