Rich is going under the knife today for his wisdom tooth, so here is an extended version of Morning Shorts
Quinn
* Quinn Wants Mail-In Ballots To Cut Election Costs
“Very, very modest turnouts, certainly for special elections, I think we ought to see that as an opportunity to do mail voting that they have in some other states, like Oregon,” Quinn said. “It’s worked out pretty well, more participation.”
Election officials across Cook County would also like to experiment with voting by mail, noting that Tuesday’s 5th Congressional District special election is costing Chicago’s taxpayers about $1.8 million or $58 per vote cast Balloting by mail would save $900,000, about half, they estimate.
Critics are dubious.
“Well it wouldn’t save that much money,” said State Sen. Kirk Dillard, R-Hinsdale. “Illinois has a sorry history of vote fraud. And I don’t know how you make mail-in voting or Internet voting secure.”
* Elections by mail?
* Quinn makes juvenile offender program permanent
Gov. Pat Quinn signed legislation Tuesday to make permanent the Redeploy Illinois program. It’s been running recently as a pilot program in Macon, McLean and some southeastern Illinois counties, among others.
Through it, the state pays counties to direct juvenile offenders to counseling, substance abuse help or other rehabilitation plans instead of being shipped off to a facility run by the state Department of Juvenile Justice.
Department of Human Services spokesman Tom Green says fewer youth in state facilities means fewer of them away from home, less cost to the state, and fewer repeat offenders.
“The benefit is that the services … give the youth a much higher chance at being productive,” Green said.
Redeploy Illinois costs $3.1 million and is a part of Quinn’s proposed state budget. According to supporters, the state spends $70,000 a year on people sent to juvenile justice facilities. The alternatives in their home counties cost less than $10,000.
* Quinn: Canceled ethics order raised legal issues
* TRS’ Bauman to resign
Law that Quinn signed Friday fires pension system director effective July 1
Legislative Round Up and Editorial Advice
* Civil unions law would be good first step
* Follow Iowa’s lead on gay marriage
* Snap decisions at red lights
* Franks, Beaubien: “RETREAT!”
On the day the expand-abortion-rights-bill-as -as-Personal-PAC-could-imaged, both Franks and State Rep. Mark Beaubien withdrew their names as co-sponsors of House Bill 2354.
* Pharmacists may withhold some services
* Busting crooked pols
Do we really want to clean up this state? Then the people who would take a bribe, rig a contract or phony up a job application have to be worried about getting caught. We can’t rely entirely on the Justice Department.
Illinois needs to equip state and local law enforcement so they can join this fight.
Some things that have to get done:
* Illinois Senate president to speak at SIUC
Congress
* Quigley rolls to victory in race to replace Emanuel
* 5th Congressional District: Mike Quigley wins election to Congress
* Quigley Wins And Emmanuel Curses
* Quigley wants to make mark in Congress
* Alexi Giannoulias Fundraising
In light of today’s story on Alexi Giannoulias’ fundraising, I thought it would be important to highlight some potential donations to look for when his actual report is filed on April 15th. You should also be aware that on the same day the Illinois State Treasurer is trumpeting his fundraising totals, the State of Illinois appears on a credit watch list. Nice timing…check out our release here.
* Burris visits alma mater in southern Illinois tour
* Burris promises cooperation with investigators. Senator also visits VA Center, discusses time at SIUC
“It’s an investigation; I won’t comment,” Burris said during a news conference at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. “They’ve got to do what they’ve got to do. I will fully cooperate with them if they call me.”
* Durbin says taxpayers should subsidize pols
* Ethics board launches probe into Rep Jesse Jackson Jr.
* Report: Jesse Jackson Jr. faces ethics probe
* Chicago-area congressman meets Castro
Caucus leader Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) said she found Castro “very healthy, very energetic, very clear thinking” during his nearly two-hour session with the lawmakers. She said caucus members, including Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) and Rep. Laura Richardson (D-Calif.), also visited his home and met his wife.
Mini-Capital Bill Round-UP
* No time to waste on mass transit
And yet we continue to tiptoe around this critical issue. Gov. Pat Quinn faces a daunting task in dealing with the state budget, but his capital investment proposal woefully underfunds our mass transit system, which is used by 2 million riders daily.
The governor’s plan designates only $1.3 billion in new state money for transit agencies within the RTA region: CTA, Metra and Pace. These agencies, independent experts and even the Illinois Office of the Auditor General agree that more funding is needed. The RTA estimates $10 billion in state investments are needed during the next five years—significantly more than Quinn proposes.
To address this, I offer three proposals.
•Increase by 8 cents a gallon the state’s 19 cent per gallon motor fuel tax. In addition, increase the fees for driver’s licenses and vehicle registrations.
•Rename the state’s “Road Fund” the “Transportation Fund.” The Transportation Fund would permit the use of motor-fuel tax revenues on all forms of transportation, not just roads. This change would recognize that transit produces benefits for everyone in the state, whether one uses the mass transit system or not.
•Though the traditional ratio of state funds dedicated to roads and mass transit has been 2 to 1, respectively, the world has changed and we must reassess that balance. Reliance on foreign oil, increasing environmental costs and energy prices that are likely to go higher when the recession ends make it clear that mass transit is a critical investment. State funding for roads and transit should be distributed on a one-to-one basis.
* Hannig calls mini-capital plan an initial step
* State road crews could be at work by end of month
The first round of shovel-ready projects will be funded through federal stimulus dollars, according to new Illinois Department of Transportation Director Gary Hannig.
“The stimulus package doesn’t deal with the long-term needs of Illinois but the short-term needs and job creation,” said Hannig, a former lawmaker from Litchfield.
The next set will be funded by $3 billion from the state. Those projects should be ready to start later this summer, Hannig said.
The public works package could amount to 80,000 new jobs in Illinois during a time when the economy is lagging, lawmakers say.
The measure is not meant to replace a larger, $26 billion statewide construction program that is still being ironed out and could be approved later this spring.
“I don’t think there is anyone on the legislature or executive side that believes we’re finished,” Hannig said.
* Stimulus cash to pave Southland streets
Supporters say the bill, which is only a prelude to a much larger capital plan that lawmakers have been seeking to pass for years, will create an estimated 60,000 jobs. The bill’s price tag includes $3 billion from the state and $6 billion in federal stimulus money.
Southland roads to be resurfaced include:
* Construction zone fatalities down, photo enforced tickets to continue
Acting Illinois Transportation Secretary Gary Hannig said only 31 people — including two workers — were killed in constructions zones throughout the state in 2008, the Illinois Department of Transportation announced Tuesday to an IDOT release. In 2003, 44 people — including five workers — were killed.
With construction season approaching, IDOT personnel, State Police and Illinois Tollway officials reminded drivers to slow down and be alert in work zones throughout the state, including Chicago, the release said.
Additionally, work zone safety advocates will conduct outreach activities at rest areas across the state on Friday as part of the 10th Anniversary of National Work Zone Awareness Week, which runs April 6-10.
“Thanks to strict enforcement by ISP and cooperation from the public, we have made steady progress in protecting people in work zones,” Hannig said in the release. “Our goal is to protect the lives of the many dedicated workers who are improving our roadways, as well as drivers and passengers traveling through work zones.”
Financial Shenanigans and IL Government’s Reaction
* Building firm and CEO are indicted
A Cook County grand jury Tuesday indicted a politically connected businessman and his construction company on fraud charges, saying they falsely represented how much work minority subcontractors would receive on government contracts for a North Side fire station and several Chicago Transit Authority facilities.
Markham-based Castle Construction Co. and its chief executive officer, Robert Blum, 56, of New Lenox, were charged with fraudulently obtaining public funds reserved for disadvantaged business enterprises, wire fraud and mail fraud, Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan announced.
The charges relate to two construction contracts Castle was awarded, the first a $9.8 million deal in 2006 to renovate several CTA bus- and train-washing facilities.
As a condition of the contract, Castle agreed to employ a minority subcontractor on the project and told the CTA it had entered into a $2.96 million agreement with minority-owned Mid-City. But according to the indictment, the contract with Mid-City was worth just $550,000.
* State blames financial adviser for funeral fund’s collapse
The Illinois secretary of state’s office is blaming a Merrill Lynch financial adviser for the collapse of a pre-need funeral trust that’s supposed to pay for funerals for tens of thousands of state residents.
The Securities Department of the Illinois secretary of state’s office is charging Edward Louis Schainker, a Merrill Lynch financial adviser with an office in Springfield, with violating six sections of the state’s securities law. Schainker, whose license to sell securities and act as an investment adviser was suspended in February, is facing fines of $10,000 per violation and a ban on selling securities in Illinois. A hearing is scheduled for May 20. Alleged misdeeds include:
* Illegally enticing funeral home directors to allow their lives to be insured by the Illinois Funeral Directors Association in exchange for free $25,000 life insurance policies, with premiums paid from a pre-need funeral trust fund.
* Failure to tell funeral directors how money was being invested.
* Failure to perform actuarial analyses to ensure money from life insurance proceeds would be available to pay for funerals.
* Failure to tell funeral home directors and funeral contract purchasers that money was being spent on life insurance.
* Funeral directors got free insurance policies, complaint alleges
The allegation is contained in a complaint filed by Secretary of State Jesse White on April 1 against Edward Schainker, a Merrill Lynch broker in Springfield who was an investment adviser to the Illinois Funeral Directors Association. The secretary of state, which regulates the securities industry in Illinois, seeks to revoke his license, alleging Schainker made misrepresentations and fraudulent statements in managing a trust fund on behalf of the Springfield-based association.
The trust holds the deposits of consumers who have prepaid for their funerals and were promised that their deposits would cover anticipated costs. More than 44,000 people currently have money in the trust that has a total value of $200 million as of March, down from $300 million at the end of 2007, the complaint says.
But the trust has not had enough assets to cover its liabilities since 2001. As of July 31, 2008, the deficit had ballooned to $54.4 million, the complaint said.
Local Elecions
* Officials: Voter turnout lower than expected
* City turnout appears higher than expected, almost hits 20 percent
* Election 2009
* Elections
Find local results here
* Election results for area communities
* Voters dump mayors in Palatine, Lyons, Carpentersville, Bensenville, Berwyn, Waukegan and Worth
* Voters Dump Chief Executives In Several Suburbs
Schwantz, who played for the Bears in the 1992 and 1993 seasons, came in first in a field of four candidates, with 42.12 percent of the vote, compared with 22.56 percent for Mullins, 25.88 percent for challenger Vito A. Maonla Jr., and 9.44 percent for another challenger, Warren Kostka.
* Former Chicago Bears player now Palatine mayor
A former Chicago Bears player has defeated the five-term mayor of the Chicago suburb of Palatine.
Rita Mullins was soundly defeated by Jim Schwantz, a political rookie who prevailed over Mullins and two other candidates
The 39-year-old Schwantz, who played pro football from 1992 to 1998, collected about 42 percent of the vote to defeat Mullins, who was running in third place with about 22 percent.
* Renner: I want a recount
* Belvidere mayor re-elected by 15 votes
* New mayor, higher tax rate in Midlothian
* Flossmoor Finally Gets a Real Mayor
* Metro East incumbents win most mayoral races
* Farmington mayor re-elected by 10 votes
* Ardis to remain mayor, takes 90 percent of vote
* Morrissey’s quiet voters overwhelm the angry voters
* 26-year-old pulls off upset in Champaign District 1
* Illinois 53: Lake County voters overwhelmingly support extending highway
* One Quarter Percent Sales Tax Hike Approved in Peoria County
* Voters reject Washington school referendum
* ‘She bought it,’ Springfield city spokesman writes about reporter
* Who are those folks outside polling places?
Olympics and IOC Visit
* IOC calls city’s bid ’strong’
* Chicago Olympic bid: IOC evaluators like Chicago’s bid for 2016 Games
* IOC Team ‘Most Impressed’ by Chicago Bid
* IOC panel calls Chicago a ‘vibrant’ city
* Daley: Winfrey stole the show, wowed Olympic committee
* City lucky that Oprah’s still got our back
* Olympic Inspection Team Addresses Finances
* Olympic Protester Bends IOC’s Ear
* International Olympic Team Listens to Community
Other Stories
* CTA: Fare hikes, service cuts unlikely in ‘09
* Online charter school rings bell with parents, students
* Heroin deaths spike across Chicago area, authorities say
* Chicago police union: FOP worries about new SUVs
* Daley halts closure of mental health clinics
* Mental health clinics on Chicago’s South Side avoid shutdown for now
* Cook County is a bastion of public health care
* State Public Health Director Announces Record Low In Illinois For New Tuberculosis Cases
In 2008, 469 cases of active tuberculosis were reported in Illinois, a decrease from 521 cases reported in 2007. However, reports show Illinois still ranks sixth for the highest number of tuberculosis cases in the nation.
* No probation for Eddie’s bison
* Museum artifacts on Field trip
* Most taxes filed electronically
* Move over, Bean, you’re about to get company
* Lake County landfills on borrowed time
With Lake County facing the possibility of running out of landfill space within the next decade, officials have begun exploring options for dealing with future garbage.
Expanding existing landfills or building a new landfill also are possibilities, but officials say there may not be enough land available. New landfills likely would face public opposition.
“I think this is the beginning of a dialogue for planning for the future,” said Lake County Administrator Barry Burton. “You put all the ideas up and get everybody’s opinion and come collaboratively to a solution.”
* Chrysler defies government, unveils SUV
* Memo details Tribune deal for Wrigley
* PJ-Star: Try ex-governor with all possible speed
* BLAGO, CELLINI, OTHERS TO BE IN COURT TUESDAY
