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Books > Social sciences > Politics & government > Local government > General
Most people will recognize the name Robert Blagojevich as the
brother of ill-fated Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich. But many
don't know why Robert came to work for his brother or how he came
to be named as a defendant in the criminal trial accusing Rod of
attempting to sell Barack Obama's former Senate seat to the highest
bidder after the presidential election of 2008. Now, Robert offers
a brutally honest inside look at what it is like to face the full
force and power of the federal government and maintain innocence in
a high-profile criminal case. By the time United States of America
vs. Rod Blagojevich and Robert Blagojevich was over, one of the
most renowned prosecutors in America, Patrick Fitzgerald, had
brought down a governor of Illinois for the second time in five
years. An investigation that would unseat one of the unindicted
"co-conspirators" in the case, Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr., had
begun. And the integrity of President Obama, US Senator Roland
Burris, and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel had been called into
question. For the last four months of 2008, Robert was, at his
brother's request, the head of Rod's fundraising operation, Friends
of Blagojevich. Rod and Robert had taken very different career
paths and had drifted apart by middle age. But when Rod asked
Robert to help him fundraise-because he couldn't trust anyone else
in the role-Robert agreed, honoring his parents' wish that the
brothers help one another when needed. In the rough-and-tumble
world of Chicago-style politics, operating on an ethical level was
not easy, as this telling memoir demonstrates. Robert often had to
tell potential donors that there was no quid pro quo for a
contribution: giving money did not result in state contracts and
certainly didn't result in an appointment to fill a vacant Senate
seat. Fundraiser A is a criminal defendant's gripping account of
how he rose to the biggest challenge of his life and beat the odds
of a 96 percent Department of Justice conviction rate to walk away
with his freedom. It offers not only a previously untold story of a
fascinating trial with well-known, colorful characters that
captured the attention of the nation, but also a look at a
universal relationship-brothers-as well as the theme of a David
ordinary citizen facing the Goliath federal government. Those who
enjoy legal thrillers, political dramas, family sagas, and all
things Chicago will be especially interested in this memoir.
The impact of global capital and foreign investment on local
communities is being felt in major cities across the world. Since
the 2012 Olympics was awarded to the British capital, East London
has been at the heart of the largest and most all-encompassing
top-down urban regeneration strategy in civic history. At the
centre of this has been the local government, Newham Council, and
their daring proposal: an "Arc of Opportunity" for developers to
transform 1,412 hectares of Newham. This proposal was outlined in a
short film, London's Regeneration Supernova, and shown to foreign
developers and businesses at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo. While
the sweeping changes to East London have been keenly felt by
locals, the symbolism and practicalities of these changes - for the
local area, and the world alike - are overdue serious
investigation. Regeneration Songs is about how places are turned
into simple stories for packaged investment opportunities, how
people living in those places relate to those stories, and how
music and art can render those stories in many different ways. The
book will also include a download code to obtain the related
musical project, Music for Masterplanning - in which musicians from
East London soundtracked London's Regeneration Supernova - and a
32-page glossy insert detailing the artists involved.
"'Mayors in the Middle' asks and answers the crucial questions
education leaders and policymakers need to know about the role and
impact of mayors in big cities. Using recent historical cases
presented in detail, it demonstrates the very different political
and educational trends in each city. Mayors can do some important
things to improve education in big cities, but their impact will
probably be limited and ephemeral."--Michael W. Kirst, Stanford
University
"In an era when political leaders are looking for structural
panaceas to solve complex urban school problems, this important and
timely analysis judiciously examines the trade-offs inherent in the
recent movement toward 'mayor-centric' governance structures. The
authors warn that mayoral takeovers are a tool and not a cure-all
for long-standing school problems that are inextricably interwoven
with issues like race and poverty. Their caveat that the policy
outcomes of structural change are invariably less dramatic than
reformers expect is particularly significant, as is their judgment
that the success of mayor-centric strategies is contingent upon
local contexts."--Michael D. Usdan, Senior Fellow, Institute for
Educational Leadership
"This superb book refocuses urban politics research on the role
of mayors in dealing with two of the most important urban issues:
race and education. Students of urban politics, race, and
inner-city education will benefit from reading it."--John F. Witte,
University of Wisconsin-Madison
"This is a timely work, given the growing interest in reforming
the governance of urban education. Addressing a topic of pressing
interest to policymakers and community members, "Mayors in the
Middl"e can teachus a great deal about urban education and
municipal governance. The editors are respected scholars in the
areas of education and urban affairs with well-deserved reputations
for balance and thoughtfulness. In this volume, Henig and Rich have
assembled a solid set of case studies and have coupled those with
broader pieces that frame the issue and put the empirical work in
useful perspective."--Frederick Hess, American Enterprise
Institute
"This book provides a very useful addition to the literature on
educational reform, focusing on large cities with mayor-centric
educational systems. Its thesis is worthy of consideration by
educational scholars and policymakers."--Robert M. Stein, Rice
University
Most librarians are unaware of the laws governing the retention
of library records. In addition, librarians often assume that state
confidentiality laws offer more protection than they, in fact, do.
The proper management of library records is an important legal
issue for all librarians. This professional reference work outlines
laws regarding the retention and confidentiality of library
records. Part I explains why some library records should be saved
and not routinely discarded. It also explains why public record
retention laws apply to library records, and it then examines the
variety of laws state by state. Part II discusses the need for
strong confidentiality laws and traces the evolution of current
laws. It then examines the current status of state confidentiality
laws and demonstrates their weaknesses. While librarians often
believe that confidential records are privileged and may be
destroyed at will, this book clearly explains that this is not the
case.
Designed to showcase current issues of interest, Pennsylvania
Politics and Policy, Volume 2 isthe second reader consisting of
updated chapters from recent issues of Commonwealth: A Journal of
Pennsylvania Politics and Policy. The editors and contributors to
this volume focus on government institutions, election laws, the
judiciary, government finance and budgeting, the opioid crisis,
childcare, property taxes, environmental policy, demographics, and
more. Each chapter is supplemented by discussion questions,
suggestions for further reading, and forums with arguments in
support of or opposed to contested elements of state policy. In
addition, Pennsylvania Politics and Policy, Volume 2 includes a
detailed guide to researching state government and policy online,
as well as a comprehensive chapter on the structure of Pennsylvania
government. It is designed as a text or supplement for college or
advanced high school classes in American government, state and
local politics, public policy, and public administration.
Contributors include: John Arway, Jenna Becker Kane, Jeffrey
Carroll, Bob Dick, Ashley Harden, Stefanie I. Kasparek, Vera
Krekanova, Maureen W. McClure, John F. McDonald, Josh Shapiro, Marc
Stier, Jennie Sweet-Cushman, James Vike, and the editors.
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