Can We Do Without Pay-to-Play?
In third world countries, corruption is said to grease the wheels of
commerce. We don't like to believe that this is true in the U.S., and
we certainly don't have to grease the palms of ordinary government
employees in order to get any service.<br>
<br>
But what would happen if pay-to-play were truly brought to its knees?<br>
<br>
This question arises from <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/17/opinion/17herbert.html" target="”_blank”">a
column by Bob Herbert</a> in Tuesday's New York <span>Times.</span> The column is about the
attempt to build a third airport in the Chicago area. The effort is
being led by the Abraham Lincoln National Airport Commission, a
public-private partnership. The project would be financed by two
private firms, and it would serve primarily low-cost carriers. It all
sounds too good to be true, just the sort of project politicians and
businesspeople are always talking about.<br>
<br>
But it doesn't seem to be able to get off the ground. According to
Herbert, behind the scenes local and state politicians are dragging
their feet. Why? Because they won't have control of the jobs or the
contracts. There's nothing in it for them. Jesse Jackson, Jr.,
congressman for the southern part of Chicago and the biggest mover on
this project, wants the jobs for his district (the airport would be
near but not in his district). But taking the project out of the
pay-to-play traditions of Chicago (matched in many places throughout
the country) seems to have made it a difficult sell.<br>
<br>
<a href="http://www.enewspf.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3479&I…; target="”_blank”">According
to the executive director</a> of the the airport commission, there have
been attempts to bring the project into the grand ol' Chicago
tradition, but so far they have failed. Maybe the sudden and, most
likely, short-term interest in ethics in Illinois will get the project
going.<br>
<br>
Robert Wechsler<br>
Director of Research-Retired, City Ethics<br>
<br>
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