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Morning shorts
Monday, Nov 27, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller * Suit seeks overturning of malpractice limits * Crain’s: [Malpractice] Insurers credit a law that pulls back the curtain on a decade of ISMIE’s insurance data, a requirement of malpractice reform passed last year. ISMIE initially fought the measure but gave in to get caps on jury awards for patients who sue their doctors. So far, it’s the ability to crunch ISMIE’s numbers that is spurring rate competition, not the caps on malpractice payouts, insurers say. * IL Lt. Gov. Calls for Action on Rate Freeze * Tribune: The official state request for a proposal to do the work states, “[IDOT] has inadequate planning and management staff to develop and produce a state transportation plan within the time allowed by federal law,” which is July 1, 2007. * Editorial: THUMBS DOWN! To Gov. Rod Blagojevich and the Democrat-controlled legislature for considering a fuel tax break that would benefit only United Airlines. The legislation is part of a package aimed at keeping the financially troubled airlines’ headquarters in Illinois. But the fuel tax break would only apply to United, not other airlines that also serve the state well. The tax break also comes at a time when the state has refused to give motorists a break from the sales tax on high gasoline prices. We think appropriate tax breaks for business are good, but we’re concerned when the breaks benefit only one business. * An enviable set of coattails - As the late Sen. Paul Simon’s daughter runs for mayor in Carbondale, some Democrats hope her father’s legacy will give her political career statewide cache * Kadner: Yes, it’s time to give thanks for Stroger * Helicopter offer takes police by surprise * Will state hike in minimum wage cost jobs or put new shoes on a child’s feet? * Crain’s: Chicago homeowners would face a median increase of 36.4% in their 2006 property tax bills — up from 10.6% otherwise — if the General Assembly does not extend a 7% annual cap on most residential assessment hikes, according to a new report by the Civic Federation. Business groups say the cap shifts the tax burden to them, but the the Chicago tax-policy group says the value of residential property is growing so fast that, even with the cap, the median bill for industrial property will drop 10.8%, with a 4% median decline on office and retail buildings. The federation supports a three-year extension of the cap. * Editorial: Two things are clear after the Illinois Senate decided last week to give many top state officials a double-digit pay increase. First, the state needs to adopt a new method of granting pay raises. Second, the move by senators, and their comments about the pay raise, are arrogant almost beyond belief. * DCFS walks fine line on child welfare - Advocates see risks in the push to keep some families intact
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- Pat Hickey - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 7:38 am:
Phil Kadner is in full stride - but his best was an earlier citation of the now fabled Alfanso Soriano signing by the door-mats of sport: Signing A.S. was like putting spats on a hog.
- Niles Township - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 8:05 am:
I’ve criticized the local broadcast media here and elsewhere for their poor coverage of politics and public policy. So, I feel obligated to post a compliment when it deserves to be stated. I’ve become a fan of the local Sunday Fox News In the Morning show at 8 a.m. on Ch. 32. They have good political guests pretty much every week and interviewers Jack Conaty, the station’s political reporter, and Dane Placko don’t let the pols off when they give their scripted answers. So, cheers to this one hour program for at least getting closer to what political coverage should be all about.
- Cassandra - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 8:19 am:
The DCFS article makes Bryan Samuels’ sudden departure even more puzzling. From a high of 51,000 foster kids during the Illinois foster care panic to 16,500 today. That’s still too many given the disproportionate number of black kids in care and most of the drop occurred under Republican Jess McDonald but the Republicans created the problem too. And there was a respectable drop in the foster population under Samuels. And the drop in reabuse of kids who received services while staying with their families, which started in 2002, was maintained under Samuels. Even the ACLU was laudatory.
Sounds like the private agencies who provide the service want more money. The private child care sector has made hundreds of millions out of DCFS foster care in recent decades so I would look to hear more private sector CEO’s talking about how maybe DCFS doesn’t take enough kids and how hard it is to serve kids in their homes.
- VanillaMan - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 11:44 am:
Wow!
What a mess! It is going to take a lot of saltines to keep from hurling after reading stories like these.
Rome is burning and Blagojevich and the GA are arguing over what smoke smells like. Obviously, both can agree what cash smells like and want more.
No leadership since 2003 on the state debt, state budget, property taxes, electricity rates, educational funding, and any other issue that requires adult leadership. Instead we got lots of feel-good nanny-state giveaways without funding.
The Blue-state mentality Illinois has been under is starting to cost us greatly. As reality butts in, the Democrats hope that waiting will change their options. High taxes have been offset by caps, keeping voters coddled and believing in the Great French Future enough to get them reelected. The piper is at the door, and want to be paid. Yet the Democrats refuse to hear his knocking and pounding. Blagojevich is telling us, “let’s all pretend!” Those who warn of a bleak winter are shunned.
The US recession has been over long enough that traditionally we should be seeing our state economy recovered. But it hasn’t happened here. Instead Illinois is finding itself treading water and offering dying companies like United money to keep their doors open. The state budget is broken, schools are a shambles, and Federal investigators are working overtime trying to keep up with the scandals dropping off newly elected officials. Even though the US economy has bounced back - Illinois hasn’t bounced with it.
Our state has real issues to deal with. But we will not be seeing any resolution or leadership from a party who refuses to agree that their policies has caused the problems. We will be seeing a continued battle between Illinois businesses, their taxes, and a state government struggling to pay the bills.
In a global business world, there are fewer and fewer reasons to come here. As long as we elect politicians who promise us that others will pay for our way through life, we will appear as parasites to future businesses.
- IlliniPundit - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 2:52 pm:
Thanks, Rich!
- Truthful James - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 2:53 pm:
The increase in residential property tax bills in Cook County according to Crains:
“…a median increase of 36.4% in their 2006 property tax bills — up from 10.6% otherwise — if the General Assembly does not extend a 7% annual cap on most residential assessment hikes…
is because for the last three years the residential taxpayers (read, Voters) have been sheltered from the true effect of their increasing values.
Meanwhile, the commercial and industrial sectors have not been sheltered and we continue to pile it on them
Walk around the County, children, and take a look at the smaller shopping malls away from Michigan Avenue and on the South side as well as the suburbs. Tax bills are in excess of $5.30 per sq.ft. Those owners try to pass it on to their tenants and we have vacant stores like acne popping up all over. If the tenants could pass it on within sales prices, they would, but when Walmart looms with their special deals and sales drop in the ma and pa stores twenty percent, they can’t raise prices and can’t swallow it either.
- Bill - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 4:04 pm:
To paraphrase those great republicans, Truthful, Vanilla, and chicken little:
The sky is falling,the sky is falling…
- Bill - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 4:09 pm:
Oh and by the way “truthful”, the portion of the property tax burden assesed on businesses has actually decreased despite the caps due to the extraordinary increase in housing values. Business property has appreciated much less. Hence, a lower burden for business.
This real truth doesn’t help your arguement though.
- Gregor - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 5:23 pm:
Um, Bill, you seem to be close and in the know at the Blago camp so: can you tell us when Deadbeat Blago is going to pony up the money the judge awarded to the video game indistry over his stupid unconstititional press stunt? It’s over a half a million and the interest and penalties are up over seven thousand more if I read correctly. I’m sure it must have just slipped his mind what with all the walking on water lately.
- Bill - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 5:35 pm:
That’s GOVERNOR deadbeat blago to you, dude!
and don’t hold your breadth waiting for any money. I believe that that is a debt of the state not the governor.It is up to the legislature to take care of paying or not paying. Maybe they will have to go back to court.
- Pat Hickey - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 6:29 pm:
Bill,
I love when you hit ‘em between the horns and they don’t even know they’ve been hit - they just drop. Nice one.
- Rahm on The Daily Show tonight - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 11:21 pm:
Will repeat later tonight and again Tuesday afternoon and Tuesday around dinner time. He was plugging his book. At least he didn’t declare man-love for Arnold like SOME people. Maybe this will goad Blago the Great Communicator into making another appearance on the show…
- Levois - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 11:26 pm:
Wow great to see that newsclip about IlliniPundit. To be sure though I was at the site when I saw that he revealed himself. I was surprised that I saw that.
- Gregor - Monday, Nov 27, 06 @ 11:28 pm:
Um, Pat and Bill, try reading the link to the story over on the right side of this very page… Blago’s legal counsel said they were expecting the Atty Gen. to pay the money out of an account they have for this kind of thing… only, there is no such account. Must be another Pepperdine grad. We are in such good hands with these people running the state! Meanwhile the governor gamer’s crack staff says they can’t figure out what line item in the state budget to pay it off from. Much like the rest of the crimson horror that is the state’s accounting ledger. May I suggest the campaign fund since the whole thing was an exercise in empty P.R. in the first place?
The only thing stunning me is the chutzpah of this administration, and the deafness and blindness of it’s sycophants.