* Senate President Cullerton is turning at least an initial thumbs down on slots at tracks…
The president of the Illinois Senate cast doubts Wednesday on thousands of slot machines sprouting up at Arlington Park and other horse tracks.
“I don’t think there’s a need for that right now,” Chicago Democrat John Cullerton told reporters at a Capitol news conference.
His comments came a day after the state’s racetrack owners pushed the idea as an alternative to legalized video gambling in local restaurants and bars. A network of video gambling terminals is supposed to help pay off billions worth of construction projects lawmakers approved this year.
Cullerton also has made passing a cigarette tax hike one of his highest priorities for the spring session…
State Senate President John Cullerton says he’ll again push for a higher tax on cigarettes. A dollar increase passed the Senate earlier this year, but the proposal stalled in the House.
CULLERTON: Maybe I can go over and help lobby, if the Speaker will let me come over to the House, I can go walk, walk and talk to some of the members and see if I can convince some of them to vote for it. […]
He says fewer smokers would save Illinois more money, by reducing Medicaid costs attributed to smoking-related health problems. Cullerton says he expects there will be enough votes to get a cigarette tax increase passed.
I’m not so sure yet. There’s a lot of push-back in the House about this tax hike idea. But Bud Kelly, of the Illinois Association of Tobacco and Candy Distributors, is retiring at the end of this year and won’t be around to lobby against Cullerton’s plan…
Bud Kelley is 77 years old and has never smoked his first cigarette.
But that hasn’t stopped the affable Kelley, who will step down at the end of the year after 34 years as executive director of the Illinois Association of Tobacco and Candy Distributors, from working to allow others to have that choice.
“I know it bothers some people, and I’m not saying it’s good for your health,” Kelley said. “But it should be up to you and me as a businessman to have freedom of choice.”
“It’s a great industry,” he said. “Tobacco was our first currency. It’s been around a long time, and it’s going to be around. Prohibition isn’t going to work. We’ve tried that once.”
I’ve known Kelly since I started writing about Illinois politics almost 20 years ago (whew, I’m getting old). He’s a darned good lobbyist and tells it straight. He’ll be missed.
* Related…
* Illinois Senate to study discipline gap - Analysis indicates that suspensions of black students have jumped 75% in past decade; similar punishments for whites fell in same period: Senate President John Cullerton told his staff Tuesday to write a resolution creating the task force, spokeswoman Rikeesha Phelon said. It will look at suspension and expulsion numbers, the reasons behind them and how they affect students, Lightford said. Gov. Pat Quinn was noncommittal. A spokeswoman said he believes school should be “free from discrimination” and added that he looks forward to working with lawmakers on the issue.
* Meeks returns to familiar ground in school-funding fight
* Springfield Post Office to help publicize Christmas Seal program
* Get serious about fixing youth prison
- wordslinger - Thursday, Dec 3, 09 @ 10:28 am:
Anyone know why slots at O’Hare and Midway is a non-starter? They wouldn’t compete with casinos and they’d actually bring in some real out-of-state money.
- Small Town Liberal - Thursday, Dec 3, 09 @ 10:31 am:
How is the tobacco industry doing since you quit smoking Rich?
- dupage dan - Thursday, Dec 3, 09 @ 10:32 am:
As a former smoker I was amazed that people would fork over so much for a pack of smokes when I learned what people pay nowadays. Of course, we used to lament the cost of a pack when it reached a buck (which dates me, I’m sure). Cullerton said he believed that the increase in taxes would result in higher revenues while, in the same breath, said he believes the tax increase will decrease the amount of cigarettes smoked. Ah, the mathematics of the sin tax.
I am all for the increase, BTW. I do believe the taxes should go to offset societal costs that smokers bring to all our lives. Sort of a pay as you die thing.
- Tom Suffredin - Thursday, Dec 3, 09 @ 10:42 am:
Bud is one of the best. You don’t last as long as he has in Springfield without being somebody that people like and respect even when there are disagreements on issues. I will miss his committee testimony (props!!! the man had props!) It’s a little early but he’s got my vote for the Golden Horseshoe this year. Enjoy your well-earned retirement, Bud.
- cassandra - Thursday, Dec 3, 09 @ 10:42 am:
So, by inference, can we assume that Cullerton will note pushing for our Pat’s middle class income tax increase during the spring session. Or will the state Dems be pushing for income and cigarette taxes in the spring (but no service taxes, of course).
- Scooby - Thursday, Dec 3, 09 @ 10:44 am:
Wait, you mean the House is reluctant to do anything? Alert the media.
- VanillaMan - Thursday, Dec 3, 09 @ 10:49 am:
Note to Missouri, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, and Wisconsin border tobacco retailers - stock up now for Illinois smokers!
2010 will be a very good year for you folks!
- wordslinger - Thursday, Dec 3, 09 @ 10:51 am:
VMan, Wisconsin is not really a better deal for smokers. You’re still better off in McHenry County. Not sure about Iowa.
Indiana, Missouri and Kentucky are the goods.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Dec 3, 09 @ 10:55 am:
Indiana isn’t a deal any longer, either.
- Will County Woman - Thursday, Dec 3, 09 @ 11:00 am:
Rev. Meeks is tired and so is his crusade about school funding. The quality of the parent(s)/ the environment in which the child is raised drives the quality of the child’s (education) attainment outcomes. Plain and simple.
all the bellyaching in the world won’t change anything, neither will increased funding for the “poor” or “poor black children.”
A couple of months ago the White House Harvard Brain Trust wasted $500,000 of taxpayer money on Fenger HS. A lot of good it did, as we can see. Whatever.
- grand old partisan - Thursday, Dec 3, 09 @ 11:03 am:
“fewer smokers would save Illinois more money, by reducing Medicaid costs attributed to smoking-related health problems”
Couldn’t you achieve the same goal by excluding or reducing Medicaid’s coverage for smoking-related heath issues? Either way, the idea is to make smokers pay more for care necessitated by their own actions – so why not cut out the middleman.
- Obamarama - Thursday, Dec 3, 09 @ 11:24 am:
===Couldn’t you achieve the same goal by excluding or reducing Medicaid’s coverage for smoking-related heath issues? Either way, the idea is to make smokers pay more for care necessitated by their own actions – so why not cut out the middleman.===
Yes and then we can exclude care heart and cholesterol related issues for overweight people, prenatal care for pregnant women, and broken bones for athletes since that is all care necessitated by their actions. Give me a break.
- 47th Ward - Thursday, Dec 3, 09 @ 11:27 am:
WCW, the only thing plain and simple in your comment was that it has become clear you are a plain old simpleton.
Can’t you find any friends elsewhere to talk to? Why must you pollute this site with your rantings?
- downstate hick - Thursday, Dec 3, 09 @ 11:29 am:
Why are they afraid of slots at racetracks. If we could increase revenues at out tracks, we may even save a few jobs in the horse racing industry. People are gambling at illegal slots statewide and Cullerton doesn’t want them at tracks where they can be monitoered and taxed. It probably is because he doesn’t see any benefit to his campaign funds.
- Downstate GOP Faithless - Thursday, Dec 3, 09 @ 11:32 am:
it certainly didnt take long to kill a revenue generator for the horse industry…heaven forbid the legislature do something to actually help an industry in Illinois
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Dec 3, 09 @ 11:36 am:
Downstate GOP Faithless, while I enjoy horse racing, paramutuel waging is supposed to benefit us, the taxpayers. Helping them wasn’t supposed to be part of the bargain.
- Will County Woman - Thursday, Dec 3, 09 @ 11:40 am:
what’s the matter 47th ward? are you afraid that the problem might actually get fixed if people start thinking about and addressing the REAL problem(s)? the truth is your friend, embrace it.
- grand old partisan - Thursday, Dec 3, 09 @ 11:42 am:
===Yes and then we can exclude care heart and cholesterol related issues for overweight people, prenatal care for pregnant women, and broken bones for athletes since that is all care necessitated by their actions.===
Or, we could work on the other side of the equation with them as well and put an excise tax on eating, having sex and participating in sports. Granted, the ‘fat tax’ has been tried, but I think you’ll have trouble implimenting the other two. But, fair is fair. We need to figure out how to make these wreckless mocchers pay their fair share as well! We should get together and brainstorm.
- dupage dan - Thursday, Dec 3, 09 @ 11:44 am:
I learned from my 18y/o smoker nephew in Wisc (after I lectured him on the whole smoking thing-nothing like a reformed smoker!) that cigarettes cost about $7.50 a pack. Is that cheaper than Illinois?
- downstate hick - Thursday, Dec 3, 09 @ 11:47 am:
Downstate GOP Faithless, while I enjoy horse racing, paramutuel waging is supposed to benefit us, the taxpayers. Helping them wasn’t supposed to be part of the bargain. `
Helping the horse racing industry is certainly a goal of paramutual betting. The track is able to provide more funds for purses for Illinois bred races, thus expanding the State’s breeding and horse farming industry. Please look at New Jersey and Kentucky for examples of success, and the lack of it for Maryland racing.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Dec 3, 09 @ 11:48 am:
===wreckless mocchers ===
Huh?
- grand old partisan - Thursday, Dec 3, 09 @ 11:51 am:
sorry, “reckless moochers”
- Ghost - Thursday, Dec 3, 09 @ 11:57 am:
=== it certainly didnt take long to kill a revenue generator for the horse industry…heaven forbid the legislature do something to actually help an industry in Illinois ====
But that is kind of the point. The tracks are not supposed to be miniature slot machines with pastuarge. Horse racing is dead in IL and needs put to rest. Horse racing used to make millions for IL, before casinos. Now that we have casinos, few apparently want to go gamble on horses (and dogs).
What they need to do is just build casinos next to the tracks and make horse racing one of the many types of gambling available at those casinos and be done with it. Or let horse racing die off as a stand alone enterprise.
These mini slot machine casinos are however a bad idea.
- VanillaMan - Thursday, Dec 3, 09 @ 12:17 pm:
Smoke, Smoke, Smoke That Cigarette -Travis Williams, enhanced by VanillaMan
Now Illinois hates smokers, I’m told
And their leaders have all been sold
An idea to tax all that they can see
And if I ever met
The guys that tax my cigarettes
I’d show them how they got bats in their belfry!
It not that I smoke tobacco now
But that these morons see it as a cow
They can milk to satisfy their hoosegow
Nicotine slaves are all the same
It ain’t a vice that they can tame
Who’s the addict here, who should be ashame?
Smoke, smoke, smoke that cigarette
Puff, puff, puff and fund Illinois government
Tell St. Peter at the Golden Gate
That you bought from this corrupted state
Entry into Heaven via Tobacco Tax payment
Now in this game of government freebies
Illinois leaders are paying their buddies
And hopin’ the Ciggie Train keeps on a-chuggin’
My wallets are empty, but I need a smoke
My chest is thumpin’ like I’m havin’ a stroke
Fortunately Missouri friends are a-smugglin’
Smoke, smoke, smoke that cigarette
Puff, puff, puff and fund Illinois government
So when I buy across state line
It’s as though it’s by a stupid design
To drive small businesses into bankrupsy treatment
(Ah, smoke it! Hah! Yes! Yes! Yes!)
- Loop Lady - Thursday, Dec 3, 09 @ 12:42 pm:
Cullertons creativity for revenue enhancements is awesome!
No guts, no glory…fiscally speaking, IL has few quick results options than a tax increase…twenty five years of corruption and fiscal mismanagement have put us in this position…swallow hard and do what is necessary Statehouse “leaders” and IL legislators…
- Cheryl44 - Thursday, Dec 3, 09 @ 1:01 pm:
V Man, that’s Merle Travis, not Travis Williams.
- lake county democrat - Thursday, Dec 3, 09 @ 1:11 pm:
I thought they promised last spring to take up gerrymandering in -this- session, now people don’t even bother to ask about it.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Dec 3, 09 @ 1:12 pm:
lcd, they formed a special committee, which has been holding hearings. They’ve said next spring, not last spring.
- Been There - Thursday, Dec 3, 09 @ 1:46 pm:
=== It probably is because he doesn’t see any benefit to his campaign funds. ====
Cullerton would never play the tit-for-tat game but I do believe he has done alright in that catagory.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Dec 3, 09 @ 2:54 pm:
–Horse racing is dead in IL and needs put to rest. Horse racing used to make millions for IL, before casinos. Now that we have casinos, few apparently want to go gamble on horses (and dogs).–
I hope you’re wrong, but if you’re right, it’s no thanks to me. I used to go the track B.C. (Before Children). That was a long time ago.
But, man it’s fun, the whole environment. A couple cocktails, some tout talk, a little gambling, and then the run of those magnificent animals. I’ll try to go back in the Spring.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Dec 3, 09 @ 2:57 pm:
The “problem” with the tracks is that betting requires some brain power. Putting coins into slots requires only bare minimal hand-eye coordination.
It’s too bad. I love the ponies. I’m not much of a gambler, and I don’t go often (I dislike the Spfld OTB’s vibe), but I always have a great time when I do play the ponies.
Hmmm. Holiday party idea?
- Anonymous - Thursday, Dec 3, 09 @ 4:30 pm:
===
Hmmm. Holiday party idea?
===
I’ll come!
- BIG R.PH. - Thursday, Dec 3, 09 @ 5:28 pm:
Look Cullerton et al
You are at the Racetrack that employees hundreds of people.
You are already regulated.
You are already gambling.
Look at how well it works in other states. Pennsylvania and West Virginia to name just two.
Charles Town made Fairmont look like a palace 10 years ago.
Now minimum purse is $8000 at Charles Town and $1500 at Fairmont (with only 50 dates)
Wake up and give the Casinos some competition!!
- Jim - Thursday, Dec 3, 09 @ 8:17 pm:
I don’t care what Cullerton, and Madigan, do, but they should have some “testicular virility” and balance the budget, whether it is via tax increase, budget cuts, whatever, have the nerve to do your job and don’t be afraid because of spring primaries, you should all be voted out as far as I’m concerned.