Nobody here...

...but us chickens, said the fox. Dem shenanigans in the statehouse blocking a timely bill that would aid Cook County reform (and sales tax repeal). Eric Zorn,"Cook's veto override bill is dying in House".

How about reviving it, Springfield?

UPDATE: The word on the status of state reform efforts. Tribune. Editorial:

"[ Gov. Rod Blagojevich] explained that, unlike a U.S. senator, a governor has the ability to give contracts, legal work, advisory work, consulting work and investment banking work to a variety of individuals and companies. He stated that because the governor has the ability to award contracts, it is much easier to solicit people for contributions."

-- Democratic fundraiser Joseph Cari, from an Illinois House special investigative committee summary of testimony at the trial of Tony Rezko.

You can't find a more succinct definition of the pay-to-play politics at the heart of this state's corrupt culture than the one tendered by Cari.

You also can't find a better reason to clean it up.

Ask your legislator what they're doing to clean up Illinois.

Do we have to rely on our prosecutors to bust up corruption--which takes years, with varying success? Shouldn't our representatives, our public servants, be ashamed for fostering this kind of looting of the public trust--the solution is much more transparency.

And don't we voters have the responsibility to hold them accountable for their actions?

Illinois is facing huge debt burdens, run up by profligate spending and corruption. We can't afford representatives and officials who squander our earnings, abuse our goodwill--and risk our future.