The tragedy of Illinois' statewide elections -- the poor voters!

Broadway Bank, the clout-heavy insider institution smothered in controversy that financed the Giannoulias family, shut down this week. But while it's doors may have closed in one respect -- to be opened and managed by the Federal Government -- it's closing opens a huge and ugly door on the truth about the elections this November.

The poor voters. We get screwed by the Republicans. We get screwed by the Democrats. We get screwed by the Health Insurance robber barons. And we get screwed by the Banks and their credit card rip-off schemes. And now we get screwed again by being denied a decent choice among the disarray of pathetic and poorly qualified candidates running for statewide office this November.

No politically motivated Tea Party Movement pandering to the egos of some maniacal Conservative Republican nut jobs like Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin can save us.

We should be screaming about the poor quality of many of the candidates we're being force-fed, but voters are so pathetic themselves they won't even bother to vote. So whose fault is it?

Look at the election "field of screams."

For the race for U.S. Senate, our choice is Alexi Giannoulias, a candidate who made no mark of any significance in the office of Illinois Treasurer, his first real elective office. He did nothing there, except defend the banks and the credit card companies. Now, he wants to be our U.S. Senator, in the seat once held by President Barack Obama and now held by lame duck U.S. Senator Roland Burris.

What is Giannoulias's credentials? He is a basketball pal of President Obama. Not one great idea to helpt he taxpayers. Not one principled stand against the bankers -- obviously because he comes from a banking family that has a history of high profile controversial insider deals. How much money did the Giannoulias family take from Broadway Bank before it shut down? I read someplace they took more than $70 million. Paid themselves first.

And now Giannoulias wants to be our Senator.

No way. No how. And I am a Democrat.

On the other hand, who is our alternative choice. Self-serving PR-savvy double-talking flipflopper Congressman Mark Kirk who built his career exploiting the Iraq War where he served as a celebrity pilot in a reserve unit in the conflict. Not a hero. He just served. For us regular people who served in the military, we barely get a thank you. For Mark Kirk the politician with the mouth that never stops bragging, he wants to use his routine performance in the military -- he did what he was supposed to do and nothing more (which is sadly more than most of the people screaming for war over the past eight years have done), and now he expects to be rewarded with the high-paying powerful job of U.S. Senator.

No way. No how.

Then look at the equally pathetic race for Governor, filling the vacancy left by the scandal-plagued blow-hard and arrogant former Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Although he was unfairly treated by the U.S. Justice Department and the Illinois Legislature, the fact is Blow-hard Blagojevich made it all possible with his stupid public comments and his selfish political style.

We're supposed to believe that his successor -- and his former running mate -- Pat Quinn is going to set the boat straight and get this state back on its feet from the deep hole the state's political leaders have dug for the taxpayers over the years by caring for themselves and not caring for the interests of the state's economically deprived citizens.

Quinn is pathetic. A hypocrite. It's all about him. His career. he has been trying so hard to get to the top he has forgotten how to be a reformer. He's arrogant just like everyone of his predecessors and who knows what controversies he will step in when given the reigns of power.

His tax increase is the WORST idea. Instead of tightening his belt and cutting the fat from HIS administration, he's already stripping funds from communities across the state, crippling the budgets of many of the programs the people of Illinois need to survive, and placing the burden of the economic catastrophe we have in Illinois created by Pat Quinn, Alexi Giannoulias, Mark Kirk and all of the statewide elected officials on the shoulders of the taxpayers who never had a chance to begin with.

The elections and the government on the state level are rigged.

No way. No how.

And then there is Bill Brady, the downstate Senator. Such a sad missed opportunity when he was elected instead of State Senator Kirk Dillard, the one person who offered this state hope. Dillard could easily defeat Quinn. Brady cannot. In fact, every time Brady opens his mouth, he "steps in it" and you know what the "it" is. Here is a guy who is so rich that he refuses to release his income taxes. Why? He says because he wants to protect his business partners.

Well, if you really wanted to protect your business partners, you NEVER would have run for public office to benefit yourself. What have you EVER done as a State Senator besides moo with the rest of the herded legislative cows?

Brady is playing a cheap game of deception when he says he will releases his income taxes for three hours only for the viewing of reporters, at his Springfield offices. Not release them to the public. He doesn't want to public to know what he has done and how rich he is and how much he has profited. God forbid we might discover something shady about his business conduct and the only way to know if a politician is "clean" is to see their full tax returns.

The legislature should make it mandatory that candidates for public office should be REQUIRED to release their income tax forms as a part of their filing and all of their subsequent income tax forms MUST be filed ON TIME and in every year they hold public office OR are running for public office. To do anything less is a slap int he face of the voters.

No way. No how.

So who do we vote for? The pathetic third parties who want to tell that one of their candidates "won" 10 percent of a vote in some past election. That's not winning. That's losing by a landslide and it's a reflection on their inability to convince voters of their programs.

We're screwed.

Our only hope is this:

1 -- The Democrats force Giannoulais to step down and replace him with someone else. If they don't Illinois will be stuck with Kirk for six years of misery and suffering and poor leadership. Kirk is a conservative fanatic trying to appease voters with his phony "I'm a moderate Republican" BS.

The sad irony here is that Burris has proven to be the BEST US Senator this state has had in a long time. He has voted his conscience and on what's best for the citizens. All that BS about him being tainted because he was appointed by Blow-hard Blagojevich is Balgojevich Baloney.

2 -- Pat Quinn needs to get his act together and do some serious rethinking of everything he holds dear. Otherwise, we will get stuck with Brady, another Republican insider who will destroy this state through inept leadership and partisan political agendas. Blagojevich was right about Quinn, but not in a caring way for the taxpayers, rather, because it made him feel good about the mess he helped create for himself.

As for the rest of the candidates running for public office. None of them mean a hill of beans if they don't have th guts to stand up and tell the voters what needs to be said. They are so afraid of creating enemies they just want to slink past and win office. They don't want to rock the boat at all. They just want to get back in office, because the only place safe in today's economy is in an elected office where health and pension benefits come almost free picked from the low-hanging taxpayer funded broken state branches.

At least this year, voters who don't waste their time caring about the miserable state of our government and politics will have a legitimate excuse to stay home and let the insiders take everything and destroy everything all at the same time.

We'll be talking about this topic on my radio show this week beginning Monday morning at 8 am. Call in, if you care. Snooze if you're happy with the garbage we call statewide government.

-- Ray Hanania
www.RadioChicagoland.com

Making voters even lazier is not the answer to low vote turnouts

Is it laziness? Apathy? Or is it just pathetic that in the face of such low voter turnouts in important local elections, voters may have to give up what they have already given up, voting in person in a polling place, to instead resort to licking stamps, sealing envelopes and mailing in their ballots?

If anything suggests that human beings are capable of marginalizing themselves, the shift from active voter engagement to voting by mail is the height of public irresponsibility.

And of course, there is always a politician who will exploit any maelstrom in our society. They range from morally corrupt to the immorally opportunistic, which is the category in which I would put our Gov. Pat Quinn.

Quinn is the guy who helped undermine public representation in the legislature to save a few bucks by changing the system which guaranteed that in legislative districts dominated by one party, a member of the minority party would always be elected.

Yet, in the face of having undermined public representation for a few bucks, he doesn’t hesitate to propose jacking up our state income taxes to off-set what many believe are fabricated and exaggerated state debts that range from $1 billion to $9 billion and that have grown to more than $11 billion. A whopping 50 percent increase in the state personal income tax.

Now, Quinn is suggesting we “save” more money by eliminating the process of forcing people to be responsible by getting their asses off the couch in front of the TV screen filled with “reality trash” TV shows, and going to the election polls twice every two years to elect the people who will eventually return to either steal their money through wasted taxes legally, or by literally stealing their money and maybe – maybe – going to jail.

He wants to replace it by having people vote by mail.

If I didn’t know Quinn, I’d suspect the maneuver was some kind of fetcher bill designed to get him a cash donation or bribe from the U.S Postal Service, which could use some stimulus package to off-set the fast-declining use of the “snail mail” which is being eclipsed by “email.”

But that’s not why he is suggesting this insanity. He is suggesting it because, as the proverbial stupid question and answer goes, it is there. Why does the chicken cross the road? Because it is there and it wants to get to the other side. Why does a do-gooder introduce do-gooder legislation? Because is sounds good.

Yet, reducing the effort our citizens have to make to vote is not the answer.

The answer to dwindling voter turnout is not to place the blame solely on the voters, and make it easy for them to ignore the entire process altogether, but instead to place the burden where it really belongs. On the shoulders of the corrupt politicians who run this state and our government to the ground, and the culture of corruption which is their lifestyle.

How about putting more politicians in jail? How about instead of grabbing the easy targets like Rod Blagojevich, grab some of the tougher crooks who hold office yet do exactly what Blagojevich did except with “finesse.”

Finesse? Is it finesse that separates Blagojevich strong arming contractors and donors in exchange for contracts and favoritism from his allegedly lesser guilty colleagues in Springfield who give clout and favoritism to their pals, supporters, contributors and family members?

Blagojevich’s greed is what is chasing him. So if you’re not greedy enough, and you don’t too blatantly cross the alleged line of ethics that exists in Illinois (which doesn’t really exist at all), you are okay to continue raping and pillaging the taxpayers?

No, Gov. Quinn. Don’t make it easier for the voters to votes. Make it harder for the politicians and government bureaucrats to steal and waste tax money. How about limiting politicians to two full terms. Finito! That’s it. Make Mike Madigan find a real job instead of sluffing off on the public payroll his whole life and then dragging his daughter (who would have made a fine English teacher or Monster Truck driver in another life) into politics, too.

Gov. Quinn, how about a real push for an ethics law with real teeth, instead of the dentures you and your cronies are now polishing up to pretend like the culture of corruption in Illinois is somehow being addressed?

But that would be too much to ask of a “reform” governor who has apparently reformed himself by suddenly doing what newly elected Jane Byrne did six months after defeating the “Evil Cabal of men” she fought: joining that Evil Cabal and becoming a card carrying member and advocate.

Let’s encourage voters to vote not by making it easier for them to be lazy, but rather by making it harder for the politicians to steal, lie, exaggerate, obfuscate and cheat.

That’s what I would call real reform.

-- Ray Hanania
www.radioChicagoland.com

Things I have learned about suburban elections

Today is suburban election day: Here are some things I have learned over the years as a political reporter about suburban elections:

Early voting or absentee voting usually is an indicator of how many "activists" are actually out there working, mixed in with who will be on vacation during the election. Especially now with early voting, the candidates and their precinct workers will get the voting out of the way so they can concentrate on placing signs at polling places (some will be out there ripping down signs. Tsk! Tsk!).

Signs don't vote. No matter how many signs you see, it's rarely an indicator by itself of a candidate's ability to win or to lose. The signs on the parkways and mainstreets are usually a turnoff to most voters. The public really hates to see candidate signs on the side of a major road, empty prairie or shuttered business lined up like an endless advertisement.

Signs on a front lawn usually do suggest a real-live voter. Although the voter is usually either a candidate, a relative of a candidate, or a worker for a candidate. Sometimes, they are voters who just don't want to argue with the people bringing the signs.

Lots of strangers will be walking through the neighborhood on election day. Be kind. When they come up to ask you for directions, help them get back to their Chicago-based Machine Ward havens. There are outside forces from Chicago's Tax-the-hell-outta-ya Machine battling to take control of several suburbs, and some like Orland Park, Oak Lawn and a few others will have Chicago precinct captains crawling over them like ants.

Suburban turnout is always low. One thing that happens when you run from Chicago -- either as a result of White Flight in the late 1960s; Black Flight in the late 1980s; or Fireman and Policeman flight (ever since the residency rules were created to keep mostly White residents int he city) -- you lose the motivation to vote or participate in local elections. In fact, suburban elections usually have the lowest voter turnouts.

No matter how technologically advanced we become as a society, politicians are usually the last to get on the train. You can tell which candidates use technology (and reach a growing audience in the public) and which rely on the old fashioned, and increasingly ineffective, direct mail.

Newspapers are losing more and more of their clout. Instead of leading, they are back-patting. Instead of criticizing -- an integral part of an accountable government-public system -- they are always praising. No substance. Just a lot of blah!

Although you couldn't convince the incumbents of this, the fact is the more controversy there is in an election, the more the people become aware and motivated to vote. Controversy is what stimulates people to think, not blah articles that so obviously pat some politician's ass or strokes a candidate's ego. Controversy usually means that issues are being debated and discussed. Happy talk means people are sleeping. It's one reason why the print newspaper business is dying.

Being challenged is not only good for a community, it is good for the incumbent politicians. But I stress, elections where offices are challenged are good for the community, the public, the homeowners and the taxpayers. Those communities where incumbent bullies have kicked challengers off ballots are where most of the corruption residue and scum settle each year. Where the taxes are the highest. Where the corruption is the greatest. Where the politicians have denied their publics the ability to participate.

If you have a contested election in your community, you are lucky. It means candidates and media care -- willingly or by force -- about what you think.

Despite the loopholes, hassles, mud, namecalling, anger -- some politicians need to go to anger management classes -- you have to give credit to everyone who runs for office. Those in office and those out. And, you must give credit to the registered voters who will take the time to vote today (or who voted at early voting).

-- Ray Hanania
http://www.radiochicagoland.com/

Palatine Mayor coming to Orland to talk about fighting rising county property taxes

Palatine Mayor Rita Mullins, who has been leading a high profile campaign to fight the repressive taxes by Cook County Board President Todd Stroger, including discussions on possibly seceding from the county into neighboring counties, will be a guest speaker at a forum to be hosted soon in Orland Park by Radio Chicagoland (www.RadioChicagoland.com).

I just have to find a location to host the event, and will not only invite the public but also all of the candidates running for local office to stop in, say a few words, etc. I am hoping to find a location BEFORE the April 7 election.

Seceding from the county is a viable strategy to pressure Stroger and the worthless Cook County Board, to do something. Although it is tough to secede, the discussion alone has been picking up steam throughout the townships bordering Will and DuPage County.

Taxes in Cook County are oppressive, from Palatine through Orland Park and beyond. No community is exempt from the taxationw ithout representation.

We'll even invite County Board Commissioner Elizabeth Doody Gorman, the controversy-plagued Republican county board member to speak, if she dares. She hasn't been very representative of the district and we hope she steps up to the plate.

If you have suggestions on a location for the Radio Chicagoland forum, please email me at rayhanania@comcast.net.

-- Ray Hanania
www.RadioChicagoland.com

This morning's topics: McCain and Obama debate; Carol Marin and Cicero ... and more

John McCain wants to cancel the debate but Barack Obama is going to go ahead with it …

I was thinking maybe I'd cancel my show to help focus on the economy … why don't we all just stop working and doing our jobs to help resolve the crisis … it's a stupid idea … McCain and Obama should STAY AWAY from the debate on the economy and let the Senate leaders deal with it … if McCain and Obama get involved they just turn it into politics … leadership is also about working with the House and Senate not taking the spotlight away … McCain and Obama should debate and they should change the focus to the economy rather than international affairs

John Bolton, Bush's former, loser UN Ambassador, is in the New York times telling us the focus should be on Iran because Iran has weapons of mass destruction and they are preparing to attackj the United States and they are preparing to attack New York … and … and … and Didn't we have enough lies from Bush … we don't need his minions out there lying for him … Bush lied enough … Bolton is one of those conservative zealots who cares more about politics than our real issues like the economic mess Bush got us into

I got some calls from friends at WMAQ TV yesterday wanting to know if I was "mad" at Carol Marin … I'm not mad at Carol Marin … I like Carol … a lot … I just think the issue isn't Carol it's the story … Dan Proft made a good argument when he came on the show this week … he had an appointment with Marin and her producer to go over the Cicero contracts on Thursday morning … but on Wednesday night 90 Marin called and said they wanted to cancel and they were going to go with the story (without Proft's side of the story -- and he, not Cicero, was the focus of the report) … why? because on Thursday morning it turns out, the Chicago Tribune broke the story too …

I told them I love Carol … she's not the issue … the issue is journalism and fairness … they wanted to beat the Tribvune with the story and I don't blame them but at what cost? Proft had everything to give them …

But the bigger issue in my mind is this: why Cicero? Do yout hinkt he media cares about Cicero? No way. Why not Orland Park … the candals and political shenanigans there? The corruption and waste in a place like Orland Park? Because the MEDIA LIKES Orland Park … they HATE Cicero … it's not about concern for the residents of Cicero that they focus on Cicero ,.. it's about media sales … sell newspapers, sell controversy, sell TV ads … the people of Cicero will vote them out of office if they don't like what is going on …

tune in this morning at 8 am
-- Ray Hanania
www.RadioChicagoland.com