Gambling Expansion Showdown At Capitol
From the Chicago Tribune
A Wednesday hearing aimed at coming up with a new casino expansion bill erupted into a shoutfest between a key senator and the chairman of the state’s gambling oversight board.
After years of lobbing attacks at each other through the media, Sen. Terry Link and Gaming Board Chairman Aaron Jaffe found themselves in a tense face-to-face showdown at the Capitol.
“We’ve waited a long time for this meeting to take place,” Link told Jaffe, a former judge and state legislator. “I’ve heard myself being criticized on TV, radio, everywhere else by you, judge.”
Jaffe did not back down, at times pointing a finger directly at Link and firing back: “I would say that you have attacked me more times than I have attacked you. You have been absolutely atrocious in that regard.”
“If I’m atrocious with you in (that) regards, judge,” Link responded, raising his voice, “it’s because you have whipped the living daylights out of me on TV, stage and screen — and I haven’t been on stage and screen.”
Jaffe has repeatedly criticized Link’s various gambling expansion bills for a lack of ethical safeguards. The current proposal would add five casinos, including one in Chicago, and allow slot machines at horse tracks and airports.
Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, as well as Democratic and Republican colleagues sought to pick apart Jaffe’s complaints and find common ground on how to fashion a bill that would keep corruption out of new casinos.
Read more in our daily News Update...
From the Chicago Tribune
A Wednesday hearing aimed at coming up with a new casino expansion bill erupted into a shoutfest between a key senator and the chairman of the state’s gambling oversight board.
After years of lobbing attacks at each other through the media, Sen. Terry Link and Gaming Board Chairman Aaron Jaffe found themselves in a tense face-to-face showdown at the Capitol.
“We’ve waited a long time for this meeting to take place,” Link told Jaffe, a former judge and state legislator. “I’ve heard myself being criticized on TV, radio, everywhere else by you, judge.”
Jaffe did not back down, at times pointing a finger directly at Link and firing back: “I would say that you have attacked me more times than I have attacked you. You have been absolutely atrocious in that regard.”
“If I’m atrocious with you in (that) regards, judge,” Link responded, raising his voice, “it’s because you have whipped the living daylights out of me on TV, stage and screen — and I haven’t been on stage and screen.”
Jaffe has repeatedly criticized Link’s various gambling expansion bills for a lack of ethical safeguards. The current proposal would add five casinos, including one in Chicago, and allow slot machines at horse tracks and airports.
Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, as well as Democratic and Republican colleagues sought to pick apart Jaffe’s complaints and find common ground on how to fashion a bill that would keep corruption out of new casinos.
Read more in our daily News Update...