Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar » 2007

Monday, Aug 20, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller

* 2:24 pm - Once again, we’re waiting to see what the governor will do with the operating budget. Hang loose.

* 2:32 pm - The governor has signed several bills into law already today. Go check them out here.

The governor has relentlessly complained about corporate loopholes, but he did sign one loophole into law today. Senate Bill 455 has this synopsis…

Amends the Use Tax Act. Provides a tax exemption for the use of aircraft that: (i) leave this State after the purchase of the aircraft; (ii) are temporarily located in this State for the purpose of a prepurchase evaluation; or (iii) are temporarily located in this State for the purpose of a post-sale customization. Amends the Retailers’ Occupation Tax Act. Provides a tax exemption for the sale of aircraft that leave this State after the purchase of the aircraft. Provides that the Acts’ sunset provisions do not apply to these exemptions. Effective immediately.

* 3:22 pm - This week’s WDWS podcast features retiring state Rep. Bill Black. Go listen. Hat tip: IP.

* 4:25 pm - From Politics1…

It only took one day, but all four Dems who had been running to succeed Congressman Luis Gutierrez (D) quit the race after the incumbent reversed course and announce his intent to seek re-election next year.

*** 4:47 pm *** OK, so now I’m hearing it will likely be tomorrow at the earliest before they do anything with the budget bill. Apparently, there’s still a lot of work to do. While the lid is not securely on tight, I’m giving up for the day. I’ll check back occasionally, but you’re released.

* Ah, the “good” ol’ days…

“Get off the soapbox. Save that for the Tribune.”

55 Comments

Question of the day

Monday, Aug 20, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller

First, the setup, with emphasis added…

Blagojevich signed several other bills into law on Friday. They include:

- Legislation to classify Salvia divinorum, a plant that allegedly has hallucinogenic properties, as a Schedule 1 controlled substance, the same category as heroin.

House Bill 457 outlaws possession or sale of any form of the plant, which is now sold over the counter in various forms. It takes effect Jan. 1.

Street names for Salvia divinorum are Diviner’s Sage, Ska Maria Pastora or Sally D. The plant has been banned in various forms in at least five other states.

You can read a bit more about the plant here, or just page through articles here.

Now, the question: Was this too harsh or the right thing to do? Explain fully.

…Adding… The focus on the governor in some of the comments is severely misplaced. Yes, he signed it, but the bill passed both chambers with unanimous support.

37 Comments

Budget angles

Monday, Aug 20, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Aaron Chambers had this observation about the governor’s pledge to veto $500 million in “pork” from the operating budget and try to implement almost $500 million in new health care programs…

Blagojevich reasserted his relevance in a big way. But when retribution comes, we may know the true meaning of “big.”

Yep.

* The Post-Dispatch looks at how the governor’s health care plan might fare in the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules…

Rep. David Miller, D-Dolton, a [JCAR] member, was hesitant to judge a plan he hadn’t seen but said it would likely face a tough audience at its committee hearing. He said that even if the three Senate Democrats supported it, the House Democrats would not be easy to convince.

“I know I’ve got some serious questions about it,” Miller said. “I would think a majority of members, facing these hurdles, would be opposed to it.”

Rep. John Fritchey, D-Chicago, another committee member, said the committee was “intended to help implement legislation and legislative policy, not to subvert it or act as a shadow legislature.”

Not mentioned, unfortunately, is that Fritchey is one of Blagojevich’s harshest critics and an avowed enemy. Miller was the sponsor of HB 750 - the income tax hike for schools and property tax relief - which the governor fought so hard against this spring. Miller and Fritchey are also legislative allies on most issues.

* The Tribune went back to the 2006 campaign archives to check on the governor’s latest flip-flop…

With the issue in limbo before voters went to the polls, Blagojevich spokeswoman Abby Ottenhoff said the governor would block any post-election efforts by lawmakers to give themselves a raise. She said he would use his line-item veto power to scuttle any such funding. […]

When asked why he retreated from his campaign opposition to pay raises, he provided a different take on the matter.

“I don’t know that I ever got asked that in the campaign,” he said.

The governor’s latest comment came as no surprise to Rep. Jack Franks (D-Woodstock), who voted against the raises.

“He does this all the time,” Franks said. “He’ll say anything and do the exact opposite. For him to do a complete flip-flop, I would say, it’s the only consistent thing he does.”

Yep, again.

* Carol Marin offers up an idea…

I propose a solution. Bring in Mayor Daley and Rep. J. Dennis Hastert for a bipartisan mediation of this mess.

Daley has been harping all summer that all lawmakers need to do is negotiate, negotiate, negotiate. Hastert, the former speaker of the U.S. House, announced that he’s retiring soon, so he clearly has some free time available. His experience as a wrestling coach can only help.

Send the two of them to Springfield to force Blagojevich and the leaders of the General Assembly to understand that only the strong survive.

Maybe then we’ll have peace in the valley.

Except, like any sane person, they wouldn’t go near the Statehouse with a two hundred-mile pole. Would you?

* More budget stuff, compiled by Paul…

* Rochester Supt. denounces denial of school funds as political charade

* Plan may revive funds for hospital; hospital assessment program chart

* State schools chief confronts budget challenges

38 Comments

Metra misses the point

Monday, Aug 20, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Far be it from me to offer lobbying or PR advice. I don’t get paid to do such a thing. But even I can tell that this might be slightly counterproductive…

Metra Executive Director Phil Pagano told board members Friday that he’s become increasingly frustrated with the tenor of the discussion in Springfield about transit needs.

“I guess I’m sick and tired of also people thinking that, in plain, blunt language, our riders are lily-white and making $250 thousand a year. That’s B.S.,” he said. “We are carrying more and more a diversified ridership base.”

Pagano said Metra’s ridership is 58 percent women and includes “plenty” of $20,000-a-year secretaries.

Even more frustrating, he said, is that some of the same lawmakers who refuse to back new transit funding ask Metra to provide additional service.

“I guess I’m getting a little tired of ‘Your guys can afford (higher fares),’” he said.

You have secretaries who ride the train? Oooooo. Good for you.

* Director Pagano also had some harsh words for all the attention lavished upon the CTA’s impending meltdown…

On the CTA, he snapped, “I’m getting really tired of the CTA and their service cuts. This isn’t a one-agency issue.”

All snark aside, I can understand Metra’s frustration. Really, I can. But Pagano seems clueless about the political reality in Springfield. Just about every Chicago legislator is in favor of pumping more money into mass transit. The publicity about the CTA’s woes are helping Metra get some attention.

Whining about the lack of publicity or the inattention by Springfield is not Metra’s answer. Their problem is that too many Republicans, particularly in the House, bought into an “easy fix” for transit that was based on gaming expansion. That package is now on life support. It’s up to Metra, PACE and the RTA to convince those recalcitrant suburban legislators - most of them Republicans - to get back on board the negotiated agreement for a sales tax hike which fell apart when the easy gaming money was dangled in front of them.

Anyway, that’s my two cents. More stories, compiled by Paul…

* Bridge conditions reviewed by Metra

* Metra officials prod lawmakers

* Editorial: Metra needs money to keep running

* Editorial: Pace cutting and will get worse without state aid

10 Comments

Morning Shorts

Monday, Aug 20, 2007 - Posted by Paul Richardson

* Jerry Owens dies, former school board president, reporter

* Windmill idea generates worry over noise, blight

Lane, the school district’s attorney, said Americans also complained when the first telephone poles were driven into the ground at the beginning of the 20th Century.

* Video: City Desk with Andy McKenna…part 1…part 2

* Tribune Editorial: After Hastert

* Hastert retirement brings a change to IL-14th

* Schoenburg: Rep. Shimkus may have opponent

* Update on race to replace LaHood

* Senate GOP hopefuls gear up

* Editorial: Cheaters never win, unless they drive the Illinois tollway

* Editorial: The road to teen driver reforms

* TY Fahner: Chicago lawyer enjoyed roles in government

* Clarence Page: Many of us tune out opposing viewpoints

Almost 20 years ago, sociologist David Knoke at the University of Minnesota found that you can predict someone’s politics with great certainty if his or her closest two or three friends all lean in one political direction.

“The more homogeneous that someone’s personal networks are,” Knoke told me in a recent interview, “the more likely they share the partisanship of other people.”

* Spinning Illinois’ job numbers

While there was a growth of 1,600 jobs in manufacturing from June to July, employment in that sector is down 2,200 from July 2006. Manufacturing employment is down more than 200,000 jobs since the turn of the century, said Manufacturers Association spokesman Jim Nelson. He said the association doesn’t see the June-to-July numbers as the start of a trend, at least not yet.

* New law gives bicyclists some room to maneuver

* Editorial: Bottled water tax no way to fill up city coffers

* CPS pushes first day attendance; more here

* Will Co. development hits the wall

City managers from Joliet to Frankfort are tightening their budgets to account for revenue losses — ranging from $600,000 to $2 million — because of an expected drop in residential building permits this year to the lowest level since 1991. The cities’ fees for park districts and water and sewer usage also have seen anemic growth.

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