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Four former political power players have been found guilty of conspiring over nearly a decade to bribe then-Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan, a once powerful Democrat who is facing his own corruption trial next year. After the verdict, defense attorney Patrick Cotter put a hand on Michael McClain’s shoulder and told him, “It’s not over.”
Summary and audio linked here.
Chicago’s political leadership is floating a pension buyout program as evidence it is seriously addressing the city’s thirty-six-billion-dollar unfunded pension liability, but Mark Glennon, founder of the Illinois policy research organization Wirepoints, said that the proposal moves debt from one column to another rather than reducing it, and that the broader fiscal picture facing the city continues to deteriorate across every measurable dimension. Audio here.
Expect no retraction or apology. This what they do.
The state’s existing buyout program for its own pensions is the precedent for Chicago, which should be a warning: Look out for similar exaggerated claims and shoddy analysis.
Full interview and summary linked here.
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The Evil Leprechaun (TM) is next.
Meanwhile, Illinois voters decide Democrats are the party of choice…sad. Too bad Republicans have mostly left northern IL.
I disagree.
Following the money would no doubt show that the funds to accomplish the tasks end up in every ComEd’s customer’s utility billings. Steps should now be taken to disallow the expenditures from the rate base and make the company’s shareholder base bear the cost of these activities. the shareholder’s can and do have the power to elect ComEd’s Board of Director’s and should vote accordingly to their feelings on this issue.
Once again another issue is the will of the voters that include Vanguard and Black Rock…wondering here how this will play out/
And now the never ending months-n-years long appeals-n-delay process prior to sentencing and – maybe – punishment.
If I was a Fed I would offer them no prison time but a public flogging next to City Hall!!
That might be a deterrent in Illinois.
YES! YES!
Eddie Burke and Mikey Madigan are next to be found guilty.
Then the Feds need to charge the Illinois Democratric Party as a crime syndicate!!
RICO.
Did the Feds seek the death penalty in this case? I hope so!
I wasn’t surprised that the jury saw through the “it was business as usual defense”, but I feared that there would be a Madigan loyalist hidden somewhere on the jury that would hold out for a hung jury. The lady CEO of ComEd should have taken a deal. Madigan will be diagnosed with some illness a few months before he goes to trial. He’ll use every trick in the book. At least we all can take comfort in the fact that he won’t be sleeping well.
Unfortunately this is business as usual for Illinois. About time it gets punished. Now lets take another look at those toilets in the gold coast.
But punishment never works, see Ryan, Blago, etc. It only makes them try to be more sophisticated in their schemes.
Well, the controlled media lies to you. The Illinois Democratic Party are masters of projecting power and boasting of their resources, and this deters people from speaking out or taking action. Don’t be deceived! Most of it is a big fat lie. The Democratic Party isn’t nearly as big or as powerful as they claim.