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Monday, Apr 14, 2008 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Question of the day

Monday, Apr 14, 2008 - Posted by Rich Miller

Give us all a brief roundup of how you spend a typical day online, from start to finish.

21 Comments

Wrigley update, and Sox fans drown out Blagojevich

Monday, Apr 14, 2008 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Michael Sneed had this tidbit a few weeks ago…

The Wrigley wrangle: Sneed hears Gov. Blagojevich was spotted in deep huddle with Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella and Cubs general manager Jim Hendry at a Scottsdale, Ariz., eatery Tuesday — hatching plans for the state to buy Wrigley Field.

• Dinner talk: Sneed is told Blago, the state’s No. 1 Cubs fan, is not only planning to move full steam ahead on getting the spring Legislature to authorize the sale of Wrigley Field to the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority, but also was entreating help from two politicos who were dining at the restaurant.

• Table talk: Word is Blago, who was dining with Piniella and Hendry at Don and Charlie’s restaurant following a Cubs spring training win over the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday, entreated Sen. Kirk Dillard (R-Hinsdale) and Chicago Ald. Brian Doherty (41st) to “help me on this,” when they stopped by the Gov’s table while exiting the restaurant. (Dillard and Doherty and their families were dining at separate tables)

• The big squeeze: A Sneed spotter claimed Gov. Blago kept telling Dillard and Doherty: “You gotta help me on this. You gotta help me.” The source added, “It was definitely apparent the governor wants to do the deal.”

* The governor got his response from Dillard, sort of, in a Daily Herald op-ed on Saturday…

Such an expenditure of state dollars cannot come before a school construction program and infrastructure (roads and bridges) improvements in Illinois. We need a multibillion-dollar capital program in Illinois to repair potholes, crumbling roads, dangerous bridges and improve schools before we need to purchase Wrigley Field. Building and maintaining schools and improving our transportation network statewide are higher priorities right now than purchasing a baseball field - even if the beloved Cubs play in the civic treasure Wrigley Field. […]

I will put politics aside and play ball with Gov. Blagojevich on this issue.

Wrigley Field is a landmark and the third most popular tourist destination in Illinois. I agree with the governor that keeping the name Wrigley Field is also a priority. And I don’t believe taxpayer money should be used to renovate Wrigley.

With due respect to new Cub owner Sam Zell and the Chicago Tribune, the bottom line is this proposal must be good for the taxpayer. And put money into the state treasury.

Not exactly crystal clear.

* If you want crystal clear, listen to the boos the governor got when he attended a ceremony at White Sox Park last week. Ouch.

* The Daily Herald wondered why he did “so much talking”…

What was supposed to be a joyous occasion featuring a stunning bronze and granite salute to the 2005 champs instead turned into a boo-fest the minute the governor was introduced.

Boo.

“I’d love to thank you for the wonderful, warm welcome.”

Boo.

“My side of town would like to replicate what you did (in 2005).”

Boo.

“Sure am glad this isn’t an election year.”

Boo.

35 Comments

No prisoners in Illinois’ “civil war”

Monday, Apr 14, 2008 - Posted by Rich Miller

* My syndicated newspaper column takes a look at some developments in the ongoing Statehouse feud.

On the one hand, this isn’t earth-shattering news…

House Speaker Michael Madigan told a firefighters group last week that he, Gov. Rod Blagojevich and Senate President Emil Jones are engaged in a “civil war,” and that “no prisoners” are being taken.

This isn’t exactly a particularly unique insight. The fight between Madigan and the Blagojevich/Jones alliance started long ago and has been vicious, mean and hurtful to a lot of innocent bystanders. It resulted in an 11-month session last year, along with numerous lawsuits, special sessions and hordes of unresolved issues. I’ve heard it called a “civil war” before, and it’s obvious that nobody is taking prisoners. It’s a fight to the end.

* On the other hand, Madigan’s comments give us an important clue to the future…

But it’s rare that a politician will state things publicly in such a stark manner, so when he does, you can easily get the idea that the situation might be even worse than you thought. And if that’s the case, then we’re in for some true nastiness.

* And the field of batttle was expanded last week to include the House Republicans…

Madigan, who also is the state Democratic Party chairman, has become convinced that House Republican Leader Tom Cross somehow is in cahoots with the Democratic governor, and he took some extreme action to punish Cross for his perceived disloyalty.

On Monday, Madigan unveiled a Democratic candidate against state Rep. Skip Saviano, an influential Republican legislator from Elmwood Park.

Saviano has been a friend and ally of Madigan for years. Back in 1997, for instance, Madigan took the rare step of appointing Saviano to a committee chairmanship, even though Saviano’s Republicans were in the minority. They’ve always been close, and Saviano has been an effective go-between in the ongoing “civil war.” He can talk to just about anybody, but Madigan apparently thought he had strayed too far toward the governor’s position.

The move against Saviano stunned the Statehouse, which probably was the point.

Then, Madigan pushed two very anti-Republican bills to the fore. One would re-establish straight party voting in Illinois, which the Republicans eliminated after they lost the House to Madigan in 1996. Considering the very real probability that Barack Obama will be at the top of the ticket this November, straight party voting could imperil a whole bunch of suburban Republican incumbents.

The other proposal would reinstate another law Republicans got rid of during their two-year hold on total power. The first bill on the Republican agenda in 1995 was repealing the Structural Work Act, which let injured construction workers sue someone besides their employers. Business groups hated the law, and now Madigan wants to bring it back.

A pal of mine said he planned to talk to Madigan about Saviano and the rest of the speaker’s new agenda but had some real fears that Madigan might then turn on him. He’s right. And the same thing goes for the other two main characters in this drama, Blagojevich and Jones. If you’re not with them all the way, then you’re against them, and God help you if that’s the case. It’s why nothing gets resolved. Nobody can mediate this war.

Combine all that with Madigan’s refusal last Thursday to attend the leaders’ meeting photo op to talk about the capital plan, his decision to allow a recall measure to the House floor, and his statement on Friday that Gov. Blagojevich was working “outside the constitutionally-prescribed lawmaking process” and we have a pretty good road map of the near future: bumpy.

* The governor, at least for now, is attempting to take the high road in public…

“My heart is filled today, and I have nothing but love in my heart for everybody and we’re looking forward to getting this done,” Blagojevich said after a meeting with former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert and Southern Illinois University President Glenn Poshard on Thursday. Poshard and Hastert are volunteering their time to help facilitate a capital bill.

* But that recall issue will be a thorn in his side for a while. From a press release…

Reminding Gov. Rod Blagojevich of his promise to “rock the system” with landmark ethics legislation that never materialized, Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn Sunday called on the Governor to make good on his pledge and lead the fight to pass the Recall Amendment in the Senate and put the issue before voters on the Nov. 4 ballot.

* Quinn and Rep. Jack Franks are none too pleased with the fate the recall measure is facing in the Senate…

State Rep. Jack Franks and Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn are fuming mad that a state senator who called Franks’ proposed recall amendment “stupid” has become its chief Senate sponsor.

Franks, D-Woodstock, is scrambling to get his proposed constitutional amendment to allow voters to recall state elected officials out of the hands of state Sen. Donne Trotter, D-Chicago, who opposes the measure. Quinn, a long-time advocate of recall, and Franks late last week denounced Trotter’s move to become chief sponsor, just days after the amendment passed the House with the needed three-fifths majority.

42 Comments

Five kinds of Illinois Republicans

Monday, Apr 14, 2008 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Charlie Johnston tries to sum up the situation of the hopeless Republicans in this state…

Here we have five identifiable corrosive factions of Republicans that, like roving bands of rival warlords, do little or no damage to the real opposition while engaging in incessant internecine destruction, giving any transcendent, unifying leaders little chance to emerge. We shoot survivors in their cradle.

First, there are the arsonists. You know that bunch: in 2006 they declared anyone who did not support Oberweis in the gubernatorial primary a heretic who should be burned at the stake. This year they declared that anyone who DID support Oberweis in the congressional primary was a heretic who should be burned at the stake. They don’t get excited about supporting someone and are only happy when they have someone they are committed to destroying. While priding themselves on their brutal honesty, one quickly realizes it is the brutality, not the honesty, that excites them.

Second we have the looters. They rise until they reach a point where they can use their position to enrich themselves. They consider it a successful political career if they make a mint regardless of how bad they damage the party.

Then there are the quislings, those who are busy selling out to save their hides, making ads for Obama, voting to raise taxes, always looking for a means to advance themselves at the expense of their party – the Vichy French, as it were.

Fourth we have the clueless, those lovely souls who mean well but think salvation is to be found in the next iteration of the 72-hour-program and never pause to think that maybe we ought to actually stand for something and mean it.

Finally there are what I call the diplomats of doom or the Scottish Lords. These are always looking to find a way to negotiate surrender to the Democrats before the battle begins in exchange for some crummy little perk. If the Democrats promise to take us over the cliff with taxes and spending, our GOP diplomats of doom promise to take us over that cliff only half as fast. And they wonder why the rank and file don’t rally to their flag.

Anything to add to this list?

47 Comments

Gov. Stonewall strikes again, and again, and again

Monday, Apr 14, 2008 - Posted by Rich Miller

* This is just unconscionable…

In an abrupt shift, Gov. Blagojevich’s administration won’t open the books on dozens of pardons he has granted since taking office.

Executive clemency files maintained by the Prisoner Review Board typically show police reports, court records and letters of recommendation — all accessible from the agency in the past.

But after criticism over two of his pardons last month, Blagojevich’s administration rejected a Freedom of Information Act request from the Chicago Sun-Times seeking access to records tied to his 69 pardons and commutations.

And I agree with every word that this guy says…

“When you look at this from 35,000 feet, it’s really troubling,” said Charles Davis, executive director of the National Freedom of Information Coalition. “We’ll set up a system where we release convicted persons from jail or forgive them from their crimes later, and we’ll do it in a process that’s exempt from scrutiny. That could just be rife with corruption. It’s a favor-creating machine.”

* And this may be just as bad…

After a gunman burst into a Northern Illinois University classroom and killed five students, the state police quickly spread the word that the shooter had legally purchased guns with a valid state firearm owner’s ID card.

But in the weeks since the Feb. 14 tragedy, Illinois State Police have said little else about 27-year-old Steven Kazmierczak, repeatedly refusing to provide documents or answer questions about the crucial card that allowed him to buy guns.

Doing so would violate the dead gunman’s privacy, the Illinois State Police said in denying a Daily Herald legal request. Aside from his privacy, state police also said the shooter’s gun card records are entitled to the same confidentiality protection granted to personnel files of doctors, nurses and others whose professions require state registration and licenses.

Several officials disagree with that stance, including Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan. Her public information specialist urged state police to reconsider releasing the information, saying it is a public record and the reasons cited for maintaining secrecy are invalid.

* More of the same…

Take the case of 17 Illinois Department of Transportation employees who were dismissed by the Blagojevich administration in 2004. They sued in federal court, claiming they were let go either as perceived political opponents of the governor or to clear the way so supporters of the new governor could be hired.

Springfield lawyer CARL DRAPER, one of those who represents the fired workers, in early April filed a “fourth motion to compel” the governor’s office to comply with subpoenas for documents.

For example, after a status hearing in the case before U.S. Magistrate BYRON CUDMORE in December, the governor’s side delivered five boxes of documents, containing more than 15,600 pages, to Draper’s team. But, Draper’s motion states, “about 15,000 were blank, stating: ‘REDACTED.’”

A lot was redacted even on the remaining 600 pages, he said. Often, only few lines of information could be seen on each page. “Less than about 2 percent of what they gave us actually had anything that we could read,” Draper said.

* One reason why the administration rejects FOIA requests is that when they do grant them they get whacked but good. Case in point from today’s Sun-Times…

A highly touted initiative Gov. Blagojevich’s office once said could rake in $300 million for the state through corporate sponsorships and naming-rights deals met a quiet death in February after netting the state a paltry $315,000.

The four-year deal between the Blagojevich administration and Team Services, a Maryland-based consulting group, was hatched in 2004 on the premise it could bring the state anywhere from $40 million in the first year to $300 million in three years.

But Team Services never came close to those projections. Between 2004 and 2008, the firm was credited with generating $1.13 million in sponsorships or naming-rights deals for the state, the administration confirmed.

During the same period, Team Services charged the state $820,000 for its work. The profit for the state amounts to only 0.1 percent of what Team Services predicted could be generated.

Oy.

* They’ll have a tougher time stiffing Bill Holland, however…

The state’s top auditor soon may be sicced on Gov. Blagojevich’s administration to figure out how a politically connected private school mistakenly got $1 million from the state in one of the governor’s biggest, most inexplicable financial miscues.

The idea of seeking a full House vote to direct Auditor General William Holland to probe the Loop Lab School deal has gained bipartisan traction since a top Blagojevich aide, Deputy Gov. Louanner Peters, stymied a legislative panel’s inquiry into the matter two weeks ago.

32 Comments

Morning shorts

Monday, Apr 14, 2008 - Posted by Kevin Fanning

* Toll-fine mistakes clog system

Of the almost 600,000 violation notices that have been sent since August, only one-half of 1 percent contained “errors in images” that would result in bogus toll-violation notices, she said.

* Washington Post: Illinois Governor Is In Courtroom in Spirit

Rezko is best-known nationally as a former fundraiser for Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), but Blagojevich is the most significant player not in the courtroom. The essence of the criminal prosecution is the alleged ability of Blagojevich’s close friends and advisers to enrich themselves by manipulating decision-making in a famously unsavory state capital.

* Natasha Korecki talks about the trial

* Star witness badly tarnished — again

* Daley off on motto but right about kids

* Court Delivers Blow to Chicago School Councils

* Daley Takes on Critics of His Children’s Museum Plan

* Daley defends naming rights for Children’s Museum