As I watched the news of Alderman Edward Burke’s arrest, I was thrilled (I know, innocent until proven guilty). Then they went to commercial break and, to my amusement, a commercial featuring Michael Madigan came on. The ad says, “It’s a new day in Illinois with an agenda to put families first again. … In the fights that lie ahead, Democrats are on your side,” Madigan said.
The irony of it all: The Burke case is the Illinois version of term limits. You can enrich yourself as long as you can until you’re removed from office, not by voters but by law enforcement.
I wish this paper would call out our local politicians on the need for term limits (Mike Madigan squashes these referendums with a battery of lawyers every time), and not allowing elected politicians to use their law firms to enrich themselves with state business. I hope this paper takes this up, or at the very least, question state Senator Don Harmon and others before you give them space on these pages to ring the bell for Mike Madigan and tell us a fair tax will save Illinois and that it’s a new day.
Sean O’Malley
Oak Park
