Morning Shorts
Tuesday, Jan 27, 2009 - Posted by Mike Murray
* NOW endorses candidate for 5th district seat
State Rep. Sara Feigenholtz, D-Chicago, was endorsed Monday by the National Organization for Women in her quest for the vacant congressional seat of White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.
* Illinois wants time to replace diverted funds
Quinn wants the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to give Illinois more time to put federally restricted funds back in their proper place.
Illinois faces the loss of $16 million in federal funds if it fails to restore $9.25 million to six funds that receive money from hunting and fishing licenses and related fees.
In a letter, Quinn asked the regional director of the Fish and Wildlife Service to give Illinois 90 more days to replace the money. Quinn said the impeachment of Gov. Rod Blagojevich makes it unlikely an appropriations bill will be signed before the February 2 deadline.
* Beyond Blagojevich: Illinois is in a state of debt
Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes, who is turning out to be the state’s unheralded Cassandra, sees worse ahead. General funds appropriations are up $916 million, but that doesn’t include more hundreds of millions to pay required contributions to five state retirement systems. And don’t forget, we have to pay off that $1.4 billion in short-term loans.
* Cash, lots of other unclaimed property stored by Illinois
* Blago controversy downplayed in Olympic bid
* Big cuts
* Caterpillar to Cut 20,000 Jobs
* Daley Says Economic Stimulus Package Could Mean Thousands of Local Jobs
* Mental health activists try to keep 4 Chicago centers open
* Mayor Richard Daley to name CTA chief Ron Huberman to lead city schools
* CTA prez to become CPS head: source
- tubbfan - Tuesday, Jan 27, 09 @ 9:25 am:
Isn’t it kind of odd that Pat Quinn would be sending a letter to the Feds on behalf of the State requesting a delay in restoration of restricted funds? He’s been awfully cautious about being presumptuous. . .
- Secret Square - Tuesday, Jan 27, 09 @ 9:28 am:
I dunno, Tubb, seems like a good idea to me. The extension is worth asking for even if, by some miracle, Blago escapes conviction and stays in office. Quinn is just asking the feds to hold off until the situation is resolved one way or another.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Jan 27, 09 @ 9:43 am:
Charge up your calculators, sharpen your pencils and buy some aspirin. The circus is leaving town this week. Next week begins who gets what and who pays what, and it ain’t going to be easy.
- Fan of the Game - Tuesday, Jan 27, 09 @ 9:49 am:
The NOW endorsement is a real shocker, I tell you.
As for Quinn asking for the extension–can’t hurt, can it?
wordslinger, easy it ain’t gonna be. This state is going to feel a whole lot of pain before the fiscal mess is solved.
- Cassandra - Tuesday, Jan 27, 09 @ 10:30 am:
Wordslinger is right. Next week, if events proceed as expected, Pat Quinn will be in charge and it’ll be all about the money. Is he up to it? I don’t know. Does he have his own budget people or will he be relying on our Blago’s picks in the budget office. These may be perfectly nice people but given that they are Blago’s picks, can we risk it. Or, will the legislative staffs be making all the budget decisions? Is that better or worse.
Anyway, Illinois’ population is about 4 percent of the total US pop so do we get about 4 percent of the $825 billion stimulus package. That’s $33 billion and we’re a Rust Belt state with higher than average unemployment. Let’s hope somebody somewhere is paying attention to these federal
allocations, Blago’s political demise notwithstanding, to make sure Illinois gets its fair share.
- Brian Frederick - Tuesday, Jan 27, 09 @ 10:42 am:
NOW is a well respected feminist organization. This endorsement is good news for Feigenholtz considering the number of highly educated women in the district.
- Leroy - Tuesday, Jan 27, 09 @ 10:52 am:
Question: With Blago out of the picture, who are we going to blame all of Illinois’s problems on?
Remember, Blago actually serves two positions: governor and chief scapegoat. Quinn will take over the governor’s role. Who will take over the scapegoat role?
Illinois has a *ton* of problems that demand blame and finger pointing.
- Wumpus - Tuesday, Jan 27, 09 @ 11:26 am:
How many other dem women were running?
- Levois - Tuesday, Jan 27, 09 @ 12:25 pm:
Well what might Huberman do with the schools?
- Mike Murray - Tuesday, Jan 27, 09 @ 1:15 pm:
-Wumpus-
With regard to the other women running complete coverage is provided here
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-congress-20-jan20,0,6500724.story
- Fan of the Game - Tuesday, Jan 27, 09 @ 1:50 pm:
===With regard to the other women running complete coverage is provided here===
That’s complete? Twenty-six people filed, and the article lists five–all Democrats.
- Anon - Tuesday, Jan 27, 09 @ 1:52 pm:
Hynes is Cassandra lol?
- Black Ivy - Tuesday, Jan 27, 09 @ 3:26 pm:
I’m all for Sara Feigenholtz’s U.S. Congress bid. We are in need of more female leaders and particularly women who have demonstrated compassion and understanding for “real” American issues.