Corruption

James Madison wrote, “all men having power ought to be distrusted to a certain degree.”  In Illinois, our leaders have broken the trust of the people and we must hold them accountable and remain vigilant in order to prevent future abuses.

Illinois’ legacy of corruption dates back to the 1860’s when “pay to play” was introduced in Chicago. City aldermen and Cook County commissioners participated in a crooked contract to paint city hall. In 1909, the “Blond Boss” used bribery to purchase one of the US Senate seats in Illinois. Corruption did not stop there. Since then, six governors have been indicted, and four governors have been convicted of public corruption. Over the last forty years, more than 1500 individuals have been convicted in Illinois of various forms of public corruption.

Illinois’ culture of corruption recently hit the national stage when our 40^th Governor, Rod Blagojevich, was indicted on corruption charges for attempting to sell President Obama’s former Senate seat. After Blago’s arrest, the FBI Special Agent in charge of the Blagojevich investigation, Robert Grant, said, “If Illinois is not the most corrupt state, it certainly is one hell of a competitor.”

The fallout from these scandals does not stop with our reputation as being the most corrupt state in the country – it is costing Illinois taxpayers millions each year. Researchers estimate that the  “corruption tax” in Illinois is at least $500 million per year. This is based upon testimony before the Illinois Reform Commission that about 5% of state government contracts are given out to political cronies and campaign contributors. These estimates do not take into account the impact on job creation and economic growth caused by our reputation for cronyism and corruption, which discourages new business.

Ending public corruption is the first step in reestablishing trust and working toward an efficient and effective government. While media, think tanks, activists and advocacy groups focus their attention on Washington, the citizens of Illinois are left feeling as if they cannot fight city hall and that they are at the mercy of the political machines content on managing and profiting from the state’s demise. A recent Joyce Foundation public opinion poll shows more than 60% of Illinois residents name corruption as one of their top concerns – even more than the economy or jobs.

But there is hope. And there is help. For the Good of Illinois’ is working to dismantle the Illinois establishment by engaging, educating and empowering citizens to demand limited, accountable and transparent government.

Objectives

1. Shine the light on government by instituting statewide transparency on all public sector contracting, spending (including salaries and benefits), voting and public records.
2. Enact strict ethics reform by ending conflicts of interest and nepotism, requiring personal finance disclosure for elected and appointed officials, restricting “gifts” from lobbyists, and increasing whistleblower protection.
3. Reform campaign finance by requiring real time reporting for campaign contributions and restricting public sector contributions.
4. Shift the balance of power from politicians to citizens by enacting term limits, empowering citizens to recall elected officials, and ending gerrymandering of legislative districts.
5. Engage citizens in the political and legislative process at all levels of state and local government.