You are invited to participate in the process.

 

 

 

The Dan Rutherford Campaign

Committee is a proud Sponsor

of the Committee for Legislative

Action.

 

www.DanRutherford.org

 

 *********************** 

 

Senator Dan Rutherford’s website for Legislative and Public Policy matters is:
www.DanRutherford.com

 

Senator Dan Rutherford’s website for political matters is:
www.DanRutherford.org

Senator Rutherford is the Chairman of the Committee for Legislative Action. Its primary purpose is to bring sunlight to attempts to raise Taxes, Fees and increase Government Regulations in Illinois. Their website is:
www.CommitteeForLegislativeAction.org

 

 

Dan Rutherford

State Senator

 

 

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Get just one thing right

 

Chicago Tribune Editorial

Find the logic here:

The people who run the Illinois legislature passed a budget over the weekend and largely ignored everything Gov. Rod Blagojevich wanted. No surprise there. It was clear way back in February, when the governor served up his annual budget address, that he wasn't going to be a factor this year. When nobody trusts you—nobody trusts you.
 

 

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Governor shrugs off ally's conviction

 

 

Chicago Tribune

John Chase, David Kidwell and Ray Long

 

The corruption convictions of Gov. Rod Blagojevich's friend, top adviser and fundraiser dealt a fresh blow to a beleaguered administration Wednesday, weakening the governor's ability to lead and further undermining the credibility of a politician elected on a pledge of reform.
 

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Our Opinion: Governor's

"results" don't spur optimism

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Springfield Journal Register

 

"ROD IS NOT GREAT at process,

 but he’s pretty good at results.”

 

 

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Our Opinion: Governor’s legal tactics a disgrace

 

IT'S MADDENING when an elected official withholds information from us that we believe we are entitled to. Even more so when our state’s highest attorney and a judge have sided with us.

 

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Governor running low on friends - Blagojevich calls it a ‘natural tension’

 

Dictator. Madman. Unruly child. Gov. Rod Blagojevich has been called all those and more — and that’s just by his fellow Democrats. A series of policy defeats and bitter confrontations has driven Blagojevich’s relationship with legislators to a new low.

 


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Poll shows governor's style wearing thin in Cook County

 

Springfield Journal Register

 

"Just a year ago, Gov. Rod Blagojevich took 65.2 percent of the Cook County vote in winning re-election against two opponents."

 

 

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Trial knocks on

governor's door

 

 

Chicago Tribune

Bob Secter and Ray Long

 

"Illinois has a rich and infamous history of political corruption trials, but the trajectory of the case against Antoin "Tony" Rezko -- a chief fundraiser for Gov. Rod Blagojevich -- may be without parallel.

Perhaps never before has a sitting Illinois governor become so enmeshed in a criminal proceeding of such breadth."

 

 

This is the lead of the story. There is so much happening in the media about Governor Blagojevich. CLA will post articles, but one may wish to visit the Chicago Tribune. They have a web page dedicated to updates on the Governor and the Tony Rezko trial. You can visit the page at:  Chicago Tribune

 

 

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Governor calls story on flights 'ridiculous'
Doesn't answer question about asking tax attorney

 


 

SPRINGFIELD -- Gov. Rod Blagojevich said Tuesday it's "ridiculous" to suggest he might owe taxes for personal use of state aircraft.

The Associated Press reported this week that Blagojevich, his family and guests have taken hundreds of flights on taxpayer-financed airplanes with no clear business purpose. Tax experts said the Internal Revenue Service could consider the flights taxable fringe benefits.

 

 

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Flight check: Blagojevich

could owe
Analysis finds that taxes may be due for governor’s personal plane use

 

On Memorial Day, Gov. Rod Blagojevich huddled with legislative leaders in his Capitol office in what turned out to be another futile attempt to negotiate a state budget deal.


Then Blagojevich did what millions of people do after work: He went home. The difference is that the governor flew 150 miles to Chicago on a state plane, then used it to return to Springfield the next day.  

 

 

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State could receive $50.5 million settlement from banks

 

Bloomington Pantagraph

Kurt Erickson 

 

SPRINGFIELD -- The cash-strapped state could get an infusion of $50.5 million as part of a proposed settlement between Illinois banks and the Blagojevich administration.

The litigation dates to 2004 when banks took the governor to court after he successfully raised fees on financial institutions in order to help pay for general state costs.

Banks argued the increases were too high and that the money they pay in fees should be used for regulating banks, not regular state expenses.

 

 

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It's so sad about sleazeball Rezko

 

Southtown Star

Phil Kadner

 

I am tired of elected officials who are "saddened" every time one of their corrupt buddies goes off to prison.

 

Here's what Gov. Rod Blagojevich had to say after his key campaign fundraiser, Tony Rezko, was convicted of orchestrating multimillion-dollar kickback schemes:

 

"On a personal level I am deeply sad for what's happened to Tony," our governor said.

 

 

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Lawmakers: Rezko's conviction gives state another black eye

 

Bloomington Pantagraph

Kurt Erickson


SPRINGFIELD -- Illinois lawmakers said the conviction Wednesday of Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s former top adviser Antoin “Tony” Rezko gives the corruption-challenged state another black eye.

And, they said the embattled Democrat from Chicago faces tough times ahead as he tries to govern.

State Rep. Bob Flider, D-Mount Zion, said the trial exposed the underbelly of insider politics in Illinois.
 

 

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Las Vegas judge issues arrest warrant for Tony Rezko over alleged gambling debts

 

By: Natasha Korecki

Federal Courts Reporter

Chicago Sun-Times

 

With the jury still deliberating corruption charges against him in Chicago, Tony Rezko now faces fresh criminal charges in Las Vegas that accuse him of failing to pay $450,000 in gambling debts.

 

 

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Special-fund raids are unethical, if not illegal

 

Bloomington Pantagraph

07/08/2006

Pantagraph Editorial


The state of Illinois may be next in need of a gambling license. It is gambling that transferring $97 million from special-purpose funds to pay the state's day-to-day operating expenses is legal.


The governor's office has already transferred more than $1.2 billion from those funds in the past two years and no one has stopped it.


So, it is obvious the governor's office thinks what it is doing is proper.


Some Republican legislators have said the transfers are unconstitutional.


The treasurer's office thinks the transfers are illegal.


We think the transfers are unethical, if not illegal. It is taking money under false pretenses.


And a court may get a chance to decide in a pivotal case in Sangamon County.


The motorcycle group ABATE has a court order keeping the state from transferring $296,000 from its cycle safety training program and $48,600 from its off-road vehicle trails fund into the state's general operating fund. The funds receive money from motorcycle licenses, titles and registration fees.


ABATE, which stands for A Brotherhood Aimed Toward Education, wanted to represent the approximately 400 special-purpose funds that the Blagojevich administration has "swept" - we think "raided" is a more appropriate description. Unfortunately, Sangamon County Circuit Judge Leo Zappa would not permit ABATE to represent all funds.


That means every special interest group has to fight its own battle against taxpayer-paid attorneys. Not many have the financial wherewithal for a prolonged court battle.


And some of groups that could afford a court battle will not. Some have been offered "settlements." In other words, don't fight the transfers and you won't lose as much - or maybe none at all.


So the annual raid on special-purpose funds continues. This administration has been doing it for at least three years, and says that previous administrations did the same thing.


There is no way the Legislature is doing its job if it allows governors to use special-purpose funds as piggy banks to finance pet projects and ignore the wishes of people who are contributing to the special funds. The governor's office has said the money represents surplus funds that are not needed to sustain the programs. If that's the case, quit collecting the money.


Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka originally questioned the transfers and to support her right to look at the legal issues Comptroller Dan Hynes went along, according to Hynes' office. When no court decisions were rendered and the Legislature last spring reaffirmed that money from the funds was to be transferred, Hynes' office dropped its objections.


Topinka's office notified groups three weeks ago that their special-purpose funds were being tapped.


Deputy Treasurer Martin Noven said they still think the transfers are illegal. But, he said, Topinka's office was told the comptroller's office was going to write checks as if the transfers were made. "We weren't going to let $97 million worth of checks bounce," said Noven. Letting checks bounce might be unethical. But it might produce some interesting questions during an election year for the governor to explain why he would take $12.3 million from DCFS Children's Services, or $5.7 million from the Illinois Affordable Housing Trust, or $11 million from the toll highway revenue, or $5.7 million from the Downstate Public Transportation Fund, or $16.7 million from the state's Health Insurance Reserve.


If those are "unneeded funds," voters should make candidates explain this fall why the state is still assessing fees to build these monstrous surpluses?


Stop the fees, or stop the transfers. Quit taking money under false pretenses. Balance the budget to revenue, not by raiding special-purpose funds.

  

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