Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar » 2008

Friday, Aug 1, 2008 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Happy weekend! Let’s hope things finally slow down a bit, but I’m not holding my breath.

Don’t forget to check out InsiderzExchange and buy an ad. And if you need to keep commenting then head on over to Illinoize.

* This is for my new FaceBook friend Bruce. The video is a bit grainy, but the sound is oh so fine….

Wave that flag, wave it wide and high.

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This just in… Daley throws down

Friday, Aug 1, 2008 - Posted by Rich Miller

* 3:20 pm - Mayor Daley was asked today about the recent lack of communication between himself and Gov. Blagojevich, and countered with a long laundry list of budgetary hypocrisy from the same governor who had offered National Guard troops to quell the city’s “out of control” violence problem…

Mayor Daley ridiculed Gov. Blagojevich today for offering state troopers and National Guard equipment to combat Chicago crime the governor called “out of control” at the same time the governor is cutting the state’s law enforcement budget. […]

“The last call I got was [after] his press conference, where he said he wanted to help us in regard to law enforcement. Then, I read that he cut: $4.8 million in the Ill. Department of Corrections community-based re-entry program for ex-offenders; almost $3 million from the Ill. State Police; $100,000 out of the South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force; $7 million [out] of the Department of Juvenile Justice; $600,000 out of the Ill. Violence Prevention Authority and $1.2 million out of a diversion program for non-violent offenders,” Daley said.

“What help can he give me? What help is he talking about? Fine, he has a budget crisis. But, don’t make a statement and have a press conference, then try to call everybody and say, ‘Oh, we want to work with you.’ State Police have no money. They’re being cut. … This has nothing to do with politics. But, let’s get the facts straight.” […]

But, the mayor added, “He’s not pressuring me. He’s hurting people. … Everybody has a tough budget. [But], you have to set priorities. Okay, then he set his priority. But, he can’t help anyone. This whole idea of sending the State Police up here—what was it for? They were telling us their budgets were being cut.”

* The response…

The governor’s spokesman Lucio Guerrero acknowledged that the mayor’s list of law enforcement cuts was accurate. But, he insisted that there is still plenty of wiggle room in the budget to follow through on the governor’s offer to help fight crime in Chicago.

“The cuts we made were to create a balanced budget. But, it doesn’t mean we’re not able to find creative ways to help out,” Guerrero said.

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Caption Contest

Friday, Aug 1, 2008 - Posted by Kevin Fanning

[Posted by Kevin Fanning]

* Winner gets lunch on me if you live in the Chicagoland area and like Portillo’s.

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CN Railway refuses to appear at congressional public hearing

Friday, Aug 1, 2008 - Posted by Kevin Fanning

[Posted by Kevin Fanning]

* The battle rages on between suburban members of Congress and Canadian National Railway.

In a letter to U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean, CN President and CEO E. Hunter Harrison declined the invitation to appear at the public hearing in Chicago because he said the lawmakers are unwilling to consider the deal’s benefits.

Harrison said CN has met with Bean and her staff multiple times to explain its stance, and that they don’t want to attend the hearing because Bean refuses to recognize the benefits that CN will bring to her constituents.

Bean has been an ardent critic of the acquisition, and yesterday the Barrington Congresswoman, along with Reps. Judy Biggert of Hinsdale, Bill Foster of Geneva, Don Manzullo of Ogle County and Peter Roskam of Wheaton proposed legislation to try to block the bill by giving more consideration to the impacts of railroad transactions on local communities:

“The current process puts the interests of industry over those of American families and taxpayers,” Bean said in a prepared statement. “This legislation provides balance and better reflects American values by protecting the rights of our constituents and communities.”

The bill would require the U.S. Surface Transportation Board to reject an acquisition if its adverse effects on safety outweigh its benefits.

* Senator Durbin also got into the mix…

Senator Dick Durbin led a group of lawmakers who met Thursday with U.S. Surface Transportation Board vice chairman Frank Mulvey. The lawmakers said they wanted to reiterate their concern that the agency has not adequately considered problems the sale would cause.

* However Joliet has taken a different approach:

The Joliet City Council land-use committee voted this week for an agreement that would spell out Canadian National’s obligations to help ease the impact on Joliet. The full council still must vote on the agreement, and that could happen in mid-August or September.

[…]

“We (Joliet) are one of a few that have been meeting with Canadian National,” Thanas said. “From our perspective, we don’t see a need to wait any longer.”

* Expect the Illinois delegation to keep fighting this one tooth and nail though. Many of their constituents are up in arms over the deal.

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Question of the Day

Friday, Aug 1, 2008 - Posted by Kevin Fanning

[Posted by Kevin Fanning]

* With all the pessimism surrounding Illinois politics, I think it’s fitting to do a Question of the Day that’s more cheery.

Say something nice about any Illinois politician, whether it’s your state Representative/Senator, a Constitutional officer, or someone that you just think is doing a good job.

[Note] Keep it clean and as well-intentioned as possible for this website. I’ll be monitoring this one especially close.

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More IDOT heartbreak

Friday, Aug 1, 2008 - Posted by Kevin Fanning

[Posted by Kevin Fanning]

* The Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability met last night for a hearing at the Capitol in front of a large crowd of which many a future hangs in the balance.

The commission has until September 11th to make a recommendation, and most on the panel seemed apprehensive about the move:

“All we’re doing is shuffling the cards,” said Rep. Rich Brauer, R-Petersburg, of relocating the jobs to Harrisburg. “That’s not right.”

[…]

“It wasn’t an economic decision then. It was a political decision,” Syverson said as onlookers in the Capitol rotunda exploded into cheers and applause.

* Tracy Wyatt, the Southeastern Illinois College Foundation Director, tried to downplay the notion that the building in Harrisburg is sitting in a floodplain.

Wyatt claimed that after a day the flood, the water subsided enough at the front of the building so that people could get in and out.

We posted the picture a couple of weeks ago and as the saying goes it’s worth a thousand words…

* Bethany Jaegar has it right:

They’re both victims, one set to lose either way. The motivation behind the move is the most contentious point, particularly whether the idea is rooted in economics or in politics.

GOP legislators representing the Springfield area allege the governor’s proposal was retribution for supporting a measure that would allow voters to recall elected officials, a measure perceived to be directed at the governor.

They list various state-owned facilities that have space and could house the division. “We can move them a block or two and not 200 miles,” said Rep. Raymond Poe, a Springfield Republican, during the hearing.

The administration refutes the allegation and says the move is intended to give a boost to an economically depressed area of the state.

* Truly sad. The SJ-R has pictures from the hearing up on it’s website as well as a video of it too.

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Income tax hike murmurs

Friday, Aug 1, 2008 - Posted by Kevin Fanning

[Posted by Kevin Fanning]

* Over the past few months the Governor has been sounding the alarm that Speaker Madigan wants to raise income taxes.

In fact, there was one press conference I remember where Blagojevich actually challenged Madigan to sign a written pledge that he will not do so after the November elections.

The Governor brought the issue up again yesterday while talking about the capital bill, and this time added a new twist to the conversation:

“I think it’s unethical to stand in the way of creating jobs and putting people back to work,” he said. “It’s unethical to raise taxes on people.”

* I wasn’t exactly sure where he was going with that, or his intentions for tying ethics legislation to his capital plan, but anyways….

The Speaker’s spokesman, as well as numerous election wary House Dems, have emphatically denied that Madigan wants to raise the income tax after the election.

However, there have been several comments by the Speaker, and those close to him, that have added fuel to the fire. After the last special session the Speaker gave a press conference and was pelted with questions about his intentions on the issue.

He said that he didn’t think that it would come up in the fall legislative session, but when asked about the spring he grinned, “Spring is spring. It’s a long time away.”

Not exactly comforting for those aforementioned House Democrats.

*That’s why I was surprised to hear Rep. Currie go off on this tangent after the Leaders’ meeting yesterday:

Currie said a “modest” tax rate hike, coupled with a constitutional amendment allowing the state to apply a higher tax rate to the highest earners, enjoys substantial support among House members. Madigan has said in recent weeks he will not push a tax increase this year, but he has not categorically ruled out such an effort in 2009.

Why even go there? If I were on the Gov’s press team I would be going after that one, not leaking a 20-day old memo to the press where Madigan uses an *gasp* expletive.

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Governor’s office leaks angry Madigan memo

Friday, Aug 1, 2008 - Posted by Kevin Fanning

[Posted by Kevin Fanning]

* Yesterday’s leaders’ meeting was quite the exercise in relentless finger pointing and political futility that is our sad state of Illinois politics.

The Governor and his allies on the capital bill continued to hammer Mike Madigan, and Madigan’s surrogates railed about their caucus’ distrust for the Governor. My favorite line by far was this though:

“He sends minions who admittedly say they have no authority to negotiate or make any decisions,” Blagojevich said. The governor said he would try to pass a law requiring Madigan to come to meetings if he could.

classic.

* Shortly after the meeting a memo from the Speaker to John Coli, president of the Teamsters Joint Council 25, was leaked to the press.

The Governor’s spokesman, Lucio Guerrero, said the letter reveals Madigan as “angry and isolated.” He’s partially right. The short, blunt letter doesn’t reflect well on the Speaker, and he’s definitely “out on a limb” as Rich wrote in the Cap Fax today.

However, Madigan still holds Mayor Daley as the ace up his sleeve in this fight, and judging by the Governor’s own admission yesterday that he hasn’t talked to the Mayor since officer Francis’ July 7th funeral, he still holds that ace pretty tightly.

* The Governor’s people claim that Madigan is being stubborn and downright obstructionist in his war against the capital bill. In many ways they are correct.

According to an inside source at the meeting, Representative Currie had told the Governor’s office beforehand that she wanted to personally see the individual reductions in the compromise capital bill. When presented with a box of over 600 line item reductions at the meeting, she quickly dismissed them.

Clearly the Speaker wants to do capital his way, but the pressure tactics employed by the administration seem childish at best.

The Governor has been on a PR blitz against the Speaker, but even that has come to backfire. The person he desperately needs to win over is Mayor Daley, and he all but severed that chance with his brash suggestion of using the Illinois National Guard to curb violence in Chicago.

And this letter? It was sent over 20 days ago. If that’s the best that they can do to turn the heat up on Speaker Madigan, than their chance for a compromise capital plan looks truly bleak.

* Related…

* Blago’s Meeting With Leaders Turns Sour

* Governor Proposes Shrinking Capital Plan, Abandoning Gambling Expansion

* City casino dealt out of the game

* So, the message is Madigan was right?

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Morning Shorts

Friday, Aug 1, 2008 - Posted by Kevin Fanning

* Keep a careful eye on city’s surveillance

* Burke asks if deputy chief was forced out

“If, indeed, somebody [who] testifies before a City Council committee is demoted or disciplined because of what he or she said, that goes to the very heart of the legislative process,” Burke said.

* County picks corruption watchdog

* Daley defends quicker ‘boot’

* Chicago Officials Prepare for Lollapalooza

* State Fair to Illinois: ‘Eat it’

“Fair Factor” was teased to reporters as “the grossest contest you’ve ever seen” and is likely to feature pigs feet, night crawlers and “disgusting” milkshakes.

“It really will be disgusting,” said Rachael Atchison, a downstate Fox TV representative sponsoring the attraction.

*Historic sites cut hours, seasonal workers

* Cuts at Springfield historic sites may just be the beginning

Agency spokesman David Blanchette said no decisions have been made on what will happen at sites like Black Hawk Historic Site in Rock Island, the David Davis Mansion in Bloomington or the Lincoln Log Cabin in Lerna.

* Joe Birkett on CLTV

* Leaders let vulnerable Dems take the lead on popular bills

Foster, who was elected from the district of former Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), was given the bill that resolved the issue. Foster’s bill inserted language into the housing bill barring anyone convicted of a sex offense, mortgage fraud, or drug-dealing in the last five years, from repurchasing government-bought foreclosed homes.

* Obama aids local woman in Mideast custody battle

* Friday Beer Blogging: Murphy’s Edition

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax

Friday, Aug 1, 2008 - Posted by Rich Miller

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