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Tuesday, Apr 6, 2010 - Posted by Rich Miller

* You know I wasn’t feeling well today because normally I would’ve posted this thing bright and early. Amazing…

So, um, Cub fans, how did that season opener work out for y’all? Touchy subject?

Go Sox.

33 Comments

Unsolicited advice

Tuesday, Apr 6, 2010 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Dear Gov. Pat Quinn,

Dude, your job rating numbers are quickly sinking into George Ryan territory. Public Policy Polling has teased tomorrow’s results. They have your approval rating at 25 percent, with your disapproval at 53. Yikes, man.

Releasing violent criminals from prison and then refusing to punish those responsible, and then pardoning a bunch of former criminals last week ain’t doing you much good, either. Just sayin’.

Also, two months since the primary and you still have no campaign manager? What are you smoking, man?

* Dear state Sen. Bill Brady,

There is not a single, up-to-date, reputable study that shows anything like the estimate you just gave for how much the new federal health care bill will cost Illinois government…

“Estimates range in an additional $2 (billion) to $6 billion in costs just to the public sector”

But this is not a bad argument at all…

“[Governor Quinn] criticizes my 10-percent reduction in spending, but yet he threatens to reduce classroom spending by 17 percent. He talks about eliminating 33 percent of the state troopers and putting the safety of the public at risk. He talks about eliminating 33 percent of funding for local and municipal governments, putting their public safety at risk.”

* Dear Forrest Claypool,

You showed today that you’re trying to piece back together the liberal/black coalition which so badly frayed during your 2006 primary race against Cook County Board President John Stroger. But having Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. at your side during today’s press conference won’t exactly help you burnish those reformer credentials. And while your message packed some real punches and was filled with lots of headline fodder, your delivery style needs more than a little work…

I almost fell asleep watching that thing.

* Dear Sheila Simon,

You need a better answer than this…

Question: Your only real elected experience was on the Carbondale City Council. Is that enough to be in the second-highest elected position in our state?

Answer: At a meeting, we were talking about democracy being the same at small towns, bigger towns and at the state level. We need more people participating. I learned many lessons working on the Carbondale City Council that can apply to the state of Illinois. We want to encourage people to pay attention and be part of the process. We encourage people to vote. Our history of corruption in the state shows more people need to be involved in the governing process.

Gobbledygook.

* Dear Illinois State Fair,

Is cover band “Kiss Army” really a grandstand-worthy act on a Saturday night? I will go see Cheap Trick, but all those bubble gum country pop acts are a bit much.

* Dear national media,

Stop enabling this clown…

Is Rod Blagojevich done with television? Don’t count on it.

In a conference call with members of the media on Tuesday, Blagojevich, who was ejected on Sunday from “The Celebrity Apprentice,” said he’s got another “potential” reality show in the works and he’s said he’s also participating in a documentary.

* Your turn…

43 Comments

Big drop, but not out

Tuesday, Apr 6, 2010 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Democratic US Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias has had a horrible two months in the news media. His family bank’s troubles, replete with all the attendant weirdness of Outfit juice loans and whatnot, have prompted story after story wondering whether he might be pushed out of the race.

Up until today, the Real Clear Politics polling average had Giannoulias ahead of Republican Mark Kirk 43-37. But that’ll drop as soon as RCP plugs in the new Public Policy Polling survey…

Giannoulias 33
Kirk 37

TPM’s polltracker has the average now in favor of Kirk…

Notice that both candidate averages are trending downwards, but Giannoulias’ is far steeper. That’s partly a matter of how the polls were conducted. As the Hotline pointed out the other day, at least one of the earlier pollsters grossly undersampled senior citizens, which would result in giving the Democrat an edge. Kirk leads Giannoulias 39-31 among seniors in the new PPP poll.

* Even though he’s fallen quite a bit, Giannoulias is still hanging in there. And there is a way back, as PPP discusses today…

The main reason Giannoulias is behind is that he’s getting only 54% of the Democratic vote while Kirk is winning 77% of the Republican vote. It’s not that a lot of Democrats are planning to cross over and vote for Kirk, but 36% of them are undecided right now compared to just 16% of Republicans. That suggests Democratic voters don’t really know what to make of Giannoulias’ problems right now so they’re just taking a wait and see approach to the race.

This is a good point…

“The undecided Democrats will decide this race,” said Dean Debnam, President of Public Policy Polling. “Will they come home and support Giannoulias in the end, will they stay at home, or will they cross party lines to vote for Kirk? We don’t know that answer yet.”

Kirk has been running TV and radio ads lately, but they haven’t done much to help him as of yet. This is all about Giannoulias right now, which is right where Kirk wants it to be. That won’t last if Giannoulias has the cash to burn in the message with those undecided Democrats and Democratic leaning independents that Kirk is just another Republican obstructionist…

Giannoulias wants to make the election a referendum on Illinois’ favorite son Obama, which has a much better shot at working here than anywhere else. Kirk has tried to portray himself as a moderate, but being against Obama right down the line will make him look like a run-of-the-mill Republican obstructionist come November. Kirk walked right into the trap on health care.

* Other PPP results…

Do you approve or disapprove of Barack Obama’s job performance?
50% Approve
42% Disapprove
8% Not Sure

Do you think that Republicans should work to repeal the health care bill that was passed last week?
42% Yes
47% No
10% Not Sure

Do you support or oppose President Obama’s health care plan, or do you not have an opinion?
46% Support
43% Oppose
11% No Opinion

Those Obama numbers are the lowest I’ve seen so far in Illinois. We’ll have to wait and see what other polls show before making a judgment there.

Methodology of the automated poll…

PPP surveyed 591 Illinois voters from April 1st to 5th. The survey’s margin of error is +/-4.0%.

…Adding… Pollsters really need to start plugging in the Green Party candidate. In a year like this, the Green might do well.

* Related…

* Alexi’s good deal

* Bank woes hurting Democrat vying for Senate seat in Illinois

* Democrats stand by Illinois US Senate candidate as race for Obama’s old seat turns stormy

* Barack Obama’s old Senate seat in danger of turning Republican

* What To Do If You’re Tea Party And It’s The Illinois Senate Race

28 Comments

Quote of the Week

Tuesday, Apr 6, 2010 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Sharon Osbourne understands Rod Blagojevich far better than the goofy national media, which continues to fawn over him…

“He is absolutely crazy. He is insane, completely self-obsessed, insane.”

Keep in mind that she’s known Ozzie Osbourne and the music industry up close and personal for forty years. She understands insane.

More evidence, as if you needed any, of Blagojevich’s mental state…

On the “Today” show, Blagojevich predicted he’d fare better with jurors at the June 3 trial.

“I won’t spend any time in federal prison because I did nothing wrong,” he said. “Those tapes will vindicate me.”

Yeah, right.

* From the Sun-Times…

Whether Blagojevich was a bizarrely incompetent governor is beyond dispute. And if anybody needed a reminder of just how goofy Blago truly was, his failings were on display for the nation on NBC’s “Celebrity Apprentice.” […]

There was the political double- talk. The self-obsession. The disdain for details. The inability to admit mistakes.

Our First Jogger couldn’t type. He couldn’t text. He couldn’t e-mail.

On the radio on Monday, Blagojevich blamed his age — he’s an ancient 53. His generation, he said, didn’t grow up with “all that stuff.”

But Blago, as most of us in Illinois already knew, also couldn’t lead and couldn’t follow.

Exactly.

* Related…

* Prosecutors file new details of case against Blagojevich under wraps: Prosecutors revealed that the document contains details about the government’s evidence that have never been disclosed. The defense could argue the release of the details could taint the jury pool, even though the selection process is two months away.

* Feds want Blago corruption evidence kept sealed

81 Comments

Claypool and the big heat

Tuesday, Apr 6, 2010 - Posted by Rich Miller

* I just checked with the State Board of Elections about Forrest Claypool’s soon to be announced bid for Cook County Assessor as an independent candidate.

Claypool will need about ~~20,000~~ 25,000 valid signatures. But nobody who circulated a petition in the recent partisan primary cycle can circulate for him. That’ll seriously cut down on his base of volunteers, but he could just end up using paid circulators (which haven’t always proved to be all that reliable in Chicago).

People who took partisan primary ballots in February can sign Claypool’s petitions, according to the Board.

* Claypool has apparently hired AKPD, the consulting firm once run by David Axelrod. Axe is gone, but they kept the “A” in the name. David Plouffe is also gone, but the “P” remains as well. Gov. Pat Quinn and failed US Senate candidate David Hoffman were both AKPD clients during the primary cycle.

* I’ve been saying for months that Speaker Madigan’s support of Board of Review Commissioner/Cook County Democratic Party Chairman Joe Berrios for Cook County assessor was gonna come back to haunt him but good, and the Claypool race is just one manifestation of that.

Last week, Assessor Jim Houlihan claimed Madigan and Berrios were in cahoots to delay property tax bills until after the November election, although the evidence seems to contradict that claim, as a Sun-Times editorial rightly pointed out.

For me, though, it was the fact that the two other Board of Review commisioners, Brendan Houlihan (no relation to the assessor) and Larry Rogers, both sided with Berrios and Madigan. Commissioner Houlihan was elected in 2006 over a Republican incumbent with big contributions from both Assessor Houlihan and Commissioner Rogers. Those two commissioners are not considered Berrios guys at all, so siding with him against the assessor was a telling moment for me. Instead, it looks suspiciously like a setup for Claypool’s announcement against Berrios, and the media ate it up.

* A Sun-Times editorial summed up the appearance of conflict of interest between Berrios and Madigan pretty well…

[Berrios] sits on the county’s Board of Review, where he shamelessly collects political contributions from the very same lawyers looking for tax assessment breaks from the board.

And who are these lawyers?

Many of the biggest tax attorneys in town work for Madigan & Getzendanner, the law firm of Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan.

But wait. It gets worse.

When Berrios is not wearing his Board of Review hat, he’s wearing his paid lobbyist hat. He goes down to Springfield — or to some fancy restaurant in the Loop — and lobbies state legislators on behalf of such clients as the video poker industry.

And whom must Berrios lobby most?

He must lobby Madigan — the same man looking for help from him, Berrios, when the petitioner’s shoe is on the other foot.

We have no evidence Berrios and Madigan have ever swapped a single lucrative favor, but anybody can see this is far too cozy a relationship.

But wait. It gets even worse.

Madigan and Berrios are also a political tag team. Madigan is chairman of the Illinois Democratic Party and Berrios is chairman of the Cook County Democratic Party. Nobody gets slated for the party ticket — certainly nobody like Claypool — without going through them.

The G has looked at Madigan’s firm in the past and came up empty. The Tribune spent about a year looking at thousands of cases involving Madigan’s firm and came up with nothing earth shattering - and zippo on the Berrios/Madigan stuff.

But the appearance of impropriety is just far too much for the columnists and editorial writers and reporters to ignore. Madigan really screwed up and the big heat is coming.

* Related…

* Forrest Claypool announces independent bid for Cook County Assessor Tuesday

* Claypool to Enter Assessor Race Tuesday

30 Comments

Today

Tuesday, Apr 6, 2010 - Posted by Rich Miller

* While I was visiting my dad in the hospital last week, I noticed I was getting sicker and sicker by the day. Turns out I had a bad sinus infection that moved into my lungs. It got pretty darned bad. I was basically wiped out for days.

I’m better now, and I’m finally home, but I’m feeling pretty weak and need to see some local medical professionals today so I don’t end up sharing a hospital room with my father (and, as it turns out, my grandmother, who went into the hospital late last week). Blogging, therefore, will be light.

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Morning Shorts

Tuesday, Apr 6, 2010 - Posted by Rich Miller

* 20,000 Illinoisans exhaust jobless benefits

Illinois’ unemployment rate of 11.4 percent in February was the state’s highest since July 1983. It compared to 9.7 percent nationally.

* O’Hare to get $400 million from U.S. for new runways

What’s not immediately clear is whether the money is for completion of Phase I of the O’Hare Modernization Program’s proposed network of new and relocated runways, or the second phase, which includes a new runway at O’Hare’s southern end.

* CTA rails get high-tech checks

After a bad accident four years ago blamed on inspection lapses, the transit agency now brings in lasers and a sophisticated “brain box” once a year. The diagnostic equipment recently completed a check of the tracks to pinpoint any emerging problems that CTA inspectors might have missed.

* Cameras make Chicago most closely watched US city

While authorities won’t say exactly how many cameras are included, with 1,500 installed by emergency officials, 6,500 in city schools and many more at public and private facilities, nobody disputes an estimate of 10,000 and growing. Weis said he would like to add “covert” cameras, perhaps as small as matchboxes.

* University of Illinois interviews finalists for president

Five finalists are university provosts — typically the top academic officer of a university — according to trustee Pamela Strobel, chair of the presidential search committee. Eight candidates come from public universities, and some of them have ties to U. of I., officials said.

* U. of I. narrows presidential candidates to 10

* GSU awarded $7.1 million teacher training grant

* Knox College President Taylor to resign

* New college wants to build facility in Peoria

Rasmussen College - with 18 campuses offering online and on-campus education services - is eyeing a property in Central Peoria visible to motorists on War Memorial Drive and Interstate 74.

* Asian Carp: Can’t Beat ‘Em? Eat ‘Em

Pearl, Illinois company Big River Fish is planning to ship 30 million pounds of the invasive species to China this year.

“We’ve had groups in China taste it. They came here and ate it, and say it’s the best carp they’ve ever had,” owner Ross Harano said.

* Illinois Company to Begin Exporting Asian Carp to Overseas Markets

* Batavia sees year’s 3rd aldermanic vacancy

* Ground breaking next week on Des Plaines casino

* Aurora’s last riverboat casino to be dismantled

* [Galesburg] opens $7 million credit line

* Morton Board OKs sales tax commission

* Governor’s proposal has Danville officials planning more cuts

* Athens to move into new city hall Friday

* Decatur council OKs budget nearly $17 million less than previous year

* Springfield School Board accepts Watson’s resignation

Watson two weeks ago admitted she had copied substantial portions of the Philadelphia School District’s strategic plan into the Springfield district’s new plan, “Believe 2020,” which she was in charge of producing.

* Belleville OKs budget: You get $20 wheel tax; mayor gets 2 assistants

City leaders estimate that Belleville could receive $1.8 million less in tax reimbursement from the state in the coming year, and they said the wheel tax is needed to help them keep from cutting staff and services.

* Belleville approves $20 ‘wheel tax’

* New East St. Louis police chief is supposed to be in place; where is he?

Jenne, when asked when he is scheduled to start, said: “I’m getting mixed signals. I signed the contract in March. Two weeks later, I got an addendum asking me to take a 7 percent pay cut and two furlough days per pay period. I told them I am an exempt employee and I couldn’t do that.”

* Emergency repair: $1.2 million project will fix levee problem — for now

* O’Fallon mayor on bare-bones budget: ‘If there is any fat left, we can’t find it’

* Cahokia trustees will decline to testify in trial that seeks to oust them

Trustees Kevin Johnson, Trevon Tompkin and Phyllis Pearson are named in a noncriminal petition filed under Illinois election law by three losing candidates, Gloria McCoy, Robert Eden and Dennis Phillips, in the April 2009 village election.

* Union County board looking for more funds

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