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Thursday, Feb 15, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Maybe somebody ought to design a “Free the CMS 2″ t-shirt *** Updated x1 ***

Thursday, Feb 15, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller

The state’s case against Dawn DeFraties and Michael Casey crumbled again today. [Emphasis added]

A man who said he handled some applications for Illinois state jobs more speedily than others testified today that there are no laws or state rules against the shortcuts he took.

Marc Longmeyer testified for the state in the case of Dawn DeFraties and Michael Casey. […]

He kept a log of applications that came from DeFraties’ office and testified he gave them special treatment.

But on cross-examination, Longmeyer acknowledged there are no rules against any of the actions he took on the applications.

And…

Marc Longmeyer, a test supervisor with the agency, also said he often placed a date stamp on job applications the same day he awarded a grade to them, making it appear the applications were received and graded on the same day.

This is a state witness? Didn’t the governor’s lawyers ask him any questions beforehand so they knew what he would say under cross examination? What kind of a kangaroo court are they running over there anyway?

*** UPDATE *** Ugh. It gets even worse. The AP just sent out an updated, longer version of its original story and Longmeyer’s testimony undercuts the state’s case yet again…

[Longmeyer] also said neither DeFraties nor Casey ever told him to do those things, though in some cases, he said, his supervisor or someone who worked for DeFraties told him to do them.

In fact, Longmeyer acknowledged that after he graded some applications, he marked them “rush” and was told to stop when Casey found out.

“You got specifically told, ‘Don’t do that,’ and that order came from Mike Casey, didn’t it?” Draper asked. Longmeyer said that was correct.

And what about the log he kept of applications that came from DeFraties’ office?

Longmeyer said he doesn’t have his original copy of the log - the FBI took that as part of a federal investigation of Blagojevich administration hiring practices.

In the federal investigation of Chicago’s hiring practices, the feds used testimony from personnel directors like DeFraties to convict Mayor Daley’s former patronage chief Robert Sorich - a guy who “recommended” that the personnel directors hire politically connected people.

By the way, this makes two state witnesses who have testified that there are no rules against expediting job applications at CMS.

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Salvi vs. Durbin?

Thursday, Feb 15, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller

Dick Durbin beat Al Salvi for US Senate back in 1996. And now Charlie Johnston reports at Illinoize today that Kathy Salvi, Al’s wife, may run against Durbin in 2008.

Speaking of Kathy Salvi, hers is the only name I hear mentioned seriously and frequently as a potential candidate for U.S. Senate against incumbent Democrat Dick Durbin. I spoke briefly to her husband, Al, a few weeks ago. He said she has not given it serious consideration, but some people have talked to her.

I hear from others that an intense effort to create a “draft Salvi” movement has been underway for over a month. The only question is whether it would be for the U.S. Senate nomination or for another bid for Congress in the Eighth District.

Kathy Salvi lost the 8th District primary last year to David McSweeney. Al Salvi, you may recall, was a former state Representative who lost a secretary of state’s race to Jesse White in 1998.

What do you think of this?

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Campaign database (Major update); Cross; Luechtefeld; Ameren; GOP Internet; HPV; Osmond; Millner-Ramey; Holmes; Fritchey; Claps; New bills (Use all caps in password) *** Updated x2 ***

Thursday, Feb 15, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Question of the day

Thursday, Feb 15, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller

I doubt this bill is going anywhere (Pankau is a Senate Republican, after all, and most of their proposals appear automatically doomed), but let’s discuss it anyway.

Three months ago, Carole Pankau lost her election bid to become state comptroller. Now, she’s backing a legislative measure to abolish the office, saying its functions don’t require a separate elective position.

No, it isn’t vengeance against the man who defeated her, Dan Hynes. In fact, he has said that he generally agrees that Illinois doesn’t need both a comptroller and a treasurer. […]

She joins former Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka and another failed comptroller candidate, Sen. Chris Lauzen, in her call to eliminate the office.

Question: Should the comptroller’s office be abolished?

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1.5 million live in poverty here *** Updated x1 ***

Thursday, Feb 15, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller

I’m not sure how much conversation this will generate here, but let’s give it a go anyway.

From a press release…

Eighty-seven of Illinois’ 102 counties have seen an increase in poverty, according to a report released today by the Illinois Poverty Summit. Nearly 1.5 million Illinois residents live in poverty — more than the population of the entire city of Philadelphia, the fifth largest city in the nation.

The full report can be downloaded here [pdf file]. A supplemental report on the Chicago area can be downloaded here [pdf].

Poverty is not solely an urban problem. Poverty issues get very little media coverage in general, but the problems of the rural poor get practically no attention, partly because media outlets are based in cities.

Take a look at this map, created by the Illinois Poverty Summit people, of counties on their poverty warning and watch lists. [Click on the pic for a bigger image]

Here’s how the ratings were done [emphasis added]…

Four key indicators of well-being are assessed in each of Illinoisâ€™ 102
counties - high school graduation rates, unemployment rates, teen birth rates, and poverty rates. Counties in Illinois are evaluated using a point system, with the higher number of points indicating a worse score. A point is given to a county if its rate is higher than the state average and/or if they have worsened since the previous year. For each indicator a total of 2 points is possible and overall a total of 8 points is possible. Counties that score 4 or 5 points are placed on a Watch List and counties that score 6, 7, or 8 points are placed on a Warning List.

Using this methodology, over half of Illinois counties have been placed on either the Poverty Watch or Poverty Warning lists. There has been significant movement since the 2006 Report â€” 44 counties have a worse list status this year than they did last, and only a handful of counties improved their list status.

I’ve also uploaded a few tables from the report, they are all county-by-county and make for some interesting reading.

* Income & Poverty

* Housing

* Health care and education

I’ve just skimmed the data, so go take a look at the report when you get some time. There’s plenty more at this link.

The group has also come up with ways to address the situation. Here are a few:

– Expand transitional and vocational job programs to ensure that even the lowest-skilled workers and job seekers can obtain and retain employment.

– Generate new funding for affordable housing by reforming the real estate transfer tax.

– Expand the state Earned Income Tax Credit program so low-income workers can keep more of their earnings.

Discuss.

*** UPDATE *** The publishers of the report plan to have a “drop-in legislative briefing” on the findings at the Rathskellar, March 1st from 7:30 - 9:30 AM.

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Governor campaigns for Obama on state letterhead *** Updated x1 ***

Thursday, Feb 15, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller

Bernie Schoenburg had a good column today about something that I didn’t think about at the time, but in retrospect is spot on.

Let’s say that you are a regular old state worker, and that you use the computer at your desk to send out an e-mail urging a friend to back your favorite candidate for president.

It sounds to me as if that’s something Gov. ROD BLAGOJEVICH - who likes to talk about ethics except during second inaugural speeches - might capitalize on if he wanted to embarrass somebody or build a case to fire them for making political use of state resources. […]

Take the news release issued by the governor on Saturday, when thousands of fans of U.S. Sen. BARACK OBAMA, D-Ill., braved the cold to stand on the Old State Capitol square and watch him announce for president.

“On this historic day, I am pleased to join many Illinoisans who are excited and proud to support Senator Obama in his bid for the Presidency,” the governor said, on a state-issued news release complete with the state seal and the names and phone numbers of the governor’s three top press staffers as contact people.

The governor’s office denied this news release amounted to campaigning on state time, pointing to the fact that the guv urged the General Assembly to pass a bill moving the ‘08 primary and talked about policy issues. And the governor’s campaign is paying for his flight.

Whatever. A government-issued press release can’t offer support for a candidate. It was almost certainly a violation of state law. With hundreds of FBI agents crawling all over the place, and a former governor’s campaign fund convicted of RICO charges, you’d think they’d learn by now.

This probably isn’t an imprisonable offense, and it’s certainly not the worst thing they’ve ever done, but perhaps the governor needs to retake the state ethics exam. And perhaps the Inspector General ought to take a look at this incident.

*** UPDATE *** Could somebody please tell me how the above is any different than this?

The Stateâ€™s Attorney is prosecutingâ€”and the Cityâ€™s trying to fireâ€”63-year-old Lester Cioch. Heâ€™s an assistant sewer repair foreman, and a precinct captain, and heâ€™s accused of asking his workers to sign petitions for Mayor Daleyâ€™s re- election campaign, on City time.

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Local Elections Roundup

Thursday, Feb 15, 2007 - Posted by Paul Richardson

* NEW * Jesse Jackson Jr. Endorses Willie Cochran for 20th Ward Alderman [from press release]

“It is time for a change in the 20th Ward. Voters there deserve far better representation than they have received. Willie Cochran represents the best chance that the people of the 20th Ward will have to elect their next Alderman rather than have one selected or appointed for them,” Jackson concluded.

* State Treasurer Giannoulias Endorses Sandi Jackson for 7th Ward Alderman [From a press release]

“State Treasurer Giannoulias is a progressive leader who wants to see a strong economy, job growth and affordable housing in the 7th Ward,” said Sandi Jackson. “With his support, we can fight for the changes we need to make the 7th Ward a model community in the City of Chicago.”

* Sun-Times Endorsements: Wards 2 through 8

* Tribune Endorsements: Ward 25 through 41

* Daily Southtown Endorsements: selected aldermanic races; Del Valle for Clerk

* A new twist in school board election battle

* City making example of sewer boss charged with passing Daley petitions on the job:

“We’re talking about one incident. We’re talking about a situation where employees in that department … rang the bell and said, ‘Hey, there’s a problem here.’ You see a system that works and … works well,” Huberman said.

* Shame on Shiller:

In the span of about a week, the 20-year City Council veteran has managed to do something unprecedented in the decades-long history of the League of Women Voters of Chicago: Violate the league’s debate rules and then refuse to rectify the mistake.

* Del Valle claims motorists being gouged for stickers at currency exchanges

* Clout Makes Cut: 62 finalists for Cook Co. Circuit Court judgeships

* Two Carpentersville candidates claim forgery on petitions

* Corruption allegation, ex-cons on the ballot: “At this juncture, people just shrug it off as more Chicago,” said longtime political consultant Don Rose.

* Stone in real horserace for the first time in 16 years

This is a local elections open thread.

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Morning Shorts *** Updated x1 ***

Thursday, Feb 15, 2007 - Posted by Paul Richardson

*NEW* Barack’s Message Man, David Axelrod

* Government rejects attempt to trademark “Obama Bin Laden”

* State GOP executive director steps down

* Duckworth’s husband to be deployed to Iraq

* Aviation chief Shea says, “It’s my job to build you all an airport.”

* FAA asks state to pick a preferred option for 3rd airport:

“We don’t consider the master planning process complete until (the state) submits their recommended layout plan,” he said. “From our point of view, we feel the state as the sponsor of the airport needs to make their recommendation on what they want to do.”

* 13 commissioners offer budget amendments to save Cook Co. jobs and services:

Taking a big hit would be Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown, who many elected officials complained wasnâ€™t being made to take the cuts others were simply because she raised the fees for doing business with her office.

* Stroger backs off plan to dilute his own power: Fritchey was taken aback by Stroger’s shift in support. “I would assume . . . I could take him at his word,” he said.

* Illlinois Board of Higher Education selects new chairwoman

* Editorial: Safety concerns should guide teen driving laws

* Eric Zorn: Coming around to support to primary change idea

* A look at the myriad of pension related bills currently on the table

* Her cousin Barack Obama was fast becoming a rising star in the Illinois state Senate

* Editorial: Primaries are for the voters, not the candidates

* U of I’s Institute of Govt. & Public Affairs urges state to get financial ship in order *** UPDATE *** The full report can be downloaded here. [pdf file}

* Midwest Generation eyed for new tax revenue

* Stroger and Quigley “make up” on Valentine’s Day:

So their falling-out last week over spending $13 million in Forest Preserve District funds to help the county balance its budget was no surprise; many had wondered how their relationship lasted this long.

* “Alternative Budget Plan” would cut 397 high-paying Cook Co. management positions; Stroger responds

* Foes seek to add Daley as defendant in police brutality suit

* Kane County Clerk’s spending back in the spotlight

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