Bob Gough is the vice president and editor of QuincyNews.org, an independent online news organization in Quincy, Illinois that launched in April 2008.
Gough is a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism and has 20 years experience in print, radio, television, newspaper and online journalism.
Bob Gough
Another Tale of Government Corruption: Quincy, IL Edition
by Bob GoughWhen John Spring was campaigning for re-election as mayor of Quincy, Illinois in the spring of 2009, his primary selling point to the citizens of Quincy was that he had close, personal relationships with people in Washington D.C. (especially Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin, D-Illinois and his old high school football teammate, U.S. Rep Phil Hare, D-Rock Island) and he could deliver the goods for the many pie in the sky projects he had in mind for the city.
Spring used a popular former mayor, Chuck Scholz, in his campaign commercials along with the head of the supposedly non-partisan local economic development arm, the Great River Economic Development Foundation.
Spring won re-election by less than 800 votes over a Republican whose lone political experience consisted of a couple of terms on the Adams County, Illinois Board.
So what did those people get for supporting Spring as heavily as they did?
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A Quincy Tale: Crony Capitalism in Local Government
by Bob GoughThe Quincy (Ill.)City Council–with the support of all GOP Alderman–decided to reward a large contributor to Quincy Mayor John Spring’s campaign with a $6.69 million contract with the city.
US Senator Durbin Laughing with the Local Machine About the Spoils
City officials used an RFP process that pretty much guaranteed the company was going to keep doing business as usual with the city.
A committee of appointed city officals and a paid consultant recommended approval with Environmental Management Corporation (EMC), O’Fallon, MO, for the management of the city’s waste water treatment plant and biosolid disposal operations based upon a five-year contract.
EMC’s contract calls for the city to pay management fees of $717,000 in year one, $734,925 in year two, $753,298 in year three, $772,131 in year four and $791,434 in year five. The city’s cost for its own eight employees during that same period is $2,873,019 in salaries and up to $141,921 in overtime for a five-year total of $6,693,727.
A proposal EMC submitted using all of its own employees would have cost the city $7.1 million.
So, yes, the city is paying a private company about $750,000 a year over the next five years to manage public employees.
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‘The Fix Was In’: Obama Donor Gets Sweetheart Real Estate Deal in Chicago
by Bob GoughWith much-publicized ties between President Barack Obama, the SEIU labor union and the ACORN volunteer organization, it would be a safe assumption that someone with a business relationship with not just one, but both of those groups would have an inside track on doing business with an Obama associate.
Credit: Christopher Woodward
But in the world of big money Democratic Chicago politics, there is a difference between white-collar clout and blue-collar clout.
Chicago real estate developer Thomas Bennett thought he had a deal in hand to purchase the old Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) building at 626 West Jackson, just blocks from Union Station. Bennett thought he was paying a fair price for the property as he had a written commitment from two tenants –SEIU and ACORN- to occupy office space in the building.
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Pollster Says ‘Throw the Bums Out’ Sentiment Brewing for 2010
by Bob Gough
Two-thirds of registered voters who responded to a recent survey say the federal stimulus packages has not resulted in the improvement of the Western Illinois economy
The poll, commissioned by QuincyNews.org, was conducted by We Ask America on November 22 between 4:30 PM – 6:30. In all, 15,000 random residential phone numbers of registered voters in the 17th Congressional District were dialed, resulting in 1,278 people taking the poll. The numbers dialed were randomly selected.
The results have a margin of error of ± 2.74 %.
Of those who responded, 66.7 % say the stimulus package hasn’t improved the economy. Just under 22 percent said there had been an improvement while 11.5 percent were not sure.
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Small Town, Big Government
by Bob Gough[ED: Big Government isn't just in Washington, DC. In this story, local Republicans and Democrats tag-team to put out of business a local charity providing safe rides home from local bars. Often, the fight against Big Government begins at home. This installment comes from the editor of the great local news site, Quincy News.Org]
Jonathon Schonekase can’t seem to escape his past.
He changed his name hoping people would forget about his setting fire to an abandoned school when he was a juvenile. He then went to prison as an adult, where he lost his eye in a fight.
Jonathon said the loss of a friend in a drunk driving accident gave him the idea to start a service where, maybe, he could give people an option to avoid drinking and driving.
Jonathon started “Courtesy Rides” on New Year’s 2008. He posted his number in bars, people called him and he picked them up. Didn’t cost them a thing. If they wanted to leave a tip, so be it.
Now more than a year and a half after starting the service, the town where he started it has decided Jonathon needs to be regulated.
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