Blagojevich, Quinn need to be friends
With friends like Pat Quinn, who needs enemies? Gov. Rod Blagojevich might be excused for muttering such a question, after the lieutenant governor criticized his administration yet again. Quinn has spent much of the past year staking out positions in opposition to his putative boss, Blagojevich.
These differences, while extensive, are nothing compared to what Quinn championed a few weeks ago. He appeared with Blagojevich foe, state Rep. Jack Franks, a Woodstock Democrat, to call on lawmakers to pass a recall amendment to the state constitution. If placed on the November 2008 ballot and approved by voters, this would allow the people to gather signatures and vote on whether boneheaded elected officials should be fired midway through their terms. Quinn denied he was thinking about his unpopular boss, but Franks said in no uncertain terms he wants Blagojevich booted out of office.
Blagojevich and Quinn ought to sit down together and talk their differences through, for the good of the administration and the state.
Vanity plates
A recent article about Illinois having more vanity license plates than any other state in the nation was somewhat humorous. But it has a darker side.
Vanity plates are part of what sent former Gov. George Ryan to prison. The licenses-for-bribe scandal wasn't just about selling driver's licenses. The mail fraud count included allegations that while Ryan was secretary of state, he personally approved who received low-digit license plates -- awarding them to business associates, clients and employees of co-defendant Larry Warner and people solicited to raise money for Ryan's campaign.
"What were the chances that John Q. Public could get on your list and get a low-digit plate?" Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick M. Collins asked ex-Ryan aide Scott Fawell, during Ryan's trial.
"Slim, I would say," Fawell replied.
Now the process is largely computerized and plate numbers can even be selected over the Internet, instead of being secured through political clout.