Posted on 12/10/2014 4:15:25 AM PST by Petruchio
Illinois Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka has died, less than 24 hours after having a stroke.
A statement from her office says the 70-year-old Topinka died early Wednesday morning following complications from the stroke.
She'd reported discomfort and was admitted to a hospital in Berwyn. After undergoing testing, she lost consciousness Wednesday and was pronounced dead shortly after 2 a.m.
Topinka, a Republican, won a second term last month in a tough race with Democratic challenger Sheila Simon, the former lieutenant governor.
(Excerpt) Read more at politics.suntimes.com ...
Term limits doesn’t really address the problem. You’d just make a revolving door with the power laying with the staffers and assistants (just for starters). California is a premier example of that. Two decades into term limits and the state keeps getting worse and more out-of-control.
Umm, in post #13, I explained why, despite being familiar with the pertinent language in the IL constitution, I believed that Quinn would not be able to name a comptroller (I wrote “Treasurer” like 72 times, because that’s the office that I always associate with Topinka) that could serve past January 12, 2015. The issue is when the vacancy is deemed to occur, and I posit that if the term does not commence until January 12 then the vacancy can’t occur until such date. Please reread what I wrote in post #13, and if you still think that Quinn can appoint someone that can serve until November 2016 or whatever, then we can agree to disagree.
I wish to apologize for having written “treasurer” instead of “comptroller” like 72 times in that post (and every other post I’ve written in this thread). Obviously I’m still stuck in the 1990s or 2000s thinking that Topinka was the State Treasurer (the office she held from 1995-2007) instead of the State Comptroller (the office she commenced holding in 2011).
I already read post 13 before I posted my last comment. The constitution doesn’t say that the governor may appoint a replacement for the current term, only. We’ll agree to disagree.
RIP
I know one is not supposed to speak ill of the dead, but I do worry that someone reading this thread may not realize that this individual was a pro-abortion liberal Illinois Combine Republican.
Just to be clear.
The mistake was understandable. She held the post of Treasurer for 12 years.
Regarding Topinka's career, I've followed the "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all" rule, but you make a valid point.
I understand being polite about her years of "public service" and saying she was a nice lady out of respect for her friends and family, but numerous responses from conservatives have gone far beyond that, and reinvented JBT as some kind of selfless beloved conservative icon who fought tirelessly for taxpayers and saved the IL GOP. You can even see one glowing JBT-was-a-conservative-hero post on this very thread.
I'm reminded of the saint-like depictions of Ariel Sharon when he passed away earlier this year. If you knew nothing about the man's treasonous record as PM, you'd think he was the Ronald Reagan of Israel from the ridiculous propaganda on Twitter.
Since it wont happen at the Federal level we wont know or even have to know what it would do. That was my point.
Its just another magic fix that will never happen.
In a political bio discussion it's just as correct to point out to the reader the truth that Ms. Topinka was a RINO.....as it would be correct to point out she was a conservative GOPer.....if she had been one.....which she wasn't.
Thanks.
Obama/Topinka mutual admiration society:
“With Barack Obama, I like the man. He’s absolutely a charmer,” she [Topinka] said. “And I’m proud of the fact that the Democrats gave him a starring role at the convention...”
“Her public service spanned more than 30 years, including her tenure in the State Legislature and as Chair of the Illinois Republican Party,” the president [Barack Obmama] said in a statement issued by the White House.
“Judy was a fierce advocate for her constituents, which I got to see firsthand when she was State Treasurer – the first woman to hold that office. She was blunt, pragmatic, unfailingly cheerful and energetic, and always willing to put politics aside to find commonsense solutions that made a difference for the people of Illinois.”
Well, Auh2o is a lawyer and not to stoke his ego but I think he’s one of the smartest dudes around here when it comes to matters like this, and you, well you thought Pat Quinn would be reelected with a ridiculously implausible 53% of the vote (IIRC you based this an imaginary mathematical link with the % of the vote Obama got for President in 2012) and that we should nominate that idiot loser ice cream man for Senate even though you acknowledged he couldn’t win, which was also ridiculous. So I would tend to think Auh2o is right.
Dead, alive or zombie, Judy’s current term will EXPIRE in January. The new term hasn’t started yet and thus cannot be vacant until Judy doesn’t show up to get sworn in. That is common sense.
Now if Quinn wants to be a prick and say he can appoint someone to a term that hasn’t started yet and some a$$hole dem judge decides to rule that is the case (which might happen even though that’s a ridiculous application of the law) that judge would be extremely wrong and I have to have enough faith in the judicial system that couldn’t stand up to appeal.
My opinion of what will happen, Quinn decides not to hurt his party by looking like a ****ing thug dictator and won’t assert your absurd interpretation of the law, he will appoint a rat to serve the rest of the term which is going to expire, after it and Quinn’s terms simultaneously expire Rauner will appoint some RINO, either the Topinka COS or Tom Cross (who was robbed of the Treasurer’s office in a fraudulent count of late ballots from crook county), to the new term, the legislature will pass a law setting a special election for 2016, the rats deciding to let the RINO have an extra year in office for the trade off of having a better chance of winning in the office in POTUS turnout in 2016 rather than in 2015, Rauner will sign the bill.
A RINO will win the Republican primary for the special election, freepers will refuse to support that person and the democrat will win the remaining 2 plus years of the term with under 50% of the vote with the margin of victory going to a losertarian. The dem winner will probably be that fugly Simon daughter whom Judy beat.
Judy, God rest her soul, looked like a cross between a bag lady and a parakeet, but Simon Jr., shudder, well at least we can say Mrs. Simon was a loyal wife, ain’t no doubt about paternity there. If not for her alleged female anatomy I’d think the Simons were involved in some cutting edge cloning project.
The succession is foremost in my mind and was after the 5 seconds it took me to get over the initial shock, but I would to say about Judy, yes she was a liberal RINO but you know what? I think that was out of stupidity rather than maliciousness. May she rest in peace and may God bless her soul. And may God damn the democrapic party and everyone who supports them. Amen.
I know how to deal with the Levinites, tell them that Howard Johnson’s only has 2 restaurants left, they’ll drown in their own tears.
” We need to convince Senators to pass a bill that fires themselves.
If they refuse we can threaten to fire them.
What can go wrong? “
Uh.......LOL!
At least you get my jokes bro.
I mean I don't expect Obama to impeach himself.
” I know how to deal with the Levinites, tell them that Howard Johnson’s only has 2 restaurants left, they’ll drown in their own tears.”
I liked their vanilla ice cream..(40 years ago in Cambridge, Mass.)
” I mean I don’t expect Obama to impeach himself. “
Obama: “ I am resigning at 400.PM Friday. I have to wait for Soros’ check to clear”
That Obama is one arrogant condescending pr...k.
He is NEVER wrong, never makes mistakes.
If it sounds like he was wrong or lied its only because he didn't explain it well enough for dolts like the American peoples who are just not as smart as he is..
If he was ever impeached (not happening) he'd probably be on the Al Sharpton show calling for a race war for retribution.
The controlling language of Article V, Section 7 of the Illinois Constitution states:
...The appointee shall hold office until the elected officer qualifies or until a successor is elected and qualified as may be provided by law...
The vacancy occurred upon Topinka's death, as did Quinn's right to appoint a replacement. According to this language, the appointee serves until an elected successor qualifies. So if Sheila Simon had won, the appointee would have served until Simon took the oath. With Topinka unable to take the oath, Quinn's appointee is not divested of office until a special election is held and the winner takes the oath.
That's my take and the issue doesn't seem that hard. But this is Illinois.
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