October 31’s Chicago Sun-Times has an article about one of Governor Rod Blagojevich’s employees having been “wired” by Federal investigators. That’s never happened to me, but it happened twice that I know of during Governor Dan Walker’s term in the … Continue reading
I well remember Governor Dan Walker bragging about having gotten a budget passed in his first year in office. He didn’t have much, if anything else to brag about. Now, we have Governor Bruce Rauner in his third year in … Continue reading
SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER — Illinois comptroller wants to stop governors’ payroll “off-shoring” – Doug Finke http://www.sj-r.com/news/20180308/illinois-comptroller-wants-to-stop-governors-payroll-off-shoring When I saw this article in the State Joural-Register, it brought me back to the time Dan Walker was in office in the … Continue reading
The first populist Democrat I remember was Dan Walker. Before he got elected, after fawning coverage of his walking the length of Illinois, he was the main attorney for Montgomery Ward. The company, with his blessing, sent out credit card … Continue reading
In the 1970’s, I remember Governor Dan Walker, a Democrat who could not get along with the legislature, bragging that he had passed a budget. That was his measure of success. My reaction was, “Every Govenror gets a budget.” I … Continue reading
My first public meeting was in the Algonquin Township Garage. It was about putting roads in the Silver Lakes, an unincorporated subdivision. I was in college (1960-65) and my father suggested I might find it of interest. Larry Lee was … Continue reading
When Governor Richard Ogilvie left office, he left only one thing in the staff part of the second floor complex. Due to the vagaries of the calendar, I guess that Governor Dan Walker was sworn in after the Illinois General … Continue reading
Chicago Sun-Times Capitol reporter Dave McKenney reported Sunday that Governor Pat Quinn’s Capital Development Board has decided to sell bonds to finance furniture. “That’s a financing deal most homeowners looking for a new living room or bedroom set never would … Continue reading
The Chicago Sun-Times reports today that former Governor George Ryan is writing a “tell-all” book. Dan Walker, who also served time in Federal prison, although not for any crime committed while Governor, wrote a book that I enjoyed a lot. … Continue reading
When Governor Dan Walker was in office, fall sessions were called “veto override sessions.” The next Democratic Party Governor, Rod Blagojevich has similar problems. As this past week shows, the third Democratic Party Governor in a row can’t get along … Continue reading
Governor Pat Quinn is bragging that his office budget is down. But reports are coming out that employees on other payrolls are working for the Governor’s Office. The obvious question is whether the amount of resources being spent to support … Continue reading
I don’t know which is the bigger story: Green Party candidate Rich Whitney’s coming to McHenry County or the Northwest Herald’s finally covering a 2010 gubernatorial appearance in McHenry County Let’s start with Whitney. I made it to the Woodstock … Continue reading
No loss of any consequence to McHenry County to Governor Pat Quinn’s announcement that 400 State Policemen would be laid off. We didn’t have any in the 1990’s until I asked Governor George Ryan’s Director of the Department of Law … Continue reading
Looking for something else, I found a summary of the Daily Herald’s endorsements in McHenry County’s Republican primary. All the incumbents were endorsed. When the paper couldn’t find enough incumbents running, it endorsed incumbent Republicans who were defeated by Democrats … Continue reading
when I saw the Chicago Tribune editorial on McHenry County’s former Democratic State Representative Tom Hanahan, I sent his and my former State Senator Jack Schaffer an email asking for his memories. It gave me two of the five belly … Continue reading
Why did Pat Quinn leave state government? Pages 356 and 357 of Taylor Pensoneau’s and Bob Ellis’ biography of Dan Walker gives this insight. Quinn enjoyed the excitement of the campaign, but couldn’t adjust to the daily tedium of state … Continue reading
The title of former Governor Dan Walker’s biography is “Dan Walker, the Glory and the Tragedy.” Written by Taylor Pensoneau and Bob Ellis, it reports on page 355 what Pat Quinn thought of Walker’s term as governor. Playing off Blackburn … Continue reading
You’ve read what others thought of Patrick Quinn’s role in Dan Walker’s 1972 primary and general election gubernatorial campaigns. Today, we look at what Taylor Pensoneau’s and Bob Ellis’ biography of Dan Walker heard from Quinn himself. It’s on page … Continue reading
In Taylor Pensoneau’s and Bob Ellis’ biography of Dan Walker, “Dan Walker, the Glory and the Tragedy” is information on how Governor Pat Quinn apparently got his start in electoral politics. Besides his primary election role, there is a bit … Continue reading
In Taylor Pensoneau’s and Bob Ellis’ biography of Governor Dan Walker, the two write of what Pat Quinn did in college. On page 169 appears a sentence fragment about now Governor Pat Quinn’s college days: “…he holder of an economics … Continue reading
