Just when you think you’ve seen it all…
Monday, Aug 3, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller
* What the heck was Chicago State University President Wayne Watson doing when he was Chancellor of City Colleges of Chicago? Well, according to a Chi-Town Daily News report, one thing he did was allegedly use state and federal grant money to produce promo videos for his pals, including former Senate President Emil Jones…
Under orders from then-Chancellor Wayne Watson, the PBS television station at City Colleges of Chicago used its budget to produce free videos of powerful politicians and friends of the chancellor, an internal college e-mail shows. […]
The political programs showcased golf events, a fundraiser and a “State Senate California Trip” in connection with then-State Senate President Emil Jones. […]
The report lists at least 15 programs that were never broadcast and were allegedly “distributed only to friends and associates of the Chancellor.”
The programs showcasing Jones included “Emil Jones fundraiser,” “Emil Jones State Senate California Trip,” “Emil Jones St. Francis Hospital” and four editions of “Emil Jones Golf Promo.”
It truly never ends.
* The online news outlet has been scoopalicious lately. Go check out their story about unlicensed flophouses for the mentally ill. And then there’s this interesting story posted a few hours ago about Latino activists protesting parking meters…
Protesters are now standing atop the holes drilled to install the meters, preventing workers from affixing the meters to the sidewalk.
Heh.
- 47th Ward - Monday, Aug 3, 09 @ 10:32 am:
So I guess Watson had his eye on the CSU job for quite some time. When are they re-naming it Emil Jones State University?
- Ravenswood Right Winger - Monday, Aug 3, 09 @ 10:35 am:
that convocation center at Chicago State is rearlly nice!
- Bill - Monday, Aug 3, 09 @ 10:57 am:
Does EJU have a TV station?
- Anonymous45 - Monday, Aug 3, 09 @ 11:09 am:
What a surprise that EJ used state funded resources to further his political career…will more gory details appear in Rod’s book due out next month?…stay tuned campers…
- VanillaMan - Monday, Aug 3, 09 @ 11:32 am:
If this wasn’t so stupendously stupid, ethically blind and embarrasingly amateur - it would be funny.
What a bunch of jerks.
- siriusly - Monday, Aug 3, 09 @ 11:36 am:
CSU’s new “West Side Campus” is going to be named Ricky Hendon University. Making it the first college campus named after a living person who doesn’t have a college degree.
- siriusly - Monday, Aug 3, 09 @ 11:38 am:
I agree with you Rich about the Chi-Town Daily News. They actually have real reporters doing some real reporting over there.
Perhaps some of the Tribune reporters and editors (if they exist) can do internships at Chi-Town sometime. They can learn about what modern journalism could be like. Maybe they can learn something besides “U OF I IS ON FIRE!!!!”
- lake county democrat - Monday, Aug 3, 09 @ 11:43 am:
I saw a yuppie near the East Bank Club the other day yelling at a middle-aged lady parking enforcer ticket some moped that was chained to a fence…
- Diamond Dog - Monday, Aug 3, 09 @ 11:54 am:
WHAT! HE SHOULD BE THROWN IN JAIL! Wait, oh, PROMO videos. The first time I read it I thought it was something else.
- Speaking at Will - Monday, Aug 3, 09 @ 12:00 pm:
A quick search of the state board of elections website turns up the usual contributions by Mr. Watson, to the usual democrats in the chicago machine. What a joke, I called Chicago State University this morning, they acted as if they had no idea that there was any scandal involving Mr. Watson.
- wordslinger - Monday, Aug 3, 09 @ 12:22 pm:
Who carries the water for CSU now that Emil is gone? The feds seem very interested in public education right now, you have to figure they’ll go to school on CSU eventually.
- Phineas J. Whoopee - Monday, Aug 3, 09 @ 12:50 pm:
I thought they were taking out meters and replacing them with pay boxes-so what holes are the protestors standing over?
- Ghost - Monday, Aug 3, 09 @ 1:05 pm:
parking fees to use a community center…. community centers, among other things, help provide actiities to keep kids out of gangs.
Not sure making a community center less accessible to those with limited income realy supports the spirit of the center.
- Toot - Monday, Aug 3, 09 @ 1:32 pm:
Well…. I am starting to think that maybe when folks aren’t corrupt…they should make the news… LOL In Illnois…it would take a lot less webspace and save on my time when reading the news each day!!!
- Collar Observer - Monday, Aug 3, 09 @ 1:38 pm:
Toot - excellent idea! or maybe right now - start with every challenger out there curriculating petitions starting tomorrow (and please, I hope they are MANY)
- OneMan - Monday, Aug 3, 09 @ 3:30 pm:
Well it isn’t all bad…
They are giving Bill Bevers a agriculture show. Something about Pork and nuts?