SurveyUSA poll released
Wednesday, Feb 15, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller
SurveyUSA has released its monthly tracker of gubernatorial job approval ratings.
Gov. Blagojevich’s 41 percent approval and 54 percent disapproval is about the same as last month.
More details here.
UNRELATED UPDATE: Don’t forget about Illinoize.
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Mixed bag for Daley
Wednesday, Feb 15, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller
More Tribune poll numbers.
Seven out of 10 Chicago voters don’t believe Mayor Richard Daley’s assertions that he was unaware of wrongdoing in city contracting and hiring, but more than half of voters still approve of the job he is doing, a new Tribune/WGN-TV poll shows.
A majority of the survey’s participants have concluded that Daley is responsible for personnel and contract decisions and aren’t satisfied with his past efforts to eliminate fraud and corruption in those areas. Still, the poll found that when it comes time to vote, most voters will view the scandals that have rocked City Hall as less important than what Daley has done to improve the city.
With one year before the next city mayoral balloting, the poll found that if Daley ran for re-election today against U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., the race would be up for grabs. In a three-way contest that also included U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez, the poll showed Daley could be forced into a runoff. […]
Only 18 percent of voters in the poll said they believe Daley had no knowledge of how city contracts and jobs were awarded.
Sixty percent said they think the mayor is personally responsible for overseeing the selection of city contractors, and only about one in four said they were satisfied with Daley’s previous efforts to prevent corruption in contracting and city hiring. Nearly four out of five said they believe political loyalty should not determine who gets a city job, the poll found.
But half of the voters said they are satisfied with the mayor’s efforts since the City Hall scandals broke to eliminate favoritism, corruption and fraud in contracting and hiring. […]
Nearly 60 percent of respondents said improvements were more important to them than wrongdoing at City Hall when deciding whether to vote for Daley. Only 27 percent said they rated the scandals more important.
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Question of the day
Wednesday, Feb 15, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller
We had a lot of activity on the blog yesterday after I posted a few lines about Ron Gidwitz’s new TV ad. I figured it might be a good QOTD.
Here’s a roundup of the coverage with the question below.
· The Sun-Times proclaims “Gidwitz gives Topinka a venomous Valentine.”
“Judy Baar Topinka supports bigger government,” the narrator says in the 30-second spot. “More spending. More taxes. More debt.”
Topinka immediately fired off an angry letter to Gidwitz demanding he stop airing the commercials, calling them “reprehensible,” “dishonest” and “blatantly false.”
“He is misguided or he doesn’t understand or he is making a very grievous mistake,” Topinka told the Sun-Times.
Gidwitz campaign manager Joe Calomino said they have no plans to pull the commercial.
“The facts are the facts, and she’s wrong,” Calomino said.
There are facts and then there are political facts.
· “Gidwitz ad rips into Topinka’s record” writes the Daily Herald.
Gidwitz’s 30-second ad claims Topinka doubled spending in the treasurer’s office, sponsored a sales tax increase while a state senator and backed billions in new debt.
“Topinka. More of the same when it’s time for a change,†a male announcer’s voice says.
Topinka, who is the front-runner in polls while Gidwitz is running third, said her office has assumed more responsibilities than her predecessor, including the state’s lost-property program. Spending on regular operations has increased from just over $6 million to just under $8 million in her 11 years in office, aides said — far less than the double the ad claims.
“It’s dishonest. If he wants to hit me on something, hit me on something that exists. That is fair,†said Topinka, who started airing her own biographical TV spot Tuesday.
And the Tribune writes:
The ad, called “More,” suggests that Topinka would continue the kind of state government Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich has led.
The ad’s first claim is that Topinka “doubled spending” on her office.
While the number of people in the treasurer’s office has increased during Topinka’s tenure, so have the functions assigned to it in recent years.
Personnel records from the treasurer’s office show that 185 people work for Topinka, compared with 141 in 1995 when she took office.
Her campaign said the additional employees were from other state departments that had duties moved into the treasurer’s office. When compared directly, campaign aides contend she has actually reduced staff.
The question is, what do you think of all this? Will the ad backfire? Will it work?
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Budget roundup
Wednesday, Feb 15, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller
Here are a few excerpts from today’s budget preview stories.
· The Tribune’s story, “Election-year plan of plenty,” has several details.
Gov. Rod Blagojevich will unveil a $55.3 billion campaign year budget Wednesday highlighted by a broad-based social agenda that includes early learning programs and health care for kids while keeping his promise not to raise state income or sales taxes. […]
With something for nearly every constituency, the Blagojevich spending plan would pump a $400 million increase into prekindergarten programs through high school, including money to launch the nation’s first universal preschool for children as young as 3.
Blagojevich would pay to train 100 new Illinois State Police cadets, relocate the state’s Sexually Violent Persons program from Joliet to a new, larger facility in Downstate Rushville and partially open a long-vacant new prison in northwestern Illinois. For the first time in 6 years, the budget also would increase rates for child-care providers.
The governor also will propose $15 million to launch a 5-year, $100 million plan to provide funds for regenerative stem cell research, according to budget documents obtained by the Tribune.
· The Sun-Times writes about the pension proposal.
Gov. Blagojevich today will suggest diverting cash from the future sale of Illinois’ disputed 10th casino license to reduce the $38 billion shortfall facing the state’s public pension systems. […]
“I don’t think the idea even dignifies a response,” said Rep. Mark Beaubien (R-Wauconda), the House Republican’s lead budget negotiator. “That’s so classic Blagojevich: ‘When we sell the 10th license, we’ll give the money to pensions.’ In the year 2010? 2011? 2012? When? It’s pandering, that’s what it is.”
The Daily Herald takes my Capitol Fax story from yesterday and advances it an interesting notch.
Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich today will ask lawmakers to sell the state’s college loan portfolio to fetch as much as $500 million to pay for $1,000 college tax credits to parents of freshmen and sophomores at state schools.
The contract to sell the student loans, which would keep the same terms, could go to a firm with ties to the chairman of Blagojevich’s 2002 governor campaign. […]
McNeil confirmed the contract to sell the loans could go to Scott Balice Strategies, which has served as the tollway’s financial consultant. The firm is a “strategic partner†and has shared office space with lobbying outfit Wilhelm and Conlon. David Wilhelm was Blagojevich’s 2002 campaign chairman but has said he stopped lobbying a couple of years ago. Scott Balice has given $15,500 to Blagojevich’s campaign fund since 2000.
Use this as a budget address open thread. Live-blog if you can. I want commenters to get some practice doing this because I might have a big announcement in the coming days.
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Morning shorts
Wednesday, Feb 15, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller
· I think we need a better title for this daily item. Suggestions, please.
· “Democrat Linda Hawker, secretary of the Illinois Senate, is running for Sangamon County clerk and hopes to take on incumbent Republican Clerk Joe Aiello in the fall.”
I’ve known Linda forever. I don’t endorse, but I do wish her well.
· Worker attacked in prison kitchen.
· 3 new judgeships eliminated.
· Not a single DeKalb County doctor accepts Medicaid patients.
· More later.
· Tollway settles big lawsuit.
· Power Point and Vikings.
· More character witnesses for Ryan trial.
· City workers wonder: What are my odds of being indicted?
· Badges for library trustees. Yep. Goofy.
· Blogger is polled, blogs about the questions.
I did not write anything down so I am doing this from memory but the reasons for voting for Mike Jacobs had to do with him being instrumental in getting funding for the WIU campus in Moline, support for the Thomson Prison, his support for education and things like that. The reasons for voting against Mike Jacobs were him “speaking before thinking†when defending the riverboat gambling industry and him saying that union workers made too much money and since he was appointed rather than elected he was beholden to the party insiders rather than to the voters.
· Richard Norton Smith apparently has very thin skin.
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More on that absolutely bizarre jail break
Wednesday, Feb 15, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller
It just gets weirder.
On Tuesday, six correctional officers were suspended with pay because they are subjects of the sheriff’s internal investigation of Saturday’s jail break, Cunningham said.
Sources said one of those guards, a 36-year-old ex-Marine, has admitted he helped the inmates escape to give a political boost to a former jail supervisor, Richard Remus, who is running for Sheahan’s post in the March 21 Democratic primary.
Prosecutors on Tuesday night charged that correctional officer, Darin Gater, with a variety of offenses, and he is due in court today. […]
Still, one official close to the investigation said, “I’m absolutely not convinced with the Remus angle. That’s one of the problems I’m having. At best, I think it was a hope that it would assist Remus. But I cannot and do not believe anybody would be that stupid that they wouldn’t realize their heads would roll if something bad happened on their watch.”
And weirder.
News also broke Tuesday the jailbreak itself was no secret.
Authorities had been tipped to the planned breakout hours before the escape, officials said. In fact, word of the planned escape had made it all the way to the maximum security section of the jail where the inmates were housed, officials said.
What happened next still remains unclear, but six guards from that wing, including Gater, were suspended with pay Tuesday pending the outcome of an internal sheriff’s investigation, according to statements from sheriff’s officials.
And here’s some background on Richard Remus.
Remus split with Sheahan after Remus and his brother lost their jobs with the sheriff’s office.
And the blood feud thickened in recent days when a jail guard who once worked for Remus reportedly admitted that he helped six inmates escape from Cook County Jail to embarrass Sheahan and Dart — and to help Remus. Remus denies any involvement.
Remus, 48, is half Irish and half German, and grew up in the 19th Ward since the sixth grade. He worked on Mayor Daley’s first mayoral campaign and helped Michael Sheahan in his first campaign for sheriff. […]
Richard Remus’ name surfaced in 2003 when inmates sued him for allegedly leading a mass-beating in 1999. They said Remus stood on a table shouting, “SORT runs the jail.” The county settled the lawsuit. Remus was forced out of his job after an internal affairs investigation. A grand jury that investigated the incident said of Remus:
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Gidwitz goes negative
Tuesday, Feb 14, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller
Ron Gidwitz is reportedly running a negative TV ad. Go check out his site. More later.
UPDATE: Charges are iffy, to say the least. Topinka demanding that the ad be withdrawn.
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Corruption thread
Tuesday, Feb 14, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller
Carl Nyberg may be onto something here.
Illinois should pass a law that if you turn-in the ghost payroller you get a bounty, say 30% of the money the ghost payroller pilfered.
Then the government gets to sue the ghost payroller, the supervisor and the political patron to recover the money, the bounty and court costs.
Post your own innovative ideas for catching the bad apples and reforming Illinois in the comments. And, let’s not get into the name game, shall we? Just post ideas, not complaints.
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Question of the day
Tuesday, Feb 14, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller
First, read the entire story. Here’s an excerpt:
Both Republican candidates for the 56th District state representative seat are grappling with what to do with 500,000 illegal immigrants since deporting them isn’t a realistic option.
Incumbent Paul Froehlich of Schaumburg supports the idea of issuing driving certificates so undocumented immigrants can legally apply for driver’s licenses and insurance.
His challenger, Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 board member Anna Klimkowicz of Schaumburg, is skeptical about what incentive immigrants would have to seek out such certificates if they’re already driving.
“It would be one less legal problem for them to deal with,†Froehlich said during an interview with both candidates at the Daily Herald on Monday.
Froehlich believes the idea is a practical benefit to all motorists on the road. It would remove the barrier that keeps undocumented immigrants from taking the exams to get their licenses and allow them to have the insurance they’d need if involved in accidents, he said.
Froehlich added that he’d like to see that fingerprinting and a criminal and terrorism background check be made a condition of getting the certificates.
Discuss, but try not to get all hot-headed.
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Morning shorts
Tuesday, Feb 14, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller
· The AP has a list of known spending requests in tomorrow’s budget address.
· More on “Pay to Lay.”
· Topinka has a new TV ad.
· Brutal schedule for candidate forums in the 10th CD.
· Healthcare debated in the 6th CD.
· SJ-R supports Blagojevich pre-school plan.
· Community colleges want more money for counseling programs.
· More trouble in Chicago Heights.
· Acting US Attorney for southern Illinois could be on serious hot seat in Ryan trial.
· Forgot to mention this yesterday, but here’s my analysis of the Tribune’s latest poll.
· The Inside Dope celebrates one year of blogging. Congrats! Also, I dig the Valentine’s Day color scheme.
· Sex Ed plan a hot topic.
· Major Blagojevich backer will cost state taxpayers an additional $100 million in next fiscal year’s budget.
· Thomson prison could finally open this fall.
· Interesting article on learning.
· Rep. McKeon to testify as character witness for George Ryan.
· I think I’ll be drinking my Pepsi straight up from now on. Yuck.
· IL GOP hoped to raise over a million dollars last night.
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Sympathies
Tuesday, Feb 14, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller
Ronald E. Adams, the father-in-law of state Rep. James Brosnahan, passed away recently. Here are the arrangements via the Tribune:
Funeral Wednesday, 10:30 a.m. from Modell Funeral Home, 7710 S. Cass Ave., Darien. to Our Lady of Peace Church, Mass 11 a.m. Visitation Tuesday, 3 to 9 p.m. Please omit flowers.
Also, political consultant and friend Glenn Hodas unexpectedly lost his mom, Alice Hodas, over the weekend.
Her funeral is on Wed. Feb. 15 at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Genesee Depot in Wisconsin. She will then be buried in the church cemetery. Should people wish, they can make a contribution to the Humane Animal Welfare Society of Waukesha County, 701 Northview, Waukesha, WI 53187; or to St. Paul’s Catholic Church, Human Concerns Fund, PO Box 95, Genesee Depot, WI 53127
My most sincere sympathies to all.
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Absolute craziness
Tuesday, Feb 14, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller
Political hardball is one thing, but this is more than we’re used to.
A Cook County Jail guard has admitted to investigators that he helped six inmates escape over the weekend to give a political advantage to a former jail supervisor running for sheriff, a law enforcement source said Monday.
The 36-year-old guard confessed that he allowed a convicted killer, two accused robbers and two others charged with aggravated kidnapping and battery to bust out of the jail to cast a shadow on Sheriff Michael Sheahan’s management of the complex at 26th and California.
The guard knew the negative publicity would hurt Sheahan’s chief of staff, Tom Dart, who is running for sheriff, the source said.
And the guard admitted he helped engineer the escape to give a political boost to Richard Remus, a candidate in the Democratic primary election and the former leader of the jail’s Special Operations Response Team, the source said. The guard is a member of the SORT unit.
Remus denied any involvement in the plot, and a law enforcement source said there was no evidence connecting him to it.
Actually, I think the escape initially hurt Cook County Board President John Stroger more than anyone else because he has denied the sheriff money to hire new guards.
UPDATE: The Tribune posted a late story on its website containing the same allegations. Looks like they got scooped bigtime.
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