Herbert Nipson, executive director of Ebony magazine, reappointed as member of the Illinois Arts Council by the governor August 15. Appointed as new members for four-year terms were James Ballowe of Peoria, practicing poet; Larry Booth of Chicago, architect; Mrs. Leon Despres of Chicago, civic leader; Mrs. Irving Harris of Chicago, civic leader; Mrs. John Powell of Rockford, civic leader; Walter Thompson of Bloomington, painter; and Gilbert Wright of Champaign, professor of medieval English literature. University of Illinois.
Beverly Addante as women's advocate by the governor August 26. The new post will provide official access to the governor for women and women's organizations. Addante was previously rejected by the Senate after the governor nominated her in 1973 as assistant director of the Department of Personnel.
Donald E. Walters as executive officer of the Board of Governors of State Colleges and Universities. Formerly provost-director of the Massachusetts State College System, he began his duties July 1. His appointment was made by the board March 15.
Jimmie Voss of Springfield as head of management services division of the Illinois Department of Revenue, and James K. Marek of Springfield as liaison officer for financial affairs for the department. Appointed by Director Robert H. Allphin August 18, Voss was budget examiner with the Bureau of the Budget and Marek was with Horace Mann Educators.
Arthur Andersen & Co. as consultants by the Illinois Department of Labor on August 26 to make a study and report in 90 days on suggested improvement in paying unemployment benefits by the department.
Dayle Deal of Morrisonville as president of the Illinois Women for Agriculture August 29.
Former Gov. Richard B. Ogilvie as chairman of the Illinois campaign for President Gerald Ford on August 27; and William Cellini, former secretary of the Illinois Department of Transportation, as chairman of the Illinois downstate Ford campaign on August 28.
William S. Singer, former Chicago alderman, to head a task force to examine the financial situation of the Chicago public school system, by the governor on August 27.
Lt. Gov. Neil Hartigan as vice chairman of the National Lieutenant Governor's Conference August 28.
Retirements
Illinois Supreme Court Justice Charles H. Davis, of Rockford, for personal and health reasons, effective September 30.
Lt. Col. Martin T. Larson of Chatham, financial manager for the U.S. Property & Fiscal Office for Illinois on October 3. The office is the depot for the Illinois National Guard, in which he has served since 1947.
Other
Tom Litllewood, reporter with The Sun-Times Washington Bureau and "Washington" columnist for Illinois Issues, has received a fellowship to the John F. Kennedy Institute of Politics at Harvard University for the fall term.
State Rep. Webber Borchers (R., Decatur) was found innocent August 22 of mail fraud and conspiracy charges by a U.S. District Court jury in Springfield. State changes were still pending.
Christian Homeier, Springfield, former representative (1969-71) who was indicted along with Borchers but who pleaded guilty to charges of mail fraud and conspiracy to commit mail fraud, was sentenced on September 19 to one year in federal prison and two years probation by United States District Judge Harlington Wood, Jr., who also ordered Homeier to repay the state the $6,300 he received for secretarial services never performed for him. In pronouncing sentence, Judge Wood said he wanted other legislators to know they face the possibility of prison if convicted of crimes in the Springfield district.
Former state Auditor Orville Hodge, Granite City, who pleaded guilty in 1956 to embezzlement of state funds while auditor, may now reapply for an insurance broker's license after a Sangamon County Circuit Court overruled the rejection of Hodge's application by the Illinois Department of Insurance.
State Sen. John L. Knuppel (D., Virginia) was ruled in contempt of court by a Cass County Circuit Court judge for wearing a turtleneck sweater and leisure suit while appearing as an attorney before the court. Not paying his $150 fine by the deadline, Knuppel chose to "go to jail." He served one day—or $5 worth of his fine—then paid the remainder of the fine and was released.
Township Rebuttal
DEAR EDITOR: In the debate on townships in the July issue the League of Women Voters spokeswomen said townships are "subdivisions" of the county. This is an incorrect reference, because it implies that townships are responsible to counties. The Illinois Constitution and state statutes designate townships as units of general purpose government, responsible independently to the state—not to counties.
The LWV debaters also say that the "1970 Constitution transformed townships into units of local government . .. which exercise limited governmental powers." Here they choose not to recognize townships as units of general purpose government, and ignore that township powers have been expanded—primarily as a result of legal endowments made possible by Senate Bill 1314 in 1974.
The 1970 Constitution did no such thing as "transform" townships into something they had not been previously. Nor is the LWV statement correct that "because townships are not general governments in Illinois, it became necessary for the legislature to grant townships the power to spend GRS." [GRS: general revenue sharing funds.] Townships definitely are units of general purpose government, and are granted or withheld from powers by the legislature in the same way as are counties and municipalities, except for home rule provisions, which townships ought to have been granted.
Considering the importance of the subject, I wish the League spokeswomen were a bit more accurate in their analysis of township government.
LEE AHLSWEDE, Editor Illinois County & Township Official
November 1975/Illinois Issues/349