This just in…
Thursday, Sep 13, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller
* 2:41 pm - Mo’ money on the table…
Gov. Rod Blagojevich is sweetening his bailout plan for mass transit in the Chicago area to forestall a “doomsday” of cuts this weekend.
Blagojevich is now offering to make the full $54 million, 2008 para-transit grant available to the Regional Transportation Authority. That’s on top of the $37 million advance he’d already offered to the RTA, with a total of $31 million slated for the Chicago Transit Authority.
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* 9:40 am - I heard about this earlier this morning. The Sun-Times followed up...
Orlando Jones, a former high-ranking Cook County government official and longtime political insider, was found dead in southwestern Michigan late Wednesday, sources familiar with the situation said today.
Jones is the godson of ex-County Board President John Stroger. Jones was found dead in Berrien County, Mich.
Jones recently had been the subject of media reports in Las Vegas accusing him of wrongdoing regarding hospital contracts. Jones told the Chicago Sun-Times last week that he did nothing wrong.
* Background…
Las Vegas police have recommended the prosecution of the former head of Cook County Hospital and two Chicago businessmen — one of them Orlando Jones, the politically connected godson of former Cook County Board President John Stroger.
As many as 36 possible charges were detailed in a 60-page document submitted Thursday to the Clark County, Nev., district attorney, according to reports in the Las Vegas Sun and on KLAS-TV.
In the reports, investigators allege that former Stroger Hospital chief Lacy Thomas, as head of the financially troubled University Medical Center in Las Vegas, gave “no-work” contracts worth millions to Chicago companies. In return, police said, Chicago companies gave kickbacks in the form of contracts awarded to Thomas’ wife, according to the reports.
* More…
At the top of the list of shady contracts is one Thomas signed with Crystal Communications headed by his buddy Martello Pollock. Pollock was supposed to revamp UMC’s telephone system. He subcontracted some of the work to another friend of Thomas’ named Orlando Jones, a politically connected Chicago man whose business dealings in that city are already under law enforcement scrutiny.
Crystal received the contract days after Lacy Thomas and his wife traveled with Orlando Jones on a jaunt to the Caribbean. UMC officials say the company was paid for its work even though it never submitted a work product.
Metro alleges that Thomas ordered UMC staff to pay the Chicago vendors first and on time, even though UMC was bleeding red and was millions of dollars behind in payments to far more important vendors, including drug companies.
The central question is did Lacy Thomas receive kickbacks from his friends? That’s what police believe. Law enforcement sources say Thomas has a major gambling habit. They know of $100,000 in cash that he’s dropped at local casinos, but it isn’t clear where he got the money.
I’m told by people who know him that Jones may have killed himself.
* More background stories…
* Tony, Orlando, John & Rod
* Orlando Jones and Blagojevich
* Rezko’s woes may tilt county races: Key state-level player had role
* Audit shows state again in arrears on leases, bills
* Jail’s phone contractor has links to Stroger; Secretary notarized paperwork for firm, which gave pal a job
* Minority firm led by a dead woman - County reviews company’s qualifications for program
* 9:56 am - Tribune…
Undersheriff Chuck Heit of the Berrien County Sheriff’s Department said that Jones, 52, was found dead between 6:30 and 7 p.m. Wednesday at Gowdy Shores Beach in Union Pier.
“The investigation is not complete,” said Heit, who said an autopsy was scheduled for this afternoon.
Sources close to the 8th Ward Democratic Organization, the home base for current County Board President Todd Stroger, said today that Jones was found after his wife filed a missing persons report this week.
* 10:07 am - Update from the Sun-Times…
“At this time, it appears to be the gunshot wound was self-inflicted,” Heit said. However, “the official cause of death is undetermined” pending an autopsy this afternoon.
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Question of the day
Thursday, Sep 13, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller
Setup…
A powerful Cook County judge filed a lawsuit Wednesday challenging a mandatory retirement law that prohibits judges from running for re-election after they reach the age of 75.
Circuit Judge William D. Maddux, 72, who presides over the county’s law division, said the state law discriminates on the basis of age and would force him off the bench in 2010, when his current six-year term ends.
“I would hate to think that because of age you get zeroed out,” Maddux said Wednesday in a telephone interview. “Age alone shouldn’t be the criteria.” […]
Maddux’s lawsuit, filed in the Circuit Court’s chancery division, contends that the state law also constitutes improper “special legislation” because it treats judges differently than other public officials.
“You could have a legislature composed of everybody in their 90s,” said David Novoselsky, Maddux’s attorney, citing a hypothetical. “The concept of a mandatory retirement age for only one class of public officials is special legislation that violates the [state] constitution.”
Question: Do you agree with this logic and lawsuit or disagree? Explain.
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More on the House hearings
Thursday, Sep 13, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Apparently, the governor’s top aides are holding press conferences before many of the House hearings to discuss Gov. Blagojevich’s vetoes. I told you about one such instance yesterday, but the practice continues…
One day before a hearing to rally against cuts Gov. Rod Blagojevich made to local projects, a top official from his administration urged lawmakers to find new funding for those projects without raising taxes.
“The bottom line is if we are going to restore funding for worthy projects, we have to find revenues to pay for them. . . . We cannot afford to raise income and sales taxes on the backs of people who already pay their fair share,” said Barry Maram, director of the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services.
Reading between the lines of what Maram said and what David Phelps told reporters earlier this week (”If lawmakers want to identify new funding to pay for the projects and they can do it without raising taxes on people, we would be happy to work with them”), there’s some good news for those who saw their projects vetoed. There still might be a chance to restore those line items, but that would mean everybody would have to somehow find a way to get along, which they haven’t done yet.
* Meanwhile, during the Decatur hearing yesterday…
Blagojevich staffers were in the audience, handing out press releases to counter the anti-Blagojevich tone of the meeting.
“These (budget) reductions will allow over 500,000 people to get affordable health care” by freeing up money for Blagojevich’s universal health insurance initiative, stated one handout. “ . . . If your legislators had passed enough new revenue to fund everything in the budget this year, these cuts wouldn’t have happened.”
* There was a whole lot of animosity at that hearing…
“My demeanor is one of civility and decorum,” a visibly angry Dan Lightner, mayor of tiny Oreana, near Decatur, said. “. . . I cannot sit, however, quietly and allow my community and your communities to play midwife to the governor’s ill-conceived budget vetoes.”
The cuts cost his community a $750,000 drinking-water pipeline project. “Pork?,” Lightner asked. “No!”
Clinton Mayor Ed Wollet testified that the $50,000 in state money that was budgeted for the Central Illinois town, then vetoed, would make it impossible to update the local firehouse. Without the work, Wollet said his city “cannot go to the next generation of fire trucks” a serious problem for a fire department that would be the first responder to any accident at the local nuclear power plant.
Mount Zion Mayor Don Robinson told how his town lost $1.1 million in the cuts that had been budgeted for a long-awaited highway bypass project and he expressed bitterness that Blagojevich plans to use funds from those cuts to fund a health insurance initiative that most in the Legislature haven’t supported.
Photos from Decatur’s hearing. where about 150-200 people showed up (300 were in Marion)…
* And Bethany Jaeger had some good insight, as always…
So the governor is punishing people who don’t want to compromise on his health care plan, but lawmakers rejected his health care plan because the governor wouldn’t compromise on the funding source. We’re running in circles following these disagreements. Brown, Madigan’s spokesman, blames the governor for not compromising. “He fails to persuade anybody to accept his point of view and refuses to accept a more reality-based proposal. Not a whole lot you can do about that.”
I know the feeling. There’s not a lot we can do about the sideshows going on around the state with little action in Springfield. And when action does return to the Capitol October 2 for the fall veto session, we’ll witness a series of shows about the budget overrides, a capital budget and transportation subsidies. The House is expected to have enough votes to override at least some of the governor’s budget cuts, but who knows whether they’ll have a chance in the Senate. And who knows whether the four caucuses will be able to compromise on a funding source — four new casinos, one new casino, no new casinos — to finance road and school construction projects. And who knows whether lawmakers are willing to stick their necks out by voting for a mass transit plan that raises taxes while knowing the governor will veto it. That would require the four caucuses, again, to compromise and agree to override his veto.
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More thuggery from Peraica
Thursday, Sep 13, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller
* So, what kind of state’s attorney would Tony Peraica be if he has people like this working for his campaign?
He called her a bitch.
He called her worse.
And each time, the caller to Cook County Commissioner Liz Gorman ordered her to “work with” rival Republican Commissioner Tony Peraica.
Now, a onetime campaign staffer to Peraica is charged with making the obscene and disparaging calls to Gorman.
* And how did Peraica meet this person?
Peraica said they met after he represented Ichniowski on a criminal charge in 2002 of slashing the tires of several cars belonging to nuns. Records show Ichniowski also has a previous conviction for telephone harassment.
The guy slashes nuns’ tires, and he’s recruited for the Peraica campaign? What the heck?
* There are those who say that Peraica’s infamous march to the County Building on election night last year was simply an unfortunate, isolated incident, despite the obviously stupid move of leading a drunken mob across town. But Tony apparently loves him some thugs, and likes to have them do his bidding.
Those calls to Gorman were made on Peraica’s behest. Not directly. He just “encouraged” his posse to call Gorman and tell her to get in line with him. The Southtown has more today…
Gorman said she regularly received harassing calls from the same man but only notified police after he grew more angry and vulgar in late February, when the county board was in a budget battle and she ran for GOP chairman.
The caller said Gorman was “acting like a bitch” and “that c— better learn to work with Peraica or she’ll find herself out of a job.”
Gorman said “whenever (Peraica) and I were on opposite ends of an issue, the calls would come. (Peraica’s) name always came up.”
“Peraica thinks everything is a fight, but it takes two to fight, and I won’t be part of this,” Gorman said. “He’s tossed too many grenades. One was bound to backfire on him.”
One did.
* By the way, check out Peraica’s “issues” page on his campaign website. Empty.
* Meanwhile, Mike Quigley says he might run for state’s attorney as well. Listen to the audio below…
[audio:cityroom_20070912_bcalhoun_Quig.mp3]
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* So, can the governor really give the CTA and RTA an advance on their subsidy? Here’s the actual language in the state budget from the appropriation that the guv will accelerate…
Section 225. The sum of $37,318,100, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Transportation for making grants to the Regional Transportation Authority for the purpose of reimbursing the Service Boards for providing reduced fares for mass transportation services to students, handicapped persons, and the elderly to be allocated proportionately among the Service Boards based upon actual costs incurred by each Service Board for such reduced fares.
Once again, we’re in an iffy area here. The governor, who has two lawsuits against Speaker Madigan for allegedly violating the Illinois Constitution, appears to be at the very least skirting the Constitution by changing the General Assembly’s appropriation to fit his own purposes and handing out money without regard to a pretty clear instruction that the funds be based on “actual costs.” From the Constitution…
The General Assembly by law shall make appropriations for all expenditures of public funds by the State.
It will be up to Comptroller Dan Hynes to write the check. Hynes lives in Chicago and probably won’t want to wear the jacket for this, but, legally, he probably shouldn’t do it.
Meanwhile…
* The Sun-Times ran a front-page editorial today expressing its disgust over the transit mess. The paper made an important point about Mayor Daley, who’s traveling yet again in Europe when he should be here involved in a solution…
Mayor Daley seems strangely uninvolved on the issue. As the CTA counted down to doomsday cuts this week, he was in Paris riding a bike.
He needs to be taunted on this every day until he comes home, as far as I’m concerned.
* The super-rare front-page editorial continues…
Gov. Blagojevich offered a Band-aid fix Wednesday — $24 million that will postpone those cuts until November, as long as the RTA goes along. But he still refuses to support the most realistic plan to address chronic funding problems. […]
The [negotiated] bill has so far failed, largely because the governor has threatened to veto any sales tax increase. And he has refused to offer an alternative, other than to trot out his tired and rejected plan to close what he calls “corporate loopholes.”
* The Tribune’s editorial board also got into the act, claiming that Blagojevich “has been less than no help at all in the first real effort to get the region’s mass transit system back on track,” and got into some specifics…
The measure would overhaul the Regional Transportation Authority, giving it broad oversight of the CTA, Metra and Pace. It would provide a long-term funding source for mass transit, mostly from a six-county sales tax. It would give the suburbs more influence on the transit boards and adjust the funding distribution formula for the first time in 25 years. It also includes a plan to restructure the CTA’s retiree benefit plans, which are on the brink of collapse. That bargain, struck with the CTA’s unions, is contingent on new funding.
* Mark Brown was less than impressed, calling yesterday’ gubernatorial action, “a cute stunt all the way around,” which featured Blagojevich, “prancing in all smiles on his white horse to take credit for temporarily saving the CTA and its riders.” More…
The governor said he believes “such a resolution is not far off,” but offered no evidence to support that assertion and cut his news conference short when reporters tried to pin him down about what he might have in mind, which seemed prudent seeing as how many of his big ideas tend to be dead on arrival.
Exactly right.
* Rep. Hamos made a good point in the Tribune today…
“Today’s action by the governor takes pressure off the legislature, and we haven’t done so well operating without pressure this year,” said Rep. Julie Hamos (D-Evanston), chairman of the House Mass Transit Committee.
* Don’t expect any further action for quite a while. Check out this quote in the Sun-Times…
The Senate is scheduled to meet Monday. There had been indications a bailout vote could occur then, but Senate President Emil Jones (D-Chicago) appeared to back away from that after Wednesday’s developments.
“We’re weighing our options,” Jones spokeswoman Cindy Davidsmeyer said.
* There’s even some doubt about whether the RTA board, which is required to vote on the measure, will approve the dea…
“The proposal averts an immediate crisis, but may create an even greater problem in the coming months,” [RTA Chairman Jim Reilly] said in a statement. “Given the current political dynamic in Springfield, the RTA has to decide whether it is prudent to ‘hope’ legislative leaders and the governor will act to place the regional transit system on sound, permanent footing.”
Blagojevich’s former GOP gubernatorial opponent Judy Baar Topinka was more direct, saying the governor could expect “a flat-out no” from her and other RTA board members on Friday. “To not include [funding for] Pace and Metra or a capital plan, this is just a payday loan,” Topinka said.
* Despite indications by the governor yeserday that the RTA would also be given money, the Daily Herald ran a story with the headline, “Governor bails out CTA, but not Pace,” and reported…
Pace officials were left with the impression Wednesday that they were out of the deal, and the governor made no mention of the suburban bus agency during his news conference. […]
On Sunday, Pace para-transit riders in the collar counties are set to face a 50-cent fare hike, and local route users will fork over an extra 25 cents. About 20 fixed-routes services will be cut Oct. 1 and more than 30 feeder routes to Metra stations are set to get the ax Oct. 15.
* And the Tribune added…
Pace officials said they had heard nothing from either the governor’s office or from the RTA on how much, if any, of the emergency subsidy the bus agency would receive. Pace, they said, would continue with plans for its previously announced fare hikes and service reductions.
* More…
* Guy Tridgell: Transit doomsday is looming
* Cuts to CTA could be postponed with bailout
* CTA cuts would keep some students on the bus a lot longer
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Morning shorts
Thursday, Sep 13, 2007 - Posted by Paul Richardson
* Rosemont Mayor makes new push for casino
“I sat in his office and he said: ‘You know what, I’m with you. Rosemont’s the greatest place for a casino.’ OK, well then do something about it,” said Stephens, whose father died in April.
Stephens claimed his proposal - which would involve selling the Rosemont Theatre to the state to use as a casino - could bring in at least $1.2 billion in annual revenues to government coffers.
Representatives of Blagojevich and legislative leaders would not confirm the meetings were held.
* Mayor Stephens pitches casino at Rosemont Theater
* Many in top state posts fail to file ethics form
* Disabled protesters strike again
* 110 protesters ticketed as disabled target union
* U.S. Rep. Weller still refuses to answer questions about land deals: Weller did not respond Wednesday to a reporter’s calls for comment. “He’s not answering questions,” Weber said.
* WurfWhile: Vern Deljonson may enter IL-14 Dem primary
* McConoughey will make House run in IL-18
* ArchPundit: The problem of primaries
* DailyKos: Lipinski teams up with Republicans
* ArchPundit: The Freedom Watch ad
* Change of Subject: A shameful revelation from Obama’s past?
* The original investors in Rezko’s big South Loop deal
* American Family Assoc. protests Hardees TV spot
* Amtrak sees sight as boost for ridership
* Media Matters: The conservative edge in syndicated Op-Ed columns
* The death of net neutrality?
* Beating down government secrecy
In the wake of heightened government secrecy in the post-9/11 era, one media outlet has responded by making freedom of information news coverage a full-time job.
The government secrecy beat at Cox News Service’s Washington Bureau was the brainchild of bureau chief Andy Alexander, who dreamed up the position in response to the heightened levels of secrecy — not just in the Bush administration but at state and local levels.
* Chicago Public Radio: Commissioners fear Stroger’s over spending
* Schools aim to be havens after classes
* Sheriff finds new ways to curb violence at Cook Co. jail
* Judge: Chicago can’t deny comp time over cop shortages
* Chicago Public Radio: Mob history in the making
Guilty verdicts in the “Family Secrets” trial show the mob isn’t what it used to be. Lisa Labuz talks with mob historian Richard Lindberg about the trial’s place in organized crime history.
* Hybrids on the way for city fleet
* Stroger’s godson’s sweet deal
* Chicago Reader: A dispute among friend on Children’s Museum move
* Park board seals deal to develop lakefront harbors; more here
* Ameren will help small businesses
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