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Nursing home adminstrator: “hell on bureaucratic wheels”

Tuesday, May 2, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

The State Journal-Register published this OpEd today. It’s definitely worth a read.

I have the very challenging and honorable position of being a nursing home administrator and the good fortune to have more than 30 years of nursing to my credit. […]

What began as delayed payments has now reached what could be interpreted as payments that have come to a screeching halt. Consequently, I not only walked into a financial nightmare with the state of Illinois’ public aid system, things have now progressed from nightmare to hell on bureaucratic wheels.

My facility is one of several in Illinois that is still independently owned and our Public Aid census average is approximately 78 to 79 percent. I don’t have the security of a “mother corporation” to fall back on when Public Aid fails to release our checks in a timely manner. […]

Our bank’s benevolence and our vendors’ understanding can’t last forever when the state of Illinois interprets the releasing of our checks in a “timely manner” as once every six, seven, eight, nine, 10, 11, 12 weeks or longer. I’m sure that some of our legislators are or have been independent businessmen and women. So, I ask all of you who represent us in this state government - does your paycheck arrive in this manner? Do you pay your bills on time and if not, how long before you start seeing finance charges mounting up or your utility companies’ disconnection?

My office personnel informed me recently that we finally received a voucher number from Public Aid. Now for those of you who aren’t familiar with this, it means we can now “get in line” to possibly receive our check for November’s care in the “near” future.

Yes, I said November. Considering that we haven’t received a check from Public Aid for approximately three months, all I can ask is, what’s wrong with this picture?

Read the whole thing.

  27 Comments      


Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Meeks Poll; Fund Sweeps; Budget Deal; “Blowhard” (use all upper-case in password) UPDATED

Tuesday, May 2, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Question of the day

Tuesday, May 2, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

I’m often asked what sort of people comment on this blog. The truth is, I’m not quite sure. Some are Capitol Fax subscribers, some are insiders, some are obviously not.

So, without “outing” yourself in any way, let’s hear from you about what you do. Are you an “insider” or an “outsider”? Any details would be interesting.

UPDATE: I should point out that most people who read this blog don’t comment, and the vast majority of those are “insiders” in one way or another. This question is for those who do comment, either occasionally or regularly.

  87 Comments      


Reformers demand reform

Tuesday, May 2, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

I suggested in a recent Capitol Fax that the goo-goos need to start playing a little hardball if they want to get anything done in Springfield this spring. This morning, a coalition of good government groups is putting some pressure on Gov. Blagojevich with the following open letter (edited for length):

Dear Governor Blagojevich:

We’re fast approaching the one-year anniversary of the day you unveiled a proposal to limit campaign donations by individuals, to ban corporate and union contributions, to close the revolving door on legislators becoming lobbyists and to strengthen the enforcement powers of the State Board of Elections.

At the time, your critics said you weren’t serious about the proposal and that it was nothing more than “damage control” needed to reverse a slide in public opinion polls that followed weeks of news articles about terrible state audits and big contributors getting big state contracts.

Because you released the details of your proposal with less than three weeks remaining in the spring 2005 legislative session, legislators from both political parties questioned your commitment to passing the legislation.

To date, you’ve done little to prove your critics wrong.

Even though the presiding officers of the General Assembly are co-chairs of your re-election campaign and have helped pass your other major initiatives, your reform legislation hasn’t even been the topic of a legislative committee hearing.

A year ago, you told reporters; “The legislators will have a clear choice on whether or not they want to pass it or not. We’re going to do our best to try to pass it. We’ll keep pushing that. I think it will be dramatic and a significant reform.” We haven’t heard much from you since.

In February, 2006, you told the Chicago Tribune that the time wasn’t right. You said, “you have to pick your fights at the right time to get such legislation passed.” Our question is: if not now, when?

In the year since you promised to “rock the system in Springfield,” Illinoisans have been rocked all right, but not by your legislation. […]

Now is the time to pass meaningful reform laws. […]

When you set your mind to it, Governor, you have demonstrated how persuasive you can be in passing major pieces of legislation, including the ethics reforms of 2003.

Will you give your own campaign and government reform proposal the same dedication, the same commitment, the same degree of support? Or were your critics correct in saying this was nothing more than a cynical attempt to divert attention from your own fundraising practices?

Will you bring legislative leaders to the table this week and negotiate sweeping reforms that include the major elements of your plan from last spring?

What will it take to change the culture in state government? Do the people of Illinois have to wait until another politician is tried and convicted of wrongdoing, or is enough, enough?

We urge you to act now, and we stand ready to assist.

The groups signing the letter were the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, The League of Women Voters of Illinois, Citizen’s Advocacy Center, Protestants for the Common Good, the Better Government Association, the Sunshine Project, Illinois PIRG and Illinois Common Cause.

  11 Comments      


Guv’s Inspector General opposes reform bill

Tuesday, May 2, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

Rep. Fritchey wonders what the heck is going on.

So I’m looking through the latest supplemental calendar and I come across HB4572, which has had its deadline for passage extended. This is an interesting bill that deals with some of the secrecy issues that have been raised by Ethics Commission Chairman Scott Turow and others, although it still leaves a lot of issues unresolved. […]

According to the analysis, one proponent has stepped out in favor of the bill - the Executive Inspector General of the Treasurer’s Office. At the same time, only one entity has come out against the bill - the Executive Inspector General of the Governor’s Office. Go figure.

Here is the summary of the bill:

(i) Allows an Inspector General to disclose the name of a confidential source to employees of the Inspector General or Ethics Commission who need the information for proper performance of their employment functions;

(ii) Allows a law enforcement agency, an ultimate jurisdictional authority, an Ethics Commission, or another Inspector General who received information from an Inspector General to disclose the information to their employees who need the information for proper performance of their employment functions;

(iii) Allows the subject of an Inspector General file or report to request, in writing, a copy of the report and gives the ultimate jurisdictional authority discretion to release a redacted copy of the file or report;

(iv) Makes it a Class A misdemeanor to intentionally disclose the name of an individual providing information or reporting alleged misconduct (except to employees of the Inspector General or Ethics Commission); and

(v) Makes it a Class A misdemeanor to disclose information contained in an Inspector General report if the person disclosing is an employee of an entity receiving information from a report in order to perform their job or the person who was the subject of an investigation who received a redacted copy (with an exception for disclosing information to a personal attorney or union representative).

  5 Comments      


Gay marriage petition story

Tuesday, May 2, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

The media is finally starting to awaken to the gay marriage petition drive.

Opponents of gay marriage hope to give voters a chance to speak out on the issue through an advisory referendum this fall, a move that could affect political races by bringing more conservatives to the polls.

Organizers of “Protect Marriage Illinois” predicted Monday that they will have enough signatures — thousands more than the 283,111 needed — to get a referendum on the November ballot.

It would ask voters whether they think the Illinois Constitution should define marriage between a man and a woman as the only valid legal union in Illinois. The results won’t change the constitution but could influence whether lawmakers ever take that step.

“The people don’t want their children taught in school that marriage is between one man and another man,” David E. Smith, project director for Protect Marriage Illinois.

Critics argue the petition drive is just an attempt to mobilize conservative voters.

Read the whole thing.

  13 Comments      


Blagojevich skips meetings, too

Tuesday, May 2, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

This is a good response by Topinka’s campaign. The problem is, Topinka is firing back with earned media (where few will see it) and not with corresponding TV ads (where most will see it).

Gov. Rod Blagojevich has been skipping meetings of some important state boards but criticizing his Republican opponent for similar behavior, leading to accusations of hypocrisy Monday.

Blagojevich’s latest campaign ad criticizes Republican Judy Baar Topinka, the state treasurer, for not attending meetings of the Illinois State Board of Investment, which oversees the money for state pension systems. Topinka has “ex officio” status with full voting powers.

But Blagojevich is also an ex officio member of some boards, and he doesn’t attend their meetings either. The Democratic governor, during more than three years in office, has never attended a meeting of the University of Illinois board of trustees or the Toll Highway Authority.

“That is so typical of Governor Blagojevich,” said Topinka campaign spokesman David Loveday. “He says one thing and does another. That’s why he has a credibility problem with the voters.” […]

But Blagojevich spokeswoman Sheila Nix denied any hypocrisy. The governor appoints university trustees and Tollway directors, Nix said, so he influences policy without having to attend meetings himself. Topinka doesn’t appoint the investment board, so her only influence is showing up and taking part, Nix said.

  6 Comments      


Morning shorts

Tuesday, May 2, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

· A quick check doesn’t show any stories, but Mike Madigan was re-elected State Democratic Party Chairman yesterday by acclamation.

· ‘We are not a plague’

· Here’s a link to video of the Union League Club panel I did last week with Kristen McQueary and Sen. James Meeks. (Thanks to my buddy Dave for the tip.) I’ll be speaking at noon today at the Illinois Community Action Association.

· State Fair lineup announced. Foreigner? Yeesh.

· Phone-list sellers: We help cops

· The Wendy’s City?

· New Lenox Mayor Mike Smith picked up a $1,462 tab at a Chicago strip club last month and put the charges on the village credit card.

· State House OKs tax credit for development along Fox

· City schools may shed integration watchdog

  6 Comments      


Stay updated

Monday, May 1, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

The Tribune is live blogging today’s immigration rights march. Pretty much everybody in the “mainstream” media was caught off guard by the last march, and it appears the Trib doesn’t want that to happen again. Here’s a sample:

10:38 a.m. At a busy McDonald’s restaurant at Randolph and Dearborn Streets, a crew of about a dozen mostly Hispanic workers was bustling to serve customers lining up for breakfast and coffee. “Everything is normal,” said a worker.

Nearby, a letter on the revolving door of a seafood restaurant, Catch 35 at 35 W. Wacker Drive, said the popular venue for business lunches would be closed due to a national boycott in support of legalizing illegal immigrants.

“This boycott of work renders Catch 35 without the staff levels necessary to serve you,” the message read.

  33 Comments      


Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Dick Kay; Erickson/Adrian; Pay Raises; Finke; Roundup; Veto Session; Casinos (use all upper-case in password)

Monday, May 1, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Question of the day

Monday, May 1, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

I think the most under-reported political story of the past four months has been the attempt to put an anti-gay marriage referendum question on the ballot this fall. I’m also guilty of not giving this enough ink, by the way.

What do you think is the most underreported political story of the year so far?

  35 Comments      


Meeks beat

Monday, May 1, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

The Star’s columnist David Johnson points out that the south suburbs are playing a key role in the governor’s race so far.

The southern suburbs of Chicago will prove to be pivotal in determining who will be governor of Illinois in the next election. Two of Chicago’s most dynamic political figures, U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. and state Sen. James Meeks, are spending huge amounts of political capital in an attempt to get Gov. Rod Blagojevich to move in the right direction.

For Congressman Jackson, it is getting the governor to merely live up to his word. The governor said he supports the Jackson proposal for a privately funded airport in unincorporated Will County.

All the governor has to do, according the congressman, is lease the land to ALNAC. The governor’s position is he will not do so until there is a consensus in the region. It is not clear how that consensus will be built.

Sen. Meeks wants to see the governor step up to plate and provide the requisite dollars to fund high-quality education in Illinois. Meeks has threatened to launch a run for the governor’s mansion if his friend does not do the right thing.

This past week the leader of one of Chicago’s mega-churches expressed his displeasure with a recent conversation with the governor. In other words, the governor has placed the ball back in the court of preacher-politician Meeks.

  6 Comments      


A peek behind the curtain

Monday, May 1, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

Judy Baar Topinka’s new campaign manager explains the campaign’s thinking to Bernie.

McFadden said the Topinka campaign has heard estimates that Gov. ROD BLAGOJEVICH’s campaign, which had more than $15.5 million in the bank as of Dec. 31, has spent at least $6 million on television ads since January. The governor’s campaign spokeswoman couldn’t confirm that amount, but there’s no question that Blagojevich has been spending a lot on ads - many of them attacking Topinka.

McFadden said the “early onslaught of negative ads” is unprecedented, and it sets a tough campaign tone.

But Blagojevich, McFadden said, has a “tremendous credibility problem … that’s making it difficult for him to sell both his positive and negative messages right now.”

“It’s clear what his game plan is,” McFadden added. “He tried for a while to get his positives up, and polls show that didn’t work, so now he’s going on the negative side.”

It’s not yet certain what direction Topinka’s ads will take, McFadden said.

“You try to walk through these things logically, and you try to develop your messages, do your polling, do those kinds of things, and see where all that leads to, instead of just jumping in and start flailing around and throwing stuff around,” McFadden said.

“One of the most difficult challenges we have, frankly, in the campaign,” he said, “is weeding through all the messages we feel are effective against the governor and trying to find out which ones can be the most effective.

“We’re going to have to be creative,” he added, to get through the “clutter” of what will probably be a sustained ad campaign from now through Nov. 7 from the governor. Many voters already are tired of the governor’s ads, and by fall, “they may be more tired of them,” he said.

Topinka needs to show she is a “good, credible alternative,” McFadden said, and he thinks she is positioned well for that, despite the bruising GOP primary.

Topinka is a moderate, in GOP terms, McFadden said, but she can regain support from those on the political right through a “strong record of fiscal discipline.”

“If Jim Edgar can pull it off, I think she can,” McFadden said.

Topinka also is from suburban Cook County, where Republicans have to do well, he said. And “she’s with a lot of independent female voters on the issues.”

And the back and forth continues

Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s campaign unveiled another TV commercial Sunday, this time attacking state Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka’s record of attendance on a board that manages state pension investments.

Meanwhile, in a dueling Chicago news conference an hour later and a few blocks away, Topinka said Blagojevich has refused to do anything to help lower gas prices, and she called for the governor to act on the issue before the Legislature adjourns. […]

The new commercial accuses Topinka of missing every meeting of the Illinois State Board of Investment, a nine-member board that manages $10 billion in state pension money.

“It’s hard to be a leader if you never come to the meetings,” Quinn said. “I think the other members of the state pension board would certainly listen carefully to what the treasurer of Illinois would say.”

Quinn also said while Blagojevich intends to propose a “pro-consumer” plan regarding gas prices after the Legislature passes the budget, the issue is a national problem that needs to be addressed in Washington D.C.

Regarding the pension board, Topinka campaign spokesman Dave Loveday said Topinka is an ex-officio member — automatically getting a seat because she is treasurer — and one of her representatives attends every meeting.

“It’s just a diversion and they knew that,” Loveday said. “He (Blagojevich) should worry about his attendance in Springfield, go to Springfield and work on the budget, work on trying to do something for gas prices.”

UPDATE: Andy Plonka satirizes the guv’s new TV ad campaign:

Governor Rod Blagojevich has another campaign commercial, this time attacking state Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka’s record of attendance when she was an eighth grader in Riverside. […]

Each of the attack ads ends with a voiceover wondering, “What’s she thinking?” Future spots in the series will question Topinka’s choice of hairdresser, her parking ticket from 1987, a game of “Spin the Bottle” with Future Teachers of America club members when she was a sophomore in high school, and her involvement with the West Suburban Chapter of the Alpha Gamma Delta Sorority.

  26 Comments      


Stroger’s future

Monday, May 1, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

Kristen McQueary has a good column this week about John Stroger.

Cook County Board President John Stroger is going home.

In a few weeks, he’ll leave an institutional setting and begin rehab from his 8th Ward bungalow.

No one wants to talk about it — at least publicly — but if his condition as a result of a stroke he suffered earlier this year remains the same, it is unlikely Stroger will return to the office. He is relearning how to speak, how to form words, according to his son, Chicago Ald. Todd Stroger.

His condition is so fragile that family members have refrained from discussing county business or politics with him, let alone the possibility he may have to step aside. It’s the most telling detail about his recovery: I doubt Stroger has gone a day in his adult life without talking about Cook County government until now.

Six people I talked to last week cautioned me it’s too early to talk about a replacement. It’s only been a month and a half, and stroke patients often take many, many months to relearn basic tasks.

Three others didn’t return my call, knowing the topic. The only thing more delicate than talking about Stroger’s health is talking about Stroger’s future.

His son has been gracious in answering the question that comes daily, hourly — probably minute-to-minute. “How’s your father?”

I asked Ald. Stroger last week if party leaders approached him yet about taking his father’s spot. He answered coolly: “No. Only the press asks that question.”

  14 Comments      


Blacks and immigration

Monday, May 1, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

The people at Pew have a new poll about African-American views on illegal and legal immigrration and even breaks it down by region, including Chicago.

In Chicago, where 80% of blacks say jobs are difficult to find, there is a widespread perception among African Americans that immigrant workers are damaging local job prospects. Fully 41% of African Americans say they or a family member have lost a job, or not gotten a job, because an employer hired an illegal immigrant instead. That is nearly double the number of blacks nationally who say this (22%), and almost triple the number of Chicago-area whites (15%) who say an immigrant worker has cost them or a family member a job.

Nearly half of Chicago-area African Americans (46%) favor decreasing the level of legal immigration into the U.S. This percentage is significantly greater than the fraction of blacks nationally expressing this opinion (34%). On most other immigration issues, however, blacks in Chicago have attitudes similar to those of blacks in the national public. For instance, fewer than half (45%) think that illegal immigrants should be required to return home, which mirrors the opinions of blacks nationally (47%), and is a bit lower than the percentage of Chicago-area whites (54%) who favor requiring all illegal immigrants to leave the country.

Meanwhile, the Tribune has a story on the issue’s impact on Republicans and Topinka expresses concerns about today’s planned protests.

Also Sunday, while Topinka said she supports the right of demonstrators to participate in a massive Chicago march promoting immigration reform on Monday, she worries that emotions are clouding the debate.

“I hope I won’t see a lot of foreign flags floating around or versions of ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ that are not in English because it just highlights the emotionalism of what is a very complicated problem,” she said. “That just aggravates it, makes it worse, and ultimately keeps people from coming together to come up with an answer.”

  5 Comments      


Morning shorts

Monday, May 1, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller

· Sun-Times: A top Illinois environmental official has told investigators he “may have” warned a landfill owner that his state permit problems would not clear up until his relative, Ald. Richard Mell (33rd), patched up a feud with Gov. Blagojevich, sources told the Sun-Times.

· Crain’s: GOP targets Illinois as battleground for House seats

· Shabbona casino may not be dead. And Jumer’s unifying casino, hotel projects

· Will politics determine FutureGen site?

· Obama’s money machine (scroll down)

· Carol Marin tries to get around the censors.

· Clinics feeling Medicaid squeeze

· Editorial: Six figures for aldermen? We raise objections

· Oops, forgot to open comments. Sorry about that.

· Miller: Ryan case prompts reform talk, but real changes aren’t likely

  2 Comments      


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* Campaign news: Big Raja money; Benton over-shares; Rashid's large cash pile; Jeffries to speak at IDCCA brunch
* Rep. Hoan Huynh jumps into packed race for Schakowsky’s seat (Updated)
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