[Updated and bumped to the top.]
Why would Senator Obama give a political boost to embattled Harvey Mayor Eric Kellog just before the municipal elections?
U.S. Sen. Barack Obama has picked an interesting spot to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Harvey.
The troubled city claimed the minor coup Thursday when the in-demand senator’s office announced he will speak to an expected audience of 2,000 at St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church.
Obama, who is pondering a bid for the presidency, will be joined by Harvey Mayor Eric J. Kellogg, said St. Mark’s pastor, Bishop William Jordan.
The senator will be in Harvey for “reflection, not politics,” his spokesman Julian Green said, adding he did not know if Obama was aware of a series of scandals plaguing Kellogg’s administration.
Kellogg is accused of ordering police to return a gun taken in evidence to a murder suspect and faces allegations of police and financial corruption.
Jordan said Kellogg was slated to introduce Obama, but Green later said the pastor would do the honors.
Here’s a bit of background on Kellog.
Harvey Mayor Eric J. Kellogg ordered one of his detectives to make a gun seized from a convicted felon vanish from evidence, authorities said Friday in the latest scandal to plague Harvey police and the first to finger the mayor in potentially criminal behavior.
In an October meeting with other unnamed Harvey officials, “Public Official A” told Detective Hollis Dorrough to “help with the case and return property” to the defandant’s stepfather, whom he had known for years, prosecutors said at Dorrough’s Friday morning court appearance.
Sources close to the case named Kellogg as “Public Official A” and said Kellogg’s bodyguards are the other “unnamed officials.”
And guess who Kellogg’s attorney is? Why it’s Sam Adam, Jr., the same guy who is representing Ald. Arenda Troutman. Adam had this to say yesterday about Troutman’s case.
“(S)he never took any money to do anything illegal.”
The problem isn’t whether her official actions were legal, the problem is that she allegedly took money to make the calls and write the letters.
Anyway, Harvey is so screwed up that the Daily Southtown has a special page devoted to the town on its website. The page is called “Eye on Harvey,” and it’s an instructive read. Perhaps the Senator’s staff should go check it out.
Here are a few stories from the site.
* Harvey candidate sues mayor, officer
A Harvey mayoral candidate filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday against Mayor Eric Kellogg and a police officer Kellogg rehired, claiming they falsely arrested her for political gain.
* Harvey rehires felon
Son of former school board president was convicted of fraud, theft for bilking state out of $10,000 in student aid money
* Harvey wins a Worsty
The Illinois Press Association has identified the worst offenders in the state when it comes to the Illinois Open Meetings Act and the Illinois Freedom of Information Act — and the city of Harvey made the list.
Called the Worsties, each year the IPA recognized the state’s 10 worst violators of the public’s right to know. This year, Harvey came in at No. 3, right behind Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his administration.
“Harvey city officials hit on a unique way to hide its fiscal problems. Don’t do the paperwork,” the IPA said, noting Harvey’s efforts to avoid releasing public records. The stalling tactics and noncompliance with state law prompted the Daily Southtown to sue the city of Harvey.
*** UPDATE *** One of Mayor Eric Kellog’s opponents in the upcoming election has just sent out a press release. Here’s part of it.
Anthony L. McCaskill – Candidate for Mayor of the city of Harvey – is requesting that U.S. Senator Barak Obama use his time in the politically corrupt town of Harvey to confront the many ills of the community. McCaskill is appealing to the U.S Presidential hopeful to speak out against culture of corruption in Harvey as well as announce a measure that would allow more public safety funds for the citizens of Harvey.
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Bear down *** Updated x1 ***
Friday, Jan 12, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller
I’ve been meaning to do this all week, but it’s been kinda busy. The press release on the news feed at the right and Fritchey’s goofy post at Illinoize reminded me.
Governor Rod R. Blagojevich today accepted a friendly bet with Washington State Governor Christine Gregoire, as the Chicago Bears and the Seattle Seahawks prepare to go head-to-head Sunday at Chicago’s Soldier Field in the National Football League (NFL) Divisional Playoffs.
If the 13-3 Chicago Bears prevail, Gov. Gregoire will provide apples and smoked salmon fresh from Washington.
If the 9-7 Seattle Seahawks win the game, Gov. Blagojevich will send to Olympia, Washington 17th Street BBQ, a DuQuoin favorite, and Cozy Dogs, an Illinois tradition from Route 66.
This is a Chicago Bears divisional playoffs open thread. Have at it.
*** UPDATE *** A Spokesman-Review columnist trashes Gov. Chris Gregoire’s bet.
…Northwesterners come off sounding a bit snooty by betting salmon against barbecue on football, which is just a half step below betting a case of oak-casked chardonnay against a rack of non-micro brewskis.
Don’t we have anything else that far-off elected types want?
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US Attorneys being fired?
Friday, Jan 12, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller
Buried in this San Diego Union-Tribune story about the US Attorney there being pushed out the door after prosecuting Duke Cunningham was this interesting little quote.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., criticized the Bush administration yesterday for “pushing out U.S. Attorneys from across the country under the cloak of secrecy.â€
“We don’t know how many U.S. Attorneys have been asked to resign – it could be two, it could be ten, it could be more. No one knows,†she said in a statement.
I’ve been saying for months it might be a possibility in a post-’06 environment, but could Fitzmas really ever come to an end? [Hat tip: TPM]
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Smoking ban, pro and con
Friday, Jan 12, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller
More on the proposed statewide smoking ban in today’s Sun-Times.
State Sen. John Cullerton (D-Chicago) said Thursday he’s going to push for a smoking ban in all Illinois workplaces — including bars and restaurants — to begin in January 2008. His bill, if passed, would supersede Chicago’s smoking ban, which currently gives bars until July 2008 to go smoke-free.
“There’s simply no reason why, in this year, hospitality workers such as waitresses, servers and bartenders shouldn’t have the same health protection that exists in office buildings where most of us work,” Cullerton said.
If lawmakers approve Cullerton’s proposal, Illinois would become the 17th state to pass a statewide smoking ban. “We need to play catch-up with the rest of the world and adopt a comprehensive law that protects everyone,” he said.
Cullerton was prompted to work for a smoke-free Illinois after learning of a June 2005 U.S. surgeon general’s report that concluded that any amount of secondhand smoke can cause health problems.
And the SJ-R has the other side of the story.
…Steve Riedl, executive director of the Illinois Licensed Beverage Association, said supporters of smoking bans have contended all along they would improve business, not hurt it, so there should be no reason to level the playing field.
“Obviously, they were lying,” he said.
A statewide ban “takes one wrong and multiplies it into a number of wrongs,” Riedl said, adding that banning smoking amounts to one group of people trying to force their beliefs on everyone else.
The same complaint came up during the debate over whether to Harry Kelley, a lobbyist for the Illinois Association of Tobacco and Candy Distributors, pointed to The Curve Inn, a bar in Southern View. Because it is not subject to the smoking ban, the bar is so busy it has started to impose a cover charge on Friday and Saturday nights, he said.
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“Misdirection and outright lies”
Friday, Jan 12, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller
My Sun-Times column this week (which has an unfortunate headline that I didn’t write) eventually gets around to Ald. Troutman, but starts off with a couple of stories.
An Illinois lobbyist friend used to tell a story about a former state legislator who we all knew to be a notorious mooch.
The politico was shockingly blatant. One morning during a convention, the guy knocked on my pal’s hotel door at 7 in the morning, fully attired in his natty golfing clothes, carrying his bag and announced that he was ready to play.
Apparently, the legislator had overheard that my buddy had a tee time at a prime local resort and decided he’d come along for the ride. Uninvited, of course. Not wanting to upset a legislator, the lobbyist had no choice but to drop someone else from his foursome.
Later, at the pro shop, the legislator picked out several items and browsed around until my friend was ready to check out. He then worked his way to the front of the line and plopped his pile of goodies onto the counter, expecting the lobbyist to pay.
Anyway, go read the whole thing.
Meanwhile, the Tribune has a story on Troutman’s wacky press conference.
The news conference was opened by Rev. John Ellis of Providence House, a social service organization, who read from Psalm 18: “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength in whom I trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.”
“And parenthetically I might note, according to due process, you are not guilty,” he said. “You are innocent. All of you are innocent until decided otherwise by due process, not the press.”
As did the Sun-Times.
One of those candidates, attorney David Neely, tried and failed to disrupt Troutman’s raucous City Hall news conference.
He told reporters: “An alderman works for the people of the 20th Ward –not for gang-bangers, not for drug dealers, not for criminals.”
And if you haven’t seen it yet, you absolutely must go watch the unedited video from yesterday’s press conference.
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Morning shorts
Friday, Jan 12, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Editorial: Stroger’s wise move
* Lincoln Bicentennial coordinator picked
Gov. Rod Blagojevich created the commission nearly 11 months ago to plan statewide events celebrating Lincoln’s 200th birthday in 2009. Since then, several commission members have been appointed. But with no leader and no Web site, the commission has been virtually invisible.
* State court ponders grandparent law
* Lakin suit to stay in St. Clair County
* Editorial: To get in dance, Illinois needs better date
* Editorial: Move up the Illinois primary
* Edwards backer: Don’t give Obama advantage
* Percy Giles is praying for Arenda Troutman.
* Round Lake Mayor on Blogging: The Smartest Thing I’ve Ever Done
* ‘It really is the end of an era‘ - Workers say 114-year-old club will close May 15
* CTA chief accused of ‘gross incompetence‘ - Aldermen seek hearings over ‘3rd-world’ system
* State building will get upgrades
* Krol: Safely re-elected, Blagojevich now a liberal in public
* Airport will have hard sell to increase passenger boardings
* SMEAA might buy hotel mortgage - Davlin, Coffey send idea to state treasurer
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Cullerton: Ban smoking statewide
Thursday, Jan 11, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller
Yet another hot-button issue for the spring session.
Though a patchwork of cities and suburbs already have banned smoking in public places, state lawmakers today introduced legislation that would prohibit smoking in all public spots in Illinois — from taverns and restaurants to stores and bowling alleys.
State Sen. John Cullerton (D-Chicago), who introduced the bill, said the time has come for Illinois to join more than a dozen other states with broad smoking bans. He said medical studies prove secondhand smoke is dangerous to patrons and employees, especially those working in bars and restaurants. […]
Legislative leaders and the governor reacted cautiously to the measure, one of the first bills to be introduced in the newly minted General Assembly. The offices of Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich and House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago) said they wanted to see the legislation first.
“We’ll look and see what’s happening,” said Senate President Emil Jones (D-Chicago). “I don’t make off-the-cuff decisions on critical issues like that.”
[Comments closed. Move to the fresh thread.]
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This just in… Troutman to run for re-election
Thursday, Jan 11, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller
Check out Alderman Troutman’s raucous news conference here. Unedited video. Must see. Chicago politics at its craziest.
Tribune story:
At a raucous City Hall news conference before today’s City Council meeting, Ald. Arenda Troutman asserted that she has been “an upstanding alderman for 17 years,” and will continue to seek reelection in February.
She said she “will continue to fight for my people and this city and the 20th Ward and stand strong.”
With about 50 supporters behind her, Troutman would not talk specifically about the bribery charges lodged against her, but her attorney, Sam Adam Jr., said the government’s case is baseless.
To Troutman’s challengers in February, Adam said, “Bring your ‘A’ game because Ald. Troutman is back.”
“I am bringing my ‘A’ game,” shot back David Neely, one of her challengers, who attended the news conference. “I will be the alderman of the 20th Ward,” he said as the Troutman supporters booed.
Sun-Times:
Attorney David Neely, who is on the Feb. 27 ballot trying to unseat Troutman, attended Troutman’s City Hall news conference, Neely repeated his call for a two-term limit for Chicago aldermen and, to the jeers of Troutman’s supporters, said: “If you look at the history of Chicago, every time a politician has been charged with committing a crime, they have press conferences. Their attorneys stand up and say they didn’t do it. There are tape recordings. There are videos. She will be indicted by Friday. And the people of the 20th Ward are being neglected.â€
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More engagement announcements
Thursday, Jan 11, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller
First it was Joe, then Jake, then Mike and now Kevin and Eddie? The old gang is breaking up. Is Dring getting nervous?
Congratulations to all.
Sorry, they made me promise not to open up comments.
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Question of the day
Thursday, Jan 11, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller
I linked to this in Morning Shorts, but Mark Brown’s column today is about 48th Ward aldermanic candidate Chris Lawrence, who may be booted off the ballot on a technicality.
Correa will recommend that Lawrence be dropped from the ballot because he failed to file a receipt with election officials to prove that he had properly filed another document called a “Statement of Economic Interest” with the county clerk.
As a stunned Lawrence complained afterward that the scenario was “Kafkaesque” and the punishment draconian, Raucci had to remind him that “politics ain’t bean bag.”
What flabbergasted Lawrence was that he had actually met the requirement of filing the Statement of Economic Interest, sometimes referred to as an ethics disclosure because it requires candidates and officeholders to divulge information about where they make their money. But Lawrence admits he screwed up on the receipt.
Question: Should Illinois’ ballot access laws be loosened to allow more candidates to run? Or should the tight rules remain intact to discourage tons of amateurs from “cluttering” up the ballot.
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[Bumped upwards and excerpts added for discussion purposes.]
You can listen to Speaker Michael Madigan’s Wednesday afternoon media availability below.
[audio:MJM-availability-011007.mp3]
* Sun-Times: State to flirt with date for Obama - Madigan backs moving up ‘08 presidential primary so Illinois voters can impact election
Illinois would join a slew of states eyeing Feb. 5 primaries or caucuses. But only four — Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire and South Carolina — would hold presidential contests sooner.
‘’These states are . . . clearly not as representative of America as Illinois would be,'’ Madigan said, adding that the Democratic presidential nomination might be unofficially clinched by Illinois’ current mid-March primary date.
* Tribune: Madigan: Earlier primary would help Obama bid
Madigan also said it was not decided whether primary contests for state offices, such as the legislature, would be held on the earlier date.
* AP: Madigan wants to aid Obama by changing primary date
Senate President Emil Jones, D-Chicago, said he wants to discuss the idea with Obama, his political protege. ‘’This came out of the clear-blue sky. I don’t know whether that would help Obama or hurt him,'’ Jones said.
* Hotline Blog: IL To Move Primary To Help Obama?
“That’s like lowering the hoop for Shaq,” an aide to one of Obama’s potential rivals tells the Hotline.
* Daily Herald: A move to help Obama
State Sen. Terry Link of Waukegan said he doesn’t see Madigan’s point.
“I think Barack will carry Illinois without moving up the primary,†said Link, the Lake County Democratic chairman. “I’m not sure why this would be significant for Obama. His momentum will be when he carries Iowa and New Hampshire.â€
* Copley: Madigan wants to move ‘08 primary to February - Would give state more clout, might boost Obama
Andy McKenna, chairman of the Illinois Republican Party, did not take a position Wednesday on Madigan’s proposal.
“I think it’s healthy to fully examine the potential to make Illinois more relevant in the presidential primary process, but it’s bad precedent to craft significant change purely around the ambitions of one individual,” McKenna said.
Listen, read then discuss.
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School funding is a super-hot topic right now
Thursday, Jan 11, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller
One way to avoid public calls for more money for public schools (and, therefore, higher taxes) is to silence public bodies designed to calculate the financial need.
A government board charged with recommending state school funding missed a Jan. 1 deadline to report to lawmakers because Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s administration has not reconvened the panel. […]
Still, it is the second time Blagojevich has been slow to marshal EFAB, which consists solely of his appointees. By law, the five-person panel every two years must recommend a per-pupil “foundation” level - the minimum amount of money deemed necessary to give most Illinois children an adequate education.
Under the threat of a lawsuit two years ago, the governor’s office filled vacancies on the board, and the panel - three months late - recommended a foundation level of $6,405 per student. The budget lawmakers and Blagojevich approved later that year fell short of the mark, providing for a foundation of only about $5,200.
Meanwhile, Senate President Emil Jones made it pretty clear yesterday that he wants a tax increase for education.
Jones outlined an ultimate goal of having state government provide more than half of all school funding. He called for increasing the amount of money the poorest schools in the state receive as well as a funding plan for new school construction.
Jones said all options are on the table now, except for raising the state sales tax because it is too regressive. He has long supported increasing the income tax and expanding gambling as well as various ways to exchange a higher income tax for lower property taxes.
And…
“The state has a revenue problem, not a spending problem,” Jones said. “It’s our job to come up with a solution to solve the problem.” [..]
“Governor, I want to thank you for the job you’ve done the past four years to increase (education) funding,” Jones said. “You are on the right track, but we must go further.”
And…
He said the top 20 districts spend $14,000 to $28,000 per year on each student, while more than 600 districts spend the minimum of $5,334 per student. He compared that to the $21,000-per-year average to house an inmate, and noted that 62 percent of prisoners are high school dropouts.
And House Speaker Michael Madigan all but said he would push for higher taxes.
I’m prepared to engage in unpopular choices,†said Madigan, who warned that the state is facing a huge backlog of unpaid bills. […]
For Madigan, the focal point of the upcoming session will be the state’s shaky finances. He said he’s made tough choices in the past and is ready to make them again.
“I’m not going to be feint of heart,†said Madigan.
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Kj on the hot seat again
Thursday, Jan 11, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller
While Kjellander is often a too-convenient scapegoat for both the media and conservative Republicans, this controversy is not going away until he does.
When they gather this weekend near Chicago, leaders of the state GOP may end up confronting the proverbial elephant in the room: the continuing backlash against Republican National Committeeman Bob Kjellander.
The meeting agenda of the Republican State Central Committee does not specifically mention Kjellander, the Springfield consultant who serves as the Illinois GOP’s national representative and RNC treasurer. But state party directors probably will hear about him if Fayette County Republican Chairman Randy Pollard addresses the panel, as he said he intends to do.
Pollard, who oversees the statewide organization for county GOP chairmen, said a group of 30 of his colleagues unanimously passed a resolution in November seeking Kjellander’s resignation. Specifically, he said, the measure urged Illinois Republican Party Chairman Andy McKenna to ask Kjellander to step down.”It was brought up at our meeting. It was handled. It was over with, and we moved on,” Pollard said this week.
Only 30? Was the vote rigged in advance?
Kjellander also said the county chairmen’s meeting in November was called with two days’ notice, and drew only a fraction of the 102 county GOP leaders in the state.
“I was not given an opportunity to address the group,” Kjellander said, “and I have spoken to Randy Pollard subsequently and offered to meet with the county chairmen’s association at their convenience.”
Have at it.
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Morning shorts
Thursday, Jan 11, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Zorn: “Day in and day out, the pantomime routines in the General Assembly can fool you into thinking that the process is pretty much like what your middle-school civics teacher taught you about how a bill becomes law. But when it comes to big, controversial issues, it’s much more like what your history teacher taught you about how monarchs dominated the peasantry.”
* New group wants public review for legislation - Claims measures often approved too quickly
* Cook County Dems could pick first Hispanic party chief
* Brown: Just getting on the ballot is more than half the battle
* Editorial: Look who’s not talking about corruption
* Editorial: A chip off the old political bloc
* Troutman denies ‘ho’s’ remark - Attends meeting despite arrest
* Ethanol plant set to grow
* County leader rips Springfield - 40 layoffs in DuPage blamed on nixed tax
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