Looks as if Gov Blowjobavich's honeymoon is over. What's a little corruption worth anyway? This is Chicago, after all.
Lawmakers called for investigations Monday into links between new tollway oasis food vendors and two of Gov. Rod Blagojevich's closest advisers, but an aide to the governor said he had no plans to ask his inspector general to look into the matter.TribThe Tribune reported Sunday that Blagojevich fundraisers Antoin “Tony” Rezko and Christopher G. Kelly had close ties to firms awarded lucrative new contracts to operate restaurants in the tollway's newly revamped oases.
The overhaul is being conducted by Los Angeles developer Wilton Partners, a major contributor to Blagojevich's campaign fund, which Kelly runs. The Illinois State Toll Highway Authority has granted Wilton wide discretion to pick oasis vendors.
and one of my old bosses says:
Republican Sen. Kirk Dillard of Hinsdale agreed that “one of the bright spots of the Blagojevich administration has been the tollway,” but that “these kinds of revelations lead a skeptical public to believe it's business as usual or worse.”The Tribune found that Abdelhamid Chaib, a business associate of both Rezko and Kelly and a longtime Rezko friend, is the owner of the Subway shops at each of the seven new oases. In addition, Rezko is a partner with California-based Panda Express in the ownership of numerous Panda restaurants in Illinois and four other Midwestern states. Kelly is an investor in Rezko's portion of that joint venture.
