Jack McGuire Endorses Corrupt Legislative College Scholarship Program

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Joliet, Illinois, United States of America (Free-Press-Release.com) January 10, 2012 -- JACK MCGUIRE ENDORSES CORRUPT LEGISLATIVE COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

1/10/12
Joliet, Illinois

Jack McGuire (D-IL Dist.86) Illinois General Assembly House Representative, in one of his rare news quotes, spoke about his support for the corrupt Legislative College Scholarship Program. This is a program whereby each Illinois Legislator is autonomously given an amount of taxpayer money, to award a college scholarship to whatever young adult he/she feels like. There has been growing concerns about this program, and its abuses by legislators, because of its unethical possibilities for each legislator to reward their political friends and supporters with thousands-of-dollars of free college scholarships. In the middle of the recession, Jack McGuire was "on the record" supporting this seemingly unethical system (see four brief articles below followed by comments afterwards).

1.) Illinois State House News on 12/9/09 Reported:

"Some lawmakers are wondering why the legislature continues the General Assembly scholarship program when there are plenty of other ways to help students go to college. Under the General Assembly scholarship program, lawmakers can award free tuition to public university students in their district. An investigation by Illinois Statehouse News and Columbia College in Chicago found a number of ethical questions concerning the program. The investigation reveals cases where lawmakers chose scholarship winners that lived outside of their districts, which is supposed to be forbidden. The investigation also reveals a total lack of oversight with the scholarship program. Some lawmakers are struggling to justify the legislative perk’s 12-million-dollar annual cost and find the state’s Monetary Award Program as a more deserving alternative."

2.) As Reported by Chicago Talks web magazine on 12/10/09:

"The millions of dollars in scholarships Illinois lawmakers hand out each year to high school graduates in their districts could be better spent on students who couldn’t otherwise afford to go to college, higher education experts say. They recommend the General Assembly scholarships be used to target the state’s poorest students. [T]he Illinois General Assembly awarded 1,509 legislative scholarships each worth an average of $8,300. But unlike the MAP grants, which require students to complete a detailed financial aid application, few legislators require applicants to list their family income or submit other related information. One who does — Rep. Jack McGuire (D-Joliet) “What I try to do is look at the family income and how many kids they have in school . . . and see what kind of financial situation people are in,” McGuire said. “I think that’s the best way to do it, at least that’s the way I do it.” McGuire is one of 163 lawmakers who participate in the scholarship program out of the 177-member General Assembly, a team of Columbia College Chicago journalists found. Each legislator decides which criteria, like grades or financial need, to use when selecting the winners, and even whether to use an application form at all, with some merely requiring a letter from the applicant."

3.) BND.com Newspaper, serving Southwestern Illinois and St. Louis Region, reported on 12/11/11:
"Controversial Scholarship Program Leads To Flap For State Representative. The [scholarship] program allows state representatives and senators to grant tuition waivers to students at state-run universities, including the University of Illinois. The scholarships have frequently been a source of scandal, and a federal investigation is being conducted on the awarding of the scholarships to political cronies."

4.) Joliet TribLocal Newspaper Reported on 1/9/12:

"A State Senator [from Joliet] announced this week he will no longer award college scholarships to students as part the controversial Legislative Tuition Waiver Program. “In the end, I decided that the problems with the program outweigh its benefits,” State Sen. A.J. Wilhelmi, D-Joliet, said in a statement."

Candidate Ryan M. Alm, 2012 challenger for Illinois House of Representatives, is unhappy about McGuire's open support for this unethical scholarship program. "McGuire openly supports this legislative scholarship program, which allows him to give a scholarship based on any criteria he chooses," Candidate Alm stated.

"He ignores the fact that every year thousands of other District 86 students, and their parents, apply for loans and pay for their education themselves - all while this politician hands-out scholarships based on any criteria he wants - where's the equality in that," Alm pondered.

"Don't get me wrong," Alm continued, "its nice that these students received these scholarships and I'm glad they received assistance in gaining higher education, but it ignores every other student seeking a college degree - its akin to the 'Solyndra Scandal' - i.e. the government is picking winning and losers."

"Instead of every child applying for college scholarships to government-backed financial institutions, receiving sports scholarships and education scholarships (based on student's grades) from the universities themselves, McGuire just ignores the entire process and hands-out a valuable college education to a young-adult of 'his choice' and taxpaying citizens have to pay for it. This is too much government power, it adds to the government's debt and opens the door to too many unethical possibilities for crony kick-backs and political favors," stated Alm.

This is a $12-Million to $14-Million overall program spread across the entire General Assembly. These legislative funds should be diverted to other programs allowing all students a chance to apply for college scholarship money. At a time where the State of Illinois is 'Billion$ in debt' and has recently been downgraded by "Moodys" (from an A1 to an A2 bond rating - the worst credit rating in the Nation), Illinois should discontinue this seemingly unethical program and level the playing field for all our aspiring college-bound students.

Candidate Alm stated, "This is an example of how Rep.McGuire disregards a vast majority of the District 86 young-adult population for the sake of a few. Just like McGuire raised 'historic taxes' to the tune of 50% on businesses and then gave a tax break to CME and Sears while disregarding every other business in Illinois... here again... McGuire raised 'historic taxes' in 2009 and 2011 to the tune of 67% on individuals (with unemployment as high as 13-17% and record-high home foreclosures for five years in a row - leaving families with little hope and little means to send their children to college) then McGuire swooped-in to give a select few individuals a valuable college scholarship while disregarding the other deserving students."

Lastly Candidate Alm states "I'm wondering since Senator A.J. Welhelmi has now (on 1/9/12) denounced his future use of this program, where is McGuire's pledge?"

Candidate Alm claims to be an advocate for "equality" and has a signed pledge to vote to repeal Jack McGuire's 67% tax increase on his website (www.electryanalm.com). In addition, Candidate Alm feels that McGuire has a history of wasteful governmental spending and Alm pledges not to institute this legislative scholarship program if elected as House Representative for District 86. Instead, Candidate Alm wants to break down the barriers to higher education and allow more students to obtain a college degree.

2012     college     Elections     illinois     joliet     Ryan M. Alm     scandal     scholarships