* Dear Leader Cross,
Good point and keep ‘em coming…
The constitution provides that only three constitutional articles can be put on the ballot for voter approval at one time. One of those spots already is taken by a proposed amendment allowing recall for future governors, which was approved last year.
House Minority Leader Tom Cross, R-Oswego, says [House Speaker Michael Madigan’s] judicial experience amendment could be used to keep other ideas from reaching the ballot – such as changing how lawmakers draw their own districts, an effort Republicans are pushing this year.
“We believe it is a tactic by the Speaker,” said House Minority Leader Tom Cross.
From the Constitution…
The General Assembly shall not submit proposed
amendments to more than three Articles of the Constitution at any one election.
Madigan’s judicial reform amends Article VI. The Speaker’s amendment to abolish the lt. governor’s office amends Article V. The already ballot-approved recall measure amends Article III.
So, if the two Madigan amendments are approved, no further amendments could be submitted to voters by the GA.
* Dear Decatur Herald & Review,
I don’t get your logic in a recent editorial calling for local government consolidation…
No one has suggested consolidating governmental units to make operations more efficient and reduce the burden on taxpayers. […]
So, one of the first steps has to be taken by the General Assembly to change the statutes that stand in the way of consolidation. Our lawmakers should be embarrassed that while the state is facing a monumental budget crisis, there has been no serious discussion that government in Illinois is simply too big and bureaucratic.
OK, government is too big, but you want to make local governments bigger? I’m not quite following.
* Dear Chicagoland judges,
I own a sports car (it’s 13 years old, but I like it) and I admit to driving very, very fast on occasion, but giving supervision to most of the people who get popped for doing over 100 mph is absurd…
A Tribune analysis of state police tickets, license data and court records shows that since 2006, Chicagoland courts have given supervision to nearly two-thirds of those found guilty of driving 100 mph or faster.
For hundreds of motorists caught driving that fast every year, court supervision helps keep their insurance rates low while stopping officials from using the tickets as a reason to suspend their licenses.
* Dear pundits,
Basing predictions on the bizarre musings of Rod Blagojevich is a bad idea. Blagojevich said on WLS a couple weeks ago that he thought the White House would push Alexi Giannoulias out of the race and replace him with Rahm Emanuel. Since then, a slew of folks have fanned the flames, including Laura Washington…
So who can sit in for Obama’s beleaguered basketball buddy? In this March Madness, the two best candidates could compete in a political jump ball. They’re two short guys with big political stories. White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel is headed back home sooner than later. Chase executive and political powerhouse William Daley has been a major mouth for Obama.
And, Bill Daley? C’mon. Really? The guy has floated his name for tons of offices and never once pulled the trigger. And the Daley name ain’t so great these days.
* Dear Caterpillar,
I really hope you build that new plant in Illinois, but your whining about a new tax on your truly gigantic federal subsidy isn’t making me love you much. The background, which has been repeatedly cited by opponents of the health-care reform bill…
Caterpillar Inc. said the health-care overhaul legislation being considered by the U.S. House of Representatives would increase the company’s health-care costs by more than $100 million in the first year alone.
The real story…
The company said the potential extra costs would primarily come from provisions to tax the federal subsidies the company now receives for providing prescription-drug benefits to retirees and their spouses.
Since the Medicare drug program was enacted in 2003, Caterpillar and more than 3,500 companies that already provided drug benefits for retirees have received tax-free subsidies from the federal government as an incentive to maintain their drug programs.
The subsidies average $665 per person covered under a company-sponsored prescription program, according to benefits consultant Towers Watson, which recently completed a study on the health-care legislation’s effects.
Watson Towers estimates federal taxes on the drug subsidies would amount to $233 per person receiving drug benefits under such programs.
Also, this will be a non-cash charge by Caterpillar, according to that story.
* On a related note…
Dear David Axelrod,
Two whacks at Mark Kirk in a week? Worried much?…
Axelrod also made it clear that Dems will play hardball: “I heard Congressman [Mark] Kirk in Illinois — running for the Senate — say he was going to lead the fight to repeal this health-insurance reform. So the question is: Is he going to look young people in the eye who now are [going to get coverage despite] preexisting conditions and say, ‘You know, I don’t think you should get that’? Is he going to look the small businessman in Illinois in the eye and say, ‘You know what? I don’t think you should get those tax credits to help you cover your employees.’ It’ll be interesting to see if they’re willing to do that — whether they’re willing to say, ‘We want to put the insurance companies back in the driver’s seat,’ or not.”
* Dear Michigan,
Bite us. Again…
The Supreme Court has turned down a second request to immediately close shipping locks to prevent invasive Asian carp from infesting the Great Lakes.
The court on Monday refused a renewed request by Michigan to issue a preliminary injunction that would order the locks closed. The justices turned down the original request in January.
* Dear Rep. Bassi,
I think you might be about to get those calls you say you haven’t received…
Bassi says she has had very few, if any, phone calls from teachers or parents about school cuts in her Northwest suburban district.
Three… Two… One…
* Your turn…
…Adding… Dear Rep. Holbrooke,
Smart move…
A supporter and sponsor of a House bill that would create sales tax revenue bonds in Illinois now opposes the proposal.
State Rep. Tom Holbrook, D-Belleville, announced Monday that he was joining fellow state lawmakers Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Collinsville, Sen. Bill Haine, D-Alton, and Sen. Kyle McCarter, R-Decatur, in officially opposing “STAR” bonds.
The local mayors are lining up against the project, so its prospects are looking worse by the day. I once called the STAR bonds proposal the “Worst. Bill. Ever.” and I meant it. Still do.
- Will County Woman - Monday, Mar 22, 10 @ 2:07 pm:
Dear Bill Brady,
Be careful on what you say about nationalized healthcare and whether you, as governor, would work with the national GOP to block it in illinois. if you are going to voice any opposition to it make sure that you do so for sound reasons, and not just re-hash national GOP talking points. your job as governor, should you win, is to represent the entirety of illinois and everyone in it. you should keep in mind that this is NOT a hard-right red state—it is far from it in fact. choose your words carefully and don’t open up any new line of attacks to be used against you. you’re no longer just a right-wing state senator. you are a center-right gubernatorial candidate.
Dear Mark Kirk,
Unless you have solid specifics to offer counter to the dems/Obama on healthcare, stay away from bashing obama on healthcare. no matter how weak alexi g. may seem, there’s no telling what tricks the dems (white house) have up their sleeve. you have to be careful not to inadvertantly alienate potential voting blocs outside of the GOP base. you kinda sorta did that last week. as with brady, you have to think bigger picture and the repercussions of what you say all of this year, you’re no longer a single district candidate.
- Anonymous - Monday, Mar 22, 10 @ 2:12 pm:
Easy. Consolidation would save money for the same reason that there really are cost benefits to some corporate mergers. Each agency has someone to send out bills, someone to pay them, etc. Everybody needs to be audited. In addition, some functions overlap.
I admit Cook County has had a lousy government. And I’m sure there’s plenty of waste in the Water Reclamation District. But do we really need both to be separate? On top of that, goodness knows what goes on in the Mosquito Abatement Districts. Plus there’s lots of overlap with all of the townships (and other units of local government).
You wouldn’t need as many offices, clerks, payrollers, consultants, or lightbulbs if you combined the government agencies into state agencies, county government, and municipalities.
Reducing Illinois’ uniquely bloated number of local governments wouldn’t erase the budget deficit. But we need to find savings everywhere we can.
- 4 Percent - Monday, Mar 22, 10 @ 2:18 pm:
Rich…just remember this post when companies like Deere, Caterpillar and others across IL and the US cut benefits for retirees because they are unaffordable. The government created the program and incentive to keep retirees on their company’s prescription drug plan - now they are changing the law in the middle of the stream.
I expect that we will soon see companies cutting pharmacy benefits for retired employees and the same lawmakers that passed this health care monstrosity will then be aghast at the results.
I’ll bet paychecks that Illinois is not even under consideration for the Cat facility!!! Kind of like numbers 18-243 for the Lt. Governor’s spot!!!
- ThreeSheets - Monday, Mar 22, 10 @ 2:20 pm:
Dear WCW,
How about the expansion of Medicaid without extra federal funding to the states will bankrupt Illinois even faster than it already is going.
- siriusly - Monday, Mar 22, 10 @ 2:22 pm:
Dear House of Representatives:
Congratulations on passing a pension reform bill for new GA members and for judges. Now what about the rest of the state’s public employees? School administrators? Teachers? Pension reform first - tax increase second.
PS - Rich - perhaps the Decatur paper was saying that by eliminating township government and consolidating others you’d have less pensions to pay. Not speaking for them, but perhaps. I for one think township governments are relatively expensive and worthless. I sort of think the H-R review made sense.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Mar 22, 10 @ 2:25 pm:
===How about the expansion of Medicaid without extra federal funding to the states===
Are you daft? The feds are picking up 100 percent of the expansion for three years, then 95 percent, then 90 percent. That’s a far higher match than we currently get here.
- Vote Quimby! - Monday, Mar 22, 10 @ 2:28 pm:
Dear Rep. Holbrook,
Nice move to come out against the bill you sponsored. We appreciate you saving us from your wisdom….?
Cordially,
Your Voters
- Rich Miller - Monday, Mar 22, 10 @ 2:28 pm:
4 Percent, there are only a few dozen companies getting this federal subsidy.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Mar 22, 10 @ 2:29 pm:
===changing the law in the middle of the stream.===
Changing a law that has no sunset is always doing it midstream. That’s no excuse for inaction.
- George - Monday, Mar 22, 10 @ 2:32 pm:
Dear Chicago Tribune,
Buy a calculator.
- George - Monday, Mar 22, 10 @ 2:34 pm:
Dear Tom Cross -
If you had the signatures for your amendment, YOU would be the one blocking MADIGAN.
- OneMan - Monday, Mar 22, 10 @ 2:43 pm:
Dear Senator Holmes,
A group of students from your district is coming down to Springfield on the 21st of April, if they get introduced in the senate look up from your blackberry. You couldn’t be bothered to look up last time and the parents noticed…
- Rob N - Monday, Mar 22, 10 @ 3:24 pm:
Rich asks David Axelrod, “Two whacks at Mark Kirk in a week? Worried much?”
My unsolicited advice to Mr. Miller, Take a look at the results from the recent Massachusetts Senate special election. And then review the White House’s lack of involvement in that supposedly “safe D” race.
Axelrod re-learned Elections 101. Start early. Hit hard. Repeat til election day, adding gusto as necessary.
PS - Those same lines will be used against all the Repealin’ No-Nothing Repubs from now til November.
PPS - Kirk and the rest of Teabagistan are spitting in the wind on this ‘repeal’ baloney anyway.
To actually repeal the health reform law the Repubs would need to flip nearly 80 seats in the House to get a veto-proof majority. In theory that’s possible albeit highly unlikely.
The GOP would also need to flip 26 Dem Senate seats to get to a 2/3rds majority in that chamber.
That, in reality, IS impossible. There are only 16 Dem seats up in 2010 (to speak nothing of potential R-to-D Senate flips).
- 10th Indy - Monday, Mar 22, 10 @ 3:38 pm:
Dear Donald Trump,
Fire Blagojevich. But first make him cry.
- Downstate - Monday, Mar 22, 10 @ 3:59 pm:
There are plenty of areas to consolidate local governments starting with abolishing township governments. They’re cesspools of corruption that rarely ever get any sunlight. They simply aren’t needed in the 21st Century.
Then, take a look at school districts. I’m generally opposed to consolidating schools for the simple purpose of consolidating schools, but there is no reason to have umpteen grade school districts feeding into a separate high school district. We’ve got some areas where the grade school and high school districts have the same territory, but remain separate with two overpriced superintendents running contiguous school districts that often don’t talk to each other.
- titan - Monday, Mar 22, 10 @ 4:18 pm:
With the absurd salaries paid to school superintendents (and the bloated adminitrative staffs), school consolidations make sense.
Illinois has more units of local government than any other state - and only California (with about 4 times the population) has more than half of the Illinois number. Some pairing away of some of these separate bodies seems appropriate.
Weren’t the interstate highways designed for 100 MPH traffic by 1950s level cars?
- fed up - Monday, Mar 22, 10 @ 4:22 pm:
Do away with the whole Township level of goverment. No one will notice but the connected few who collect paychecks from them.
- Rob N - Monday, Mar 22, 10 @ 4:39 pm:
Downstate and Fed Up, Townships can and do deliver much-needed social services that often are not available through counties and/or cities.
That said, those cases are few and far between (especially in more densely populated locales) and if an accommodation can be made to protect such services then yes, delete the townships where they’re unnecessary and fold any services into villages and/or counties.
- LouisXIV - Monday, Mar 22, 10 @ 5:04 pm:
The GA can only put three amendments on the ballot but what about the people? Anything in the Constitution say that only three amendments can make the ballot or only that the GA can propose three? If the Illinois Fair Map gets enough signatures does it get on even if the GA has its three on there?
- CircularFiringSquad - Monday, Mar 22, 10 @ 5:20 pm:
DearStateWideTom:
Keep on believing Capt Fax really thinks your blather is a good move..He is just baiting you to see just how many feet you can cram down your throat at once. I’m betting three.
yeah keep it up
DearCommandoKirk: Aren’t you worried the media will start asking for records on how many times you really wear that flight suit?
DearCountdownClockersters:
Aren’t you just a tad worried your two federal investigations will clean your clock first?
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Monday, Mar 22, 10 @ 6:06 pm:
Dear Tom Cross:
A Constitutional Amendment regarding redistricting requires a super-majority from both chambers in order to be placed on the ballot.
You sir, don’t even have a simple majority in one chamber.
So, no offense, but I’d like to see your roll call before you claim that the cap on Constitutional amendments is what’s standing in your way.
Or as my grandfather would say “We’ll burn that bridge when we get to it.”
YDD
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Monday, Mar 22, 10 @ 6:07 pm:
@Louis -
You are correct, sir. There’s no bar to the number of voter initiatives, other than the required number of signatures.
Last I heard, Cross’s Army was only about 425,000 short.
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Monday, Mar 22, 10 @ 6:27 pm:
Dear Forrest Claypool:
For future reference,
MADIGAN + THREATS = BAD CAMPAIGN STRATEGY
Madigan would rather spend hundreds of thousands of dollars and hundreds of campaign troops grinding you down into a fine, white paste this fall than succumb to extortion from anyone.
Not even your old Boss, Rich Daley, threatens The Speaker. He’s The Speaker, not some Ward Boss to be bartered with.
Sincerely,
YDD
P.S. Hope your business plan doesn’t depend on getting any government contracts, at the state or federal level! LOL
- Pitty - Monday, Mar 22, 10 @ 6:28 pm:
Axelrod and his minnion would be wise to keep their nose out of Illinois as they have already done enough to destroy Obama’s political career!
- CircularFiringSquad - Monday, Mar 22, 10 @ 6:39 pm:
I forgot to mention that
Dear Caterpillar:
I believe your 4Q ‘09 “profit” was 400 million smackaroonies —- after your 40K worldwide lay-offs. So the whining is not too persausive
BTW did CommandoKirk get his ‘45 seconds. I noticed Mr Dreamey got a revise and extend and Roskam and Biggert got the ‘45 ….I assume Manzullo was back at the chocolate fountain dipping berries and Shimkus was…..
- Give Me A Break - Monday, Mar 22, 10 @ 7:32 pm:
Dear Members of the GA: Please feel free to stop the committee postings at anytime. You guys are killing us.
- Rob_N - Monday, Mar 22, 10 @ 11:35 pm:
Pitty says, “Axelrod and his minnion would be wise to keep their nose out of Illinois as they have already done enough to destroy Obama’s political career!”
That was a joke, right?
The man is President of the United States. Commander in Chief. Leader of the Free World.
Just how exactly has his “political career” been destroyed? He’s reached the pinnacle of anyone’s political career and isn’t even half-way through his first term on that peak.
Have conservatives gone completely, stark raving mad with Obama Derangement Syndrome?
- Judgment Day Is On The Way - Monday, Mar 22, 10 @ 11:39 pm:
Local government consolidation…
Depends on how it is done. Just consolidating multiple inefficient running operations into a single large, and now highly inefficient, if not now excessively disorganized unit in local government is certainly no improvement.
Bluntly, if they are unionized organizations, that’s more likely to be the result. Then it’s most likely a case of having to deal with all sorts of “work rule” issues, competing bargaining units for similar departments, and now you have a real mess.
Imagine the result of merging (a) a highly inefficient airline with (b) a bureaucratic, unionized public university system, and (c) hoping for the best (oh, and doing the merger under both time and money pressure)…..
Can it be better? - Yes. Is it likely to be better? - No.
One would actually be better off outsourcing entire areas of local governments to outside private entities, because at least there would be some hope for some creative and innovative thinking.
A few examples to outsource in local governments. The entire IT area (GIS Systems; the need for a push to cost effective web based solutions, like the private sector has been doing), any and all types of inspection work (code enforcement, health inspections, building inspections, you name it, the private sector can do it cheaper, and probably as well).
Note: Just getting units of local governments weaned off all their current “per license” software applications onto web based software applications would save most places small fortunes.
To me, the real key is looking at the different processes handled by units of local governments and saying “can these be handled better digitally, or with and upgrade of digital assistance?” If the answer is a legitimate “yes”, well that likely means there’s political reasons it’s not happening.
Btw, I have specific examples where outsourcing to the private sector would save money, and they don’t even involve Cook County (that’s such low hanging fruit it’s not even worth using as a justification).
/rant off