Blagojevich hits one-year mark in prison – has anything changed?

March 15, the ides of March, is the one-year anniversary of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich heading to prison. At the time of his conviction Illinois Policy Institute CEO John Tillman hailed the Blagojevich verdict as an opportunity to end an era of corruption in Illinois. “This trial represented what is the absolute worst of...

March 15, the ides of March, is the one-year anniversary of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich heading to prison. At the time of his conviction Illinois Policy Institute CEO John Tillman hailed the Blagojevich verdict as an opportunity to end an era of corruption in Illinois.

“This trial represented what is the absolute worst of Illinois politics. Now is the time to discuss what the future holds for Illinois. Either Illinois will continue operating in the disgraceful fashion that it did under Gov. Blagojevich, in which politicians run a favor factory and put self-interests ahead of taxpayers; or we are going to pursue a new government in which access to governors and legislators does not mean special tax breaks or favors.”

But did Blagojevich heading to prison signal an end to an era of corruption in Illinois, or are we continuing down the same path that had us ranked third-worst in the country when it comes to public corruption?

Unfortunately, we are still headed down the wrong path in Illinois.

Here’s a look at some of the lowlights from the last year.

In April 2012, Dixon Comptroller Rita Crundwell was accused of stealing more than $53 million from city of Dixon coffers. She was sentenced in February 2013 to 19 years and 7 months in prison for what “authorities have called the largest municipal fraud in the country’s history.”

In July 2012, former Cook County Commissioner Joseph Moreno and former Chicago Alderman Ambrosio Medrano were arrested on public corruption charges.

In August 2012, a former superintendent and board member of West Harvey-Dixmoor School District 147 were charged with multiple counts of theft totaling in excess of $400,000.

Also in August 2012, former Director of the Cook County Department of Public Affairs and Communications Eugene Mullins received federal charges for allegedly fraudulently steering four county contracts to acquaintances in exchange for kickbacks.

In November 2012, state Rep. Derrick Smith won an Illinois House seat with 77 percent of the vote despite being indicted on bribery charges after allegedly receiving $7,000 cash payment in exchange for writing a letter in support of a daycare center to receive a $50,000 state grant.

Also in November 2012, Illinois state Rep. Lashawn Ford was indicted on federal bank fraud charges.

In December 2012, Cook County Commissioner William Beavers went on trial “on federal charges he failed to pay taxes on campaign funds he used for personal expenses.” Those expenses allegedly included using the money to go gambling at the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Ind.

In January 2013, three village of Schaumburg police officers were arrested by federal agents for allegedly stealing and reselling drugs.

In February 2013, the city of Chicago dropped a red-light camera vendor under bid-fixing suspicions. It was later revealed that Chicago’s red-light camera program was “likely built on $2 million bribery scheme.”

Also in February 2013, in a plea deal Illinois Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr., pleaded guilty toillegally taking about $750,000 directly from campaign funds in violation of campaign finance laws. His wife, Sandra Jackson, an ex-Chicago alderman, was also charged with filing false joint federal income tax returns.

Also in February 2013, former Madison County Treasurer Fred Bathon pleaded guilty to federal charges. Bathon admitted “rigging delinquent tax sales to line the pockets of campaign contributors at the expense of money-strapped property owners.”

It seems the more things change, the more they stay the same in Illinois. The Blagojevich conviction seems to have had no effect in changing the culture of Illinois. This continuing culture of corruption makes enacting transparency reforms all the more important.