Wednesday, May 27, 2009 - Posted by Capitol Fax Blog Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Education is an important tool for self-empowerment and future success, however overcrowding in many of Chicago’s Latino neighborhood schools leaves students in precarious situations. Overcrowding has been a long-standing problem for the city’s Latino community, and as a recent UNO study makes clear, it continues to disproportionately shortchange Latino students, limiting their full potential.
In overcrowded schools, closets and hallways become classrooms, students are denied one-on-one attention from school staff, and many educational opportunities are lost due to a lack of space. It becomes easier for students in these environments to lose interest and fall through the cracks.
We have to do better for the future of the City of Chicago and the future of its Latino communities. Doing nothing about overcrowding in Chicago Public Schools will continue to guarantee a high dropout rate and a low level workforce for a major segment of our city’s population.
We join UNO in calling on our state legislators to provide funding for new schools in overburdened Latino neighborhoods and we support its initiative for public/private partnerships to build new UNO schools.
* We tend to get caught up in our own goofy frenzies during the final week of session, but there’s a moving display at the Statehouse which reminds us how small our problems really are.
The display of Illinois’ fallen soldiers since the beginning of the Afghan and Iraq wars has attracted plenty of attention since it was erected this week. Our video camera ain’t great, so we apologize for the quality, but here are a few minutes of silent tribute…
Wednesday, May 27, 2009 - Posted by Capitol Fax Blog Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
A recent phone poll of 600 Illinois voters showed support for a tax increase to prevent drastic budget cuts and fund education.
Illinois voters do not believe that they are over-taxed. In fact, they are willing to accept a number of possible revenue increases as a way of dealing with the state’s budget crisis.
Fifty-five percent of Illinois voters feel taxes are about right or too low to support public services. And there is a clear understanding of the state’s income tax level: 65 percent of Illinois voters believe state income taxes are about right or too low. Clearly, Illinois citizens realize that the state’s current tax structure does not generate enough revenue to provide essential state services.
When Illinoisans consider the reasons that the state may need to consider raising taxes, they find many of them to be very persuasive. When asked about reasons to support a tax increase, 71 percent of voters said school funding was a strong reason. In addition, voters are determined to avoid cuts in both healthcare and home care services for seniors, and strongly support job-creating investments in infrastructure.
The poll was conducted March 25-29, 2009, by Hart Research Associates.
With Governor Quinn making some changes to his proposed tax plan to help close the budget deficit, we thought it would be a good idea to update our tax calculator so you can compare how this would affect you.
The biggest change was the reduction of the personal exemption to $3,000 per family member (down from $6,000 per family member), and replacing that with a much larger property tax credit (from a 5% credit back of your annual property tax to 10% of your annual property taxes, capped at $500) and doubling the EITC.
We have our own analysis of who does better in this scenario (hint: High property tax payers), but see for yourself how it will impact your family and others:
(Again, For those of you who can’t play hypotheticals and object to the assumption that more revenue is needed, please make sure to visit the Wonkish.com Budget Tool and share your link here which shows all your cuts).
* She ran an absolutely horrible race for mayor, so I’m not sure that this threat is credible. Then again, others have bounced back from terrible races to win their next one…
Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown today criticized County Board President Todd Stroger’s leadership and said she is mulling a run for his office next year.
“We have certainly given it some thought, and we are considering all of our options in that regard,” she said, when asked at a meeting with the Chicago Tribune editorial board whether she was considering taking on Stroger. A decision, she added, will come “probably next month.”
If Brown does run, there would be at least three African-American candidates in the Democratic primary, including Stroger and Ald. Toni Preckwinkle. Forrest Claypool appears to be the only white guy interested in the primary to date, but that can always change.
I chatted a bit with New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin yesterday about Paul Vallas. Nagin, who was in town on a speaking engagement, said he thought Vallas might run for governor, but then said Vallas will likely remain on the job as the city’s school superintendent for another year. That would rule out a gubernatorial bid because of the potential of a large GOP primary field. But he could still run for county board president if the field was effectively cleared for him.
Brown today also declined to address whether the county should roll back the controversial penny-on-the-dollar sales tax approved last year, even though it’s the most prominent issue of Stroger’s tenure.
“I’m not getting inside that battle,” she said.
She’ll have no choice but to get “inside that battle” if she runs.
* Meanwhile, the absence of a decision by GOP Congressman Mark Kirk about whether to run for the US Senate seat is starting to create a vacuum that some candidates may try to fill…
After 23 years of sitting on the bench, Donald Lowery is considering a new life on the Hill.
The retired judge from Golconda in southern Illinois said Tuesday he is considering a bid for U.S. Senate in 2010 as a Republican. He will make an official decision within 45 days.
“I’m watching where the economy is going and what they’re doing to help the economy, and I’m not happy with what the government is doing,” Lowery said.
Lowery, who retired two years ago, visited Bloomington last week to attend a breakfast hosted by Republicans. He also has toured southern Illinois since notifying party officials in March.
* And Illinois Issues takes a look at the upcoming census…
The Land of Lincoln likely will lose a U.S. House seat after next year’s census, according to a December analysis by the Washington, D.C.,-area firm Election Data Services. But Illinois would have plenty of company in the Midwest. Also expected to lose a House seat are Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota and Missouri. Ohio could lose two.
Other industrialized states in the Northeast — Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania — also likely will forfeit a seat.
Many of the states expected to make gains in the next census are the same ones hit hardest by the housing crisis that touched off the current recession. Arizona, California, Florida and Nevada far outpace the rest of the nation in foreclosure rates; all but California are expected to gain House seats. Arizona and Florida may be in line for two. Texas would by far be the biggest winner, with a projected gain of four seats. […]
Under [Kimball Brace’s] latest projections, Oregon would gain a sixth seat by just two people. California would lose a seat by 18 people.
* One of the only advantages to being in the minority is that you can play lots of political games with the majority. So, yesterday, the House GOP asked that a constitutional amendment and a bill be brought to the House floor. The Trib gives us some play-by-play…
House Republicans attempted to score some political points on the reform front Tuesday, getting Democrats on the record as blocking up-or-down votes on giving citizens the right to recall elected officials and pushing the primary back to summer. […]
Democrats blocked both attempts but otherwise remained silent during debate. Later, House Democratic spokesman Steve Brown dismissed the Republican efforts as a “little media show.” He said House Democrats have not reached a consensus on moving the primary date and pointed out that the chamber voted a year ago on recall.
That constitutional amendment has been sitting idle since February. It was only just yesterday that pretty much the entire HGOP caucus signed on as co-sponsors. The same late surge of co-sponsors happened with the June primary bill.
* The game here is that the Republicans know fully well that their motions to discharge will be squashed, so they can safely harangue the majority about moving bills out of committee that many Republican members might not otherwise support. It’s quite fun.
As I’ve told you before, the House GOP has been doing this stuff all session. They’ll get behind some hot-button issue, make a motion to discharge it from committee, the Democrats will block it, the Republicans will force a floor vote on whether to sustain or override the chair, the Democrats win the partisan vote and then the Republicans’ campaign operation will blast thousands of negative robocalls into targeted Democratic districts.
* And while the Tribune’s reporters mostly saw yesterday’s GOP move for what it was, the Tribune’s editorial page - which has its tonality levels constantly set to “Outraged” - thundered against the Democrats…
Remember last year when Democrats in the Illinois Senate robbed you of a chance to add a recall amendment to the state constitution? On Tuesday, 61 Democrats in the House did the same thing. Republicans tried to discharge a recall amendment from the Rules Committee, where Speaker Michael Madigan has buried it. They wanted to bring it to the House floor so every member could vote on the amendment, which would permit the recall of state executive officers and legislators. The vote to keep the amendment buried: 61-47.
Then they listed all 61 Democrats who voted on the procedural motion.
* The sausage-making process appears to drive newspaper editorial boards around the bend. Here’s the end of today’s Daily Herald editorial…
The [reform] ideas are supposed to come up again Thursday, with four session days left. Click here to find suburban officials’ contact information. Are we going to let legislators run roughshod over corruption reform ideas without a fight? It’s time rank-and-file legislators rose up and demanded what’s right from their leaders. It’s time we raise our voices. It’s time we all rally. It’s time we take back our government.
* So, are we heading for an overtime session? It’s being discussed at high levels. From the Tribune…
Going past the legislature’s Sunday deadline would put Republicans in play because three-fifths — instead of a simple majority — would be required to approve legislation that immediately takes effect.
Some Democrats rationalized blowing through the deadline as a way to force Republicans to put up votes for an income tax increase, sharing the political blame for higher taxes. Failing that, they said privately that Republicans also would share with them increased pressure from social service advocates and labor unions to prevent deep cuts.
Gov. Quinn’s bid to raise the state income tax won’t pass this week without Republican votes, the top Senate Democrat warned Tuesday. […]
It’s also a sign of how Democrats, going into the 2010 election cycle, don’t want to be the only ones wearing the collar politically for the biggest state tax increase in nearly four decades.
Quinn originally wanted to triple the current $2,000 personal tax exemption to $6,000, but now suggests a $1,000 increase in the exemption level. Quinn also offered two potential tax breaks: doubling the current income tax credit for property taxes from 5 percent to 10 percent, with a limit of $500, and doubling a tax credit for the working poor.
House Democrats were giving a long list of spending items and the cost of each, then were asked to say which they wanted to fund and which they were willing to cut.
Rep. Frank Mautino, D-Spring Valley, said lawmakers essentially were given the job of figuring out how to spend $3.8 billion of revenue on $11 billion worth of programs. Three items alone — prescription drug assistance, help for the developmentally disabled and state employee group health insurance — cost nearly $4 billion.
One potential endgame would see top lawmakers negotiating on the budget next month. Another is for the General Assembly to simply adopt a budget for less than the full budget year. They then would return to Springfield to deal with the shortage after the candidacy filing period ends in the fall and incumbents know whether they face strong opponents next year.
Sen. John Sullivan, D-Rushville, said lawmakers might craft a short-term budget that would cover state spending for only part of the year.
“It’s an option on the table,” Sullivan said. “Whether it’s prudent or not, I don’t know.”
* And while the clock ticks down to May 31st, the governor appears to dawdle…
House Speaker Michael Madigan, a Chicago Democrat, wasn’t sure when the process will be complete. “It is pretty much up to the governor and when he wants to call it. I think that if you were talking to him he would say he is not ready today. Are we done by the end of the week? We hope so.”
* The tapes of Roland Burris talking to Rod Blagojevich’s brother Rob a month before Burris got the US Senate appointment aren’t exactly flattering. Here’s the Tribune’s coverage…
Burris said he would make a personal donation but worried that both he and the governor could eventually “catch hell” for any campaign help Burris gave as he lobbied for Blagojevich to choose him.
“And if I do get appointed, that means I bought it,” Burris was recorded telling Robert Blagojevich, the governor’s brother and chief fundraiser, in a Nov. 13 call captured during the federal probe that led to Rod Blagojevich’s December arrest on corruption charges.
Burris even mentioned having his attorney make the donation — a notion that could have violated state election law against hiding donations. Burris’ attorney said he advised against such a move, and Burris never made such a donation and held no fundraisers for Rod Blagojevich. […]
“God knows number one, I, I wanna help Rod,” Burris said on the recording. “Number two, I also wanna, you know, hope I get a consideration to get that appointment.”
Burris ends the call saying: “I will personally do something OK? And it will come to you before the 15th of December.”
Rod Blagojevich was arrested Dec. 9 on charges that included trying to sell President Obama’s vacant Senate seat to the highest bidder.
Burris didn’t make the contribution (at least not directly and as far as we know), which is to his favor. But Burris never mentioned that conversation with Rob Blagojevich in any of his sworn statements or affidavits to the Illinois House Impeachment Committee, which works heavily against him.
While Burris may have forgotten the details of their talk by the time he went before state legislators, it could hardly have slipped his mind that less than two months earlier he had been on the phone practically begging to be chosen to replace Barack Obama in the U.S. Senate while promising to do what he could to get some money into the Blagojevich campaign coffers.
His omission only confirms what has been evident for some time now: With the crowning achievement of his political career within reach, Burris was willing to do whatever was necessary to reel in the big prize and deal with the consequences later.
Yep.
More…
But Burris didn’t want to close the door and take a chance on getting on the governor’s bad side.
Instead, as the discussion proceeded, Burris told Robert Blagojevich he would:
1) Be willing to help with a fund-raiser if it was being hosted by some other Blagojevich supporter with whom Burris had worked in the past, in effect, someone to give him cover.
Sneaky, eh?
* Take a look at the transcript and you’ll see Burris goes right into the Senate stuff at the very beginning…
BURRIS: I, I know you’re calling telling me that you’re gonna make me king of the world, and uh …
BLAGOJEVICH: (laughs)
BURRIS: … and therefore I can go off to, you know, wherever and do all these great things […]
BURRIS: ‘Cause I’ve been, I’ve been trying to figure out what the heck, you know, I can do. Go ahead.
Blagojevich then mentions the need to raise campaign money by the end of December for the January filing period and Burris goes right back to the Senate seat…
BURRIS: Yeah. Right, right and, and now how do, answer me this question because I’m very much interested in, in trying to replace Obama, okay. Now I …
BLAGOJEVICH: So you, let me just tell you Roland, …
BURRIS: Yeah.
BLAGOJEVICH: … you and 1 million other people.
BURRIS: That’s right, that’s right so …
BLAGOJEVICH: Of every race, color, creed and faith, it’s amazing.
Again, from the transcript, it looks more like Burris is finding a way to reconcile the need for pay to play than just be an honest person…
BURRIS: If I don’t get appointed then my people who I’m trying to raise money from are gonna look at me, yeah, what, what’s that all about Roland. I mean, so, Rob, I’m in a, I’m in a, a dilemma right now wanting to help the governor.
BLAGOJEVICH: Yeah.
BURRIS: I mean I, you know I, I have been with him on all of the, all the issues and I’m now trying to figure out what the hell the best thing to do.
And Burris was mighty persistent throughout the conversation. Here’s the end…
BLAGOJEVICH: Hey, you’re a good friend. I’ll pass on your message.
BURRIS: Please do and …
BLAGOJEVICH: Okay.
BURRIS: … tell Rod to keep me in mind for that seat, would ya? (chuckles)
* Ill. judge rules against opponents of museum move
A Cook County judge has found that Chicago officials acted properly when approving a plan to relocate the Chicago Children’s Museum to Grant Park.
Judge Martin Agran on Tuesday ruled against nearby residents of the proposed site who say they weren’t given proper legal notice of the move. But Jim Fabbrini, the residents’ lawyer, says the decision is a “minor setback.”
* Children’s Museum move opponents lose court round
“It’s a minor setback,” said Jim Fabbrini, lawyer for the residents. “This was a minor suit that dealt with the process and not whether it is illegal to build in Grant Park.”
* Mayor Daley defends taxing Chicago Bears ticket licenses - Mayor wants levy on secondhand seat licenses
“They’re flipping” the PSLs, Daley said, using the term for buying property and selling it quickly at a steep profit. “That’s all they’re doing. So we caught them.”
Whether the potential threat is pandemic flu, terrorism, a weather emergency or some other disaster, the mayor of New Orleans said Tuesday that Illinois officials should make sure to plan for the worst — just in case.
The audiences at many titles, moreover, are getting older fast. The median reader age rose 3.7 years at the Sunday Chicago Tribune, for example, 3.9 years at Car and Driver, 4.1 years at U.S. News & World Report and 4.9 years at Penthouse, according to the research.
Some magazines and newspapers are even seeing their audiences age in real time — or faster. Readers’ median age has increased 6.6 years since spring 2004 at Motorcyclist magazine, 6.8 years at Street Rodder and 6.8 years at Motor Boating.
* Exonerated man charges Chicago police framed him
Dean Cage has filed a federal lawsuit against the city of Chicago, a police detective who investigated the rape, and other unnamed officers. The 42-year-old says he was framed so police could close the case.
* Sewage-cooking plant brews debate in Chicago suburbs - Agency staff members say project in Stickney is no longer needed; they are exploring ways to pull out of contract
Could public anger about increased admission fees at the Art Institute soon turn to glee over free admission?
Art Institute Director James Cuno believes Chicago’s philanthropic community, fresh off its fund-raising coup in financing the new Modern Wing, could raise at least a $250 million endowment to give everyone free access to the Art Institute.
Tuesday’s event was one of only two fundraisers held to benefit the Executive Mansion, 410 E. Jackson St., during the past nine years, according to Curator David Bourland.
Government funding to repair the nation’s largest governor’s mansion is practically nonexistent, which Bourland attributes to the state’s lack of a capital improvement plan during the past decade.
