McHenry County Blog

On October 7th, next Wednesday, the McHenry County License and Liquor Committee will hold a hearing starting at 6 PM.  It will be at the administrative center north of the county jail.

Input will be sought on whether the county should bar video gambling–electronic shot machines, if you want the truth–to be installed in places serving liquor in unincorporated areas.  Bars and restaurants.

No need to be on time. Politicians justifying having voted for this source of revenue to finance a state capital program–roads, schools, a $40 million new campus for the failing Chicago State University–will speak first.

Come late and you’ll still get a chance to speak.

There has been some effort to alert traditional opponents to gambling, as I mentioned yesterday, but not much.

And, if you oppose this matter and don’t attend, don’t be surprised to see something like the front page seen above from the Elgin Courier-News on the front page of one of the daily Heralds. 

June 27th McHenry County Blog ran a story about Chicago State’s University got $40 million from state government to build a new campus on Chicago’s West Side.

It was a travesty then and it still is now that the Chicago Tribune has put it on its front page today.

Here’s the title I put on the story:

The Tribune’s title?

Score a big one for the Illinois Black Caucus.

While all Illinois state universities seem more interested in creating and keeping jobs than in educating students, the 16% six-year graduation rate is just too low to justify spending $40 million more, plus employee salaries to fill the classrooms.

The Tribune reports, unsurprisingly, that Chicago State did not request money for the new campus. Its officials and local politicians had discussed the idea and $10 million was appropriated last year, but not released, the Tribune says.

The university has 700 students on the West Side, the article reports. $40 million divided by 700 equals about $57,000 per student, right? I wonder how much it would work out to be per new job created.

If that kind of money is going to going to be spent on higher education, perhaps a more successful state university could be selected to do the outreach.

Your beer, wine and liquor taxes will be going up tomorrow to help pay for this boondoggle, thanks locally to State Senator Pam Althoff, State Rep. Mark Beaubien and State Rep. Mike Tryon.

The Tribune, of course, was more interested in covering the University of Illinois’ influence peddling student placement story, which cost $400,000 so far.

Now, that the appropriation bill has been signed, I guess it’s safe to run the other story.

Sometimes you have to connect the dots.

This time it’s about what capital spending is being voted on in Illinois and what it is rewarding.

A USA Today story highlighted Chicago State University’s 16% graduation rate after six years.

Only 4% after four years, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Not exactly a model to be emulated.

But reward Chicago State the General Assembly did.

It got $40 million in the new capital bill to build a new campus on the West Side of Chicago.

Some might think that a university that manages to graduate only 16% of its students in six years might not be one deserving of cloning.

Why not clone Northeastern Illinois University? It’s 19% graduation rate was slightly better.

How about much more successful Northern Illinois University, It came in at a 52% graduation rate after six years.

You have to wonder how prepared the students are who are being accepted to these schools.

Chicago State’s and Northeastern’s numbers really raise serious questions.

For reference, Northwestern’s graduation rate is 93%, while University of Chicago is 90%.

University of Illinois at Urbana – Champaign has a 82% graduation rate after six years.

Your federal fiscal stimulus money has $1.1 million dollars going to Chicago State. It is part of the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008.

Is this anyone’s idea of “building upon success?”

Or is it “throwing good money after bad?”

In 2007 then Chicago State University President Elnora Daniel had to reimburse the university more than $8,600. But only after a state audit criticized spending practices at the university.

President Elnora Daniel explained at a press conference how she mistakenly used the university-issued card instead of her personal card. The explanation was she forgot to change purses or was in a rush at a store.

Daniel’s salary was $241,000 and the Chicago Tribune reported,
“In August 2006, Daniel and her family spent nine days on a Caribbean cruise, as Daniel attended a leadership conference, at a cost of more than $15,000.”

The trustees allowed a provision in her contract for this cruise to be legally paid for by the taxpayers of Illinois.

The trustees just hired Wayne Watson, the retiring head of Chicago’s junior college system, to be Chicago State’s new president a $229,166.

When you hear Democrats say,

at least you have some idea of what that means in Illinois.