I am from Chicago and I saw how corruption works in big and small ways. I once worked for a document storage warehouse company (later acquired by Iron Mountain). We didnt have a parking lot and there were no parking signs in front of our building since it was also a bus stop. The owner met with the local station police captain and provided a monthly gratuity to be sure no one parking if front of our building would be ticketed.
I had an aunt active in local politics and she had connections with the local Democratic party. She could get any ticket fixed (though it usually required a donation to the Party)
In the mid 70's I worked in the Illinois State Archives, a division of the Secretary of State's Office. We were given strict instructions then when answering the phone we always needed to begin by saying Sec of State Mike Howlett's Office so people would know who was providing them with service. At this time the Democratic Party held a $100/plate political dinner. My salary at this time was a $10,600/year. The director of the state archives brought the entire staff together and told us -- he had tickets available for the dinner and no one is required to buy a ticket and then added "but I am sure you understand the situation. I bought a ticket and within weeks received a pay raise. For the few folks that didnt buy a ticket their paperwork was lost in HR. Paperwork would be resubmitted and then it would get lost again. I also learned at the time that there were folks on the payroll of the archives who didnt actually work there. They were actually fund raisers for the Democratic Party.
On the Republican side there was a friend of my father, Reginald Holzer who was a close advisor to Richard ogilvie, who served as governor of Illinois in the late 60s and early 70s. My father once explained that Holzer would meet with his Republican counterpart at the Bismark Hotel in Chicago to discuss what is to be in the political world. Holzer was later elected a judge and eventually sent to jail for corruption. During trials he would call the lawyers for one side into his chamber, tell them about his financial troubles and ask for a loan which would never be paid back. He kept records of all these payments and these ended up sending him to jail. There was a time when most folks did not think that this was a big deal, just some minor corruption needed to grease the wheels of government.
But the important point I want to make is the corruption often starts small and when people see it as a standard operating procedure just grows from there. and corruption flourishes in an environment of public toleration
We moved to Chicago in the late 70’s. Where I came from when a public official was arrested for corruption and did the perp walk, they pulled their coat over their face because they were ashamed. In Chicago they looked straight into the camera with a, “yea, so what?” look on their face.
Wow... I worked in a large hospital. While it wasn’t a political place?, surgeons may also suffer from arrogance and for them they were the gods. Nurses were the 2 nd rate team alwaya under the surgeons. I can say the medical side of things are more of a coehesive team. I was guided and found the right ppl I cease considered trust worthy.
We all can succumb to the stupid side of life. Fortunate for me God guided me and kinda made me not to mind so much going against the flow. It always felt better to be on the right side of the fence. In quick time we all have to search out who we wanna be. Or like w these names above the law will come knocking.
I would like to think that things have come a long way regarding corruption in Illinois and Chicago, just as Donald Trump has dragged the national Republicans to an astonishing low. And nobody expects Joe Biden to pardon Ed Burke or Mike Madigan.
I am a retired teacher, and I have long said two things. 1. Term limits. 2. Get rid of them all and replace them with fifth graders. Honestly, my fifth graders would’ve shown more common sense than some, if not most of these politicians. 😊
Term limits for all, including SC justices. Also chuck the Electoral College and the filibuster, both just let extremist minorities disrupt our progress to a more perfect union.
Again, like I have said several times on Adam’s Substack posts, I’m firmly term limits of six years. One would serve 2 or 3 of these and then go back home. Competent people should be able to figure out sensible solutions to our country’s problems in that time, then they need to leave and go back home. Stay long enough to help but not long enough to get “tainted”. Just my opinion.
Unfortunately, term limits would force a lot of congressional members who are doing good works. What if there were requirements that stated how many sessions they must attend; number of bills written; laws that were helped pass, etc.??
Eighteen years of good works is enough. After that they become “career” politicians and that is too slippery a slope to corruption for me. The good of shorter turnaround time outweighs the bad.
Indeed, that the voting public demands so little honesty from elected officials is baffling. There has been little if any furor over Trump’s financial involvement with other countries, Santos was thrown out after a fairly lengthy stay in his position (he should have been made to resign immediately on discovery of his entirely fake persona), and ol’ Gold Bar Bob is still sitting in the Senate., saying “make me”. I would urge folks to write their Senators and insist that they move forward with pressure on Menendez to resign. I am a Democrat, my Senator is a Democrat, and I am outraged that he hasn’t gone public with getting Menendez out of office, and I told him so.
Gold Bar Bob, Supreme Court Justices that I won't name, and many others have put money over their responsibility to do their jobs honestly. If it is money that corrupts, Trump is the #1 example. He promised to donate his Presidential salary to charity and that never happened. He famously said that "Only I can fix it". In reality he can't fix macaroni and cheese. He can't mow a yard, repair a plumbing leak, he can't do anything. Everything has always been done for him and he has been showered with money.
How much money did the first Republican have? Abraham Lincoln wasn't rich by any means. He didn't have much to campaign on. Once he had settled into the White House he and the First Family had various animals on the White House grounds, which caused a scandal like Biden drinking a milkshake through a straw. Lincoln said that caring for these animals "made him a little more human".
Corruption in any form has no place in our Government.
I am especially disturbed by the supreme court’s lack of ethics and accountability. If we truly are a government of checks and balances, where (or who) are their checks? I believe they should have a mandatory retirement age at say, 70 years old, then maybe continue to serve in an advisory capacity, if they wish.
The Executive branch has term limits PLUS checks and balances (being voted out of office or Impeachment).
The Legislative branch does not have term limits but does have checks and balances (being voted out of office or [rarely] removed from office by their peers).
The Judicial branch (Supreme Court) has no checks and balances and no term limits. It took a scandal and major public outcry to get them to create a Code of Ethics for themselves this year -something that judges in all lower Federal Courts have had to follow for years.
That such a powerful branch of the Federal Government can wield unlimited power and authority over the entire legal system of the United States without checks and balances is appalling. It's also why the Supreme Court is so easily manipulated by power hungry Politicians.
Adam you are right on the mark. Honestly while in office represents the trust we put in these individuals. Too often we see scandals arise but no quick action or any action at all. The Santos case was the most obvious and most disgusting. I can just imagine how people around the world respond to that case when they look to the United States as a model for democracy. The democrats are not perfect at all but the Republican party has become a disgrace. The example they are setting is that their jobs and reelection are more important than truth, honesty and the needs of the voters they represent. After working so many years on healthcare issues where I interacted with members of both parties in a cooperative positive way I am totally depressed as to where politics has come. There are Trump supporters who call him the messiah. He is more like the devil in the damage he has done to the Republican party and in turn our country.
II Cor11:14-15 -“...Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light...his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness.” (NIV, my paraphrasing). I’m not saying tfg is Satan but it sure seems like tfg is working for him. Tfg is NOT our savior. No man is.
Sadly, the honest ones who were there to serve the people are gone, like you. Can anything be done about trump accepting the foreign money while in office? Like more jail time? Thank you for your integrity and choosing to lead us to save democracy! Also, I hope you are saving your writing to possibly be a professor one day 😊?
$8 million in emoluments pales in comparison to what Trump has gotten from small donors. Never ceases to amaze me how people who struggle to keep a roof over their head and feed their family give a billionaire their hard earned money.
Honestly, none if this is surprising, which is quite disturbing. I moved from NJ 2 years ago, having been born and raised in NJ, Menendez needs to go. He was corrupt back then and is corrupt now. The GOP is in dire straits and needs to clean house. Money and power over country is not the way to govern, legislate, or follow the rule of law. Thank you Adam, for putting this so succinctly.
Unfortunately it seems that the average decent person in America is going about their lives, carrying out to the best of their ability honest, hardworking, above board interactions with their families, neighbors, coworkers and communities. Those are the people that need to lead the country, their states and cities.
That hotel on Pennsylvania Ave was also in violation of its lease with the GSA the instant Donald was sworn in. Of course, his appointed head of that agency ruled otherwise, and most of the nation was too overwhelmed, too avaricious, or too cowardly to do anything.
The "debate" in Iowa last night was a perfect example of how low candidates go. I read the fact checking of statements by both DeSantis and Haley. Full of half truths, quotes taken out of context, bombast and fingerpointing. Neither of these would be hired to clean my bathroom much less run the country. As you point out, this maleficence of many types has been rampant in political settings for centuries. Hopefully we won't end up with Emperor Nero....er Trumpo.
There is a solution; WE THE PEOPLE, must demand ethics reform across the board - from Congress to the Supreme Court. Make it loud and clear that you will not vote for any candidate that has been involved in an ethics scandal. And we must demand that Congress expel those with financial ethics issues and have them prosecuted where appropriate. The ethics of Congress people is a reflection of ethics in society at large. So everyone ought to take a good look in the mirror and ask yourself what you expect of yourself and the public as a whole in terms of values, standards and morals. I think this would be a very important area for Country First to get strongly involved - holding up the mirror and demanding better than we are currently getting. It starts with me and everyone!
We can demand ethics from our politicians but they are the ones who have to write the laws and then pass them. Isn’t sort of like asking the fox to guard the henhouse? I’m not saying we shouldn’t demand of them but there needs to be additional incentives too. Like they forfeit their free lifetime healthcare if they commit unethical acts.
Adam, as to Trump you have barely scratched the surface. There was an article in National Review (I think) several years ago (around 2016) that outlined how much money Donald Trump got from Russian oligarchs trying to launder their ill-gotten gains with US real estate. The article showed that a large percentage of the properties he sold in NY went to Russian thieves. Even his Mara Lago has the stink of Russian corruption lingering over it. It may also be significant that the only bank that would deal with him after many suits he filed trying to stiff them was Deutche Bank, the king of the money laundering institutions. Donald Trump has been a crook his whole life; do not expect him to change. He is also a born loser.
What about the leaders who favor those corporations, who donate to them, and because of this allow these corporations to take advantage of the public. What about the leaders who ignore their constituents’ problems like The water pollution in Flint Michigan and the chemical pollution in East Palestine? There is corruption all over that needs to be addressed. I’m totally against Trump and will do everything to keep him out of any kind of office. That is most important to me now. However, those other issues are important too.
We, constituents have been lazy for a long time. Over the years, I would be appalled when the news would report voter turnout out for elections at times of 30% or 45% and people would think that is good. I can remember news feeds stating these numbers were “good” this particular time. In America it should be closer to 100%. Living in the freest country of the world and people stay home Election Day. Disgraceful (I’m not talking about the few who are too ill, or informed to make it to the polls).
Corruption in government has been taken to a whole new level. And why not, they continue to get away with it, the voters are complacent, and the corruption grows because as the saying goes, "they're all crooks, so what's the difference who is in office." That's what most of my friends say and when they tell me they are not going to bother to vote because of it, then that becomes very scary for our nation.
After all those tough questions about Seal Team 6 etc. you would think the appeals court would have delivered a decision by now. The question that needs to be asked is why they would even dignify a patently ludicrous on its face presidential immunity by not summarily dismissing it as Judge Chutkan did. The only logical answer is they intend to legislate from the bench presidential immunity into existence.
I am from Chicago and I saw how corruption works in big and small ways. I once worked for a document storage warehouse company (later acquired by Iron Mountain). We didnt have a parking lot and there were no parking signs in front of our building since it was also a bus stop. The owner met with the local station police captain and provided a monthly gratuity to be sure no one parking if front of our building would be ticketed.
I had an aunt active in local politics and she had connections with the local Democratic party. She could get any ticket fixed (though it usually required a donation to the Party)
In the mid 70's I worked in the Illinois State Archives, a division of the Secretary of State's Office. We were given strict instructions then when answering the phone we always needed to begin by saying Sec of State Mike Howlett's Office so people would know who was providing them with service. At this time the Democratic Party held a $100/plate political dinner. My salary at this time was a $10,600/year. The director of the state archives brought the entire staff together and told us -- he had tickets available for the dinner and no one is required to buy a ticket and then added "but I am sure you understand the situation. I bought a ticket and within weeks received a pay raise. For the few folks that didnt buy a ticket their paperwork was lost in HR. Paperwork would be resubmitted and then it would get lost again. I also learned at the time that there were folks on the payroll of the archives who didnt actually work there. They were actually fund raisers for the Democratic Party.
On the Republican side there was a friend of my father, Reginald Holzer who was a close advisor to Richard ogilvie, who served as governor of Illinois in the late 60s and early 70s. My father once explained that Holzer would meet with his Republican counterpart at the Bismark Hotel in Chicago to discuss what is to be in the political world. Holzer was later elected a judge and eventually sent to jail for corruption. During trials he would call the lawyers for one side into his chamber, tell them about his financial troubles and ask for a loan which would never be paid back. He kept records of all these payments and these ended up sending him to jail. There was a time when most folks did not think that this was a big deal, just some minor corruption needed to grease the wheels of government.
But the important point I want to make is the corruption often starts small and when people see it as a standard operating procedure just grows from there. and corruption flourishes in an environment of public toleration
We moved to Chicago in the late 70’s. Where I came from when a public official was arrested for corruption and did the perp walk, they pulled their coat over their face because they were ashamed. In Chicago they looked straight into the camera with a, “yea, so what?” look on their face.
Being from a family that goes back several generations in the Chicago area, I can totally relate... (although it is pretty much everywhere now).
I miss Mike Royko.
Wow... I worked in a large hospital. While it wasn’t a political place?, surgeons may also suffer from arrogance and for them they were the gods. Nurses were the 2 nd rate team alwaya under the surgeons. I can say the medical side of things are more of a coehesive team. I was guided and found the right ppl I cease considered trust worthy.
We all can succumb to the stupid side of life. Fortunate for me God guided me and kinda made me not to mind so much going against the flow. It always felt better to be on the right side of the fence. In quick time we all have to search out who we wanna be. Or like w these names above the law will come knocking.
I would like to think that things have come a long way regarding corruption in Illinois and Chicago, just as Donald Trump has dragged the national Republicans to an astonishing low. And nobody expects Joe Biden to pardon Ed Burke or Mike Madigan.
I am a retired teacher, and I have long said two things. 1. Term limits. 2. Get rid of them all and replace them with fifth graders. Honestly, my fifth graders would’ve shown more common sense than some, if not most of these politicians. 😊
Term limits for all, including SC justices. Also chuck the Electoral College and the filibuster, both just let extremist minorities disrupt our progress to a more perfect union.
Again, like I have said several times on Adam’s Substack posts, I’m firmly term limits of six years. One would serve 2 or 3 of these and then go back home. Competent people should be able to figure out sensible solutions to our country’s problems in that time, then they need to leave and go back home. Stay long enough to help but not long enough to get “tainted”. Just my opinion.
Unfortunately, term limits would force a lot of congressional members who are doing good works. What if there were requirements that stated how many sessions they must attend; number of bills written; laws that were helped pass, etc.??
Eighteen years of good works is enough. After that they become “career” politicians and that is too slippery a slope to corruption for me. The good of shorter turnaround time outweighs the bad.
Those might work. Anything to have more accountability for how they are performing the job WE sent them to do.
Definitely!!
Indeed, that the voting public demands so little honesty from elected officials is baffling. There has been little if any furor over Trump’s financial involvement with other countries, Santos was thrown out after a fairly lengthy stay in his position (he should have been made to resign immediately on discovery of his entirely fake persona), and ol’ Gold Bar Bob is still sitting in the Senate., saying “make me”. I would urge folks to write their Senators and insist that they move forward with pressure on Menendez to resign. I am a Democrat, my Senator is a Democrat, and I am outraged that he hasn’t gone public with getting Menendez out of office, and I told him so.
Gold Bar Bob, Supreme Court Justices that I won't name, and many others have put money over their responsibility to do their jobs honestly. If it is money that corrupts, Trump is the #1 example. He promised to donate his Presidential salary to charity and that never happened. He famously said that "Only I can fix it". In reality he can't fix macaroni and cheese. He can't mow a yard, repair a plumbing leak, he can't do anything. Everything has always been done for him and he has been showered with money.
How much money did the first Republican have? Abraham Lincoln wasn't rich by any means. He didn't have much to campaign on. Once he had settled into the White House he and the First Family had various animals on the White House grounds, which caused a scandal like Biden drinking a milkshake through a straw. Lincoln said that caring for these animals "made him a little more human".
Corruption in any form has no place in our Government.
I am especially disturbed by the supreme court’s lack of ethics and accountability. If we truly are a government of checks and balances, where (or who) are their checks? I believe they should have a mandatory retirement age at say, 70 years old, then maybe continue to serve in an advisory capacity, if they wish.
You have a point here.
The Executive branch has term limits PLUS checks and balances (being voted out of office or Impeachment).
The Legislative branch does not have term limits but does have checks and balances (being voted out of office or [rarely] removed from office by their peers).
The Judicial branch (Supreme Court) has no checks and balances and no term limits. It took a scandal and major public outcry to get them to create a Code of Ethics for themselves this year -something that judges in all lower Federal Courts have had to follow for years.
That such a powerful branch of the Federal Government can wield unlimited power and authority over the entire legal system of the United States without checks and balances is appalling. It's also why the Supreme Court is so easily manipulated by power hungry Politicians.
Adam you are right on the mark. Honestly while in office represents the trust we put in these individuals. Too often we see scandals arise but no quick action or any action at all. The Santos case was the most obvious and most disgusting. I can just imagine how people around the world respond to that case when they look to the United States as a model for democracy. The democrats are not perfect at all but the Republican party has become a disgrace. The example they are setting is that their jobs and reelection are more important than truth, honesty and the needs of the voters they represent. After working so many years on healthcare issues where I interacted with members of both parties in a cooperative positive way I am totally depressed as to where politics has come. There are Trump supporters who call him the messiah. He is more like the devil in the damage he has done to the Republican party and in turn our country.
II Cor11:14-15 -“...Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light...his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness.” (NIV, my paraphrasing). I’m not saying tfg is Satan but it sure seems like tfg is working for him. Tfg is NOT our savior. No man is.
Sadly, the honest ones who were there to serve the people are gone, like you. Can anything be done about trump accepting the foreign money while in office? Like more jail time? Thank you for your integrity and choosing to lead us to save democracy! Also, I hope you are saving your writing to possibly be a professor one day 😊?
$8 million in emoluments pales in comparison to what Trump has gotten from small donors. Never ceases to amaze me how people who struggle to keep a roof over their head and feed their family give a billionaire their hard earned money.
Honestly, none if this is surprising, which is quite disturbing. I moved from NJ 2 years ago, having been born and raised in NJ, Menendez needs to go. He was corrupt back then and is corrupt now. The GOP is in dire straits and needs to clean house. Money and power over country is not the way to govern, legislate, or follow the rule of law. Thank you Adam, for putting this so succinctly.
Unfortunately it seems that the average decent person in America is going about their lives, carrying out to the best of their ability honest, hardworking, above board interactions with their families, neighbors, coworkers and communities. Those are the people that need to lead the country, their states and cities.
That hotel on Pennsylvania Ave was also in violation of its lease with the GSA the instant Donald was sworn in. Of course, his appointed head of that agency ruled otherwise, and most of the nation was too overwhelmed, too avaricious, or too cowardly to do anything.
The "debate" in Iowa last night was a perfect example of how low candidates go. I read the fact checking of statements by both DeSantis and Haley. Full of half truths, quotes taken out of context, bombast and fingerpointing. Neither of these would be hired to clean my bathroom much less run the country. As you point out, this maleficence of many types has been rampant in political settings for centuries. Hopefully we won't end up with Emperor Nero....er Trumpo.
My sister lives in a gated community, a board sets rules, hears complaints etc.
In the past year, 2 new sets of board members have had to resign due to unacceptable financial practices, not following rules, etc. etc.
Is it any wonder that the government has it's share of corruption when a "small potatoes board" has it too?
There is a solution; WE THE PEOPLE, must demand ethics reform across the board - from Congress to the Supreme Court. Make it loud and clear that you will not vote for any candidate that has been involved in an ethics scandal. And we must demand that Congress expel those with financial ethics issues and have them prosecuted where appropriate. The ethics of Congress people is a reflection of ethics in society at large. So everyone ought to take a good look in the mirror and ask yourself what you expect of yourself and the public as a whole in terms of values, standards and morals. I think this would be a very important area for Country First to get strongly involved - holding up the mirror and demanding better than we are currently getting. It starts with me and everyone!
We can demand ethics from our politicians but they are the ones who have to write the laws and then pass them. Isn’t sort of like asking the fox to guard the henhouse? I’m not saying we shouldn’t demand of them but there needs to be additional incentives too. Like they forfeit their free lifetime healthcare if they commit unethical acts.
And forfeiture of their free lifetime Secret Service protection upon conviction for Federal Crimes.
Yes, why do they get to do all this unethical and often illegal stuff and still have their perks?
Adam, as to Trump you have barely scratched the surface. There was an article in National Review (I think) several years ago (around 2016) that outlined how much money Donald Trump got from Russian oligarchs trying to launder their ill-gotten gains with US real estate. The article showed that a large percentage of the properties he sold in NY went to Russian thieves. Even his Mara Lago has the stink of Russian corruption lingering over it. It may also be significant that the only bank that would deal with him after many suits he filed trying to stiff them was Deutche Bank, the king of the money laundering institutions. Donald Trump has been a crook his whole life; do not expect him to change. He is also a born loser.
What about the leaders who favor those corporations, who donate to them, and because of this allow these corporations to take advantage of the public. What about the leaders who ignore their constituents’ problems like The water pollution in Flint Michigan and the chemical pollution in East Palestine? There is corruption all over that needs to be addressed. I’m totally against Trump and will do everything to keep him out of any kind of office. That is most important to me now. However, those other issues are important too.
We, constituents have been lazy for a long time. Over the years, I would be appalled when the news would report voter turnout out for elections at times of 30% or 45% and people would think that is good. I can remember news feeds stating these numbers were “good” this particular time. In America it should be closer to 100%. Living in the freest country of the world and people stay home Election Day. Disgraceful (I’m not talking about the few who are too ill, or informed to make it to the polls).
Corruption in government has been taken to a whole new level. And why not, they continue to get away with it, the voters are complacent, and the corruption grows because as the saying goes, "they're all crooks, so what's the difference who is in office." That's what most of my friends say and when they tell me they are not going to bother to vote because of it, then that becomes very scary for our nation.
After all those tough questions about Seal Team 6 etc. you would think the appeals court would have delivered a decision by now. The question that needs to be asked is why they would even dignify a patently ludicrous on its face presidential immunity by not summarily dismissing it as Judge Chutkan did. The only logical answer is they intend to legislate from the bench presidential immunity into existence.