Cracking The Annenberg Cover-Up

Here is a suggestion for cracking the Annenberg cover up - get the Illinois Attorney General involved through the Public Access Counselor.

Amy Ridenour of the National Center for Public Policy Research seemed optimistic on the legal front as well.

As noted earlier, Victoria Chou, a Dean in the College of Education at the University of Illinois, Chicago, was Secretary of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge when it was dissolved in 2002.  If she did not donate the archives herself she certainly ought to know who did.  Ken Rolling, the Executive Director, either knows the donor or was the donor.

In a related post, Dan Riehl goes through some of the evaluations of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge under Chairman Barack Obama's leadership.  "Limited impact" was the phrase used by the Annenberg people; I preferred "failure".

Steve Diamond has links to the key documents here.  And a follow-up here.

MORE:  P. 7 of the 2000 Annual Report mentions the process by which the Challenge will wrap itself up.  Responsibility for final reports and legal matters was placed with Executive Director Ken Rollings and Chief Financial Officer Gopika Malhotra under the supervision of the Board.   That should cover the archives as well.

Comments

[Danube of Thought]

The NYTimes blog now acknowledges the issue.
LUN

[Gabriel]

At Reverse Spin, Dan Curry suggests that Illinois Attorney General Amy Madigan can use her "Public Access Counselor" office to open access to these documents.

That won't work.

You will bark up that tree, get a response, and it will be the same as what Stanley Kurtz received from the the Richard J. Daley UIC Library.

There is no taxpayer money in the Chicago Annenberg Challenge. There is only a cursory review and consulting work that the principals that formed CAC(Anne Hallet, Warren Chapman, and Bill Ayers). This work was brief in the fact that they met with Chicago Public Schools officials, the Chicago Mayor's office, and the Chicago Teachers Union to gauge their interest in the $500 million Annenberg Challenge.

There is no evidence of taxpayer funds going to the Chicago Annenberg Challenge.

How can you get the Public Access Couneslor involved in something that has nothing to do with government or government funds?

[Sara]

Cross Posting because I never know there is a new thread until it is too late. Argh.

Hugh Hewitt posted this link this morning:

Los Angeles Times picks up the story of the stonewalling going on about the terrorist's foundation which Obama led.

[glasater]

There is no evidence of taxpayer funds going to the Chicago Annenberg Challenge

Who coughed up the matching funds pray tell?

[Dan Riehl]

Tom re your comment at my site - see page 15 same document The Early Years - 1/3 of way down right-side column. Rollins was hired only "after" the first round of grant making. It was monies given out in that preliminary phase w/o Rollins that were cited as having established CAC's direction, leading, in part, to it's failure. - Dan

[Neo]

The really issue or talking-point is ..

Why didn't Obama put his biggest executive experience on his resume ?

[Porter]

LISA Madigan, Illinois AG, daughter of Micheal Madigan, IL House Majority Leader(D), would no sooner pick up this subject than she would investigate Gov. Rod.

Not. Going. To. Happen.

[Ranger]

And now the other shoe drops... Do you think McCain's "not remembering" how many houses he has might have been a set up for team Obama?

http://www.gop.com/images/research/082108Research1.pdf>OBAMA’S HOUSING PROBLEM
Brought To You By Convicted Felon Tony Rezko

Via the headlines at Hot Air

[matt]

someone has to find some ambitious young reporter without much fear who is going to follow this story where it leads. It could be Pulitzer Prize material.

You have an unreconstructed radical terrorist who has a much closer relationship with the candidate than is being admitted; A convicted Chicago real estate hustler, the Daly Machine, and a cover up....almost sounds like a Watergate level story to me.....

[Gabriel]

Who coughed up the matching funds pray tell?

Do we know anything about the matching funds? They're not disclosed in the 990-PF reports for CAC.

[Gabriel]

As far as I can tell, the public records for the Chicago Annenberg Challenge only marginally tell you about the money exiting the organization.

They don't tell you anything about the money arriving at the organization. We'd have to pine through reports from all the known foundations that publicly supported the Annenberg Challenge.

I'm guessing you'll find the Joyce Foundation, The Pritzker Foundation, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation donating matching funds. The rest probably came from the same sources that now contribute to your the Chicago Fund for Public Education. Those are firms like Chase Bank, the Boeing Corporation, McDonalds, Microsoft, etc.

[Patrick R. Sullivan]

I believe the Uof I at Chicago provided office space, rent free, for the CAC. That may make it a legitimate public disclosure issue.

[clarice]

That, and the court didn't have to go far to find public interest in the disclosure of Ryan's divorce papers...As I recall it was that some divorce mediation occurred on govt time. But I don't see madigan doing anything.

[bad]

I'll go back and find the link but I know public funds were at least anticipated as part of the matching funds.

[clarice]

My recollection is that it was the usual foundations--Joyce, Field, PRitzker.

But the Univ of Ill was involved and still is re the records.

[bad]

In fact, funds from other foundations were anticipated to generate matching funds as well which is why I wondered if these sorts of foundations could issue grants in a circular fashion without ever actually dispursing money. Just making it appear that they had.

[Gabriel]

I believe the Uof I at Chicago provided office space, rent free, for the CAC. That may make it a legitimate public disclosure issue.

I would agreee if it were not for the fact that the CAC apparently paid UIC about $35,000 per year for something.

The Jack Ryan case will be different, as despicable as that case was anyway. The Ryan's settled their divorce in Family Court. The Tribune argued that because it was a court paid for with taxpayer money AND Jack Ryan was pursuing public office, it became a legitimate case for disclosure. The court ruled in favor of the Tribune with certain exceptions. The privacy of the child must be protected.

[Gabriel]

I know public funds were at least anticipated as part of the matching funds.

That's very likely. You don't announce a $500 million dollar challenge in the Rose Garden of the White House with the President if you're not trying to put government capital behind your project.

It's shocking how Bill Ayers and Bernadine Dohrn are walking around as free persons and THEIR PROJECTS still receive millions of dollars from commercial organizations.

That's not even the worst part. Bill Ayers has a seat at the table in determining school curriculum for the entire country.

[bad]

To help get the word out about how the Chicago Challenge would operate, a series of community meetings was held around the city in 1995. Then, with a possible $49.2 million in the pipeline, assurances that existing public and private funds could cover the matching requirements, and a rudimentary review process established..

Here is one of the sources. There are more.

[bad]

Page 14 of this doc has more info on expectations for sources of matching funds. It once more details foundations and public funds.

LUN

[clarice]

Well, Chicaco or CAC to be exact was to match the gift 2 to 1 but did not. It appears they only had $110 million, not $150 million, to play with. Some of the groups listed might have public funds which they gave to CAC but that's not readily apparent to me.

[clarice]

Gabriel, I think that was the biggest stretch i've ever heard of. If, however, mere access to public space and services is sufficient, I am certain we will learn that this pupil indoctrination program met on occasion in public schools and worked with publicly paid teachers and school administrators.

[bad]

Clarice

The $60 million is what was raised by 1999. Both of the works sited are assessments of the first three years of CAC. I'm assuming the rest of the matching funds were raised or they wouldn't have received all of the grant. I sent an email to Steve Diamond asking about the matching funds and he replied he was unsure as well.

[bad]

From Global Labor:

In fact, by the end of 1999 the CAC had raised slightly more than $50 million from public sources and nearly $60 million from private sources, for a total of $160 million to be disbursed in Chicago area schools.

LUN

[Gabriel]

If you want to pine through the publicly available documents that also received money from the Annenberg Challenge - University of Chicago's Consortium of Chicago School Research received money to "review" CAC - you can review those documents at this link.

[bad]

The global labor post is dated yesterday morning and our email correspondence was prior to that.

[Gabriel]

bad: We need Steve Diamond to disclose more information supporting that statement. I can find the private sources in which he refers, but are the "public sources" actually just the non-profit foundations like Woods, et al?

[bad]

Gabriel

His email is listed. Ask for the link. The additional $50 milllion is new news to me.

[clarice]

I don't know ,bad. $50 million and $60 million used to add up to $110 million when I went to school ages ago.

[bad]

Gabriel Steve Diamonds post starts with this:

..several months ago I was able to obtain certain key records of the Challenge - including board minutes, annual and semi-annual reports and financial records - from Brown University's Annenberg Institute.

There is no link but it is implied the above referenced records are the source of his info.

[bad]

Clarice

I think Steve is referring to $110 in matching funds. The grant from Annenberg was 49.2 million.

[Topsecretk9]

Ayers/Wheather Underground ad

[Sue]

Top,

Link isn't working.

[ben]

On the "housing issue" here the McCain's campaign response....ouch...

"Does a guy who made more than $4 million last year, just got back from vacation on a private beach in Hawaii and bought his own million-dollar mansion with the help of a convicted felon really want to get into a debate about houses? Does a guy who worries about the price of arugula and thinks regular people 'cling' to guns and religion in the face of economic hardship really want to have a debate about who's in touch with regular Americans?"

The only thing they left out is what did Obama have to say about Kerry's mansions and Theresa Heinz and her hundreds of millions....

[Sue]

Nevermind. It's working now.

[MayBee]

Thanks for the link, Sara.
The LA Times blog is a good blog, but what is it with this use of the term "espoused violence" that keeps getting printed as a description of the Weather Underground?

[Sue]

http://www.gop.com/ObamaRezkoShadyDeal/>RNC Rezko ad

[Barbara]

I know public funds were at least anticipated as part of the matching funds.

That's very likely. You don't announce a $500 million dollar challenge in the Rose Garden of the White House with the President if you're not trying to put government capital behind your project. Posted by: Gabriel | August 21, 2008 at 03:03 PM

I agree. And where you have federal funds, you should have an audit trail.

[clarice]

In Global Labor's Aug 20 piece (p. 4) he says $110 was all that was raised.

[clarice]

That is $110 MILLION.

[Sara]

Bill Kristol, who I cannot stand, just told Cavuto he thinks Obama's choice for VP is Jack Reed of Rhode Island. Anyone heard of him?

[Jane]

The new McCain ad - again focusing on The ONe.

LUN

[bad]

Clarice

$110 million in matching funds plus the original grant of $49.2 million is a total of nearly $160 million as referenced in The Global Labor article.

[Jim Rhoads aka vnjagvet]

A few observations on this story:

First, there is sufficient evidence available now to conclude (a) That BHO was a poor steward of the funds entrusted to his care; (b) That BHO was a poor CEO because his organization failed to achieve the desired results; and (c) That BHO had a close working relationship with Bill Ayers and actively worked to advance Ayers' leftist educational philosophies under the auspices of the grant.

Second, if the BHO's allies continue stonewalling the documents, the above evidence will go unrebutted, and, if properly presented will lead to the conclusion that BHO is incompetant and dangerous.

Third, race has nothing to do with the issues in this story, so it can be publicized with impunity.

[JM hanes]

Not sure whether it's sporadic moderation or whether the NY Times blog shut comments on For the Records, but they haven't posted any new ones since around noon, including the comment I left shortly after that. I don't know why that only seems to happen when I haven't bothered to keep a copy of what I wrote.

[sbw]

Three members of the WU were killed when a bomb in a Greenwich village apartment espoused.

[bio mom]

Apparently those 7 houses of McCain's include condominiums for investment. At least that was suggested on the Corner at NRO. I'm sure more information is coming to clarify that.

[Jim Rhoads aka vnjagvet]

Dan Riehl's website links to the public documents that I am referring to.

He has done yeoman service getting these in one place.

If someone (e.g. Rick) could convert them to a format from which cut and paste excerpts may be made (like he did in the Libby/Plame case), I would be happy to try do a first draft on a synopsis of the doumentary evidence. I don't have a program that converts pdf pics to text.

For the litigators out there, it seems to me that we can use the spoliation principle to our advantage in developing this case. What do you think?

[Sara]

2 houses are investment, 1 his daughter lives in. Three they use on a regular basis and a 4th, from time to time.

When I worked for a Member of Congress, her husband was a very successful antiques dealer. She knew nothing of his business and their finances were kept entirely separate. She used to say, "Bill is off on another buying trip." We'd ask where and she'd shrug, "who knows." They owned 3 houses, one her niece lived in in another state, one she said she wished she would get the time to visit, but she'd never seen, and their main residence in the District.

I don't find it the least unusual that McCain wouldn't know about Cindy's investments. In fact, we set up the system that way. Blind trusts and all.

[clarice]

Bad,:"In January of 1995 the formal announcement of the $49.2 million was made. That money would have to be matched by contributions from the private and public sector 2:1 for a total amount over the life of the project of approximately $150 million dollars to be disbursed in Chicago.(Apparently the actual amount raised was an additional $60 million for a total of $110 million.)"
Now, I read this as clearly saying CAC never met its obligation to match the Annenberg grant 2 for 1 and that the total raised and disbursed was $110 million.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Do you think McCain's "not remembering" how many houses he has might have been a set up for team Obama?

Rove, you magnificent bastard.

[clarice]

Clearly Rove is using his bald man brain waves to force Obama to make one stupid move after another. Now, if only he'd jam up the teleprompter more often on The One.

[Sara]

Obama is desperate, he is throwing everything at the wall and hoping something will stick.

The fact is that class warfare doesn't really work anymore. We'd all like to have more than one home and many of us do or are able to rent one for vacations.

I remember a friend of mine visiting in San Diego asking where are the slums. I drove him thru what was considered the poorest section of town and he said, houses here are selling for $250,000 and they look like any standard subdivision in America.

You cannot use 1930 depression era tactics today. It just doesn't work.

[ben]

Could not resist this comment by John Hinderaker at Powerline about an Obama-Biden ticket...

"The problem is that, whereas Obama is a young lightweight, Biden is an old lightweight--Obama with a hair transplant. While Obama has only been a lightweight for 47 years, Biden has been one for 65. Is this a big plus? I doubt it. If you put Biden on a stage next to Tim Pawlenty and ask voters which one is the serious candidate, two-thirds will say Pawlenty."

[Rick Ballard]

Jim,

You can cut and paste directly from the pdf. You can find the other reports at Steve Diamond's blog (scroll down in that post). They are all cut and pastable pdfs.

[Gabriel]

You cannot use 1930 depression era tactics today. It just doesn't work.

You've got to be kidding me. Thomas Frank wrote a whole book about using 1930s depression era tactics in the modern era. He doesn't care if there isn't actually a Great Depression going on. The voters must vote for Democrats.

;)

[Joan]

Okay, even if these were 'private' foundations, how can a private foundation go in and tinker with 'public schools' and Chicago's children and not be held to account for what their mission is and who is directing it and who is behind it?

[JM hanes]

Jim:

I really like the priorities established by your ordering of the issues.

The chronology of the Edwards scandal reinforces the impression that the MSM feels quite comfortable declining to publish relationship stories. They apparently find it harder to ignore stories which may include some form of fiscal malfeasance once there are sufficient numbers to support real suspicion. McCain's campaign has officially pushed the Ayers button, now we just need to keep some pressure on UIC and follow the money far enough to compel substantive coverage by the national press. I realize that I'm making fairly liberal use of the term "we"!

On a slightly different note, after reading the Trib story in TM's previous post, I began thinking about the mythical proportions of the Chicago Way, so discouragingly laid out by John Kass. And it occurred to me that just because folks who live there find the political obstacles impossible to hurdle doesn't mean that the pols who run the show will necessarily be all that skillful on a larger stage, where they don't control the institutions and the players. The generation now in charge essentially inherited Chicago from the folks who actually built the machine and it will be interesting to see how they might measure up to serious national scrutiny. While the feeling may not last, thinking of Daley & Co as a political version of the idle rich brightened me up a bit.

[Rick Ballard]

and not be held to account for what their mission is and who is directing it and who is behind it?

Because, as Jim Malone so delicately mentioned in The Untouchables:

"This town stinks like a whorehouse at low tide."

As does the Chicago Tribune, bootlicker to The Machine.

[Sara]

He doesn't care if there isn't actually a Great Depression going on. The voters must vote for Democrats.

Well, I live on less than $23,000 a year and I'm still living in a 2500 sq ft home with a pool, spa and Koi pond in the backyard. And you couldn't torture me enough to pull the lever for a democrat.

I used to live on over $150,000 a year and had tons of credit cards, new car every year, etc. and I'm happier now than I was then, except for the back pain I suffer with every day.

I have discovered that being poor is more a state of mind than the state of my bank account. I don't need Barack Obama's hopiness. I live by my Mother's motto, from Kahil Gabran: "Tomorrow is Today's Dream" and I get up every day knowing that anything is possible if I want it enough to work for it.

[clarice]

That's a very interesting observation,JMH.

[Sara]

White powder and a threatening note delivered to McCain's Denver campaign office. - BREAKING NEWS

[Jim Rhoads aka vnjagvet]

Thanks Rick and JMH. I'll get to work.

The fact that the audits are being supressed tells me there is fire in the fiscal story here.

[Enlightened]

Hmmm, just a personal observation - this story is not fodder for trolls? They haven't recieved their DNC talking points? I can't smell a single troll.

But outing Cindy McCain for being inspired to adopt gets the cesspool bubbling over....

[MayBee]

Three members of the WU were killed when a bomb in a Greenwich village apartment espoused.

brilliant!

[JM hanes]

Clarice:

It's interesting that Obama immediately moved DNC Central to Obama HQ in Chicago, where he clearly feels more comfortable. I don't doubt he dislikes Washington! Obama's team once stated that they like to keep Obama's message "tightly wrapped." It became instantly apparent when he crossed the delegate threshhold that he also wanted to keep the money, the power, and the organizational chart tightly wrapped as well -- at the obvious expense of Howard Dean, for one, who was last seen riding around the boondocks on a GOTV bus, and quite possibly other candidates down ticket whose usefulness may depend on how cheaply they can be bought with money for their campaigns doled out by the new boss.

Hiring Patty Solis Doyle was a message to Hillary, of course; and it will be interesting to see how long Doyle actually serves as the new VP's Chief of Staff, (or in any capacity for that matter) in an Obama administration. Most folks would insist on choosing their own closest aide; will Obama's 2nd in command be allowed to do so, or will he be required to put someone beholden to Obama in that spot? Will Obama follow through on helping retire Hillary's debt once he's got the Convention under his belt? The notable homage being paid to the Clinton's next week will surely be used as diplomatic cover for dumping them once they no longer pose a threat. Obama is about control -- of everything.

Similarly, I don't believe discouraging activity from 527's actually had anything to do with streamling the message, I think that message was about neutralizing competition, both politically and financially. Forget the grassroots. If you're looking for an inside track, give the money directly to Obama. I recently saw what seemed like an apocryphal photo of an Obama fundraiser. The only guy sitting comfortably in a chair while Obama schmoozed almost within arm's length was George Soros. Both Obama and Soros probably think of it as going directly to the source.

Fortunately, taking the machine national seems to be proving harder than expected -- there are some things that resist scaling up, and hopefully the Chicago Way is one of them.

[JM hanes]

Line 3 should have read:

***I don't doubt he dislikes Washington politics!***

[Rick Ballard]

Enlightened,

There has been some hairsplitting concerning the vast difference between Weathermen (domestic terrorists advocating the use of violence to overthrow the US government) and members of the Maoist Communist party (a group which advocates the overthrow of the US government). Not trolling, per se, maybe it's just a matter of friendship with Klonsky (he's the commie advocating the overthrow of the US government) as opposed to Ayers (he's the Weatherman whose friends suffered from premature detonation in CT), who actually participated in planning domestic terrorism in an effort to overthrow the US government.

At this point, I remain unclear as to whether Obama was much closer to Ayers (the domestic terrorist with commie leanings) or Klonsky (the commie with Maoist leanings). I lean towards Obama being closer to the terrorist, Ayers, but I remain open to the possibility that he was closer to the real commie, Klonsky.

You're correct about the strange dearth of trolls on threads pertaining to Obama's associations with terrorists and commies. Rather odd - of course it may be related to the dearth of trolls on threads relating to Obama's association with the felon, Tony Rezko (or "Uncle Tony" as he was known around the Obama household). Can't you just hear the kids shouting "What's in the big bag, Uncle Tony? Did you bring us some nice fresh fruit?"

[clarice]

Yes. I agree, JMH.

[Rick Ballard]

Enlightened,

I just realized that I wasn't being objective about Obama's close association with domestic terrorists and commies.

John McCain also spent years in close proximity to dedicated communists who would have liked nothing better than to see the government of the United States overthrown. What's worse - they were all foreigners.

[Sara]

Another envelop with white substance and threatening note has shown up. This time in McCain's Manchester, NH office.

[clarice]

Rick!!

[Jim Rhoads aka vnjagvet]

I owe Steve Diamond a big apology. He has already done what I suggested doing upthread yesterday in the post LUN, and he has done it very well.

It documents (a) the Board of Directors of which BHO was chair raised only a very small fraction of the 2:1 matching funds it was responsible for raising;(b) Bill Ayers was the moving force behind getting a portion of the Annenberg grant to Chicago and found CAC (c) Bill Ayers and BHO worked hand in hand throughout the grant, Ayers with the "collaborative" that ran the programmatic portion of the grant under a contract with the CAC, and BHO as chair of the Board that ran the CAC and spent the Annenberg funds. CAC's salaried Executive Director worked under BHO's Board and was an Ayers ally before his employment. Also, Ayers' department chair at UChicago was on the CAC board. (d) CAC was a failure

BHO's cozy relationship with a very left-leaning "educator" was spectacularly unsuccessful. I think it is fair to say that there is nothing in the record to indicate that he would be any more successful as a President.

[JM Hanes]

Jim: I don't think you owe Steve Diamond a big apology, but kudos are definitely in order. I haven't spent nearly as much time on his site as I now realize I should myself.

[Jim Rhoads aka vnjagvet]

JMH:

There was more LUN.

[Rick Ballard]

TM has added Diamond's blog link in the left column at the top.

[Porchlight]

Another envelop with white substance and threatening note has shown up. This time in McCain's Manchester, NH office.

Denver and now Manchester. Both in swing states. Hmmm. Maybe the sender has a 50-state strategy.

Would you believe 57 states?

[Publius]

Porchlight,

Could Denver and Manchester be what BHO meant when he said McCain didn't know what he was up against?

[Jim Rhoads aka vnjagvet]

Thanks, Rick. His analysis is first rate.

[cathyf]

Also, Ayers' department chair at UChicago was on the CAC board.

This is just a little thing, but Ayers is, and never was, in any way shape or form on the staff of the University of Chicago. Ayers is in the education department of the University of Illinois at Chicago Circle (aka "Circle").

As far as status goes, Circle is better than Chicago State, but not even close to the "real" University of Illinois (which is in Urbana, IL), let alone University of Chicago. Barack Obama, adjunct instructor in the UC Law School had a higher status position than Ayers, tenured professor at Circle's College of Education.

[JM Hanes]

Now this is too perfect. Looks like Obama must be taking advice from Kristof now: China’s Rise Goes Beyond Gold Medals. Give Kristof Badge #301. Not that I'd be surprised to find out that 290 of Obama's advisors are busy clipping his foreign policy from the papers.

[JM Hanes]

Oops again. Now if I can just remember where we were talking about China.....

[hit and run]

Ed Lasky at AT has more

However, studies from the CAC itself, and confirmed by an analysis from the well-regarded Thomas B. Fordham Institute, show that the effort directed by Barack Obama led to no discernible improvement at all in the schools which were the beneficiaries of the funds nor in the ultimate intended beneficiaries, the students.

Earlier in the year, the author of that study, Alexander Russo, wrote a column for Slate magazine taking another look at Barack Obama's performance as a school reformer. Given the current controversy over the Annenberg issue, Russo's report should be revisited.

[MJW]

I doubt this is an original thought, but it seems to me that even if the CAC's records themselves aren't subject to an FOI request, any records held by the University of Illinois concerning their transfer to library might be.

[Elliott]

Nice to see you, MJW. That sounds like a good idea. As yet, I haven't seen anyone else raise it.

[MJW]

Thanks, Elliot. I still lurk, but don't have much to say now that Plamegate is mostly history.

[M. Simon]

JMH,

Send me an e-mail (addy at Power and Control sidebar) and have a look at today's posts.

See previous thread for details.

[Larry]

Posted by: clarice | August 21, 2008 at 05:13 PM

Maybe someone else has mentioned already, but if they didn't match the funds, they shouldn't have gotten the whole grant. i e: They raised $60m, the grant should have been $30m.

[Porter]

If the gifting of the documents was done on a "revocable" basis, or amended as such after the fact, the docs in question will stay buried, or at least tied up for the forseeable future as parties search for a venue that will even be open to a hearing.

As far as the DNC being moved to Chicago, Howard Dean will not stay "on message" like a Chicago machine pol. Just compare the modus operandi of Dean to Rahm Emmanuel. Worlds apart, and much sharper elbows on Rahm.

The CPS system also funded some of this action, as I recall, as did the DHO (Democratic Hispanic Organization, headed by Danny Solis, you know who's brother).

There are never enough ties to go around when it comes to Chicago politics.

[Gabriel]

I doubt this is an original thought, but it seems to me that even if the CAC's records themselves aren't subject to an FOI request, any records held by the University of Illinois concerning their transfer to library might be.

That's a good point.

[Gabriel Sutherland]

A note on sources of public "matching funds" for the CAC. This is from a report by the Logan Square Neighborhood Association which by research is the group that created the "Logan Square Collaborative Network". LSCN received roughly $850,000 from CAC in a single year.

LSNA’s school-based programs are funded through many sources, including: the Chicago Board of Education; the Chicago Department of Human Services; the Chicago Annenberg Challenge (a school reform initiative that supported LSNA as an external partner to five Logan Square schools); the MacArthur Foundation; the Polk Bros. Foundation and several other smaller Chicago foundations; the Illinois State Board of Education; the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs; the Illinois Community College Board; and the Federal government’s 21st Century Community Learning Centers program.

Source[PDF link]

I don't know if these sources are in fact the "matching funds" that we have heard about. I cannot locate any information on from where those matching funds came.

I do know that the Logan Square Neighborhood Association is very influential. It's former President is Rey Colon. He's now the alderman representing Chicago's 35th ward.

[clarice]

PUK, in his wonderful way hinted at this with regard to something else, but the entire CAC plan is a model of Communist techniques. That is (rather like the primary caucuses) the advantage goes to whoever has the maximum number of layabouts willing to sit around for hours on governance issues while normal, working people give up and go home, letting the left have its way.
The more decision-making that is in the ostensible* hands of cadres at the bottom --the ZIN potato pickers workers councils--the more those with the responsibility for carrying out anything are stripped of the authority to do it. (*Ostensible because the cadres are puppets on a string of course)

[Gabriel Sutherland]

The more CAC material you review, and the deeper you dig into the favorable reviews that academics have bestowed on CAC, you increasingly read things such as "programs were effective, but political changes in the structure of public school governance indicates that funding should continue from government source once the challenge commences".

You don't announce a $500 million dollar challege for public schools in the Rose Garden without a conceptual plan that those funds aren't just going to end when the challenge commences.

The CAC money appears to be seed money to build community activist groups that in turn just engage mostly in political activity to spurn capital flight into their communities. Mainly, taxpayer capital.

[kim]

You mean 'spur', not 'spurn', I think.
======================

[MayBee]

Did you see Stanley Kurtz today? Maybe I even got linked to it here.
But it is more of the same, but different, with http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=NzQxYTk4NjhkMTM0ZmI4MDQyNGQ3NjYxNWI4YWYwZDU=>Michelle Obama directing volunteers to various groups.

Actually, what her job was is pretty much what Obama wants to do with his $4000 college tax credit. Volunteers from universities doing non-university volunteer work for tax credits.

[M. Simon]

He's now the alderman representing Chicago's 35th ward.

Prima fascie evidence he is a crook.

[clarice]

There's now an Obama handbag--Ugh--Not my style:
http://www.usmagazine.com/news/barack-obama-inspires-new-handbag

Wonder if Jane Hamsher will think it's a good accessory with her Louboutin boots?

[hit and run]

MJW:
I still lurk, but don't have much to say now that Plamegate is mostly history.

::cough::bulshit::cough::

Say anything -- it would be valued.

Seriously.

[JM Hanes]

MayBee:

I was impressed by Kurtz' facility with the byzantine maze of community organizations (and organizers) within which Michelle Obama, herself, operated. His outline of the unreported opportunities for funneling recruits to various causes which her custom created position afforded her is very interesting.

I'm hoping that more explicit info on the funneling of UiC money will also come out. In addition to her known salary figures (astronomically bumped up in seeming concert with the earmark her husband delivered? other perks?), and the scale of the funding/grants/contracts she secured for the local community, I'd be interested in the numbers attached to the UI budget she presumably controlled as well -- not to mention the less quantifiable influence she must have wielded on the UIC side of the community as the official, internally lauded, bridge between town & gown, and likely unofficial bridge between gown and gov't .

Clearly the Obamas would have to be almost anybody's prototypical power couple.