LINCOLN SQUARE — Illinois' corruption has become a national joke, but a pair of political insiders have proposed a number of ways the state could clean up its act.
Thomas Gradel and Dick Simpson will talk about their new book, "Corrupt Illinois," 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Book Cellar, 4736-38 N. Lincoln Ave.
The authors take no prisoners when it comes to placing blame and pointing fingers at the state's various leaders and their history of ghost payrolling, pay-to-play and plain old greed and hubris. In the face of such seemingly inevitable shenanigans, an apathetic electorate has all but lost hope in any chance of good government, they say.
Gradel and Simpson's book then outlines the institutional reforms that could bring about serious transformation in the way the state is run, and restore public faith in elected officials.
Gradel served on the staff of Gov. Dan Walker, who himself did prison time for crimes committed after he left office. Simpson is a professor of political science at the University of Illinois-Chicago and a former Chicago alderman.
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