Speaking out against the legislation, Daley invoked the assassination of Martin Luther King, Junior.
“We have learned nothing from that assassination. We have learned nothing that guns are killing another generation of young people. There have to be more people to stand up. Not those that have lost their loved ones, but anybody standing up on behalf of some child lost today or tomorrow or last week.”
Dr. King was slain by a sniper using a rifle, so I’m not quite sure what the heck Daley was talking about.
Daley said he and Mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel sent a letter they both signed to General Assembly members, urging them to oppose House Bill 148, which would allow people to carry concealed, loaded weapons with training and a permit. Opponents of the proposal will also be traveling to Springfield to lobby lawmakers to vote against it, he said.
“Do you want guns at your neighborhood festival or block party? Or in a park, like the one we’re here today?” Daley asked at a news conference at the Austin Town Hall Cultural Center, where he was joined by several aldermen and anti-violence advocates. “CTA buses or trains? Do you want students with concealed weapons walking around every college campus in the state?”
Daley said the bill would take away Chicago and Cook County’s ability to opt out of allowing people to carry concealed weapons, but he suggested those who want firearms should live in other areas.
“If everybody wants to carry weapons in DuPage County, if they want to carry it, and you can go and get permits, they can carry them in DuPage County,” he said. “They want to carry them in Lake County, McHenry, if they want to carry them in Will County – in other words, if you’re here and you want to go there and get guns, you can carry them in those counties. You can go to the malls and everything, just carry your weapons out there.”
Daley has a weekend home in Grand Beach, Michigan — a state that for over a decade has granted such licenses to anyone who qualifies. Does he worry about guns at local events when he’s there? At the lake? In line for an ice-cream cone?
If he were that worried, he probably would have gotten a vacation place in Wisconsin or Illinois. So maybe it’s not that scary in reality.
* Last Friday, the Chicago Police Lieutenants Association expressed its “full support” for the concealed carry bid, claiming it would “enhance citizen safety and in the end make our job easier”…
Try to avoid drive-by comments today. Make your points without using bumper-sticker slogans. It’s getting to be a bit much on this topic, and I’m more than a little bored with some of the rote responses.
* Illinois’ laws and rules just aren’t mixing well with judges these days. First, the capital plan was knocked down, then some of the McPier reforms were struck and now this…
A Sangamon County Circuit Court judge on Tuesday struck down a 6-year-old state rule that required Illinois pharmacies to dispense emergency contraception.
Judge John Belz ruled in favor of two pharmacy owners — Luke Vander Bleek of Morrison and Glenn Kosirog of Wheaton — who didn’t want to dispense or stock “morning-after” pills or help patients obtain them elsewhere. […]
Belz wrote in his ruling that the state Right of Conscience Act “was designed to forbid the government from doing what it aims to do here: coercing individuals or entities to provide healthcare services that violate their beliefs.” […]
Belz wrote that that state provided “no evidence of a single person who ever was unable to obtain emergency contraception because of a religious objection. … Nor did the government provide any evidence that anyone was having difficulties finding willing sellers of over-the-counter Plan B, either at pharmacies or over the Internet.”
Belz added that the state conceded that any health impact from the pro-life pharmacy owners’ religious objections “would be minimal.”
* It’s kinda odd that the state coppers have punted…
A day after rejecting Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez’s request to mount an “independent’’ investigation into the Chicago Police Department’s handling of a homicide case involving a nephew of Mayor Daley and White House Chief of Staff William Daley, Patrick Keen, the interim director of the Illinois State Police, suggested that the case should be examined instead by an agency that could convene a grand jury.
“Upon review, I have determined that the Illinois State Police is not the appropriate entity to conduct the requested review of the 2004 investigation,” Keen wrote in a letter to Alvarez made public Tuesday. “Accordingly, the case file is enclosed and is being returned for further handling as you deem appropriate, whether by naming an independent, special prosecutor who, unlike ISP, if warranted, could convene a grand jury to hear statements made under oath, or by referring the matter to another criminal justice entity with similar powers.’’
The State Police declined to comment on the letter, or why the agency initially agreed on March 24 to investigate the way the Chicago police handled their investigation of David Koschman’s violent death after a drunken altercation with Daley nephew Richard J. “R.J.” Vanecko.
† To wit: Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez has been reported as saying she is “surprised and disappointed” the Illinois State Police have done an about face — and decided NOT to investigate the 2004 homicide case of David Koschman, which involved Richard J. “R.J.” Vanecko, a nephew of Mayor Daley.
Huh?
† To wit: Alvarez knew before she tossed the case to the Illinois State Police that within a short period of time (weeks) the new head of the Illinois State Police was going to be one of her top investigators, Hiram Grau, a highly respected former Chicago deputy police superintendent.
† To wit II: Alvarez also knew Grau intended to recuse himself from the Koschman case. Grau had been deputy superintendent of the Chicago Police Department’s bureau of investigative services, which oversees all detectives, when the Koschman case became a homicide probe in 2004. (Sneed hears, however, Grau may have been on furlough during the time of the initial Koschman police probe.)
† Sneed’s question: Why so surprised, Anita, at the Illinois State Police suddenly pulling out? Was this a case of a hot potato being tossed in someone else’s “in-basket” knowing Grau could not run an office effectively when his staff is investigating any role he may have played — or not have played — in the Koschman case? […]
† Hmmm. Is the real reason the Illinois State Police opted out of the Koschman probe because Gov. Quinn is trying his hand at the legendary political potato toss?
The politically connected head of Gov. Pat Quinn’s Southern Illinois security detail used a racial slur against a black college student in a Carlinville bar, starting a fight that preceded the officer’s resignation, the student says.
Blackburn College senior Bryan Reynolds, 22, said in an interview that the epithet from state Trooper Ken Snider “started the … well, I wouldn’t call it a ‘brawl,’ but I guess the fight.” […]
Reynolds, a former football player, told the Post-Dispatch that he stood near Snider inside the Anchor Inn. After two bumps to his shoulder, Reynolds turned to the state trooper and “asked what his problem was, because that’s the second time he bumped into me,” Reynolds said.
Snider grabbed the student’s shoulder and called him “the N-word” and other derogatory names, Reynolds said.
When Reynolds attempted to remove Snider’s hand from his shoulder, the trooper responded with a shove, Reynolds said, which provoked him to throw a punch.
Many of us around the Statehouse know Snider. This is really a disappointing turn of events.
Illinois State Police are investigating a former trooper’s barroom altercation with a college student, who contends the law enforcer bumped him and used a racial slur. […]
Carlinville Police Chief Dave Haley confirmed he turned an incident report over to Illinois State Police involving Snider. Haley said he could not go into details.
“We are cooperating with the Illinois State Police in this investigation and do not want to jeopardize their investigation,” Haley said at the time. […]
* OK, so despite what we’ve been told, there’s money available for all of this year’s capital plan. Good…
Construction across Illinois is not in danger of stopping, or even slowing down this summer.
Gov. Pat Quinn’s administration says there are billions of dollars available for road, bridge, and school construction despite a legal challenge to the law the pays for it all.
There had been some question as to whether Illinois had all it needed to move ahead with the second summer of construction that is to come from 2009’s $30-billion public works package.
On Tuesday Quinn’s budget manager, David Vaught, said Illinois has close to $2 billion in the bank and still has another $5 billion in construction bonds to sell.
* The revelation took some legislators by surprise…
State Rep Rich Brauer, R-Petersburg, said if Illinois has $2 billion in the bank then why was there ever talk of missing a summer construction season.
“We have not had any discussion about construction in so long, but I am kind of surprised that there is that kind of money just laying around.”
State Rep Dan Beiser, D-Alton, is in charge of the House Transportation committee. He said Vaught’s comments are the first he’s heard about $2 billion in the bank. That’s all the more reason, Beiser said, to let the court take its time with the legal challenge.
“I think we can now wait on the courts,” said Beiser.
* Lots of bills pass one chamber then disappear from view. That’s probably the case with this one…
Illinois lawmakers could be seeing a pay cut soon. Or at least some lawmakers voted to cut their pay. Whether statehouse paychecks really shrink remains to be seen.
The state House of Representatives approved a plan to reduce lawmakers’ annual salaries by about $6,800 and eliminate any cost-of-living increases starting this year. House Bill 2891 would save the state about $1.2 million, but there’s a major roadblock to it becoming reality.
The pay cut would apply to anyone who started a new term on or after Jan. 12, 2011, which is askew of the state’s constitution. The constitution states that any change in a lawmaker’s pay doesn’t start during their current term.
State Rep. Michelle Mussman, D-Schaumburg, sponsored the plan. Mussman said she was trying to follow up on a promise she made constituents during the campaign. She said she hopes the move is a sign of solidarity to residents still reeling from the recessions.
Illinois lawmakers are among the best-paid in the country, with a base salary of $67,836. Most also make more than that by serving in leadership positions or as committee chairs. Those stipends range from $10,327 (for committee posts) to $27,477 (for Senate president, House speaker and House and Senate minority leaders).
Officially, being a member of the Illinois General Assembly is a part-time job, and many legislators have outside jobs.
[Rep. William Davis, D-Homewood] said he is a full-time representative who spends many hours doing work in his district and helping constituents beyond working in Springfield when the General Assembly is in session. Davis said Mussman’s constituents should watch what a lawmaker does first-hand.
“I would encourage them to walk a day in your shoes so they can see and understand what it takes to be a representative,” Davis said.
Mussman didn’t disagree.
Your thoughts?
* Roundup…
* VIDEO: Rep. Michelle Mussman on legislative pay cut
* VIDEO: Rep. Monique Davis rails against legislative pay cuts
* Negotiators still working on details of utility rate proposal: Under McCarthy’s proposal, rate changes would go into effect in as few as 45 days, according to the Citizens Utility Board. Rates would be set by a complicated formula that allows for automatic increases. CUB and Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s office have said the process will turn rate-setting upside down.
A Peoria man faces up to 15 years in prison for behavior that nearly any cellphone toting citizen could easily be tempted to emulate when confronted with the prospect of arrest.
Rodney Anderson, Jr., 37, allegedly slipped his phone into a mode that discreetly records audio while he was being arrested following a domestic disturbance late March 27. […]
Under the Illinois Eavesdropping Act, anyone who records audio without consent can be charged with a Class 4 felony, but enhanced charges are possible for those who record law enforcement officials acting in their official capacity. Those instances can result in a Class 1 felony charge.
“It’s a statute with severe consequences. It’s hard to believe,” said Harvey Grossman of the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, which has recently fought provisions of the Eavesdropping Act without success. “It’s unique in the country . . . in that it prohibits the recording of conversations that are not intended to be private.”
Nobody interfered with the officer’s duties because the cop didn’t even know about it. Yet, it’s a major felony. Ridiculous.
* Lake County’s Avon Township Supervisor Sam Yingling wrote an op-ed in the Daily Herald this week about townships in general. Check this part out…
Township road districts are relevant in rural areas but not in populated areas. Avon Township is responsible for only 11.7 miles of road yet is mandated by law to have and finance a highway commission even when these roads could be more cost effectively maintained by the county.
But a bill to address that issue has apparently died…
Township highway commissioners no longer need to fear a bill that would have made their jobs obsolete.
Senate Bill 1811 would have amended the Illinois Highway code so that township road districts with less than 100 miles of roadway are abolished. The bill is sponsored by Sen. Mike Noland (D-Elgin).
This bill was pretty broad. So, maybe they could come up with a bill that limited it to townships with less than 15 miles of roads. Then again, the Township Officials of Illinois is a pretty darned strong group.
The prospect of more billboards sprouting up in off-limits sections of Chicago-area tollways could cost the state up to $140 million in federal highway dollars under a legislative push from a national sign company represented by one of Illinois’ most influential lobbyists.
The legendary Springfield lobbyist fired back with his own four-lettered response.
The warning came from a top official with the Federal Highway Administration, who urged state lawmakers to put the brakes on legislation that he said runs afoul of a federal highway beautification law enacted in 1965 and later amended in 1972 that puts the states in charge of limiting billboard placement.
In a letter to state transportation officials, Norman R. Stoner, the federal highway agency’s division administrator, said the legislation being pushed by CBS Outdoor Inc. and several suburbs would “violate the terms of the 1972 agreement. Consequently, if [the bill] is passed and signed into law, the state of Illinois would be at risk.
I checked into that story a few weeks ago and was told that the bill wasn’t going anywhere. It did. Good for the Sun-Times for keeping track of it.
Legislation sponsored by Sen. Terry Link, a Waukegan Democrat, would make it a civil rights violation for an employer to refuse to hire, promote or renew employment based on pregnancy [or childbirth]. The employer would not be allowed to segregate, punish or discharge an employee on that basis either.
The Illinois Senate approved the legislation last week, and it now moves to the House.
Link said he heard about multiple cases of discrimination toward women who were entering or coming back from maternity leave, and he wanted to strengthen the state law to federal standards. […]
Sen. Chris Lauzen, an Aurora Republican, said he fully supports women’s rights, but Link’s proposal opens too many possibilities for false claims of discrimination. Lauzen said an employer who chooses a more qualified candidate over a less qualified pregnant woman could be unfairly sued under Link’s proposal.
“When I hear pieces of legislation like this, I put myself back in the desk in my office interviewing people,” Lauzen said. “And I say I am sure, I’m positive, I would not offer a job under these circumstances because I will not take the risk of someone suing me.”
Tuesday, Apr 5, 2011 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
While ComEd is running a campaign to pass HB 14 called “Smart Energy Illinois”…
Here’s what ComEd’s parent company Exelon’s CEO John Rowe had to say about “smart” energy investments:
“Smart grid we are reluctant to embrace because it costs too much and we’re not sure what good it will do. We have looked at most of the elements of smart grid for 20 years and we have never been able to come up with estimates that make it pay.”
“The real issue is are we doing the customers more good by putting money into more advanced electronics or would we do them more good by putting the same money into replacing more old cable? To me that’s an unknown answer. If I had to choose, I’d bet on the cable.”
ComEd says HB14 is about smart energy investing, but AARP knows that the bill is really just a move to allow Illinois utilities to automatically raise electric and natural gas rates every year and eliminate much of the oversight currently provided by the Illinois Commerce Commission. AARP is urging lawmakers to reject HB 14
* If this story doesn’t knock down all the people cheering for Illinois’ demise, I don’t know what will…
Gov. Quinn and Caterpillar Inc., CEO Doug Oberhelman met Tuesday to assure a commitment to increasing Illinois exports and reforming the costly working compensation system in an effort to make Illinois‚ business climate more competitive. […]
After the meeting, Oberhelman attempted to quell the speculation of the Fortune 500 company leaving by saying Caterpillar “is here to stay.” Oberhelman and Quinn then renewed their commitment to making Illinois a more appealing place to do business, with Quinn highlighting the need to keep the company in state to ensure economic growth. […]
Oberhelman said Tuesday he thought an income tax increase was inevitable and that he looks forward to working with Quinn in addressing the other areas to help Illinois‚ economy, with worker‚s compensation and increasing exports being chief concerns. [Emphasis added]
Well, that pretty much negates every theory about how the Caterpillar CEO is so furious about the tax hike that he’s preparing to leave at the drop of a hat.
* The event was, I’m told, a love fest. At one point, Oberhelman reportedly said that Gov. Quinn would make a good Caterpillar salesman.
Check back later for audio and more updates.
*** UPDATE *** Caterpillar CEO Doug Oberhelman said the two men had an “excellent meeting” and that he was “pleased” with Gov. Quinn’s efforts to date.
“We’ve got a lot of good things going for us in Illinois,” Oberhelman said of his company. “We’re invested heavily here, and we are going to work together to find a way to invest more here, and continue to be proud of our state.”
“He has brought a degree of honesty and integrity back to our state that has been lacking for a long time,” Oberhelman said of the governor. “We have with us today an honest man as governor of Illinois for the first time in a long time, and I think that’s the beginning of an image change (for the state).”
Asked about workers’ compensation reform, Oberhelman said, “The governor is committed to do that.”
On the tax hike, Oberhelman pointed to an op-ed he wrote in January saying he thought the tax increase had been inevitable, and added, “I think the hole in Illinois is so deep it’s going to take all pieces and all elements to get out of over a long period of time.”
“We can go out and poach others,” Oberhelman said about the poaching efforts by other states, if the climate improves. “We want a climate here, that the governor shares, in terms of being very business friendly,” he said, offering further praise for the state’s governor.
“Say, I might make the governor my salesman here after that speech,” Oberhelman said after Quinn delivered a very long response to a reporter’s question.
* For the past few weeks, some Statehouse nerves have been on edge because January and February income tax receipts have not come in as expected. Not even close, in fact. The governor’s budget office was concerned, but they wanted to hold off saying anything until the March revenue report was released.
Well, the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability report was just issued and the numbers are finally what everybody expected them to be…
Gross personal income tax grew $575 million, or $532 million net of refunds. The monthly growth rate of 71.3% gross would indicate that after two months of lagging revenues since the tax rate increase, receipts are now reflecting full/or nearly full implementation of the rate increase.
* There was some other good news in the report as well. March sales tax receipts were 5.3 percent higher than the previous March receipts. February’s Illinois exports were up 32.9 percent over a year earlier and were 3.4 percent ahead of the previous month. February’s new car and truck registrations rose 13.1 percent over the previous year.
* But there are still problems. The February state civilian labor force total declined a half a point over January, and 0.3 percent from the previous February. Single housing permits were up 26.8 percent over January’s, but that’s still 30.1 percent lower than last February’s report.
When it comes to redrawing the political lines in Illinois, Gov. Pat Quinn has his own special pen called the amendatory veto.
For the first time since the state adopted its Constitution in 1970, one party controls all the branches of government needed to create a new legislative district map based on U.S. Census population figures.
One tool created in that Constitution was the amendatory — or corrective — veto. In an age without computers, it allowed governors to correct technical problems with legislation. Over time, however, governors have wielded their amendatory veto pen with more and more power.
Could Quinn use this power to make changes to any political map that the Democratically-controlled General Assembly sent him? According to several state constitutional experts, the answer is yes.
He could use the AV power, but if he does then the Democratic majority would almost assuredly freak out. They’d have no choice but to accept his AV because that would only require a simple majority. And they would be very, very displeased. This isn’t just another bill we’re talking about here. It’s their life.
The Democrats couldn’t override with three-fifths unless the Republicans went along, and the Republicans won’t go along unless Quinn’s revisions made the map even worse for them. Not likely.
The only way Quinn would even sanely attempt such a thing is if African-American, Hispanic or other Democratic lawmakers were displeased with the map’s results. But if Quinn went ahead without allies or an extremely good reason (like a drafting error), then, man, he’d have some seriously big trouble on his hands.
Rod Blagojevich would probably veto a remap. I doubt Quinn will.
* Speaking of maps, check out this silly contraption of a congressional map produced by somebody at Swing State Project. Click on the pics for larger images.
1.) Keep all 3 black seats intact; not easy considering hundreds of thousands of blacks have left Chicago over the last decade.
2.) Create two Hispanic seats — ones that would be guaranteed to elect Hispanic representatives.
3.) Keep all currently Democratic-held seats at very high Democratic levels (this includes the minority-majority seats, ofcourse, as well as IL-3, IL-5, IL-9, and IL-12).
4.) Create seats where the incumbent Democrat would keep as much of his or her current constituents as possible.
What this map shows is how impossibly difficult it is to draw a reasonably constitutional congressional map with that many strong Democratic districts. It just can’t be done, especially with that 200,000 population loss in Chicago. The new map is not going to easily produce solid D results.
* Related…
* Editorial: More hearings needed after map is drafted
* Redistricting Roundup: Deadlines looming for many states in redistricting process: Speaker of the House Michael Madigan (D) announced the formation of the House Redistricting Committee as well as a new redistricting website. The site includes a timeline, details on the 15 public hearings that have been announced, and access to census data. Thus far only Democrats have been named to the committee.
* Springfield hearing on redistricting attracts little interest so far: As of Friday morning, only one organization — the Springfield branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People — had notified Democrats who control the redistricting process that a representative wanted to testify at the hearing. One other group, the Illinois Farm Bureau, made inquiries but did not register as a witness, Democrats said.
* Illinois House Minority Leader Cross names 5 members to redistricting committee
* Suburban redistricting committee members outline priorities
Illinois Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno today called on Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn to renegotiate the state’s contract with its largest employee union, saying workers should give up scheduled pay raises in the face of an ongoing budget mess.
Radogno’s comments came after a speech hosted by the City Club of Chicago in which she said unions, particularly the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Workers, must make sacrifices to help get Illinois out of the red.
“I don’t want to be anti-union, hostile or whatever, but when you add up what these raises have been… that’s a problem,” Radogno told reporters. “Particularly when you stack that up against the average person, who is struggling and thankful they have a job and haven’t had raises.” […]
“It has to be a function of the executive branch, they are in control of that contract,” Radogno said. “But I would stand with Pat Quinn and try to support him in doing that. He needs to do that. We need to do that for the people of the state.”
You can apply public pressure all you want, but the union has to agree to reopen the contract. They did it last year, when Quinn threatened facility closures and layoffs, but they got a no-layoff and no-closure deal out of him in exchange for helping him find millions in budget cuts. The governor claims that he’s been able to get $200 million in concessions, etc. so far, but his ammo is pretty much gone unless they try something new. What else do they have? Pensions? Yeah, but state employee unions cannot by law negotiate on that topic.
In other words, the state is likely stuck with that contract until it expires next year unless AFSCME decides otherwise.
* The big Sun-Times front page headline today was all about how Mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel had issued a threat to unions. The threat is actually old news. He’s been saying the same thing for months, mainly that he wants a longer school day. But, guess what? The CTU agrees a longer day is needed, although you have to skip way down in the piece to find it…
[Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis] agreed with the mayor-elect that Chicago needs a longer school day. The only question is, how schools would use the extra time.
“One of the things we want to make sure is that we have professional development built into the day and that we also have a full, rich curriculum that includes art, music, recess, p.e., history and science for all students,” Lewis said.
Pressed on what the union wants in return, Lewis said, “We’re not having that discussion yet. We don’t make backroom deals. We have a different way of doing it. The conversation we need to have is what that [longer day] will look like.”
As for Emanuel’s threat to ask Springfield to mandate a longer day if the CTU won’t agree to it at the bargaining table, she said, “I guess my question is, why do we need to threaten one another? Can we start by having a conversation without threats? We’re reasonable people.”
I guess it’s news that the mayor-elect is being Mr. Tough Guy, but getting the CTU to agree to a longer school day has been sought for years. An opening like this is pretty significant. The question now becomes if Emanuel can take advantage of it.
* In other news, Gov. Pat Quinn and Caterpillar’s CEO have scheduled a press conference for this morning. I’ll post something when I know something.
* Illinois lawmakers debate rights for pregnant workers: But in a state where Republicans argue the business climate is already among the worst in the nation, the proposed law could add more potential for unwarranted court battles for businesses.
* Lawmaker Wants Illinois to Bail Out Prepaid Tuition Program: A West Suburban Republican legislator says College Illinois’s prepaid tuition program mislead tens of thousands of families. Now that it faces a shortfall of more than $300 million, he says the General Assembly should bail out investors. About 55,000 current or future college students count on the funds.
* Mental health community asks legislators to halt cuts
* Bellwood digs $40 million hole for taxpayers, has no new Metra station to show for it - All-in plans for a redefining Metra station leave Bellwood in a lurch
Tuesday, Apr 5, 2011 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Of course not. But that’s the scenario Illinois’ outdated regulatory system creates for utilities looking to modernize the state’s electric grid to provide even more reliable service and give consumers new tools to save money on energy costs.
Illinois’ regulatory system is about yesterday.
It was developed for a bygone era when utilities could count on free-flowing capital and the ability to spread fixed costs over an always-growing customer base.
It needs to be about tomorrow.
A modern energy infrastructure requires multi-year investment. But utilities don’t know if they can recover their investments, and even if they do recover it isn’t until years after they’re made. This uncertain, unpredictable environment stifles innovation and the economic growth that would be created by a modern grid.
House Bill 14 proposes a better system.
It combines the transparency and accountability of current regulation with specific performance metrics to ensure customer benefits are being realized. While actually increasing scrutiny of utility costs through annual reviews, it gives utilities greater incentive to make the investments necessary to move Illinois forward.
Today’s regulatory uncertainty is holding back tomorrow.
Ward 5 aldermanic candidate Ryan Tozer says the president of the Enos Park Neighborhood Improvement Association violated rules governing the organization’s tax-exempt status by being quoted in a campaign mailer for Tozer’s opponent, Sam Cahnman, over the weekend.
Tozer called on Steve Combs Monday to publicly apologize and resign as president of the neighborhood group.
Cahnman’s flier describes Combs only as a “neighborhood advocate.”
However, Nick Bellini, Tozer’s campaign manager, said everybody knows what “neighborhood advocate” means.
Great job by Belllini getting a clueless SJ-R to cover this complete nonsense. My hat’s off to Nick, but this is a total non-issue. No use was made of the group’s name or the man’s title. There is no violation here, except by the editor who approved that goofy mess.
* Cahnman is a Statehouse lobbyist known to many, and his aldermanic campaign has been brutal lately…
A candidate for Ward 5 alderman is running a radio ad accusing incumbent Ald. Sam Cahnman of having “groped a female prisoner at Sangamon County Jail,” but the woman involved Wednesday said that characterization is wrong.
“That is absolutely untrue,” said Stephany Miller, 34, now of Mobile, Ala. “It was just a brief hug. There was absolutely nothing inappropriate.”
Ryan Tozer, a House Republican staff member who is challenging Cahnman in Tuesday’s election, is running a radio ad that refers to allegations against Cahnman, including some in a complaint filed by the state Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission. An ARDC panel will hold a hearing on those allegations June 15. […]
Tozer’s ad says Cahnman “has a long record of questionable personal behavior.”
“Illinois’ attorney discipline panel filed a complaint against Cahnman alleging he … solicited a sexual act from undercover police officers and groped a female prisoner,” the ad states. “Enough is enough. It’s time for honest leadership.”
