The Capitol Fax Blog » Help us or else

Friday, Apr 18, 2008

* He’s done this before, so no surprise here…

Gov. Rod Blagojevich, never shy about using taxpayer resources to push his agenda, is once again marshaling state employees to build backing for his budget proposals, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press.

The administration is contacting social service providers and advocates to drum up support, officials confirmed, raising concerns among some that the groups could feel pressure to back the governor.

They have to fill out “endorsement forms,” are given a sample letter and then must return everything to the state, obviously so their participation can be verified.

“When you’re beholden to the state, when the individuals being solicited have an interest in government business, or a state contract, are they free to disagree or ignore it?” [Jay Stewart, executive director of the Better Government Association] said. “Given the history of the state of Illinois, you can’t pretend that isn’t a concern.”

It must be particularly worrisome to state contractors getting a call from the governor, Stewart said, when newspapers are full of testimony from the ongoing federal fraud trial of Blagojevich friend and fundraiser Antoin “Tony” Rezko. He is accused of conspiring to squeeze companies seeking state business for kickbacks and campaign contributions to the Democratic governor. Blagojevich is not charged with any wrongdoing.

All true.

Everybody knows by now that Blagojevich can be a vindictive sonofagun, so I’ll bet they get a lot of responses.

* In a somewhat related development…

Fairfield High School Supt. David Savage reports that the State of Illinois plans to hold up distribution of the last two state aid payments so that the money will fall into the next fiscal year. The shortfall will cause the district to fall into the red this fiscal year by as much as $120,000.

This involves hundreds of millions of dollars, but it’s mostly an accounting move by the state. Move distributions that were supposed to out in late June (current fiscal year) to July (next fiscal year).

However, it irritates schools because if the state never catches up, the net result is a cut in school funding.

- posted by Rich Miller

29 Comments

- problem - Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 7:41 am:
I think to say they sent stuff out to just state contractors would not be accurate.

My neighborhood community group and chamber of commerce both talked about it at their last meeting and had endorsement forms for people to sign up.

They don’t get state funding and aren’t necessarily cozy with anybody.

So I assume they just sent this stuff out to as many people as possible.

- keepin up with jones - Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 7:47 am:
Maybe today’s earth shaking event was a message to the Governor?
Or has left to New Haven for his global warming event?
Anyway he probably the little 5.4 near Salem was just some of his folks shaking down others to continue his evil ways.

- Reddbyrd - Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 7:49 am:
They also sent a letter to the entire SOS corporation list —- wonder how much that one cost us.
BTW if they delay the final school payments there is no deficit so they can put the “need the fund sweep” idea away. Again

- Cassandra - Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 7:53 am:
Isn’t the shakedown of contractors and agencies just old time urban Democratic politics reborn in state government under are quintessentially old time pol governor.

After all, most of these agencies and contractors owe their lavish lifestyles to our Blago, that is, to us, we elected him. And don’t tell me nonprofit execs are impoverished Mother Theresa types. They aren’t. A lot of those state grants go to support very nice salaries and perks. Lots of perks.

So of course they should send in those letters.
It’s cheap at the price.

- Trapped In The Metro East - Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 7:59 am:
A big step forward would be a change in the Constitution to require accrual accounting methods, instead of playing shell games with the cash. BTW, chalk up occasional earthquakes to the list of bleak things in southern Illinois.

- Ghost - Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 8:04 am:
This is one of those many loopholes in the current ethics regulations. In addition to all the gift and no politicing prohibitions we need somthing that bars any elected official or their staff, employees, contractors, campaign funds or agnets on their behalf from soliciting support for actual or proposed government programs from those who are employee’s of the State or their family members, or those persons or their close family who do buisness with, are seeking to do buissness with, or recieve money directly or indirectly from the State of Illinois.

- GoBearsss - Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 8:35 am:
Breaking News: Governor uses state employees to send out press releases

- ashamed - Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 8:45 am:
Extortion

Ex*tort”\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Extorted; p. pr. & vb. n. Extorting.] [L. extortus, p. p. of extorquere to twist or wrench out, to extort; ex out + torquere to turn about, twist. See Torsion.]

1. To wrest from an unwilling person by physical force, menace, duress, torture, or any undue or illegal exercise of power or ingenuity; to wrench away (from); to tear away; to wring (from); to exact; as, to extort contributions from the vanquished; to extort confessions of guilt; to extort a promise; to extort payment of a debt.

2. Law. the crime of obtaining money or some other thing of value by the abuse of one’s office or authority.

3. Illegal use of one’s official position or powers to obtain property, funds, or patronage.

4. Unjust exaction (as by the misuse of authority); “the extortion by dishonest officials of fees for performing their sworn duty”.

5. The felonious act of extorting money.

6. That which is extorted or exacted by force.

- gray wolf - Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 8:52 am:
ETHICS!-HE don’t need no stinkin’ ETHICS

- Ghost - Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 8:56 am:
Breaking News: Governor creates an All Kids shield crafted of children to shield himself, demands those who have State contracts send in their first born or lose their contracts.

- Kevin Fanning - Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 9:00 am:
lol

- Anonymous - Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 9:18 am:
The outrage here is a little over the top. I used to work for a state grantee during the Edgar and Ryan years and we were regularly solicited to show support, come to press conferences as “props” and lobby for administration initiatives. This sure was not invented by Blagojevich.

- A Citizen - Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 10:10 am:
- Anonymous -
No one is suggesting guv has had an Original idea. He just seems to gravitate to the pressure tactic ideas of those less ethically endowed.

- Plutocrat03 - Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 10:15 am:
So if this is a shakedown, or a demand to show support or else, will this allow the Fed’s to use the RICO laws to further prosecution?

I really enjoy the ‘business as usual’ defenses. What’s next? I was only following orders? Oops, didn’t work well for Mr. Sorich.

- wordslinger - Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 10:44 am:
Cassandra, if party or geography were the determinants of a predisposition to corruption, it would be pretty easy to root out, I suspect. Sadly, a cursory examination of history, recent or past, local, state or national, scotches that theory pretty quickly.

- Reddbyrd - Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 10:51 am:
ANON 9:18 usually that “prop” production with some class….invitees tended to be know supporters amd not potential victims and or paid stooges

- You GO Boy - Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 11:10 am:
Once again - the imperial idiot flashes his hubris. Oh, for the day he leaves…

- orlkon - Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 11:31 am:
I know I’ve gotten older, but slower too? Didn’t we just go through the issue of Education not getting funds at the beginning of this FY?
Let’s see if I understand…

Now they are being told that they won’t receive their last two checks at the end of this same FY? Last time checks were later than promised, schools were offered “interest free” loans, but nobody asked where the money was coming from! I think we all know the effects of sub-prime loans by now, but does state government? Somebody please take the check book, even if it might be too late.

- Anon 9:18 - Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 11:34 am:
No, there was no class involved. We’d get notice an hour before hand. We’d get scheduled and then cancelled. We’d get strong armed to bring legislators on board. Those of you who think it was done “better” by Ryan or Edgar do not know whereof you speak.

- Treason? - Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 12:31 pm:
I hope that people see the urgent need to do what ever needs to be done to remove Il’s current Governor. His acts border on treason. I would like to see CSI do a report on how many things that Gov promised to do and what the status of them are. How comparing Il today to 6 years ago?

- Irish - Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 12:42 pm:
I have to agree with Anon 9:18. I really hate to defend the rod but I have been a State Employee for 33 years and this is not new. It was done during the Edgar and Ryan years. Ryan was worse than Edgar. I have seen contracts laying on a desk next to fundraiser tickets and the contract didn’t get signesd until the tickets were picked up. We used to get tickets sent to us as state employees that had to be sold or you bought them yourself. Late FY school payments have also been held up for years by many different administrations. I was an a school board for 16 years and sometimes there would be no final payment. Sometimes the final payment was held until after July and then it was touted as a “bonus” payment for the next year. Sometimes the second to the last and the last payments would be reduced so together they were what one payment would be but both payments were made. Just as Blago is not the first Gov. to rob the pension systems.
I guess the difference now is that while all of that was going on other things were getting done and those candidates had not run on the platform of “The Reformer”

- Anon - Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 12:42 pm:
In a previous job I was asked by a supervisor to do something that I was sure was illegal. I refused to do what was asked and stated why I refused to do it. I did not shout my answer but I also did not answer quietly and many fellow employees heard. Sometimes one must set an example even if it means your job.

- So. Il citizen - Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 1:27 pm:
My question to the state employees who saw this behaviour in previous administrations is: If the organization or person did not show support for the project, were they fired or did they lose a state contract? Probably not where the Rodster doesn’t try to hide his vindictive nature.

- Anon 9:18 - Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 1:39 pm:
We never dared say no, so I wouldn’t know.

- Truthful James - Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 2:46 pm:
The roll over of the School Aid payments into the next fiscal year. –

The report from the one small school district is just the tip of the iceberg. Two monthly distributions delayed for all the school districts will be in the billions.

Nest step will be to delay the delivery of the local sales taxes collected by the state and which is supposed to be delivered to the municipalities.

This is serious business for the taxing bodies

This is one of the finan tactics used by entities which want to conceal lousy result from the [people who read their books.

The state is skint. The IG should be performing accrual accounting analysis. Dan’l Hynes should be yelling at the top of his lungs.

If Blago thinks that he will magically find a new revenue source to make up for the two month shortfall, he needs to hie himself to the funny farm.

- A Citizen - Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 3:51 pm:
Since Antoin is out on bail and sort of tied to the home phone, perhaps guv could ask him to work on the state’s behalf to raise a funding stream to pay off the deficit. I have more confidence in Tony than guv and company. And we could give Antoin community service credits. He seems to have the successful gold prospectors midas touch.

- Huh? - Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 4:08 pm:
Is there any truth to the rumor that the State is down to having enough money for the next 2 weeks? Or is it specific to particular agencies?

- Skeptic Cal - Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 4:27 pm:
So where are those lawyers who keep bulldogging this Governor?
Have any of the state employees looked into their rights?
Always love reading about those lawsuits and what they dig up.

- anon - Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 5:19 pm:
Extortion is the quintessential means of maintaining power in Illinois. This tactic is not new, and it certainly is acceptable among the politicos from both parties, and supported by the electorate. Look at the familial polticial legacy of our state. Politics is a family business in Illinois and extortion is merely the commercial exchange medium. There may not be a severed horse’s head at the foot of your bed, but you can bet you have a relative who will be severed from her/his job if you don’t abide by the rules.

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