Saturday, March 29, 2014

Tom Hopkins, R.I.P.

Thomas Martin Hopkins "Hops", age 58, of the Mt. Greenwood/Beverly neighborhood. Suddenly March 26, 2014. Loving husband and best friend of Margie (nee McCormick). Loving father of Tommy, Martin, Liam and Annie. Devoted son of Mary and the late John P. Hopkins. Dear son-in-law of Joe and Marge McCormick. Devoted brother of Jack (Karen) Hopkins, Mary (John) Dunneback, Eileen (Jeff) Drenovsky, and Jim (Mary) Hopkins. Kind brother-in-law of Mary McCormick, Joanne (Larry) Schiavone, Kevin (Shannon) McCormick, Judy (Tim) Ward, Tommy, Danny (Carol), Patrick (Diana) and the late Joe and Timmy McCormick. Loving uncle of many nieces and nephews. He will be missed by many, many, many friends. Owner of J. P. Hopkins Sewer Construction. Lifelong member of Plumbers Union Local 130.. Proud alumnus of Leo High School, Class of 1973. Honorary alumnus of St. Rita of Cascia H.S. Member of St. Cajetan's Mens Club. Visitation Sunday 2-9 p.m at St. Rita H.S. Shrine Chapel, 7740 S. Western Avenue. Family and friends will meet Monday for Mass of the Resurrection 10:30 a.m. Interment Mt. Olivet Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital would be appreciated. 

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Dart Speaks Out



DECIDES TO SPEAK THE TRUTH
Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, a media darling, apparently takes a dim view of local journalists, recently describing them as purveyors of “trash” who fixate on including competing viewpoints in their work when “there is no other side” to be told.
Dart, who regularly holds news conferences and generally enjoys favorable coverage, made the critical remarks to a group of student journalists at the Illinois Center For Broadcasting in the Loop earlier this month.
He appears to relish his time in front of TV cameras, but he made critical remarks to a group of student journalists at the Illinois Center For Broadcasting in the Loop earlier this month. 
“Most of the people in my world hate the media,” Dart tells the students in a video. “I actually not only don’t hate them, I feel sorry for them.”“I know most of them really want to do something that really matters. Instead they are forced right now to churn out a lot of garbage,” Dart said. “They’re told right now, ‘Well, the public wants to hear trash so you go out and follow trash.’ They are forced right now to churn out a lot of garbage.”
When asked to explain the sheriff’s remarks, spokeswoman Cara Smith said Dart is a “passionate guy” who only wanted to encourage budding journalists to focus on issues that matter — not gossip and celebrities like Miley Cyrus.
“Not only does he tremendously respect [journalists’] work, but he recognizes how critically important our local media is in Chicago in uncovering and reporting on incredibly important issues,” Smith said.
However, she did allow that, “Certainly we have our frustrations.”
In the video, Dart went further, focusing his ire on the practice of objectivity — a philosophical pillar of modern journalism, which suggests reporters ought to go to lengths to appear neutral, while including diverse viewpoints in their work.
“They have to get both sides of the story,” Dart said, calling the practice, “one thing that always eats at me.”
“Believe it or not folks – I don’t know if you got the memo – there is a thing called ‘right and wrong’ in this world,” he continued. “Sometimes somebody is wrong, just dead wrong. But I can’t tell you how often the media feels compelled, ‘Well, we have to give the other side of the story,’ he said, adding: “There is no other side.”
Dart then implored the students to strive to do better.
“As you guys go forward . . . there’s big things at stake here,” Dart told them. “Our society has more issues and they keep multiplying, and if we have a disengaged electorate, who is ignorant of the important issue, things are not going to get better.”
Then, as if he was conducting a press conference, Dart concluded his remarks by adding: “I’d be happy to answer questions.”

This Deal Stinks


WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE OLD FURNITURE?
In the wake of massive school closings and budget woes, Chicago Public Schools is seeking to double its furniture budget to $9.5 million, chalking up $5 million of that to an upcoming move of its central headquarters.
District officials want the Board of Education to approve the expense for the purchase and installation of new office furniture by Staples at Wednesday’s monthly meeting, a proposal the Chicago Teachers Union called “poor stewardship of money.”
CPS spokesman Joel Hood said the $5 million added to an existing $4.5 million contract with Staples was part of the moving plan. He said the money would cover costs for the new central headquarters at 1 N. Dearborn and eight satellite district offices. Hood said the district’s old furniture won’t fit in the new streamlined office space and called the cost of disassembling, moving and reassembling it “expensive.”
“This is part of CPS’ overall strategy to restructure and streamline its central office,” Hood said in an emailed statement. “By moving to a smaller, more efficient central office in the fall, the district projects to save an additional $60 million over the next 15 years.”
CPS also is seeking up to $400,000 for “logistics, planning and management services” for the move of more than 1,200 central office staffers by the relocation services firm 300 Decisions, according to the meeting’s agenda.
The country’s third-largest school district is moving its headquarters from 125 S. Clark to smaller offices on the first three floors of a Loop building that houses Sears’ flagship store, which is closing. District officials have said central office staff has decreased in recent years, requiring less space and projected the move should save some $60 million over 15 years in costs such as energy and upkeep.
The 19-story building CPS now owns and occupies is already on the market, Hood said. The move is scheduled to be completed by late November, he said.
Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis questioned the rationale of spending more money on the central office when so many schools were closed and remaining schools took big budget cuts.
“It’s about: Where are our priorities?” she said. “Again, these are moral decisions based on what’s important to some people and what’s important to other people.
I think it’s just poor stewardship of money.”
School leaders have bemoaned shrunken budgets this school year that have led principals to cut teachers and programs.
Kate Schott Bolduc, who sits on the Local School Council at Blaine Elementary School in Lake View, said her school lost about $700,000 in funding despite keeping enrollment steady and only managed to keep its art and music teachers by allowing 37 eighth graders in each classroom.
“Every penny counts,” Bolduc said. “For almost a year now, parents have been asking CPS to cut spending for central office and put the money in classrooms where it belongs — and to serve students. I think teachers and textbooks need to come before furniture.”
IS THERE ANY OVERSIGHT AT ALL?

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Nabisco advertising

NEW NABISCO AD: HOMOSEXUALITY 'WHOLESOME' [VIDEO]

Nabisco added its voice to the current trend of advancing liberal social agendas by producing a commercial for their Honey Maid graham crackers and Teddy Grahams snacks showing a homosexual couple raising two children with a voiceover stating "this is wholesome."
The ad begins with a father bottle feeding his baby as another father slips in to kiss the baby's forehead. The commercial then meanders through a montage of families.
The two dads also got their own mini documentary.

Monday, March 24, 2014

China Visit

O'BRIEN: MICHELLE'S LATEST JUNKET AND THE POLITICS OF BLACK SKIN PRIVILEGE

6a00d834515c5469e201a5116e0f4a970c-75wiBy Teri O'Brien - 
The Obamas, the most successful race hustlers in the history of this country, continue to play their skin game and exploit their black skin privilege, while the lap dog media continues to dangle shiny objects like the missing Malaysian aircraft, "March Madness," and bootleg butt injections(and you thought it was just Michelle's arms that people envied!) before the American people.
The use of huge posteriors to distract us from Moochelle's latest junket is not the only irony at play here. Yesterday, the First Klingon took a break from her opulent getaway to speak out in favor of free speech and religious freedom. Perhaps her husband's regime, who has unleashed the IRS on his political opposition and is currently in court trying to force religious institutions into violating their beliefs, could consider applying those fine noble principles here in the United States. Is there also a bit of irony in the fact that Michelle, who, along with the rest of this phony bunch, portrays herself as a champion of the "little guy" has a mother who apparently is terrorizing the staff at their Chinese luxury hotel?

Anything to avoid discussing Barack Obama's "signature achievement," the slow-motion train wreck called "Obamacare," which is 4 years old today.
Speaking of black skin privilege, who is Melowese Richardson, and what does her recent incarceration and release for illegal voting tell us about the 2012 election, and 2014?
As we watch Vladimir Putin on the march, in full Cold War mode, Prof. Paul Kengor, one of the leading authorities on the biography of Ronald Reagan, returns to our show, to discuss his latest books, The 11 Principles of a Reagan Conservative. How would Reagan have dealt with Vladimir Putin? What would he say to East Coast Brain Rot afflicted consultants who advise Republican candidates to avoid discussion of social issues? (Short answer: "you're wrong.") 
Jimmy Carter whines that women are victims and Barack Obama keeps dissing him.
Tune in today for the rest of the story. Be Ahead of the Curve. Hear The Actual News You May Have Missed.

Sunday, March 23, 2014

BAC Update


Mayor Rahm Emanuel headed to the far Southwest Side last month to announce a deal to help bail out the financially struggling Beverly Arts Center.

The city will kick in $250,000 in leftover money from the 2012 NATO summit toward the arts center's debt. Fifth Third Bank, which has city business, will wipe off the books up to $2.2 million in loans.

The BAC was built in 2002 at a cost of $12,000,000. Unfortunately, whoever put that deal together forgot a detail. How to service the debt. That problem seems to have been properly addressed now. 

Saturday, March 22, 2014

Term limits in other states

State legislatures with term limits

The following 15 legislatures have term limits:

Friday, March 21, 2014

Oberweis vs. Durbin

SOCIAL SECURITY, MINIMUM WAGE, OBAMACARE AND GUNS



Durkin Oberweis
CHICAGO - Democrat U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin told Jim Anderson he's prepared for a serious re-election battle against Jim Oberweis, saying:
“Jim Oberweis is for privatizing Social Security. I am against that. I think that’s a terrible idea. Jim Oberweis is against an increase in the minimum wage. I’m in favor of an increase in the minimum wage. When you go right down the list, Jim Oberweis is against closing the gun show loophole for people who are buying firearms without any background check, even if they’re felons.”
Oberweis says he plans to focus on the issue of Obamacare and its shortcomings.
Durbin, who has a reported net worth of $1.1 million (HERE) claims he is at a financial disatvantage because Oberweis "can spend his own millions" on the race. Durbin told reporters he would only spend “whatever I can raise.”

Thursday, March 20, 2014

CPS, Free Condoms

Chicago Public Schools and the city’s public health department will be expanding a pilot program to make condoms available to high school students to 24 schools this fall as part of an ongoing effort to combat teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases among young people.
 School officials said currently condoms are available at two district schools—Collins High School and Foreman High School.
 The district will be working with the Chicago Department of Public Health to identify which 24 schools will get the condoms, but CPS spokeswoman Lauren Huffman said it is ultimately up to each principal to decide whether condoms will be available in their school building.

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Monday, March 17, 2014

Parade

The parade organizers in Boston stand up for their beliefs. What would happen here?
(Reuters) - Boston's Irish-American mayor skipped the city's St. Patrick's Day parade on Sunday after failing to hammer out a deal with organizers to allow a group of gay and lesbian activists to march openly.
Mayor Marty Walsh had tried to negotiate a deal with organizers, the conservative Allied War Veteran's Council, to allow members of MassEquality, one of Massachusetts' largest gay activist groups, to join the parade.
"So much of our Irish history has been shaped by the fight against oppression," Walsh, the city's first Irish-American mayor in 20 years, said in a statement.
"As mayor of the city of Boston, I have to do my best to ensure that all Bostonians are free to participate fully in the civic life of our city. Unfortunately, this year, the parties were not able to come to an understanding that would have made that possible."
Despite Walsh's boycott, other prominent Democratic Boston politicians, including Representative Stephen Lynch, marched in the parade, which drew tens of thousands of spectators, some of whom expressed disappointment at MassEquality's exclusion.
"It's supposed to be a time when everyone can come together," said university student Jeyashri Sridhar, 18. "It's sad that people can't participate because of who they are."
Organizers of St. Patrick's Day parades in New York and Boston, among the most liberal-leaning cities in the United States, have come under increasing criticism in recent years for banning openly gay marchers.
Parade organizers argue that to do so would conflict with their Roman Catholic heritage. The Catholic church contends that homosexual activity is immoral.

Saint Patrick

Happy Saint Patrick's Day


Sunday, March 16, 2014

Parade Day

A great display of ethnic and religious pride. Celebrate what it really means to be a Celt. Enjoy. 

Friday, March 14, 2014

Father Marszalek R.I.P.

Services Set for Father Marszalek
Just released by Archdiocesan officials at 1:25 p.m. today:





ARCHDIOCESAN PRIEST, REV. PAUL B. MARSZALEK, DIES
Pastor Emeritus of St. Jane De Chantal Parish

Chicago, IL (March 13, 2014) – Rev. Paul B. Marszalek died on
Tuesday, March 11, 2014, at Holy Family Villa, a nursing home in Palos
Park. He was 87 years old.
 


Fr. Marszalek was born in Chicago on September 17, 1926 and attended
Five Holy Martyrs Parochial School in Chicago. He graduated from Quigley
Preparatory Seminary and from the University of St. Mary of the Lake /
Mundelein Seminary, where he received his Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of
Sacred Theology and Master of Arts degrees. Fr. Marszalek also attended
the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana, for his
post-graduate studies and received a Master of Arts degree in Classics.
Samuel Cardinal Stritch, Archbishop of Chicago, ordained him on May 1,
1952, alongside Bishops Raymond Geodert and John Gorman.

Fr. Marszalek’s first assignment was at Transfiguration Parish in
Chicago, where he was an Assistant Pastor from 1952
until 1960. That same year, he became Assistant Pastor of Assumption
B.V.M. Parish on 123rd Street in Chicago, which was later closed in
1990. Just one year later, in 1961, Fr. Marszalek began teaching at
Quigley Preparatory Seminary South and remained on the faculty until
1978. During his time at Quigley, he was a Resident of Immaculate
Conception Parish on 88th Street on the south side of Chicago
(1961-1965) and of SS. Cyril & Methodius Parish on Hermitage Avenue in
Chicago (1965-1978), which later closed in 1990. 

Fr. Marszalek was named Pastor of St. Jane De Chantal Parish in Chicago
in 1978. He served the parish in this capacity for almost twenty years,
until 1996. Fr. Marszalek retired from active ministry in 1997 and was
named Pastor Emeritus of St. Jane De Chantal Parish.

Most Rev. Raymond Goedert, Retired Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago, a
former classmate of Fr. Marszalek’s, had many kind words to say about
him, “He was our class president for a number of years and we always
looked forward to our class reunions because he would always have
something to say after dinner. Fr. Marszalek had a great sense of humor
and we all really enjoyed listening to him.” He went on to say, “He
also had a brilliant memory, for example, at one point he could name
every bishop in the United States. It was just this gift he had so he
must have been a great teacher. Fr. Marszalek was a wonderful priest, a
very hard working priest, a priest we all enjoyed very much and a priest
that we will miss very much.”

In an interview with the Catholic New World, Rev. Edward Mikolajczyk,
Pastor of Queen of Martyrs Parish in Evergreen Park, described Fr.
Marszalek as his mentor, “One of my role models while I was a student
at Quigley South was Father Paul Marszalek, a resident at our parish. I
admired him as a priest.”* Fr. Mikolajczyk met Fr. Marszalek when he
was a Resident at his home parish of Immaculate Conception. “He was
very compassionate, very dedicated and loved his priesthood. He
certainly showed that in his ministry teaching us at Quigley. Fr.
Marszalek truly loved his Polish nationality and his family. He was very
fun-loving, dedicated to his ministry and priesthood, supportive of us
students, and he impressed me because I wanted to emulate him in the
things that I did in my priesthood.”

Fr. Marszalek will lie in state from 3 to 9 p.m., on Friday, March 14,
at St. Jane De Chantal Parish, 5252 South Austin Avenue in Chicago.
Visitation will be held on Saturday, March 15, from 10 to 11:30 a.m.
Bishop Raymond Goedert will be the main celebrant of the funeral Mass
for Fr. Marszalek and Most Rev. John Gorman, Retired Auxiliary Bishop of
Chicago, will be the homilist at 11:30 a.m., on Saturday, March 15, at
St. Jane De Chantal Parish. Interment will be at Resurrection Cemetery
in Justice.

Fr. Marszalek is survived by his sister-in-law, Peggy Marshall, and a
niece.



*Madlener, Dolores. “His Road to Ordination Wasn’t Paved with
Yellow Bricks”. Catholic New World. February 17-March 2, 2013

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Union Pension Problems, who do you blame for the shortfalls?

Typical Pension Trustee
The problem with our pensions is that some of the pension trustees (the people that are supposed to be trustworthy) are compromised.

They are would-be union officials but for their being unelectable, so they fall back on the pension route. It gives them a title and some respect.  Generally, they are smarter than those they represent but not as smart as they think they are. Certainly, they are not as smart as the politicians and money managers who are quite adept at playing them. 

Their price is cheap, a business class airplane ticket to a pension seminar and a few steak dinners. Ask any trustee if they flew business class or coach. Ask them if they had a steak dinner they didn't pay for. After a few drinks and with their belly's full, they will agree to anything, including a funding shortfall. 
Why do you think the children of former politicians are flocking to the pension management business. "It's like taking candy from a baby." 
The problem for these pension trustees is that eventually, they will (justifiably) be held accountable for the shortfalls. For it was a sacred trust that they violated.

CHICAGO (FOX 32 News) -
Some of Chicago's most powerful public employee unions are joining forces to fight for their members' pensions.
Teachers, firefighters, police, and laborers are among the groups teaming up to form "We are One Chicago."
The new coalition will rally at the state capitol Wednesday.
They said job one is protecting their members' retirement from cuts in funding.
Organizers said the city has to find other ways to pay its bills.
Taxpayers are contributing about $500 million to five pension funds this year. That's scheduled to triple to more than $1.5 billion next year.


Read more: http://www.myfoxchicago.com/story/24747848/chicago-unions-join-forces-to-fight-for-pensions#ixzz2tg2I2gzj

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

CHICAGO PENSION RED ALERT

2010-02-19_3000x2000_chicago_skyline
CHICAGO - Last week, the Wall Street Journal featured a sobering piece about Detroit, bankruptcy and pensions. Then they turned their attention to the"Public Pension Red Alert" facing Chicago taxpayers:
Perhaps the biggest pension landmine outside of Detroit is Chicago. The Windy City next year must make a $1.07 billion balloon payment—equal to a third of the city's operating budget—on $19.4 billion of pension debt. The pension payment could cover salaries for 4,300 police officers or the resurfacing of 16,000 blocks of road, and Mayor Rahm Emanuel has warned that property taxes may have to double to pay the bill.

Meantime, the required pension contribution for Chicago schools this year is tripling to $613 million. Chicago unions are pressing the state government to raise property, sales, income and corporate taxes to bail out worker pensions. Chicago's pension funds are only half as well-funded as even Detroit's, if you can believe it, and could run dry by 2020. With state politicians up for re-election this November and Chicago's mayoral race next February, it's more likely that investors will foot the bill.
Last month, Chicago's city council approved the issuance of $500 million in commercial paper and $900 million in general-obligation bonds purportedly to refinance existing debt and improve public works. There's little to stop politicians from pouring the proceeds into pensions—or later reneging on this unsecured debt if it were to file for bankruptcy.
This is a much bigger mess than anybody thinks.

Monday, March 10, 2014

Just another lying politician.

I say that history will not be kind to this time period when people like Jan Schakowsky actually ran the country. 

Anything a Schakowsky says should be considered as questionable. Please keep in mind that Ms. Schakowsky's husband did some time a few years ago for bank fraud. Where is the shame? 

Schakowsky: "As I said to my Congressional colleagues, history will not be kind to climate change deniers"

Lake Michigan near Schakowsky's
home in January
I'm a reluctant constituent of US Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), possibly the most liberal member of the House. You name the lib cause--and you betcha she's for it. Including so-called human-caused global warming. In a statement yesterday, she said this:"As I said to my Congressional colleagues, history will not be kind to climate change deniers."

But there has been a 17-year pause in global warming. If Schakowsky walks a mile east from her Evanston home, she'll see a frozen Lake Michigan. And the Chicago area is enduring its third-coldest and third-snowiest winter ever.

For liberals, climate change is a racket they can use to attack efficient and abundant fossil fuel energy sources and replace them with unproven wind andsolar power so they can reward environmentalist campaign donors and crony capitalism operators.

Sunday, March 9, 2014

Time to bring Sister Margaret Wright back.

Just when you think you have seen it all.

Some people need to be investigated for what is really going on at an old time Catholic hospital. Formerly known as St. George Hospital, they moved to Palos Park in 1972. Until January 2013, the hospital was run (very well) by Sister Margaret Wright. Suddenly, she was out and things do not seem to be running that well anymore.

As reported by Crain's Chicago Business, instead of sitting on the bench, the judge sits in the board room.

Judge sits on hospital board while her brother represents it in court


For at least 15 years, Cook County Circuit Court Judge Lynn Egan has sat on the boards governing a south suburban hospital while it regularly has hired her brother's law firm.
Chicago-based Pretzel & Stouffer has represented Palos Community Hospital in almost half of the 170 cases involving the hospital filed over that period in the law division of the circuit court, according to a Crain's review of court records. From 2011 to 2013, Matthew Egan, a partner in the firm, represented Palos in at least 15 cases before his sister's judicial colleagues, most of them involving medical malpractice or personal injury.
The nonprofit hospital did not disclose the financial relationship with Mr. Egan in forms filed with the IRS between 1999 and 2011, the latest year for which records are publicly available. It did disclose a separate sibling relationship: payments totaling nearly $56,000 to the sister of its former CEO in 2011.
In a response to questions from Crain's, the hospital says it plans to review its procedures.
“As it pertains to contracted legal services, we believe all of the required board disclosures have been made,” Palos board Chairman Edward Mulcahy says in a statement. “However, as a precaution, we will again review our internal processes.” Mr. Mulcahy says the administration, not board members, hire vendors.
SHAKEUP
The independent, 362-bed community hospital in Palos Heights is in the midst of a leadership shakeup. After roughly 30 years under CEO Sister Margaret Wright, who retired in 2013, the board hired Edgardo Tenreiro, chief operating officer at a Baton Rouge, La., hospital system. But with no public explanation, he departed three weeks ago after less than three months on the job.
Greg Paetow, a board member for three years, says he quit for “personal reasons” on Feb. 12, the same day Mr. Tenreiro left. A second person on the 12-member hospital board also resigned in February, as did Thomas Barcelona, chairman of the board of parent company St. George Corp., which solicits donations for the hospital.
Ms. Egan (at right), who also serves on St. George's board and is on the Palos hospital board's executive committee, says she disclosed Mr. Egan's representation of Palos on an annual conflict statement available to the hospital's auditors and tax preparers.
“I believe that I have performed my service as a jurist and volunteer PCH board member in a responsible and ethical manner,” she says in a statement. “Any suggestion to the contrary is false.”
Ms. Egan did not respond to a request to provide the document. Disclosure statements she filed with the Illinois Supreme Court from 2011 to 2013 do not mention her brother or his law firm.
Mr. Egan says in an email that “no attorney in our firm has ever appeared before Judge Egan in any matter on behalf of Palos Community Hospital.” Notions of a potential conflict of interest are “false, indeed reckless,” he adds.
Even if Pretzel & Stouffer were the best firm for the job, experts say the lack of transparency raises questions.
“I would think in this case you would want to bend over backwards to disclose the conflict to make sure no one makes assumptions,” says David Becher, an associate professor of finance at Drexel University in Philadelphia.


I would think in this case you would want to bend over backwards to disclose the conflict to make sure no one makes assumptions.

— David Becher, professor, Drexel University
During Ms. Egan's tenure on the board, Pretzel & Stouffer has been named only once in the hospital's available tax returns, as one of the five highest-paid vendors in 2002, making about $163,000. Nonprofits generally must disclose employees who are board members' relatives if they make more than $10,000 a year, says David Lowenthal, a Chicago-based senior manager at accounting firm Plante & Moran PLLC.
The hospital has disclosed the compensation of board members Thomas Courtney, a lawyer who processes third-party liens for patient bills; Dr. Mark Sinibaldi, the medical director of the psychiatric unit; and Ms. Wright's sister, who also worked at the hospital.
CODE OF CONDUCT
Having Ms. Egan and fellow law division Judge Deborah Dooling on the hospital board raises other questions. The Illinois Supreme Court's Code of Judicial Conduct allows judges to serve on charitable boards so long as the service doesn't interfere with their duties.
The code, however, warns that a judge should not serve if the organization is “regularly engaged in adversary proceedings in any court” and singles out hospitals as a potential trouble spot.
Ms. Egan says she “carefully considered whether my service on the board was permissible” and, after consulting the Illinois Judicial Ethics Committee, concluded there was no issue. Ms. Dooling did not return messages.
One past chair of the ethics committee says he would caution judges against serving on a hospital board because hospitals are frequently named in malpractice litigation.
“The fact that Dooling and Egan sit in the law division makes it more obvious that they should not be on the board,” says Warren Lupel, special counsel at Chicago firm Much Shelist PC. “If (cases are) frequent, it's 'regularly engaged,' and certainly for a hospital, it is frequent.”