Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar » 2007

Wednesday, Mar 21, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller

The governor was on Don and Roma’s WLS show yesterday morning. You can either go here to download the audio or just click the thingies below…

Part 1: [audio:1852148.mp3]

Part 2: [audio:1852149.mp3]

Part 3: [audio:1852150.mp3]

[Hat tip: Zorn]

I learned two things from the interview. 1) The governor’s New Year’s resolution was to show up on time; and 2) Elvis took no tax deductions and was one of the biggest taxpayers in Illinois at one time.

This is an open thread, but try to keep your comments to Illinois stuff, please. Thanks.

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Quinn; Madigan; Meeks; ACLU; Cable; Brosnahan; Smoking; Guv; Lightford; Dahl; Garrett (Use all caps in password)

Wednesday, Mar 21, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Question of the day

Wednesday, Mar 21, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller

Do you support giving Illinoisans the right to carry concealed firearms, as long as there was training and criminal background checks involved? Explain.

107 Comments

“Ignorant” Quinn opposes guv’s tax hike

Wednesday, Mar 21, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller

[Bumped up because this is the biggest story of the day.]

* I can’t understand why they buried this in the story, but Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn has come out against the governor’s gross receipts tax…

Yet, even Blagojevich’s lieutenant governor opposes the gross receipts tax.

Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn, in Peoria on Tuesday on another matter, told reporters, “I don’t think it’s a good way to go. I’m not a fan of it at all. We need to have decent health care . . . but there is more than one way to get to heaven.”

Quinn said there are many corporate loopholes in the Illinois tax code. He said the state’s tax code should be made more fair and the state needs to stop shifting the burden onto ordinary businesses.

* Quinn’s position apparently makes him “ignorant” of the existence of God, according to a prominent African-American minister, Bishop Robert Sanders, who supports the governor’s tax and spending plan. Check out the video.

Bishop Sanders: “The governor is on God’s side.”

Mike Flannery: “And people who would oppose this would be against God?”

Bishop Sanders: “It isn’t that they would be against God. They would be ignorant, so they wouldn’t know whether there was a God.”

Wow.

* As I told you yesterday, the governor repeated his assertion yesterday that he would not support any other proposal until his tax plan, education plan and health care plan are all approved…

And while Blagojevichâ€™s aides say he hasnâ€™t given up on construction spending, heâ€™s moved on to other priorities â€“ raising nearly $7 billion in business taxes to better fund schools and dramatically expand health care.

â€œAnd unless and until we do that, as far as Iâ€™m concerned, nothing else is on the table,â€ Blagojevich said Tuesday after getting his tax plan endorsed by dozens of black ministers. â€œThose things have to happen before Iâ€™ll entertain any other discussion on any other issues.â€

* Illinois Chamber of Commerce website committed to stopping “largest tax increase ever”

* Blagojevich gets ministers endorsement for budget

“I believe the righteousness of our cause is pretty apparent,” he said. “This is more than a fight. … This is a crusade.”

* Transit pitch can’t sway Governor

* Transportation lobbies for budget space

31 Comments

Ugh

Wednesday, Mar 21, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller

The loss of federal funding isn’t permanent and may be reversed, but it looks like the state really needs to clean up this place…

The Howe Developmental Center in Tinley Park has lost its Medicaid funding, which provides half of its $53 million budget.

The state-run center, home to about 400 disabled adults, failed in a scramble to fix problems in the three months since it was warned its federal certification was at risk. […]

In one case, a woman who was supposed to be under close and constant supervision was able to swallow a coin and a paper clip and insert a pen in her genitals.

As the Medicaid status was in limbo, a state watchdog group called Equip for Equality called on the governor to close Howe, angering residents’ families who say the center is the best possible home for their loved ones.

Under a federal law, Equip for Equality has authority to visit facilities and review records.

The group issued press releases in February and March alleging that poor care at Howe contributed to 11 deaths since 2005.

This is a state mismanagement open thread. Be advised, though, that over the top personal insults and the like will be deleted. So, please, follow the rules.

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What the heck?

Wednesday, Mar 21, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller

*** UPDATE *** The MPC just called. According to their spokesperson, Bernard Lloyd was speaking for himself, not the council. Also, they’re a 501c3 organization, meaning they’re supposed to stay out of politics, so they say they had nothing to do with the campaign finance research. Lloyd told the council that he made it clear to the Sun-Times that he was speaking for himself.

—————————————————–

It’s no secret that the Metropolitan Planning Council is often a shill for Mayor Daley, but you would think that it wouldn’t be blasting organized labor considering that Chicago Federation of Labor President Dennis Gannon sits on its board of directors.

Organized labor sent a “message of intimidation” to the City Council by pumping more than $1 million into just five aldermanic races — with some challengers receiving 100 percent of their campaign contributions from unions, a business group charged Tuesday.

Bernard Loyd, a board member for the Metropolitan Planning Council, reviewed the campaign finance reports of union-backed challengers in a few wards.

It showed that organized labor contributed $1.02 million to challengers in five wards and that the beneficiaries relied almost exclusively on union money.

Some of his numbers are wrong, by the way. But, whatever the case, way down at the bottom of the story, the picture becomes more clear…

Loyd is a businessman who lives in the 3rd Ward and supports Dorothy Tillman.

[sarcasm] And everyone knows what a fantastic alderman Tillman is. [/sarcasm]

I’ve called the MPC to see if this was an official statement. Everyone’s in a meeting, so no word yet. The CFL is not happy, to say the least.

8 Comments

Morning Shorts

Wednesday, Mar 21, 2007 - Posted by Paul Richardson

* Witness: Special treatment preceded DeFraties

* Bids for ‘clout jobs’ rise under Blagojevich, says Official

* Child welfare chief ‘horrified’ by no bid contracts

* Long overdue grant money intended for school construction

* Ameren customers in the dark about cancelled installment plans

Ameren’s Illinois president acknowledged on Tuesday that more than 7,000 electricity customers might wrongly believe they are on an installment plan, because the company has not yet sent out notices telling them the plan was canceled a week ago.

* Ameren stands firm on electric rates amid ICC questioning

* Chicago Prosecutor mediocre? FBI disagrees

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin in recent remarks said he’d block any move to fire Fitzgerald. “If they try in any way to threaten or endanger his ability to serve this country, they’re in for a fight,” Durbin said.

* Marin: Fitzgerald would be better AG than Gonzales

* Kass: Connecting dots and Fitzgerald’s fall

* Tribune Editorial: Fitzgerald certainly distinguished

* Sun-Times Editorial: Put cap on ‘alcopop’ commercials aimed at kids

* $130 million in unpaid hospital bills found in Cook Co.

* Would be travelers facing big lines at passport office

* Toxic television or family- friendly fireproofer?

* Mail problems go from bad to worse

* Editorial: Illiana route worth a close look

But the Illiana concept clearly has enough merit that Weller is correct to pursue the possibilities, to plan and to seek federal money. Major highways such as this one do not reach fruition unless their routes are protected and unless their advocates lobby heavily on their behalf. Weller deserves credit and support for doing that.

* Illinois wants Illiana to move

* Haithcock insists Fioretti is a stalker

* Controversial ad calls Fioretti “stalker’ in 2nd ward race

* Prospect Heights mayor to remain on April ballot

* Renovations at U.S. Cellular, spectacular views up for grabs

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