-By Warner Todd Huston
Meet Illinois State Senator John Millner (R-Carol Stream). He is the only Senator that voted “no” against a startling weakening of an Illinois ethics reform bill on January 14. In the worst ethics mess in Illinois history, when the eyes of the nation are on Illinois, not even one other Senator joined Senator Millner in voting against this cynical weakening of the state’s new “pay-to-play” ban — not even another Republican.
Supposedly, the “pay-to-play” ban was watered down in a 56-1 vote to exclude road building companies because federal transportation officials told the legislature that the ban as worded could put federal funds for transportation projects in jeopardy. One has to wonder why this was never realized all the way back last September when the bill was first introduced?
Even the supposed explanation doesn’t pass the smell test:
The state’s new ethics law prohibits businesses that have or seek state contracts worth more than $50,000 from donating to the campaign funds of statewide officeholders who assign the contracts.
Federal transportation officials told Illinois the law restricts who is eligible to bid for the business, potentially making projects cost more. State officials said the restriction could impact projects going to bid this month if an exception isn’t carved out.
Why exactly any construction firm would either not bid, or wildly raise prices on a state project merely because they cannot donate to a politician was not explained by anyone as far as I can tell.
It is odd, and infuriating, that even the state’s Republican legislators allowed these unnamed “federal transportation officials” to somehow force them to take a vote that makes them look just as bad as every thieving Democrat in the state. The only legislator to show any chutzpah is Millner.
Sen. John Millner (R-Carol Stream) was the only senator to vote against the legislation, saying it would not be prudent while Blagojevich is still governor. “Right now, in good conscience, I couldn’t vote for a bill that would provide additional opportunities for the governor to possibly raise money” by shaking down contractors for campaign contributions, Millner said.
This should have been an easy vote for Illinois Republicans wishing to appear before the voters as the party of reform. But, no, they voted to water down the ethics bill, anyway.
This is precisely why Illinois is the most corrupt state in the union.
But, we have to give a hearty handshake to Senator Millner for his ethical stance on limiting “pay-to-play” as much as possible. The current Democrat moral collapse is an ideal time for state Republicans to step forward as the party of reform. But thus far it has failed to make even a single move to be that party. If the rest of his gutless party had followed his lead, perhaps Illinois voters might be turning to them as a moral alternative to the thoroughly corrupt, thieving Illinois Democrat Party. But, with no difference between the two parties identifiable by the voter, the Illinois GOP offers nothing whatever.
And it has been this way for decades.
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Warner Todd Huston is a Chicago based freelance writer, has been writing opinion editorials and social criticism since early 2001 and is featured on many websites such as newsbusters.org, Human Events Magazine, townhall.com, New Media Journal, Men’s News Daily and the New Media Alliance among many, many others. Additionally, he has been a frequent guest on talk-radio programs to discuss his opinion editorials and current events. He has also written for several history magazines and appears in the new book “Americans on Politics, Policy and Pop Culture” which can be purchased on amazon.com. He is also the owner and operator of publiusforum.com. Feel free to contact him with any comments or questions : EMAIL Warner Todd Huston
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