Members of the state’s largest employee union have approved a contract giving them a 15.2 percent wage hike over the four-year life of the pact. | Prisons scramble to make digital TV switch | Archived Video: Prison closure hearing
Although details of the vote were not available Friday morning, Linc Cohen, spokesman for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31 said the vote was “overwhelmingly” in favor of ratification.
“We don’t have a final tally yet though,” Cohen said.
The agreement calls for the 35,000 AFSCME members to pay slightly higher health-insurance premiums, but the increased costs are lower than what was initially being pushed by state negotiators.
Ratification meetings were held at more than 100 worksites throughout the state, where the terms of the new agreement were explained and union members had the opportunity to have their questions answered by those who served on the AFSCME negotiating team. In the voting, which took place at each worksite meeting, 93 percent of union members voted in favor of ratifying the new agreement. The Union has notified the State of the ratification and the new contract is now in effect.
“The resounding affirmative vote for this contract is an indication that union members believe it is a fair settlement that will help provide economic security at a time when the cost of living is steadily rising,” said AFSCME Council 31 Executive Director Henry Bayer.
The agreement preserves the current pension and health benefits for retired state employees.
* The SJ-R has a copy of the contract in “tentative form” that can be accessed here.
Please join us in welcoming Jim Watson home from Iraq! A Welcome Home Celebration and Salute to Our Troops is planned for this Sunday, September 7, from 1 to 4 p.m. at Bogart’s Banquet Hall in Jacksonville. Admission is FREE, and complimentary hors d’oeuvres, soda, and tea will be provided. A cash bar will also be available.
A special Salute to Our Troops is planned, honoring the Marines, Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and other Americans still in harms’ way.
Bring the family, and help us welcome Jim back to Illinois!
Bogart’s is located just off the Old State Road on the East edge of Jacksonville, across for the radio station. For a map, click HERE.
* The DC publication RollCall takes a look at possible cabinet appointments in an Obama administration and comes up with one somewhat surprising name…
Transportation Secretary. Possibilities from Congress include Rep. Jerry Costello (D-Ill.), the chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Aviation
That’s the first time I’ve heard Costello’s name mentioned for the cabinet. Thoughts?
* So, do these two TV ads look alike to you?
Oberweis Dairy ad…
Jim Oberweis congressional campaign ad…
It’s probably no surprise that both eerily similar ads were produced by the same company, Aspect Media Inc.
* From a DCCC press release…
Resorting to his old tricks of using his ice cream empire to get ahead in politics, in recent days, Jim Oberweis is under fire again for releasing campaign ads resembling those of his Oberweis Dairy ads and the production company just happens to be the same for both. According to the Federal Election Commission, Aspect Media Inc was paid thousands to produce ads for Oberweis. Aspect Media Inc also produces commercials for Oberweis Dairy […]
* The FEC has previously sanctioned Jim Oberweis and Oberweis Dairy and fined them $21,000 for illegally using corporate resources for campaign purposes. [Associated Press, 7/27/07]
That sort of ad campaign really makes me uncomfortable.
Then again, the Oberweis campaign ad is one of the stronger ads I’ve seen from him to date. I’m not sure if the rebranding program will work, however.
* Meanwhile, up until now, both sides in the 11th Congressional District race have been doing mailers, robocalls and cable TV. Today, though, Democrat Debbie Halvorson’s campaign hits network broadcast TV…
Friday the race will go before a much wider audience, however, with a new commercial by state Sen. Debbie Halvorson, D-Crete, set to run on Chicago broadcast stations, her campaign said Thursday.
Halvorson’s aides gave few details of the 30-second spot in advance of the initial airing, including the size of the purchase or duration of the run, other than to say it will be a positive portrayal of Halvorson and her top issues.
While her Republican opponent Marty Ozinga, of Homer Glen, has already aired three cable ads and two more have come from the independent expenditure wing of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee,
Friday’s spot will be the first on broadcast television by either of the candidates or an outside group. The move will put the Halvorson ad in more than 80 percent of the district and reach cable and non-cable television viewers, although the vast majority of viewers will not be in the 11th District. While Ozinga has bought ads on cable systems serving similar or higher percentages of the district, those ads have not reached broadcast-only and satellite television viewers.
The commercial will also mark the beginning of Halvorson’s paid communications effort. Up to now she has relied on personal campaigning, with the DCCC airing television and radio ads and producing mailers in support of her candidacy and against Ozinga.
*** UPDATE *** Here’s the Halvorson ad…
* The Tribune takes a look at how GOP “moderates” are viewing the GOP convention…
Rep. Judy Biggert (R-Ill.) says she is excited about the ultimate selection of Palin for the slot, because she’s a woman who “busted the old-boy network.”
Still, she said she was disheartened by repeated avowals this summer that McCain would suffer if he selected a candidate who supported abortion rights.
“It always bothers me that they say they can’t choose this person or that person for a running mate because they’re not pro-life,” said Biggert. “I respect all members of the party no matter what their views are, but [that attitude] does make it a little harder for us.”
Rep. Mark Kirk struck strategically at the convention, flying in briefly for a round-table discussion before heading back to Illinois to start a collection drive for hurricane victims. Like many GOP officials who are skipping some or all of the convention this week, he has a tough re-election campaign going on back home.
Kirk, a leading GOP moderate, praised the Palin pick but cautioned that her socially conservative views wouldn’t play well in his affluent district in the northern Chicago suburbs.
Instead, he urged her to emphasize her record of taking on ethically tainted Republican officials in her state and challenging the controversial “bridge to nowhere” earmark.
“If she goes out and says, ‘I threw out of office another corrupt, old bull Republican,’ my voters will think anti-[former Illinois Gov.] George Ryan; they’ll like it. ‘Then I killed the bridge to nowhere’; then they’ll hear fiscal conservative,” said Kirk. “On the other hand, if we emphasize the social issues, [the voters] won’t be there.”
Kirk is facing a serious challenge from Democrat Dan Seals, one of the best-financed candidates in the country.
* That brought a strong response from a women’s political group in Kirk’s district…
To the women of the 10th District, there is nothing encouraging about Palin’s extreme political views, including her opposition to a woman’s right to choose even in the cases of incest and rape, equal pay for equal work, and gun control. Nor is her support for abstinence-only sex education, teaching creationism in our schools, and banning books from our public libraries.
Cook County Forest Preserve officials are set to negotiate a deal to buy Rolling Knolls Golf Course — which is owned by county Commissioner Timothy Schneider’s family.
The Forest Preserve Board on Thursday approved a proposal authorizing further talks with Schneider’s family about acquiring the 65-acre golf course near Elgin. The vote came about two weeks after the Elgin Planning Commission voted down the Schneider family’s plan to turn Rolling Knolls into a smaller nine-hole course and a subdivision.
Schneider recused himself from Thursday’s vote and said he had not been involved in discussions with the Forest Preserve District about the possible sale.
* But there’s more…
…a Cook County Forest Preserve representative contacted Schneider about buying the golf course, which is adjacent to the Poplar Creek Forest Preserve.
“I told him that I couldn’t have anything to do with negotiations with the county . . . and to contact my brother,” Schneider said. “It will be a decision I will be involved in as well as my four other brothers, sister and mother. . . . I have recused myself” from voting on the matter.
Telling the representative to contact his brother might be considered cooperating with the forest preserves efforts, or maybe I’m just nitpicking. Still, I find this odd.
A lion of the Illinois Republican Party called the state GOP organization “weak” in a blunt assessment of how much Republicans still must do to rebuild from the ruin left by George Ryan’s corrupt tenure as governor. […]
“That’s why we don’t have a constitutional office in Illinois, we don’t have a senator in Illinois, because our organization has been weak,” said [ormer U.S. House Minority Leader Bob Michel] […]
“All the polling ahead of time doesn’t mean two hoots unless you have the ground forces to get the vote on Election Day, and we just haven’t had that the last several years,” Michel said.
* And there was some disagreement…
“I think he’s talking about the past. He certainly can’t be talking about today,” said Senate Minority Leader Frank Watson (R-Greenville). “We’ve had our problems. There’s no doubt about the fact we have. But we are rebuilding, and I think that’s what he was talking about.”
* Retiring congresscritter Ray LaHood, who took Michel’s House seat, mentioned the obvious…
U.S. Rep. Ray Lahood, speaking after Michel, said the party must broaden its base.
“You can’t win in these congressional districts and you can’t win in Illinois with just Republicans,” Lahood said, adding that the party can win back statewide offices only by recruiting candidates capable of reaching out to Democrats and independents.
“This is not to give up on principle and not to give up on philosophy,” said Lahood, of Peoria, “but to recruit candidates who can say, ‘This is what we believe in, and we know there are discerning Democrats and independents who believe the same thing that we do.’ “
“Anybody who has spent any time focusing in what has been going on in Illinois in the last six years can’t make a single case for explaining to me why anybody in this state would vote for a Democrat in Illinois politics,”Cross said.
Republicans must give residents reasons to vote for them that go beyond dissatisfaction with Illinois Democrats. He cited this party’s “agenda for change,” which includes creating jobs, shoring up ethics law and making college more affordable. He said party leaders have not written off the November elections even though Chicagoan Barack Obama tops the Democratic ticket.
Citing Chicago school reform and welfare reform, Watson urged delegates to tell voters that Republicans made progress on issues when they controlled both legislative chambers and the governor’s office in the mid-1990s.
State Senate Minority Leader Frank Watson, of Greenville, took the makeshift stage at the final morning breakfast for the Illinois delegation and hugged state Rep. Jim Durkin of Westchester, his co-chair for U.S. Sen. John McCain’s presidential campaign in Illinois.
“You know what the difference is? We mean it. We mean it,” Watson, who sounded possibly a bit overcaffinated, shouted to the audience. Then, inspired by the moment, he challenged the crowd.
“Why doesn’t everybody just get up and hug their neighbor, huh? Let’s talk about togetherness. Let’s get together. Grab your neighbor and hug. There’s nothing wrong with that. Let’s have some excitement around here,” Watson chanted to the audience.
“Let’s show the Democrats they’re not the only ones that can do the hugging. Republicans love each other. We can be all about togetherness. We can move ahead. We’re going to take this nation back. Let’s get together,” he said.
After members of the audience stood to hug their neighbors, Watson laughed and said, “I’m glad to see that actually worked. … “I’m shocked. I didn’t think it would actually work.”
* Meanwhile, back in Chicago, Mayor Daley scoffed at former NY Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s claims about the Chicago machine…
“I don’t know where we get this, this idea that there’s a big Democratic machine going on. Chicago and the metropolitan area is very Democratic and the state is. There’s no, this machine. I thought it was laughable.”
On Thursday [Whitley] informed the Springfield-based business group’s board that he is forming an exploratory committee to run as a Republican for governor in the 2010 election, and the chamber issued a statement saying it is “supportive” of the move.
“It’s safe to say I’ve definitely been considering it and giving it a lot of thought,” said Mr. Whitley, 58. “Republicans need to find fresh blood and fresh faces.”
* But not everybody was pleased with the news…
“They have no idea what they’re getting into,” said U.S. Rep. Ray LaHood, R-Peoria, who is not running for re-election this year. “They should start out running as a precinct committeeman. You can’t start out in the top job.”
* Jim Edgar warns in a Daily Herald story about possible contenders…
“It is one thing to talk about running for governor. It is a whole different thing to do it.”
* Here are a few more quotes from that Daily Herald story about possible statewide candidates…
[House GOP Leader Tom Cross] said running for statewide office is something he “will give serious thought to.” And he added, “It is not something I have at all dismissed.” […]
Former Gov. Jim Thompson commented in Minneapolis, “We will have to wait for Aaron Schock to grow up.” […]
On running for governor or another statewide post, [DuPage County chairman Bob Schillerstrom] says, “That is one of the things I’m going to take look at and give some consideration to.” […]
Asked in Minneapolis if he will run again, Gidwitz said, “I had a great time last time. Who knows?”
* Congressional candidate Aaron Schock was the only Illinois Republican to speak at the RNC this week, and it was just for a couple of minutes. Here it is…
* Related…
* Watson: Illinois Senate ‘Hardly the Training Ground’ for White House
* Land deal, lack of certification behind Howe, mental health center closures
Selling a prime piece of real estate and not being able to get recertified appear to be what’s prompted the state to announce it will close a pair of troubled facilities in Tinley Park, state lawmakers and union representatives say. The Howe Developmental Center and Tinley Park Mental Health Center, which have been stripped of their federal dollars for providing substandard care and lax recordkeeping, could close their doors by next summer.
Attorney General Lisa Madigan Thursday filed written testimony urging the Illinois Commerce Commission to deny rate increase requests from Naperville-based Nicor Gas that would raise the company’s revenues by $140 million.
Even before reductions in hours took effect last month at historic sites statewide, attendance numbers were down more than 10 percent this year compared with last. Among sites showing declines were all of the major Lincoln sites in Springfield.
“We believe the Illinois political culture is so shamefully dysfunctional that we desperately need this tool to change behavior of public officials,” Cronin said.
Some 156 workers in the administration took up the boss on his offer, according to documents obtained by the Chicago Tribune under the state’s Freedom of Information Act.
