Kendall County Times

Kendall County Republican Party chairman James Marter argues Democrats in Springfield are totally off base in their latest ethics reform efforts.

“Any real conversation they want to have about ethical reforms needs to start with all of them calling for Mike Madigan to go as House Speaker,” Marter told the Kendall County Times. “I don’t see how anyone can have any faith in any reform plan Democrats are pushing as long as Madigan is still in the picture and at the helm of the party.”

With Madigan (D-Chicago) now embroiled in a still developing federal corruption probe involving utility giant ComEd and a pay-for-play scheme, some Democrat lawmakers are pushing an array of reform measures they tout as ways to change the culture in Springfield. Topping the list of proposals are measures that would ban legislators from becoming lobbyists, require greater financial disclosures, establish a censure process, make the legislative inspector general more independent, and institute term limits.

Marter doubts if any of it will be enough to bring about substantive change all on its own.

“As long as you have a supermajority in power and a well-oiled machine, little tweaks aren’t going to work,” he said. “You need a complete overhaul.”

Marter, who formerly ran as a Republican in the 14th Congressional District, insists the power for bringing about that kind of change rest in the hands of voters.

“I think it will take them stepping forward to say no more and actually meaning it,” he said. “The people that are supposed to be representing us have clearly lost their way. Voters are going to have to get back to the days of making politicians earn their votes and not just casting votes for them because they belong to a certain party or have a certain letter next to their names.”