Illinois Highway Authority Reports by Citzens of Corruption READ THIS AND YOU WILL BE AFRAID TO GO ON ILLINOIS ROADS

THIS IS FROM THE PUBLIC BUT DOES ILLINOIS GOVERNOR REALIZE THIS PEOPLE OR JUST THOSE WHO ARE INVOLVED IN FUNDING HIS CAMPAIGN?

By D'Anne Burley


the class action lawsuit for IPASS HOLDER READ THIS FROM ABC NEWS
A class action lawsuit against the Illinois Toll Highway Authority was filed in Cook County Circuit Court. The suit alleges that tollway violation enforcement is unconstitutional and that the tollways should have been made into freeways years ago.


More than two million I-PASSes are now being used in Illinois. The electronic transponders allow motorists to use special express lanes at every major toll plaza. I-Pass users currently pay half the toll amount of motorists who choose cash. Valid I-PASS customers are also supposed to be able to take care of violations on the phone.


"It's been embraced by the general public. They are excited now with I-Pass. It saves them time. Time and money," said Matthew Beaudet, Illinois Toll Highway Authority.


But not everyone is fawning over I-PASS.


"I thought I'd be able to fly by the tolls and avoid any hassles, but apparently that isn't the case here," said Eugene Lee, disgruntled I-PASS user.


For Eugene Lee and thousands of other customers, this is hassle-central: the tollway headquarters.


"I'm losing time off work and it's an inconvenience for something that we weren't responsible for," said Ken Petropulos, disgruntled I-PASS user.


Even though tollway officials say an up-to-date I-PASS account should automatically cancel out any violations, some valid I-PASS motorists say they still receive violation notices. They said they try to handle the violations on the phone -- like the tollway violation notice says you can --- but then they say, they are forced to report to tollway headquarters.


"The people I talked to, including the supervisor, told me it was out of their control and they couldn't not do anything about it," said Joseph Billett, disgruntled I-PASS user.


"I called back and I go to the same girl, and she said 'you're going to have to make a court appearance and made us come out here," said Paula Moss, disgruntled I-PASS user.


The only place where tollway violation hearings are held is Downers Grove. They take place in front of administrative officers who are lawyers -- not judges. People ABC7 spoke with were all cleared of their I-PASS violations -- but left angry.


CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL REPORT:
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HERE IS A OLDER LAW SUIT FILED BY A MAN IN lOMBARD ILLINOIS


ILLINOIS: Drivers File Consumer Fraud Suit V. Tollway Authority
---------------------------------------------------------------
Twenty-five motorists have joined a lawsuit originally filed by
Lombard restaurateur Gary Johnson that accuses the Illinois
State Toll Highway Authority of consumer fraud, AP Newswire
reports. The lawsuit claims the toll authority has unjustly
fined people who paid tolls while coin baskets were broken. It
also accuses the state of charging fees that led to bills
reaching thousands of dollars.


Toll authority spokeswoman Joelle McGinnis told AP safeguards
are in place to ensure motorists are not tagged as violators if
they pay tolls when machines are broken. She also said the
authority has the right to charge a $20-per-violation fee. "We
are confident that the judge will rule in our favor on all of
these counts and look forward to defending ourselves against
this frivolous lawsuit in court," she said.


Mr. Johnson amended his suit last week to add 25 plaintiffs and
added a claim that the agency and TransCore, the company that
repairs toll equipment and runs the violation enforcement
program, committed consumer fraud. According to the lawsuit,
Mr. Johnson is seeking more than $50,000, among other things. A
judge has not yet certified the lawsuit as a class action.



In a News Report the article reads:



-Team Exclusive: Tollway contract linked to convicted felon

By Chuck Goudie

February 15, 2005 — The I-Team uncovered a food contract between the Illinois Tollway and a company that has ties to a mega millionaire. Eddie Debartolo Jr. is also a convicted felon. Debartolo was once caught bribing Louisiana's governor with a briefcase full of cash.




========================================================
Video ABC7 Video Clip


A company launched by Debartolo is opening pizzerias inside every renovated tollway oasis in Illinois. Tollway officials defend the deal.

Eddie Debartolo Jr. is one of the country's 300 richest men. The Notre Dame graduate's net worth is estimated at more than $900-million, made mostly through primarily from real estate and shopping centers.


Debartolo was the owner of the NFL's San Francisco 49er's. He was forced to permanently leave the business after pleading guilty in a gambling scandal involving a corrupt southern governor. Now Debartolo's pizza place is open for business at the O'Hare Oasis in Schiller Park.


To read this artilce in full go to:



PLEASE NOTE THAT THE CONNECTION OF CORRUPTION WITHIN THE TOLLWAYS GOES BACK READ THIS AND THEN GO TO THE FULL STORY:

2005.01.05

CRIME

Ex-Illinois Tollway CEO minor actor on edge of Gov George Ryan's racketeering - Feds


Former chief executive of the Illinois Tollway Tom Cuculich appears as a minor actor in the federal account of racketeering by former Governor George Ryan (Repub) who is facing trial indicted in December on multiple counts of fraud, thievery, misuse of state employees, obstruction of justice and other crimes. Cuculich, then 39 and a personal aide to Ryan was put in as chief executive of the Tollway at Gov Ryan's insistence after the chairman of the board of directors Art Philip angered him by proposing a toll increase in the summer of 1999. In a press release Oct 5 1999 announcing the appointment Ryan said: "I will expect that Tom (Cuculich, new CEO) and the Toll Authority board to pursue the direction I've set for them."


The 114 page "Evidentiary proffer" of the US Attorney on the Ryan corruption case released yesterday (Jan 4) paints a detailed and fascinating picture of how lobbyists and politicians interact to shake down companies seeking government business, steer contracts to supporters, get their cronies into power, use state employees to further their re-election, intimidate and remove whistleblowers, and attempt to cover up their crimes. Given that Cuculich came to the Tollway right out of the terminally corrupt office of George Ryan it was thought by many that he must have been involved in wrongdoing.


The Feds' proffer only refers to Cuculich's involvement in one case of corruption and he seems to be a minor actor. The case was back in the days when Ryan was Illinois secretary of state, running the motor vehicle administration and other state agencies. Cuculich was supervisor of the Physical Services Department of Ryan's Secretary of State office in 1994. The Feds account (p64) has Cuculich receiving a call from Ryan's chief of staff Scott Falwell who told him to look at an office building (605 Maple Rd, Jolliet). The Governor and his crony and lobbyist Lawrence Warner - also now under federal indictment - wanted the building leased by the state. Cuculich and his staff reported that the offices would need considerable renovation and were larger than needed but that it could be made to work for as accommodation for a division of the state office. When Cuculich reported this to Falwell, Falwell said Ryan had already decided to lease the building in question, and that he should just work out the details of the lease with Warner the lobbyist and Ryan crony.


The Feds report says: "Cuculich and Warner had many contacts over a four- to six-week period to negotiate the lease for 605 Maple Road ("the Joliet Lease"), including discussions about the costs of the renovations, which were done by a company affiliated with Warner. In addition, when Warner expressed concern that a termination clause could allow the SOS (state) Office to terminate the lease before the lessor would recoup these costs, the termination clause was dropped and the lease was written in such a way that the lessor would be able to recoup the renovation costs."


It turned out later that the office building was 90% owned by Warner but this had been carefully concealed in all the legal documents. As to Cuculich's involvement in the crooked lease the Feds say: "In all of the discussions between Cuculich and Warner, Warner never said that he had an ownership interest in the property."











STILL OLDER ARTICLES OF CORRUPTION GOING BACK TO OTHER GOVERNORS AND GOVERNMENT OFFICALS AGAIN ITS STILL GOING ON READ ON:


Senate Leader's Brother To Head Tollway Authority


BY STEVE NEAL POLITICAL COLUMNIST


Gov. Ryan will name Arthur W. Philip, brother of Senate President James
"Pate" Philip, as the new chairman of the State Toll Highway Authority.


The appointment of Philip, 67, is expected to strengthen Ryan's ties to the
Senate president, who is also the longtime Republican boss in DuPage County.
The county produced a lopsided vote for Ryan in his 1998 gubernatorial
election.


Two of the state's tollways cut across DuPage County: the East-West tollway
and the north-south Interstate 355. A third tollway, the Tri-State, runs
north and south near DuPage's eastern border.


By naming Philip as chairman of the Toll Highway Authority, Ryan also is
making a conciliatory gesture to the Senate president with whom he clashed
in the recent legislative session. Ryan spurned Philip's attempt to reduce
the $12 billion Illinois FIRST public works program. Philip blocked Ryan's
proposal to make DuPage County rival Lee A. Daniels the new state Republican
chairman.


Arthur Philip, who was first appointed to the tollway board by Gov. James
R. Thompson in 1987, is a resident of Oak Brook who served as a village
trustee for 12 years. He formerly taught automotive science at Joliet Junior
College for 18 years and previously worked in management for General Motors.


The tollway authority was rocked by scandal during former Gov. Jim Edgar's
administration. Edgar dumped executive director Robert Hickman amid
allegations that he had abused his office. Hickman later was convicted and
sent to prison on corruption charges.


As the new chairman of the tollway, Philip has told Ryan that among his
priorities will be upgrading the food and retail businesses at tollway oasis
stops.


Ryan, who will announce Philip's appointment today, also is scheduled to
sign legislation requiring that the tollway authority present its budget and
projected revenues to the General Assembly for annual review. The governor
also will sign legislation giving the authority the right to request the
suspension of driving privileges or vehicle registration of motorists who
have failed to pay fines for five or more toll violations.


Philip is succeeding lawyer Julian D'Esposito, who had announced his
intention to step down as chairman. Executive director Ralph Wehner is
planning to leave later in the year. There has been speculation that state
Sen. Beverly Fawell (R-Glen Ellyn), the mother of McPier chief executive
officer and longtime Ryan associate Scott Fawell, will be stepping down
later in the year to join the Toll Highway Authority in a senior position.
--

Adam Kessel (adam@cnt.org)
Center for Neighborhood Technology
http://www.cnt.org






THE VIEW FROM THE PUBLIC AND STILL NOTHING IS DONE!



Queenie

Here's my story:


My husband has an iPass. Over a year ago, in October 2003, my husband and I received a notice that said we owed $2.20 in unpaid tolls because our transponder malfunctioned through a few tollbooths. Of course, the Illinois Tollway Authority turned this into "You will soon be fined $110.00 if these tolls are unpaid." We paid the fine right

away by check (you must maintain a paper trail with these people at all times) and were both

told per several individuals at BOTH iPass and the Illinois Tollway Authority that everything was clear.


One year later, we receive a notice from the Illinois Tollway Authority. The same $2.20 in fines from year 2003 has escalated and now he is in danger of "license being revoked," fines in excess of $300.00, etc. All clear, was it? We had record of paying the fine, not only a cancelled check but a bank record of them cashing it. So we call bo

th

iPass and the Illinois Tollway Authority AGAIN. They basically lie and say that the check

"didn't indicate the account number." I was one step ahead of them at the time and had written

the violation notice number on the check as well as the iPass account number. Grudgingly,

they reassure us that all will be taken care of; we call them fibbers and let them know we've heard that line before. Supposedly we'll be sent a written notice this time that we are in the clear and will receive no more threatening letters. Yeah, right.


How many elderly people have blindly paid these bogus fines, taking into consideration that these notices threaten that a person can lose his or her license by ignoring them? I made certain to let the iPass manager I spoke to know that if she had a mother, a father, or grandparents, her own family members could easily fall victim to this form of fraud.


She scoffed at me, blew me off, but I knew I had gotten to her because it made her angry and she lost her cool/started yelling at me.


Someone is skimming off the top, and I can guarantee you it isn't the clueless phone drones I spoke to micromanaging at iPass and Illinois Tollway Authority.


If you or a loved one has experienced these fraudulent threating notices from Illinois

Tollway Authority, please copy and paste the text below in an email to your local criminal

lawyer. If it is possible, perhaps a case could be formed against the Illinois Tollway Authority. This shake down should be stopped. It is a classic scheme to fleece everyday people of their hard-earned cash.


Dear Sir,


My name is (your name here). I have a few questions about legal representation.
I believe that I may be a victim of fraud on the part of iPass and the Illinois Tollway

Authority. In short, myself and a group of others believe that iPass is trying to shake down

its customers with a combination of bogus escalating fines and cover-ups. These
fines (ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars) result when an iPass user passes

through a toll and the iPass transponder does not activate. The iPass user then receives threatening letters with fines attached to them which cannot be resolved, even after paying the original fee for missed tolls.


I won't go into detail here, but I would like to know if there is any way for me to pursue justice on both my behalf and on the behalf of others who, motivated primarily by fear and naivete, are blindly paying unfair fines of hundreds of dollars after receiving threatening notices from iPass and the Illinois Tollway Authority.


I thank you for reading this email.


Sincerely,


(Your name here)


HERE IS ANOTHER PERSONS VIEW OF ILLONOIS HIGHWAYS

Frith


That's weird.


I could have sworn someone else made an Illinois Tollway rant some time ago.


Was that you, ferreter?


If you have to, you can probably file a lawsuit against Illinois Tollway Authority.


Worst case scenario: corrupt cops break down your door and murder you.


Best case scenario: charges get dropped, the media is made aware of the situation, and changes are made that make it harder for corrupt individuals to deceive hardworking Americans.


heebeegeebee
I hear Indiana is a nice state.


ferreter
Yeah that was me. I still get e-mails on a weekly basis from people who are getting financially destroyed by the Illinois tollway fines and their fraudulent actions.


Queenie
Hello everyone,


One way to stop the Illinois Tollway from its fraudulent customer-fleecing behavior may be to send a huge petition of some sort to the State Attorney General. Please watch this thread for more research on this matter.


--Queenie


Frith
Maybe y'all should just go to the bank and get a shitload of quarters, dimes, and nickels.


If you can't trust the government to do its job correctly (I think I read a few stories when I was in Illinois a couple times about how some of the mayors/governors were drug addicts), then do the job yourself. Trusting a corrupt middleman (when you know they are corrupt) is just asking for trouble.


Use your coins, and fuck the iPass. That'll show them.


MinistryOfTruth
your ipass is connected to an account number and that account number is connected to your name and address... how many other places could be set up other than the tollway to figure out exactly where you are where your going and where you have been, this is reminiscent of the mark of the beast


no passage without the mark!


Frith
My God, it's true!


We must rebel against this Godless institution!


Gather your families and friends, boys and girls...today, we are going to BURN DOWN CITY HALL!!!!


And we'll hang a couple negroes while we're at it.


heebeegeebee
I hear Indiana is a nice state. So is Iowa.



http://www.angelfire.com/dragon/bdoornews/The_Oracle_of_The_Night.html