The Mike Madigan I know did much for the Southwest region

Former Speaker of the House Michael J. Madigan has been the target of much criticism and even accusations by the U.S. Justice Department. What you don't hear much about is what he did for Illinois

By Ray Hanania

FREE/Illinois Politics/Sunday July 21, 2024

I was first introduced to Mike Madigan in 1978 by then Chicago Mayor Michael A. Bilandic. The mayor told me, a cub reporter at the time, to keep an eye on him because he was a "rising star."

As it turns out, Madigan not only was a rising star, but he became the longest serving Speaker of the Illinois House from 1983 until 2021, except for two years.

A Chicago politician, Madigan was raised on a simple premise defined by the Late Mayor Richard J. Daley, that the most effective way to help yourself was to help the people you served. That meant building an organization based on respect and loyalty and the delivery of services.

Madigan is probably the smartest and most effective politician Illinois and maybe the Midwest has ever seen. But of course, when you are at the top of the political pyramid, there are just as many people who want to take you down.

After a brilliant career in politics, Madigan is being targeted for that Daley principle, that you put people you trust to do their jobs for the public into key positions in order to get things done right. For that simple loyalty to the public, he is being attacked not just by the Feds, but also by a few who maybe didn't get enough of what they hoped for.

Columnist Ray Hanania after introducing Speaker of the House Michael J, Madigan at a dinner honoring Arab Americans in May 2018.

One of those is a former precinct worker, Ed Moody, a sloppy goof who described himself as one of Mike's "foot soldiers." Moody later briefly served on the Cook County Board and then was appointed to head the Cook County Recorder of Deeds office, which ended up being shuttered under his reign.

Moody was among those charged by the Feds in the alleged ComEd scandal, but to save himself, he flipped and was given immunity in exchange for his testimony in the "ComEd Four" case which ended in the convictions of ComEd lobbyist Michael McClain, ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, ComEd vice president John Hooker and ComEd consultant Jay Doherty.

And now, Moody is set to be a key witness in the case against Madigan, a politician who did more good for Illinois, his legislative district and his 13th Ward community than anyone else.

Many of you readers probably know Moody better than I ever did, having only a few conversations with him and his twin brother over the years. (If you did, I'd love to hear from you and what you remember. Email me at rghanania@gmail.com).

But, I knew a lot about Madigan. Reporters and politicians are often on opposite sides of arguments so we may have gone back and forth over the years. That's what generates news. The biggest clash I had with him was over his support of Mayor Jane M. Byrne, but that was "the politics." From the side of his "service to the public" as a legislator, I covered many of his efforts to help the state, the Southwest region and his ward and I truly respected what he achieved.

Most people who look at Madigan and his rise in state politics may forget the hard work he put in on their behalf to protect taxpayers in his district and in his ward, passing programs that often became models for other districts.

When homeowners were targeted by predatory lenders, Madigan drafted legislation with a longtime community champion and Greater Southwest Development Corp director Jim Capraro to protect first-time home buyers from the greed of the real estate and bank loan industry. 

Banks profited by giving loans to people who were unprepared to repay them, causing the foreclosure rate to jump significantly. Making borrowers receive counseling before signing away their lives, as Madigan's law did, helped many first-time homebuyers avoid losing their homes to bank foreclosure.

Madigan also created legislation for a Home Equity insurance program. When homeowners who joined the government program sold their homes, they would be compensated if the sale resulted in a loss from their purchase price. They also qualified for a $10,000 no-interest loan for remodeling to improve their properties.

In his ward, Madigan pushed through a law that banned AirBnb's from the 13th Ward. AirBnb's are great for vacations at travel resort areas, but are disruptive to local neighborhoods. Who wants a hotel in front of their bungalow?

Madigan also did a lot for the schools in Illinois including at Hancock High School where elementary school students were assigned points for their 7th and 8th grade high school admissions exam scores.More than 6,500 applicants applied for 250 slots, forcing the 7th and 8th grade kids to strive for higher grades and better prepare for high school.

When Midway Airport expanded, becoming an economic engine for the Southwest region, the Chicago Aviation Department installed windows for nearby homes intended to reduce aircraft noise. But there was a defect, so when the new windows were heated by the sun, they created an obnoxious odor in the homes. Madigan created a program to force the city to replace all of the defective windows.

In addition to being a brilliant politician, Madigan also understood how to work in a government in which the chief executive was from the opposite political party. It was a principle articulated by President John F. Kennedy who said a political party's strength actually came from working with the other political party.

Much of his term was governed by Republican Governors and that's when he excelled bringing both parties together to agree on bipartisan legislation that survived politics and benefited all taxpayers. 

That's not something we see in today's polarized partisan political battles.

You won't read about any of this in what has been written, of course, or from Moody, who will testify against him to save his own skin, because good news doesn't sell in Chicago.

The sad reality of Chicago politics is that the best politicians often become the easiest targets for attacks.