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Subject: CHICAGO MAGAZINE: OCTOBER 2010 ISSUE---JOSEPH BERRIOS - UNDER THE MICROSCOPE + FROEHLICH
WOW!!!!WOW!!!! WoW!!!!!! This is NOT DONE yet!
A friend found a website www.joeberrios.com which is current and identifies the connections of Froehlich, Santana & Berrios.
Today, 8/30/10 CHICAGO MAGAZINE published this article online. It is being published as we speak for it's subscribers and news stands! There are many links to the Paul Froehlich investigation even in
this Chicago Mag online article. Check out the picture of Froehlich!!!!
(a little excerpt):For at least
a year, the Cook County state’s attorney’s office has been
investigating whether Paul Froehlich, a Democratic state representative
from Schaumburg, helped arrange property tax breaks for residents and
businesses in exchange for campaign contributions and favors. Documents
from Froehlich’s office that were leaked to the media show Froehlich’s
handwritten notes calculating the projected tax savings for the
property owners. The notes also indicate what was promised in return by
the taxpayers—everything from making campaign donations to putting up
lawn signs. In seeking the tax breaks, Froehlich had been working with
Victor Santana, a former Board of Review employee and right-hand man to
Berrios. (Santana and Berrios have since parted ways.)
Of the 239 appeals championed
in 2008 by Froehlich, 94 percent won a reduction in taxes, according to
a Fox Chicago News report. Typically, only about 65 percent of appeals
succeed. Among the fortunate property owners were two hotel operators
who won a combined $688,000 in assessment cuts and subsequently donated
around $37,000 to Froehlich’s campaign fund.
Froehlich and Santana deny any
wrongdoing, and so far no one has been charged. The state’s attorney’s
office declined to comment.
Froehlich, reached by phone, admitted to having
helped his constituents with their appeals but says he never asked for
anything in exchange. “Suffice it to say, I no longer offer that
constituent service,” he said before hanging up abruptly. He is not
running for reelection.
After the scandal erupted, the three
commissioners on the Board of Review banned Santana from the agency
offices, and he is now suing the board in federal court, asserting that
the commissioners unfairly scapegoated him.
Separate from the state’s attorney’s office, the Board of Review conducted its own investigation of the matter–which initially grew out of allegations by a fired former Froehlich employee–to
determine whether Froehlich and Santana had help inside the board and
to see if these were isolated cases or if the problems ran deeper. At a
series of executive sessions, the commissioners Larry Rogers Jr. and
Brendan Houlihan and their deputies led the questioning of the board
employees who handled the suspect cases. Confidential transcripts from
that investigation–obtained by Chicago and not previously
reported–paint a troubling picture of the board’s operations,
particularly centering on Berrios’s office. (The transcripts are posted
with the online version of this article.) The probe found suspicious
irregularities in how two Berrios employees–who also play big roles in
his political organization–processed the appeals.
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Brady stops in Champaign on statewide jobs tour
Brady stops in Champaign on statewide jobs tour
NEWPosted: August 31st, 2010 - 2:26 PM
Bill
Brady, the republican nominee for governor, spoke to a very supportive
crowd of about two-dozen people Tuesday morning at Harlan & Lash
Machining Inc.
The
campaign stop was part of a statewide tour to discuss ideas for
creating jobs, said Jeff Kibbler, Brady's regional field coordinator.
Brady
stressed the importance of balancing the state's budget, citing
Illinois as having the worst bond rating of any state in the union.
"Businesses
do not want to invest in a state that can't stay within its means,"
Brady said. "As governor I will authorize an audit so we know every
dollar spent and where it is going."
When asked what he would do to crack down on corruption at the University level, Brady promised reform.
"Corruption
is not just at the University level," Brady said. "As governor I will
hire real professionals at all levels of government."
Susan Solomon, a local stay at home mom, encouraged students to have an open mind.
"I'm
hoping students will listen to the issues and not just their friends,"
Solomon said. "Making the state solvent is an important issue that will
help the University and in turn help the students themselves."
Steve
Hillard, president of Harlan & Lash, said he was proud that the
Illinois Manufacturing Association had endorsed Brady on Monday.
Brady noted his gratitude for the endorsement.
"I
appreciate the endorsement not only of the Illinois Manufacturing
Association, but also the Illinois Chamber of Commerce and Illinois
Federation of Independent Business," Brady said. "The men and women in
these organizations know what we need during these tough economic
times."
Brady also highlighted workman's compensation as in need of reform.
"We
need to turn workman's compensation into a win-win," Brady said. "It
needs to protect workers while at the same time remaining affordable.
Mayor Jerry Shweighert said he was glad Brady addressed that issue.
"I'm
glad he mentioned that because from what I hear [workman's compensation
cost] is one of the big reasons businesses leave the state,"
Schweighert said
Brady
cited numerous initiatives he would take as governor to create more
jobs that included the creation of a special council to make border
communities more competitive, a cash incentive for firms that created
new jobs, and the commissioning of a council of economic advisors.
"Illinois
lost 20,000 jobs last month," Brady said. "And it is not just the
unemployed; the employed are worried about whether they will wake up
tomorrow and still have a job."
He
also proposed tax cuts that included the elimination of the sales tax
on gas, the repeal of the estate tax, and the reinstatement of the
research and development tax credit.
"Businesses need a stable tax environment to stay competitive," Brady said.
Alex Ruggieri, a local business owner, was impressed by the candidate's remarks.
"I
thought he was refreshing, direct, and straightforward," Ruggieri said.
"We need more business minded people in government, and he certainly
has that mindset."
--
Andrew Jung
정재홍
Purdue University | 2010
Political Science Major
English Major
Psychology Minor | Philosophy Minor
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Truth in Accounting Summer 2010 Newsletter
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US Chamber of Commerce Looks for Solutions
to Looming States' Pension Crises
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The
U.S. Chamber of Commerce's National Chamber Foundation and the U.S. Chamber's
Labor, Immigration & Employee Benefits division co-sponsored an event
on July 30th underscoring growing budgetary pressures state and local
governments are experiencing. The current economic downturn is
underscoring the increasing retirement cost included in government
budgets, due to increased pension benefits.
Among the participants at the
event were David M. Walker, President and CEO of the Peter G. Peterson
Foundation and Sheila Weinberg, Founder and CEO of the Institute for
Truth in Accounting. Panelists discussed where many states currently
stand financially; the risks these massive deficits pose to businesses
and taxpayers; and possible solutions state pension funds may turn to,
including lessons learned from private sector pension systems.
Weinberg stated 'We are not
told all the facts about the billions of dollars of retirement benefits
accumulated by elected officials. Taxpayers now have billions of
dollars of unfunded retirement liabilities. Citizens will have to
face higher taxes, less services or a combination of the two.
Retirees may have to take unprecedented benefit cuts.' Weinberg
sees a change in the budget process as the biggest solution to this
problem.
C-SPAN has stored Weinberg's
presentation in their library. To viewed go to the 16:00 mark of
this video.
Weinberg made similar
presentations on this topic during June and July, including a speech to
the Americans for Prosperity (AFP) State Directors at their July 22
meeting in Las Vegas. At the AFP, Weinberg presented preliminary
results of the Institute's Phase II of 'Truth in Balanced Budgets: A
Fifty State Study'.
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Institute Continues 50 State Study On
Budgeting Practices
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The
Institute for Truth in Accounting studied the financial reporting
practices of all fifty states over three fiscal years. The results
of that effort were published in February 2009. Our findings showed
that a significant portion of the states are using budgetary and
accounting schemes that tend to camouflage the states' true spending
levels and financial conditions.
The Institute is now working
on Phase II of the 50 State Study, which is designed to bring to light
each state's financial condition, including the massive debts owed to
public pension funds and retirement benefit plans. A 'Financial
State of the State' will be issued, once the analysis of each state's
financial report and its retirement systems' actuarial reports is
complete. Reporters and legislators in the states that have been
complete are finding the information derived from this study useful
during current economic conditions.
Five interns who are recent
graduates of the Loyola University of Chicago B.B.A. program in
Accounting are working with Institute staff on this study. In 2009,
Business Week magazine ranked Loyola University School of Business
#1 in the country in the specialty area of Ethics.
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Institute Study Highlights Need for
Transparency in Illinois' Budget Process
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In
September, The Institute will issue a new, major publication which examines
the transparency of Illinois' annual budgeting process.
Following up on the Institute's earlier 'The Truth about
Balanced Budgets: A Fifty State Study', this new work concentrates on the
budget process and its shortcomings here in our home state.
The need for this study became
evident when the earlier report found that 49 of the 50 states have some
form of constitutional or statutory 'balanced budget requirement' yet
many we accumulating debt. Illinois has the requirement and
every year, our legislators and governor tell Illinoisans that they given
us another balanced budget. Despite the requirement and their assurances
that they have spent no more than funds available, Illinois' financial
position becomes worse every year. We wondered how a budget could
be balanced yet create more debt.
Initial research showed the
culprits to be an elastic definition of 'funds available' and the use of
cash basis method used to calculate the budget. It appears that the
governor and the legislature have very different ideas of what 'funds
available' means than do most state residents. To determine
what revenue and expenses should be included in the balanced budget
calculation, the Institute convened a distinguished panel of civic
groups, think tanks, academics and other organizations to create a
consensus definition of a balanced budget. The two major finding of
the panel were that borrowed money should not be considered 'available'
and that the full current costs of pensions should be recognized in the
year they are earned.
Guided by the findings of the
consensus panel, a recalculation of the FY2011 state budget projects a
staggering $13 billion shortfall in the state's checkbook.
The Institute is organizing
sessions with interested Illinois legislators to educate them about the
way to calculate the budget, so the true revenue and expenses are
considered and the long term financial consequences of the financial
decisions are understood.
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Weinberg joins the AGA Financial
Management Standards Board
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In
July, Sheila Weinberg was appointed to the Association of Government
Accountants (AGA). The mission of this Board is to improve the
effectiveness and efficiency of accounting and auditing standards at all
levels of government, and thus advance government accountability.
The Association of Government Accountants is headquartered in Alexandria,
VA.
The FMSB consists of 25
members with accounting and auditing backgrounds in government, academia
and public accounting. The FMSB oversees all aspects of AGA's role
in reviewing and responding to accounting and financial reporting
standards proposed by the FASB, GASB, IASB, OMB and other
organizations. The FMSB also responds to government auditing
standards as proposed by the AICPA and the GAO.
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Bad bond rating costly for state
August 31, 2010
BY DEANNA BELLANDI, The Associated Press
Illinois taxpayers
will have to shell out an extra $551 million to cover the cost of
borrowing because of the state's deteriorating bond rating, according
to a new report released Monday.
The Civic
Federation of Chicago, a nonpartisan research group, analyzed $9.6
billion in borrowing by Illinois over the last year and compared it to
interest being paid by other state and local governments with bond
ratings comparable to Illinois' before its was lowered.
"This is a
catastrophe for Illinois," the group's president, Laurence Msall, said
because that extra money could have been spent on other needs and
services.
The $9.6 billion
borrowed between September 2009 and July was second only to the $10
billion borrowed for unfunded pension liabilities in 2003, when former
Gov. Rod Blagojevich was in office, according to the report.
Gov. Pat Quinn's administration defended the borrowing as the state grapples with a $13 billion budget hole.
"These bonds,
which were sold at attractive rates, are bringing immediate and long-
term benefits to the state when it comes to putting tens of thousands
of people to work and improving our roads, schools and bridges. These
investments will pay dividends back to the state and its citizens for
years to come," said Kelly Kraft, Quinn's budget spokeswoman, in a
statement.
The budget
lawmakers passed at the end of the spring session that is based on
leaving bills unpaid and borrowing more money, a prospect that concerns
Msall's group. Quinn had proposed raising the income tax, but lawmakers
wouldn't go for it.
John Sinsheimer,
the state's director of capital markets, questioned the federation's
methodology and its eye-popping number, although he didn't offer an
alternate figure.
While Illinois has
suffered through downgrades, its bond rating is investment grade and
it's getting attractive interest rates, Sinsheimer said.
The federation's report said Illinois will feel the pinch of its debt as it struggles to recover economically.
Most of the
additional interest will be due during the early years of the bonds,
when Illinois will still be financially stressed, according to the
report. It will come to about $73 million in 2011, the group said.
Quinn's opponents were quick to jump on him for the borrowing.
"The cost
associated with the fiscal mismanagement not only costs us jobs but it
costs us valuable resources," Republican Bill Brady said after
announcing sweetened tax credits for businesses that create new jobs.
The Green Party's
Rich Whitney said it was ironic Brady would propose tax credits for
businesses while the state is drowning in red ink. Whitney blamed state
officials for not taking action such as raising the income tax in a way
that would protect poor and middle-class workers and give homeowners a
break on property taxes.
"Doomsday is here and they keep doing the same thing," Whitney said.
Independent
candidate Scott Lee Cohen said Quinn should eliminate some special
funds the state has designated for specific purposes and use that money
so that it doesn't have to pay more interest on debt.
There are hundreds
of those special funds, and they total between $5 billion and $6
billion at the end of each month, Kraft said. Sinsheimer said there are
restrictions on how that money can be used, although lawmakers gave
Quinn permission to borrow some of it to pay overdue state bills.
"We continue to kick the can down the road," Cohen said.
--
Andrew Jung
정재홍
Purdue University | 2010
Political Science Major
English Major
Psychology Minor | Philosophy Minor
IMPORTANT ELECTION DATES
September
23, 2010
First
day to apply for an absentee ballot by mail or in person.
October 5, 2010
Last
day to register to vote for the upcoming election.
October 12, 2010
First
day of early voting.
First
day of in-person absentee voting.
** Exception: In counties that have permanent early voting
locations, other than clerks offices, these begin on October 11.
October 28, 2010
Last
day of early voting.
Last
day for the election authority to receive absentee ballot application by mail.
November 1, 2010
Last
day of in-person absentee voting.
November 2, 2010
Election
Day
A message from Mark Kirk
Dear Friends,
Last week we learned
that Illinois lost another 20,000 jobs between June and July - one of the worst
performing states in the country. This week the Chicago Sun-Times
reported Illinois is more than $120 billion in debt - roughly $29,000 per
Illinois taxpayer.
Enough is enough. Rod Blagojevich, Pat Quinn and Alexi Giannoulias led
our economy into ruin. It's time to change course from the Blagojevich/Quinn/Giannoulias
policies and restore fiscal discipline before it's too late.
Mark Kirk is the only candidate in this race who wants to tax less, spend less
and borrow less. While Congressman Kirk proposed a series of debates and
forums to discuss the critical issues facing our state and country, Alexi
Giannoulias refuses to debate the issues. Just this weekend, Giannoulias
skipped two debate and forum opportunities.
Read more
about Congressman Kirk's visit to Ottawa, site of the first Lincoln-Douglas
debate, where Alexi Giannoulias refused to participate. (Photo Courtesy LaSalle
County News Tribune)
With
our economy struggling and American troops in harms way, Illinois voters
deserve to hear where the candidates stand on the issues of the day.
While we proposed another debate on September 2nd in Springfield, Giannoulias
has not responded. No matter what, Congressman Kirk will continue sharing
his vision for Illinois in the weeks ahead - and that's why we will win this
election in November.
Thank you for your continued support.
On to Victory,
Eric Elk
Quinn to take questions as Brady whacks him again over
Stermer/Wright debacle
As I’ve already told subscribers, Gov. Pat Quinn will hold a
press conference this afternoon at 2:30 to announce his new chief of staff and
take questions from reporters. IIS will have a “watch it live” link here.
* While we’re waiting on the guv’s
newser, check out this press release from Bill Brady’s campaign…
PAT
QUINN’S ILLINOIS: NO JOBS, NO REFORM
Brady
Says Quinn Obsessed with Politics, Not Jobs
Chicago – Republican Gubernatorial
candidate Bill Brady today said Governor Pat Quinn’s firing of the state’s
Executive Inspector General on the very day he learned of an ethics probe
involving his chief of staff suggests he’s focused on politics, not jobs during
our fiscal crisis.
“In the middle of a recession,
people need a governor focused on creating jobs and cleaning up state
government,” said Brady. “Instead, Governor Quinn has gone down the same road
of his predecessors - ethical lapses, investigations, and protecting political
insiders at taxpayer expense.”
“Illinois lost 20 thousand jobs last
month alone,” he said. “This latest revelation proves we won’t ever solve our
fiscal crisis under a governor consumed by politics, not jobs,” he said.
Questions over the firing of the
state’s top ethics official are the latest in a string of published reports
that call into question the Governor’s commitment to government reform, and the
priorities of his Administration.
Previous examples include:
· Secret pay raises for political
appointees, including his Budget Director
· Questionable use of official state
time and resources for his political campaign
· Supporting the honesty and
integrity of convicted Governor Rod Blagojevich months after federal officials
revealed their investigation
· Quietly signing a video poker bill
to allow known criminals into gambling against the recommendation of the Gaming
Commission
· Failing to support the
recommendations of his own reform commission
· Keeping a majority of Rod Blagojevich’s
officials in top government positions
Lawmakers ask Obama to enforce Iran sanctions
August 24, 2010
WASHINGTON (JTA) -- Two U.S.
congressmen asked President Obama to bar a Russian oil company from doing
business in the United States because it supplies Iran.
Reps. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) and Ron
Klein (D-Fla.) wrote a letter to President Obama calling his attention to
violations of the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment
Act of 2010 and asked him to immediately enforce the law. Kirk and Klein are
leaders of a bipartisan effort to limit gasoline supply in Iran to help prevent
the country from obtaining nuclear capabilities.
In the letter, they state that
Russian oil company Lukoil supplied Tehran with 250,000 barrels of gasoline
within the last month. The company continues to own gas stations in the United
States and is listed as a “scrutinized company” on Illinois State Board of
Investment and Florida State Board of Administration lists. The representatives
asked Obama to enforce the sanctions by not continuing to allow Lukoil to
operate in the United States.
“Time
is running out to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran,” Kirk and Klein said in a
statement. “Despite your offer of engagement, Tehran remains undeterred in
advancing its illicit nuclear program and exporting terrorism around the world.
Sanctions represent the most viable diplomatic tool to pressure the government
of Iran to change course and meet its international obligations. Without
rigorous enforcement, however, our efforts will be rendered from ineffective to
inexcusable.”
Candidates for Treasurer,
Comptroller Want Offices Merged -- Will Discuss Wednesday in Galesburg
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They don't know what
they'd call it, but two of the Republicans running for constitutional offices
want to eliminate one of the offices to save money. State Sen. Dan Rutherford
(R-Chenoa) and former state treasurer Judy Barr Topinka are teaming up to
promote the idea of combining the offices, and are visiting more than 20
towns and cities in Illinois to talk about their idea. Rutherford is running
for treasurer against Democrat Robin Kelly, and Topinka is running for
comptroller against state Rep. David Miller (D-Lynwood).
Rutherford and Topinka say they’ll do what’s necessary to persuade state
lawmakers to approve putting the question on the November 2012 ballot. They
also think voters will approve it, since they project that it would save $12
million a year once the offices are combined in 2014.
Rutherford's Democratic opponent, Robin Kelly, also wants to combine the
offices, but campaign spokeswoman Kay Page says Kelly is still studying the
suggestion. Page said, "If proper checks and balances are in place, she
[Kelly] is completely in favor of consolidating the offices." Page said
that Kelly has been looking at the idea for several months as part of her job
with the treasurer's office, then later corrected that, saying Kelly had been
discussing it only with her campaign policy group.
Rutherford and Topinka will discuss the issue locally Wednesday afternoon at
1:30 during a joint campaign appearance at the Knox County Courthouse.
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