Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar » 2006

Thursday, Feb 2, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

Bill Dennis and I are working on a new classifieds section for the Capitol Fax blog. We finally settled on the program we want and he’ll begin work over the weekend.

I figure we’ll have most of the usual types of classified ads, with a few new twists, but I’m wondering if there are any special categories that you’d like to use.

Please try to refrain from overtly snarky suggestions. I’m trying to make this as community-friendly as possible, so I need your help.

23 Comments

Morning shorts

Thursday, Feb 2, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

Bill Brady’s new TV ad is extraordinarily good. It’s just too bad he doesn’t have the money to put enough points behind it.

I was so stunned by Steve Rauschenberger’s apparent flip-flop on whether he’d drop out if Topinka wins the primary, I didn’t notice that he also kinda came out for an income tax increase:

Among other things, Rauschenberger said, he thinks the school year and the school day should be lengthened. Such changes would not come cheap, he admitted, but he said voters might decide they were willing to spend more on education if they were convinced kids would learn more.

“Maybe taxpayers would be happy to pay a 5 percent income tax if this was the vision for schools,” he said.

Claypool to Stroger: “stop the lies”.

Better never late.

ICC staff wants much bigger refund for Peoples Energy consumers.

Dan Hynes makes ethics push.

Interesting proposal by private companies to build new tollways.

Bartels endorses Salvi.

Another tort reform fight?

Tribune Co. quarterly profits fell 38 percent.

Frank Calabrese Sr. is being shunned.

Pink.

Thanks, Jake, for this sweet, sweet link.

I hear the sign says “Welcome back, Ray!“

28 Comments

Thursday, Feb 2, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

The right way:

Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.), the boss of the House Democratic political operation who is making ethics a centerpiece issue in the November elections, last month quietly switched campaign treasurers — from a federal lobbyist who has for a long time served in that role to someone else.

And the wrong way:

The face of Gov. Blagojevich’s re-election effort maintains an active lobbying practice in Springfield that has netted him $120,000 in consulting fees from a firm responsible for $1 billion in bond deals by the administration.

Even while acting as the lead spokesman for Blagojevich’s campaign, Doug Scofield runs a lobbying firm with clients including the cable television industry, a power company and a large public-employee union that together have donated more than $700,000 to the governor’s political fund since 2003.

Scofield filed his 2006 lobbyist registration papers last week and said he keeps his dual functions working on behalf of his firm’s clients and for the Blagojevich campaign separate.

And maybe some hope that they’re getting a clue:

Scofield left open the possibility his campaign role may change once Blagojevich formally announces he is seeking a second term after his Feb. 15 budget address.

Scofield is a huge asset to the Blagojevich campaign, and I happen to like the guy and respect his abilities. But, you have to wonder if the governor’s campaign is just completely in denial.

UPDATE: From the Secretary of State’s ~~really screwed-up~~ lobbyist registration list, we have Scofield’s clients: [The problem may be on my end. I’ll get back to you on this.]

AMERICAN INSURANCE ASSOCIATION
CABLE TELEVISION & COMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATION OF ILLINOIS
ENVIRONMENTAL LAW & POLICY CENTER OF THE MIDWEST
GREATER CHICAGO FOOD DEPOSITORY
ILLINOIS ARTS ALLIANCE
ILLINOIS INSURANCE ASSOCIATION
ILLINOIS MATHEMATICS & SCIENCE ACADEMY
INFANT WELFARE SOCIETY OF CHICAGO
MIDWEST GENERATION
MORGAN STANLEY & CO., INC.
MT. SINAI HOSPITAL
PRIMARY HEALTH CARE ASSOCIATION
SERVICE EMPLOYEES INTERNATIONAL UNION
TEACH FOR AMERICA
TEACHERS ACADEMY FOR MATHEMATICS & SCIENCE
UNITE HERE - CHICAGO & MIDWEST REGION

9 Comments

Huffman is freakin’ loaded

Thursday, Feb 2, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

Punkinhaid sure can raise the bucks.

How much is it worth to have the governor’s ear?

For Illinois State Rep. Jay Hoffman, the answer may approach $900,000.

Hoffman, the Collinsville Democrat running for re-election this year, has no opponent in the March 21 primary and an unknown, under-funded Republican challenger in November. Yet newly filed campaign finance records show Hoffman raised more than $310,000 in the last half of 2005.

Combined with his previous balance, that gives Hoffman a total of $899,871 in cash on hand, records show.

That’s many times more than most, if not all, rank-and-file legislators in the Illinois Legislature, who often measure their campaign kitties in five or even four figures. In fact, Hoffman, with no real political battle anywhere on the horizon, is sitting on more cash than is available to three of the six mainstream candidates for governor.

The reason for Hoffman’s popularity among unions, law firms, industry groups and other donors from all over Illinois certainly has something do to with his 15-year tenure in Springfield. But even Hoffman admits that at least part of the reason is the perception that he is Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s point man in the Legislature.

The Post-Dispatch also has a list of Metro East fundraising numbers (cash on hand) for those up for re-election this year.

Jay Hoffman, D-Collinsville $899,871

Kurt Granberg, D-Carlyle $388,219

Dan Reitz, D-Steeleville $258,481

Gary Hannig, D-Litchfield $184,384

Thomas Holbrook, D-Belleville $162,883

Jim Watson, R-Jacksonville $107,299

Dan Beiser, D- East Alton $36,894

Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro $30,656

Ron Stephens, R-Greenville $6,208

Wyvetter Younge, D-East St. Louis ($766)

This is a campaign finance open thread.

14 Comments

Poverty report

Thursday, Feb 2, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

The Mid-America Institute on Poverty is releasing a report today. Click on the map for a larger image.

Some excerpts from the report:

Â· 342,716 more Illinoisans are in poverty than in 1999

Â· Illinois’ current poverty rate of 12.4% is significantly higher than it was in 1999 when it was at 10%.

Â· 31 Illinois counties had an increase in the rate of poverty from 2002 to 2003.

Â· Illinois ranks worst in the Midwest on 15 key poverty indicators including overall poverty rate, child poverty rate, mass layoffs, housing affordability, and education spending.

Â· From 2001 to 2004, state human services funding decreased by $387 million as poverty increased. Small cuts are being made across the board resulting in the whittling away of human services. The impact is being felt by some of Illinois’ poorest families.

Â· The bankruptcy rate in Illinois doubled in the last 10 years, and nearly 50% of bankruptcies are the result of health expenses. The uninsured rate in Illinois is still 15%

I’ll have more from this report in the coming days.

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