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?
Well, Durbin, who has funneled Spring with thousands of dollars in campaign contributions and staff support during his elections, got to see one of his protégé’s get a nice little $5,000 a month lobbying fee from the city over the past few years. The firm, Michael Alexander and Associates of Chicago, has been paid the money to lobby…Durbin, and other Washington types.
City officials say Alexander’s fees (which was handed out in a no-bid manner and without a vote of the Quincy City Council) have been well worth it as he helped the city garner about $800,000 in grant money and will provide further assistance in future funds for Quincy’s proposed multi-million dollar plan to put hydroelectric power plants on Locks and Dams along the Mississippi River.
Is that what the founding fathers had in mind? That one governing body should be using the public’s money to buy access to another governing body? That’s really how it’s supposed to work?
No, but it’s The Chicago Way and Quincy is trending more Chicago by the day.
It gets better. The former mayor, Scholz, is actually a lobbyist with Alexander’s Chicago firm, which now has several Quincy clients, many of the not-for-profit ilk. But it is the city government, where Scholz had his salary nearly double during his 12-year mayoral tenure and which will continue to pay him a handsome pension into his golden years, that gets to continue providing him with a backdoor paycheck .
It’s important to note that at no point did anyone in the city administration bring up the former mayor’s connection with this lobbying firm. As a matter of fact, the city administration never publicly admitted to anyone they had been paying Alexander’s firm until Monday.
Quincy’s mayor ran on a platform of having relationships with people in order to make the city a better place to live.
He just didn’t tell the voters they were going to have to pay a little bit more for those relationships.
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40 Comments
The gravy train never ends as long as these ole boys stay in power.
Typical. Obysmal is as corrupt as he is GUTLESS!
http://noliberalspin.blogtownhall.com/2010/02/25/...
The Anti Liberal Zone
As long as there's a trough to feed from, the pigs will be burying their snouts as deep as they can…
One can only hope that the people of Quincy are as informed about this, as the readers here are…!?
The only reason the government will never ban printed currency – money has no memory.
Sounds rather like an ince$tuous 0rgy, to me!
Less is more, especially government. The defense of the US Constitution fuse has been lit.
The Illinois circle of corruption is at it again!!
What do you mean 'again'? It never ends, stops, or takes a break — it just always is.
Spending $5,000 to bring in $800,000 doesn't seem such a bad return on investment to me!
That is 5,000 a month.
Another Tale of Government Corruption: Quincy, IL Edition by Bob Gough: Great Article!
When will it all stop? Not as long as Democrats are in complete power! Just tell me that it ain't so!
Tale of TWO Cities Chicago and Quincy! Great article Bob, and THANK YOU for getting it out here! Corruption at it's best! They will meet their maker some day too!
Correct Sam yet Americans and those getting more locally engaged in their government will hopefully bring about changes. People need to 'see the truth' and I wonder if this is being reported on the good old home town paper.
Not Fast but as the old saying goes, 'inch by inch – anything is a cinch. So let it be for the good!
Quincy's mayor and his cronies thought we'd never find out. Gough is shining a light on the connivers, and they're squirming. The answer to these guys who don't have the smarts to know they're destroying their city and country — those who do don't care — is term limits for elected offices at all levels of government.
Go up the river a little ways to Rock Island and check out the county clerk, owns a company that supplys electronic voting programs ….and sells them to who……. guess?
Yes but it is all your money. Tell you what, you send me an $800,000 check and I'll pay you $5,000 per month for a year. I don't care who's money you send me, just send me the money. We're paying for access to our own money, and others'.
Our country would be in much better shame if more taxes were paid on the local level and MUCH MUCH lower taxes on the federal level. This BS couldn't happen if every community relied on self-funding rather than pork.
oink oink
AN OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT OBAMA
Dear President Obama:
You are the thirteenth President under whom I have lived and unlike any of
the others, you truly scare me.
You scare me because after months of exposure, I know nothing about you.
You scare me because I do not know how you paid for your expensive Ivy
League education and your upscale lifestyle and housing with no visible
signs of support.
You scare me because you did not spend the formative years of youth growing
up in America and culturally you are not an American.
You scare me because you have never run a company or met a payroll.
You scare me because you have never had military experience, thus don't
understand it at its core.
You scare me because you lack humility and 'class', always blaming others.
You scare me because for over half your life you have aligned yourself with
radical extremists who hate America and you refuse to publicly denounce
these radicals who wish to see America fail.
You scare me because you are a cheerleader for the 'blame America ' crowd
and deliver this message abroad.
You scare me because you want to change America to a European style country
where the government sector dominates instead of the private sector..
You scare me because you want to replace our health care system with a
government controlled one.
You scare me because you prefer 'wind mills' to responsibly capitalizing on
our own vast oil, coal and shale reserves..
You scare me because you want to kill the American capitalist goose that
lays the golden egg which provides the highest standard of living in the
world.
You scare me because you have begun to use 'extortion' tactics against
certain banks and corporations.
You scare me because your own political party shrinks from challenging you
on your wild and irresponsible spending proposals.
You scare me because you will not openly listen to or even consider opposing
points of view from intelligent people.
You scare me because you falsely believe that you are both omnipotent and
omniscient.
You scare me because the media gives you a free pass on everything you do.
You scare me because you demonize and want to silence the Limbaugh's,
Hannitys, O'Reillys and Becks who offer opposing, conservative points of
view.
You scare me because you prefer controlling over governing.
Finally, you scare me because if you serve a second term I will probably not
feel safe in writing a similar letter in 8 years.
One step at a time
We will take our country back
And they know it 2010 '12 '14…. AS long as it TAKES
they keep it all in the family…. and especially if your brother, wife, daughter or son are registered lobbyists, oh I forgot, now we have to call them all consultyants — ther is no end to the influence a family member can peddle to large corporate insurance, healthcare, energy, pharma type clients… hmmmmm
Oh Boy am I!!!! , and it hits home to so many people I know here…It is WHO YOU KNOW that is the only rule in this town…Immanent Domain..yup…Dope Dealing officials..Yup…D.U.I. capital of Illinois…yup…Racism..yup…94% white 4.6% Black…yup..I obey the LAW here…But there are some GREAT people in Quincy….Wonderful parks…Do I worry because Im not from here that I will become victim to the REAL POWERS that be…A little…I have contact Quincy's society several times a week…As a restaraunt host..lol
U Hit that one on to Waveland Ave!
On top of the $5000 a month there is a $2000 a month travel expense also.
[...] that voted for a politician who claims they have a personal connection to Hare/Durbin – when reports begin to surface that Illinois/Chicago style corruption could be hard at work in the …. Maybe Quincy should hang out a now entering Quincy sign that includes [...]
Great letter, it speaks for a lot of us…Thanks for
posting it…..
THE MOST EVIL MEN ON PLANET EARTH…GLENN BECK, BILL O'REILLY AND SEAN HANNITY!
They are not alone, there are others. They are evil because they have knowledge and the ability to help American Citizens defend our U.S. Constitution from this current crop of Constitutional criminal thugs that occupy Washington D.C. but what do they do instead, they aid and abet them allowing them to steal our Constitutional Rights right from under our noses! I would suggest a email writing campaign to these people insisting that they begin addressing the most crucial and important issue which is the violation of ARTICLE 2 SECTION 1! Keep sending emails to them until WE the PEOPLE gain their attention! If it takes days, weeks or a month keep sending them emails! Bombard their mail boxes telling them WE the PEOPLE want to be heard and want ARTICLE 2 SECTION 1 given the proper respect it deserves as the CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS that it is!
Are you working on the follow-up story to connect Obama to the crimes? It would be a very patriotic service if you connected those dots!
http://libertyatstake.blogspot.com/
First, I cannot believe no one asked if Alexander was a good lobbyist and if he has helped the City and other clients in the past? Second, I cannot believe some people fall for this kind of story without ever checking all the facts. Third, "corruption" is a very strong word. Lastly, I think "let he without sin" start calling people and their acts by a sordid name. I think Mr. Gough ought to know that there are a lot of people that know about him and have given him a pass so far but it is not a gift that cannot be altered. You can be a writer, Mr. Gough, never again a journalist, and still be somewhat of a gentleman.
Of the tax payers money in a way that should not be done!
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