Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar » 2007

Monday, Apr 2, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller

On the bus.

Turnout was a bit light this morning at Navy Pier, but the crowd seemed enthusiastic enough. Just had lunch at Cafe Magdalena in Elgin. Surprisingly nice place.

The governor has been nicely received, of course. He’s on a well-planned, well-advanced trip. It’s better than I expected,

Not much news yet, but it’s just getting started. Everyone’s still in high spirits. I’m having more fun than expected. I’ve known the governor since he was in the Illinois House, so we’ve reminiced about old times.

He has done some press interviews on the bus. The AP had him for the first leg, and now Chuck Sweeny with the Rockford Register-Star is having his turn,.

The question I brought up was about the lack of legislators who say they are getting many or even any calls from constituents about the lack of health care. Instead, the calls are all about taxes and electric rates. His respone was that this statewide tour is at least partially designed to help generate interest in the issue.

Anyway, more later.

Sorry for any typos. The bus is kinda bumpy.

47 Comments

Tribune to sell Cubs

Monday, Apr 2, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller

The Cubs will be sold by Mother Tribune. Discuss.

34 Comments

Poll: Guv broke promise

Monday, Apr 2, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller

My latest syndicated column is about a poll paid for by business groups opposed to the governor’s tax plan…

Governor Rod Blagojevich insists that his proposed $6 billion gross receipts tax on business doesn’t break his campaign promise last year not to raise income or sales taxes, but a recent poll finds voters think otherwise.

The very last question of the long, 45-question poll, in which voters were told both positive and negative aspects of the proposal, asks this: “Now, during the campaign, Gov. Blagojevich promised not to raise income or sales taxes. By increasing business taxes, do you think he is keeping his promise or not?”

A clear majority, 54 percent, said the governor was breaking his promise not to raise taxes, while just 34 percent said he was keeping his promise. 11 percent said they didn’t know.

The governor told the Associated Press last month that voters shouldn’t be surprised that he would introduce the gross receipts tax, despite his repeated pledges last year not to raise general taxes.

“This gross receipts - this tax fairness proposal is very much along the lines of what I did for four years,” the governor said, adding, “It’s just a bigger, bolder version of it.” His top people have repeatedly pointed out that the proposed tax hits businesses, not “people,” so the plan is not a promise-breaker.

But a majority appears to disagree. And since the “promise” question was asked after numerous other questions about the governor’s tax hike, both pro and con, the poll’s respondents had a fairly good idea what the tax proposal was all about.

The statewide survey was paid for by business group opponents of the governor gross receipts tax. The poll was professionally done, however. The sample size was 600 voters and it was taken March 14-15 and 17 by Neil Newhouse, a partner with Public Opinion Strategies. It has a margin of error of +/- 4 percent.

The poll is a bit out of date because the governor has increased the amount included in the GRT. Scroll down for more info on that. And, now, I’m headed to the bus tour.

What, you thought I was joking yesterday? Nope. Four days with the guv. Joy.

33 Comments

Question of the Day

Monday, Apr 2, 2007 - Posted by Paul Richardson

A Sun-Times article today asks a question:

But are the Urban League, the NAACP and Rainbow /PUSH — venerable foot soldiers in the decades-old battle for racial justice — still relevant?

Rev. Jesse Jackson responds as expected:

“It’s an insulting question,” the Rev. Jesse Jackson retorted. “It doesn’t reflect an analysis of what’s happening. Does voter registration matter? Does inequity in education matter? Of course it does.

The article continuesâ€¦

Confrontation used to be the weapon of choice to effect change. It was protests, press conferences and picket lines. Today, it’s negotiations and bridge-building. And when you talk to folks on the street, most feel disconnected to entities they once saw as champions.

Question: To what degree are civil rights groups relevant in politics today? Should they change course?

24 Comments

Morning Shorts

Monday, Apr 2, 2007 - Posted by Paul Richardson

* Blagojevich plan ups business tax provides property tax relief

* Governor will hit the road to promote business tax plan

* Democratic lawmakers lukewarm on tax plan

* Editorial: Poor business climate a threat to Illinoisans

* Opinion: Note how business owners are saving on power costs

* Casinos, lawmakers wary on smoking ban:

And Metro East legislators think they do. The Senate vote of 34-23 wasn’t divided along partisan lines, but regional ones, with border-area lawmakers largely opposing it. No Metro East-area legislator of either party voted “yes.” Several said afterward that they feared that a smoking ban on the two Metro East casinos would drive gamblers to Missouri’s casinos.

* Urban League’s new leader: Judge my accomplishments, not vision

* Training will help black with trades:

Sen. Kwame Raoul (D-Chicago), Senate chairman of the caucus, said it was the first time since the 1970s that black political leaders in Illinois were able to meet with trade union representatives and work out a mutually agreeable plan to encourage more blacks to enter the field.

* Bill would force owner to sell â€˜Jewish Gracelandâ€™

* Tribune Editorial: Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center in trouble

* State fund for warâ€™s dead out of money:

Twenty-two families are waiting for a combined $6.5 million in payments, as deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan outstripped the fund and the funding mechanism became mired in the state budgeting process in Springfield.

* Dennis Robaugh: Jessicaâ€™s Law status in Illinois Assembly

* Editorial: Inflamed illegal immigrant rhetoric does little to further health care debate

* Editorial: Lawmakers should put nose to grindstone

* Illinois Review: Evidence of intra-GOP arson on statewide smoking ban

* Illinois Review: Hunting rifle ban challenged by Illinois-based gun manufacturer

* `Cousins’ provision complicates gay unions bill

* Illinois Democratic leaders just canâ€™t seem to get along:

Earlier this year, Madigan laughed when asked if he trusted the governor to act responsibly with the stateâ€™s finances. A week later, Blagojevich torpedoed Madiganâ€™s pet program targeting predatory lenders.
Blagojevichâ€™s biggest ally on the business tax hike is Jones. And Jonesâ€™ Senate once added so much spending to a budget plan that Blagojevich publicly compared the Democratic senators to â€œdrunken sailorsâ€ engaged in a â€œspending orgy.

* A 20K â€˜tough schoolsâ€™ carrot

* Church opposes more time for sex abuse victims to sue

* Editorial: Driverâ€™s licenses for illegals can make roads safer for all

* 2nd ward runoff growing more heated

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