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Wednesday, Sep 9, 2009 - Posted by Capitol Fax Blog Advertising Department

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Quinn’s cigarette tax idea would gut Hynes proposal

Wednesday, Sep 9, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller

* MAP grants have been cut in half, which has outraged many college students and administrators. But Gov. Pat Quinn now wants to raise cigarette taxes by a buck a pack to cover the shortfall…

More than 200,000 college students are facing the loss of their state grants, but now Gov. Pat Quinn has a plan to prevent that – by raising the already-steep cigarette tax even higher.

As CBS 2 Political Editor Mike Flannery reports, Quinn said he will ask the Illinois General Assembly next month to raise the tax on a pack of cigarettes by one dollar.

There is a political angle outside of the need for more MAP grant funds, of course.

Quinn’s Democratic primary opponent Dan Hynes wants to raise the price of cigarettes by a dollar a pack to pay down the backlog of old bills. If approved, this Quinn idea would gut Hynes’ $300 million bill-paying proposal and force the challenger to come up with another plan.

Also, there’s a $200 million shortfall in the MAP program. Quinn’s proposal would raise $100 million more cash than necessary to close the gap - perhaps making it even more politically suspect. …Adding… The Quinn people say the $300 million would all be used because of the strong need for the grants.

* Quinn also said his income tax hike push may be delayed until after the primary with Hynes…

The governor told Flannery he would postpone his plan to raise Illinois income taxes until next year. He said the General Assembly probably wouldn’t even debate it further until after the Feb. 2 primary election.

The governor also wants a new but so far unexplained “jobs plan” as well as ethics reform approved during next month’s veto session.

We should know more about all of this after today’s leadership meeting, which was scheduled to begin at 1:30 this afternoon.

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Question of the day

Wednesday, Sep 9, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller

* As you may have read by now, an investor group has offered to buy the Sun-Times and its parent company. It appears that the deal will happen.

* The Question: What one piece of advice would you give this new owner about how to run his paper? Explain fully, please.

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Blagojevich’s cover story doesn’t hold up

Wednesday, Sep 9, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Once again, the national media is massively failing to press Rod Blagojevich on his lies.

For instance, Blagojevich is now repeating his claim that the tapes released by the FBI regarding the alleged sale of Barack Obama’s US Senate seat were taken “out of context.”

The ousted former governor used the same “out of context” phrase during his last media tour, but never really explained what he meant. This time, he has a cover story.

Blagojevich’s new explanation is that he wasn’t trying to sell the Senate seat, but was instead attempting to put together a “political deal” involving the appointment of Attorney General Lisa Madigan to the seat in exchange for her father’s agreement to passing a capital bill and expanding health care…

Blagojevich said he might subpoena White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, Senate Democrat Majority Leader Harry Reid and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairman Robert Menendez to back up his version of what happened.

He said he discussed his [Madigan] plan with all of them.

Well, sure, that was Blagojevich’s final plan. But that plan existed solely in his head. It wasn’t as if the plan would’ve or could’ve become reality.

Illinoisans know that Speaker Madigan did not trust Blagojevich at all, refused to be in the same room with Blagojevich and hadn’t returned his calls in months. But the national press isn’t bringing up that important problem with Blagojevich’s cover story.

Also, there’s that little problem of Blagojevich saying on tape that he wanted to make money off the appointment, either via an appointment to the Obama administration, a big union job or a sweet deal for his wife.

Neither of those all-important points were brought up when Blagojevich was interviewed this week by Harry Smith on CBS News’ The Early Show. Instead, Smith responded…

“So, you’re not corrupt. There’s no corruption. There was never any corruption in your administration.”

Great follow-up there, Harry. I’m sure you’re now in line for an Emmy.

Smith even chuckled at Blagojevich’s “funny” lines and complimented him on his spin.

Unreal.

* Fox News’ Greta Van Susteren was more interested in talking about Blagojevich’s father-in-law than pressing him on the blatant inconsistencies in his main argument. But she did bring up a good point to Blagojevich when he blamed the US Attorney’s office for not releasing all the surveillance tapes…

VAN SUSTEREN: Here’s an idea, here’s an idea — file a motion that says now that you have the tapes, because that was before, but file a motion to have the protective order lifted, because there are certain rights that you have, as well. So you might convince the judge to release it now.

BLAGOJEVICH: I do not know if you have any free time on your hands. We’d love to have you — add you to our legal team, Greta.

But I should tell you that the media has made those requests, and thus far they have been unsuccessful.

VAN SUSTEREN: But that’s not the media. That’s you. It’s different if it comes from you than the media. But that is for another day.

That’s for another day? Great.

Note to Van Susteren: Blagojevich isn’t at all interested in the full truth. He’s interested in selling books.

* Blagojevich-related quote of the day…

“Rod Blagojevich continues to be a disgrace and an embarrassment to the people of the State of Illinois,” said Terry Ekl, attorney for Blagojevich’s former chief of staff, John Harris, who recently pleaded guilty to corruption charges and plans to testify against his old boss. “There’s no reason to believe anything that either comes out of his mouth or is contained in his book.”

Amen to that.

* Also, if you want to know what’s in Blagojevich’s book but refuse to spend money on it, Eric Zorn has blogged the entire thing. Go read it.

* Related…

* Wis. court disbars Hurtgen, figure in Blagojevich probe: The Wisconsin Supreme Court says Hurtgen was not acting as an attorney in the pay-to-play scheme, but his actions violated the public trust.

* Marin: Decision time for Blago fund-raiser Kelly

* Chris Kelly pleads guilty to O’Hare scheme

* Christopher Kelly pleads guilty a second time this year to federal charges

* Former Blagojevich adviser Chris Kelly pleads guilty to kickback scheme

* Blagojevich Associate Pleads Guilty in Separate Case

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Another day, another Tribune poll

Wednesday, Sep 9, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Today’s Tribune headline: “Tribune poll finds nearly 60% oppose video gambling” isn’t exactly what it appears to be. Once again, you have to read way down in the story to find out what’s going on…

The poll found that 58 percent of voters would vote against legalized video gambling in a local referendum, while just 34 percent would support it. Opposition was about 60 percent from voters in suburban Cook County, the collar counties and Downstate, while 49 percent of Chicago voters said they would vote against it and 42 percent for it.

But…

Overall, voters were split on the question of whether Illinois’ various forms of gambling have been good for the state, with 40 percent saying it had indeed been good and 37 percent saying it had been bad.

And…

The poll found that 48 percent of those surveyed disapproved of legalizing video gambling anywhere in the state, while approval was voiced from 40 percent of voters. Though those numbers suggest video poker is still broadly unpopular, it is nonetheless gaining in acceptance. Six years ago in a similar Tribune poll, only 19 percent of those surveyed said they approved of allowing video poker machines into Illinois restaurants and bars. Back then, 71 percent said they were opposed.

Maddeningly, Mother Tribune refuses to publish full toplines and crosstabs, so there’s no way of knowing exactly how the question was phrased nor where it was placed in relation to other gaming, capital bill or budgeting questions.

* Meanwhile…

Gov. Pat Quinn has a 3:30 p.m. meeting in his Chicago office [today] with fellow Democrats House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton to “set an agenda” for the fall legislative session. Quinn told reporters yesterday the meeting will focus on campaign finance and state funding.

Hopefully, we’ll have live audio of any post-meeting press availabilities.

* Related…

* Illinois Juvenile Justice Dept. Missed out on Thousands: The Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice won a $330,000 grant to buy computers but failed to buy the computers and therefore lost the grant. That’s one of the findings detailed in a new audit of the agency.

* Chief Justice wants budget cuts reversed: State funds for community-based probation programs were cut 44 percent in the current budget. This same area was cut 13 percent in 2005 and, Fitzgerald said, the money was never restored. “The practical effect … is that probation officers must be laid off, criminal offenders sentenced to probation receive inadequate or no supervision, and the public safety is thereby severely compromised,” he wrote.

* Ill. chief justice wants probation cuts restored

* Illinois chief justice blasts funding cuts

* Peters and Quinn meet to talk about MAP grant

* Milton Township GOP opposes video gambling

* Capitol Q&A: Primer on horse-race betting from home

* 3rd St. fight imperils high-speed rail in Illinois, rail official warns: Springfield officials’ public fight against additional train traffic along the Third Street corridor could derail the entire plan to provide high-speed rail service between Springfield and Chicago, a vice president of the Union Pacific Railroad says.

* SJ-R Opinion: Step up opposition to 3rd Street plan

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax

Wednesday, Sep 9, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Morning Shorts

Wednesday, Sep 9, 2009 - Posted by Mike Murray

* Finance Committee signs off on blank-check Olympic promise

* Chicago 2016: City Finance Committee recommends guarantee

Mayor Richard Daley came within striking distance Tuesday of securing a final endorsement to make an unlimited financial guarantee for the 2016 Summer Olympics — a critical step in his effort to win the international competition to host the Games.

The City Council’s Finance Committee recommended that the full council grant Daley the open-ended authority Wednesday. The sign-off is part of an ordinance that also would impose reporting requirements on the panel that runs the Games.

Ald. Manny Flores (1st) negotiated some of those oversight requirements with Daley’s office, but he lost a battle to ensure that the city’s inspector general and an independent advisory group get to review the Olympic organizing committee’s quarterly reports.

“Tomorrow, no matter which way we look at it, … Chicago shall stand behind the bid, and we will all be there, and we want to make it clear,” Ald. Robert Fioretti (2nd) said.

* City’s finance committee signs off on Olympic guarantee

* Olympic sales pitch didn’t reach public

* Hotel “Right-To-Know” Law Passes City Council Committee

* Potential hotel guests to be notified of work stoppages

* Mayor’s spokeswoman rips ‘unfair’ coverage

The Sun-Times reported in Friday’s editions that heroin and marijuana were seized in a May 7 police raid on an apartment in a West Side building owned by Heard and her husband. She had told the Sun-Times that the mayor learned about the case while flipping through a stack of reports on properties deemed drug and gang houses.

When a reporter asked Daley to clarify Tuesday when and how he learned of the incident in the 5300 block of West Adams, Heard strode to the microphone instead.

“This had the very real feel of vendetta journalism,'’ she said. “I don’t even think journalism is the word.”

As press secretary, Heard said she is the person “tasked with calling out the people at your paper who routinely write unfair headlines . . . and I don’t think they like it.'’

* Oak Lawn trustees OK firefighters union concessions

Oak Lawn and its firefighters reached an agreement on cost-cutting concessions Tuesday night, saving about a dozen firefighter jobs and putting an end to a bitter dispute over ways to close the village’s budget shortage.

* Huberman: No Janitor Sick Days Until Next Year

* Cemetery Oversight Task Force holds last hearing

* Former Burr Oak Cemetery Workers Plead Not Guilty

* Investor Group Bids on Sun-Times

The Chicago investor group, led by banker James Tyree, agreed to pay about $5 million in cash and assume $20 million worth of the Sun-Time’s liabilities. Tyree’s group would get the media company’s 59 newspapers and websites including the Chicago flagship tabloid paper. The deal still needs court approval.

* Chicago investor group bids to buy Sun-Times Media

* Tyree agrees to buy Sun-Times for $5 million

* Tyree makes his offer to buy Sun-Times

* Pabst hires industry veteran as CEO

* More mosquito pools testing positive for West Nile

Only about 20 percent of people bitten by an infected mosquito will get sick. The illness is usually mild but can be serious or fatal.

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