Nepotism Gone Wild: Myriad political connections surround Ill. Gov. Quinn's latest board nominee

The St. Louis Dispatch reports:

The Illinois Senate today confirmed a nominee to a high-paying state panel whose political connections are a virtual trifecta: Her mother is a state Supreme Court justice, her father is a powerful Chicago alderman, and her uncle is a state legislator.

Gov. Pat Quinn's nomination of Jennifer A. Burke to the state's Pollution Control Board passed 43-11. She is the daughter of Illinois Supreme Court Justice Anne Burke and Chicago Ald. Ed Burke. State Rep. Dan Burke, D-Chicago, is Ald. Burke's brother.

Jennifer Burke, previously assistant corporation counsel supervisor for Chicago, will make $117,043 annually on board.

Quinn and all three elected Burkes are Democrats. State election records show Ald. Burke's political fund in the last two years has donated or loaned more than $250,000 to Quinn's campaign fund. Quinn's office has previously insisted the donations have nothing to do with his nomination of Burke's daughter.

Because in Illinois, they'd rather not have "separation of powers" in government. Should Alderman Ed Burke and Supreme Court Justice Anne Burke even have a law license after reading this?