City Government
Positive Note On Illinois Politics
December 10, 2008 
While the world is pointing fingers at a “tradition of corruption” in Illinois politics, the GUARDIAN takes a different SLANT on the news and offers a positive view–at least Illinois politicos get prosecuted for their misdeeds.
The FBI arrested Illinois Guv. Rod Blagojevich Tuesday. We would like to see a division of either the Idaho State Police or the Attorney General’s office devoted to monitoring and investigating OFFICIAL CRIMES. The FBI has a history of going after high profile offenders, so Idaho wouldn’t likely get much attention, hence the need for a state agency.
Idaho laws provide no easy mechanism to investigate OFFICIAL crimes. In fact, we have trouble defining an “official.” Authority to chase official crime in Idaho rests with the local county prosecutor. They habitually “conflict out” cases to the Idaho Attorney General, who has a meager investigator staff and is forced to ignore minor offenses.
For government at any level to claim they don’t have political corruption is the ultimate in naivety and denial. It’s like saying, “our citizens are all law abiding, so we don’t need coppers.”
We have coppers sitting along the road and in school zones watching for “potential and possible” speed violators. We have bank auditors and accountants looking for fraud. There are “security cameras” in every retail outlet to catch shoplifters. Yet, we have no oversight of government officials.
With priests and scout leaders preying on young boys, teachers engaging in sex with students, it certainly is not inappropriate to be ever vigilant when it comes to elected officials in cities, counties, and states everywhere–including the Gem state.
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Comments & Discussion
Comments are closed for this post.
Dec 10, 2008, 12:33 pm
Guardian, I could not agree more. Local yahoos regularly ignore the laws requiring bond issues before incurring long term debt. No one takes a hit.
Counties regularly ignore state law requiring development to be directed toward urban areas, with the result being urban sprawl, air pollution, and more. No one takes a hit.
Some politician, if they are members of the dominant R party, even embezzle lottery, sales tax, and Fish and Game receipts. They don’t even get indicted!
Before Idaho calls Illinois corrupt, we need to take a long hard look at ourself.
Dec 10, 2008, 4:21 pm
That’s the ticket! Another corrupt government agency to keep tabs on other corrupt government agencies. That’ll fix it!
In all seriousness though, “the problem of greed” is real and common to mankind, not matter what type of government system is in place. For the sake of liberty, I’d like to see more severe punishments for those that abuse the system rather than more expensive freedom reducing methods to try and prevent greed.
Dec 10, 2008, 4:29 pm
We have a sitting councilman out here in Eagle (“Triple Lunch G——“) who was, several years ago,investigated for misuse of public funds. How do you charge taxpayers lunch three times and not know????? IMHO he should have been indicted and served community service AND kicked off the council.
We need to hold our officials to a higher standard—not lower……
Dec 10, 2008, 6:07 pm
there is really a quite simple solution to these problems. It is called TERM LIMITS!! Do away with career politicians and you do away with the major source of the problem.
Dec 10, 2008, 6:10 pm
I’d say we need to do it ourselves in Idaho but, the party in power decides things in secret caucus meetings. Without transparency can there be democracy?
Dec 10, 2008, 7:24 pm
Eagle seems to have a history of coruption. Didn’t a current county commissioner also misuse public funds for private use? Not prosecuted and in fact elevated from Eagle politics to Ada County Commissioner?
Dec 10, 2008, 11:40 pm
It occurs to me that Idaho is much more corrupt than Illinois. In both places individuals and businesses ask the government for special favors. The favors, in most cases, involve giving something, contracts, special treatment, zoning waivers, you name it, to the requester at the public’s expense.
In Illinois, people like Gov. Blagojevich charge as much money as they can for the public good they are giving away. By comparison, in Idaho, the Governor, Mayors, Commissioners, take your pick, just give the public goods away.
The point is, in Illinois, they are smart enough to recognize that the favor they are giving away has value, and charge for it. In Idaho, the idiots are too stupid to realize that the public good they are giving away has value. In my mind, that is the height of corruption.
Dec 11, 2008, 12:34 am
I’d like to see all of our politicians phones tapped, and each of them drug tested at least once a year on a random basis.
Ethics violations should be punished with public floggings, asset confiscation, and the violator thrown across the Idaho border and told never to return.
Dec 11, 2008, 2:54 pm
Idaho is more corrupt than Nevada and California…
The good news however, is that we are evidently not as corrupt as North Dakota.
In response to the recent scandal involving Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, and a nearly institutionalized inclination to condemn Chicago and Illinois as hubs of public corruption, USA Today today published data showing that – per capita – they come in a mere 18th place for corruption.
Let us recap…
Idaho is one of the worst States in terms of Childhood Immunizations, Child and Spousal Abuse, Integrity in Government, DUI Convictions, Teenage Suicide, and the list goes on.
But it’s sooooooooo beautiful.
Dec 11, 2008, 10:09 pm
TERM LIMITS!!!
Dec 12, 2008, 7:56 am
TERM LIMITS!!!
AND, A NON-PARTISAN PROSECUTOR!!!!
Dec 12, 2008, 5:57 pm
Hey folks, our cops are too busy bustin teenagers for smokin weed and cigarettes. Who cares about white collar crime in Idaho. It’s a Republican state. Our cops couldn’t figure out a drug money laundering scheme if you showed it to them. The bosses probably tell them to look the other way because laundering out of state money is good for the economy.
Dec 17, 2008, 2:29 am
Oh, c’mon; if we prosecuted and locked up all the officials who do illegal or immoral or just plain stupid stuff, what would we do with all those empty chairs, offices, etc., in our publicly owned buildings?
Besides, it’s not like they knowingly do bad stuff (If you think they do, I think you’re giving them way too much credit in the “knowing” department).
As for term limits:They’re available to us at every election. See how much good they do? If idiots elect idiots, and then keep electing them over and over, whom can we blame?
Dec 28, 2008, 12:32 am
I agree that Idaho has corrupt politicians, but why are most of the people here bashing the R party? The D’s are just as bad, just as likely to be corrupt as any other. This partisan crap is one of the major reasons for corruption in our government. Anyone who thinks that is wrong is just lying to themselves. Much like those that think Obama was actually telling the truth during his campaign.