* 3:42 pm - No real surprise, but the Illinois AFL-CiO is about to announce that it is opposed to a constitutional convention.
*** 4:04 pm *** This is ominous…
The city of Quincy has declared a “state of emergency” while Adams County has declared a “state of disaster” as local governments begin mobilizing for the region’s biggest flood-fighting effort since 1993.
With the latest National Weather Service forecasts now predicting a Mississippi River crest of 29.9 feet in Quincy next Wednesday — just 2.3 feet below the record level set in 1993 — the city of Quincy announced plans to launch a sand-bagging effort, probably starting Friday but definitely taking place Saturday and Sunday. […]
City Engineer Jeff Steinkamp said late this morning that the Illinois Department of Transportation may close Memorial Bridge as early as Friday. Floodwater could top a dip in the road immediately west of the bridge, which ordinarily carries eastbound traffic into Illinois, when the river reaches the 28-foot mark.
* 4:20 pm - Your late afternoon video. Last night’s WTTW Chicago Tonight episode on the “Madigan impeachment memo” featuring Rep. Jay Hoffman, Sen. Matt Murphy and the Sun-Times’ Chris Fusco…
* 5:17 pm - From a press release…
U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Barack Obama (D-IL) today issued a statement following a briefing on the effort to control imminent flooding along the Mississippi River in Western Illinois. Earlier today, Durbin was joined by representatives from Obama’s office on a telephone briefing with leaders from the three Illinois Army Corps Districts that will likely be affected.
“It is clear that dozens of communities and thousands of residents will be affected by the flood waters as they move south. The Army Corps of Engineers is working round the clock to minimize the impact on residents and businesses in the area, but the task before them is enormous.”
“We will continue to work closely with state and local officials to do everything we can to prepare for and minimize the impact of these floods and to ensure that every resource is made available to those communities that are affected.”
A second briefing is scheduled later today with the representatives from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, the Illinois National Guard, the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Governor’s office and a number of other Illinois state agencies to discuss flood control efforts.
* 5:43 pm - Hot off the wires…
Four labor unions are criticizing House Speaker Michael Madigan over a political memo urging an impeachment investigation of Governor Rod Blagojevich.
The unions representing teamsters, service employees and thousands of other workers sent a letter today to members of the State Central Committee — the governing body of the Illinois Democratic Party. [..]
The unions say it is a misguided use of energy and resources. They want party leaders to push Madigan to focus on the priorities of working people..
- Levois - Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 3:53 pm:
They’re afraid they’re the first one to lose in a con-con?
- decaturvoter - Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 3:58 pm:
Those in power are afraid of Change.
ConCon will be the only chance for changing the Illinois system.
- Vote Quimby! - Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 4:08 pm:
Get on the con-con bus! Powers that be are against it, so it must be good!
- Macbeth - Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 4:15 pm:
What’s scary isn’t so much Quincy itself — the town proper is on a bluff — but *West Quincy* which is quite a bit lower and across the river on the Missouri side. It was devastated in 1993. But I guess one guy had a bright idea: float a barge into West Quincy during the flood, wait till the water’s settled, then open a restaurant. Never happened, but the barge is still there — just a little west of the good ol’ Ayerco.
Still — that’s a lot of water. Holy cow.
- wabash river native - Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 4:15 pm:
Good luck Quincy! I sincerely hope you won’t need alot of assistance, but if you do, I hope you get more assistance from the State than what Crawford and Lawrence counties have received! I am so ashamed of my State and its response to the folks in those 2 counties.
- Macbeth - Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 4:19 pm:
At least Blagojevich knows about Quincy. He was there standing on the Bayview bridge declaring an immediate need to fix briges after the bridge collapse last year. He probably formed a task force and created a web site.
Never one to miss a possible opportunistic exploitatation that Blagojevich.
- Garp - Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 4:25 pm:
Whoever the Repub (Matt Murphy) was on Chicago Tonight last night actually did a very good job of beating up Jay Hoffman and the Governor. He was articulate and quite convincing. Maybe the repubs have some hope for the future with guys like him and Jim Watson, whom was featured on this blog a few days ago.
Who’d have thunk it.
- Rob_N - Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 4:27 pm:
Wasn’t the 1993 flood — 15 years ago — some kind of “100 year flood”?
Gee, maybe there’s something bigger going on here…
–
Garp,
I don’t agree with Sen. Murphy on several political issues but he is a decent, stand-up guy.
- Macbeth - Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 4:34 pm:
yeah — it’s bigger than 1993, apparently (although the crests are still slightly below ‘93 numbers).
It’s a “historic hydrologic” event” — a 500 year flood. Ominous indeed.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 4:36 pm:
Even more ominous…”training” thunderstorms now over E Ia/NW Ill are expected to dump 1-2 inches of rain in the next few hours… in some places up to 3 inches. The affected area is directly upstream from Quincy. Things are gonna get worse before they get better.
- Fan of the Game - Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 4:43 pm:
Sny Levee #1 south of Quincy will be “overtopped” by the crest.
A little further south at Louisiana, MO, the crest on Friday will be 26.9 feet. According to the National Weather Service, “AT 24.0 FEET…US HIGHWAY 54 TO LOUISIANA IS CLOSED. AT 26.9 FEET…THIS LEVEL IS EXPECTED TO BE MET OR EXCEEDED ON AVERAGE ONCE EVERY 200 YEARS. * IMPACT…AT 27.0 FEET…THE SNY ISLAND CELL #2 LEVEE IS OVERTOPPED.”
- Fan of the Game - Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 4:44 pm:
In addition, Pike County to the south of Quincy and brown County to the east are under flash flood watches from the storm systems coming through
- Capitol View - Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 4:51 pm:
Let us know if volunteers are needed this weekend for sandbag duty along the various rivers of and near Illinois, Rich. We all know that the availability of National Guard units is limited due to Iraq.
- DumberThanUThink - Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 4:52 pm:
Noted Gov Daniels toured….any word on Blagoof?
Gotta love Jay Magoo being offended. I guess he wants Dems to stand up and say what a great guy Blagoof is. Give us a break Jay. Save that for Collinsville and your trial lawyer pals.
- decatur voter - Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 5:19 pm:
Hey Rich
Is it time for the National Guard now?
- Big Mama T - Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 5:59 pm:
Jay could use a better researcher and PR person to provide him with talking points. As it is said, his lips are moving, but he’s not sayin’ anything.
- ChiCountryGuy - Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 7:06 pm:
“We will continue to work closely with state and local officials to do everything we can to prepare for and minimize the impact of these floods and to ensure that every resource is made available to those communities that are affected.”
Yeah, Obama really is going to monitor this and work with authorities, just like Durbin. This would be a first for Obama being in the U.S. Senate.
Durbin’s been covering for him for too long but now that Obama clinched the nom, he’ll be just as busy and useless as Obama.
- Arthur Andersen - Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 7:17 pm:
Take that Punkin’ Haid and stick it in Sny #2!
Poor Fusco looks like he’s scared to even sit next to it.
- DumberThanULook - Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 7:22 pm:
Looks like Speaker MikeyMouse’s favorite summer, fall, winter, and spring retreat might be unreachable north of the border.
He might have to stay in Illinois this year.
- Bookworm - Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 7:22 pm:
Could this be Blago’s “Katrina moment” — not that he hasn’t already had quite a few. But I would think a picture of him sitting at a Cubs game while a good chunk of downstate disappeared under water would be just as damning (if not more) than the footage of him at a Blackhawks game during a critical transit vote.
- Princeville - Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 7:50 pm:
Four labor unions? What’s up with not naming who is writing and whining? Why (not you Rich, you’re just bringing it forth) bother to print a release sprouting bad bad evil Madigan if they aren’t going to tell us who this criticizism is from? Annoys me. As worthless as saying ‘heard, but can’t remember and/or say from who’.
If they didn’t like this I highly doubt they like the mailed ‘do you think we should impeachment the governor’ survey from The Committee for Legislative Action. Where’s letters of rant to the CLA from the nameless four unions?
- Bookworm - Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 7:56 pm:
Well, just from the story I can guess that two of the unions in question are the Teamsters and Service Employees International Union. SEIU is a big Blago supporter and even bigger donor.
- Bill - Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 8:10 pm:
Actually I thought ol PunkinHaid did pretty well for a country boy. Of course, he didn’t really say anything but isn’t that the point on a tv show like that?
Murphy is pretty much a light weight who just spouts the taxpayers union right wing talking points. He might have some problems in Nov. if Emil comes up with some cash and workers.
- Bill - Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 8:12 pm:
lol@DumberThanULook
- jwscott72 - Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 8:28 pm:
Was the Governor really at Wrigley Field today? I’ve heard several different stories.
- Princeville - Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 8:33 pm:
bookworm, I finally found the unions named in the Chi-Trib. I read three other ’stories’ which did not but were AP’s and all the same ’story’ e but the Tribune expands the story and lists unions. It’s just a pet peeve of mine to read something and get a ’somebody read’
- fed up - Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 8:51 pm:
what a shock unions are in favor of corruption.
- Cousin Ralph - Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 9:00 pm:
Jay has an important point. He charged Illinois has been plagued by failed leadership. The Public Official A in Jay’s charge is Speaker of the House and Democrat Party Chairman, Mike Madigan. And if history has taught us anything, it is that Illinoians tolerate corruption but hate do-nothings and failures. Maybe there should be a second target for impeachment hearings?
- Local 309 guy - Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 9:16 pm:
Why not impeach Madigan. He is blocking the capital bill that everybody else agree to. He is trying to stop this Governer from giving all children in Illinois medical care for free. He is shooting off his mouth when we are trying to get Obama elected President. What makes him think that guys like me aint sick of him and his daughter. The working man would rather have Ron and Jones then Madigans. At least Ron will talk to us. We never see him or Lisa unless they want something.
- anon - Thursday, Jun 12, 08 @ 9:25 pm:
Senator Murphy definitely did a better job than Hoffman. Madigan is smart and this memo is a brilliant move. Ask yourself this question. If you want to get re-elected do you want to be associated with this Governor? I think we know the answer.