Patch on Politics

Did Life in the Shadow of President Obama Push Jesse Jackson Jr. Over the Edge?

A columnist who's covered Jackson since his first days in public office suggests Obama's rise sent Jackson to his downfall.

U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.— who came into Congress bearing the heavy weight of his family name and lofty ambitions — counted Chicago's third airport as a signature issue for the better part of his time in office. And there's been no stauncher advocate for that project than Southtown columnist Phil Kadner. Construction of such an airport would bring much-needed jobs to an area plagued by chronic unemployment, and the airport itself, once realized, would serve as an economic engine for decades to come. So went the mantra. Targeted for a rural area outside the 2nd District until the latest congressional remap put the land into his district, Jackson's pursuit of the airport irritated Democrats and Republicans alike, from Chicago to Will …

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LW210 Says It Would Never Donate to a Political Campaign

Bloom Trail High School in Chicago Heights donated to a local mayor using money from the school's vending machines.

Should a school district be donating money to a political campaign? That's the question raised by a south suburban school district's contributions to a local mayor with money earned through the school's pop machines. Whether those donations are illegal, or merely unethical, depends on how you interpret "public funds" under state law. Bloom Trail High School donated to the South Chicago Heights mayor's campaign fund for the last four years, according to a report on Chicago Heights Patch, giving at least $200 to "Citizens for Dave Owen" every January since 2008. This year, the amount increased to $250. District 206 Supt. Glen Giannetti told Patch he made the contributions, and that he sees nothing wrong with using the money this way because …

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