Posted on 12/11/2008 9:22:37 AM PST by raccoonradio
MBC chief Bruce DuMont goes on WTTW television with a jaw-dropping story that Governor Rod Blagojevich (bluh-GOY-uh-vitch) approached me in 2005 and said come on down to the capital of Springfield, because the state has money for you. Eight million bucks was promised during a 90-minute meeting with the deputy governor and the governor. They said well get it for you.
But then it became what DuMont calls a tragic and ugly story, because the money was never forthcoming, even after he started construction. (Its unclear just what commitments were put on paper.) When an empty piggybank forced a shutdown on the project in mid-2006, DuMont located a wealthy individual who offered a $6 million bridge loan. But DuMont says the governors office checked out the political stripes of the would-be donor and found out he was backing Blagojevichs Republican opponent.
DuMont was told not to take the $6 million and that the governors office would let you twist in the wind. The graphic for the WTTW story was Museum funds rescinded. Its quite an incredible story that helps explain a lot of things, and you can watch the interview here:
http://www.wttw.com/main.taf?p=42,1
Bruce Dumont:
Just as long as nothing screws up the Museum of Trucking down at the Esplanade project!
>>the governors office checked out the political stripes of the would-be donor and found out he was backing Blagojevichs Republican opponent.
there we go...
Yeah, they wanted to build the Limbaugh Wing :)
Dumont faced pressure for giving an award to Dobson—though he maintains that the committee which nominates radio figures doesn’t do it based on politics, etc. There were protestors outside—and, for a brief time, inside—the hotel where
the ceremony was being held. Dumont defended the MBC
on the Phil Hendrie show recently
http://www.chicagoreader.com/features/stories/thebusiness/080731/
>>This is not a controversy DuMont needs. Hes been struggling for years to reopen the Museum of Broadcast Communications, which he founded in 1987 and ran from 1992 to 2003 at the Chicago Cultural Center. The museums new home at State and Kinzie has been stalled out in mid-rehab since May 2006. DuMont, who blames the state for withholding $6 million he says it promised him, continues his fund-raising efforts, and the $500-a-plate hall of fame induction dinner, scheduled for November 8 this year, is one of them. So he watched with concern as TWO [Truth
Wins Out] rallied opposition to Dobson in the gay community and Dobson, who can reach 2.5 million supporters with a single e-mail blast, fought back.
(snip)
>>According to DuMont, things had been looking up before this tempest descended. He has a plan for proceeding on the building, despite the lack of state money, by leasing the first floor to commercial tenants and turning the fourth into a special-events space. He says a written commitment from a donor is imminent, after which hell only need to raise an additional $4 million to finish the $23 million project.
>>We are nearing the goal line, he says. But this controversy doesnt help. We need to put it in context. The people who nominated are not the MBC board. And the voting was done by the public. As for the protesters: Do they want me to undo the votes? Their principal objection is to what Dr. Dobson says. We dont un-nominate people because of their political persuasion.
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