Moron
Wednesday, Apr 27, 2005 - Posted by Rich Miller When the facts contradict the legend, print the legend. This Sports Illustrated writer/blogger is absolutely clueless. The White Sox were “number 1″ on his recent list of the “Top five worst teams to root for.” Though they haven’t won the World Series since 1917, the Sox can’t win for losing. The Cubs, who have been title-less almost as long, are lovable, the Sox are overlooked. The Cubs have Wrigley, the Sox have a character-less barn. The Cubs had Harry Caray, the Sox have Ken Harrelson. This journalistic cretin is living in the past. The Cubs aren’t “lovable.” They’ve so jumped the shark. You can only play people for chumps for so long, and last year was the worst yet. Good idea forcing Steve Stone out just because he told the truth about what a bunch of pathetic losers that team was last year. The team’s fan base is mostly comprised of suburban tourists who go to the stadium for the “experience.” The truth is, Wrigley Field is a crumbling dump that ought to be bulldozed into Lake Michigan before somebody gets hurt. Sox Park is spacious and clean, and the ownership has done a good job lately of remodeling what was admittedly a drab stadium (apparently, SI has no travel budget). And Harry Caray is dead. I liked him, too, but he’s gone to that great press box in the sky. What do they have now? A couple of colorless nobodies who can’t speak their minds because of what happened to their predecessors last year (although the team’s radio play-by-play guy is the best in the business). Hawk has his problems, sure, but he’s a living legend, not a dead one. Has this sports writer actually watched a White Sox game this year? They are, right now, one of the most exciting teams in baseball. What an idiot. (PS: I don’t really hate the Cubs or Wrigley that much. “Most hyperbole inserted for effect.” I do, however, absolutely despise hack writers who refuse to notice when the world changes.)
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Looking ahead
Wednesday, Apr 27, 2005 - Posted by Rich Miller Now that the governor and his administration have been thoroughly raked over the coals regarding the disastrous CMS audit, I wonder how long it will be before editorial writers demand that the Senate not confirm Paul Campbell, the governor’s choice to become the new CMS director. It’ll definitely be a heckuva floor fight. But this could be decided before the nomination even reaches the floor. Does the governor really want this confirmantion fight? Does he want the committee hearings? The rancorous floor debate? I kinda doubt that the governor relishes subjecting himself to this very public meatgrinder. Campbell could wind up telling the guv he wants to, “Spend more time with my family.” More in tomorrow’s Capitol Fax.
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Question of the day
Wednesday, Apr 27, 2005 - Posted by Rich Miller I’m going to be pretty busy today. A speech this morning, session this afternoon, TV appearance later and maybe a radio interview on top of all that. Blogging will be light, but I’ll try to get some posts up later. (Message to the Comment Posse: please watch the comments closely today - I deleted a couple of bad ones last night.) The question today is, do you think that yesterday’s CMS audit will have any real impact on the state’s political world? Why or why not? Have fun.
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You’ve got to be kidding me
Tuesday, Apr 26, 2005 - Posted by Rich Miller CMS director-in-waiting Paul Campbell, who was a recipient of a questionable expense by a CMS contractor, just told reporters that the auditor general’s report gives the agency an opportunity to highlight the great things that CMS has accomplished. From the beginning, the CMS honchos should have just kept their mouths shut, taken the punishment and then promised to do better. Instead, they’ve acted like complete buffoons, and whatever credibility they had left (which wasn’t much) has been vaporized. Can’t anybody play this game?
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For more info…
Tuesday, Apr 26, 2005 - Posted by Rich Miller Archpundit is going through CMS’s written responses to Holland’s report and is finding some very good stuff (almost none of it, however, helps CMS’s case). And, while we’re talking about other blogs, Peoria Pundit is posting again, finally.
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Response coming
Tuesday, Apr 26, 2005 - Posted by Rich Miller CMS will respond to the auditor general’s report today at 3:45 pm in a conference room on the 3rd Floor of the Stratton Building. Evidently, having the press conference in the Statehouse Blue Room was too much of an inconvenience.
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It’s always the criminal stuff
Tuesday, Apr 26, 2005 - Posted by Rich Miller Criminal referrals almost always make the lede. From the AP a few minutes ago: The state auditor has referred a highly critical report accusing Illinois’ chief administrative agency of being careless with tax dollars to the attorney general, although he stopped short of accusing the department of criminal conduct.
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Holland presser
Tuesday, Apr 26, 2005 - Posted by Rich Miller Listening to the auditor general’s press conference. What I just heard
UPDATE 1: Holland just said he’s forwarded material regarding the audit to the attorney general’s office. UPDATE 2: “The findings are troublesome. Their responses are even more.” UPDATE 3: “There are laws in place… They don’t change… And you have to abide by them.” UPDATE 4: “The savings (claimed by CMS) did not occur.” UPDATE 5: “The IPAM people were taking credit (for savings) that had already happened.” UPDATE 6: Instead of the $600 million that the governor’s office and CMS claims they’ve saved with the efficiency program, Holland thinks it’s more like $100 million. UPDATE 7: “If I’m an ordinary taxpayer, I’d be troubled.” […] “Weak process in ensuring transparency and integrity in the procurement process.” UPDATE 8: Vendors were allowed to participate in the RFP process and then bid on the contracts. UPDATE 9: Regarding the administration: “Let’s accept some responsibility for this.” UPDATE 10: “Sloppy is a very kind word.” Ouch. UPDATE 11: “The problem here is their unwillingness to say… ‘Yes we need to make improvements.’” UPDATE 12: While Holland was speaking, Republican gubernatorial candidate Joe Birkett issued a press release: “Today’s shocking report on the utter incompetence, corruption and waste in the Rod Blagojevich administration will go down in Illinois history as the ‘Magna Carta of Mismanagement.’” UPDATE 13: Holland has repeatedly brushed aside questions on what, exactly, he has forwarded to the attorney general. UPDATE 14: “The public has a right to expect a better procurement process.” UPDATE 15: Press conference just ended.
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Breaking news
Tuesday, Apr 26, 2005 - Posted by Rich Miller Here is the auditor general’s report digest for the CMS audit. And here is the AP story about the audit. More later and tomorrow. UPDATE 1: I’ll get into this much more in tomorrow’s Capitol Fax, but here’s a little nugget. According to the auditor general, the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget and CMS took millions from the Illinois Department of Transportation and other agencies that it was not entitled to.
UPDATE 2: IPAM, the company which was supposed to save the state money, didn’t (More in the fax). Also, check out who that same vendor took to a basketball game: Parking reimbursed for the United Center on February 17, 2004. The Chicago Bulls had a home basketball game on that date. The detailed support indicated two names on the parking receipt, a vendor employee and the Department official responsible for monitoring the contract… (emphasis added) That Bulls parking was reimbursed by CMS. Your money. UPDATE 3: What exactly did this company do? In the original IPAM proposal, IPAM would perform all facility condition assessments on 50 million sq. ft. of State-owned buildings. Within its BAFO, IPAM decreased its price but also proposed that facility managers (to be hired for the facility management consolidation process) and not IPAM would perform the condition assessments on the last 40 million square feet. However, on February 4, 2005, the Department published in the Procurement Bulletin a sole source $2.25 million contract for IPAM to perform facility condition assessments. UPDATE 4: CMS refuses to take its medicine and has harsh words for Auditor General Holland. Holland responds: CMS continues to misunderstand and, in some instances, mischaracterize our findings. UPDATE 5: Here’s what CMS had to say about the audit (They’re gonna regret this complaining. Reporters love the auditor general.): (Click on the image for a larger view.)
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Question of the day
Tuesday, Apr 26, 2005 - Posted by Rich Miller Suggested by The So-Called Austin Mayor in comments the other day: If you could recommend only one book about Illinois politics, which book would you recommend, AND WHY?
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Hurtgen “subject” of probe
Tuesday, Apr 26, 2005 - Posted by Rich Miller From the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: P. Nicholas Hurtgen has successfully tapped his friends in high places for a variety of favors over the years. With their help and his own moxie, he rose from a mere cabana boy in then-Gov. Tommy Thompson’s administration to a go-to guy at Bear Stearns & Co., a major investment banking firm. Read the whole thing. It’s an interesting tale of not only the letter-writing campaign, but of Hurtgen’s involvement in Wisconsin politics. (Hat tip to the IL Leader.)
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Request
Tuesday, Apr 26, 2005 - Posted by Rich Miller A certain person called me about the I-SaveRx program last week and said he faxed me a bunch of stuff. I never received it. Could you try again, please?
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A no-win issue?
Tuesday, Apr 26, 2005 - Posted by Rich Miller Slate’s William Saletan looks at the battle over pharmacists who refuse to dispense the morning after pill. Go to the Web sites of the major pro-life players, and run a search for anything related to pharmacists. I got three hits from the National Right to Life Committee, none since 2001. I got eight hits from Concerned Women for America, none on pharmacists’ rights since 2002. Even the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, characterized in some reports as a big campaigner for pharmacists’ rights, hasn’t touched the subject in four months. The Senate and House majority leaders haven’t mentioned it. It’s been raised at the White House just once—by a reporter—and the president’s spokesman ducked it. Saletan also had this little zinger.
After what I thought was a bit of a rough start (announcing his emergency rule just before Pope John Paul II’s death), this has turned into a great issue for Blagojevich. And Saletan is right that it’s a no-win issue for the Right.
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Boat news
Tuesday, Apr 26, 2005 - Posted by Rich Miller Bad news for the Rock Island riverboat. llinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan Monday stood by an opinion written by one of her deputies that could prevent the Casino Rock Island from moving to southwest Rock Island. That’s no overstatement. Any gaming legislation automatically becomes a potential Christmas tree.
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