Governor Rod Blagojevich claims the state has saved $5.3 million by reducing its fleet of cars, according to the study. But the governor isn’t releasing the study. Newspapers have pointed out that the Virginia-based firm that did the study contributed $25,000 to the governor’s campaign and has a $60,000 no-bid extension on a state contract. They also have pointed out that previous savings were inflated, according to the Auditor General’s office and that the “savings” preceded an $8 million expense for police cars.

            The Niantic village president wanted to stop monkey business after board meetings.  According to the Decatur Herald & Review, the village president informed the Macon County State’s Attorney Office that some members of the village board routinely head to local taverns such as Uncle Monkey’s or Christine’s after regularly scheduled meetings.

A March 2006 meeting notice announced that some members of the board “may go Christine’s or Uncle Monkey’s after a regularly scheduled meeting and that village business may be discussed during the purely social gathering.”

Board members believed that by notifying everyone of a possible “meeting after the meeting”, they had complied with the open meetings law.  In recent notices, they had even included an agenda of sorts, with agenda items that included photos of recent vacations.