Ilinois House Speaker Michael Madigan has produced “talking points” for legislative candidates on the reasons to impeach Governor Rod Blagojevich. […]
It refers to corruption under Blagojevich as “a tumor” that must be surgically removed. It also claims the governor has violated the state constitution by abusing his authority.
Spokesman Steve Brown says the talking points do not represent Madigan’s views. Instead, he says they simply provide information for any House candidates who want to discuss impeachment.
*** UPDATE *** Reaction from the governor’s press office…
“This is another example of the pettiness, silliness and backroom games that Speaker Madigan has been playing for months to prevent progress. We wish he would drop his behind-the-scenes maneuvering and come to the leaders’ meetings. It’s time for the Speaker to join the rest of the legislative leaders who have been working with the governor to pass a capital bill that will put thousands of people to work.”
*** UPDATE 2 *** The AP now has a longer story online…
Brown said he believed Democratic candidate Emily Klunk-McAsey, who is running against Republican Rep. Brent Hassert for a seat in Chicago’s suburbs, received the information for a recent news conference on impeachment. Klunk-McAsey did not return a phone message seeking comment Tuesday afternoon.
Other lawmakers who have discussed pursuing impeachment said they had not seen the memo but were not surprised it went to candidates.
‘’I don’t think that he (Madigan) is pushing for impeachment at this time, because if he was we’d be in Springfield right now,'’ said Rep. Jack Franks, D-Woodstock. ‘’He wants to make sure that he does well with the House. This is one way of giving his candidates some options.'’
* Klunk-McAsey’s statement was only covered in one paper yesterday…
Here’s a sign of the ironic condition of Illinois politics.
Emily McAsey , the Democratic candidate for 85th District state, last week issued a statement calling for Gov. Rod Blagojevich ’s impeachment in the aftermath of his buddy Tony Rezko ’s conviction. Not only that, McAsey of Lockport accuses her Republican opponent, Rep. Brent Hassert of Romeoville, of not being tough enough on the Democratic governor.
“His (Hassert’s) attitude shows exactly what is wrong in Springfield right now: Republicans and Democrats covering up and protecting each other when something is amiss,” McAsey said in a written statement.
*** UPDATE 3 *** Statement from Senate President Emil Jones…
“I think it’s wrong for the Democratic Speaker and Democratic Party Chairman to promote the impeachment of a Democratic Governor. Impeachment is unwarranted in my opinion, and should not be used as a political tool. It is a serious state action that should not be used to divert attention from the issues at hand which are the operating budget and passing a capital bill.”
Levee breaks in Lawrence County near the Indiana line in southern Illinois are forcing evacuations.
Officials tell the Lawrenceville Daily Record that an early morning levee failure along the Embarras River is forcing the evacuations of portions of eastern Lawrence County.
The evacuation apparently involves about 200 homes, and the flooded area so far is mostly farmland and prairie.
Officials also say another levee broke along the Wabash River near Westport.
* 10:46 am - Tomorrow’s leaders meeting is scheduled for 10:30 at the Thompson Center. Kevin will be covering this one, so we won’t have to wait around for updates.
* 11:19 am - From a press release…
Governor Blagojevich says state supporting flood response in southeastern Illinois after levee breaks
IEMA, IDNR and ISP on site in Lawrence County to assist local response agencies, ensure public safety
SPRINGFIELD – Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich today directed the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) to coordinate with local emergency management officials in southeastern Illinois to ensure public safety after levee breaks along the Embarras and Wabash rivers forced the evacuation of people in the Lawrenceville and Westport areas.
“I’ve directed the Illinois Emergency Management Agency to work closely with local officials to make sure they get whatever assistance necessary to protect people in this area,” said Gov. Blagojevich.
Early Tuesday morning, levees on the Embarras and the Wabash River broke sending flood waters into areas east of Lawrenceville and the Westport area. IEMA dispatched a regional coordinator to the area to work with local emergency management officials and determine if state assistance is needed. Conservation police officers from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) assisted with the evacuation of 14 people yesterday in Lawrence County and conducted welfare checks throughout the night and this morning. In addition, officers from the Illinois State Police (ISP) are assisting with safety issues, and an ISP airplane was used this morning to conduct a flyover of the area to assess the extent of the flooding.
Following heavy rains over the past week, floodwaters have risen along several rivers in Illinois. IEMA officials are in close contact with emergency managers in several counties to determine needs for state assistance. In addition to the assistance provided in Lawrence County, state emergency response assets have been provided to the following counties to aid in their flood assistance efforts:
o Cass County – a crew of six inmates from the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) sent to assist with sandbagging.
o Mercer County – pumps from the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT).
o Menard County – pumps from IDOT
o Douglas County – 30 barricades to assist with traffic control.
The National Weather Service is predicting crests of 10 feet above flood stage and higher over the next two weeks in Hannibal, Canton, Louisiana and Clarksville in northeast Missouri and at Quincy and Grafton in Illinois. That’s considered major flooding and would near record levels reached in 1993.
Oy.
*** 11:52 am *** State Rep. Roger Eddy (R-Hutsonville) is not usually one to pop off, and he mostly kept his cool when we talked a few minutes ago. But he’s becoming ever more frustrated that the flooded areas of his southeastern Illinois House district are not getting the same attention from the state that the folks across the border in Indiana have received.
Flooded areas of Indiana have already obtained a federal disaster declaration. In contrast, Illinois has yet to declare its side of the border a disaster - a step that has to be completed before the feds can step in.
Also, Indiana’s governor has personally toured the impacted areas on his side of the border. But when Eddy talked to an official with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency he was told that it “doesn’t make any sense for the governor to be down here at this time.”
“The people down here are going to perceive that he just isn’t engaged,” Eddy said of Gov. Blagojevich.
Eddy did say that some localities were getting some much-needed help with immediate concerns, and he said he was very grateful for that. But he added that the paperwork process needs a thorough review. Too much emphasis was being placed on getting local officials to sign off on documents when they were out on the front lines battling the flooding, Eddy said.
“We have a flash flood,” the legislator said, “We need flash paperwork.”
“I don’t know why Indiana can have a declaration in less than a day and now we’re three or four days ino this and we’re just seeing this paperwork.”
*** 12:36 pm *** Rep. David Reis sent in this photo of a levy break just beyond his back yard…
*** 2:12 pm *** For some perspective, I phoned Mike Van Dorn, the editor of the Lawrenceville Daily Record.
Van Dorn wasn’t much impressed with Rep. Eddy’s comments about Blagojevich, claiming that’s his usual schtick back in the district - to blame the guv for everything.
The editor said that about 200 families have been evacuated from their homes, adding, “As far as i know the state response has been excellent.” Van Dorn hasn’t been out and about himelf, but has been getting reports from his reporter on the beat.
The Illinois Emergency Management Agency “is on top of it,” Van Dorn said, claiming, “They’re doing everything they can.” However, he did say that IEMA is “short of manpower.”
*** 3:07 pm *** Sen. Dale Righter has been out all day dealing with the flooding in his district, but from what I gather the worst is yet to come. A couple of rivers in the area could flood over each other and cover an area of around 50 square miles, Righter said. Yikes.
Now, much of that is agricultural land, but that’s still pretty darned huge. The local airport is expected to be underwater this week, and one town’s water treatment plant is already totally submerged.
Sen. Righter credited local agencies and the local IEMA people for working very hard.
But, Righter said, the further up the ladder you get, the less contact and involvement there is. He said there was a problem getting answers out of Springfield, and that the response out of IEMA headquarters “could be more prompt.”
With flood warnings along the Mississippi River and the deteriorating situation in Southeastern Illinois [andelsewhere], IEMA and the rest of the Blagojevich administration certainly has a lot of work ahead. I hope they’re up to it.
* Also, we’re working on figuring out how people can donate to flood victims or lend a hand in other ways.
*** 3:55 pm *** A state disaster has finally been declared…
Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich today declared six southeastern Illinois counties state disaster areas due to widespread flooding and severe storms that have forced evacuations and closed roadways. The state disaster declaration makes available a wide variety of state resources that can help affected communities respond and recover from flooding. Counties included in the Governor’s declaration are Clark, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, Jasper and Lawrence. […]
“While we’re very fortunate that Illinois hasn’t been hit as severely as some other Midwestern states, the flooding in southeastern Illinois is devastating to everyone affected and we’re prepared to provide these counties with any state assets and personnel they need to respond and recover from this event,” said IEMA Director Andrew Velasquez III.
* Please ignore the national political ramifications in this setup. From a press release…
Presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain have declared Washington lobbyists persona non grata as far as participation in the forthcoming campaigns. The leadership of the American League of Lobbyists (ALL) vehemently objects to this treatment. ALL reminds the candidates that all U.S. citizens are guaranteed the right to petition the government under the First Amendment to the Constitution.
“As a profession, lobbying is an easy target and a candidate automatically garners public support with each declaration,” said Brian Pallasch, League President.
“What I have trouble with is the hypocritical nature of these comments. Both candidates have worked with lobbyists, recognize the value of their input, received legal campaign contributions from lobbyists, and yet never hesitate to throw us to the wolves when it behooves them to do so,” continued Pallasch.
In addition to guaranteeing free speech, the First Amendment to the Constitution states unequivocally the right of the people “to petition the government for a redress of grievances.” It does not specify whether such petitions must be brought by individual citizens or representatives on their behalf - hence, lobbyists.
* Question: Should Illinois ban campaign contributions from all registered lobbyists? Explain.
[Like I said above, ignore the national politics and keep it state-centric, please. There’s only gonna be one warning.]
Tony Rezko tried to negotiate a third airport deal in the south suburbs in 2006 on behalf of the governor, according to U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Chicago).
“There was no doubt he was a state actor at that meeting,” Jackson said. “I didn’t call Tony Rezko. […]
“Rezko said that in order to get the governor’s support for the things I wanted, the governor had to be given key appointments on the ALNAC board,” Jackson said.
“That is the same kind of thing they did with the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board and the teachers pension system. That’s how Rezko used his influence, by appointing people to these boards.”
* Kadner doesn’t believe Blagojevich administration claims that Rezko was never involved, and I don’t blame him one bit. I’m with Phil on that one.
Kadner, however, only briefly mentions that Jackson aide Rick Bryan brought Democratic congressional candidate Sen. Debbie Halvorson into the mix. That’s more significant, at least politically for Halvorson, than Kadner claims.
Pay-to-play was the pathway laid out in Senate Bill 2063, sponsored by state Sen. Debbie Halvorson. That bill would have codified what Rezko essentially proposed to Jackson, ALNAC and its developers (SNC-Lavalin and LCOR), which was to create an airport board comprised of appointed – not elected – commissioners.
* I think that any direct Halvorson connection is a big stretch, but the most significant aspect of this statement was that an incumbent Congressional Democrat would seek to undermine a Democratic congressional hopeful by connecting her to Tony Rezko, no matter how tenuous those ties might me.
Jackson and Halvorson have fought bitterly on this issue over the years. Halvorson complains that Jackson wants to put an airport in her Senate district (and in an area which is not in Jackson’s district) without first getting permission from those residents. That’s a good point, but there’s no denying that Jackson has given Halvorson’s GOP opponent, Martin Ozinga, lots of ammo.
From an Ozinga press release…
* Did Halvorson ever meet with Rezko or Rezko’s associates about the Third Airport?
* If so, did Halvorson sponsor Senate Bill 2063 at Tony Rezko’s request? Was anything offered by Rezko in exchange?
* If not, still: why did Halvorson sponsor a bill that would have created ample opportunity for the same kind of cash-for-appointments schemes for which Tony Rezko was just convicted?
The board ruled in favor of petitioners who filed objections against 8th Congressional District candidate Iain Abernathy of Round Lake Beach, 10th District candidate David Kalbfleish of Arlington Heights, and 14th District candidate Robert Hill of DeKalb — all of whom the party had slated after the state’s Feb. 5 primary. […]
More specifically, attorneys for the objectors argued that the Green Party failed to elect any precinct committeemen from key counties during the February primary, a requisite first step in the process of slating candidates. In Abernathy’s case, objectors also argued for disqualification because he tried to run as a Moderate Party candidate in the primary before being removed from that ballot.
The Greens aren’t sure yet whether they’ll appeal.
A Democratic candidate for Congress is offering a blunt assessment of Illinois’ state government leaders. Dan Seals is running in the 10th congressional district in Chicago’s northern suburbs.
Seals says Illinois needs “adults [in Springfield] who work for the people they’re supposed to represent.”
“Look, I’m not going to go pick a fight with anybody, but the fact is, we need more results out of Springfield and less posturing.”
Charlie Cook now rates Seals’ campaign against incumbent Republican Mark Kirk a toss-up, partly because of Barack Obama’s presence on the ticket.
* I told subscribers about this bill and other measures stuck in the legislative mire yesterday morning.
Today, the Sun-Times editorializes in favor of a bill to require insurance companies to cover people with autism. The editorial claims the bill “never made it out of the House,” but actually the bill did pass the House. The House, however, refused to back away from an amendment the Senate rejected which forbade the Blagojevich administration from promulgating any new administrative rules.
Anyway…
The autism bill is one of dozens, if not hundreds, that failed to become law this spring because of a profound dispute between Gov. Blagojevich and House Speaker Michael Madigan.
Madigan and others accuse Blagojevich of repeatedly going around the legislative process. To stop Blagojevich, Madigan added an amendment to the autism bill, and to hundreds of others, that restricts the governor’s ability to do that. The amendment gives the Legislature new powers to write rules about how the legislation will be implemented.
When all these amended bills, including the autism insurance bill, leave the House, Senate President Emil Jones, a Blagojevich ally, balks.
The result: gridlock, stalemate and mind-bending frustration for real people caught in the cross hairs.
* Madigan and others are not just accusing Blagojevich of doing end-arounds on the General Assembly. It’s a fact of life. Let’s go back and see what happened last year…
After the [Joint Committee on Administrative Rules] blocked the rules [for a health care expansion plan], Blagojevich ordered his agency directors to proceed as though JCAR actually approved the rule. The governor then sent his press office out to tell reporters that JCAR was unconstitutional and didn’t have the authority to block his new idea - even though Blagojevich signed that aforementioned law that allowed JCAR to do just that.
The governor’s move caused quite an uproar. His tendency to ignore the Constitution, his stubborn refusal to take “no” for an answer from large bipartisan majorities in the General Assembly, his blatant abuse of his powers to call special legislative sessions (he’s called more than all modern governors combined), and his hypocritical lawsuits against the House speaker over, of all things, constitutional issues, had already rankled legislators to no end. […]
Whenever an executive tries to grab lots more authority, it’s usually seen by the legislative branch as an abuse of power, and that branch often ends up with more power than before. The backlash against President Richard Nixon’s notorious power grabs produced all sorts of laws that were designed to limit the executive’s authority, for instance, and the same thing is starting to happen with President George W. Bush.
Governor Blagojevich has seemed intent since Day One on remaking the governor’s office into a far more powerful branch, often overstepping his authority or “misreading” the Constitution. Considering his abrasive tactics, massive unpopularity with the public, and bungled Statehouse execution, he could wind up leaving the governor’s office as a hobbled shell of its former self.
Lots and lots of bills were essentially killed this year because Speaker Madigan no longer trusts the governor to follow state law and the Illinois Constitution. I don’t see an easy way out of this mess.
…the General Assembly approved a state budget ten days ago that calls for spending at least $2 billion more than it raises in revenue. Governor Blagojevich is hinting veto, but he can’t do that until the House and Senate send him the official, “enrolled and embossed” copies of the legislation. Sources say the State Senate may delay until the last possible moment on June 30th, because Senate President Emil Jones is trying to talk the governor out of a veto.
Emphasis was added to make a point. The chamber where the bill originates controls when it transmits the bill to the governor. They have 30 days to do this, and this time it’s not just Speaker Madigan holding up the show. It’s Jones.
* As I’ve been saying for weeks, a big reason the Senate doesn’t want to come back for an overtime session is that it will activate the legislative pay raises…
One reason for this is it could cost legislators a $4,700 pay raise.
“The fact that the pay raise for the elected officials is kind of holding up the train is really sad,” says Jay Stewart, executive director of the Better Government Association. “It shows you how petty and parochial sometimes the members can be.” […]
Under the quirky rules the General Assembly created for raising its own pay, those raises immediately take effect as soon as the State Senate convenes three more times. That is, unless the senate votes to reject the raises. The Illinois House did. That puts State Senate leaders on a hot seat they want to avoid until after the November election.
* Another factor might be the impact on state employee pay checks, but last year a judge allowed state workers to be paid without a passed budget. Still, Flannery reports…
In fact, sources report, House Speaker Michael Madigan believes that payroll pressure and the threat of shutting down vital state services will ultimately force all sides to resolve their differences.
The mayor said anyone who thinks he spoiled a potential deal to increase school funding is “greatly mistaken.” A proposal that would have expanded gaming to raise funds passed a state legislative committee, but it did not win final approval.
Daley said that idea was put forward too late.
“Last-minute proposals are always unacceptable,” he said. “There should be at least a discussion beforehand.” [emphasis added]
Why the Chicago media hasn’t taken more notice of this is beyond me.
* Chicago Public Radio: Illinois may not have enough money in its unemployment reserves for a lengthy recession. That’s according to a study by the National Employment Law Project advocacy group.
* 30,000 city students to rally at Soldier Field for more state funding - Mayor Richard Daley, several music stars expected to attend
“This job has been extremely, extremely interesting and fulfilling, but it also is a 24/7 job,” Nix said. “There’s no way to do it without putting everything into it.”
Turns out the retired head of the Cook County Health Bureau is making more money contracting with the county than was previously acknowledged. Chicago Public Radio has learned that Dr. Robert Simon is making more than twice as much as Board President Todd Stroger previously said he would.
A federal judge on Monday denied Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s last-ditch attempt to block the removal of the 183rd Fighter Wing’s planes from Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport.
President Glenn Poshard said Monday at a bipartisan gathering of leaders that $100 million has been earmarked within the bill for coal and energy research and within that amount, SIUC would have the money to construct its research center.
* 6:24 pm - Jim Thompson pulls out for now. From a press release…
Press Statement of Governor James R. Thompson, Chairman, Illinois Sports Facilities Authority
The Chicago Tribune organization and representatives of the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority met today to determine whether we could reach an agreement on a plan for ISFA (the current owner of U.S. Cellular, the home of the Chicago White Sox) to acquire and restore Wrigley Field.
The Tribune believes that ISFA’s participation in such an acquisition requires either the transfer of future sales and amusement tax revenue from transactions at Wrigley Field for the next 30 years, or the imposition of new taxes, or the transfer of existing ISFA funds now pledged to projects at U.S. Cellular. ISFA cannot agree to this. In our judgment, there are no votes in the City Council or in the Illinois General Assembly for transferred or new taxes for Wrigley Field. And we cannot break the promises we have previously made to the White Sox under our lease terms.
We believe that we would be able to offer the owner of the Cubs (present or future) a plan whereby ISFA could acquire Wrigley Field through the issuance of taxable bonds paid for by lease revenues from the team and associated naming rights. This would cost Illinois taxpayers nothing.
We believe that sufficient funds can be raised from the sale of newly constructed seats in an Equity Seats Rights offering which would give the new owners of the team a fully restored Wrigley Field. This would be done within the policies and rules of Major League Baseball, would produce more revenue that would allow the Cubs to be even more competitive, the fans and players to enjoy enhanced facilities, the neighborhood to enjoy more amenities and parking. This would cost Illinois taxpayers nothing.
When Governor Blagojevich asked ISFA to explore this opportunity, he wanted to insure that under new ownerships the Cubs would stay at Wrigley Field in Chicago and that Wrigley Field would be restored. We have no doubt that these two goals will be reached — whether or not ISFA acquires and restores Wrigley.
We stand ready to resume negotiations with the Tribune or any new owner of the Cubs at their request.
* No, it’s not music. What we have here is Reps. Jay Hoffman (D-Collinsville) and Brent Hassert (R-Romeoville) discussing the capital bill, budget negotiations, Rezko, etc. on Fox Chicago Sunday.
There is a spot of “new” news in the video when Rep. Hoffman claims that the governor is willing to make $500 million in budget cuts if the House is willing to pass the capital plan as well as $900 million or so in Fiscal Year ‘09 budgetary funding streams that have already cleared the Senate (special fund sweeps and pension obligation bond).
Both men hammered away at House Speaker Madigan, but neither were ever asked whether the House Republicans would support those two revenue streams. The HGOPs have said before that they were opposed to the funding sources. So, that unasked question is pretty darned important.
Governor Rod R. Blagojevich today named Bob Greenlee as Deputy Governor, effective June 9. Greenlee will replace current Deputy Governor Sheila Nix when she concludes her four-year tenure with the administration at the end of this week. […]
Greenlee will be based in Chicago and will oversee the administration’s policy and legislative affairs efforts. Greenlee previously worked as the Deputy Chief of Staff for the State’s infrastructure agencies and as the Deputy Director of the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget. Greenlee also worked as a lawyer in private practice in Chicago before joining the State. He earned his undergraduate degree from Yale University and received his law degree from the University of Chicago Law School.
“I am looking forward to the challenges ahead. Illinois, like states across the country, is experiencing an economic slowdown that impacts families and businesses statewide. Governor Blagojevich is keenly aware of the important role the State can play in helping families and stimulating the economy. I’m excited to have the opportunity to help him achieve his goals for the people of our state,” said Greenlee.
Greenlee recently has been overseeing the Blagojevich administration’s push to lease much of the Illinois Lottery to a private firm to help pay for a statewide construction program.
As of November, Greenlee was being paid $120,000 annually as deputy chief of staff overseeing administrative and infrastructure agencies, including Revenue, Central Management Services, Transportation, the Toll Highway Authority and the Housing Development Authority. He also did revenue estimation and valuation and special projects in public finance.
He began with the state in late 2003, after working for Kirkland & Ellis in Chicago.
“We have a governor who just doesn’t quite understand his responsibilities, and we have the leaders of his party in the Legislature who spend more time being mad at the governor than doing what needs to be done,” Edgar said, adding he has no future plans to run for political office.
But his solution was far from perfect…
“I think (Blagojevich) has got to admit he’s made some mistakes and buckle down and spend a little more time in Springfield and reach out to the Democrats and Republicans he hasn’t been able to get along with,” Edgar said. “There’s a lot of lack of confidence in state government today.”
* The governor’s word is mud. There is almost nothing he can do to salvage that. Admitting his past mistakes won’t help, partly because he is so thoroughly trapped by those old mistakes…
Back in 2004, when (surprise) the state was going through financial problems, Blagojevich complained that many of those problems were caused by “the biggest borrowing binge in Illinois state history.” Specifically, the Illinois FIRST capital program pushed through by former Gov. George Ryan.
For the record, that biggest borrowing binge in Illinois history cost $12 billion. Blagojevich’s capital plan is $34 billion.
Not all of that is based on borrowing, but you get the idea.
Blagojevich began the year with an ambitious wish list: A massive infrastructure program; universal health care; and a $300-per-child state income tax rebate. He suggested paying for it with a major expansion of gambling.
But by the time the Legislature adjourned for the summer, virtually all of Blagojevich’s agenda had been ignored. Instead, the Legislature unanimously sent him a campaign ethics bill that clearly was a swipe at the governor’s own fundraising methods.
Blagojevich’s failure to win passage of his $33 billion proposed infrastructure plan has been an especially bitter one.
* Speaking of the capital bill, did you know this?
In one example, as the plan relates to the money earmarked for all nine Illinois Department of Transportation districts, the two southernmost districts would get 16 percent of the $14 billion for road and bridge projects. Yet those two districts only make up about 9.3 percent of the state’s population.
The Chicagoland district would get 37 percent of the funding, while it has nearly 64 percent of the state’s population.
* Related…
* Kane lawmakers ‘frustrated‘ over Springfield antics
Sneed hears Governor Blago’s top deputy gov, Sheila Nix, just quit. Is this the beginning of an office bailout now that the feds are fine-tuning their gun sights on Gov. Blago? Stay tuned.
“I’ve been working for the governor for almost four years, and I told him probably about six weeks ago that … when we finish (the legislative session) in Springfield after the end May, and my kids get out of school the first week in June, that I wanted to have some time with them,” Nix said Sunday. […]
She said her decision had nothing to do with last week’s guilty verdicts in the corruption trial of Blagojevich friend and advisor Antoin “Tony” Rezko.
“In these positions, you have to be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in order to be able to do your job,” Nix said. “Obviously, we spend a lot of time in Springfield and I’m away some. It was really more just a situation where I felt like after four years, it was the right time.”
Nix, 46, of Oak Park, laughed about the idea she is leaving her $135,000-a-year job to spend more time with her family, because she knows people think that’s code for getting fired.
“I actually am going to really enjoy spending some time with the kids over the summer and then be ready to move onto something new,” she said.
The Rezko mess undoubtedly contributed to Nix’s work-related stress, but so did the other federal investigations. The timing is odd, of course, but nobody can last in an environment like that forever.
But I have been repeatedly told that Sheila was part of the brain trust that prepped Carol Ronen for her disastrous Chicago Tonight appearance, and who helped conjure up the Governor’s dimwitted and ill-received strategy to try to derail the pay-to-play ban by uttering flat out lies.
Paycheck or no paycheck, the concerted efforts of Sheila, Carol and Rebecca Rausch to aid and abet the Governor’s efforts to prevent ethics and campaign finance reform by conjuring up and mindlessly parroting the party lines were inexcusable and emblematic of the legacy that will mark the Blagojevich era.
The Governor’s need to surround himself with sycophants unwilling to question the misguided wisdom of his strategies, coupled with individuals all too willing to play that role, have done untold damage not just to the Administration, but more importantly, to our fine state.
While Sheila may be the latest out the door, I think that it’s a safe bet that she won’t be the last.
Frankly, I’m not really interested in your own theories claimed as fact for why Nix left. Just a warning.
* My syndicated newspaper column this week is about the Tony Rezko verdict. You may already be familiar with some of this, and maybe not with other parts…
Some random thoughts about Antoin “Tony” Rezko’s guilty verdict in his federal corruption trial …
• After Rezko was convicted on 16 of 24 counts, both Gov. Rod Blagojevich and U.S. Sen. Barack Obama expressed sadness at the verdict and gingerly danced away from their former friend and fundraiser. Some in the media criticized the two men for not being tougher on the guy.
There are plenty of reasons why those post-conviction statements weren’t more judgmental or harsh. The first that came to my mind was that Rezko is theoretically facing 300 years in prison. A guy caught up in such a predicament might say anything, true or false, to avoid spending the rest of his natural life behind bars. It’s probably best not to rile him too much. He may know something about one or both men, or he may just make something up. Either way, discretion is the better part of valor in situations like that.
• Is Blagojevich next on the federal “hit list”? Plenty of reports since the Rezko verdict have quoted U.S. attorney insiders as saying the multiple criminal investigations against Blagojevich and his campaign are going “full speed ahead.”
“Speed” and “U.S. attorney” are usually not things you see in the same sentence. They like to take their sweet time, so don’t get too impatient. The feds will put another Blagojevich fundraiser, Chris Kelly, on trial later this year. Actually, Kelly is not just a fundraiser. He’s a close Blagojevich friend. Plus, there’s still another trial pending against Rezko. So, like I said, be patient. It’ll happen when it happens.
• Why did Rezko immediately surrender himself to authorities when his official sentencing date isn’t until September? He’s been out on bond for a few weeks, after the judge sent him to a holding facility for receiving some money from overseas without informing her. He whined and whined when he was in jail, complaining about having to share underwear with his fellow inmates. So why did he volunteer to go back?
Several reasons have been offered, including that he fears for his life, or he’s ready to flip on Blagojevich or that he is showing the feds he is a tough guy who won’t flip on anyone else. I don’t think the answer is any of these.
It’s probably easier to do harm to him in prison than anywhere else. Bad guysabound in prison, and it’s pretty tough to hide from them unless he was put in solitary confinement. If he was making a statement about whether he was about to flip or not, he’d probably say something, rather than just silently surrender.
A commenter at my blog probably had the simplest explanation. Rezko’s friends and family put up millions in cash and property to spring him from that jailhouse. Going back to prison meant the judge’s “hold” was taken off all the money and property.
It most likely was just a decent thing to do by a guy who has done some very indecent things.
• Will Rezko flip on Blagojevich?
Call me a rat if you want, but if I were Rezko and I were facing all that prison time, I’d flip like Nadia Comaneci on steroids. I’d flip so much that I could open up my own IHOP franchise.
I’d be another Flip Wilson.
“They call him Flipper, Flipper, Flipper, faster than lightning,” would be my new theme song.
I’d … well, you get the idea.
I can’t read Rezko’s mind, but I do believe that if he has something to say, he will.
• Do Illinoisans really care about Rezko?
Shortly after it was announced that a verdict was on its way, the Web sites of the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times were so overwhelmed with visitors that they both crashed. I don’t think that’s ever happened before.
So, yes, people are very interested.
• What was the most overlooked part of the Rezko verdict?
The media has been covering one aspect of the trial for months: Rezko and others were accused of conspiring to squeeze an investor out of a $1.5 million campaign contribution for Blagojevich.
Rezko’s defense lawyers claimed there never was any such plan. It was all a fantasy concocted by “star” prosecution witness Stu Levine, they said. The jury declared Rezko “not guilty” on those counts, apparently believing the defense contention that no such conspiracy ever existed.
* Also, if you missed my appearance on Don & Roma’s show last week, you can download it by clicking here.
The Illinois Senate quietly approved a bill this spring that would have steered the proposed third airport down a path of pay-to-play politics – and certain doom.
I know, because Antoin “Tony” Rezko attempted to lead Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. down that same path two years ago – a proposal Jackson flatly rejected.
Pay-to-play was the pathway laid out in Senate Bill 2063, sponsored by state Sen. Debbie Halvorson. That bill would have codified what Rezko essentially proposed to Jackson, ALNAC and its developers (SNC-Lavalin and LCOR), which was to create an airport board comprised of appointed – not elected – commissioners.
City Hall is planning another subsidy for Block 37 — this time a three-phased bailout of an el station under construction there that’s running more than $100 million over budget.
* Sketchy transportation plans drag down Chicago’s Olympic bid
“Why is it easier to get a consumer guide to get a home appliance or consumer electronics … than it is to see if your representative is voting in a way that represents your values?” Bean said.
* OK, that’s it for me. I think I may head over to Decatur for the IL GOP festivities. You ought to head to Illinoize for lots more talk and fun. Also, make sure to buy an ad at InsiderzExchange. We have big plans for that place.
* How about some serious party rock to end our week? I can’t tell you how many memories this song brings back. I also can’t tell you what those memories are. Turn it up!!!…
It ain’t easy
Livin’ like you wanna
It’s so hard to find peace of mind
* 3:32 pm - In case you care, a committee of the Illinois Republican Party just voted to elect Patrick Brady and Demetra DeMonte as the party’s new national committeepersons.
I’m working on getting the vote totals. Fewer than seven votes for any of the losers means there is no committee minority report, making it much tougher to get a floor vote at the convention. Former state Sen. Steve Rauschenberger was running for the second time and lost out to Brady, who came almost out of nowhere.
Rauschenberger’s loss won’t go down well with the Illinois Review/Jack Roeser types. Kathy Salvi was also being backed by the Right, but DeMonte is also very conservative and was not thought to be beloved by the old guard.
* 3:49 pm - I’m told Brady won 15-4. The other race was closer. 10-9 DeMonte over Carol Donovan on the second ballot. Salvi’s people backed DeMonte after losing in the first round.
* I thought you might like to see these. Rep. Watson, as most of you know, is a Marine reservist stationed in Iraq. Here are two new videos from the Department of Defense which feature Rep. Watson. The first has a shout-out to the folks in Springfield…
*** UPDATE *** My good pal Jerry Clarke, who is also stationed in Iraq, is the proud father of a new baby girl: Reagan Marie Clarke was born at 8:17 pm last night. 8 pounds 11 ounces. Mom and baby are said to be doing fine.
According to the auditor general, the costs of Illinois’ two state fairs exceeded revenues last year.
In a report issued yesterday (Thursday), Illinois Auditor General William Holland said the 2007 fair in Springfield cost taxpayers more than $3.4 million. The Du Quoin State Fair exceeded revenues by more than $900,000 in 2007, although that is less than the nearly $940,000 deficit in 2006.
According to officials at the Illinois Department of Agriculture, the deficit at the state fairgrounds in Springfield is inflated by the approximately $2.6 million spent of maintaining the facility.
* Personally, I think it’s silly to think that the fairs ought to pay for themselves. So, I agree with Squibb…
Ag spokesman Jeff Squibb says the purpose of the fair is not to make a buck for the state, but to showcase the state’s agricultural assets.
“Certainly we would like it to (pay for itself), but we don’t believe that the purpose of the fair is to make a profit,” Squibb said. “I think you need to consider the return the state gets for its investment in the fair.”
The report also said the fair “did not have adequate controls over gate and parking admissions,” and “did not perform adequate procedures to ensure that all leases for space were properly enforced and that all space rental permits were properly displayed.”
Permits not properly displayed is no biggie, but they need to be on top of those gate and parking admissions. Read the full audits here and here.
* I’m pretty sure that this Sneed item is on the money…
Sneed hears rumbles that Gov. Blagojevich, whose administration has been beset by a phalanx of federal probes, still owes the law firm of Winston & Strawn big bucks.
• • The buckshot: Word is that the law firm’s partners are none too pleased. Last January, it was reported Blago’s campaign had paid the law firm $1.1 million — but he still owed the firm $1 million. “I’m told it’s now bigger than that,” said a source.
Warning to all potential Blagojevich campaign contributors: Your cash is going straight to Winston & Strawn.
State Sen. Larry Bomke, R-Springfield, said Gov. Rod Blagojevich mentioned Lincoln Estates, formerly the Lincoln Developmental Center for the developmentally disabled, about eight times during a Senate Republican caucus a few weeks ago.
“The governor admitted that he had not lived up to his commitment to me,” Bomke said, referring to a promise Blagojevich made that the facility would be reopened.
Shortly after he was elected, the governor promised Bomke, in writing, that he would reopen the state-run LDC if Bomke voted for a pension-funding bill. Bomke kept his end of the bargain; Blagojevich has not.
Blagojevich also promised to reopen LDC — one of Logan County’s largest employers — during his initial campaign for governor less than six months after the facility closed in 2002.
That governor’s renewed interest in the matter could be significant, Bomke said.
So, the guv admitted he lied and now Bomke believes him? I’m sure that’ll work out fine.
“Things have changed obviously,” said Senate Republican leader Frank Watson, whose GOP members last week swallowed their contempt for the governor to back his major gambling expansion plan. “It is going to be difficult to move forward, to be honest about it.”
“I’ll concede it’s a big distraction, we’ve got stuff to do, we’ve got a budget that’s out of balance by $2.5 million, I can’t just walk away and say ‘we’ve got a distraction, we’re not going to do anything about it’,” said Rep. Tom Cross, (R) Illinois House minority leader.
“While the governor gets a lot of attention, it’s Democratic House and Senate members that have helped cause this,” said House Republican leader Tom Cross, of Oswego. “These guys have been trying to run the government, and they’ve failed miserably.”
* Watson’s quotes were put in more context in the Tribune…
“We do need to move forward, but it is getting difficult,” Watson said when asked how the Rezko verdict is interrupting government business. “It just taints the whole process now that we have this in front of us. . . . There is a certain lack of trust” in Blagojevich. […]
…” It’s been said, ‘There’s a trial going on.’ Well, the trial is over now, and the guilty verdict is in. And I just think that resonates considerably with the people of this state.”
Democratic Rep. Julie Hamos of Evanston said it’s too early to say how the Rezko conviction might affect Blagojevich’s already sour relationship with the Legislature.
“I don’t think it can get any worse,” Hamos said.
* Madigan’s spokesman lays out the Speaker’s thinking in more detail…
“If you look at that in context, with the lawsuits and threats and firings and the decision to abandon the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (J-CAR), it’s impossible to imagine that going to meetings with (Blagojevich) is an appropriate approach,” Brown said. In the just-concluded legislative session, three items of substance were accomplished: rate rebates for ComEd and customers, money for the RTA and ethics reform, “and all three happened without the help of Rod Blagojevich.” […]
“The speaker is hopeful on the capital plan. He thinks there’s a need for a capital plan; he’s offered support for at least three different ideas,” Brown said. But the bill sent from the Senate to the House was “in a take it or leave it fashion.” The most important problem with it, Brown said, is that “they wanted the city to pay for a casino in Chicago, and the mayor was opposed, and he was opposed to how some of the money would be spent. It’s hard to expect that anybody’s going to support a bill like that.” […]
“The very real and drastic problems facing Illinois right now are primarily because of the person that occupies the governor’s office,” Brown said.
“This person has a fundamentally destructive view of how government operates in Illinois, and Mike Madigan is not going to go along thinking everything is hunky-dory.”
* One of the two remaining Spin Sisters says her boss is focused on his job…
Blagojevich spokeswoman Abby Ottenhoff suggested that the governor wasn’t distracted by Wednesday’s guilty verdict and instead is focused on doing his job.
* But the governor may speak about the imbroglio soon…
Aides said the governor would appear in public to address questions about the Rezko matter and other state business “within a few days,” but gave no further specifics. The governor has declined to take questions since the Rezko verdict and for months has curtailed his public appearances following Rezko revelations.
“If it was an issue that involved a Mom and Pop store or a high-rise, that is totally within the jurisdiction of that alderman. But, you’re not gonna say the lakefront belongs to one ward. It would be just as absurd to say that, because O’Hare Airport is located in the 41st Ward, that alderman should have sway over development practices at the airport,” said Zoning Committee Chairman William Banks (36th).
Idiot wind, blowing every time you move your mouth,
Blowing on down the backroads headin’ south.
Idiot wind, blowing every time you move your teeth,
You’re an idiot, babe.
It’s a wonder that you still know how to breathe.
