Blago 2.0: To Watch, or Not to Watch?

By Andy Shaw, BGA President & CEO

(Image courtesy of Andrew Ciscel/Flickr)

One of our BGA interns, Emily Jurlina, ran the Boston Marathon on Monday. Folks in the office tracked her progress online, and at about the halfway point, her digital blip stalled. She ended up finishing in just over 5 hours, way off her typical pace of around 3 1/2. So what happened? Here’s what she told us last night, over Facebook: “Today I ran my slowest marathon time ever—but I’ve never been more proud of myself. Excruciating leg cramps would not defeat me. I write you now as a BOSTON MARATHON FINISHER.”

We say Good for you, Emily, you made us proud.

Emily’s story is timely, and poignant, because here at the BGA we’re feeling a bit cramped and fatigued from the marathon that is the Blagojevich case, and we’re unsure whether we have the juice to track it through to the “end.”

Musings on Maria: a Post-Investigation Perspective

By Andy Shaw, BGA President & CEO

Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas

Our BGA/CBS 2 investigation of Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas’ questionable expenditures, budget chicanery and lack of transparency sparked a ton of reaction, ranging from taxpayer outrage to shrugs of “so what else is new?” to a vigorous defense of the treasurer’s overall stewardship of an office that’s historically been a cesspool of waste, inefficiency and corruption. Nothing encapsulates the debate more poignantly and succinctly than my brief email exchange with Allan Mellis, a former County employee from Lincoln Park who’s a close observer of the local political scene. So I want to share it:

MELLIS: “I just saw the story about Maria Pappas and while the allegations may show some misuse of taxpayer dollars, her transformation of the office of treasurer should be a case study for the BGA on how to take an office that was completely inefficient to one of the most efficient offices in the county if not the state. I remember sending in my tax bill when Eddie Rosewell was treasurer and wondering why my check had not been cashed for three to four weeks. With Maria Pappas my check has CLEARED MY BANK in three days. She has brought the office into the 21st century and has generated significantly more revenue with significantly fewer employees. I would appreciate your opinion of her improvement of the Treasurer’s Office.”

SHAW: “Thanks for the feedback Allan. I don’t disagree with anything you said about office improvements under Maria, but our three stories with CBS 2 reveal misleading budgeting, a lack of transparency and questionable expenditures of tax dollars. That doesn’t negate her accomplishments, but her accomplishments don’t excuse those transgressions.”

The point here is that nothing in the world of investigations, civic engagement or public policy advocacy is black and white or cut and dry. It’s all laced with shades of gray and nuance. Unfortunately the subtle distinctions are frequently lost in or overshadowed by the basic facts of the story. So history may judge Maria Pappas much differently than the court of public opinion that follows our investigations. The same is true of any public official who is scrutinized by the news media and watchdog organizations.

We at the BGA are watching. We’re shining a light on government, and that will continue with what I hope is an increasing scope and impact. Better government is a right and a responsibility. And if we do our jobs smartly, aggressively and creatively—with the help of an engaged citizenry—it can become a reality. Illinois has thousands of dedicated public servants who do their jobs honestly and efficiently. Maria Pappas may be one of them in most ways. But when she, or any other public official, treats our hard-earned tax dollars like its their money—through waste, fraud, inefficiency, nepotism, cronyism or patronage—we will call them out and tell them it is not OK. It’s simply not tolerable. I look forward to pursuing our mission with your support—whether it’s tips, insights, thoughts, suggestions, criticism or contributions. They’re all the lifeblood of a non-profit. Meanwhile, thanks for caring about better government.

Dispatch from Division: Reform Fight Takes a Party Break

By Andy Shaw, BGA President & CEO

Chicagoans beware: bell-ringers are on the prowl. (Raphael Goetter/Flickr)

I didn’t see the shakedown coming as I approached Butch McGuire’s on Division Street for the first party of the holiday season on the Tuesday night before Thanksgiving. But there he was, the “perp,” wearing a Santa Claus hat and ringing a bell behind the Salvation Army kettle outside the entrance. The perp was actually my longtime colleague Thom Serafin, host of the party and public affairs consultant extraordinaire. “Andy Shaw,” he said with a trademark Cheshire cat grin on his face. “You wouldn’t want anyone to say you went in without giving, would you?” So I tossed a buck in the bucket and headed into Butch’s, thinking—behind a smile of my own—that pay-to-play is still the coin of the realm in Chicago, even in its most innocent form…

Serafin, as gracious and generous a maven as you’ll ever meet, hosts the first and one of the best parties of the holiday season, attracting an eye-popping array of movers and shakers from business, politics, media and government. Drink whatever you like for as long as you want. Nosh on mini-burgers, pizza, chicken fingers, corned beef sandwiches and corn dogs. And schmooze to your heart’s content, from one end of the packed establishment to the other. And to paraphrase Dr. Seuss, Oh, the things you see, hear and learn along the way as you catch up with friends, foes and rivals who span a professional lifetime on the Windy City scene.

From my standpoint, running the Better Government Association, it’s interesting to hear a former state senator suggest that we target the multitude of wasteful, duplicative and unnecessary units of government in Illinois. Thanks—we’re on it. Or the husband of a former Illinois state comptroller urging a closer look at the political hacks responsible for the city, state and suburban pension fiascoes. We’re there. Or a former Daley aide offering to help us hold mayoral candidates accountable. Offer accepted. Talk about a working party.

The soiree also features several candidates for mayor (sorry, Rahmbo’s a no-show), some so-close-but-not-quite ex-candidates (hello Bill Brady), former government insiders, influential lobbyists and enough TV, radio and print folks to create a potentially volatile mixture. Barbs and brickbats in bars beget bloody battles. But not on this night—the holiday spirit trumps the enmity, and everyone is on his or her best behavior.

Some of the public officials the BGA’s criticized the most for controversial hires, questionable office practices and apparent conflicts of interest—soon-to-be former Cook County Board President Todd Stroger, Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown and Board of Review member and assessor-elect Joe Berrios—are all smiles, awkward and forced perhaps, but smiles just the same—as we shake hands politely, engage in small talk and put our professional differences aside, at least temporarily. Kind of like a post-game hug or handshake between combatants who’ve tried to knock each other’s heads off during a football game. Definitely surreal, and possibly disingenuous because the disagreements are serious and real. But they don’t have to play out at a party that kicks off the holiday season.

The rest of the evening is more genuinely playful banter with old friends and colleagues. There’s former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas, whose fear of flying probably cost him the 2002 Democratic nomination for governor because he didn’t spend enough time downstate, and Rod Blagojevich did. Paul now runs the Recovery School District of Louisiana, but he’s also consulting on education in Haiti and Chile. He’s in town to endorse his old Chicago School Board partner Gery Chico for mayor, and we’re thinking he might be back to run the Chicago schools again if Chico wins. Just then up walks Gery’s communications director, Brooke Anderson, on loan from the Serafin firm, to extol the virtues of Chico’s recent transparency initiative. Followed by former Chicago alderman Manny Flores, who runs the Illinois Commerce Commission when he’s not joining Brooke to extoll the virtues of Mr. Chico.

Next to sidle by is my longtime competitor on the political beat, Dick Kay, working the room like he used to late at night in the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s. As he goes by, I turn around to notice, sitting on a stool at a nearby table, former state senator and soon-to-be-former Congresswoman Debbie Halvorson, who was swept out by a Tea Party activist after one term in office. She tells me, with a look of relief, that she’s done with politics. “I’m out of it,” she says. We’ll see.

I also find time to check in with one of Serafin’s best clients, ageless racetrack owner Dick Duchossois, who says he’s too young to retire, especially with the prospect of slot machines at the track back on the table. He’s known fondly as “Mr. D.” I wave across the room to Serafin’s loyal lieutenant, Betsy Sales, who still hasn’t stopped celebrating the victory of her Wal-Mart clients in the most recent round of “Council Wars.” Veteran gadfly Charlie Serrano explains his umpteenth business venture in Cuba, where we joined ex-Gov. George Ryan on a fascinating news story junket in the late 1990s.

Finally a quick nod to Bruce Dold, who runs the stellar Tribune editorial page, and a brief Q&A about the news business and real life with the inseparable Bragiel sisters. And then, sad to say, I’m out of there for an appearance on FOX Chicago’s 9 p.m. news to discuss our investigative partnership story about abuse of the “Free Rides for Seniors” transit program. Reporter Dane Placko tells me he’s heading over to Butch’s after the story airs, and I think about tagging along for Round 2. But the day’s been long enough, so I opt for home.

Whether we make the news, cover it or comment on it as civic watchdogs, ours is a small world. We have different and oft-competing agendas as we go about our jobs, and we frequently disagree. Strenuously and stridently. But it doesn’t have to be disagreeable personally, and usually it’s not, which is a pleasant takeaway from a Serafin party that starts the holiday season on a perfect note. On a night when a shakedown and pay-to-play gambit produces a smile…instead of a subpoena.