Messages to readers
Monday, Dec 17, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Thanks to everyone who attended one or more of the three parties we held over the weekend, despite the weather. Sunday night’s performance of “No-El, Or how the Blagojegrinch stole Christmas” was a rousing success. Tickets were sold out by early Sunday afternoon, and the vast majority of attendees were subscribers/readers. The show, itself, was very entertaining.
* The winners of the last round of our Golden Horseshow contest are as follows…
* The “Spin Sisters” get the best spokesperson award. Steve Brown had more votes, but support for the guv’s press staff was very intense and well-reasoned. They’ve had a bad year, so let’s throw them a bone. Besides, Abby Ottenhof showed up for the holiday party, so she gets extra points for that.
* Best commenter is “Bill,” who also showed up for the party and outed himself to all.
* Voting for best lobbyist was all over the board, so I’m going to award it to Bill Anderson, who has had a rough couple of years with his health, but keeps on going like the Energizer Bunny.
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Question of the day
Monday, Dec 17, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I was reminded this morning of far-right conservative Jack Roeser’s long ago threat to state Sen. Bill Brady. Roeser was convinced that Brady was “planted” in the 2006 GOP governor’s primary to help Judy Baar Topinka, and his Family Taxpayers Network vowed revenge…
Mr. Brady just needs to understand that if Topinka does win on Tuesday, and Brady finishes no better than third his name is Mud. He’s done. And he WILL have a Primary challenge for his State Senate seat in 2008… there will be a lot of time for holding the duplicitous accountable.
* So, how did that one work out? Well, Brady has no primary opponent, so I guess it was just yet another empty threat.
And why am I reminded of Roeser’s huffing and puffing? This…
With former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert announcing his endorsement of Republican congressional candidate and dairy magnate Jim Oberweis on Thursday, at least two local Republicans say they are not surprised by the move.
Local business mogul and conservative activist Jack Roeser posted a letter Thursday saying Hastert’s “controversial record” will not help Oberweis win his election bid. Roeser goes on to say Republicans should distance themselves from both men.
In the letter, Roeser — who owns Carpentersville-based Otto Engineering and is president of the politically powerful Family Taxpayers Foundation — blasts Hastert for “unchecked federal spending, selfish earmark legislation and many Congressional corruption scandals — all of which culminated with (current Democratic House Speaker) Nancy Pelosi taking over the helm.”
* Roeser supported Oberweis for governor, but now backs Sen. Chris Lauzen against Oberweis for Haster’s seat. You can read Roeser’s letter here…
I was once proud to support Hastert on many conservative causes. For many years I held out hope that he would rise to the occasion and become a great leader.
Similarly, I supported Oberweis last year for Governor, believing he was the best of an otherwise disappointing lot. I was the largest single financial contributor to Oberweis’ gubernatorial bid.
I supported Oberweis last year because he ran as a reformer. Sadly, after he came up a little short in that crowded primary, Oberweis changed his tune. He quickly sought to jump back in bed with the very power brokers he previously claimed to oppose.
Like Brady before him, I’m sure Hastert is quaking in his boots.
* And, now, the question: Who is the biggest blowhard in Illinois politics? Explain fully.
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Is the gaming bill dead, or just endangered?
Monday, Dec 17, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Could Chris Kelly’s indictment kill the gaming expansion bill? I’m not so sure, but my syndicated column this week takes up the issue…
It could have been worse, I guess. Gov. Rod Blagojevich wasn’t named or even alluded to in last week’s federal tax fraud indictment of one of his best friends, closest advisers and biggest fundraisers, Chris Kelly. Blagojevich does appear to be fingered in a different indictment, but that got lost in the shuffle.
Whatever, last week wasn’t good. Blagojevich now is in the awkward position of pushing for a massive gambling expansion while the political world discovers the last time the governor did so, in 2003, he put his buddy Kelly in charge of the project.
* The Daily Herald emphasized Speaker Madigan’s statement last week in its look at the issue…
The political fallout from the indictment of Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s friend and gambling adviser began Friday as a potential vote next week on a massive state gambling expansion was canceled.
House Speaker Michael Madigan, a Chicago Democrat, sent a letter to lawmakers saying “in light of subsequent developments this week, the legislative process will be better served by holding session on these topics at a later date.”
* Another take from the DH…
With Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s gambling point man now accused of placing millions of dollars in illegal bets and breaking the law to cover it up, state lawmakers face the question of whether they’re willing to entrust Blagojevich with a massive gambling expansion plan.
“Given how close Mr. Kelly is to the governor as an adviser … it certainly gives you pause,” said state Rep. Paul Froehlich, a Schaumburg Democrat, expressing a sentiment shared by many suburban lawmakers.
* But some expansion proponents are skeptical…
[Senate President Emil Jones] spokeswoman Cindy Davidsmeyer insisted she didn’t see how the Kelly indictment might affect ongoing consideration of gambling expansion by state leaders.
“The indictment is a personal matter,” she said.
* And Finke, who often reflects convetional press room wisdom in his column, doesn’t think the gaming bill would pass anyway…
In fact, the latest gambling bill was already in a world of hurt before the Kelly indictment was made public. Representatives from both parties had a number of problems with the bill - how much Chicago would have to pay the state for a casino license, how to ensure minority investment, how to handle slot machines at horse racing tracks, and on and on. The feeling among many was the bill was going to fail in the House if it was called for a vote. The Kelly indictment gave Madigan a convenient excuse to avoid that vote.
* Crain’s looks at Detroit as an example of how a Chicago casnio might not do as well as advertised…
Three casinos near downtown Detroit, the first of which opened in 1999, have done little to attract more visitors or otherwise boost the city’s struggling economy, according to Donald Holecek, a Michigan State University professor emeritus of tourism development. “People would come in for a day and stay in the casino,” he says.
Chicago casino boosters cite a potential impact of as much as $950 million a year in annual revenue and 2,500 new jobs from a casino with 4,000 gambling positions, figures that could grow to $1.2 billion and 3,200 jobs for the hospitality industry as a whole. But critics say much of that would not be new money.
“The good thing (about casinos) is they make a lot of money,” says William Thompson, a University of Nevada at Las Vegas professor of public administration. Casinos “pay a lot of taxes. The bad thing is they make the money off local residents. It’s a zero-sum game.”
Thoughts?
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Big tax bill?
Monday, Dec 17, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller
* A commenter here mentioned this potential problem months ago. The AP is reporting that Gov. Blagojevich could be slammed with a $60,000 tax bill on his flights to and from Springfield. Why? The IRS might determine that the flights are personal and a taxable fringe benefit. Here’s the nut of the disagreement over whether the guv is or is not liable…
Blagojevich has an office in Chicago and may travel there for business without repercussion. Otherwise, the travel is taxable, said Marianna Dyson, an employment and fringe-benefits lawyer with Miller & Chevalier in Washington, D.C.
“The capital is in Springfield, and he has made a personal decision to keep his family in Chicago,” said Dyson, a former IRS special assistant for fringe benefits. “He has to live with that consequence.”
A Blagojevich spokeswoman, Abby Ottenhoff, said the AP has it backward: The governor’s headquarters is in the Windy City, not the state capital, so he may fly tax-free to Springfield and back when business calls him there.
“We define the principal place of business as Chicago and all the flights are billed accordingly,” Ottenhoff said.
I’m not a tax attorney, of course, but this seems to be a stretch. Still, it’s interesting - and clearly not surprising - that the guv’s office publicly considers his primary place of business to be Chicago.
* Meanwhile, the AP reports on the governor’s love of the bunker…
Dogged by a federal investigation and political feuds, the two-term Democrat often skips the warm-and-fuzzy public moments that his job offers. He also avoids reporters’ questions on many occasions, choosing not to defend himself or explain his views.
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* It’s no big news that Barack Obama is crushing Hillary Clinton in the Tribune’s new statewide poll of Illinois. It’s probably also no surprise that Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee is surging here, because he seems to be surging just about everywhere.
So, let’s look at some of the other poll questions, which, upon reflection, probably aren’t a huge surprise, either. For instance…
Reflecting the optimism of Democrats heading into the election year, 82 percent said they viewed the party’s chances of retaking the White House after eight years as very good to excellent. Republicans were much more pessimistic. Among GOP voters, only 45 percent viewed their chances of holding onto the presidency as very good to excellent.
* GOP voters are also pessimistic about their own candidates…
Only 20 percent of Republicans said they were “very satisfied” with their field of candidates, compared with 45 percent of Democrats.
* And this result shows just how difficult it will be for a Republican to win in November…
Despite months of national polls showing low ratings for President Bush, particularly over the issues of the progress of the Iraq War and the state of the economy, 63 percent of Illinois Republicans approve of the job he is doing. At least 70 percent of Huckabee, Romney and Thompson voters give Bush high approval ratings, while the president receives the highest disapproval rating — 38 percent — from supporters of McCain, the man Bush defeated in the race for the Republican nomination nearly eight years ago.
It’s gonna be tough for the Republican nominee to distance himself from the hugely unpopular incumbent and still hold the base, which still likes the man.
* The survey found Obama leading among Democrats with 50 percent, to 25 percent for Clinton and 7 percent for Edwards. There was this, however…
When Democratic voters were asked, regardless of their personal choice for president, which candidate would have the best chance of defeating a Republican next November, 39 percent said Clinton and 37 percent said Obama. Among those believing the New York senator and former first lady would win out were a quarter of those who said they are backing Obama. In contrast, only 7 percent of those backing Clinton said they thought Obama was the most electable Democrat.
* Among Republicans…
The survey of 500 likely Republican voters, who were polled Dec. 9 to 13, found Giuliani with the support of 23 percent, Huckabee with 21 percent, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney with 14 percent, U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona with 12 percent and former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson of Tennessee with 11 percent. The poll also found U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas with 3 percent and U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado with 1 percent. Other candidates had 1 percent backing while 14 percent of those polled were undecided.
* More national stuff, compiled by Paul…
* Plenty of opportunity in state GOP
* Word on the Street: State Rep. Aaron Schock won’t permit his two congressional primary opponents to videotape him at any forums or debates. Well, it’s not that he’s not allowing it, he just won’t attend events if taping is allowed. So the net result is the same.
* Shimkus backs Schock’s bid for Congress
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Morning shorts
Monday, Dec 17, 2007 - Posted by Paul Richardson
* Sun-Times Media to cut $50 million in first half
The plan will include staff reductions, CEO Cyrus Freidheim told employees in a memo Friday. Details of the plan, which will also include “further outsourcing of selected activities and reformatting of our products,” will be finalized and announced next month, he said.
“As you know, 2007 has been a tough year financially for our company,” Mr. Freidheim said in the memo. “To confront these realities, we need to take bold actions — some of which are painful, but I see no alternative.”
* Tribune Editorial: Illinois vs. the law
* Tribune Editorial: Illinois hidden poor
* Health group paying bounty for bar ashtrays
* Hastert wants to help with Chicago’s Olympic bid
* Mayor had no role in sewer firm pact says aide
“It’s completely understandable that people draw a connection between the mayor’s son and any business dealings he has with the city or in the city. The mayor understands that,” Daley’s press secretary, Jacquelyn Heard, said Friday.
“But the mayor loves his son. He is extraordinarily proud of him, and right now that supersedes all else. Right now, the mayor’s focus is on his son about to go to war, and he and rest of the family are supporting him in every way possible.”
* Sun-Times Editorial: CHA jobs plan a work in progress
* Editorial: State should not buy Wrigley
This situation differs from the state building a new stadium for the White Sox 20 years ago. The Sox weren’t rolling in dough and were threatening to move out of state. The Cubs and Wrigley Field are money machines.
Stadium authority chairman James Thompson, our former governor, said a bond sale could finance the Wrigley sale. And according to the Trib story, he thinks the bonds can be paid off without “dipping into taxpayers pockets.”
He thinks.
Before he thinks that might not be the case, let’s abandon this idea now. If someone wants the gold mine that is the Cubs, let them - not us - buy Wrigley Field.
* Keep the state’s paws off Wrigley Field
* ‘World’s cleanest coal-fueled power plant’ could come to Illinois
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