* Summer is flying by, so a bit of boat and State Fair time is in order I think. Have a wonderful weekend.
More people are buying classified ads and calendar posts over at InsiderzExchange, and you should too. The site even has a big new sponsor this week. Go check it out.
* You may have seen this story in today’s Morning Shorts…
Sam Carter lost consciousness after contracting severe anaemia but was brought back to life when “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” was blared into his ears.
The anthem was the first single the retired baker from Stoke in Staffordshire ever bought, released in 1965 when he was just 17.
Despite only being given a 30 per cent chance of survival, he woke from his coma after his wife Eva, 65, took the doctor’s advice and played him his favourite tunes through a set of earphones.
Pretty darned cool. If I’m ever in a coma and you want to attempt to revive me with a Stones tune, try this one, but turn it way up first…
Well I never kept a dollar past sunset,
It always burned a hole in my pants.
* And if that doesn’t work…
Ain’t flinging tears out on the dusty ground
For all my friends out on the burial ground
Can’t stand the feeling getting so brought down
* 4:10 pm - The governor just vetoed HB 4189, which would put community college districts under the local ethics law umbrella…
Amends the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act. Classifies community college districts as units of local government that must adopt resolutions regulating the political activities and the solicitation and acceptance of gifts by their officials and employees (now, classified as State agencies subject to the entire Act’s regulation and enforcement by the Executive Ethics Commission and the Governor’s Executive Inspector General). Effective immediately.
The bill passed the Senate on a unanimous vote and received 91 votes in the House. There was no opposition to the bill by community colleges, according to Sen. Christine Radogno, a hyphenated co-sponsor. Radogno said the governor’s veto might be a “game he’s playing with all the ethics bills.”
This is a total veto, not an AV.
* 4:25 pm - It’s always all about Madigan…
Gov. Rod Blagojevich said Friday he doesn’t want to close Pontiac Correctional Center. “That’s not something I want to do,” Blagojevich told reporters after cutting the ribbon to open the Illinois State Fair. “We don’t want to. I don’t want to.”
Blagojevich, who controls the fate of the 137-year-old maximum-security lock-up, for the first time linked its future to the on-going political battle he is having with House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago.
Rather than arguing the prison is too old to keep open, Blagojevich suggested the prison could remain open if lawmakers approve more money to keep it operating.
“We need those Democrats in the House to do the responsible thing and provide funding so that decisions like that don’t have to be made,” Blagojevich said.
That’s a switch from the administration’s earlier statements about Pontiac. In May, top officials at the Illinois Department of Corrections argued that closing Pontiac and moving its inmates to the mostly unused prison in Thomson would save taxpayers $4 million.
In documents filed in connection with the proposed closing, the agency never mentions the budget battle as a reason for shuttering the nation’s eighth oldest prison.
* 4:42 pm - After getting called out this morning on his “city worker/state rep. afraid to lose his job” crud, the governor is now singing another tune…
Blagojevich again lashed out at Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and his Democratic caucus for blocking action on a statewide construction program. He aimed much of his anger at 10 House members who, according to him, collect state paychecks but also have jobs in Chicago or Cook County government.
But one of those members fired back…
Rep. Susana Mendoza said she worked for the Chicago Department of Planning and Development before running for state representative and has never hidden that fact. She said she does not get paid by the city for days she spends in Springfield.
Mendoza said she works hard at both her jobs but Blagojevich cannot say the same.
“How often does he go to the state Capitol or the State of Illinois Building?” she said. “I am not about to get criticized by a ghost payroller.” [Emphasis added]
On the unbalanced state budget lawmakers sent him …
“It’s not only wrong, it’s dishonest.”
On abolishing property taxes as key funding source for schools [the top priority of Sen. James Meeks during the upcoming special sessions] …
“No, I don’t support that.”
On his ability to compromise …
“I don’t support an expansion of gambling.”
The governor said his supporting of gambling expansion to pay for construction shows he’s willing to negotiate. […]
On those who’ve criticized how he cut the budget …
“You know, you ought to walk a mile in my shoes.”
On his public perception …
“I don’t want to shock you, but once in a while I get negative feedback.”
On why residents of Springfield don’t like him …
“They’re mostly angry at the way things are,” (as opposed to him)
On House Democrats …
“They frustrate me. All they’re interested in is playing stupid games.”
On public dissatisfaction with state government …
“Are people angry? Sure. But so am I.”
[Gov. Blagojevich] hit on several issues brought up by reporters including moving the Illinois Department of Transportation’s traffic safety division from Springfield to Harrisburg in southern Illinois.
He called it a “done deal,” despite the fact a state facilities panel still has to vote on the issue next week, and repeated that Springfield-based workers who don’t want to relocate will be able to get another state job for the same pay and benefits.
When asked what Springfield officials could do to restore operation hours at state historic sites here, he said they need to get on the backs of House Democrats, who he says are holding up passage of funds to allow that to happen.
Governor Rod Blagojevich says the Illinois State Fair is the best place to be in August… The governor says the fairgrounds in Springfield are one of the wonders of Illinois and a beautiful place.
Congressional candidate Debbie Halvorson’s stepson, a special operations solider stationed in Afghanistan, was injured while serving, her campaign verified Thursday.
Capt. Jay Bush is in the U.S. Army Special Forces out of Fort Bragg, N.C. Following his injury, he was flown to a military hospital in Landstuhl, Germany.
“Debbie, her husband Jim Bush, and the entire family are very concerned as they learn more about his condition, prognosis and what happened,” her campaign manager Brian Doory said. “They ask for your prayers and support during this difficult family matter.”
“He’s alive, but he’s going to face a long rehab and a lot of pain,” his father, Jim Bush, said Thursday.
Family members were unclear about the exact circumstances of how he was injured.
They were told he was on a night mission and fell about 20 feet.
“He’s a sharp guy, and he’s in supreme condition. He’s 185 pounds and benches about 450 pounds,” his father said. […]
“Debbie, her husband Jim Bush, and the entire family are very concerned as they learn more about his condition, prognosis and what happened,” said her campaign manager, Brian Doory.
“They ask for your prayers and support during this difficult family matter,” he said.
* Think of the state government issue that you support the most. It doesn’t have to be a law. Maybe it’s just a proposed law. It could be your stance on guns, or illegal drugs, death penalty, the bureaucracy, taxes or whatever. It’s your pet position, so you know what it is. Everybody has one. But let’s stay away from political figures. This is about issues, not politicians.
* Now, first briefly state your position, then argue strongly against your own position with as much detail as possible.
This has the potential to be a fascinating read, so no snark, please.
* My Sun-Times column today demonstrates that absolutely nothing the governor says can be taken at face value. Nothing….
One of the biggest challenges reporters have covering Gov. Blagojevich is they have to fact-check every word that comes out of his mouth.
Way too often, Blagojevich ventures beyond the generally accepted boundaries of political spin into out-and-out lies and complete fabrications.
The man just makes stuff up.
For instance, Blagojevich has claimed over and over that a Democratic House member confided that he feared losing his job with the City of Chicago if he voted for the governor’s proposed multibillion-dollar construction bill. Blagojevich says House Speaker Michael Madigan, who opposes the governor’s bill, had used his awesome powers to put the heat on this unnamed legislator.
Blagojevich repeated this claim during a Wednesday press conference.
“They fear their leader, Mr. Madigan, and if Mike Madigan tells them to vote a certain way, they will tell you privately, and I’ve had these discussions with a couple of state reps, one of whom said, ‘I’m afraid if I vote for the jobs bill I’ll be fired from my job at Streets and Sanitations [sic]. I’m afraid I’ll lose my job.’ ”
This was the first time the governor had revealed where that mystery lawmaker worked.
A check showed only one House Democrat works at Streets and San: state Rep. Rich Bradley (D-Chicago).
Trouble is, Rep. Bradley told me he hasn’t spoken with the governor in about two years. Bradley claims he is opposed to the capital plan as written because the House Latino Caucus opposes it.
I had heard from numerous sources, including Deputy House Majority Leader Gary Hannig, that the governor announced during a legislative leaders meeting that Rep. John D’Amico (D-Chicago) was the state representative who feared losing his city job. D’Amico works for the Chicago Department of Water, not Streets and San, but I guess I could see how the governor might be confused.
So, I called Rep. D’Amico.
Turns out, D’Amico did talk to Blagojevich.
As D’Amico tells the story, Gov. Blagojevich asked D’Amico if he was voting against the capital plan because he was afraid of losing his job.
D’Amico said he told the governor that he has been in the union for 26 years and there’s no way he could be fired over a legislative issue unless they first canned a whole bunch of people with less seniority to get at him. Rep. D’Amico said he told the governor he opposed the capital plan because Mayor Daley was against it. D’Amico told me he informed the governor that he didn’t fear losing his job over the capital bill.
Blagojevich also repeated a claim this week that he had asked U.S. Rep. Rahm Emanuel to call the legislator and assure him he wouldn’t lose his city gig.
D’Amico said he did receive a phone call from Emanuel, but he said Emanuel never mentioned the threat stuff. Instead, Emanuel just lobbied D’Amico to vote for the capital bill.
D’Amico asked Emanuel if he knew that Daley was against the capital bill, and Emanuel immediately “backed off.” Emanuel is a Blagojevich ally, but he is a Daley creation.
No way would he want to work against the mayor’s interests.
A source close to Emanuel confirmed everything D’Amico said. Blagojevich’s press office did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
Do you understand a bit better now why it’s so darned difficult to deal with this governor?
When you hear people like Mayor Daley say that there’s a “trust issue” with Blagojevich, it’s because nothing he says can be believed — not even his favorite story about how Mike Madigan’s members fear losing their city jobs.
* Stories about the governor’s press conference yesterday represent a study in truly stark contrasts. It’s days like this when I’m reminded how lucky we are to live in the Internet Age, not back in the days when most of us were confined to one newspaper and the local TV and radio.
State troopers have quietly started helping Chicago Police fight crime. That follows a noisy war of words in recent weeks between Governor Rod Blagojevich and Mayor Richard Daley about the possibility of cooperation. State police made several arrests yesterday in the city and tracked the movements of a handful of gang members.
Illinois State Police Director Larry Trent says he’s worked closely with Chicago Police Superintendent Jody Weis to develop a plan of cooperation. Weis says he is “very happy” to have the help.
Gov. Rod Blagojevich produced his plan Thursday for state troopers to give Chicago police a hand, but the city’s top cop said it’s not going to free up any more officers to patrol the streets. […]
Chicago Police Supt. Jody Weis said most additional Illinois State Police efforts will be focused along the Dan Ryan and Eisenhower Expressways that the state long has patrolled: “It’s going to help overall law enforcement in Chicago, but it really won’t free up any more Chicago police officers,” Weis said. […]
The administration plans to use Chicago-area troopers rather than shift officers from Downstate, according to State Police Sgt. Brian Ley.
* And how does one define “Chicago-area troopers”? The Daily Herald explains…
Gov. Rod Blagojevich is siphoning state police out of the suburbs to concentrate on crime in Chicago.
Under his plan to beef up Windy City security following a rash of violence, Blagojevich has moved one “team” of state troopers from the Elgin-based second district to Chicago. The troopers make up one of two teams that normally roam the suburban area targeting gang problems and roads with high fatality rates.
In addition, two similar teams that roam the Chicago and Cook County suburban region will now be confined to city limits, said state police Lt. Luis Gutierrez.
* The press conference was about the governor’s new idea to put cameras on expressways and interstates to pay for more state police officers. CLTV takes the traffic angle…
A traffic nightmare on the Kennedy Expressway this afternoon, much earlier than rush hour. The reason? Well, there was a press conference. […]
Gov. Rod Blagojevich was there to tout a new plan to install state highways to get drivers to slow down. Well, seems it worked. Traffic was delayed an hour in each direction on the Kennedy Expressway because everyone slowed down to see what was going on there.
Cameras, cameras and more cameras…Big Brother is not only watching on Chicago street corners and highway work zones, but if Governor Blagojevich gets his way, the interstates will be camera ready to snap speeders.
* The only House member to show up for the press conference had her say on NBC 5…
State Rep. Elga Jefferies, a Democrat from Chicago, also threw her support behind the idea.
“This program is going to kill two birds with one stone. It’s going to curb the crime and help save lives on our highways,” she said.
Jefferies lost her primary race in February and is likely in need of employment. Rep. Ken Dunkin, the governor’s usual Chicago House guy, must’ve been otherwise occupied.
Don’t expect to see cameras catching speeders on Illinois interstates any time soon.
Although Gov. Rod Blagojevich called Thursday for installing cameras in high-accident corridors across the state as a way to improve traffic safety, Illinois lawmakers have shown an aversion to similar programs in recent years.
In May, the latest effort to allow a handful of downstate communities to install cameras at intersections was defeated in the Senate after it had narrowly been approved in the House.
First, Blagojevich has openly stated that the cameras would be a source of revenue – up to $50 million a year. The goal of such enforcement should be improved safety, not a way to cash in.
Second, we doubt that the cameras will be used appropriately and fairly. The governor’s office said that the cameras only would be used to catch speeders going at least 80 mph. Would that be written into the legislation? Would that pledge hold 10 years from now?
Remember that seat-belt violations were to be ticketed only if violators were pulled over for another offense. Now motorists actually get pulled over for not wearing a seatbelt. Give an inch, government tends to take a mile.
* As I told subscribers today, this appearance by Rev. Sen. James Meeks on Fox Chicago Sunday may explain a whole lot about the special session for education funding next week and the governor’s announcement yesterday that he may call special sessions up to four days a week, every week starting after Labor Day until the General Assembly comes up with an education funding reform package and passes a capital bill.
“If he runs again, I’ll definitely run against him,” Meeks said of Gov. Blagojevich, adding that Blagojevich “has failed in the area of education.”
Click the pic to watch the segment…
The only “base” the governor has left is the African-American community (and that’s not solid any longer), and particularly African-American ministers. If he has any hopes at all of winning a multi-candidate primary in 2010, he has to make sure that no viable black candidate runs, particularly a black minister.
Thanks to commenters and readers for the tip about the Meeks interview. And thanks to Fox for posting the video on the Intertubes late yesterday.
* Meanwhile, Meeks’ rally in the Loop yesterday drew about 2,500 people. Meeks is organizing a boycott of the first day of school and led the crowd in a chant of “No way first day!” CLTV has more…
* On boycott day, several children will travel north in an attempt to enroll CPS students in New Trier. There’s another step after that…
Then, from Sept. 3-5, Meeks plans to have kids descend on corporate offices. The idea is to force big business to back equal education funding, they way they’ve backed a Chicago Olympics.
“It became an idea, and the entire business community got behind it,” Meeks said of the city’s Olympic bid. “School funding is a problem and everyone’s ignored it.”
Downtown workers agree the tactic will draw attention.
“It would be very disruptive but they’d make a point. They’d make a point,” Hallie Page said.
Suzanne Hamilton said it was, “Real life, in your face awareness. It’s important to do things like that. It has an impact.”
There are supposedly seven steps in this thing. Stay tuned.
* You can listen to an excerpt of the governor’s comments about the autumn spcial sessions at Chicago Public Radio…
“I am, in fact, thinking about the possibility of whether or not we discuss with the legislative leaders after Labor Day scheduling maybe 2, 3, 4 days a week throughout the fall for education funding and job creation.”
Blagojevich said Thursday he’s considering ordering lawmakers back to the Capitol in September and keeping them there until they fix education funding - a move that most believe would require some kind of tax increase.
The catch is Blagojevich would then veto any such increase.
“If it increases income taxes, yeah,” said spokesman Lucio Guerrero. “Any kind of taxes.”
During an unrelated appearance Thursday, the governor mentioned the September special sessions. Afterward, Guerrero said they remain only an option.
A year after submitting a blueprint to clean up its scandal-plagued hiring system, the city has “failed to comply” with parts of its own plan, city hiring monitor Noelle Brennan said in a report filed in federal court.
“I just don’t think he’d have been well-accepted at all,” Poe said. “… When you treat a county like he has treated Sangamon County, it’s pretty hard to get any respect.”
“People down here need to know they can count on their elected representative to stand up for them against tax-and-spend Democrat policies,” said Cavaletto. “As your State Representative, I will vote against any income tax, sales tax or other tax increase on families and area businesses.”
“… We cannot pretend to reform the health-care planning process in Illinois without replacing the executive secretary who steered it during a time when we now know its activities reeked of corruption.”
According to a study by university economists Craig Garthwaite and Tim Moore, it added about 1,000,000 votes to Obama’s column in the contested primary battle.
