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Sep
26
The on-going political corruption investigations in Illinois continue:
Illinois’ governor Rod Blagojevich might be indicted — the evidence is there say the feds, the question is when will the axe drop, according to WBBM CBS Chicago.
Another investigation is looking into a grant that then Illinois state Sen. Barack Obama obtained for an Englewood botanic garden that was never built, reports the Chicago Sun-Times.
Corruption in Illinois politics is equal opportunity — a Republican governor fell under the weight of political corruption.
There’s something in Chicago’s and Illinois’ political water that causes many to stumble and fall. Maybe it’s all of those fixers and fundraisers and all of the favors that end up being owed to them as they help political leaders rise in power and office? A little boost here could mean a favor is owed years later when someone rises into a position where they have some pull.
As the investigations continue onward, one can only hope that whatever it is that causes so many political officials in Illinois’ system to go bad can be excised. One can also hope that the corruption can be contained and kept from spreading beyond Illinois and Northwest Indiana.
Jul
11
Local Gov’t Officials Censoring Newspaper’s Forum?
Filed Under corruption, Democratic Party, Hammond Indiana, Lake County, life online, Northwest Indiana Times | 9 Comments
The Northwest Indiana Times calls on a local Democratic party mayor to stop censoring its message boards after it discovered IP addresses leading back to Hammond, Indiana’s government.
Supporters of Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. who have been interfering with public discourse on Hammond issues need to be reined in. And the one to reel them is the mayor himself.
Unfettered public dialogue on the issues is one of the founding principles of democracy. It’s important enough that the Founding Fathers put it in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
And yet that public discourse has been under attack in Northwest Indiana. Comments unfavorable toward McDermott have been under attack on The Times message boards.
It’s a sad day in America when a newspaper has to ask a government official — a Democratic mayor — to tell workers using government computers stop censoring items on its website.
It’s another piece of evidence that shows why it is always important to not give government officials unlimited control over our lives and our businesses because they can use their control of these things to limit our freedom and liberties. When the government feeds and takes care of people, it can also withhold those same necessities to those it does not like. If the government is so afraid of dissent it is willing to censor its opponents, what else is it willing to do to its opposition? Unfortunately, world history is replete with examples of the horrors that power-drunk governments commit on their citizens.
In the heart of anyone in a power position in government, there is the potential to become ultimately corrupt like King George III, Stalin, Pol Pot or Robert Mugabe. We’re seeing this evil tendency at work right at home when government officials censor the Northwest Indiana Times’ message board in an effort to silence the opposition.
It’s just another reason why the northern part of the county continues to lose population and businesses. Why put up with corruption, waste and now censorship when there are better places to live and work?
