For instance, she promised to repeal what’s left of incumbent Todd Stroger’s penny-on-the-dollar sales-tax hike — a half-cent repeal is pending — within four years.
I pledge to take down the remaining half percent as quickly as I can in my four-year term … But when you are reducing income, you also have to think about how you are reducing expenses. You have to look carefully through the budget and look at where there is waste, duplication, where you can save money by consolidating or bringing things in house that were previously outsourced… We have to be very thoughtful and careful about what we’re doing, and look at income and expenses over time, and not just stumble from one budget year to the next.
Q: The first half of Todd Stroger’s one percent sales tax increase has been eliminated. When would you take the other half-percent off?
A: I’ve committed that I’d do that over the four years, but not when I walk in the door, because I’ve got to figure out what the heck is going on. Given what you’ve read in the newspapers, it looks more complicated than I expected.
Shoppers will have to wait until 2012 at the earliest for repeal of the remaining half-penny increase in the Cook County sales tax because of a shortfall that could approach $500 million, the Democratic nominee for County Board president said Wednesday.
Ald. Toni Preckwinkle (4th) campaigned on a promise to repeal the remaining half-penny over time.
“After months of misleading voters, Alderman Toni Preckwinkle has finally acknowledged she has no intention of immediately repealing the Cook County sales tax increase and will not cut wasteful spending to east the tax burden.”
* Toni Preckwinkle, May 20th…
Since announcing my campaign for Cook County Board President in December of 2008, I have been committed to repealing the sales tax increase. From Day 1, my focus will be on working to make that a reality. I have already pledged to immediately take a 10% pay cut and call for a comprehensive personnel audit, beginning with the Office of the President.
Since Feb. 2nd, we have put a lot of energy into trying to figure out what we are heading into. At this point, it has been suggested that we could be looking at a huge deficit next year. It would be irresponsible to cut resources without knowing more about the state of the County’s financial condition. I am committed to filling any budget gaps without burdening the people of Cook County.
As Cook County Board President, my focus from Day 1 will be implementing responsible spending practices, eliminating waste and inefficiencies, and looking for non-tax resources so that we can repeal the remainder of the sales tax.
Repealing the sales tax, while cleaning up corruption and providing services more effectively will feel like we’re fixing the plane while we’re flying it, but I am confident we will meet these challenges.
It looks to me, at least, that she’s been pretty clear for months about how she probably wouldn’t eliminate the half-penny sales tax right away. It’s been a four-year phase-out plan since November.
The House will reconvene Session on Monday, May 24 at 4 p.m.
In addition Members should plan on Session for Tuesday, May 25 and Wednesday, May 26.
Some House Committees will be posted for Monday, May 24 at 3 p.m., just prior to Session convening that day.
*** 2:11 pm *** Senate President John Cullerton has told his members that their chamber will return on Wednesday, May 26th at 4 o’clock pm…
Members should make appropriate preparations for Session through Friday, May 28th. I would anticipate not spending Memorial Day weekend in Session, though it may be necessary depending on actions taken in the House of Representatives.
* Local governments, colleges and universities have lobbied forever. Most of them used to just lobby through their associations, like the Illinois Municipal League or the Illinois Community College Trustees Association, or whatever.
But over the past few decades, government lobbying has picked up and it’s now at least a $6.4 million a year business. That ain’t much in the overall scheme of things, but it is significant and, to some, newsworthy…
The Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, a good government group that produced a report tallying the money spent on lobbying efforts, believes the public is ill-informed about the relationship between government entities and lobbying firms.
“There’s a void in what we know about the State Capitol, and we should call on legislators to fill that void, to make this information public,” said David Morrison, associate director of the advocacy group.
Although the biggest spender in the study was the Chicago Transit Authority at $385,000 on six lobbying firms, some of the largest spenders came from the smallest areas.
Three Chicago suburbs managed to outspend the city of 3 million residents. The village of Bellwood, population 20,500, sent more than $138,000 to four separate lobbying firms; Crestwood spent more than 10 times its 11,000-person population; and Countryside’s 5,000 residents paid lobbyists $90,000.
* There are a lot of reasons a local government, school, university, etc. would hire a particular Statehouse lobbyist. They may want something that the Municipal League, for instance, can’t or won’t handle. A private industry example would be WalMart, which belongs to the Retail Merchants Association and other statewide lobbying groups but still has its own contract lobsters. Sometimes, members of those groups want something that is not in the best interest of other members, so the associations won’t get involved. Those well-connected, experienced contract lobbyists can do things that few others can…
But monitoring Springfield has grown increasingly difficult, and many officials believe it’s best to have a professional watching out for the local governments’ best interests, Tinley Park Mayor Ed Zabrocki said. Tinley Park spent $6,000 on an outside lobbyist, but Zabrocki, a former state representative, noted that he and other village officials do some lobbying as well. […]
“Things have gotten so complicated down in Springfield that we need someone down there full time,” Zabrocki said
* The ways lobbyists are chosen are almost as varied. Some choose individual lobbyists for at least partly political reasons. The mayor or college president may have a previous or even current campaign relationship with a lobster, for example. One of SIU’s lobbyists worked on Glenn Poshard’s 1998 campaign. Aurora’s lobbyist was also a mayoral campaign honcho.
Some lobbyists are picked because they have special connections. Former Blagojevich insider John Wyma surely wasn’t hired by the DuPage County Board of Health for his mastery of their issues. Some former legislators now represent towns or counties in their old districts. Some lobbyists have expertise at obtaining grants…
Chicago Heights School District 170 Supt. Tom Amadio said he’s satisfied with the results of the $22,500 his district spent on outside lobbying. Having someone based in Springfield is useful when seeking funding for programs or projects, Amadio said.
Brian Oaks, general manager of the center, said the PCCC pays into the Civic Center Coalition, which hires a lobbyist to keep track of legislation pertinent to 11 civic centers and arenas around the state.
Most notably, Oaks said, Zack Stamp Ltd. helped secure $25 million in appropriations for the center via the state’s capital construction plan that was approved last year.
The Chicago Transit Authority racked up the highest tab at $385,345 among transit agencies and all 119 government bodies surveyed for lobbyist expenses. Metra spent $264,504, the Regional Transportation Authority, $171,635; and suburban bus service PACE, $132,000.
RTA Chairman Jim Reilly said his agency is spending less than in prior years but is still working on far-reaching legislative issues, including seeking state money for public works projects and securing overdue state payments.
Metra spokeswoman Judy Pardonnet said the contract lobbyists are the agency’s “eyes and ears” in Springfield, working with lawmakers, testifying on legislation and monitoring proposals that might have a financial impact.
CTA spokeswoman Noelle Gaffney said that unlike other government bodies, the transit agency does not have taxing authority and relies primarily on fares and public funding. The CTA “needs to be in the mix” in Springfield and needs skilled representation to work on the agency’s behalf, particularly in the tight financial times, Gaffney said.
Cynthia Canary, director of the Chicago-based watchdog group, noted that the concept of one unit of government hiring private lobbyists to communicate with another unit of government often looks “absolutely crazy” to taxpayers. “In essence, we’re spending money to talk to ourselves,” she said.
But she added that, with the state’s budget crisis, local units of government are competing for every state dollar they can get. “While I think it is crazy, I understand it” in that context, she said.
The object of releasing this report is to demand that the state require everyone who hires a lobbyist to disclose how much they’re spending. You can read the ICPR’s full report by clicking here.
Canary’s ICPR belongs to a few organizations that lobby the General Assembly, has in-house people who do lobbying, but the group has also retained contract lobsters (Mike Kreloff and James Bray this year).
* As I told subscribers this morning, Jason Plummer pledged during the primary not to accept a salary if he’s elected lt. governor. See it for yourself…
So, how will he be paying his expenses for four years? We won’t know unless he releases his income tax returns. We’re just supposed to thank him for not taking a state check without knowing who is paying his bills.
(V)oters can fairly wonder if Plummer has decided it is better to risk the criticism he’ll receive for not releasing his returns than the stream of news stories if he does.
Plummer’s running mate, gubernatorial candidate Bill Brady, was in a similar situation last month after saying he wouldn’t release his returns. After criticism from several quarters, including Gov. Quinn, Brady relented. The result was the revelation that Brady, who is wealthy, did not owe federal income taxes for the past two years because of business losses.
Plummer, who also is wealthy, might well wish to keep the details of his family’s extensive businesses private. But this is Illinois, where three of the last seven men elected governor have gone to prison and a fourth is scheduled to go on trial next month.
If Plummer doesn’t change his mind, he shouldn’t be surprised if voters turn out to be a bit skeptical.
Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor Sheila Simon on Wednesday took her Republican opponent Jason Plummer to task for declining to release his tax returns. […]
“I think it’s a pretty reasonable request on the part of the voters to want to know about a candidate,” Simon said. “In the course of the campaign there are probably some unreasonable requests for information, some things that are too personal. I don’t think this is one of those.”
Simon said Plummer’s decision made the Democratic ticket more transparent.
“The other side has a less than stellar record in that department,” Simon said.
* Also, as a followup to an earlier post, Bill Brady’s campaign says that Brady will be turning over the management of his businesses to his brothers if he’s elected. He’ll essentially convert his income from “non passive” to “passive.” I plan to ask Plummer’s campaign today what he will do with his own business interests if he’s elected.
* I haven’t commented on the “lessons Illinois can learn” from this week’s primaries in other states because I haven’t really seen all that much to learn from.
But that hasn’t stopped others from tossing in their two cents. Here’s the Southern Illinoisan…
Here’s the bummer for the kings of fence-sitting: The backlash has started. It’s called the Tea Party. It’s called the recent party convention and primary election results.
Ask Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, who won’t be returning to the U.S. Senate. His party bounced him. Ask former Republican and current Democrat Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania. When the next Congress convenes, the longtime fixture won’t be taking his seat in the Senate. His state’s voters have called him home. Ask Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson how much good his pedigree and endorsements did him Tuesday night.
Downstate Illinois legislators: Do you think your constituents like you so much personally they will continue to tolerate the feudal homage you pay to your Chicagoland counterparts and the excuses you bring home?
First off, there are no real contested races in the Southern Illinoisan’s coverage area. So I doubt those incumbents are quaking in their boots.
The Utah GOP has moved way anti-establishment Right, Pennsylvania Democrats weren’t all that turned on by a lifelong Republican who admitted he switched parties to win his election and Kentucky Republicans went with a charismatic, successful, conservative outsider with a well-known name and rejected a slightly more moderate and still popular statewide official. I don’t see how that applies much to the general election non-contests in southern Illinois.
Usually politicians like to publicize their deep experience as something that gives them an edge. But whether we’re talking about Illinois’ U.S. Senate race or several congressional match-ups, there’s worry experience might turn off voters, and that’s something candidates may not have experienced to this level before.
I agree that both candidates for US Senate have experience problems. The word “congressman” is not exactly popular, and “Republican congressman” is even more unpopular. Alexi Giannoulias’ experience as state treasurer included some big problems with a college savings fund. Several congressional races are in flux right now because of the votes taken by incumbent Democrats, not so much generic experience.
Keep in mind that two of the more “experienced” statewide officials in Illinois have zero worries this fall. Secretary of State Jesse White will cruise to reelection, as will Attorney General Lisa Madigan. Polls show AG Madigan is the most popular politician in the state, despite the fact that she’s the daughter of the House Speaker, who is portrayed as all but evil by most media outlets.
[The recent results show] that “experience” and “seniority” might not carry the weight with voters that they once did.
That should be a wakeup call to incumbents in Illinois, too, and a reminder not to take too lightly independent and third-party candidates who are challenging established politicians.
The Pantagraph then goes on to undermine its argument by noting how goofy the two independent hopefuls are, then concludes…
There have to be better qualified people in Illinois capable of running as independent candidates for governor to lift up the debate and focus the campaign on solutions to our many problems — perhaps someone who can stay above the political fray (as much as one can when running for office) and isn’t worried about re-election in four years.
You don’t have to look to Kentucky where ophthalmologist Rand Paul won the Republican U.S. Senate nomination Wednesday after mounting a Tea Party-themed campaign of anger and upheaval.
You don’t have to look anywhere but right here. The movement was born in places such as Fuentes’ wood-paneled insurance office on Oak Park Avenue.
For years, local, state and federal lawmakers have promised to revitalize the Southland economy. They understand the property tax system and its inherent failures. Cook County businesses are taxed double, in many cases, what Will County charges.
Here’s a stark example: The Cracker Barrel restaurant off Harlem Avenue in Tinley Park, in Will County, paid $37,239 in property tax last year. The Cracker Barrel near Interstate 57 in Matteson, in Cook County, paid $168,395 in property tax last year.
I’m pretty sure both places are serving up the same chicken and dumplings.
But lawmakers haven’t fixed the problem. They should be working endlessly to detonate the iceberg that is Cook County’s tax classification system. Instead, our elected officials are standing on the ship deck wagging fingers while their constituents scramble for the lifeboats.
I get why businesses are upset with Cook County’s classificiation system. But what’s not mentioned is that if Cook lowers business taxes, then homeowner taxes will have to radically increase. That would spark a real revolt. Cook essentially subsidizes homeowners by making businesses pay more.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said Bennett lost in part because he was “too reasonable,” meaning he was a get-along guy when voters are looking for somebody who will buck authority. “People want folks who have an edge,” he said, “and will fight.”
Yep. But incumbents can also portray themselves as fighters and even outsiders. Pat Quinn did that in his primary and won. Longtime legislator Bill Brady is doing it in the general.
The Republican candidate for Illinois governor isn’t saying whether he agrees with his running mate’s decision not to release his tax returns.
Bill Brady’s campaign for governor said in an e-mail Wednesday that he understands the tax decision was personal. But the campaign ignored the question of whether Brady thinks the decision was correct.
And Plummer has gone to ground…
Plummer’s campaign staff rejected interview requests from The Associated Press on Tuesday and Wednesday.
I believe transparency is the most effective solution to the campaign finance reform question…. If candidates and elected and appointed officials are held accountable to the media and the taxpayers, they will think twice about taking a questionable donation or entering into a dubious business relationship.
So, when the media tries to hold him “accountable” on his refusal to be as “transparent” as his running mate, he thumbs his nose and refuses to answer questions? This is the new politics? Really?
* Fox Chicago’s unceremonious dumping of political reporter Jack Conaty right before the holidays apparently didn’t sate the corporate appetite for weeding out strong journalists. Now they’ve gone and axed another one.
Lilia Chacon was a 21-year Fox Chicago veteran and is one heck of a reporter. She was on her way to accept her Peabody award - television’s Pulitzer - when she got a call asking to confirm the story…
On Friday she was told that her position was being eliminated and that her contract would not be renewed when it expires July 3. She’s the latest in a growing list of on-air veterans who’ve been purged from Fox Chicago News in recent months, including Jack Conaty, Lauren Cohn, Byron Harlan, Nancy Loo and David Viggiano. Close to two dozen technical staffers also are slated for unemployment in the coming weeks.
Chacon, 56, insisted that she has no hard feelings about the move, saying: “I’ve had a very good ride there — 21 years. That is extraordinary.” But she expressed sadness at the thought of leaving a job and a station she loves:
“I’m sad about it because I really am not sure what the future holds — especially for reporters like me. I have played it pretty much down the middle with my reporting. I’ve always wanted to be part of what was good about journalism. . . . You need to work for people who value the skill set you’ve spent a lifetime assembling.”
The elimination of Chacon’s position underscores what she called “a fundamental change in the way the Fox affiliates do news.” As the stations try simultaneously to cut their budgets and differentiate the formats of their newscasts from the competition, reporters are getting edged out. Instead, unpaid “experts” or free-lance pundits are hauled into the studio to comment on the stories of the day and fill air time — the cheaper the better — just as cable networks have been doing for years.
Chicago has long been known as a great TV news town. Yeah, you can nit and pick all you want, but try finding any comparable hard-news local coverage anywhere else in this country. You won’t.
It sickens me to see what the bean counters are doing to the news business. Silly on-air chit-chat with goofy “unpaid experts” cannot replace actual journalism, no matter how hard they try.
The one bright side here is that Fox has hired former CBS2 political reporter Mike Flannery. But why anybody would want to fire a quality worker like Chacon is beyond me. I wish her nothing but the best. Go get ‘em, Lilia.
…Adding… Walter Jacobson tosses in an eloquent two cents…
Select a subject, any subject, any time in Chicago television news, and it’d be darn-near impossible to find an ‘expert’ more of an expert than Lilia Chacon, or a reporter who can become an expert faster and better than Lilia Chacon…or a reporter or anchor in Chicago who can communicate on television better (if as well) as Lilia. Or a reporter or anchor who has more connections in the neighborhoods, more access to newsmakers, or more (if as much) persuasive power to get them on the air. Or who knows the streets and the hallways of political power as Lilia Chacon knows them. Or can tell a story as she does. Or is more capable of handling, live on the air, fast-breaking news…not to mention her being a minority, a woman, and beautiful.
For what possible, conceivable reason can Fox News be letting her go?? I cannot remember a time in my 50 years in the business that Robert Feder was wrong about what’s going on in Chicago television news. Maybe he imagined this Lilia story, or made it up??? What a stupid, stupid mistake that station is making. What a loss for Fox News, a loss for our profession, a loss for our community. Sometimes I can’t help being ashamed of us.
So I asked. My question, “Since Sheila Simon’s entry into the race, there’s been a curiosity as to whether Mrs. Brady shares her husband’s views or, like Mrs. Bush, holds her own views in contrast?” was answered by Brady campaign spokesman John Hoffman.
Now mind you, I’m a pro-life opinion journalist with whom Mr. Hoffman was familiar. His answer was a brick wall.
“Nancy Brady is focused in this campaign on helping to show Illinois voters that her husband will provide a clean break from the old politics and end the job-killing taxes and regulations of the Blagovjevich/Quinn administration,” Hoffman wrote.
Eaton strongly believes that she’s on solid ground here…
The Brady campaign’s avoidance of the issue prompted discussion with abortion opponents. Everyone I spoke with thought it was important to know where Mrs. Brady stood on the life issue.
And this is why…
They wondered if they would be surprised by Mrs. Brady speaking at an abortion rights rally or speaking on behalf of a Republican legislative candidate who opposes overturning Roe vs. Wade. And even though Mrs. Bush didn’t appear to have much effect on her husband’s public policy in opposition to abortion, the question can be asked: Could a spouse’s lack of support keep her husband from doing more to save unborn lives?
She eventually got ahold of Mrs. Brady, who tried to talk about jobs instead. But Mrs. Brady did finally tell Eaton this: “”We’re a solid Roman Catholic family… Our beliefs are important to us.” Eaton took that as a good sign, but not definitive. Her conclusion…
It’s just not knowing for sure where she stands and the campaign’s hesitation to ease that uncertainty that’s troubling now. And like Laura Bush, when we learn Mrs. Brady’s views, it’s likely to become headline news.
* The Question: Were Eaton’s questions reasonable or out of bounds? Explain.
CapitolFax’s Rich Miller’s “Question of the Day” today is whether or not the question your IR Editor asked about Mrs. Brady’s position on abortion is out-of-bounds. See “Mrs. Brady sidesteps the abortion question”
Sure, it’s okay for the big boys to demand to see Brady’s individual income tax returns that make public the details of Mrs. Brady’s income and her financial status as well as her husband’s, but I’m out of bounds to ask her position on abortion.
They’re kidding, right? And just where are those invisible bounds anyway?
I think the debate here has been pretty spirited with people coming down forcefully on both sides of this issue. A tad touchy, perhaps?
Also, I didn’t just ask if her questions were out of bounds. I also asked if they were reasonable. She ignored that part. Typical myopia.
Illinois legislators should return to Springfield and not leave again without delivering a “responsible state budget,” according to the Responsible Budget Coalition, a group of teachers, activists, health advocates and civic leaders. The group held news conferences Tuesday in East St. Louis and in seven other cities
But the resounding message delivered by nine people including social services workers from various agencies and retired professionals was emphatic - Illinois lawmakers need to return to Springfield and produce a more responsible state budget to keep social service agencies intact for the clients they serve.
The message was delivered in a mannerly fashion during a news conference by Southern Illinois members of the Responsible Budget Coalition.
* The solution the coalition wants is House Bill 174, the tax increase which passed the Senate last year. But even Senators who voted for that bill will tell you that there are flaws which need to be addressed before it becomes law. Nobody really thought that thing would pass the Senate, so it wasn’t as meticulously vetted as it otherwise would’ve been. Some House Democrats, for instance, derided some of the bill’s new service taxes, including on diaper services.
The coalition also doesn’t want any more big cuts. From an RBC press release…
Coalition members note that, when legislators left Springfield, they were considering slashing more resources from schools, health and human services, public-safety efforts and other critical priorities that already have suffered brutal cuts this year. These cuts would cost the state tens of thousands of local as well as state jobs – from teachers, police and firefighters to private-sector providers of mental health, care for seniors and the disabled, and other services that contract with the state.
Trouble is, even if 174 passed the House and was signed into law, it would still not fill that huge budget hole. Big cuts would still be necessary, and big cuts will almost all have to come from “slashing more resources from schools, health and human services, public-safety efforts and other critical priorities.”
The hard truth is that there are just no magic beans for anybody in this mess. Coalition members sometimes get all misty-eyed when talking about 174, as if it will solve everything. But if the coalition wants to avoid deep spending cuts, it’ll need a much bigger tax hike than 174. Much. Some, not all but some, of the coalition’s leaders are not being fully honest with their members about this point. Don’t assume your problems will disappear even if your magic solution somehow becomes a reality.
* In other magic beans news, a group of state Senators has called on the new University of Illinois president to refuse part of his huge salary and freeze tuition instead. From a press release…
Students, faculty, staff and Illinois legislators—Senators Rickey Hendon, Kimberly Lightford and Marty Sandoval—call on incoming University of Illinois President Michael Hogan to freeze tuition and forego his $170,000 salary increase.
With a current Illinois budget deficit of $12.8 billion, the University of Illinois is imposing furlough days and layoffs on employees across the university system. The University Board of Trustees is also contemplating an increase in student tuition that would put the U of I tuition among the highest in the nation.
President Hogan should accept the same $450,000 salary as former Illinois President B. Joseph White; as a gesture of goodwill in this difficult economy. “Our hard-working members are asked to take pay cuts through furlough days and even accept layoffs. Sacrifice should start at the top,” said Christine Boardman, President of SEIU Local 73.
* Meanwhile, I told subscribers about this group last week…
A group comprised mostly of suburban Democrats wants the governor to freeze millions worth of state contracts and explore other options rather than unilaterally cut spending if he expects their votes for a state budget plan.
The nearly dozen Democrats involved came together after budget plans pegged on borrowing were rejected by the Illinois House earlier this month. A teleconference Tuesday among the lawmakers was the latest action.
State Rep. Elaine Nekritz, a Northbrook Democrat, said those involved are trying to come up with a “doable” plan that could be unveiled in the coming days. Lawmakers are expected back at the Capitol next week for another run at the state budget. […]
State Rep. Carol Sente, a Vernon Hills Democrat appointed to the House late last year, said the goal is to get enough members on board to block approval of existing budget plans until better alternatives are offered.
“We need to flip our own party,” Sente told the Daily Herald.
They will make some inroads, but don’t expect them to push this thing into overtime.
* Related and a roundup…
* Open season on teachers: You will be used as a cop-out, an excuse to explain how this rudderless state of ours was steered into financial ruin.
* Cabbies urging Gov. Quinn to block a raise in airport taxi tax
* Tim Davlin: Pension fix idea no help to taxpayers: While your editorial, “Pass a pension fix for police, firefighters,” is accurate in highlighting the urgent need for lawmakers to prioritize this critical issue, it fails to inform your readers of the significant tax burden they would be faced with if the state legislature passes House Bill 5873.
* We always figured that Rod Blagojevich was shifting legal bills away from his own office. Now, we have proof…
Illinois’ child-welfare agency and state police helped pay for ousted Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s research on impeachment under his policy of charging his office’s legal costs to other departments, the state auditor said Tuesday.
Out of $7.2 million worth of legal work for Blagojevich, his office paid less than $22,000, according to a report by Auditor General William Holland. The rest was charged to an array of state agencies that had no apparent connection to the legal services.
Click here for the summary digest, and click here for the full auditor general’s report.
Bill Holland is the state’s Auditor General. He says the governor’s office paid for less than one percent of those bills over a two year period, while 18 other state agencies picked up the rest of the tab.
HOLLAND: It does two things: One, it distorts what is the level of the governor’s budget, and, two, it also distorts what those other agencies are. I am certain that those agencies did not budget for outside legal counsel for the governor’s office.
Holland says using the attorney general would have saved the state money.
A spokeswoman for Attorney General Lisa Madigan says it’s clear Blagojevich didn’t want to work with her office.
The former governor — who now faces federal corruption charges — also shifted the cost of legal research regarding his power to appoint a person to Barack Obama’s vacant U.S. Senate seat.
The report shows that state agencies that serve poor children and disabled people were charged for the cost of hiring attorneys to work on depositions of the governor’s inner circle.
The report also noted that in 13 of the contracts the state paid money for legal work performed by individuals who were not licensed to practice law, and sometimes for amounts higher than stated in the contracts.
$300,000 for legal work on impeachment memos and the governor’s ability to call special legislative sessions was divided among eight agencies, including the state police and Department of Children and Family Services.
“Impeachment memos?” Blagojevich spent DCFS and state police cash on lawyers back in the summer of 2008 to research Speaker Madigan’s memo to candidates on how best to discuss the possible impeachment of the governor? If you need your memory refreshed, click here to read that memo. It was quite the talk of the town back then. Here is one of the least remembered moments…
House Speaker Michael Madigan’s memo on possibly impeaching Gov. Rod Blagojevich is complicating efforts to reach an agreement on balancing the state budget, other top officials said Wednesday — including some who argue Madigan relishes the distraction.
The memo has the top Republican in the Illinois House questioning how serious Madigan is about fixing a budget Blagojevich says is $2 billion out of whack or about passing a massive public works program that backers say will create jobs in the state.
“Is he more serious about creating a political document to, to play games with a … pretty important issue?” GOP Leader Tom Cross said.
Cross wondered about the Speaker’s priorities as he headed into a meeting Wednesday with Blagojevich and other top legislative leaders that Madigan opted not to attend, sending surrogates instead.
* Related…
* Blagojevich Petitions U.S. Supreme Court: The petitions, sent by overnight mail, ask the court to order a halt in the proceedings until it rules on the so-called “Honest Services” statute, under which Blagojevich was charged. The first is a 20-page petition for a writ of certiorari, which would be considered by the full court. The second, a five-page emergency application for a stay of trial proceedings, would go directly to Justice John Paul Stevens, who is assigned to matters stemming from Chicago’s seventh judicial circuit.
* Let’s look at how Jason Plummer’s refusal to disclose his income tax returns was managed. Here’s Plummer’s statement…
“The voters of Illinois are fundamentally concerned with making a clean break in our state. As we have sadly seen all too often in Illinois, voters also need to know any potential conflicts that a public official might have. My campaign has committed to putting the names of every one of my donors online, going beyond what the law requires. I have also ensured that my Statement of Economic Interest fully reflects any potential conflicts as the law requires.
“As a candidate for Lieutenant Governor, I personally believe, like many other statewide candidates and public officials in Illinois, that the issue of releasing individual tax returns is often used to serve as a political distraction by those who can not answer the real issues that voters care about. I will continue to fully offer donor information and information on any potential conflicts, but I will not be providing individual tax return information.
“Right now, Illinois needs a sound budget more than anything else. We need a governor who will provide leadership, not more of the Blagovjevich/Quinn politics of the past. I stand with the voters of Illinois who demand leadership and real answers to the problems our great state is facing. That is what I will continue talking about in this campaign.”
John Hoffman, a spokesman for the Brady-Plummer campaign, said Plummer has filed his taxes and did not seek an extension. He would not say how much Plummer paid the government.
* The Pat Quinn campaign’s full response…
We have learned a lot about the Brady/Plummer ticket since April 15.
First, they had a chance to come clean and disclose their taxes and instead they chose to cover up and hide.
Second, Brady only agreed to disclose his returns after Gov Quinn pushed him to do so.
Third, Brady kept hiding, even as he disclosed. The public was not afforded the opportunity to view his returns and access was extremely controlled and limited.
Fourth, we learned that Senator Brady thinks taxes ought to be paid by someone else. As a wealthy business person who also draws a nice salary as a state senator, Senator Brady avoided paying income taxes. And we learned that he doesn’t pay payroll taxes on his campaign staff. While not paying taxes - he still made sizeable loans to his campaign.
Now Jason Plummer has refused to disclose his taxes to voters of the state. Is it possible that he didn’t pay any taxes, as well? Or is there something else? What is he hiding?
Governor Quinn and Sheila Simon have championed ethics reform and accountability in government. They understand that there are no degrees of transparency. After the last two scandal-plagued administrations, voters and taxpayers want to be sure of the openness
and honesty of their public officials. If Jason Plummer can’t meet that test — Illinois residents deserve to know why.
Many voters have come to expect full financial disclosure from political candidates, especially in the first election after Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s impeachment, said Cindi Canary, director of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform.
“I think it’s unfortunate, because Mr. Plummer isn’t yet a widely known candidate,” Canary said. “In this election cycle in particular, voters have good reason to really want to scrutinize the candidates, both where they stand on the issues and how they conduct themselves personally.”
