Earlier this week, I voted early in Cook County's February 2nd primary. The new touch screen machines have come a long way. After making my votes, the computer automatically moved me to a new screen in which all my votes were laid out. They were laid out in a color coded and column format. For all the offices in which I made a legal vote, that was one color and in one column. For all the offices for which there was no candidate (voting Republican in Cook County has many of those), there was a second color in a second column. For all those office for which I simply didn't vote (even though there were candidates), there was a third column and color. In other words, all my votes, and non votes, were laid out very neatly and very organized. In any given election, there can be as many as one hundred different votes to cast so such organization is vital to help the voter make sure they've done everything correctly.
I say all of this because starting in November of this year, the State of Illinois will institute new voting procedures. If anyone's ballot has an so called undervotes, the election judge will flag that ballot and go over this ballot one on one with the individual. This is a well meaning law with all sorts of unintended consequences. The law, SB 662, was created in 2007. Any ballot that has any under votes will then be inspected by an election judge. An under vote is when the voter doesn't vote for anyone in a given race. In other words, you may vote for President and the Senate but you skip entirely the race for your local state rep.
One problem is that the procedure set up to inspect the ballot is entirely vague. That judge can put said ballot onto the table in front of all judges so that everyone knows who you voted for. With vague rules, there naturally comes abuse. Here in Chicago, that will almost certainly lead to abuse. Election judges are often machine members. What's to stop them from pressuring folks into voting a certain way? There's very little in this bill. So, you can bet that election judges in Chicago will use this bill as a license to pressure voters a certain way.
Most troubling is the stance of the Illinois Attorney General. The Champaign County Solicitor brought a case into the Champaign Court arguing that this law violated our right to a secret ballot. Madigan argued that there is no such right. Madigan claimed that the secret ballot is merely a couresy the city, county and state gives the voters. As such, if a law comes along that violates this "privilege", that's perfectly Constitutional since the Constitution, state and American, doesn't have any such protection. Our right to vote is our most fundamental, and without a secret ballot, that ability is infringed. There's plenty of influence on your vote before you get into the booth. Once you're in the booth, that process must be entirely personal.
The worst part is that it should be clear that this law is entirely unncessary. The level of the machine technology already does what this law hopes an election judge will do. The votes are now organized in such a fine manner that all voters can easily inspect their ballot to make sure they didn't make any errors. This process can easily remain personal and still make sure that no mistakes are made.
Showing posts with label lisa madigan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lisa madigan. Show all posts
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
ACORN and the Black Panthers: Coming to an Illinois Polling Place Near you?
John Bambenek, who's leading the charge for the Putback Amendment here in Illinois, penned this piece.
When ACORN was caught stacking voter rolls with fake names leading up to the 2008 election, we stood up and took notice. It may be that an aberration is a part of a plan to undermine our system of elections. On Election Day, Black Panthers were inside a Pennsylvania polling station intimidating voters. They ultimately got off and the prosecutor who went after them was assigned. Still, maybe it is simply coincidence.
What if a high-profile state attorney general argued that voters have no right to vote in secret? I’m not talking about Card Check. I’m talking about the voting all of us do in every election.
Consider the following words argued in Champaign County Court in Illinois by the Illinois Attorney General’s office headed by Lisa Madigan:
The Attorney General’s office argues that the United States Constitution, nor any fundamental right, protect a voter from being able to vote in secret. In effect, this means that it is only out of mere courtesy that the government doesn’t simply sit in the voting booth with you making sure you are making a fully informed decision. The words need no parsing, read them for your self.
Lisa Madigan is no outsider. She is the daughter of the immensely politically powerful House Speaker, Michael Madigan. Michael Madigan is also chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois. When Blagojevich became a liability (after he was arrested), Michael Madigan saw him run out of town on a rail. The Madigans are the political power family of Illinois. If they are pushing for something, you take it seriously. They’re pushing to take away your right to a secret ballot in Illinois.
The matter at hand was created by a seemingly innocuous piece of legislation passed in 2007. The bill, SB 662, clocked in at almost 200 pages. A few clauses require error checking of a ballot. If you didn’t vote in all the races on a ballot, the voting machine will reject your ballot. There are many legitimate reasons to under vote, first and foremost, because it’s your ballot and you should be able to vote however you darn well please.
The law requires the machine to reject the ballot and an election judge to come down and talk to you. At first, they’ll ask you to vote in all the races or to destroy the ballot and go home. At the election judge’s ultimate discretion, they can override the machine and process the vote anyway. But if you don’t vote in a way the establishment likes, you have an election judge standing over you (and your ballot) talking to you about it. Seems minor, but the Attorney General isn’t saying this interaction violates the secret ballot. The Attorney General argues you have no right to a secret ballot in the first place.
This issue came to light because a reform-minded Republican candidate for Governor in Illinois stood up to the Chicago-machine Democrats, Adam Andrzejewski. One of his Republican competitors voted FOR this legislation, Senator Dillard. Another was too busy to vote, Senator Brady. Yet another was working for a city government last year who put armed mercenaries in a polling station themselves.
Technically, the regulations (not the law) require the election judge to not look at a voter’s ballot. Of course, there are no real penalties if they do. With Chicago’s storied history of voter fraud, that regulation is a bit like asking a teenage boy to go to a strip club but not look at any of the girls.
The one things separating the United States from the many banana republics of the world that do have a voting rightis that our elections have secret ballots free of voter intimidation. This statement by the Illinois Attorney General taken to its conclusion would allow ACORN workers helpvoters inside the voting booth to make sure they didn’t make mistakes. Or worse, Black Panthers could handle poll security.
It is unfathomable that in a modern society, an attorney general in the United States could argue with a straight face that a secret ballot is not a fundamental right. What’s shocking is that the Illinois Republican Party, save one reform candidate (Adam Andrzejewski) is quiet on the issue.
The integrity of our elections is paramount and must be free and fair. Our very Republic is at stake.
When ACORN was caught stacking voter rolls with fake names leading up to the 2008 election, we stood up and took notice. It may be that an aberration is a part of a plan to undermine our system of elections. On Election Day, Black Panthers were inside a Pennsylvania polling station intimidating voters. They ultimately got off and the prosecutor who went after them was assigned. Still, maybe it is simply coincidence.
What if a high-profile state attorney general argued that voters have no right to vote in secret? I’m not talking about Card Check. I’m talking about the voting all of us do in every election.
Consider the following words argued in Champaign County Court in Illinois by the Illinois Attorney General’s office headed by Lisa Madigan:
While plaintiff attempts to suggest to the Court that there is a fundamental right to a secret ballot, no such right exists.(bottom of Page 11 of pleading)
The Attorney General’s office argues that the United States Constitution, nor any fundamental right, protect a voter from being able to vote in secret. In effect, this means that it is only out of mere courtesy that the government doesn’t simply sit in the voting booth with you making sure you are making a fully informed decision. The words need no parsing, read them for your self.
Lisa Madigan is no outsider. She is the daughter of the immensely politically powerful House Speaker, Michael Madigan. Michael Madigan is also chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois. When Blagojevich became a liability (after he was arrested), Michael Madigan saw him run out of town on a rail. The Madigans are the political power family of Illinois. If they are pushing for something, you take it seriously. They’re pushing to take away your right to a secret ballot in Illinois.
The matter at hand was created by a seemingly innocuous piece of legislation passed in 2007. The bill, SB 662, clocked in at almost 200 pages. A few clauses require error checking of a ballot. If you didn’t vote in all the races on a ballot, the voting machine will reject your ballot. There are many legitimate reasons to under vote, first and foremost, because it’s your ballot and you should be able to vote however you darn well please.
The law requires the machine to reject the ballot and an election judge to come down and talk to you. At first, they’ll ask you to vote in all the races or to destroy the ballot and go home. At the election judge’s ultimate discretion, they can override the machine and process the vote anyway. But if you don’t vote in a way the establishment likes, you have an election judge standing over you (and your ballot) talking to you about it. Seems minor, but the Attorney General isn’t saying this interaction violates the secret ballot. The Attorney General argues you have no right to a secret ballot in the first place.
This issue came to light because a reform-minded Republican candidate for Governor in Illinois stood up to the Chicago-machine Democrats, Adam Andrzejewski. One of his Republican competitors voted FOR this legislation, Senator Dillard. Another was too busy to vote, Senator Brady. Yet another was working for a city government last year who put armed mercenaries in a polling station themselves.
Technically, the regulations (not the law) require the election judge to not look at a voter’s ballot. Of course, there are no real penalties if they do. With Chicago’s storied history of voter fraud, that regulation is a bit like asking a teenage boy to go to a strip club but not look at any of the girls.
The one things separating the United States from the many banana republics of the world that do have a voting rightis that our elections have secret ballots free of voter intimidation. This statement by the Illinois Attorney General taken to its conclusion would allow ACORN workers helpvoters inside the voting booth to make sure they didn’t make mistakes. Or worse, Black Panthers could handle poll security.
It is unfathomable that in a modern society, an attorney general in the United States could argue with a straight face that a secret ballot is not a fundamental right. What’s shocking is that the Illinois Republican Party, save one reform candidate (Adam Andrzejewski) is quiet on the issue.
The integrity of our elections is paramount and must be free and fair. Our very Republic is at stake.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Just Another Week In Illinois Politics...
Cook County Commissioner Forrest Claypool announced this week that he wouldn't seek the office of Cook County Board President, as he did in 2006. This drew a rather crude response from fellow Cook County Commissioner William Beavers.
Beavers is allied with current Cook County President Todd Stroger. Stroger has been embattled ever since he raised the sales tax to over 10%, making it among the highest in the country. More recently, the scandal surrounding the hiring of former bus buy and con Tony Cole has further embarrassed Stroger. Beavers, for his part, believes that the voters will give Stroger their vote of confidence once his record of balanced budgets comes out. Of course, it's much easier to balance the budget when you raise taxes to record levles.
Meanwhile, in Niles, a suburb of Chicago, their board recently discovered that one trustee, George Alpogianis, is a former con and is looking to remove him.
Illinois law stipulates that no former felons are allowed to run for any state office. Alpogianis, for his part, is determined to stand on principle and is now refusing to step down because he has "got a duty to serve the village".
Finally, the sad saga of Roland Burris took another turn this week when Sangamon County State's Attorney reported that they wouldn't seek perjury charges against him.
Burris announced the very next day that he would seek re election for his seat in 2010. The Democrats are hoping that he will face plenty of challengers as his representation of the party is turning into a major embarrassment. Potential challengers include Alexei Giannoulias who faces his own connections to corruption. Other potential challengers include Lisa Madigan, who's current office of Attorney General of Illinois has indicted no politicians on corruption charges during her tenure. So, it looks as though we are going to see another strong field of competitors here in Illinois in 2010.
The ever outspoken William Beavers says fellow Cook County Commissioner Forrest Claypool - in a shocking announcement this week - decided against running for county board president because he's a "born loser" who doesn't have a shot at the top job.
Beavers is allied with current Cook County President Todd Stroger. Stroger has been embattled ever since he raised the sales tax to over 10%, making it among the highest in the country. More recently, the scandal surrounding the hiring of former bus buy and con Tony Cole has further embarrassed Stroger. Beavers, for his part, believes that the voters will give Stroger their vote of confidence once his record of balanced budgets comes out. Of course, it's much easier to balance the budget when you raise taxes to record levles.
Meanwhile, in Niles, a suburb of Chicago, their board recently discovered that one trustee, George Alpogianis, is a former con and is looking to remove him.
Niles Trustee George Alpogianis is a convicted felon and the Cook County state's attorney's office will seek to remove him from the village board if he doesn't resign, spokesman Andy Conklin said.
Conklin said Alpogianis' attorney, Mike Lavelle, had told the state's attorney's office that his client would resign before Monday
Illinois law stipulates that no former felons are allowed to run for any state office. Alpogianis, for his part, is determined to stand on principle and is now refusing to step down because he has "got a duty to serve the village".
Finally, the sad saga of Roland Burris took another turn this week when Sangamon County State's Attorney reported that they wouldn't seek perjury charges against him.
Senator Roland Burris was back in Chicago after finding out he won't face a perjury charge over statements he made about how he got the Senate job.
Burris announced the very next day that he would seek re election for his seat in 2010. The Democrats are hoping that he will face plenty of challengers as his representation of the party is turning into a major embarrassment. Potential challengers include Alexei Giannoulias who faces his own connections to corruption. Other potential challengers include Lisa Madigan, who's current office of Attorney General of Illinois has indicted no politicians on corruption charges during her tenure. So, it looks as though we are going to see another strong field of competitors here in Illinois in 2010.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
The Madigans' Peculiar Political Ploy
From the minute Lisa Madigan, Illinois' Attorney General, inserted herself into the Blagojevich fiasco, I smelled something rotten in Denmark. Madigan has done scant little to fight corruption both in the Governor's office and in the state at large. She first stated, disingenuously in my opinion, that she was ready to indict the Governor if he didn't step down immediately. Right after this, she called on an obscure state statute to allow the State's Supreme Court to remove Blagojevich because he is "unfit for office". The problem is that 1) this statute has never been used and 2) this statute was meant for those Governors that were actually incapicated. Being a sociopath is not exactly what the statute was meant for. Yet, Madigan made full of the media spotlight to come out firmly that Blagojevich needs to be removed.
The ploy is even more peculiar once you understand the full family relationships. Her father, Michael Madigan, is the Speaker of the Illinois House. He has a long and contentious history with the current Governor, even though they are both Democrats. (like Madigan's daughter) In 2007, while Blagojevich was merely under the cloud of suspicion, Madigan admitted that he did some research into potential impeachment hearings of Blagojevich. Now, more than ever, would be the time for Madigan to bring impeachment hearings. As Speaker he is the one with the power. He has the mandate and the will of the people. So, why is Madigan waiting? First, it's important to understand that his daughter Lisa was on most people's short list for the Senator's job, and she would also be an early front runner for Blagojevich's current job.
By stepping aside, Madigan also allows Lisa to grab the spotlight and distance herself as much as possible from Blagojevich. Job one for any Democrat running in the next two years in Illinois will be to put as much distance from Blagojevich as possible. In other words, most Democrats will need to perform a sleight of hand on the voters. Madigan would be one of those. While Fitzgerald was investigating, indicting, prosecuting, and convicting all sorts of power broker around Blagojevich and with his sights set directly on the Governor himself, Madigan was conspicously absent in doing the same duty from her own position of power.
It's very likely this latest ploy is an attempt by Madigan, the younger, to create the appearance that she is very far away from Blagojevich. Meanwhile, Madigan, the older, is staying out of her way for the time being so she can grab the Blagojevich distancing spotlight. If all of this sounds cynical, welcome to standard operating procedure in Chicago, Cook County and Springfield politics. Lisa Madigan has spent the last four years ignoring the corruption of Illinois politicians while Patrick Fitzgerald has been a one man wrecking crew trying to bring down the entire system on his own. Now, she sees an opportunity to appear as a crusader against corruption and she is taking it. Hopefully, the voters won't be fooled, but my guess is this is exactly the sort of ploy that she will use to distance herself from Blagojevich when the time comes for her to make her next move up the ladder of Illinois power.
The ploy is even more peculiar once you understand the full family relationships. Her father, Michael Madigan, is the Speaker of the Illinois House. He has a long and contentious history with the current Governor, even though they are both Democrats. (like Madigan's daughter) In 2007, while Blagojevich was merely under the cloud of suspicion, Madigan admitted that he did some research into potential impeachment hearings of Blagojevich. Now, more than ever, would be the time for Madigan to bring impeachment hearings. As Speaker he is the one with the power. He has the mandate and the will of the people. So, why is Madigan waiting? First, it's important to understand that his daughter Lisa was on most people's short list for the Senator's job, and she would also be an early front runner for Blagojevich's current job.
By stepping aside, Madigan also allows Lisa to grab the spotlight and distance herself as much as possible from Blagojevich. Job one for any Democrat running in the next two years in Illinois will be to put as much distance from Blagojevich as possible. In other words, most Democrats will need to perform a sleight of hand on the voters. Madigan would be one of those. While Fitzgerald was investigating, indicting, prosecuting, and convicting all sorts of power broker around Blagojevich and with his sights set directly on the Governor himself, Madigan was conspicously absent in doing the same duty from her own position of power.
It's very likely this latest ploy is an attempt by Madigan, the younger, to create the appearance that she is very far away from Blagojevich. Meanwhile, Madigan, the older, is staying out of her way for the time being so she can grab the Blagojevich distancing spotlight. If all of this sounds cynical, welcome to standard operating procedure in Chicago, Cook County and Springfield politics. Lisa Madigan has spent the last four years ignoring the corruption of Illinois politicians while Patrick Fitzgerald has been a one man wrecking crew trying to bring down the entire system on his own. Now, she sees an opportunity to appear as a crusader against corruption and she is taking it. Hopefully, the voters won't be fooled, but my guess is this is exactly the sort of ploy that she will use to distance herself from Blagojevich when the time comes for her to make her next move up the ladder of Illinois power.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Lisa Madigan's Disingenuous "Power Play"
Illinois Attorney General, Lisa Madigan, threw her two cents in on the Rod Blagojevich fiasco.
To understand how cynical this ploy is one has to have the kind of context few understand and also the kind that the media doesn't report. It isn't that Madigan is a few weeks, months, or hours too late, but rather she is joining the fray several years late.
Since he arrived in Chicago seven years ago, the list of those convicted, under investigation, or indicted by U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald is long, wide, and crosses party lines. He has indicted politicians, power brokers, and political appointees. My favorite Latin phrase is Res Ipsa Loquitor, the facts speak for themselves. Fitzgerald's record as a corruption crusader speaks for itself. So too, does the record, or lack thereof, of Lisa Madigan's. While Fitzgerald was busy sweeping up just about every corrupt individual in Chicago, Lisa Madigan has been rather silent in indicting, investigating, and convicting corrupt Illinois politicians. This is NOT a matter of turf. These politicians committed crimes in Illinois, and there are plenty of crimes that the Attorney General of Illinois could go after these folks for. That she largely hasn't speaks a lot more to her lack of will and caring about the corruption here than to a lack of crimes to investigate.
Lisa Madigan is the daughter of Michael Madigan, the Speaker of the Illinois House. As such, she is the ultimatel Illinois political insider. Only Madigan herself knows why Fitzgerald continues to make convictions, arrests and indictments while she stays on the sidelines, but I can tell you that her behavior is no different than any other Illinois politician. In the fall, Tony Peraica, then candidate for Cook County State's Attorney, got scolded by Patrick Fitzgerald for using an advertisement that suggested that Fitzgerald had endorsed him. In reality, Peraica was pointing out that deep rooted corruption in the offices of Illinois Justice meant that Fitzgerald was alone in prosecuting corruption. Peraica's point was that he wanted to help Fitzgerald in prosecuting the corruptors. While Peraica was directing his comments from his own perch as a potential Cook County State's Attorney, clearly it was all the Illinois Justice apparatus that was derelict and left Fitzgerald alone.
The main driver of this non existent justice is of course the Illinois Attorney General, Lisa Madigan. It is cynical, disingenuous, and the sort of political ploy that Chicago, Cook County and Springfield are known for, for her to now pronounce that she is ready to indict as though she is some beacon of crusading against corruption. The reality is that corruption is ingrained in Chicago, Cook County, and Springfield exactly because folks like Madigan do way too little to stop it. She has done scant little. All the heavy lifting has been done by Fitzgerald. Her time to answer for this will come but in the meantime let's hope no one holds her up as some pure force fighting against corruption.
Illinois' attorney general on Thursday threatened to go to the state Supreme Court to have embattled Gov. Rod Blagojevich declared unfit to hold office if he doesn't resign soon or get impeached by the Legislature.
"I am prepared to take action," state Attorney General Lisa Madigan said on CNN.
She said the best thing would be for Blagojevich (bluh-GOY'-uh-vich) to resign. The governor was arrested Tuesday on charges that he put President-elect Barack Obama's Senate seat up for sale and he has ignored calls for his resignation.
Blagojevich was expected to return to work at his Chicago office Thursday, but there was no sign of him leaving home by midmorning. Aides did not return phone calls and e-mails seeking comment.
To understand how cynical this ploy is one has to have the kind of context few understand and also the kind that the media doesn't report. It isn't that Madigan is a few weeks, months, or hours too late, but rather she is joining the fray several years late.
Since he arrived in Chicago seven years ago, the list of those convicted, under investigation, or indicted by U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald is long, wide, and crosses party lines. He has indicted politicians, power brokers, and political appointees. My favorite Latin phrase is Res Ipsa Loquitor, the facts speak for themselves. Fitzgerald's record as a corruption crusader speaks for itself. So too, does the record, or lack thereof, of Lisa Madigan's. While Fitzgerald was busy sweeping up just about every corrupt individual in Chicago, Lisa Madigan has been rather silent in indicting, investigating, and convicting corrupt Illinois politicians. This is NOT a matter of turf. These politicians committed crimes in Illinois, and there are plenty of crimes that the Attorney General of Illinois could go after these folks for. That she largely hasn't speaks a lot more to her lack of will and caring about the corruption here than to a lack of crimes to investigate.
Lisa Madigan is the daughter of Michael Madigan, the Speaker of the Illinois House. As such, she is the ultimatel Illinois political insider. Only Madigan herself knows why Fitzgerald continues to make convictions, arrests and indictments while she stays on the sidelines, but I can tell you that her behavior is no different than any other Illinois politician. In the fall, Tony Peraica, then candidate for Cook County State's Attorney, got scolded by Patrick Fitzgerald for using an advertisement that suggested that Fitzgerald had endorsed him. In reality, Peraica was pointing out that deep rooted corruption in the offices of Illinois Justice meant that Fitzgerald was alone in prosecuting corruption. Peraica's point was that he wanted to help Fitzgerald in prosecuting the corruptors. While Peraica was directing his comments from his own perch as a potential Cook County State's Attorney, clearly it was all the Illinois Justice apparatus that was derelict and left Fitzgerald alone.
The main driver of this non existent justice is of course the Illinois Attorney General, Lisa Madigan. It is cynical, disingenuous, and the sort of political ploy that Chicago, Cook County and Springfield are known for, for her to now pronounce that she is ready to indict as though she is some beacon of crusading against corruption. The reality is that corruption is ingrained in Chicago, Cook County, and Springfield exactly because folks like Madigan do way too little to stop it. She has done scant little. All the heavy lifting has been done by Fitzgerald. Her time to answer for this will come but in the meantime let's hope no one holds her up as some pure force fighting against corruption.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
