Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar » Cheap shot at Brady
SUBSCRIBE to Capitol Fax      Advertise Here      About     Exclusive Subscriber Content     Updated Posts    Contact Rich Miller
CapitolFax.com
To subscribe to Capitol Fax, click here.
Cheap shot at Brady

Tuesday, Aug 25, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The AP runs what could be the most misleading Illinois lede of the month

Two years ago, state Sen. Bill Brady of Bloomington gave a state medical school scholarship worth almost $24,000 to the daughter of a man who has donated thousands of dollars to him.

Why is that lede so misleading? Because it more than just implies a direct quid pro quo. And there doesn’t appear to be one at all. Eleven grafs into the story we learn this..

Brady, like most lawmakers who agreed to talk about the scholarships, said his winners are chosen by a committee made up mainly of educators, that he picks. Brady said committee members don’t know applicants’ names, and the $12,000 homebuilder Jeff Stelle has donated played no role in the scholarship to Stelle’s daughter, who got a free year of medical school at Southern Illinois University.

“My staff simply tells me who the eight winners are and I tell them congratulations,” said Brady, a Republican candidate for governor.

Brady has a committee of educators hand out the scholarships to kids whose names are kept secret from them. Yet, the lede is about one contribution from one recipient’s father. The story’s second graf claims that this situation “isn’t uncommon,” a handy double negative that masks the actual situation.

Look, there are lots and lots of good reasons to oppose the legislative scholarship program. But singling out Brady on this one doesn’t seem fair at all, particularly since there are others who have direct control over their own legislative scholarships.

* Speaking of misleading claims, Chicago’s Binny’s Beverage Depot has apparently reverted to fear mongering and untruths to sell more booze with a new ad campaign

“Buy now and beat the liquor tax increase!!! Illinois just passed the largest alcohol tax increase in state history.”

Actually, a liquor tax hike a decade ago (which, like this one, was used to pay for a capital bill) was higher. And how much will this one cost?

Susan Hofer, spokeswoman for the Illinois Department of Revenue, argued that the excise tax wasn’t as harsh as the ad campaign suggested. For a one-fifth bottle of distilled spirits, the tax would jump from 90 cents to $1.71; the tax on a bottle of wine would increase 13 cents to 28 cents; a six-pack of beer would go from 10.4 cents to 13 cents, Hofer said.

2.6 cents on a six pack. Such a travestyl

* Related…

* Feds subpoena Chicago Public School principal: Whitney Young Magnet Principal Joyce Kenner on Monday became the first principal to reveal she has been subpoenaed by a federal grand jury investigating admissions to Chicago’s elite college prep high schools but insisted she “did nothing wrong'’ and has no clue why she is being summoned.

* Chicago selective enrollment high schools face huge demand for few spots - Amid federal investigation of admissions, parents and students complain the process is complicated and secretive

* University of Illinois clout scandal: 2 holdout trustees could get booted - Senate President John Cullerton threatens legislation

       

28 Comments
  1. - OneMan - Tuesday, Aug 25, 09 @ 9:42 am:

    You stay classy AP


  2. - Small Town Liberal - Tuesday, Aug 25, 09 @ 9:50 am:

    Rich, I buy my bourbon in handles. Do I just multiply the fifth tax amount by 2.5?


  3. - Chicago Bars - Tuesday, Aug 25, 09 @ 9:53 am:

    It’s not the 2.7 cents on a six pack of beer that chafes, it’s that we’ll have a full blown dime a drink of state taxes on every cocktail after this hospitality tax kicks in.

    Or worse yet almost a quarter per drink worth of state tax if policy-making down in Springfield drive somebody to order a double.


  4. - Johnny USA - Tuesday, Aug 25, 09 @ 10:07 am:

    Why am I not surprised that a spokesman from the Illinois Department of Revenue does not think a 100+% tax increase is harsh?

    Joe Sixpack might be getting a break here, but yet another thing I will never buy in Illinois again.


  5. - cassandra - Tuesday, Aug 25, 09 @ 10:09 am:

    Why is there such competition for slots in a few Chicago schools? That question is more important than whether a few alderpersons used undue influence to get relatives or relatives of “campaign contributors” into these schools.

    Given the billions of dollars that taxpayers have poured into Chicago schools in recent years, all Chicago schools should be of the same quality as the “elite” academies. That’s the whole concept of public education. A high-quality education for all.

    But it is Chicago after all. They love to pay taxes (and, considering recent events, it seems likely that they’ll be paying substantially higher state and local taxes come next year) but they don’t hold their (Democratic) lords accountable for what they do with those taxes.
    They vote the same old Democrats in decade after decade, regardless of what those old Democrats actually do for the city. So of course, except for the lucky “elite” few (and children of the wealthy who can afford Lab School, Frances Parker, and other tony private schools) their children get a mediocre to poor public education.


  6. - VanillaMan - Tuesday, Aug 25, 09 @ 10:12 am:

    Look, there are lots and lots of good reasons to oppose the legislative scholarship program. But singling out Brady on this one doesn’t seem fair at all, particularly since there are others who have direct control over their own legislative scholarships.

    What the hell ever happened to awarding scholarships in a way that takes into consideration need? Yeah - Brady shouldn’t be singled out, but if he really thought this thing through, he would also recognize that his process was awarding scholarships to students that didn’t need economic help. Then made the change necessary to correct that inbalance!

    Brady wants to be a state leader. Good. Now, what he seems to need to do is expand his mind and demonstrate that. I don’t want to see any of his campaign ads full of white people, then listen to him claim he sees differently. I don’t want to read that he gives scholarships to students with wealthy parents, then claim he wants to reward students so they can attend college.

    You want to be a state leader sir? Then start recognizing the differences outside Bloomington and incorporating them into your little world.


  7. - wordslinger - Tuesday, Aug 25, 09 @ 10:12 am:

    AP doesn’t back up its lede, that’s true. But it certainly is a happy coincidence that a $12 grand contributor gets a scholarship.

    Black says he doesn’t participate, and that not even his committee knows who gets them. I have no reason to question that, except that I’ve lived in Illinois all my life.

    The fact is, he and the other GA members who award these scholarships will wear the jacket for any questions about hinky stuff. Who knows how and when to apply for the scholarships? Is it widely advertised throughout the district? What safeguards are built into this “anonymity?”

    No matter how you slice it, the scholarship program is ridiculous, feudal and should be scrapped. For a GA member, the only way to be sure your integrity won’t be questioned is not to participate in it and work to get rid of it.


  8. - Joe in the Know - Tuesday, Aug 25, 09 @ 10:16 am:

    I think the bigger question about the GA Scholarship is why a gentleman with the means to donate $12,000 getting a scholarship in the first place? I am not opposed to the scholarship, and actually think they should be maintained. But at a minimum, there should be a financial need for the recipient.


  9. - Louis Howe - Tuesday, Aug 25, 09 @ 10:19 am:

    At the margin, a state university tuition and fee scholarship to a constituent has a minor impact on university budgets. It’s a good practice that encourages citizen participation in the community and the election process. I rec’d one myself decades ago from a democrat legislator when I was co-chairman of the young republicans and my mother was a precinct republican ommitteewoman.

    I’d much rather have an elected official, who’s accountable to the electorate, make the scholarship selection than some faceless bureaucratic committee using their subjective judgments.


  10. - OneMan - Tuesday, Aug 25, 09 @ 10:29 am:

    VM

    What the hell ever happened to awarding scholarships in a way that takes into consideration need?

    Well it is medical school so she might be 22 or 23 (at least 21), I don’t know about you but my folks didn’t contribute anything for me to go to grad school, that was my dime.


  11. - Narcoleptic - Tuesday, Aug 25, 09 @ 10:33 am:

    Realistically, the cost of the tax will always be higher–not because of the law, but because the distributor CAN get away with a little bigger bump at the expense of the “politicians.” They won’t be blaming the Wirtz family; they’ll be blaming some indefinable politico up or down “there”; while the stiff at the bar will pound his fist in disgust and order another round.

    I feel for the barkeeps who always pay the price for a booze hike.

    As for Brady, until you see who actually sits on his committee and their relationship to him, I wouldn’t be so quick to pan the connection. Just saying “I’ve got three attorneys” or “Mine’s made up of ten educators” means little on this issue.

    Any good staffer worth his salt would make sure to suggest a third party “buffer.” Ultimately, though, these guys know their districts and the families. No one hands you $12K in obscurity.


  12. - Michelle Flaherty - Tuesday, Aug 25, 09 @ 10:40 am:

    The most misleading item would be calling these things “scholarships.”
    Legislators aren’t handing out money to cover tuition. They tell the universities they can’t charge these students tuition. They are tuition waivers and they are not backed by any money.
    Hence the wonderful hypocracy when lawmakers slash higher ed but continue with their perk tuition waivers.
    In the big picture of higher ed funding it’s not that much, but every waiver means the money has got to come from somewhere else.


  13. - Captian Flume - Tuesday, Aug 25, 09 @ 10:42 am:

    The AP story’s “lede” is no more a cheap shot at Brady than criticism of the “lede” is a cheap shot at AP. Journalists, correctly or not, regularly use specfic examples to delve into braoder subject areas. Brady is such a specific example. And despite the 11th paragraph disingenuous claim, we still find in the last two paragraphs this:
    == Brady says he agrees the scholarships should end, but as long as they exist, he’d be shortchanging his own district if he didn’t award those he can. He vowed to push to end them if he’s elected governor.

    “We would be better off without them,” he said.==

    Well, if he thinks we would be better off without them, then don’t wait until your hoped-for Governorship to set an example.


  14. - Scooby - Tuesday, Aug 25, 09 @ 10:46 am:

    After watching the Sox pitching last night I sure needed a six pack. I managed to find two pennies on the street, but where do I find the 0.6 cents? Do I have to bring a Milton Bradley baseball card?


  15. - wordslinger - Tuesday, Aug 25, 09 @ 10:46 am:

    Michelle makes a very good point. It’s not a scholarship; there’s no money behind it. It’s a waiver. Even more feudal and ridiculous.


  16. - Bluefish - Tuesday, Aug 25, 09 @ 10:47 am:

    Thanks for reminding me that I need to make a Binny’s run this week. Time to restock the bar.


  17. - Brennan - Tuesday, Aug 25, 09 @ 11:01 am:

    Michelle: Thanks for your comment. I learned something.


  18. - VanillaMan - Tuesday, Aug 25, 09 @ 11:03 am:

    I don’t know about you but my folks didn’t contribute anything for me to go to grad school, that was my dime.

    Yeah - I’m sure her folks wouldn’t have been willing to steer some of their political contributions towards her goal of becoming a doctor. Like they have priorities, and she wouldn’t have made the list.


  19. - 47th Ward - Tuesday, Aug 25, 09 @ 11:08 am:

    ===but every waiver means the money has got to come from somewhere else.===

    Great point Michelle. “Somewhere else” is really someone else, in nearly every case it is the student paying full tuition who subsidizes the waiver recipient. Another reason tuition is so high.

    And now that the state cut the MAP program, there is absolutely no justification for continuing this awful program of legislative free-bees. Nothing is free folks. 230,000 students who receive the MAP grant because of financial need are simply going to have to borrow more, or drop out of school. Poor people being screwed again, but we can still have legislators doling out “scholarships.” How pathetic.


  20. - Heartless Libertarian - Tuesday, Aug 25, 09 @ 11:14 am:

    This alcohol tax is one on distributors… So they raise their price, and then retailers raise their prices to maintain margin. So, even assuming that the distributors won’t raise their prices other than to cover the tax (yeah, fat chance), you are still looking at a significant (at least to me) increase in a bottle of distilled spirit.

    Remember… this is a tax on distributors…. And did the distributors fight hard to stop it? Not really. They have a lot of power and could have stopped it. But, it will be a money maker for them…. They can raise prices higher than the tax and attribute it to the tax, make a larger margin, and blame the politicians.


  21. - Carl Nyberg - Tuesday, Aug 25, 09 @ 11:21 am:

    Rich, the follow-up question I have about Brady’s scholarships is the size of the applicant pool.

    One extreme: every student applying to a state college, university or junior college in Brady’s district gets solicited to apply for a scholarship as part of applying for school.

    The other extreme: Brady only invites eight students to apply for scholarships and the invitations go to the students he wants selected perhaps with a few inferior students so the process appears legit.

    The article is unfair to Brady in the following way. It uses his name in the lede and the examples it uses to make the program seem sordid come from Berrios and Lightford.

    It’s easy to read the article quickly and have the cases from Berrios and Lightford stick in your mind, but associate them with Brady b/c he’s the guy at the top of the article.


  22. - CircularFiringSquad - Tuesday, Aug 25, 09 @ 11:22 am:

    AP story was a yawner….should have read..” we poured over thousands of files and could only find 40 with any possible, semi remote connection; but we are still running out there like it was a big deal ’cause we had this reporter wander around for three months .”

    BTW liquor dealers are aleady forecasting beer will be up $2 a case so they are taking a big “bump” due the tax hike ….surprise


  23. - Rich Miller - Tuesday, Aug 25, 09 @ 11:23 am:

    Captain Flume, if the AP story had been about campaign contributions for scholarship recipients, then I’d agree. But it wasn’t. The subject was highlighted in the lede and then dropped.

    Ergo: Cheap shot.


  24. - downstate hick - Tuesday, Aug 25, 09 @ 11:43 am:

    Agree a cheap shot at Brady,

    As for the liquor tax increase. It SUCKS. Illinois liquor taxes are some of the highest in the Country, and the distributors further sock it to the public.


  25. - Beerman - Tuesday, Aug 25, 09 @ 12:01 pm:

    “BTW liquor dealers are aleady forecasting beer will be up $2 a case so they are taking a big “bump” due the tax hike ….surprise”

    Who are you talking to? Yes, beer, wine and spirits will increase effective September 1 but $2 a case for beer????? No way!


  26. - CircularFiringSquad - Tuesday, Aug 25, 09 @ 12:04 pm:

    Beerman:
    Talks are with the retailers in Central IL….bet I’m right


  27. - Beerman - Tuesday, Aug 25, 09 @ 12:41 pm:

    CFS - With all due respect, beer sales are currently flat at best. For distributors to jack the cost up $2 when the tax equates to a little over 10 cents a case simply doesn’t make any sense. Because the beverage alcohol industry is so competitive, I would imagine beer distributors will want to keep this cost increase as low as possible. I suppose we will all know on September 1.


  28. - Beerman - Tuesday, Aug 25, 09 @ 12:48 pm:

    “Remember… this is a tax on distributors…. And did the distributors fight hard to stop it? Not really. They have a lot of power and could have stopped it.”

    When you’ve got $26 billion worth of pork working against you it makes things a little tough.


Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.


* Reader comments closed for the holidays
* And the winners are…
* SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Update to previous editions
* Isabel’s afternoon roundup
* Report: Far-right Illinois billionaires may have skirted immigration rules
* Question of the day: Golden Horseshoe Awards (Updated)
* Energy Storage Brings Cheaper Electricity, Greater Reliability
* Open thread
* Isabel’s morning briefing
* SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today's edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
* Live coverage
* Selected press releases (Live updates)
* Yesterday's stories

Support CapitolFax.com
Visit our advertisers...

...............

...............

...............

...............

...............

...............

...............


Loading


Main Menu
Home
Illinois
YouTube
Pundit rankings
Obama
Subscriber Content
Durbin
Burris
Blagojevich Trial
Advertising
Updated Posts
Polls

Archives
December 2024
November 2024
October 2024
September 2024
August 2024
July 2024
June 2024
May 2024
April 2024
March 2024
February 2024
January 2024
December 2023
November 2023
October 2023
September 2023
August 2023
July 2023
June 2023
May 2023
April 2023
March 2023
February 2023
January 2023
December 2022
November 2022
October 2022
September 2022
August 2022
July 2022
June 2022
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
February 2022
January 2022
December 2021
November 2021
October 2021
September 2021
August 2021
July 2021
June 2021
May 2021
April 2021
March 2021
February 2021
January 2021
December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
June 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
April 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005
December 2004
November 2004
October 2004

Blog*Spot Archives
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005

Syndication

RSS Feed 2.0
Comments RSS 2.0




Hosted by MCS SUBSCRIBE to Capitol Fax Advertise Here Mobile Version Contact Rich Miller