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Some candidates occasionally questioned their opponents’ conservative credentials for not swearing to oppose a tax increase under all possible circumstances.
“I’m the only one who will live up to that standard,” said Bill Brady, a state senator from Bloomington.
State Sen. Bill Brady of Bloomington was alone among the six GOP candidates on hand in saying he’d oust those brought in by former Govs. George Ryan and Rod Blagojevich who remain employed by Gov. Pat Quinn.
“Absolutely, I’d fumigate them,” Brady said. […]
Former state Attorney General Jim Ryan of Elmhurst cautioned against “guilt by association” in considering who to keep employed.
Brady: “We absolutely have to invest in our infrastructure. Our capital projects are critically important to us, and our high-speed rail is one of those.”
* Ryan: “I have serious reservations about high-speed rail. I don’t think this is the time to even think about spending money on that project.”
Brady: “It’s unfair to them to hold back cash. That money needs to be borrowed and then repaid.”
Ryan: “If they have to pay their bills, I would support some short-term borrowing. The reason they’re in this position is because for the last eight years they’ve mismanaged our state finances.”
Dillard: “From time to time, it is appropriate for the state to short-term borrow.”
* In other debate news, here is the Tribune editorial board’s “debate” with the various Democratic US Senate candidates. Cheryle Jackson showed up late…
David Hoffman repeated his claim that he would leave the Bush tax cuts in place during the recession and repeal them after the recession ends. He said he would be willing to “look” at lowering the tax base if the budget ever returned to “surplus.” That’s not quite what he wrote in his Tribune questionnaire…
Once our economy recovers, I would remove the tax cuts for individuals at upper-income levels as a deficit-reduction policy, but would support returning the tax rates to their current level when our deficits are under control.
* Here are the winners from yesterday’s Golden Horseshoe nominations…
1) Best legislative staffer: These are the unsung heroes of the Illinois Statehouse. They do all the hard work and get no credit. It’s always tough to make this award because so many are deserving, but Melissa Black, a policy analyst with the Senate Democrats, got the most votes and the most intense support, so she wins. From the nominations…
Her co-workers have deemed her “chair of the midnight caucus” for working so constantly during session. And despite that, she takes time to mentor interns and answer “a quick Medicaid question” for anyone.
2) Best state legislative secretary/admin assistant: This is another tough category because there are so many good ones. Beth Hamilton, who works for Rep. Lou Lang, received the most intense support, and she’s certainly deserving. From the nominations…
Beth Hamilton is a great choice always friendly and puts up with Lou
Good point. Putting up with Lou ain’t easy.
3) Best political bar/restaurant in Springfield: Lots were nominated, but The Globe stood out…
(O)ne-stop shopping for all your legislative contact needs.
Yep.
4) Best IL state agency director: Catherine Shannon at the Department of Labor is one of those people you never read about - mainly because she does such a good job…
Nobody knows their agency better and cares more about doing a good job for the state.
* Today’s categories…
1) Best Illinois state legislator
2) Best Illinois congresscritter
3) Best IL statewide elected official
4) Best Statehouse lobbyist
Remember, it’s not the number of votes, but the intensity of the nominations that count. And no snark, please. Thanks.
* OK, I couldn’t resist this story for several reasons. First, I have a painting by Henry Hill and it’s pretty good. Second, I used a quote from Goodfellas in a recent Sun-Times column…
The leaders’ most important job is protecting their members from election challenges by the other political party. And that brings us to my favorite Outfit movie, Goodfellas.
“All they got from Paulie was protection from other guys looking to rip them off. That’s what it’s all about. That’s what the FBI can never understand - that what Paulie and the Organization offer is protection for the kinds of guys who can’t go to the cops. They’re like the police department for wiseguys.”
Henry Hill’s real-life description of how Outfit bosses operate pretty much gives you the key to understanding how things work in Springfield.
Now, I don’t consider legislative leaders to be gangsters. But even the leaders would have to admit that the organizational mindset is strikingly similar.
And just yesterday I was talking with a legislator about that “F___ you, pay me” scene in the movie and how that related to Illinois politics…
Now the guy’s got Paulie as a partner. Any problems, he goes to Paulie. Trouble with the bill? He can go to Paulie. Trouble with the cops, deliveries, Tommy? He can call Paulie. But now the guy’s gotta come up with Paulie’s money every week no matter what. Business bad? F___ you, pay me. Oh, you had a fire? F___ you, pay me. Place got hit by lightning, huh? F___ you, pay me.”
The former mobster who inspired “Goodfellas” was arrested Sunday in Fairview Heights because he had “one too many” drinks in a hotel lobby, he said.
Henry P. Hill, 66, of Topanga, Calif., was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest in the Drury Inn Hotel, 12 Ludwig Drive in Fairview Heights.
“I got a summons for being intoxicated; it wasn’t my first one,” Hill said. “I broke the law and I got arrested.
“I don’t drink every day,” he added. “Sometimes I have one too many. I know I shouldn’t drink this much, but they give you free drinks. I had a few and it got pretty foggy after that. The lady I was with doesn’t drink, so I had six drinks and I ended up at the county jail.”
Hill is in the area for an art show at a, um, gentleman’s club.
So, I thought you might get a kick out this. Anybody up for a trip to Fairview Heights tonight?
*** UPDATE 5 - 2:35 pm *** Fox Chicago is carrying a live presser by Quinn and Durbin. Click here to watch it live. UPDATE: End. Not much new info.
*** UPDATE 4 - 2:30 pm *** From AFSCME…
Following today’s developments regarding a possible sale of the Thomson Correctional Center to the federal government, AFSCME Council 31 executive director Henry Bayer issued the following statement:
“The governor’s rush to sell Thomson ignores serious questions about the dangerously overcrowded, understaffed Illinois prison system. How can state prisons function safely with more than 45,000 inmates jammed into facilities built for 32,000?
“Events of this week underscore these concerns. Just yesterday, an employee was held hostage for hours by an inmate at a Southern Illinois prison, a standoff that ended with the inmate shot to death. The day before, news reports revealed a secret program that let hundreds of inmates, including violent offenders, walk free after serving just days of their court-ordered sentences.
“Illinois has an oversight process to review the sale. That process should be followed, not short-circuited.”
*** UPDATE 3 - 2:16 pm *** From Dan Hynes…
“As I said at the outset, I have full faith that President Obama would weigh this decision carefully and would never endanger the safety of the people of Illinois, so I trust him to do the appropriate thing regarding Thomson Correctional Center. At this point, however, the process has been ill-served by Governor Quinn.
“At the same time the Governor is asking the people of Illinois to trust him on this difficult issue, which understandably causes some unease, it turns out his administration is secretly releasing criminals, some violent, from prison early, and worse, the Governor didn’t seem to know anything about it. Governor Quinn’s bungled handling of and obfuscation on this program does nothing to instill a climate of competence and confidence that the people of Illinois need at a time and situation like this.
“As the Thomson sale moves forward, we are still waiting for the Governor to give answers to the many questions raised by his secret early release program, and he ought to level with the people of Illinois immediately.”
*** UPDATE 2 - 1:03 pm *** One of the criticisms that Mark Kirk had about the proposed move of the Gitmo prisoners to Thomson was that their trials would be held in Rockford or Chicago, which would “endanger” citizens there. But, like so much else with this hype, it’s not to be…
The Obama administration is planning to hold military commission trials at the Thomson Correctional Center, in addition to housing former Guantanamo detainees there.
Under a plan officials will unveil in the coming days, the administration plans to send some of the detainees to their home countries and others to third countries, some of which operate rehabilitation programs for suspected terrorists.
The Thomson prison could house between 35 and 90 of the Guantanamo detainees, said one source familiar with the discussions.
And Jim Ryan responds…
“Slow down, Governor Quinn. Moving al-Qaeda terrorists into Illinois should not be done after only a single public hearing three days before Christmas.
Governor Quinn, be true to your word and let the people speak. If citizens are really in charge in Illinois, then give them an opportunity to speak their mind on this important issue. Schedule a series of real public hearings after the first of the year to allow us to have our say…”
*** UPDATE 1 - 11:53 am *** Gov. Quinn and Sen. Durbin have released a statement…
Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Illinois Governor Pat Quinn today praised the decision by the Obama Administration to proceed with the acquisition of a state of the art correctional facility in Thomson, Illinois. Senator Durbin and Governor Quinn issued the following statement:
“Thomson Correctional Center – a high security prison – has been sitting empty for eight years. The Obama Administration has put forward a plan to make it the safest prison in America and we are pleased that they have made this decision. This move will have a tremendously positive impact on the local economy — creating more than 3,000 jobs and injecting more than $1 billion into the local economy. This is an opportunity to dramatically reduce unemployment, create thousands of good-paying jobs and breathe new economic life into this part of downstate Illinois.”
In a letter to Governor Quinn, sent by the U.S. Attorney General, the Director of National Intelligence and the Secretaries of State, Defense and Homeland Security, the federal government has signaled its intention to purchase and operate the prison.
They write: “We write to inform you that the President has directed, with our unanimous support, that the Federal Government proceed with the acquisition of the facility in Thomson. Not only will this help address the urgent overcrowding problem at our nation’s Federal prisons, but it will also help achieve our goal of closing the detention center at Guantanamo in a timely, secure, and lawful manner.”
The letter also addresses security concerns that have been raised about transferring Guantanamo detainees to the Thomson facility: “The security of the facility and the surrounding region is our paramount concern. The facility was built in 2001 to maximum security specifications, and after acquisition it will be enhanced to exceed perimeter security standards at the nation’s only “supermax” prison in Florence, Colorado, where there has never been an escape or external attack . . . The President has no intention of releasing any detainees in the United States. Current law effectively bars the release of the Guantanamo detainees on U.S. soil, and the Federal Government has broad authority under current law to detain individuals during removal proceedings and pending the execution of final removal orders.”
[ *** End of Updates *** ]
* Gov. Quinn is in DC today for a White House meeting on transferring Guantanamo Bay prisoners and other hardcore cons to the state’s empty Thomson facility. The decision apparently came late yesterday…
Quinn’s office had released his schedule for today shortly before 8 p.m. Monday, saying he would be in Chicago for the day. A revised version was released 2 1/2 hours later, saying he would be in Washington “to be briefed on the acquisition of Thomson Correctional Center.”
Not all elected officials were notified as quickly. A spokesman for U.S. Rep. Don Manzullo, the Republican who represents the Thomson area, said Monday night the congressman had not received any official confirmation from the White House regarding an announcement.
* After backing away a bit from his over the top rhetoric against the prisoner transfer, US Senate candidate Mark Kirk is once again in “in full throated opposition,” a Politico writer opines. Check out Kirk’s campaign website and you’ll see this on the front page…
Clicking the “Join us” link leads you to an online petition addressed to President Obama…
As citizens of the State of Illinois, we urge you to put the safety and security of Illinois families first and stop any plan to transfer Al Qaeda terrorists to our state.
* Almost all of the Republican candidates for governor again voiced strong opposition last night during a candidates’ debate. Jim Ryan…
“I think it’s a very bad idea to bring the mastermind of 9-11 to Thomson,” said Ryan. “I have no doubt we can keep him there and he’ll never get out. But no one can tell me there’s no risk.”
“I think that we’ve got an investment in Guantanamo Bay, and that’s where international terrorists ought to be held, tried and kept,” said state Sen. Bill Brady of Bloomington. “Thomson (Correctional Center) is a facility we cannot give up right now, particularly in light of the fact the governor is releasing violent inmates.”
“I think al-Qaida terrorists ought to stay in Cuba,” said state Sen. Kirk Dillard of Hinsdale during a debate among GOP hopefuls Monday night. He called the potential move a “pathetic” example of how desperate the Democrat-run state is for money.
Still, he criticized the state management that has allowed a state-of-the-art prison to sit unused because Illinois lacks the money to open it.
“It’s just amazing, the level of incompetence,” Schillerstrom said.
* The Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability will hold a hearing next week in Sterling to discuss the proposed closure. Illinois Review reports that a protest is planned…
Opponents to the prison sale, including Tea Party supporters and a group called “Moms of Soldiers,” are planning a protest outside Madigan’s hearing.
* I wonder if it has occurred to the Quinn administration that this is probably not the best time for a controversy over a “secret” early prisoner release program…
“That is crazy,” said state Rep. Mike Boland of East Moline.
Quinn has shutdown the early release program in question after revelations in the media that prisoners were being cut loose after serving just few days of sentences for crimes like repeat drunken driving, drug possession and weapons violations.
Quinn says the program is now under review. […]
Other lieutenant governor candidates to criticize the early releases exposed by the Associated Press Monday were state Sen. Terry Link of Waukegan, Chicago businessman Scott Cohen and Elmhurst electrician Thomas Castillo.
“When Dan Hynes slings mud he loses ground,” said Quinn.
The governor brushed aside Hynes’ attack. The Quinn campaign was buoyed by the latest Chicago Tribune survey showing the incumbent leading the challenger by a wide margin.
“The voters have made it pretty clear they like my approach to government. I don’t think they like the comptroller’s negative approach to government,” said Quinn.
“Is there something positive about this story? I’m missing that. People are pretty concerned. Eight hundred and fifty people released including some violent criminals. I’m like every other citizen in the state who wants some answers,” said Hynes.
* I’m not sure what, exactly, an “ethics probe” is if it’s conducted by the Illinois Republican Party, but somebody over at HQ apparently doesn’t love Andy McKenna…
Sneed has learned GOP gubernatorial hopeful Andy McKenna is the target of an ethics probe by the Illinois Republican Party, which he once chaired.
• To wit: Sneed is told the Republican State Central Committee, the party’s managerial arm, has authorized an investigation of McKenna’s use of GOP money to commission a poll without consent of fellow party members. The committee claims the poll was used to determine McKenna’s chances of success as a statewide GOP candidate in this election cycle. (Other names of GOP candidates, besides McKenna’s, were used in the poll.)
• To wit II: The Illinois GOP party also cast a dim view of the “high” salaries awarded GOP party employees earlier in the year, but then darted over to McKenna’s campaign when he announced his bid for governor — but it’s unclear if the ethics panel, which has yet to be formed, will include it in the probe.
Do you think a public rebuke by the party will matter?
* Rival GOP candidate Dan Proft claims to have obtained a copy of the poll that McKenna ordered as party chairman. Proft released two pages yesterday with the results redacted. You can download those pages by clicking here.
McKenna polled several top contenders at the time, including Ron Gidwitz, Bill Brady, Matt Murphy, Joe Birkett, Tom Cross, “Bill” [sic] Schillerstrom, Mark Kirk, John Shimkus and himself.
(I)t is clear that Andy McKenna has not been honest with the party when he explains that he hadn’t considered running for office until a groundswell of grassroots organizers and Chicago GOP financiers begged him to run. This is clearly untrue.
What McKenna did as ILGOP Chairman is nothing other than conversion of corporate funds for personal use. At least, that’s how it would be viewed had he done the same thing in the business world, a world he professes to know something about it. It is a typical insider play by a typical insider politician.
Andy McKenna is spending millions of dollars on television advertisements trying to convince himself and unsuspecting Illinois GOP primary voters that he is an “outsider”. It is a curious argument for someone who spent the past five years as the Illinois Republican State Party Chairman to make, but this is Illinois after all where even self-styled reformers go to jail.
I ask the other candidates in the race to join me in demanding that McKenna reimburse the party for the cost of that survey and apologize to competitors of mine with whom he was not forthright.
Lance Trover of the McKenna campaign called IR, and when we asked the campaign’s response to Proft releasing this survey and the allegations of the Proft campaign, Trover said, “We will not comment.”
*** UPDATE *** From a press release…
Senator Bill Brady, Republican candidate for Governor, released the following statement today:
It’s become abundantly clear in recent days that during his time as Illinois Republican Party Chairman, my opponent Andy McKenna, may have violated the conflict-of-interest ethics rules he himself put in place.
McKenna apparently authorized a $25,000 internal poll while he was the Illinois GOP Chairman, that he subsequently used to to determine his chances of success as a statewide republican candidate in this election.
News reports indicate McKenna sanctioned the poll and use of Illinois Republican Party money without the permission of fellow party leaders. His actions reek of impropriety, which is why I am calling on McKenna to come forward and set the record straight.
If Andy McKenna did indeed use $25,000 of his own party’s money for personal use, what’s to say he wouldn’t do it to the taxpayers of Illinois?
Sadly, McKenna is not the only candidate in this race involved in corrupt politics of the past.
Jim Ryan, another of my opponents, took $800,000 in campaign contributions from close friend Stuart Levine, all along claiming he didn’t know Levine was corrupt.
These are perfect examples of Chicago-style politics Illinois so desperately needs a clean break from. Next to jobs and taxes, ethics is of most importance to Illinois and its voters. We need a clean break from the corrupt, unethical politics of the past. Illinois needs a candidate who will fight corruption, not take part in it. I am that candidate.
For two weeks, no one’s been answering the phones in the Clinton and Monroe counties’ WorkNet Center offices — despite stacks of joblessness claims caused by the worst recession in decades.
The reason for the locked offices: St. Clair County still hasn’t hired people to replace the case managers who had once worked there.
The face of suburbia is changing—and so are schools there. For decades, Chicago has educated the vast majority of the region’s low-income, minority, and immigrant students. But that’s shifting, and education issues once considered “urban” are increasingly showing up in suburban schools. It’s placing cultural, academic and financial demands on districts that at one time catered to mostly white, middle-class kids.
This area can take pride in having four schools among 37 statewide recognized by U.S. News & World Report magazine as among the best in the nation.
Bloomington High School, Blue Ridge High School in Farmer City, Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley High School in Gibson City and Tri-Valley High School in Downs each received a bronze medal rating from the magazine in its “America’s Best High Schools” article.
Hundreds of teachers in a suburban Chicago school district will be back in class after more than a week on strike.
Teachers in Prairie Hills District 144 went on strike Dec. 3 because they couldn’t reach an agreement with district officials during contract negotiations. The points of contention were salaries, health insurance and retirement benefits.
* Auditor tells Bloomington its cash reserves are too low
