Your Ward Room Blogger likes Gov. Pat Quinn’s idea to raise the state’s retirement age to 67. I like it so much I would also want to see it applied it to politicians. Except in their case, they’d be forced to retire at 67. Here are five senior citizens whose time would be up under this plan.
Richard Mell, 33rd Ward alderman, 73
Why he needs to retire: Thought it would be a good idea to run his son-in-law, Rod Blagojevich, for state representative. Then for Congress. Then for governor.
Jesse White, Secretary of State, 77
Why he needs to retire: Last year, after State Sen. Rickey Hendon retired, White had to make two legislative appointments. To the state senate, he appointed Annazette Collins, who didn’t even live in the district. To Collins’s House seat, he appointed Derrick Smith, who was recently indicted for accepting a $7,000 bribe.
Edward Burke, 14th Ward alderman, 68
Why he needs to retire: So we don’t have to keep spending hundreds of thousands of dollars for Burke’s bodyguard detail, a legacy of Chicago’s Council Wars, which ended 26 years ago.
Michael Madigan, Illinois House Speaker, 70
Why he needs to retire: So his daughter, Lisa, can run for governor. Not even Illinois will accept the same family running the legislative and executive branches.
William Beavers, Cook County Board member, 77
Why he needs to retire: Number one, because he already is retired. The former 7th Ward alderman said he ran for Cook County Board because it’s less work than the City Council. Number two, because he’s under a federal indictment for not paying taxes on campaign funds and a county stipend.
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