Gambling in Chicago
by Doug Dobmeyer
April 16, 2007
To the Editor:
Last week the Task Force to Oppose Gambling in Chicago and the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform disclosed that Illinois legislators, legislative campaign committees and candidates for state constitutional offices had received almost $1.7 million in campaign contributions. This report was based on dollar amounts the politicians had reported to the state in 2005 and 2006, the latest information available.
The horse racing interests provided $1,020,452.49 to the casino interests $665,188. A total of $1,685,640.49 was given to 126 legislators and three election committees and both political parties from gambling interests.
All but one of the 28 members of the House Gaming Committee was inundated with campaign contributions from gambling interests. Representative Wyvetter Younge (D-114) accepted no gambling contributions. Casinos contributed $103,376.80 and horse racing interests gave $52,158 to 27 legislators on the committee. These contributions averaged $5,760 per committee member. Four members accepted $14,500 to almost $20,000 in campaign funds.
These extraordinary amounts of campaign contributions corrupt politics in Illinois.
Fifty-one House and Senate members (34 Democrats and 17 Republicans did not accept any gambling contributions.
Illinois lacks any campaign finance laws that limit the wild west of giving of money to politicians. The appearance, if not the reality then emerges that legislators are bought by gambling interests to further the gambling interests’ profits at the expense of our citizens.
One legislator lost his temper and threatened me because we had disclosed the facts that state law provides for disclosure of such information and raised the prospect that legislative members were bought and paid for.
It is an insult to the twelve million people in Illinois that politicians accept this money, then turn around and advocate for more gambling while the state regulates casino and horse tracks in the state. This example says the people are stupid while the politicians are smarter than others.
This affront to the people of Illinois and the unfairness it creates in our democracy must be changed. Illinois must adopt campaign finance laws that change the unlimited giving by companies that do business or are regulated by the state. Without such change the taint will only grow and create yet another scandal for the state.
Now is the time to enact restrictions on the free wheeling campaign contributions to our elected representatives and restore democracy to Illinois.
Doug Dobmeyer
Spokesperson
Task Force to Oppose Gambling in Chicago
Source: http://www.chicagodefender.com/page/editorial.cfm?ArticleID=9066