Chicago Daily Observer

New York city is trying to accomplish a reform that might be of interest to us midwestern folks domiciled in Illinois. It seems that New York’s city council gets about $200 million annually in something called special “initiative” money or “member items” —a direct counterpart to Illinois state government’s “member initiative” program. Like the member initiative money received by Illinois state legislators, New York’s council members are able to take their allotment of member item revenue and spend it in district as they see fit. Apparently, unlike us sophisticated political types in the midwest, New Yorkers are getting a little worked-up over the lack of transparency and accountability in the program. According to a recent New York Times editorial, one of the main problems with the program is, now get this:
Council members actually have the audacity to dole out member item money to family members and political contributors. ... Read More...

Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium is a spectacular showplace.

With two million admissions a year and 159 corporate donors, there’s no question of staying afloat.

Yet aquarium officials have come to Washington with their hands out, seeking taxpayer-funded earmarks, grants of money without the normal public review, CBS News investigative correspondent Sharyl Attkisson reports.

And the Aquarium has found friends among at least six of their home state members of Congress, including Sen. Barack Obama.

They each received campaign donations from Aquarium officials, and then colectively channeled nearly $1.8 million in earmarks to the Shedd Aquarium for this year, after first receiving campaign donations from Aquarium officials. Both sides say the donations have nothing to do with the earmarks.

How much wasteful spending goes on each year in Illinois? Yesterday, the Illinois Policy Institute released its 2008 Piglet Book, which details more than $686 million in wasteful spending alone. Highlights (or, rather, lowlights) include:

· $4 million for a Ford Technical Training Center in Chicago
Heights
· $1 million for the Illinois film office in Chicago
· $920,000 for the Chicago Aerospace Education Initiative
· $550,000 for the conservation of pheasants
· $500,000 to administer the tanning facility permit act
· $156,000 to Southern Illinois University to refurnish cabins at
the “Touch of Nature Environmental Center” at Southern
Illinois University – Carbondale
· $40,000 for the Springfield Figure Skating Club
· $35,000 for the Prairie Aviation Museum for a display gallery
in Bloomington

There’s a lot more where that came from, including protections for “fur-bearing mammals” ... Read More...

You’ve got to hand it to Sen. Dick Durbin. When everyone is blasting the “earmarking” of federal funds for favored local projects, the Illinois Democrat defends the practice.

At least he’s honest about it, unlike so many others who say they oppose earmarks, while soaking them up like bread dabbed in gravy. Take our favorite son and presidential candidate, Sen. Barack Obama, who says he’ll get rid of them—partially at least—yet he basks in the warm gratitude of Illinois interests that are the lucky recipients of the federal loot. Obama, on his campaign Web site, touts his promise to “slash earmarks to no greater than year 2001 levels.”