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Wednesday, Feb 7, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Question of the day

Wednesday, Feb 7, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller

A new bill has been introduced for public financing of appellate and state Supreme Court races.

…The measure would create a public financing system with political donation limits, potentially staving off races like the recent brutal judicial elections in downstate Illinois, proponents say. Both the 2004 state Supreme Court race and the 2006 appellate court contest in the 5th District set statewide, if not national, records for campaign spending at their respective levels. […]

The new bill, sponsored by state Sens. Kirk Dillard, R-Westmont, and Kwame Raoul, D-Chicago, would use court fees and voluntary donations from taxpayers to fund candidates for the state Supreme and appellate courts. Coupled with such a system would be federal-style campaign contribution limits in those races; donations would be limited to $2,000 from corporation, labor organization and political committees or individuals per candidate during an election cycle. […]

“Of all three branches of government, the one that the public absolutely must think is not controlled by campaign contributions are the appellate courts and Supreme courts,” Dillard said in a recent interview. “Given the races we’ve seen, we know something has to be done.” […]

But business interests say they are late entries to judicial politics in Illinois, noting that judicial elections have historically been funded by contributions from lawyers. Ed Murnane, president of the Illinois Civil Justice League, which favors tort reform, said the elections of recent years point to a need for more drastic overhaul â€” a merit selection process in which judges are appointed instead of elected.

I couldn’t find the legislation online yet, but go ahead and debate the merits anyway.

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The fine print

Wednesday, Feb 7, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller

Yesterday, Gov. Blagojevich’s office issued a press release entitled “Gov. Blagojevich announces more high school students succeeding on college-level AP Exams.”

Governor Rod R. Blagojevich today announced that more Illinois high school students than ever are succeeding on college-level Advanced Placement ProgramÂ® (AP) Exams […]

â€œWeâ€™ve worked hard to give Illinois students the chance to take advanced courses that give them a jump start on a successful future,â€ said Gov. Blagojevich. […]

â€œItâ€™s good to see a growing number of students challenging themselves and gaining academic achievement through this program,â€ said Christopher Koch, Interim State Superintendent.

But, as usual when you receive one of these releases it’s critical that you read the fine print. Here’s the Tribune story, entitled “As AP classes grow, test failure rate rises - Classes facing audit to ensure they’re rigorous.”

A record number of Illinois students enrolled in rigorous Advanced Placement classes last school year, but the proportion of teens who passed the end-of-year exam continued its steady decline, according to data released Tuesday.

Last year, Illinois public high school students passed about 70 percent of the 76,683 exams they took in subjects such as calculus, French literature and computer science. Six years ago, the pass rate was 72 percent. […]

College officials have complained that the growth in AP courses has resulted in a watered-down curriculum in some districts. In response, the College Board launched an audit of all AP classes this year to ensure they are rigorous.

The phrase “failure rates” and the word “audit” are not mentioned a single time in the governor’s press release.

The perpetual campaign continues.

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Obamarama - You’ve come a long way, baby; or would you rather fight than switch?

Wednesday, Feb 7, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller

The Peoria Journal-Star’s Phil Luciano takes a look at Obama’s cigarette vice.

I realized smoking can be deadly, but to political careers?

Barack Obama isn’t taking any chances. He says he wants to kick the habit for health. But pundits say smoking could be a political liability, as if a cigarette would make him an unsuitable commander in chief.

Let me understand this: Voters will tolerate womanizing, boozing, pot-smoking and all sorts of bad behavior - but not a perfectly legal activity such as smoking?

And the St. Petersburg Times also has a recent story about this…

“For many people, smoking is seen as a sign of weakness and lack of willpower, ” said John Banzhaf III, a law professor at George Washington University and executive director of Action on Smoking and Health, a group opposed to smoking. “A presidential candidate would not want to be seen as lacking strong will or lacking determination.”

But others say Obama’s smoking and his struggle to quit could enhance his image.

“I think it humanizes him,” said Chuck Todd, editor of the Hotline, a political Web site. “He’s got a vice. We all have vices.”

Obama has said he often smoked as a response to stress, particularly during campaigns and while writing books. Asked about it in 2005, he invoked a biblical phrase: “The flesh is weak.”

But he emphasized Tuesday that he was discreet about his smoking.

“I’ve never been a heavy smoker and don’t smoke in front of folks or in the house,” he said.

I’ve been surprised by how many people say Obama’s puffing is a complete turnoff for them and will effect their vote. Do you care, and if you do, why?

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Daley’s first TV ad of the season

Wednesday, Feb 7, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller

A pal o’ mine recorded Mayor Daley’s new TV ad and passed it along for your perusal. You can see it below (there is another ad in front of it, so don’t be confused).

First, though, the Sun-Times has a story about the spot today.

Mayor Daley is hitting the airwaves with a “modest buy” of television commercials that tout his 18-year record on education, crime-fighting, and downtown and neighborhood development — with no mention of City Hall corruption.
“I would call it a modest buy,” said the mayor’s longtime political consultant, David Axelrod. “It’s not a hugely heavy buy. It’s enough to get our message across. . . .

“One of our concerns, frankly, is that people know there is an election. It’s very low-key out there,” he said. […]

The 30-second commercial shows Daley driving in a car and in a classroom with kids. An announcer says Daley is “working for deeper reforms to give all our kids a chance” even though test scores are up and dropout rates are down.

Click on the pic to watch the ad…

What do you think?

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Morning Shorts

Wednesday, Feb 7, 2007 - Posted by Paul Richardson

* Report calls for $8.8 billion to adequately maintain state transportation

* SIU educators sue over ethics training:

“We have no problem with the ethics law or the ethics training, but it’s ludicrous to suggest that highly educated people cannot grasp, within a few minutes, the nuances of a document prepared by a subcontractor hired by a state bureaucrat,” said Zeman, president of SIU-Carbondale’s faculty association.

* Political winds shift, taking marriage war with them

* Michael Scott named director of Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority

* Closer look at 4 convicted Chicago politicians

* Daley keeping it low-key: “You have the Bears winning,” said Ald. Patrick O’Connor (40th), a Daley ally. “Who is going to care about politics when we are in the Super Bowl?

* Editorial: Respect landowners, but don’t delay 3rd airport plan

* City seeks $4 million from contractor for over billing

* Texas joins “lottery-selling” crowd, complicates IL situation

* Abortion notification law on hold again; the Tribune’s take

* Tribune: 5 more great classroom ideas

* A look at the Cook Co. commissioners latest budget supplement proposals:

Cook County commissioners proposed a flurry of new taxes and fees Tuesday as they scramble to find money to stave off planned budget cuts for next year.
All of the proposals were sent to committee for further study, but commissioners will have to move fast if they want the new fees in place for the budget, which must be passed by the end of this month.

* Editorial: Don’t give towns counties their own cigarette tax

* Tillman foes mount stiff challenge

* Troutman hold up rival supporter’s project

* Chicago banks on selling assets:

Daley stresses the assets sold are not “core competencies” of city government, such as public safety and education. Actually, what competencies are core is debatable. Leasing - privatizing - some cities’ school systems probably would make them more competent. Perhaps the moral of Chicago’s story is that what government can shed, it should shed.

* Another view of Peoria residents’ Presidential reaction:

After the Bush entourage left, Journal Star reporters went in to ask diners and workers their thoughts. One guy said he was so nervous he couldn’t even remember if he shook the president’s hand. The next day, a waitress reported that people were “taking turns sitting in the chair” where the president ate his breakfast. Hardly seems ho-hum. I couldn’t help but wonder also if Ms. Bailey missed the hundreds of people lining the streets just to catch a glimpse of the motorcade rolling by, in weather cold enough to make you forget your toes.

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