 The
people living in the district of state Sen. Matt Murphy,
R-Palatine, were not happy when they saw former Gov. Rod
Blagojevich's name splashed on open-road tolling signs. Murphy's
proposal would stop the use of tax dollars for public promotion.
"I think people want their tax dollars to be used on things they
consider to be appropriate," Murphy said. "And paying for the
self-promotion of a governor really offended a lot of people --
certainly in my district, and I think throughout the state."
Blagojevich was arrested by federal officials in December 2008
before being impeached and thrown out of office in January 2009. He
was charged in a 23-count federal indictment and was convicted
during a trial last summer of one count of lying to federal
authorities. He is awaiting retrial on most of the other charges.
Senate Bill 1344 would prohibit any statewide official and lawmaker
from displaying their name, image and voice on a billboard or
electronic message board on behalf of a state program.
David Morrison, deputy director of the Illinois Campaign for
Political Reform, recalled seeing Blagojevich's name plastered on
toll signs.
"It is a good idea to tout new state programs, to let the public
know when there is a new state program in effect and how they can
benefit from it," Morrison said. "It is not appropriate to use
taxpayer resources to tout the public official himself."
Kent Redfield, a political science professor at the University of
Illinois-Springfield, remembered seeing Secretary of State Jesse
White participating in past television public service announcements
promoting the donation of organ transplants.
"Having your name plastered all over construction signs or ‘Welcome
to Illinois’ signs doesn't serve the public any purpose -- it is
just self-promotion," Redfield said. "Whereas the PSA could
encourage people to do things that were positive."
Under current law, state officials are not allowed to promote
themselves in television and radio broadcasts on the public's dime.
Murphy's proposal would be an extension of that, Redfield said.
The proposal cleared a Senate committee on Thursday and was sent to
the Senate floor.
Another proposal reminds public employees of former Gov. George
Ryan's loss of his state pension. The former Illinois governor is
serving time in prison following his conviction on corruption and
racketeering charges.
[to top of second column] |
 Under
House Bill 3591, state workers who are convicted as felons on
the job cannot collect retirement benefits or pensions. State Rep. Michelle Mussman, D-Schaumburg, is sponsoring the
proposal, which would apply only to future hires.
"The point of this legislation is to clarify that all individuals
under the state's pension code have this principle applied to them,"
she said. "The taxpayers have regularly demanded accountability and
reforms." The state pension board and later the state Supreme Court denied
Ryan from collecting his pension.
"The pension board was interpreting the law and said Ryan was not
eligible for his pension," Redfield said. "This bill could be an
attempt to clarify the law so that there is no question that that is
the right interpretation."
The proposal cleared a House committee on Thursday and was sent to
the full House.
"I don't think there should be any doubt that if someone on the
public dime commits a felony, then they should not receive their
taxpayer-funded public pension," Mussman said.
[Illinois
Statehouse News; By DIANE S.W. LEE]
|
