Kenneth E. Pannaralla — once a top precinct captain for Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan — has made a good living in government. Pannaralla, 63, gets a pension from the city of Chicago in addition to the three paychecks from his three current government jobs, including one as the executive director of the Southwest Home Equity Assurance Program, a government agency created under a law Madigan co-sponsored.
Update | 12:23 p.m. Gov. Pat Quinn's campaign has responded to Scott Lee Cohen's announcement in an e-mail to the Current. Campaign spokeswoman Mica Matsoff:
Scott Lee Cohen withdrew his candidacy for lieutenant governor in February amid allegations of steroid use, domestic battery, and failure to pay child support. Today, he painted his entry into the governor’s race as a principled decision to spur economic growth in Illinois. Governor Quinn believes anything that focuses more attention on job creation is a good thing.
But while both Scott Lee Cohen and Bill Brady have talked a lot about creating jobs, neither has a proven track record of accomplishments in this area. By contrast, Governor Quinn has lead the fight to implement a range of measures to boost hiring—from a capital bill that would create 439,000 jobs over the next six years to a tax credit for small businesses. By working with business leaders, he has taken concrete steps to get residents back to work and secure a more prosperous future for Illinois. And unlike Cohen and Brady, Governor Quinn understands that promoting women’s rights and equal pay for equal work are crucial to the well-being of Illinois working families. Read more...
When the mayor’s office announced last month it would begin accepting applications for two aldermanic positions, many wondered who would apply.
Would it be community leaders, folks with political connections or Average Joes off the street? Since voters won't have a say in Mayor Richard M. Daley's two appointments, the question is all the more intriguing.
But if you want to know who is applying to be the 1st or 29th Ward alderman, you’re out of luck. The city considers information submitted by applicants to be private, and denied a Freedom of Information request submitted by the Current, seeking the names of would-be aldermen. Read more...
GOP candidates in the governor's race stuck to a unanimous prescription for the state's budget crisis last night, calling to rein in taxes and dramatically cut spending in Springfield.
During a forum from ABC 7 studios last night, the candidates hewed to their well-established campaign platforms and avoided aggressive attacks, making for a somewhat pedestrian exchange.
The candidates were: Read more...
