Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Seven Down, Two To Go.

The number may change again before morning, but as I write this four University of Illinois Trustees resigned today. They are Kenneth Schmidt, David Dorris, Robert Vickrey and Devon Bruce. Three others had already resigned: Board Chairman Niranjan Shah; Lawrence Eppley, the former chairman; and Edward McMillan. The hold-outs are James Montgomery and Frances Carroll.

At least somewhere in Illinois there are consequences for corruption, although the apparent confusion among the individual trustees about the right thing to do is more evidence that the whole edifice is rotten.

So U of I is to be commended for doing something. I'm reminded of the three legislative leaders who simply demurred when asked to testify before the Mikva Commission. They are House Speaker Michael Madigan, Senate President John Cullerton, and House Republican Leader Tom Cross. That's how the Illinois General Assembly deals with corruption. By doing nothing.

Reporters covering the Soviet Union frequently remarked on how the whole system ran on favors given and favors owed. It's like the people who defend the rich because they hope to be rich themselves someday. Rather than demanding a clean system, the cloutless simply aspire to attain it.

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