PEOPLE

Appointment

The Illinois Supreme Court appointed Appellate Judge S.Louis Rathje to fill the vacancy left by retiring Supreme Court Justice John L. Nickels.

Nickels stepped down last month. The 67-year-old Kane County Republican said, "This farmer's son is going home."

Rathje, 59, who has served on the Appellate Court from the 2nd Judicial District since his election in 1994, will serve on the high court on an interim basis until the year 2000, when an election will be held for a regular 10-year term.

Before Judge Ralhje was elected to the Appellate Court, he was elected a circuit judge in 1992 for the 18th Judicial Circuit in DuPage County.

He is believed to be the first judge from DuPage County to sit on the Illinois Supreme Court.

Nickels, who was elected to the Supreme Court in 1992 from the 2nd District, wrote the 1997 majority opinion that struck down the city of Chicago's gang loitering ordinance as unconstitutional. Late last year, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in the city's appeal. At press time, that court had yet to rule.

Nickels' retirement means there will be four of seven seats up for election or retention on the state's top court in the year 2000.

SHIFTS AT THE TOP Michael Kasper, chief legal counsel to House Speaker Michael Madigan, has joined the Chicago-based lobbying firm of Fletcher, Topol & O'Brien PC. Kasper worked for Madigan for seven years, six as chief counsel. Dave Loveday, press secretary for the House Republicans, has left to be manager of public relations for Bob Schillerstrom, the new chairman of the DuPage County Board. Loveday had worked for House Republican Leader Lee Daniels from 1991 to 1992 and rejoined the staff a year ago.

(DIS) Appointments Lame duck Gov. Jim Edgar got dissed by a member of his own party at the tail end of his administration. State Senate President James "Pate" Philip refused to go along with Edgar's last-minute appointments. The governor attempted to place 143 people on boards and commissions. However, early last month Philip held up the confirmations of 113 of those appointments, explaining they should be made by Gov.-elect George Ryan. Two appointments were for salaried positions. Joan E. Walters of Springfield, director of the Department of Public Aid. was appointed to the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board, a position that paid $68,963 a year in 1998, and Reg Weaver, vice president of the National Education Association, was appointed to the Illinois Industrial Commission, a position that paid $87,989 a year in 1998. Thirty appointments did not need Senate confirmation. Two of those were reappointments to the Board of Higher Education. Molly D'Esposito of Winnetka. a trustee of Southern Illinois University, and Philip J. Rock of Oak Park, president of Rock, Fusco and Garvey Ltd. and past president of the state Senate, needed only Edgar's OK to serve on the board. The governor, claiming Philip had gone back on a pledge to guide the names through the required Senate approval, let loose some of his long-running frustration with the Republican leader when it became clear that some of his appointees were in trouble. Through a spokesman, he implied Philip lied. The next day the Senate shot down all of the appointments. Philip said he was concerned that some of the positions would last longer than Ryan's term. Others speculated some senators just didn't like Walters. After the vote. a resigned Edgar said he was just waiting to turn out the lights when his term ends this month. In fact. by mid-December, Edgar's administration had shuttered the office that oversees boards and commissions, leaving a temp to answer the phone.

QUOTABLE "I've had more conversations with George Ryan since the election than I had with the governor in eight years. " Republican Senate President James "Pate" Philip, reflecting on his relationships with outgoing GOP Gov. Jim Edgar and incoming GOP Gov. George Ryan. The comment came after Edgar charged he had been lied to about Senate support for 113 of his last-minute appointments to state boards and commissions. The Senate voted them down.

32 / January 1999 Illinois Issues

DID YOU MAKE THE CUT?

Hundreds are named to Ryan transition team
National Republican Party strategists have nothing on George Ryan. The new governor will need a big tent, or a very large table, to convene his transition team. It reflects enough ethnic, racial and gender balance — and social and sexual leanings — to constitute a kind of small-scale United Nations.

Ryan, who will be sworn in on the 11th of this month, tapped 400 people, and organized 14 committees, including one to help get the lieutenant governor up and running and another to turn the keys to the Capitol over to the new secretary of state.

Transition teams are advisory. In 1990, Jim Edgar appointed some 50 people to his gubernatorial transition team.

Ryan's team will be co-chaired by Corinne G. Wood, his lieutenant governor, and Arthur A. Telcser, who served with Ryan in the legislature. Telcser, who was first elected to the Illinois House in 1966, became a Republican leader in that chamber, and Ryan's political mentor.

Ryan set up 12 policy study committees to "help develop a game plan for the new administration." The team is scheduled to issue a report in time for the inauguration. The policy committees will look into:

• Agriculture and rural development. WGN farm reporter Orion Samuelson of Chicago is the chairman. The committee members represent pork, beef and grain producers, agriculture educators, farm trade associations, seed companies and biotechnology consultants.
• Budgeting. Robert Mandeville is heading this one. Mandeville served as state budget director and as the interim state superintendent of education.
• Children & families. The chairwoman is Jayne Carr Thompson, the executive vice president of DHR International Inc. in Chicago and a former first lady. Other members represent shelters, senior centers, social service agencies and church groups.
• Economic Development. The chairwoman is Pam McDonough, the president of McDonough Consulting of Springfield, and a former aide to House Republican Leader Lee Daniels. Members represent business and labor groups, tourism councils and public relations firms.
• Education & workforce. Bob Haisman is heading this committee. He's the president of the Illinois Education Association.
• Environment & natural resources. Ed Webb is chairing this committee. He's the facilitator of the Conservation Congress. Other members represent parks, museums and planning agencies.
• Financial services & regulation. The chair is Courtney Shea, the managing director of Artemis Capital Group Inc. of Chicago. Banks, currency exchanges and credit unions are well-represented on this committee.
• Health care and substance abuse. Alexander Lerner is heading this committee. Service providers are well-represented.
• Infrastructure. The chairman is John Glennon, the president of Health Alliance of Chicago. The members include builders, developers, lawyers and representatives of business and labor.
• Public safety. The chairman is Jeremy Margolis, the former director of the Illinois State Police. The committee includes representatives of police and fire departments and state's attorneys.
• Technology and transforming government. This committee is headed by Jeremiah Marsh, chairman of Hopkins & Sutter of Chicago and a former special legal counsel to former Gov. Richard Ogilvie.
• Transportation. The chairman is Sam Skinner, the president of Commonwealth Edison, and the former U.S. Transportation Secretary and White House chief of staff for President George Bush.

Appointments

Judicial

McDade was appointed to the federal bench by President George Bush in 1991 and was the first African American to serve the Central District. Prior to his appointment to the federal bench, he was a judge in the 10th Judicial Circuit of Illinois, which includes Marshall, Peoria, Putnam, Stark and Tazewell counties.

McDade will administer the federal court that covers 46 counties in central Illinois, with courthouses in Danville, Peoria, Rock Island, Springfield and Urbana.

•••••••••••

Judge Sue Myerscough of Springfield was elevated to the 4th District Appellate Court, replacing Judge Frederick Green of Urbana, who retired. Myerscough, who was a judge of the 7th Judicial Circuit for six years and chief judge for the last two, was elected to the appellate court in the fall general election. Voters in the district elect six judges to 10-year terms, after which they are up for retention. The 4th District Appellate Court hears appeals from circuit courts in a 30-county area of central Illinois.

Illinois Issues January 1999 / 33

PEOPLE
Honors

Kenneth Alderson, executive director of the Illinois Municipal League, was elected to the board of directors of the National League of Cities. He will serve a two-year term as a senior policy leader of the NLC, the nation's oldest and largest organization representing municipal governments throughout the United States. Alderson lives in Springfield.

Latino Institute aims to bounce back The beleaguered Latino Institute of Chicago named Edwin Claudio as its new executive manager until a new executive director is named. Claudio is charged with repairing the group's public standing after embarrassing revelations about its Finances, Prior to joining the institute, tie served as a director of the Foundation for Safety and Health, an arm of the National Safety Council. The institute, an influential 25-year-old public policy center, functioned as a think tank for Latino leadership. It focused on education, immigration reform and economic development. Claudio says he is volunteering his services until a new director is found or until June 30, whichever comes first. His first job is to convince the foundation community that the institute remains viable. "I want to restore donor confidence in the institute. We will hold a series of community meetings to help us set our policy and research agenda." The agency abruptly colsed its doors last summer, indefinitely laid off its 13-member staff and removed Megdalis "Millie" Rivera as executive director, a post she had held since 1988. The shutdown came amid revelations that the agency had a $442,752 deficit at its June fiscal year end, later confirmed by the accounting firm of Desmond & Ahern. That 1998 audit found no evidence of fraud.

Federal probes net politicians
A long, ignominious tradition went another round as two corruption probes by U.S. Attorney for the Northern District Scott Lassar snared several more Chicago politicians.

And the Statehouse shared some of the shame with Chicago's City Hall. A ghost payrolling investigation brought down Democratic state Sen. Bruce Farley, who resigned his North Side Chicago seat after pleading guilty to mail fraud. The charge stemmed from a no-show job Farley held in the Cook County treasurer's office from 1990 to August 1995, where he earned $173,752 in salary and other benefits. Farley was indicted in June 1997, along with county Treasurer Edward J. Rosewell, the treasurer's chief deputy, James A. Fuglsang, and Democratic state Rep. Miguel A. Santiago of Chicago's West Side.

After the indictment, Farley lost a primary run against Lisa Madigan, House Speaker Michael Madigan's daughter. She won the general election and was named by district committeemen to serve the last two days of Farley's term this month. Farley served in the House from 1973 to 1993, when he moved to the Senate.

Santiago was charged with earning $148,000 for a ghost job at the county treasurer's office from 1991 to 1995. The one-time House assistant majority leader has maintained his innocence, and the trial is set for early this month. Santiago entered the House in 1989. He retired in February, and Elba I. Rodriguez completed his term.

Rosewell pled guilty to mail fraud in November and may testify against Santiago. Fuglsang pleaded guilty to two counts of abetting the scheme to pay the two legislators. Sentencing has not been scheduled.

Meanwhile, the federal Silver Shovel investigation caught up with former Chicago Alderman Larry Bloom last month when he pleaded guilty to filing a false tax return. Bloom, who represented the South Side's Hyde Park neighborhood for 16 years, admitted he accepted money from an FBI mole seeking city contracts for a waste-hauling firm. Sentencing is set for February for the one-time good government champion who ran unsuccessful campaigns for Chicago mayor and city treasurer.

Mr Jones goes to Springfield
Wendell E. Jones is one of those energetic people who seem to change careers every few years.

He's been an educator, a Cook County superintendent, president of Palatine Village and an executive director of the YMCA. Four years ago, the 61-year-old Jones sold his share in a business that marketed such metals as stainless steel and aluminum.

Though he still runs a firm that sells business gifts and specialty advertising, Jones is ready for his next challenge: state senator. The Palatine Republican was named to serve the final two years of Peter Fitzgerald's term representing the 27th District.

Fitzgerald, who moved on to the U.S. Senate, resigned his legislative seat in November. So Jones reported to the state Capitol during the fall veto session.

"I've already voted seven times," he says.

His job may change, but one constant for the former speech therapist and director of special education is loyalty to the Republican Party He has been a precinct captain for 33 years and was a delegate to the 1980 Republican National Convention.

While he acknowledges his background in education isn't traditional for a Republican — "I was probably the only Reagan delegate in special education" — Jones believes educators would be wise to participate in both parties.

"You shouldn't put all your eggs in one basket. With a Republican-controlled Senate and a Republican governor, it doesn't make political sense," Jones says. "There's nothing Republican or Democrat about teaching a kid to read."

Jones will learn his committee assignments this month, but he says his 24 years in education, 10 years in municipal government and 12 years in business make him confident he'll find a place in the Senate where he can make a contribution.

34 / January 1999 Illinois Issues

George Tagge
The legendary former Chicago Tribune reporter who drafted the bills that led to the creation of Chicago's McCormick Place Convention Center and muscled them through the state legislature died November 23. He was 92.

George Tagge got his start as a reporter for Chicago's City News Bureau in 1929. He joined the Tribune in 1933 and began covering the legislature in 1938. He was promoted to political editor in 1943. But Tagge's lasting reputation as a political wheeler-dealer was built in the 1950s when, representing the paper, he crafted and lobbied for legislation to fund and build an exposition center along Chicago's lakefront,

In 1986, Tagge was interviewed for an oral history project at Sangamon State University, now the University of Illinois at Springfield. According to that history, in 1951 Tagge suggested to Paul Powell, then the Democratic majority leader in the Illinois House, that it might be a good idea to tax bets on thoroughbred horse racing and use the funds to build a lakefront center. "And Paul, a man of action, said, 'Well, what the hell. That sounds square to me.' He said, 'I'd help you get that — you get up such a bill, you get some good sponsors and all.'" Tagge recalled that he and Powell knew they would need to keep the plan secret from the horse racing industry, which would spread money around to defeat the proposal. So Tagge went back to the State-house Press Room, where he wrote rough drafts of several bills. Next stop was the Chicago law offices of Kirkland and Ellis, which put the bills into final form. The legislation established a 1 percent tax on thoroughbred racing wagers and authorized the use of the funds to build the exposition center. Tagge then lined up key legislative sponsors and made sure he had a say on which committees would hear the bills. Throughout the '50s, Tagge continued to lobby for additional legislation designed to benefit the lakefront center. McCormick Place, dubbed Tagge' s Temple, was completed in 1960. It later burned down and had to be rebuilt.

Tagge retired in 1973. He was among the last of the political reporters who pulled double duty as lobbyists at the Statehouse.

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