Coming soon to a Judy Baar Topinka campaign commercial, yesterday the state's Auditor General reported that Gov. Blagojevich's plan to import prescription drugs from Canada broke federal law and may be unsafe. What's worse, fewer than 5,000 people even used the program in its first year and a half. more ›

So far this week Chicagoist had an argument with our siblings over baseball, endured a date with a guy who isn't even registered to vote, forgot to set our alarm clock, thus making us late for a big meeting at work, fell down some stairs, and accidentally threw our favorite cashmere sweater into the dryer. And it's only Wednesday! Sigh. Even with all of that, our week is still not going as poorly as Governor... more ›

A recent report from the state’s Auditor General says the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) hired inexperienced workers, did not fully utilize federal funding for safety projects, and mismanaged a reorganization of the agency in 2004. It goes on to criticize the hiring of two friends of Governor Blagojevich with histories of drunk driving into the department. Last month Blago’s longtime friend Dan Stefanski was quietly let go from his special assistant position after being... more ›

The ongoing battles between the Illinois General Assembly and the CTA have once again hit the papers. After reading this article in the Sun-Times, we’re left with the same sinking feeling we get in our stomach whenever we attend a cockfight: no matter whom we root for, it just feels wrong. more ›

It's been a tough couple of weeks for Governor Rod Blagojevich. There was the Hospital Board thing, where some of his donors were indicted, the dust-up with the Auditor General saying his administration couldn't document all the cost savings they claimed, and then the continuing investigation of fundraiser and Panda Express magnate, Tony Rezko. And yet, this afternoon he came roaring back with his long-promised campaign finance and ethics reform proposal, which according to a... more ›

Springfielders are buzzing about a report released this afternoon by State Auditor General William Holland. The report accuses a powerful state agency of illegally shifting funds between accounts, failure to track contract expenses, and inability to document $137 million of claimed procurement savings. The report stopped short of suggesting criminal activity, but the report was referred to Attorney General Lisa Madigan, who's office is reviewing it "very closely." The agency accused of wrongdoing, the... more ›