* 2:35 pm - Reports have circulated for weeks that Dept. of Corrections Director Michael Randle would be fired soon. Randle, of course, was responsible for the botched early release program that let hundreds of violent prisoners out of confinement, some of whom went on to commit more crimes.
Instead, it appears that a handful of people who stood up to Randle internally were shown the door today. From a DoC spokesperson…
As of today Executive Assistant to the Director Sergio Molina; Chief of Staff Jim Reinhart; and Northern Regional Supervisor Jack Charlier are no longer State of Illinois employees. Since this is a Personnel issue the agency cannot comment further.
I’ll have more for subscribers on Monday. There are lots of conflicting rumors out there about Randle’s immediate future, so try to keep those in check while commenting, please.
Asked if his departure had anything to do with the early release debacle, Molina said: “Director Michael Randle stood with the governor and took full responsibility for the early release program, and that’s precisely where the responsibility lies, with Director Randle.” […]
The news of Molina’s dismissal came as a shock to state Sen. William Delgado. The Democratic lawmaker from Chicago’s Northwest Side said Molina was being used as a “scapegoat” to cover larger flaws within the department that were brought to light following the prisoner release scandal.
Delgado said Molina represents years of institutional knowledge and proved to be a value to the corrections community by earning the respect of several administrations, Democrat and Republican alike. But Delgado said Molina was “isolated” almost immediately after Randle was put in place in May 2009. Delagado, a former parole officer, said he believes the release “blunder could have been prevented” if Randle had properly consulted with Molina.
“What an atrocious decision by the administration of Quinn,” Delgado said. “Because he brings in a new director who institutes the release program, (Molina) gets pushed out. It’s shameful.”
* Mark your calendars, campers. On Thursday, April 8th at 7 pm some friends of the late, great Carlos Hernandez Gomez are throwing a benefit concert at FitzGerald’s in Berwyn…
All proceeds from the concert and auctions will benefit Living Water International (LWI), a faith-based, non-profit organization that helps communities in developing countries acquire safe drinking water. In particular, the proceeds will help to build a water well in Carlos’ honor in Haiti, as well as fund additional clean water projects.
Carlos watched coverage of the Haiti earthquake the week before he died and was deeply affected. He knew the work of LWI is what is truly needed there; without clean water, there is no foundation for development. Everything that LWI stands for reflects Carlos’ love of others and of God.
The lineup…
It will be a true rock and roll salute to Carlos, with performances by some of his local favorites and closest friends: The Beatle Brothers, Phil Angotti and Brad Elvis, and Eric Howell. To kick off the festivities, Carlos’ own band, The Gear, will reunite to perform for the first time in 15 years. Carlos’ best friend, actor Joe Farina, will serve as master of ceremonies for the evening.
There’s a place every one of us can go to
Maybe you have been there once or twice
Where all your friends just look at you and whisper
And they want to give you nothing but advice
• To wit: Word is Dem Cook County Commissioner Forrest Claypool is eyeing a run for the assessor’s seat as an independent — and Cook County Dem Party chief Joe Berrios, who is already slated as the Dem Party assessor’s candidate, may be reaching for a bottle of Bromo Seltzer.
• The scoop du jour: Sneed has learned “friends” of Claypool, a close pal of Axelrod and Gov. Quinn who is rumored to also be eyeing the lieutenant governor spot, are now conducting a phone survey to determine his viability for a shot as Cook County assessor.
3. Pat Brady, the Illinois Republican Chairman, should resign for interfering and taking sides in this Republican primary and for doing nothing to effectively stop his predecessor from spending $5 million to attack his opponents (after having promised to monitor and enforce clean campaigning standards).
4. The Kane County Republican Chairman should resign so that we can credibly begin the work of reconstructing a reformed Republican-led coalition of Republicans, Independents, and disillusioned Reagan Democrats. “Less Government, More Individual Freedom” will be our objective and slogan.
Today, Kane County Republican Party Chairman Mike Kenyon responded…
Kenyon responded by saying Lauzen’s letter is the result of lingering grudges over his loss to Jim Oberweis in the 14th Congressional District Republican primary a couple of years ago. Oberweis also recently won a spot on the Illinois Republican State Central Committee during a vote where Lauzen wasn’t allowed in the room.
“What Mr. Lauzen does is he takes everything to the personal level,” Kenyon said. “That’s his greatest flaw. I don’t think he likes me, but don’t ask me to get into his head because it would be uncomfortable, even though he’s got a small brain.
“He would never come on board and say, ‘Congratulations, Jim (Oberweis). I support you.’ If he could just put all his energy in a positive direction, he’d be great. It’s got to be some sort of a mental problem. He’s stuck in the fourth grade and needs to get out of it. I really do want to get along with him.”
Yikes.
* A Republican controversy has been building in Will County after the recent vote for the 11th District State Central Committeeman’s slot. Illinois Review…
It was during the election for the 11th district State Central Committeeman where problem arose. The race was between Bobbie Peterson and Corey Singer. Both were allowed to speak, but discussion amongst committeemen was not allowed. Corey spoke of getting back to core Republican values. He spoke of encouraging primary challenges. He said we have to stop being Democrat-lite. He spoke directly towards all of the newly involved, energized people who have been working hard against the Obama agenda over the last twelve months. While it is my understanding that Bobbie has worked hard for the Republican Party for decades, Corey’s speech won the room.
The vote was an open roll call. Despite the fact that everyone who voted for Corey was going to be the scorn of the establishment, the weighted vote total was approximately 9000 to 4000 – better than 2 to 1. Considering that many people were probably afraid to not vote for Bobbie, that vote was an absolute landslide for Corey. That is of course until Chairman Kavanagh decided he had the right to exercise votes for not only the vacant precincts, but also for the committeemen not in attendance! That was over 13,000 votes! No matter how the committeemen voted, it didn’t matter. The Chairmen was going to decide the winner.
What happened was that Chairman Kavanagh voted the proxies of the vacant precincts and absent committeemen, which he claimed he had a right to do. Those in the room wanted Singer, but the chairman went for Peterson.
Kavanagh, who works for Singer as a lawyer for the forest preserve district, says it’s over.
But Singer says he’s getting encouragement from Republicans across Illinois and is considering his options, including a lawsuit.
Singer questions Kavanagh’s authority to cast votes for elected committeemen who missed the meeting. Singer said he was ahead even after Kavanagh and Grundy County Republican Chairman Donald Hansen cast votes for Peterson on behalf of precincts without committeemen.
Kavanagh said he cleared his action before the convention with Brian Sheahan , the attorney for the state party.
Kavanagh works for Singer? Hilarious.
* In other campaign news, the House just passed HB 5820, which would provide for the joint nomination of governor and lieutenant governor candidates.
* The following photo is of Steve Kim, the Republican nominee for Illinois attorney general vs. Lisa Madigan…
* The Question: Caption?
…Adding… A small handful of GOP versions of Bobby Rush are whining in comments that this question might somehow get out of hand because Kim is an Asian-American, even though they haven’t. So, just to placate these silly folks and keep the comments flowing smoothly, please don’t be racist in comments, even though nobody has been and undoubtedly wouldn’t be.
* The House Republicans tried unsuccessfully this morning to advance a resolution urging the Dept. on Aging to rethink this deal…
The Illinois Department on Aging will move from state-owned buildings to rented space despite complaints from lawmakers that the move is a waste of money during the state’s budget crisis.
The Department of Central Management Services, which oversees state office space needs, on Thursday issued a written statement that nothing has changed that would keep the majority of Aging employees in the Herndon Building at 421 E. Capitol Ave. […]
The state will pay more than $532,000 a year for the space. […]
Reps. Raymond Poe, R-Springfield, and Rich Brauer, R-Petersburg, are among GOP lawmakers sponsoring a resolution urging Aging and CMS to work with the state’s Procurement Policy Board to find less expensive office space for Aging.
* Is a red-light camera compromise in the works? Maybe…
Lawmakers are moving closer to a compromise on reforming the use of red-light cameras while a complete repeal of the technology appears to face little chance. […]
Lawmakers at the meeting said the broad compromise includes giving motorists more leeway on right-turn violations and requiring studies evaluating the need and effectiveness of the red-light cameras.
But a state Senator involved in the negotiations wasn’t happy that the red light camera lobsters were included in the talks…
State Sen. Dan Duffy, a Lake Barrington Republican pushing to ban the cameras, said he was upset lobbyists for RedFlex and RedSpeed, the two biggest red-light camera companies, were included in the negotiations in Senate President John Cullerton’s office.
“I guess it is what it is, but I would have preferred them not be in the room when we’re discussing the legislation,” Duffy said.
* The Tribune editorial board follows the Sun-Times’ lead on Rep. Keith Farnham’s strange bill…
[Kane County State’s Attorney John Barsanti] complains that if a [DUI[ suspect can refuse a search warrant to submit for a blood sample without facing consequences, then the law has “no teeth.”
Now Rep. Keith Farnham, D-Elgin, is trying to insert some fangs. He has introduced a bill that authorizes police to use “all necessary and reasonable force” to execute a search warrant, whether for driving under the influence of alcohol or anything else. That means suspects could be restrained at a hospital so a nurse or doctor could draw blood or a hair sample.
Defense attorney Donald Ramsell, who serves on the Illinois State Bar Association’s traffic law committee, says the number who refuse is “minuscule.” Ramsell says he’s handled more than 13,000 DUI cases since 1986. “I have never had a single client in the face of a search warrant who has ever refused.”
You would expect the defense bar to protest this. But consider the position of Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Chuck Hurley, CEO of MADD, said: “We support penalties for test refusal and reasonable actions shy of strapping somebody down.” […]
Police need good tools to fight drunk driving. A forced blood draw isn’t one of them.
* Related…
* Welfare Reforms Scuttled In Illinois House: Wednesday saw a number of proposed welfare reforms go by the wayside. One of those plans, from State Rep. Jim Sacia, R-Pecatonica, would have required drug tests for adults receiving public aid.
* House Passes “Sexting” Ban: Illinois lawmakers want teenagers who send salacious or sexually provocative photographs via their cell phones to come before a judge in a courtroom. But lawmakers don’t think these same teenagers should have to go to prison. The Illinois House on Thursday overwhelmingly passed a “sexting” ban proposal that would impose civil, not criminal, penalties on the practice. Under the proposal sponsored by state Rep. Darlene Senger, R-Naperville, minors who are found guilty of sexting by computers or cell phones could face in-house counseling and/or community service.
* Fight attempts to erode FOIA law: We’re beyond disappointed. We’re disgusted. Many have the support of local lawmakers including Republicans state Sen. John Millner of Carol Stream and state Rep. Michael Connelly of Lisle, and Democrats state Sen. Dan Kotowski of Park Ridge, state Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia of Aurora and state Rep. Paul Froehlich of Schaumburg.
* House would keep government evaluations secret: The Illinois House voted Thursday to keep evaluations of public employees private, barring them from being released to the public. The proposal, which now goes to the Illinois Senate for consideration, follows lawmakers’ previous push to similarly exempt teacher evaluations from public disclosure.
* Quinn expected to OK bill moving primary election back to March: “It’s hard to imagine he will veto or even amend it, given the wide margin,” said state Rep. Elaine Nekritz, D-Northbrook, whose measure passed the House on a 114-1-1 vote… The one “no” vote came from state Rep. Mike Boland, D-Moline, who wanted the primary even later in the year.
* Advocates Urge Lawmakers to Abolish Death Penalty
* Correct me if I’m seeing this wrong (and I’m sure you will), but unless there is some proof that Broadway Bank knew that this guy was kiting checks, I just don’t see how this story is a huge deal for the Giannoulias campaign other than the campaign contributions, which will soon be donated to charity…
A father and son who operated the Boston Blackie’s burger restaurants were charged Thursday with ripping off nearly $1.9 million from two banks in a check-cashing scheme, and authorities said they arrested the father on the U.S. border as he was trying to enter Canada.
The allegations caused a new round of political embarrassment for Democratic U.S. Senate candidate and state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, whose family owns Broadway Bank and has long known the father and son.
The Blackie’s operators are accused of writing bad checks from their accounts at Broadway to other banks as part of their alleged scheme. Longtime Blackie’s operator Nick Giannis gave Giannoulias more than $114,000 in campaign contributions for his treasurer and Senate campaigns.
Giannoulias was in a state of “shock and disbelief” at the news, according to his campaign, which announced he would donate an equivalent amount to local charities.
Again, unless there’s some collusion, it looks like Broadway was a victim here.
The Kirk campaign tried to connect the dots. From a press release…
In 1996, Nick Giannis was convicted of 4th degree felony possession of a firearm. Giannis was sentenced to 2 years in prison but given probation. (Illinois Court Records, Case Number: 1996C22008201)
Despite his felony conviction, between August 2000 and December 2002, Broadway Bank loaned Nick Giannis roughly $6 million in mortgages – at least $1.22 million during the time Alexi Giannoulias served as the bank’s Chief Loan Officer. (Cook County Recorder of Deeds, Document No.: 0021330151)
Since when do banks check low-level felony gun conviction records that resulted in no prison time before loaning money to a successful restauranteur?
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. is putting at least a half-dozen struggling Chicago-area banks out for bid to healthy institutions that might want to buy their deposits and assets.
The fact that so many banks are being peddled simultaneously shows that the crisis for many small and midsize institutions continues and could be getting worse.
“What we have seen in terms of bank failures so far in the market cycle is, unfortunately, only the tip of the iceberg,” said Justin Barr, managing principal at Loan Workout Advisers LLC., a Northfield-based bank-turnaround consulting firm. “The real bloodbath will shortly begin to unfold and will likely drag on for some time to come.”
Loan Workout said that of more than 200 banks headquartered in the Chicago area, 119 were in the red in 2009, while 86 turned a profit.
One of the banks reportedly on the FDIC’s list is Broadway.
Democratic U.S. Senate hopeful Alexi Giannoulias tried today to change the focus of his campaign from talk about his family’s troubled bank to what he says is his history of standing up to big banks and his Republican opponent’s history of “cozying up” to Wall Street banks.
“He voted five times against reining in bonuses for Wall Street executives,” the state treasurer said of Mark Kirk. Ticking off every consumer-protection bill he said Kirk has voted against, Giannoulias said: “That is who he listens to — he listens to his Wall Street cronies, and, not coincidentally, his Wall Street pals have given him over $2 million in campaign contributions.”
Giannoulias spoke at a locksmith business near Greektown, where owner Tom Glavin said he hoped Giannoulias’ policies might help fill up Downtown’s partially empty office buildings and help his key-making business. Giannoulias donned protective eyegear as he cut a key.
* As we’ve seen time and time again, some of these allegedly corrupt operators have fooled a whole lot of people. So, try to keep that in mind when reading these stories…
Testimony in the federal corruption trial of a Chicago developer on Thursday revealed that U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez met with the developer and Mayor Richard Daley to push for the city’s approval of a controversial real estate venture.
Gutierrez’s involvement in lobbying Daley to support the project goes a step beyond what the congressman has previously told the Tribune in stories documenting his political and financial relationship with the developer, Calvin Boender, and his unusual role in backing a project outside his congressional district.
The Tribune previously has reported that Gutierrez wrote a letter to Daley on Boender’s behalf after receiving a $200,000 loan from Boender. The newspaper reported Sunday that relatives of Gutierrez and two other Chicago politicians who supported Boender landed jobs tied to the project known as Galewood Yards.
The situation is quite odd, though. It’s definitely worth a closer look.
* Related…
* Witness: Rep. Gutierrez in on pitch for rezoning - Bribery trial witness notes presence of rep. who got $200K loan
* Reputed mobster charged with rigging bids at McCormick Place
* The Quinn administration is considering selling off part of a big “asset” to pay off its debts…
Part of the borrowing could be covered by selling off the state’s rights to a portion of a massive legal settlement with cigarette companies, said David Vaught, director of Quinn’s budget office.
“We haven’t finished our proposal, but we would hope it would be in the range of $1 billion,” Vaught said.
The state now collects roughly $300 million annually under the tobacco settlement. The idea would be to sell off the rights to half of that for $1 billion upfront.
The question remains whether [Gov. Quinn] will stick to his guns on such things as altering state employee pension plans, pay freezes and/or furloughs other cost-cutting measures. He hasn’t demonstrated that ability so far.
He backed away from the “doomsday” cuts to social service providers last year, backed away from pension cuts during a teachers’ union rally, etc., etc., etc. He has a lot to prove.
* A degree in 3 years? U. of I. looking at creating program - An accelerated program might work for 1 in 5 U. of I. students: president
* Quinn aide is among 5 finalists for top tollway post: Kristi Lafleur, deputy chief of staff for economic development and recovery, is among five remaining applicants for executive director, narrowed from a field of 33.
* 9:57 am - The Democratic Party of Illinois’ state central committee will begin meeting to decide who will replace Scott Lee Cohen on the ballot next Saturday, March 20th, according to a letter just released by Chairman Michael Madigan’s office. Read the letter by clicking here.
The party plans to split into subcommittees to allow candidates to make their pitches, but that’s “subject to change,” according to the letter. The subcommittees will meet in Chicago, Hoffman Estates, Bolingbrook and Springfield.
The central committee will then meet in Springfield on Saturday, March 27th in Springfield to vote for a nominee.
* I overslept this morning (either I slept through my alarm or it didn’t go off), so everything is running way, way behind schedule. There will be a late version of Capitol Fax for subscribers, but for now here’s my Sun-Times column…
‘The idea that Rahm Emanuel would be in the house gym . . . lobbying another congressman whether he had clothes on or not is the reason I wanted him to cut the deal to make the attorney general a senator in exchange for jobs, health care and no taxes,” Rod Blagojevich said earlier this week on WLS-AM.
As ever, Blagojevich was babbling about pure fantasy. The former governor was referring to his claimed plan to appoint Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan to Barack Obama’s vacant U.S. Senate seat back in 2008, right before he was arrested by the FBI for, among other things, allegedly trying to sell that seat to the highest bidder.
The impeached and ousted governor has used this Madigan cover story over and over to “prove” that he wasn’t trying to sell Obama’s seat.
A few days after a newspaper story appeared in December 2008 that Blagojevich was being wiretapped by the feds, I received a tip from a top source that Blagojevich was seriously talking about appointing Lisa Madigan. But let’s back up a bit.
The day before that wiretap story ran, Blagojevich was caught on federal recordings attempting to speed up a deal to appoint U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. to Obama’s seat in exchange for something “tangible upfront.”
“Some of this stuff’s gotta start happening now, right now, and we gotta see it. You understand?” Blagojevich instructs an aide to tell a Jackson intermediary. He then added an ominous warning: “You gotta be careful how you express that and assume everybody’s listening, the whole world is listening. You hear me?”
The day the story ran, wiretap transcripts show that Blagojevich tried to hide some of his dirty deeds, ordering an aide to “undo” the Jackson deal. (Jackson has not been charged with anything.)
Blagojevich knew he was under the gun, so I believe he concocted the Lisa Madigan appointment to give himself an alibi. He could then say that he wasn’t trying to sell a Senate seat, he was just trying to do what was best for the state.
Blagojevich has often pointed to the plan as a way to bring peace to Illinois politics. He and both Madigans — Lisa and her father, speaker of the House Mike Madigan — feuded for years. They totally despised one another. Blagojevich says the idea was to use the appointment to break loose his long-stalled (by Speaker Madigan) multibillion-dollar capital construction bill and his universal health-care proposal.
Balderdash.
First, Speaker Madigan hadn’t returned Blagojevich’s calls in months and wouldn’t even sit in the same room with him during closed-door legislative meetings. Madigan wouldn’t pass a $30 billion capital bill because he was worried that Blagojevich would try to steal everything that wasn’t nailed down. The universal health-care bill included a gigantic tax increase on businesses that Madigan staunchly opposed.
Attorney General Madigan was widely known to loathe the man she had been investigating for years until she turned over the case to U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald. And she had no interest in the Senate.
In other words, there’s absolutely no chance that this Lisa Madigan appointment deal could’ve been pulled off.
The impossibility of closing such a deal wouldn’t have meant much to Blagojevich if he was looking to establish an alibi, however. He could’ve just announced his decision with great fanfare and the federal case against him might have been undermined.
The FBI knocked on his door one cold December morning before he had a chance to make everything public, but that hasn’t stopped him from peddling this nonsense ever since. As usual with this guy, don’t believe a word.
* Illinois Democrats haven’t gotten a break in a long while, but one might be coming from an unlikely source…
Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich has repeatedly said he’s looking forward to clearing his name at his trial.
But now he wants that trial to start five months later than scheduled. Lawyers for the indicted governor made a formal request to continue the June trial to November.
They say they need a delay because they don’t know what the charges they’ll face at trial.
That could mean a post-election trial, which would be fine with the Democrats. The only problem would be all those pre-trial motions, which could still be used for political payback. Just imagine.
* The February primary experiment was a failure. I think a lot of folks would like a total do-over. We can’t do that, but the primary date can be moved back where it was…
Illinois’ primary election would be pushed back to March under legislation the House sent to Gov. Pat Quinn today.
If the governor signs the measure into law, the state’s experiment with a February primary would end after just two elections. […]
The measure would move Illinois’ primary to the third Tuesday in March, where it had been for decades. The House approved it 114-1, with one lawmaker voting present. The Senate signed off last month.
* Check out the difference between how two news outlets covered a visit by the governor to a Springfield school this morning. First, the local SJ-R…
Gov. Pat Quinn vigorously denied charges by Republican legislators that he is engaging in scare tactics in order to win passage of an income tax hike.
Appearing this morning at Jefferson Middle School in Springfield to promote his tax hike for education, Quinn reiterated that schools face severe budget cuts from the state if more revenue isn’t found for them.
“There’s no scaring involved,” Quinn said. “We have to understand reality. We are without $1 billion (in federal funds) that we had this year.
The governor, however, didn’t pick the best school to illustrate his point. Walter Milton, Springfield’s schools superintendent, said his district could prevent layoffs next year even if Quinn’s proposed education cuts go through.
Milton said the district is finalizing its budget and working to keep cuts “as far away from the classroom as possible.” Milton said while teachers will not face layoffs if education cuts go through, he won’t be able to hire as many new teachers as in the past.
Quinn said he did eat breakfast with Madigan Thursday. But he didn’t say how exactly he would try to convince election-minded lawmakers to support his plan while they are out on the campaign trail facing angry voters.
* Green Party gubernatorial nominee Rich Whitney outlined his budget and economic plan today at a Statehouse press conference.
Among other things, he wants a forensic audit of state government…
Convene an independent commission of citizens, drawn from both the private and public sector to examine the budget with a fresh set of eyes and identify programs, positions and practices that can be cut without any detriment to the public. Borrowing a good idea from a former rival candidate, Republican Adam Andrzejewski, I propose to give this commission the authority to conduct a “forensic audit” of the budget for this purpose and the authority to subpoena state employees and documents.
He later told reporters that he might appoint Andrzejewski to the commission, or even Dan Proft.
The audit, an expanded state government “suggestion box,” a review of pork and cuts to the capital program are supposed to save $2 billion.
After the cuts, he wants a SB750 type bill to raise taxes and reduce property taxes. He also would expand the sales take to include services, and impose a financial transactions tax on “speculative trading”…
At a time when the Illinois legislature repeatedly hits low-income workers disproportionately with ―sin taxes‖ on alcohol, tobacco and gambling, a Financial Transactions Tax would impose a tax on another form of gambling, one that is every bit as harmful as the other sin taxes, and far more voluminous
He also wantsa “fee and dividend” system on energy producers responsible for greenhouse gas emissions and nuke plants…
Fees would be imposed on the producers while consumers would receive quarterly dividends from the proceeds, based on their income level, that would provide protection from energy price hikes and allow a shift in spending in favor of clean energy and energy efficiency.
His rhetoric is pretty sharp…
It may surprise some people to hear a candidate talk about expanding public employment at a time when the media keep pounding into people’s minds the notion that government is “too big” and we can’t afford it.
However, we have to ask ourselves why we are continually being told this. We have to recognize that the corporate-dominated media have an agenda and that there is a reason why we have been hearing this propaganda steadily for over 30 years. We also have to realize that when the opinion leaders in the corporate media keep telling us that “we” can’t afford it, what they are really trying to tell us is that “they” – the wealthy owners of corporate America – don’t want to afford it. They don’t want to pay their fair share of taxes needed to maintain the most basic functions of government. And thus the illusion is created that in the richest, most productive nation in the world, we as a society somehow can’t “afford” quality public education, quality health care for all, quality employment opportunities for all and decent retirement security for all.
He also wants a state-owned bank…
Create a state bank, in which to deposit our tax revenues, supplemented by funds from private depositors, so that the State of Illinois can invest in productive ventures that benefit the people of Illinois, and keep the interest collected for the benefit of the people, rather than pay interest to enrich the same private financial institutions that have already preyed upon workers, homeowners and taxpayers.
* Whitney took questions from the press and here are some snippets…
* This was one of the reactions to Gov. Quinn’s budget proposal, which included a $2500 per worker tax credit for small businesses that hire new employees…
“Small-business owners don’t need tax credits. They need customers,” Kim Clarke Maisch, state director of the National Federation of Independent Business, said while noting economic growth comes from areas such as workers’ compensation reform and a lower minimum wage.
* The Question: Do you agree or disagree with Maisch? Explain thoroughly, please.
* To say this is a big boost would just be too obvious, so I’ll just skip that and go right to the story…
Mayor Daley today endorsed the runner-up in the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor — State Rep. Art Turner (D-Chicago) — in the political sweepstakes to replace Chicago pawnbroker Scott Lee Cohen. […]
“There’s only one winner in the lieutenant governor’s position and that’s Art Turner. He won second [place],” the mayor
“If you run for public office and the person [in first place] drops out before the election or even after the election, the person who [finished] second moves automatically up. If you forfeit a game, [your opponent] wins the game.”
Reporters reminded Daley that his conclusion is true in sports, but not necessarily in politics. The State Democratic Central Committee has the final say.
“Well, what would you do if not?” he said. “Art Turner is No. 2. No. 1 dropped out. He withdrew. Sure, you automatically move [up]. He put his name and his career on the line in a public way no one else has done . … Whether you voted for him or not, he came in second place.”
* Meanwhile, Rasmussen released the rest of its polling yesterday. Here are some of the responses…
* How would you rate the job Barack Obama has been doing as President… do you strongly approve, somewhat approve, somewhat disapprove, or strongly disapprove of the job he’s been doing?
33% Strongly approve
23% Somewhat approve
19% Somewhat disapprove
35% Strongly disapprove
0% Not sure
* How would you rate the job Pat Quinn has been doing as Governor… do you strongly approve, somewhat approve, somewhat disapprove, or strongly disapprove of the job he’s been doing?
10% Strongly approve
33% Somewhat approve
28% Somewhat disapprove
27% Strongly disapprove
2% Not sure
* In terms of how you will vote how important is Alexi Giannoulias’s involvement in the Broadway Bank?
30% Very important
26% Somewhat important
24% Not very important
8% Not at all important
11% Not sure
* Generally speaking, do you strongly favor, somewhat favor, somewhat oppose or strongly oppose the health care reform plan proposed by President Obama and the congressional Democrats?
35% Strongly favor
18% Somewhat favor
8% Somewhat oppose
37% Strongly oppose
2% Not sure
* When it comes to health care decisions, who do you fear the most: the federal government or private insurance companies?
41% Federal government
49% Private insurance companies
9% Not sure
* Regardless of how Congress is doing overall, does your local representative in Congress deserve to be reelected?
39% Yes
32% No
29% Not sure
* Generally speaking, would it better for the country if most incumbents in Congress were reelected this November or if most of them were defeated?
27% Better if most incumbents were reelected
58% Better if most incumbents were defeated
16% Not sure
* Do you have a favorable or an unfavorable opinion of the Tea Party movement?
37% Favorable
40% Unfavorable
23% Not sure
* Do you consider yourself a part of the Tea Party Movement?
13% Yes
68% No
19% Not sure
* A year from today, will the U.S. economy be stronger than it is now, or weaker?
46% Stronger
32% Weaker
16% About the same
6% Not sure
* Is it possible for anyone who really wants to work to find a job?
26% Yes
56% No
18% Not sure
Except for Quinn, these are more positive numbers for the Democratic majority than in other states Rasmussen has polled. At least the ones I’ve seen. Then again, that ain’t saying much.
By the way, in the crosstabs, 32 percent of Republicans said they considered themselves a part of the tea party movement, while just 4 percent of the Democrats said so. 73 percent of Republicans and just 15 percent of Democrats had a favorable opinion of the tea partiers.
* The Alexi Giannoulias campaign has been challenging Mark Kirk to release his tax returns since early February. Kirk finally did so yesterday after issuing a press release that attempted to turn the tables…
Mark Kirk’s U.S. Senate campaign today announced the five-term congressman and Navy veteran would make available his personal income tax returns dating back to 1999. In the spirit of transparency, the Kirk campaign requested Mr. Giannoulias release all documents related to Michael “Jaws” Giorango, insider bank loans and Bright Start College Savings Fund.
But reporters weren’t allowed to copy the documents and the campaign wouldn’t send them to the reporters…
Unlike Giannoulias, who provided copes of his tax returns to the press, Kirk allowed a lower level of access to his.
Reporters were required to travel to Kirk’s office in Northbrook for a peek at his returns and were not allowed to make copies.
“It seems to me that what he’s simply doing here is ignoring the problem, kicking the can down the road, trying to make it past the election,” Brady said. “I frankly wonder if he’s planning on being here in January because he’s leaving a pretty big problem.”
In a veiled reference to the financial solution proposed by state Sen. Bill Brady, his opponent in the Nov. 2 election for governor, Quinn said, “There are some people who say we should just cut across the board until we close our $13 billion deficit and our spending equals our revenues — even if that means draconian cuts in health, human services, education and public safety. But that approach is both heartless — and naïve.
“We must consider the financial impact — as well as the human cost — of every cut we make,” Quinn said.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Brady on Wednesday called Gov. Pat Quinn’s fiscal year 2011 budget a “catastrophe,” insisting his own plan for a 10 percent across-the-board cut would balance the budget and dig the state out of its $13 billion hole. […]
“I wish [Quinn] would take more time to analyze what I’ve suggested Illinois needs,” Brady said. “I really don’t want to be governor and be saddled with the albatross he’s created in this fiscal mess.”
“Today was an embarrassing day. He (Quinn) asked for an extra 30 days and yet the best he could come up with was a budget that is $4 billion out of balance,” Brady said, referring to Quinn’s request to delay his budget address by a month.
Um, $4 billion out of balance? Try $11 billion.
After Brady’s press conference, the governor’s campaign issued a news release…
Response to Bill Brady’s Critiques of Governor Quinn’s “Fighting for Illinois” Budget Plan:
Bill Brady says he opposes Governor Quinn’s budget plan and won’t support any additional revenues for education or additional borrowing to close the state’s $12.7 billion gap. So what would Brady include in his all-cuts plan to balance the budget? So far, he ’s refused to say - because it simply can’t be done without causing devastating harm to education, healthcare and public safety. No wonder former Governor Jim Edgar called Brady’s chainsaw approach to the budget “naïve.”
In fact, Bill Brady ’s own voting record provides the best clue about what he’d do as governor. His solution to our economic problems would be to turn the clock back by eliminating the minimum wage, equal pay for equal work, Family and Medical Leave, and to allow discrimination in the workplace. That’s an economic vision from 1910 — not for 2010.
You can expect that Edgar quote to be used ad infinitum by the Quinnsters.
* Brady did much better yesterday than I thought he would. His presser was on the third floor near the rail and the gun rights folks were in town so it was hard to hear anything in the Rotunda. But, it appears TV and radio got their audio and Brady got in a lot of decent shots, despite his consistent refusal to look at the complete budget picture.
Of course, Brady doesn’t have his own alternative legislation. As Senate President Cullerton pointed out yesterday, Brady is the first sitting Illinois legislator to be nominated for governor in over 100 years. He therefore has the ability to introduce his own plan.
…Adding… I forgot to mention that Gov. Quinn will appear at two schools today to tout his tax hike proposal. From a press release…
GOVERNOR’S PUBLIC SCHEDULE
**Thursday, March 11, 2010**
SPRINGFIELD - Governor Pat Quinn will speak about his education priorities.
WHO: Governor Quinn
WHEN: 11:00 a.m.
WHERE: Thomas Jefferson Middle School - Library
3001 South Allis Street
Springfield, 62703
CHICAGO - Governor Pat Quinn will speak about his education priorities.
WHO: Governor Quinn
WHEN: 1:30 p.m.
WHERE: James R. Lowell Elementary School
3320 West Hirsch Street
Chicago, 60651
* The headline on Kristen McQueary’s column pretty much sums it up…
Budget plan is clever, but D.O.A.
Tactically, this would normally be a decent move. Raise taxes for schools. That’s how income taxes were raised here in 1987, all the money went to schools and local governments.
House Speaker Michael Madigan, who has repeatedly condemned Republicans for refusing to put votes behind an income-tax hike, praised Quinn’s courage in pushing the new plan. But the speaker actually made a compelling case against it during a televised interview after the governor’s speech.
“Let’s be straightforward about this. The people of Illinois, they don’t want tax increases. They’re hurting. The American economy is in bad shape. People are out of work. They don’t want to hear about tax increases,” Madigan said.
“You should admire the governor for standing up in these times and say, ‘Look if we wish to maintain the fiscal integrity of this state, then we ought to do this tax increase.’ That doesn’t mean it’s going to happen,” Madigan said.
“This is a fellow who likes to hold people hostage,” Cross said of Quinn. “I suggest that at end of the day, this (education cuts) will not happen. This is a scare tactic. Scaring people is not leadership.”
. Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, said he supports the latest plan, but it is up to the House to take the lead, since the House never acted on last year’s proposal
Given the lack of support for a tax hike, one scenario circulating in the Capitol has Democrats approving a bare-bones budget that carries the state through the November elections, after which they would push through a tax hike to help pull the state out of its fiscal quagmire.
“It’s entirely possible,” Cross said.
* Meanwhile, the Tribune editorial board was predictably enraged, screaming that its pension fund slashes should’ve been implemented in order to save $2 billion, even though they won’t. And just saying something ought to be done doesn’t mean it can be done. I’d like to visit Pluto, but I ain’t gonna get there. Also, proposing cuts of $6 billion when we appear to have a structural hole far larger than that isn’t going to solve the problem in two years, no matter how you do the math.
And Ralph Martire makes a good point that the Tribune should at least listen to…
Illinois ranks — when you look at us compared to other states, and you look at our spending as a percentage of our state GDP, which is the only rational comparison state-to-state — we rank 45th in spending with the 5th biggest populations, and we ranked 42nd in tax burden. We’re low-tax, low-spending, we have a giant, giant deficit.
* The Sun-Times was upset that the governor’s tax hike wasn’t large enough, even though the governor’s tax hike isn’t going anywhere.
* I hesitate to delve too deeply into this budget plan, because the whole thing will need to be reworked. But here’s one of the more interesting proposals that may survive…
llinois Governor Pat Quinn wants the state’s youth prisons to be controlled by another department.
Four years ago, the Department of Juvenile Justice was part of the Department of Corrections. It was separated after some lawmakers and advocates argued youth prisons should not be controlled by the same office as the adult prisons.
Now Quinn wants to fold it into another large agency, the Department of Children and Family Services, to save money, the administration says, and get kids more access to a full range of services.
As Chicago Public Radio has amply reported, the state’s juvenile justice system is a complete mess. Some of the prisons are in outrageously poor conditions. Maybe DCFS can straighten it out, maybe not, but they’re gonna try…
Cook County Public Guardian Robert Harris, whose office represents kids in juvenile court, said it often seemed unfair that children involved in the child protection side of juvenile court have access to services absent on the juvenile justice side.
“They are often confronted with the same issues — neglect, abuse, no family or parents involved in drugs,” Harris said. “It makes sense.”
Mayor Daley warned today that the day of reckoning has arrived for a financial crisis that’s choking local taxpayers: underfunded city pensions.
Daley said the 32-member pension commission he created more than two years ago will soon recommend solutions to the crisis that won’t be pretty or politically popular.
Daley and others commented on an exclusive Chicago Sun-Times report Wednesday of massive grade changing after the marking period ended last school year at Hyde Park, including 873 F’s changed to passing marks. More than 1,100 other grades were changed downward.
As a result, training instructors for the Chicago Police Department have moved away from teaching recruits to do searches that way in recent years. Instead, trainees are taught to make suspects stand, then hold one arm of the suspect and perform a one-handed pat-down.
The Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) may file an application with the U.S. securities regulator for an initial public offering, the Financial Times reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
