* 12:41 pm - Just 87 members are present in the House today. Listen or watch here.
* 12:45 pm - IL AARP takes a swipe at the guv for eliminating or cutting increases in funding for “programs and services that are essential to the welfare and safety of thousands of older adults in Illinois”…
Caring enough about seniors to offer them free rides should also translate into making sure that older Illinoisans have fully funded programs and services so they can live independently and with dignity in the communities of their own choice.
* 12:51 pm - The House was led in prayer today by Rep. Tim Schmitz, who was sent a prayer used in the Indiana House of Representatives several years ago…
Almighty God, You who created the heavens and the earth, light and darkness, the waters and the dry land, the stars and the moon, the plants and the animals, Adam and Eve in six days, help these hardworking legislators that they might successfully complete their work in sixty-one. Then after You have done that, please enlighten the governor as to the wisdom of their accomplishments so that they might rest securely in the knowledge that he won’t undo all the good they have done.
Amen.
LOL.
* 12:56 pm - The Illinois Federation of Teachers has sent a letter to Senate President Emil Jones…
We urge you to immediately reconvene a regular session of the Senate to act on the overrides.
Read the full letter here. Read the IFT’s letter to Speaker Madigan here.
* 12:57 pm - The House appears to be adjourning until tomorrow.
* 1:01 pm - GOP US Senate candidate Steve Sauerberg trumpets his polling numbers…
The polling, conducted by Southern Outreach, an Atlanta-based firm, shows Durbin struggling to break 50% in the uninformed ballot matchup against Sauerberg. In a head to head with Dr. Sauerberg, Durbin leads 52% to 35%. Outside of the Chicago-metro area, Durbin fails to garner 50% and only leads Sauerberg 47% to 40%.
The independent Rasmussen Reports recently polled the race at 61-27 for Durbin.
*** 1:07 pm *** The House has adjourned and will go to committees at 2 o’clock. The big action will be tomorrow. I doubt I’ll have more updates here for a while, but check back anyway.
As GateHouse Media Inc. stock sank more than 20% in early trading Tuesday — briefly touching $1 a share — Morningstar released a trenchant report declaring shares of the acquisitive community newspaper publisher “could be worthless.”
“Because of the company’s exposure to a challenging advertising environment, a debt-heavy balance sheet, and declining cash flows, we think the equity shares could be worthless,” stock analyst Tom Corbett wrote. […]
Morningstar also said GateHouse is close to violating one or more of the covenants on its huge debt. “Should that happen, its debt could become due immediately, resulting in a possible liquidation scenario,” Corbett wrote.
GateHouse owns the State Journal-Register, Peoria Journal Star and a bunch of other Illinois papers. It’s trading at $1.05 right now. Oy.
*** 3:02 pm *** The House Executive Committee moved a drastically scaled back capital plan to the floor this afternoon. The proposal would reportedly be worth about $5 billion $1.8 billion - far less than the governor’s $34 billion plan. But the House version will require no new money. The billion dollars in state cash $360 million - to be used to leverage about $4 billion $1.8 billion in federal money - will come out of the state’s Road Fund. More in tomorrow’s Capitol Fax.
In the wake of a frightening incident in which a 7-year-old suffered a fractured skull from a foul ball at Wrigley Field, fans may be wondering what they can do to stay safe at the ballpark and, if they aren’t, who bears the legal responsibility for such an accident.
Lawyers say the liability is with the fan, because teams have virtual immunity in most cases. […]
A century of legal precedent from personal injury cases requires club owners to string netting in the most dangerous areas of the park but puts the onus on fans to protect themselves from bats and balls that aren’t stopped by the nets. Lawmakers bolstered the principle further in Illinois, Colorado and Arizona with laws in the 1990s that underscored immunity from lawsuits for ballplayers and the clubs that employ them.
The White Sox and the Cubs—a team owned by Tribune Co., which also owns this newspaper—sought the 1992 Illinois law after local courts had found them liable for fans’ injuries. Expansion teams in the other states asked for similar laws before opening their gates. The legal result is almost airtight.
* The warning: Let’s try very hard not to drag this particular kid and the parents into our discussion.
* The question: Do you support leaving state law as it is or changing it to allow for some liability by team owners? Explain.
* The original version of this story posted yesterday at the Tribune’s site included a quote that isn’t in the piece today…
Chicago police were investigating an attempted arson that took place Sunday night at Cook County Commissioner William Beavers’ South Side office, police said.
A neighbor saw someone on the roof of the office, 2552 E. 79th St., about 10 p.m., police said Monday afternoon, citing preliminary reports. The neighbor notified police, and Chicago firefighters responded to pour water on gasoline found on the roof to dissipate it, said Officer Dan O’Brien, a police spokesman.
No fire was actually set.
“I understand [investigators were] out there today. Last night somebody poured gasoline on the roof and the building next door,” Beavers said. “It was an attempted arson.”
The original version quoted Beavers as saying, “It wasn’t me.” Not sure why the Trib took it out.
I showed the original story to somebody yesterday who asked, “Do you think he did it?”
No way, I said. He doesn’t have any sort of real election coming up. You only torch your own office so you can blame it on an opponent. Not that Beavers would ever do such a thing. I’m not saying, I’m just saying. Hypothetically speaking, of course.
I remember a Downstate legislative candidate years ago whose campaign van caught on fire right before election day [actually, now that I think about it, I believe the van was firebombed]. The local media openly speculated about whether his opponent set the blaze, but I always figured his people did it. Particularly one guy, but I won’t go into names. He was in town that day and, well, let’s just say he was somewhat of an over the top type trained in the dark arts of espionage.
A clout-heavy company with two generations of ties to the Daley family has been chosen to fill in a “missing link” in Chicago’s riverwalk at a cost of $8.1 million, double the city’s original estimate.
The contract awarded last month calls for Walsh Construction to build a walkway on landfill beneath the Michigan Avenue bridge so pedestrians can stroll along the Chicago River without running upstairs, crossing the street and going back downstairs.
The walkway was supposed to cost $4 million and be financed through the Central Loop tax increment financing district. Instead, Walsh will be paid $8.1 million. Walsh was the “lowest qualified bidder” after a seemingly lower bid was ultimately deemed to be higher.
* The idea, as I’ve told you before, behind this budget fight is to force the House to finally relent and pass the capital construction plan. The way to do that is to put as much heat as possible on Speaker Madigan with these budget vetoes.
The House returns to town today to take up many of the governor’s budget vetoes, but it’s the governor who is wearing the jacket. Check out these ledes…
From foster parents facing rising food and fuel costs to the future of Illinois state parks, groups began stepping forward Monday to lobby against budget cuts made last week by Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
In his on-going battle with the Illinois House, the governor last week pared $1.4 billion from the state’s spending plan in an attempt to bring it into balance.
The move, however, will hurt some of the state’s most vulnerable people and places, advocates said.
Crime, violence and domestic abuse will increase in Illinois if the governor’s 43 percent funding cut to substance abuse and prevention programs is allowed to stand, program providers and law enforcement officials said Monday.
From kids spending more years in foster care to kids not being able to go to a local park, it’s all because of the $1.4 billion in cuts Governor Rod Blagojevich made last week.
Area social directors gathered Monday at the Illinois Centre Mall in Marion, where they voiced outrage over proposed budget reductions announced last week by Gov. Rod Blagojevich to community-based social service agencies.
State budget cuts made by Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich will have a devastating impact on local substance abuse programs that treat some of the most vulnerable people in the state, Quad-City advocates said Monday.
Rosecrance substance-abuse prevention and education programs in Rockford stand to lose millions of dollars in government aid thanks to Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s state spending cuts.
As many as sixty Illinois historic sites could close after Gov. Blagojevich slashed half of the state’s budget to maintain and operate the sites.
* I found just one story, in the Northwest Herald, that has a “pox on both their houses” lede…
Having a state budget in place means that state employees will get paid on time, providing that they don’t get laid off as a result of cuts to balance it.
But that is little consolation to the Adult and Child Rehabilitation Center and other agencies whose payments are being held up by the Democratic political infighting in Springfield.
Keith Kuhn is bracing for the implosion about to hit one of the state’s service systems that can least afford it.
Kuhn, community director of the Gateway Foundation in Springfield, and other substance-abuse prevention and treatment center advocates are pleading for help after Gov. Rod Blagojevich slashed $55 million in state money from their programs last week.
llinois legislators, this is no time for a pay raise. But they’ll get just that — nearly 12 percent over the next year — if the Illinois Senate doesn’t act soon.
The governor just cut $1.4 billion out of the state budget, affecting some of the state’s most vulnerable.
Yep. The grand plan appears to be working like a charm.
Message to governor’s office: When the governor - any governor - vetoes budget items, he always wears the jacket. Period.
* The groups that will put $3 million into a “Vote No” campaign on the constitutional convention ballot question held their inaugural press conference yesterday. From a press release…
Members of the Alliance acknowledged the state faces real problems, but they stressed that electing better representatives and leaders is the real answer, not putting one of the most citizen-friendly and progressive constitutions in America up for grabs.
This new coalition includes the Illinois Chamber, the Illinois AFL-CIO, the League of Women Voters and on and on and on. In other words, the very same groups that have been endorsing and funding legislative and statewide candidates for decades. Now they say they goofed and backed the wrong people? Please.
Nancy Kaszak heads the Alliance to Protect the Illinois Constitution. It’s a group of higher-ups representing business groups mostly. Kaszak says she doesn’t trust the current leadership in Springfield to be involved in possibly changing the constitution.
KASZAK: It’s a gimmick to distract voters from Springfield’s failure. These politicians are blaming the constitution rather than taking responsibility for their own failures to solve problems.
Only a tiny handful of legislators are calling for a con-con. Most who have spoken up are opposed. So Kaszak’s argument is simply designed to incite fear and loathing in the electorate.
A constitutional convention is not the only way to amend the constitution, which already provides a clear mechanism for amending it. This amendatory process is proven to work — Illinois voters have considered 18 amendments; ten were passed.
Besides the House cutback amendment, the other amendments first had to be approved by the General Assembly. Only amendments dealing with the structure of the GA can be put on the ballot without first being approved by three-fifths of both chambers. So, the above argument is a fairy tale. The system will not change itself. Not. Gonna. Happen.
* More from the release…
“Scheduling a convention for 2010 would freeze any movement on pressing issues that need to be addressed,” said Kevin Semlow, director of state legislation for the Illinois Farm Bureau. “
That’s not a bad argument, but will anything get done anyway? I doubt it.
People are sick and tired of the political feuds, they don’t like an unfair tax system and corruption that exists for far too long in Illinois and this is our chance to send a message to Springfield that it’s time to reform and the people are gonna get the job done.
The idea is to tie a “Yes” vote to the fury over the total Statehouse breakdown That may be a good idea, politically, but it’s not completely honest. There’s serious work to be done here.
Jan Czarnik, executive director of the League of Women Voters, added, “No one has shown us how a con-con is going to address the problems we all agree are endemic in our state government.”
Well, they didn’t look much then. A tougher balanced budget provision, scaling back amendatory veto powers, requiring computerized legislative redistricting, more precisely delineating special session powers, strengthening the education funding “preponderance” language to make it crystal clear to the Supreme Court are just a few ideas off the top of my head.
Only the electorate could amend the constitution. The delegates to the convention could suggest amendments. But only the electorate could approve or reject them.
The boogeyman is coming and he is going to have a $3 million campaign behind him to scare you into voting against giving yourself more power over improving your state government. Don’t hide under the blankets.
* Let me be very clear: I haven’t closed my mind on this topic by any means. I’m totally open to sound, logical, reasoned arguments for a “No” vote that don’t resort to silly fear and loathing tactics. But those were few and far between during yesterday’s press conference. It truly insulted my intelligence.
If they want to be leaders, then they should lead. Don’t treat us like children who are easily frightened and should do what we’re told.
It’s one thing for California, Massachusetts and New York, the sort of coast states to do this, but opponents are pulling out all the stops and all the big guns for Illinois, so it’s very important for people to express their feelings to state legislators.
Embattled Chicago Police Supt. Jody Weis will face the music this morning about the surge in homicides and other violent crime that boiled over at Taste of Chicago — and it probably won’t be pretty.
* This photo of our governor was taken recently by my intern, Kevin Fanning. Caption?
* This cartoon pretty much sums up the Blagojevich/Jones vs. Madigan fight…
“It’s not enough that we succeed. Cats must also fail.”
* The Illinois Hospital Association’s Howard Peters talks about the $600 million in Medicaid payments that the governor is moving to next fiscal year…
A spokeswoman for the governor says the payment cycle under the new budget will be three months. Peters says he has no idea how Blagojevich’s office could come up with that short a timeline.
* Interesting editorial in the Jacksonville paper…
Quite a few people are likely to disagree with a good number of the Gov. Blagojevich’s cuts, and we can’t help but wonder whether they were made for their maximum political impact Except for stretching out payments to state contractors, however, most of the areas to get cut are activities people should be handling themselves.
Gov. Rod Blagojevich proclaimed last Thursday as Beer Distributor Day
* Proft takes a whack at legislative Republicans who supported gaming expansion to fund a capital bill…
Having apparently abandoned any effort to argue for market-oriented, private sector-focused ideas as the means to spur economic activity, the GOP’s leadership reverts to George Ryan-omics: casinos and public works projects.
Rather than holding up the Chicago Democrat junta and relentlessly (and publicly) asking them to account for their ineptitude, ineptitude that is jeopardizing $6 billion in federal transportation funds set aside for Illinois because of this state’s failure to come up with its federally-required 25% match, the House GOP enables the problem gamblers in charge by proposing to tie Illinois’ financial future to a spinning wheel.
* Rep. Aaron Schock voted against tabling the casino expansion bill in May (which was essentially a vote in favor), but voted against an amendment to the same bill last week. He explains his latest vote, but not the flip to the local TeeVee.
* Why did John Borling, a McCain delegate, endorse a Democratic candidate against Congressman Manzullo last week? The Daily Herald explains…
Borling faulted Manzullo for his key role in importing Alan Keyes from Maryland to carry the Illinois Republicans’ banner in the 2004 U.S. Senate race, a move that Borling said “was and is an outrage.”
Chicago Tribune Editor and Senior Vice President Ann Marie Lipinski announced her resignation today, a week after the paper announced significant cuts to its newsroom staff and a reduction in the number of pages it prints each week.
Gerould W. Kern, who has been Tribune Publishing’s vice president of editorial since 2003, was named Lipinski’s successor by Tribune Publishing Executive Vice President Bob Gremillion, who assumed interim oversight of the paper this month after the retirement of Publisher Scott C. Smith.
The New York Stock Exchange has only been open slightly more than a half hour, but GateHouse Media stock has already dropped 12 cents to an all-time low $1.46 per share.
That was much earlier this morning. It’s down to $1.38 as of 1 o’clock Central time.
* Despite the goofy cover flap, there are a whole lot of interesting and worthwhile items in Ryan Lizza’s New Yorker profile of Barack Obama. The played to death poker game anecdotes are, thankfully, given short shrift and some new ground is uncovered.
There are still some big holes in this piece. It begins with some unkind words from Chicago Ald. Tony Preckwinkle and then attempts to analyze why she’s not so enamored with her former protege these days…
Others told me that Preckwinkle’s grievances against Obama included specific complaints, such as his refusal to endorse a former aide and longtime friend, Will Burns, in a State Senate primary—a contest that Burns won anyway.
It’s never mentioned, but Obama wanted Will Burns appointed to his state Senate seat when he was elected to the US Senate. Preckwinkle, instead, chose Kwame Raoul. I think the divisiveness has more to do with Obama becoming an Emil Jones ally. Preckwinkle had some harsh words for Jones back when the state Senate seat was vacant and Jones was claiming he could muscle Burns into the slot.
Also never mentioned is that Obama decided not to officially endorse Burns this year for the House seat because Congresscritter Jesse Jackson, Jr. was supporting somebody else in the primary race and worked hard to keep Obama out. Jackson was organizing North Carolina at the time, so Obama was in a bit of a bind.
* One again, Rahm Emanuel claims that Obama played a much bigger role in Rod Blagojevich’s first campaign than any of us imagined at the time…
Rahm Emanuel, a congressman from Chicago and a friend of Obama’s, told me that he, Obama, David Wilhelm, who was Blagojevich’s campaign co-chair, and another Blagojevich aide were the top strategists of Blagojevich’s victory. He and Obama “participated in a small group that met weekly when Rod was running for governor,” Emanuel said. “We basically laid out the general election, Barack and I and these two.” A spokesman for Blagojevich confirmed Emanuel’s account, although David Wilhelm, who now works for Obama, said that Emanuel had overstated Obama’s role. “There was an advisory council that was inclusive of Rahm and Barack but not limited to them,” Wilhelm said, and he disputed the notion that Obama was “an architect or one of the principal strategists.”
Somebody ought to ask Obama about this. I’ll send off a request and see if I get a response.
* David Axelrod, Obama’s media guru, explains why he took a pass on the Blagojevich campaign…
David Axelrod, the preëminent strategist in the state, declined to work for Blagojevich. “He had been my client and I had a very good relationship with him, but I didn’t sign on to the governor’s race,” Axelrod said. “Obviously he won, but I had concerns about it. . . . I was concerned about whether he was ready for that. Not so much for the race but for governing. I was concerned about some of the folks—I was concerned about how the race was being approached.”
Prescience or revisionism?
* Senate President Emil Jones explains why his endorsement of Obama was so important in the 2004 US Senate primary, and it’s pretty insightful…
“The Mayor of Chicago and the father of Dan Hynes”—one of Obama’s primary opponents—“when they were both state senators they shared an apartment together in Springfield, so there’s a relationship between those two. And the Governor? One of his chief financial supporters in his first run was also in the race. I work with both the Mayor and the Governor, so, by my jumping in strong behind Barack Obama, they didn’t want to alienate me and have me upset with them, so they stayed out of the race.”
* Obama, at fund-raiser in Newport Beach, Calif. takes one sip of a Mimosa
*** UPDATE *** I finally got around to e-mailing the Obama campaign about the Blagojevich campaign meetings. First, these meetings were held during the fall election, not the primary (Obama endorsed Roland Burris in the primary). Now, the response…
He attended a few meetings – one was a briefing for legislators. He played the same role in electing a Democratic governor that other Democratic members of the General Assembly did.
I’ve talked to some others who were at a few of those meetings. From what I can gather so far, Congressman Emanuel is overplaying their significance.
* Carol Marin partially takes back a column wherein she called Illinois a “sorry state”…
This state is made up of more than what infuriates us. It’s made up of much that makes us proud.
Like the Chicago police officer who was shot and killed July 2 just doing his job, working the night shift so in the daytime he could care for a stepdaughter with special needs. Officer Richard Francis was a great example of public service. That’s why thousands of other people, some who never met him, took it as an almost sacred obligation to turn out to pay their respects and grieve his loss.
It was powerful and inspiring.
And then there was the lost 3-year-old in Oswego. Hundreds of people, some perfect strangers, skipped work or whatever else they were doing to volunteer to help the 25 police departments that, without being asked, converged on the scene. Together, they searched the corners of Kendall County until the little boy was found alive and unharmed.
It spoke volumes about the citizens of this state.
So does the work people do every day for modest pay and no public recognition. Social workers, teachers, medical technicians, garbage collectors, the list goes on.
* Question: Say something nice about Illinois. It doesn’t have to be about our politics. Just something nice. And no snark, please. Thanks.
While many lawmakers decried Blagojevich’s cuts as draconian, Senate Republican budget experts said 70 percent of the slashing simply eliminated increases over last year’s budget.
That still means over $400 million in “real” cuts, with more to come. But it’s not as horrific as has been portrayed. And while people will lose jobs and many programs will be slashed to the bone…
Among Governor Rod Blagojevich’s budget vetoes, the Governor cut $55.129 million from the Illinois Division of Alcohol and Substance Abuse’s treatment system budget and, as a result, DASA will lose an additional $55.129 million from the federal government, too. In effect, the DASA budget will be gashed by $110.258 million from a budget of only $252 million, a 43% whopper of a slash.
“He’s too busy trying to settle scores without realizing what’s at risk than he is trying to find the most effective ways to be fiscally sound,” said [Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias], who has picked apart some of Blagojevich’s political and government policies. […]
[Attorney General Lisa Madigan called] the decrease in her budget “irresponsible” and “politically motivated.” Her staff’s workload has increased dramatically, she said, adding that identity-theft cases alone have increased 2,200 percent since 2003.
“I can’t not have lawyers show up in court,” Madigan said. “There are things that constitutionally and statutorily we can’t say ‘no’ to. We’re not trying to create more work. It comes to us, unfortunately.”
Because she can’t cut staff, her office estimates it will run out of money April 29.
* Meanwhile, the oh so helpful rhetoric continues…
Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Friday accused House Speaker Michael Madigan and Chicago Mayor Richard Daley of conspiring to raise the state’s income tax after next year’s elections. […]
“I think he (Daley) fears Mike Madigan, and I think Mike Madigan has promised him an income tax increase,” Blagojevich said.
Heh.
* As I’ve been telling subscribers, this fight is all about the capital bill…
Blagojevich again touted the $34 billion program at an unrelated Chicago news conference on Sunday.
* And is it any wonder that southern Illinois is so enthused while Chicagoans ain’t exactly thrilled?…
The capital bill would have yielded $1,763 per person to Southern Illinois and only $645 per person for Chicago.
Much of the revenue to fund those projects, remember, will be raised from Chicago area casinos.
* That aforementioned press conference was about this topic, which is designed to (justifiably) make Madigan look bad…
Using his power to rewrite legislation, Gov. Blagojevich proposed Sunday that insurers be required to pay for diagnosis and treatment of autism, a poorly understood disorder in children that can cost families their life savings. […]
Blagojevich added the autism language to House Bill 4225, which mandates coverage of physical therapy for people with multiple sclerosis in public employee health plans. The bill passed the General Assembly this year, while another measure on autism was caught in political cross fire between the governor and legislative leaders.
* Remember the other day when the Blagojevich administration smeared Rep. Jack Franks by revealing that he had asked for jobs for friends and family back in 2003, when everybody was asked for their lists? The revelation came after Franks issued a letter calling for impeachment proceedings to begin against Blagojevich.
Well, the Associated Press has been trying for years to get the hiring lists submitted to the administration without success. All their FOIA’s were denied because the info was supposed to be private. Naturally, the AP pointed this out in a recent story…
Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s office has repeatedly refused to disclose the names of people seeking state jobs, citing privacy concerns. But attempting to shame a legislative critic as lawmakers prepared for more state budget work, his staff freely distributed that very information.
Blagojevich aides last week released a 2003 memo from Rep. Jack Franks recommending a dozen people — including his wife, father and brother — for state jobs or commission appointments. Its release came just hours after the Woodstock Democrat said the House should begin impeachment proceedings against the governor.
A day later, in a letter under governor’s office letterhead obtained by The Associated Press, Blagojevich deputy chief of staff Victor Roberson accused Franks of “fraudulent behavior” and trying to “misuse power” by seeking jobs for family and friends. […]
The memo’s release is an abrupt flip for Blagojevich. The Associated Press has submitted at least three requests since 2006 seeking lists of state job candidates from his office. Each has been denied under exemptions in the state Freedom of Information Act, including an exception for releasing records that would “constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.”
Oops.
Expect Rep. Franks to raise a stink about this, and I can’t fault him for it, either.
* TV stations, particularly small-market TV stations, usually aren’t known for taking on “real” news stories. But give props today to WTWO in Terre Haute for looking a bit closer at a Gov. Blagojevich press release…
Despite the slumping economy, apparently travelers still want to visit Illinois. Governor Blagojevich announced a record breaking rise in tourism across southeastern Illinois. […]
Edgar County is up 6.7 percent to $7.6 million. Blagojevich said, “The Illinois tourism industry is thriving and every region of the state is reaping the benefits.”
Scratch the surface, and things look a bit different…
However, the mayor of Paris hasn’t seen these benefits. “I’m looking out the window and I don’t see a lot of tourist in downtown Paris,” said Mayor Craig Smith. “I’m not seeing a bunch of cars from out of state spending what I call ‘tourist’ dollars.” […]
“This is huge news, huge dollars. I love the news but I don’t see the dollars yet,” said Mayor Smith. “We should be able to see that in increased sales tax revenue and we really haven’t seen that much. We’ve seen some increase but that would be a substantial increase for Edgar County.” […]
Originally, WTWO went to Marshal to find out what’s attracting so many tourists. Instead of tourist, we found a different story. When asked if tourism has been on the rise [Mary Lou Cornelison Director of the Marshal Chamber of Commerce] said,”No, people are not driving the National Road like they used to. It is not as big as it has been.”
Now, compare that piece to these unquestioning stories here and here and you’ll see why it’s always important to carefully read every, single press release issued by this administration.
* A big crowd is expected for the upcoming IDOT move hearing…
A July 31 hearing on whether more than 100 Illinois Department of Transportation jobs should be moved to southeastern Illinois will be held in the state Capitol, and officials are already expecting an overflow crowd.
The legislature’s bipartisan Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability decided to hold the hearing in Room 212 of the Statehouse, in part because it is already set up for hearings. The room is the largest hearing room used by the General Assembly.
Even so, COGFA expects the crowd to be too large to fit into the space. Another 250 chairs will be set up in the Capitol rotunda, along with a large video screen and speakers.
* I’m pretty sure that this photo is gonna come up….
That would be the proposed site for the new IDOT traffic safety headquarters. The photo was taken during Harrisburg’s March flooding this year and has been making the rounds of state workers for the past week or so. A local TV station did a story on the situation last night…
Controversy surrounding the new IDOT building in Harrisburg after pictures surface on the internet. Those pictures were taken during the flooding in March, they show the new home for the IDOT traffic safety division surrounded by water. Opponents of the IDOT relocation claim the building suffered extensive flood damage. But the owners say that’s not the case.
Tracey Wyatt heads the Southeastern Illinois College Foundation, which owns the old Allen Miller building in Harrisburg, he says he’s thrilled it was one of the few buildings in town without flood damage.
“From where we were at on the day after the rain stopped the water never got within three inches of the building,” said Wyatt.
But it’s hard to tell that from the aerial photos that have been circulating on the internet. Sites posting the pictures say the building saw flood damage. Wyatt says he wants the truth to be told.
“Without context that aerial photograph of course looks bad but three inches of water can look like three feet of water from the air,” said Wyatt.
The Harrisburg mayor’s office flatly denied last week that the building was damaged by the flood.
…Adding… You might get a better perspective of the water’s depth by clicking here. It looks like the water was pretty shallow in some areas and some areas maybe not so shallow.
The Blagojevich administration may want the Division of Traffic Safety of the Illinois Department of Transportation to move out of Springfield, but at least its chief is getting some thanks for the job the division is doing.
MIKE STOUT, director of the division, who makes $105,888 annually (that includes a recent raise of $200 per month), got a bonus this spring of $7,245, said PARIS ERVIN, IDOT spokeswoman.
* My weekly syndicated newspaper column tells a few different stories in order to make a point…
Last summer, House Speaker Michael Madigan was able to use his alliance with the House and Senate Republicans to thwart Gov. Rod Blagojevich and Senate President Emil Jones at almost every turn.
Whether it was the budget, or the governor’s health insurance expansion, or a multitude of other issues, Madigan and the Republicans were a solid team throughout the long overtime session.
This year, the Republicans have flipped on Madigan, allying with Gov. Blagojevich and Jones on the $34 billion capital construction package, funded by expanded casino gambling and by leasing the Illinois Lottery to a private company.
A few weeks ago, I overheard a conversation between Madigan and Senate Republican Leader Frank Watson. Sen. Watson had come to the House floor to lobby Madigan, yet again, on the capital bill, which would dump tons of cash into roads, bridges, schools and mass transit.
Nothing doing, Madigan said. “I don’t know how anyone could ever trust that guy,” he said of Blagojevich.
Watson and House Republican Leader Tom Cross continued to stick with Blagojevich despite Madigan’s argument that the governor will eventually double-cross them.
Right now, the only powerful political ally that Madigan has left is Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley.
Daley has turned thumbs down on the capital package because: 1) The price the city would have to pay for a casino license was way higher than what Daley agreed to; and 2) The governor inserted language giving himself control of all Chicago school construction projects against Daley’s wishes.
Madigan is under intense pressure from his allies in organized labor and from many of his fellow Democrats to approve the capital bill, but he has refused to budge. And as long as Mayor Daley is still not satisfied with the proposal then Madigan has more than enough political protection.
Meanwhile, some of my best inside sources confirm that Madigan’s daughter, Attorney General Lisa Madigan, is now leaning far more towards running for governor than she has in the past.
All of the above is why the semipublic mulling of a 2010 gubernatorial bid by Mayor Daley’s brother Bill Daley is so interesting to me. Whether or not Bill Daley ever decides to run for governor (and that’s a debatable point), he is right now currently testing the waters and gauging his support.
Speaker Madigan and Mayor Daley have argued and even split in the past, but the two men go way back, and it’s practically impossible to break them apart for long. Madigan views Richard J. Daley, the mayor’s father, as his second dad. Madigan and Daley are more than just political allies, they are almost like brothers. That means they occasionally fight each other hard, but they usually end up on the same side.
However, Bill Daley is a “real” mayoral brother. He’s an official member of the ruling family, not an unofficial member like Madigan.
What I’m trying to say here is that Speaker Madigan is facing a quite touchy situation. The possibility that the brother of Madigan’s only remaining ally in this fight to the political death with Gov. Blagojevich might end up on the opposite side of a primary race with his daughter, or even that he will continue openly mulling the decision for months, could very well complicate the speaker’s near future.
Now, most believe that some sort of arrangement will be worked out. But things could easily become complicated with a family situation like this. A few kind words from Mayor Daley about the capital plan, for instance, would send ripples throughout the state’s political establishment establishment and seriously undercut Speaker Madigan’s position, and possibly his daughter’s.
It can’t be said enough that Madigan cannot afford to lose Mayor Daley right now, just like Blagojevich can’t afford to lose his most powerful ally Senate President Jones. Without Daley, Madigan is friendless in his war with Blagojevich. Without Jones, Blagojevich is in the same friendless position in his war with Madigan.
Lately, I’ve gotten word from on-high that Jones has repeatedly urged state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias to run for governor in the 2010 election. Giannoulias is a vocal critic of Blagojevich, so if Jones moves his direction the governor could face unending problems.
Stay tuned for much fun, campers.
* Related…
* Washington: Blacks likely to sway ‘10 gov race — but not win it
