I must admit that I did not know the organization survived the indictment of Congresswoman Jan Schkowsky’s husband Bob Creamer for what I remember as kiting checks. (Marathon Pundit has more than you would even want to read about his congresswoman and her husband here.)
Blogger Tom Roeser wrote about what I assume is Citizen Action’s predecessor organization on October 12, 2007.
It seems that Creamer is still in the organizing business, but for Barack Obama now.
Creamer taught at “Camp Obama,” a week-long summer camp last month held at the presidential candidate’s office in Chicago for campaign interns and volunteers-just a few blocks away from the federal court where on August 31, 2005 he pleaded guilty to charges of bank fraud and failure to pay federal taxes…on charges brought by U. S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald. He admitted in his 18-page signed plea agreement that he wrote checks on accounts that lacked funds and did so repeatedly as he moved money from one account to another in three banks. He had a multiple group of organizations that received money, the best known being the “Illinois Public Action Council” a left-wing group on which his wife, Jan Schakowsky, was a board member while the manipulating was going on. She was already in Congress when he pleaded guilty; she was not charged.
Creamer and I go way back.
When I was state representative and considered something of an expert on property taxes, he was lobbying in Springfield for Citizens Against Property Taxes or something like that. I think he changed the group’s name to the initials CAP, which probably stood for something at some time. “Citizens Against Pollution” comes to mind.
In the mid- to late 1970’s Carpentersville Mayor Orv Brettman and I went to the organizing convention of Creamer’s first group. It was held in Springfield. I think it was in an East side black church.
Creamer wasn’t a complete lefty in his earliest organizing attempts. He wanted to bring together citizen activists. I didn’t see anything wrong with that. Regardless of their goal, they have a lot in common. I think the Carpentersville group was the anti-sewer tax hike folks, the ones who helped elected Brettman mayor.
In any event, here’s what Democratic Party candidate Bill Gentes sent in his latest weekly campaign email:
Endorsements Start Coming In!
Citizen Action for Illinois
The Progressive Action Project which is the State PAC of the Citizen Action for Illinois endorsed me this week! Citizen Action is the state’s largest public interest organization. Building on over a decade of experience, Citizen Action/Illinois is a key player in the fight for social and economic justice at the state and national levels.
Citizen Action/Illinois has led campaigns for lower utility rates, fair taxes, affordable and quality health care, insurance and campaign finance reform, and stronger environmental and food safety protections.
I am quite proud that this organization has recognized my values for providing positive improvements to the lives of people all over the state and in the 26th District.
