I want to clarify a few things about Senator Burris. First, his Senate voting record fairly serves the people of Illinois and the United States Constitution. To his credit, Burris has voted to protect Americans from the most egregious credit card practices that our predatory, too-big-to-fail banks imposed on ordinary American citizens trying to stay afloat in an era of declining wages. Second, in all my dealings with Senator Burris over the years, he has always been congenial, accommodating, and, by the way, never asked for a single dime in compensation, let alone a campaign donation.

That is why I am troubled by the controversy that surrounded him. It was the controversy itself, not Senator Burris, that represented another hive erupting on the afflicted body of state government. The source of the affliction? Certainly not Senator Burris! When the media tried its best to indict and convict Senator Burris, Springfield’s major players heaved a collective sigh of relief, because the spotlight shifted away from the larger problem. Illinois’ Pay-to-Play mode of governing, enabled by the some of the loosest campaign finance laws in the nation, is the political bacterium thriving under the state capitol dome.

At the epicenter of Illinois’ rotting campaign finance system is House Speaker Michael Madigan. He’s had numerous opportunities to reform campaign financing, but his lust for power far outweighs any sense of duty to the people of Illinois. Case in point: when campaign “reform” legislation passed Madigan’s House last year, the new restrictions on donations to elected officials, notably exempted him and the state representatives and senators.

Yet where was the media outcry against this craven, so-called “reform?” There was hardly a peep! But when a perceived transgression occurred involving someone outside the inner circle of Springfield pols, the media sunk its claws into Sen. Burris as easy prey.

We would be far better served if the media would show and sustain the same level of reporting of campaign fund-raising and spending by our legislative leaders in Springfield. The media could begin with closer scrutiny of Speaker Michael Madigan: According to the Illinois State Board of Elections, Madigan has collected  more than $24 MILLION in campaign contributions since 1990.

$24 million buys a lot of influence and legislation. But what has the $24 Million Man done for the people of Illinois? He has given us chronic underfunding for 75 percent of our schools because he refuses to enact reforms that would fairly fund our public schools. He has left us with an Illinois budget in shambles because he refuses to create a fairer tax system based on one’s ability to pay or to prudently cut the budget. Shamefully, he had no problem holding families of autistic children hostage when he used politics to delay a bill in 2008 that would have helped autistic children get much-needed therapy.

So iron-fisted is Madigan’s control that one of our own state representatives had no qualms about voting against helping autistic children, saying it wasn’t politically right: Now tell that to a family with an autistic preschooler. And these representatives don’t have to worry about any repercussions because the $24 Million Madigan leaves us with no real choice as to whom will represent us in Springfield; he does the choosing for you with his campaign bankroll.

We could have averted recurring political scandals by enacting real campaign reform and public financing of campaigns, as many progressive states are doing. But Speaker Madigan is more intent on keeping things just the way they are; it is the people of Illinois who shoulder the collateral damage of a rotted system.

And when it comes to reforming Illinois’s campaign finance system, Madigan showed not only contempt for the people of Illinois, but for the hard-working members of the Illinois Reform Commission. The commission worked tirelessly, crisscrossing the state for public input before making its recommendation to reform Illinois politics. One of the commission’s members, the Rev. Scott Willis, who lost six children in a fiery vehicle accident, worked hard to reform the campaign finance system that was the root cause of his children’s deaths.

House Speaker Madigan’s response to the commission was to sponsor and push through H.B. 7, a fraud of a bill so riddled with loopholes and fatal flaws that Cindi Canary, Illinois Campaign for Political Reform director, called it a “phony reform.”

In the interim, a prosecutor has determined that Sen. Burris did not commit perjury. In Burris’ short time as senator, his voting record clearly shows his intent is to serve the people. Meanwhile, our $24 Million House Speaker has only one aim: to continue his iron-fisted rule of our state.You decide which one’s serving you better.

Here are some more funds that have taken a hit in the most recent funds sweep:

AG Whistleblower Reward & Protection: $8,250,000
State Police Whistleblower Reward and Protection: $2,000,000
Illinois Clean Water: $5,000,000
Hazardous Waste: $1,000,000
Environmental Protection Trust: $250,000
Environmental Protection Permit and Inspection: $1,500,000
IL Habitat Endowment Trust$: $2,000,000
IL Habitat: $1,000,000
Natural Heritage Endowment Trust: $250,000
EPA Special State Projects Trus: t$1,000,000
Solid Waste Management: $2,000,000

The list goes on an on, but it’s easy to see that funds that are for the environment and to protect whistleblowers are easy pickings. That is no surprise in our pay2play state.

Adding insult to injury, these funds do not have to be repaid, thanks to Public Act 94-0839, which “eliminated the mandatory repayment from selected fund sweeps to the GRF if there is insufficient money coming into the fund.” (SOURCE:Commission on Forecasting and Accountability, July 2006 Newsletter)

The knockout happened on October 7, 2008,  when Senate Bill 0790 passed, and we’re still feeling the bruises.

What the bill did was literally “sweep” $221,250,000 from funds where money was earmarked for specific purposes. Now, let’s look at how we’re getting hosed:

We’ll  start with  the Pet Population Control Fund, where $250,000 was “swept” out of there to go to the Budget Relief Fund.
The Pet Population Control fund subsidizes low-cost spay/neuter services for low-income people who are on SSI Disability or have a LINK card. Now before anyone howls about using tax dollars to pay for this program, the fact is that this program is funded SOLELY by fines and a surcharge collected from people who buy Pet-Friendly license plates.

Thanks to the budget sweep, the Pet Population Control stopped taking applications for low-cost spay/neuter around April, months before the new fiscal year begins  on July 1.

I can’t speak for others, but I can tell you I’d be mighty miffed if I paid $50 extra for my license plates, believing that it was going to help reduce animal suffering, then come to find out that it was “swept” away and not to be replaced (I have word from Brenda Love, at the Illinois Department of Public Health, that the funds will not be repaid.)

Because the heist happened under the capitol dome of  the statehouse, and not at the receiving end of revolver, it’s legal – so far.

For the people who purchased Pet-Frendly license plates, this was a bait-and-switch. The word “fraud” comes to
mind.   This didn’t seem  to bother our legislators  though, who apparently  had no qualms  robbing money from dedicated  funds, including this paltry  little fund  that  is used to reduce  suffering.

Every day that  passes  without  spaying or neutering  eligible animals means that there are more dogs and cats  reproducing  out  there. – and they’re won’t be enough homes for all the puppies and kittens  being born.  

For all those unwanted dogs and cats that will be born because of the fund “sweep,” it means a lot more suffering and death.   Local  governments  will be left  to deal  with  the results,  and  those unwanted animals will pay the ultimate  price.

Gandhi said, “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”

More later …..