27 Months for The Hog
ArchPundit
Roger "the Hog" Stanley gets 27 months in prison due partially to cooperation on the Operation Saferoads probe.
Not too much surprising, but as Eric Zorn points out….Nice Hair Stanley.
27 Late Term Appointment Firings Overturned
27 of the last minute appointments by George Ryan who were later fired by G-Rod have been reinstated by the Civil Service Commission
The money quote,
After Thursday’s ruling, one of the Ryan appointees, who asked not to be identified, called Blagojevich’s action part of the "terrorizing of the government workforce, which is sort of a hallmark of the Blagojevich administration."
G-Rod is appealing.
32 Clemencies Challenged
Lisa Madigan is challenging 32 of the death row commutations because the convicted did not request clemency.
At its heart, the case tests the breadth of the clemency provision of the state constitution, which gives the chief executive the power to grant reprieves, commutations and pardons "after conviction for all offenses on such terms as he thinks proper."
Madigan is asking the court to rule that Ryan overstepped the bounds of his authority in handing down some of the commutations and to declare them void.
But during arguments on her petition, justices on both sides of the ideological divide asked sharp questions suggesting they may have concerns about doing that.
Chief Justice Mary Ann McMorrow, a Democrat, said the constitution endows the governor with sweeping authority to grant pardons.
"Aren’t you elevating the process over the constitutional broad clemency powers given to the governor?" she asked an attorney for Madigan.
This is a pretty straight-forward fight over separation of powers. Madigan is probably right to challenge the commutations, though on the merits it would appear the Governor has broad latitude.
Voucher Accountability
My series on urban school issues has been delayed and I hope to return to it soon. However, Education Week reports on Florida increasing the accountability of its voucher program
of Education Jim Horne has already tightened the rules for private schools that accept the vouchers by requiring them to file more information with the state. But the Republican appointee of Gov. Jeb Bush is facing heat from opponents, who claim his agency has been loose with its oversight of voucher money and the schools that receive it.
Allegations in two Florida cities have thrown fuel on the voucher debate.
First, two men were accused of funneling money for a terrorist group through one private school in the program. Then, the state realized $400,000 in scholarship money was missing from an organization in Ocala.
I’m somewhat agnostic on vouchers. I doubt that in most cases they’ll have the impact that the more strident supporters suggest. I do think that as long as we have failing schools serving the poorest of the poor we ought to give them an escape valve to those relatively few slots. That said, public money=public accountability.
Two Zorn Pick-Ups
First, irony is alive. Eric Zorn points out that rumbles concerning Betty Loren-Maltese don’t actually exist as Michael Sneed claims.
The irony is in the piece though,
Fact: The job line: Word is Maltese had a prison job and is now working in the landscaping department, where she helps with the accounting.
Fox-Chicken issues.
Second, Eric takes a warranted slap at Dan Zanosa
Dan Zanoza (Illinois Leader), notes in his Media Watch column that the Web-only publication for which he writes is not universally beloved and admired. He cites my reference in Breaking Views to the Leader as "your online home for right-wing rhetoric," and writes, "I seriously wonder if the Illinois Leader and its content were more liberal in nature… would it be drawing fire from individuals like Zorn?" Gee. And I wonder if I were more conservative in nature, would the Leader be publishing letters headlined Zorn Scorn comparing me to a witch doctor and cold oatmeal. Only the difference between me and Zanoza is that I don’t seriously wonder this.
One point is lost here, The Illinois Leader’s entire existence is because it wants to be ‘you online home for right-wing rhetoric.’ There is no other reason for it to exist. Why complain when someone points out the obvious.
Bush and Ballot Access
Jeff Trigg riffs on his favorite subject and he is right.
I don’t think ballot access matters that much due to the median voter rule in a first past the post system. However, it should still be fairly administered and in the spirit of democracy. Once minor parties get better ballot access I believe they need to move to electoral reform–something with which I believe Jeff agrees.
Rauschenberger to Announce Tuesday
Amidst some talk that he is tight on cash. Rauschenberger is going to have to rely upon other State Lege members to build up support given a tight budget. The Lincoln-Douglass Debate with Obama suggestion apparently wasn’t made in a vacuum.
Courting Hispanics…In Bloomington
It is not a joke. Well it is, but it isn’t.
A Perfect Vignette of the Ryan Years
In pleading not guilty, Arthur Swanson gives us an insight into how politics has long been done in Illinois
Swanson, 77, joked with a reporter about being out of cigars as he arrived at court, promising to bring one for his next appearance.
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And Mayer’s lobbying division was involved. Perfect.
Fat Kids
I was one of them. But the Sun-Times misses an important thing Illinois does right–Physical Education every day, every semester. I think there is still an exception for a Health and Driver’s Ed class, but I think those count.
While many PE classes aren’t that useful, they can be an essential tool to teaching exercise and health to kids and a good teacher can even motivate kids to enjoy exercise. As I grew older and tired of being slow and huge, I worked out on my own, but later PE classes certainly reinforced those habits.
We won’t talk about the last two years…