WHOSE MONEY IS IT?

Today we have two stories about money that beg the question,” Whose money is it to spend?”

(1) Groupon (a web-based coupon company) has just received a $3.5 million handout from Governor Patrick Quinn as an incentive for hiring 250 workers for their Chicago headquarters office instead of one of their other offices.


Governor Quinn justified the expenditure by saying, "We want to keep 'em here. It's a competitive environment."

Divide the money by the number of employees and it figures out at about $14,500 per worker. That is a nice incentive for any company!


The $3.5 million is actually a small amount when compared to the $135 million that company received back in April from Digital Sky Technologies (DST), a Russian investment firm. But did Quinn or Groupon President and Chief Operating Officer Rob Solomon mention that money when they spoke to reporters about the deal the state gave the company. DST got stock in the company for their investment, where are the shares for Illinois?

Since the money the state is using for the subsidy belongs to the citizens of Illinois, whose money is it that the Governor spent? Is the state really going to get anything for the dough?

I went to the Groupon web site to check out job opportunities. There are 67 positions listed with 21 for the Chicago office headquarters. Forty-two of the jobs are for account executive position in cities throughout the country like Oklahoma City, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Raleigh, Richmond, Indianapolis, Kansas City Baton Rouge Tucson, Tulsa etc. The account executives need to physically be located in the cities where Groupon wants to make relationships with business owners. So those jobs are not coming to Chicago.

Under job opportunities on the Groupon website, there are 67 positions listed with 21 for the Chicago office. Forty-two of the jobs are for account executive position in cities throughout the country like Oklahoma City, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Raleigh, Richmond, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Baton Rouge, Tucson, Tulsa, etc. Since the account executives need to be physically located in the cities where Groupon wants to build relationships with local business owners, those jobs are not coming to Chicago.

One would think that at the very least, Groupon would have listed 250 open positions on their web site so it would seem like there were 250 jobs to be had for the $3.5 million welfare check they are getting.

(2) Cook County Commissioner William Beavers just received a subpoena from the U.S Attorney’s office looking into the spending of his $1200/month Cook County expense account. His reaction to a Sun-Times question about it was, "It's just a subpoena." Wow! The last time I received a subpoena from the Feds, I was worried. Wait! I have never received a subpoena from anyone! If I did, I know I would be concerned.


The monthly allowance is for miscellaneous expenses relating to a Commissioner's job, such as gas, parking, meals, office supplies, mileage reimbursement or utilities.


According to the Sun-Times, “Beavers, who calls himself ‘The Hog with the Big Nuts,’ has been upfront about pocketing the cash. In 2007, his expense report contained just one sentence: "Commissioner Beavers will claim his FY 2007 contingency as income." On Wednesday, Beavers declined to answer questions about the contingency fund or whether he claimed payments as income on his tax returns.”


Documents obtained by WGN News and The Better Government Association show, for example, in May 2009, Commissioner Beavers reported spending just $162 of his $1200 monthly allowance. On another, he claimed $1900 in expenses over a three month period.


The monthly allowance is for expenses relating to a Commissioner’s job. How can he pocket it if he does not spend it according to the guidelines? Whose money is it?


Career politicians keep spending and misusing the money that we taxpayers provide them. There is one week left before the election, so spend your vote wisely or it could cost you a lot in the future! It’s your vote, not theirs.