Corruption is not new in Illinois

Years ago one of my acquaintances who was working with one of the cities in the area, asked me to buy some tickets to a golf tournament for the mayor of that town. I said "great, I love to play golf." He replied "oh there is no golf tournament, just tickets". He is currently in the witness protection program.

In the Fence Post, I was amazed to read State Representative Suzie Blazi from Palatine stating that "Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich left the state in shambles. It wasn't until I served on the House Impeachment Committee that I became painfully aware of the extent of the damage that he inflicted."

Let us not forget the role that the leadership in the House and Senate has played in all of this garbage for decades.

There was the former governor's leader in the Senate, Emil Jones and his legacy of getting his wife's state salary increased by $70,000 two months after their marriage and only four months after she started the job at the beginning of Blagojevich's first term. The Republicans were well-represented for years by the infamous Pate Philip, who had his brother named as the chairman of the Illinois Tollroad Authority until a DUI in Florida ended his reign of questionable leadership in 2003.

Over in the House we have Michael Madigan, who has been reported to have a "fundraising quota demanded" of Miriam Santos (then City Treasurer) when he was the state Democratic Party Chairman in 1998. Santos in turn ordered a city contractor to "belly up" and ended up in prison for extortion.

The Republicans at the same time had Lee Daniels, who upon hearing the footsteps of US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald resigned abruptly in 2007.

Let's hope that one day the good guys like former State Rep Carolyn Krause and other former state officials come out and expose these guys for what they really are: just a bunch of old guys (messing) with us regardless of their party.

Jack Halpin

Arlington Heights