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March 28, 2024

Illinois's Sausage Making Machine…

By John Kraft & Kirk Allen

On March 26, 2014

  For The Good of Illinois logo
Really.  The Most Transparent Governor Ever?

 

    81% Failure Rate-
State Executives Ignore Open Meeting Law
Leaders of state agencies, Gov. Quinn’s appointed executives failed to comply with mandatory Open Meeting Act training or blatantly ignored
our request to review their certifications.
100% Failure Rate at 17 top Agencies 
Freedom of Information Officer Certification
 
    

The Political “Safe Breakers” Foiled

Attorney General Lisa Madigan has 820 employees and but not one is assigned to hold state government accountable to the Open Meetings and Open Records (FOIA) law?

Of 41 agencies listed on Attorney General Madigan’s website, only 8 of Quinn’s appointed agency executives were in compliance with Open Meeting certification.

Six more of Quinn’s agencies blatantly ignored the Freedom of Information Act request.

Here’s an example of agency non-compliance:
Dept. of Human Services Secretary Michelle Saddler never “had the time” to certify Open Meetings training. However, Sadler and Chief Information Officer Doug Kasamis starred in an IBM sales video. Giving access to film on state property, the state executives help shill for IBM on state time.

Why the Open Meetings Act is Important:

Illinois has a historic “Tammany Hall,” New York City style problem of the “smoke filled back room.” The Open Meetings Act opens up that “sausage making machine”:

1.            Agendas are posted inviting citizens and giving notice regarding purpose and topics.
 
2.            The public is invited to give comment and share thoughts.

3.            After the meeting, minutes and notes are public record. Who was present? What was discussed? What were the decisions?

If state government is not in compliance with Open Meetings, why should any of the other 7,000 governments in Illinois comply?

Why have laws if they are not enforced but instead willfully disregarded?It’s time the Illinois press weighed in on these basic issues of open records and open meetings.

 

ADAM ANDRZEJEWSKI
Founder & Chairman, For The Good of IllinoisPS. Please help our research teams and activists with a generous investment in our work. Please give a gift of $25, $50, $100, $250 or $500 today
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Special Thank you to Kirk Allen and John Kraft for research, filing and tabulating agency responses.
Read our 2013 Summary- “The Good in Illinois                                                                                                                

 
 

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1 Comment
  • Jack McLemore
    Posted at 23:57h, 26 March

    Will we ever see the light of truth in this state? I mean from its “elected” leaders? They need a new name….how about elected scoundrels? Hewey the King Fish Long would be proud as they’ve taken his corruption and graft to a new level of depravity.

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