Mayor says governor stayed out of Hoffman Estates deal
SPRINGFIELD - Hoffman Estates officials said Thursday they've been spared any political shakedown efforts by the governor or his aides as they await his signature on an economic development deal designed to lure a hotel to the village.
Mayor Bill McLeod told the Daily Herald he's not aware of any improper discussions regarding the village's proposal sitting on Gov. Rod Blagojevich's desk. McLeod said he's never talked to the governor and the only contact with the governor's office came 10 days ago when officials requested additional information from the village.
"No one's ever asked for anything," McLeod said.
State approval of a 12-year extension of a development district is being sought in hopes of bringing a full-service hotel to the site near Barrington and Higgins roads.
It is among nine proposals on Blagojevich's desk that face newfound scrutiny in the wake of Blagojevich's arrest earlier this week on charges that include attempting to get campaign cash in exchange for signing one of those laws.
Federal authorities said they rushed his arrest in order to short-circuit any criminal shenanigans. The proposal in question dealt with steering casino taxes to horse tracks. Other charges include attempting to auction off President-elect Barack Obama's Senate seat for personal gain and influence the firing of Chicago Tribune writers in exchange for state help on a Wrigley Field sale.
The burgeoning scandal has captured national attention and anything Blagojevich does brings down an avalanche of media scrutiny. Reporters are camped outside his house and helicopters fly overhead.
Against that backdrop, action on proposals lawmakers sent him is sure to invite questions of what Blagojevich may have sought or received in return for his signature.
"Anything he signs, you can't help but think, 'What he'd get for that?'" said state Rep. Fred Crespo, a Hoffman Estates Democrat. Crespo said he "has no use" for the Blagojevich administration so they'd never bother to try to cut deals with him.
Aside from the casino tax and Hoffman Estates development, the proposals on Blagojevich's desk cover an array of topics ranging from requiring insurers to cover autism to increasing vehicle registration fees by $1 to finance new state police cars.
Cindi Canary, director of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, said a lot of good causes may suffer because of Blagojevich's problems.
"Hoffman Estates, the autism people ... are really in a terrible positions. They need to get their stuff signed," Canary said.
Asked about the status of the proposals, a Blagojevich spokesman said the governor has been looking over the pending legislation and could begin signing some soon.
The governor, however, is not required to act. Once lawmakers send something to the governor, there's a 60-day deadline for executive action. If the governor does nothing, they automatically become law, which, in this case, might spare the groups and communities involved from a great deal of media scrutiny.
"At the very least, that would perhaps be the gentlemanly thing for a governor in such trouble to do," said Canary. "It may be more than we can expect."