Sen. Brady wants state to competitively bid all bonds

[FEB. 26, 2005]  SPRINGFIELD -- Given the governor's penchant for spending now and paying later
-- much later -- state Sen. Bill Brady, R-Bloomington, thinks the state of Illinois should be competitively bidding all its bonds so that taxpayers get the best deal possible.

Sen. Brady has introduced legislation, Senate Bill 1806, to require the state to competitively bid 100 percent of its general obligation and sales tax bonds.

"All of Governor Blagojevich's bonds were sold in negotiated, no-bid sales until last September, when he was forced to comply with a newly enacted law, pushed by Senate Republicans, requiring that at least 25 percent of his bonds be sold by competitive bid," Brady said. "I believe we need to go further and require 100 percent competitive bidding. Taxpayers are not guaranteed the best possible deal with all his negotiated sales. My legislation will ensure that Illinois taxpayers are paying the lowest fees and interest rate in the marketplace and will also shut down all influence peddling in our bond sales."

Competitive bidding had been required on almost all general obligation bonds until 1999, when the Legislature gave then-Gov. George Ryan the option of selling bonds in negotiated sales, in which the governor chooses an investment bank and then negotiates fees and interest rates. Negotiated sales had always been allowed for the state's sales tax bonds (Build Illinois bonds).

"Governor Blagojevich claims to be a reformer, but despite his rhetoric, he has embraced ‘business as usual' and taken it to new heights," Brady said. "He did not competitively bid a single bond sale until we forced him to. There have also been reports about lobbyists close to the governor representing investment banks selected by the governor, casting doubt on whether banks are selected because they're giving the best deals to taxpayers or as a result of influence peddling. The 25 percent competitive bidding requirement last summer is a good first step, but we need to shut the door completely and require 100 percent bidding."

In his first two years in office, Gov. Blagojevich has doubled the state's debt to more than $20 billion and has paid approximately $42 million in fees to investment banks and others. The amount of fees paid in those two years is more than twice the amount paid during the full four-year term of former Gov. Ryan or any prior governor.

Senate Bill 1806 is co-sponsored by state Sen. Dale Risinger, R-Peoria, and state Sen. Rick Winkel, R-Champaign.

[Illinois Senate Republican Caucus news release]

Life Sentence, No Parole

If we tried to invent the cruelest punishment for dogs, we probably couldn't come up with anything worse than "solitary confinement" on a chain or in a kennel.

Dogs are pack animals who crave the companionship of others.  Scratches behind the ears, games of fetch, or even just walks around the block mean the world to them.  Curling up at your feet while you watch TV is their idea of heaven.

Many dogs left to fend for themselves at the end of a chain fall prey to attacks by other animals or cruel people, and many others are injured or hanged or choke as a result of getting entangled or caught in their tether.

If you have a backyard dog, please, bring him or her inside.  They don't want much--just you.

A public service announcement from Lincoln Daily News and helpinganimals.com