* One of the reasons that labor unions backed off their initial intense opposition to Rahm Emanuel a couple months ago was that they were told Bubba and otheres were coming to town to campaign for the guy. Danny Davis isn’t pleased with the development…
When Congressman Danny Davis first heard that longtime friend former President Bill Clinton was coming to campaign for a rival in the Chicago mayor’s race, he was unfazed.
But the more the Democrat thought about it, the more worried he got, and he decided to issue this message to the former head of state: Butt out of Chicago politics — or else.
“While we recognize the right of any individual to endorse and support any candidate that they so choose, I am seriously concerned and disturbed by press reports that former President Bill Clinton is scheduled to come to Chicago to campaign for Rahm Emanuel, who is a candidate for Mayor.
“The African American community has enjoyed a long and fruitful relationship with the Clintons, however it appears as though some of that relationship maybe fractured and perhaps even broken should former President Clinton come to town and participate overtly in efforts to thwart the legitimate political aspirations of Chicago’s Black community.
“We respectfully request and urge former President Clinton not to become involved in the Chicago Mayoral Election.
Attorneys for Rahm Emanuel and those fighting his mayoral bid appeared briefly before a Cook County Circuit Court judge Tuesday, the start of what is expected to be a series of legal challenges to the Chicago Board of Elections Commissioners’ recent ruling allowing Emanuel on the Feb. 22 ballot.
Judge Mark Ballard set a hearing for next Tuesday, when both sides are expected to make their formal arguments — which are like going to sound very familiar. Ballard also gave Emanuel’s attorneys until Friday to respond to legal documents filed by those challenging his candidacy.
Burt Odelson, the main attorney for those objecting to Emanuel’s presence on the ballot, said he expects the judge to make a ruling on the case next Tuesday.
* Related…
* Candidate slams ‘overnight deals’ - Davis criticizes the role of political clout in Chicago.
* I told subscribers about this general idea a week or so ago. But I don’t think that the one-year plan being reported today in the Trib is actually what’s going on…
As the state’s stack of unpaid bills grows, Gov. Pat Quinn is floating the idea of borrowing roughly $15 billion to alleviate the pressure, though taxpayers would be saddled with loan payments for years.
The governor has approached several lawmakers with a plan he’s dubbed a “debt bond.” While the name is somewhat redundant, the thinking is the state can pay back what it owes and plug its big budget hole — if only for a year.
A one-year “solution” would be a genuinely stupid move if true. So I really don’t think it is true.
The state has to solve two problems here. The first is the structural deficit, which is about half of the $13-15 billion in red ink. For that, you need recurring revenues. A one-off loan won’t do anything about those recurring problems. The second task is the pile of past due bills, which is roughly about another half. That’s the part which can be taken care of with a bond. If you just borrowed $15 billion and didn’t raise revenues above and beyond the debt payments to wipe out the structural deficit (or use cuts in tandem to eliminate it), you’d be right back to square one in a year. Like I said, it would be stupid. And that’s why I don’t think this is a one-off plan. They may borrow $15 billion (last week, it was more like $9 billion, but things do change), but they also need to get rid of this structural deficit to prevent more past-due bills from piling up again.
Paying for any plan will require a tax hike…
The most conventional source of money to repay the loan — an income tax increase — is also the most controversial. House Speaker Michael Madigan has been polling his Democrats on a variety of tax-hike options to gauge which might have a chance of passing. The scenarios include theoretical tax increases that would be billed as temporary or permanent and range from 1 to 2 percentage points.
As subscribers know, Madigan recently moved in the direction of one of those tax hike plans. But, as I always warn, things do change, and nothing is final yet…
Publicly, Quinn is sticking by his proposed 1-percentage-point income tax increase, which he has dubbed a “surcharge for education.” Privately, the governor has discussed with lawmakers dividing the money generated from a tax increase between schools and the state’s general revenue fund. […]
For his part, Quinn said he continues to work on creating a “comprehensive revenue package.” Quinn supports raising taxes on cigarettes by up to $1 a pack and has indicated to some legislators that he could be coming around the idea of raising the gasoline tax — a move he previously has opposed.
* Meanwhile, my syndicated newspaper column looks at some of the changes ahead…
Organized labor is engaged in a furious multifront legislative war in Illinois, and more skirmishes may be on the horizon.
Trade and industrial unions are hoping to mitigate major damage from proposed workers compensation reforms. Teacher unions are trying to fend off what they consider to be some egregious education reforms. And public employee unions are warily eyeing a potential new battle against a well-known foe that their counterparts in other states have had to face in the recent past. Looking at the battlefield right now, you’d probably never know that Illinois Democrats held onto power in last month’s elections.
The House appears to be taking the more radically conservative approach, but the Democratic Senate president is determined to pass some form of workers compensation reform before the current General Assembly wraps up business in early January. The same unions that pumped hundreds of thousands of dollars into Senate campaigns are now fighting the very people they helped re-elect just a few short weeks ago.
The teacher unions are preparing scorched earth tactics for the House’s education reform bill, which they say will all but take away their right to strike, severely limit their collective bargaining powers and impose new state standards for firing or laying off teachers.
The union focus lately has turned toward a proposed constitutional amendment in the House for a so-called “Taxpayers Bill of Rights,” or TABOR, as it’s more commonly known around the nation. The proposal was quietly introduced during the veto session by Rep. Keith Farnham (D-Elgin), who also is backing the education reforms.
The measure would limit state spending to the previous year’s levels plus the average percentage increase (or decrease) of per capita personal income over the previous five years. Any spending above that would require a declaration of a fiscal emergency by the governor and a three-fifths vote in both chambers of the General Assembly. Any “extra” money would be placed in a rainy day fund or given back to taxpayers.
While House Speaker Michael Madigan’s position is not officially known, the unions have convinced themselves that Madigan will push it next month when the lame duck session resumes. Colorado’s TABOR required voter approval before spending or taxes could rise and was twice watered down in referendum voting. Attempts at passing similar proposals have failed in other states. Illinois may be the only state where a TABOR has Democratic backing.
The assault on public employee unions and government spending is not confined to Illinois, of course. Several other states are considering legislation to undermine the unions. Wisconsin’s new Republican governor-elect wants to get rid of collective bargaining rights for public workers. And New York’s Democratic governor-elect, Andrew Cuomo, has demanded a wage freeze from state employee unions and hinted at major layoffs if he doesn’t get what he wants. Cuomo also wants pension reform, teacher wage cuts and a 2 percent local property tax cap.
The Illinois Senate has been far less receptive to the House’s education reforms and likely will not love the Taxpayers Bill of Rights if it arrives. But the unions point to the big majorities for pension givebacks this year in both chambers and the Senate’s push for business-backed workers compensation and Medicaid reforms, so they aren’t taking any chances.
Unlike New York, where Cuomo courted trade unions during the campaign and tended to ignore the public employee/teachers unions, Gov. Pat Quinn heavily courted all sectors of organized labor and received gigantic contributions from pretty much everybody. Quinn, the unions believe, could be the ultimate “stopper.”
But if these and potentially other reforms are used by legislative Democrats to pry loose Republican votes for a tax hike, Quinn may have no choice but to climb on board and bite the hands which fed him so well this year.
So far, the House Republicans appear to be a bit more receptive to Democratic outreach than they were even a few weeks ago. The odds are still stacked against it, but if the Democrats keep moving rightward, the Republicans might (emphasis on “might”) possibly release a few votes for a tax hike.
As we’re all painfully aware, two Chicago firefighters were killed on the job Wednesday after neighbors thought there might be homeless people inside a burning building. Seventeen other firefighters were injured as they scoured the structure for survivors.
Like just about everyone else, I was deeply moved by the firefighters’ heroism. But then I got angry as my thoughts turned to all the unfair and downright misleading public employee bashing we’ve seen this year.
Firefighters, police officers and everyone else who draws a public paycheck have seemed at times to be a modern-day version of the Ronald Reagan era’s “Cadillac-driving welfare queens.”
Their salaries and benefits are far too lavish, we’ve been told time and time again. The Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago is on a mission to drastically reduce public pensions, including for firefighters, so that their overall compensation is more in line with the “private sector.” This city’s “other newspaper” has all but turned its editorial page over to the committee.
The Civic Committee is chaired by a corporate CEO who made more than $15 million last year, according to Forbes.
I seriously doubt that this particular aspect of the “private sector” is what the committee is referring to, however.
Look, I don’t disagree that there are serious problems with the public pension systems.
But how many workers in the “private sector” are paid to run into burning buildings to see if there might possibly be homeless people inside?
Too often, these workers have been dismissed this year as little more than parasites. The truth is, many do the jobs that you or I would not or could not do, for any wage.
Would the four financially well-off leaders of the Illinois General Assembly who are now pushing Medicaid reforms clean up the blood spilled on a hospital emergency room floor at 3 a.m?
The leaders are also attempting to muscle through workers’ compensation reforms, but would any of them volunteer to spend a month working on a busy expressway?
They’re attempting to limit the rights of Chicago teachers to collectively bargain. Would they spend their days attempting to lift inner city youths to greater heights?
Would the editorial board members of that “other newspaper” patrol Chicago’s meanest streets?
Again, let me be clear: Reforms are most certainly needed for every topic mentioned above.
What gets me so riled up is the one-sided tone of this debate. Workers who have given their lives to public service are too often demeaned as overcompensated and unimportant. And those who speak up for the workers are immediately tagged as “shilling for the unions.”
I suppose this climate should’ve been predictable. Times are tough. Millions are out of work and millions more are worried they could be tossed out of their jobs as well. They can’t sell their homes, and even if they could, they’d end up owing money because property values have plummeted.
They’re in no mood to pay for pensions and other benefits that they don’t also receive. They’re angry as hell and this is an easy target, partly because the unions have served themselves up, partly because the people who are in a position to most influence the public debate are taking full advantage of the situation.
What we need here are compromises which recognize both the inability of society to fund everything that has been promised and the responsibility of that same society to pay for the services it too often takes for granted.
Maybe this week’s tragic events can snap us all back to reality. We shouldn’t turn each other into enemies.
In March, the General Assembly and Gov. Pat Quinn saved Illinois an estimated $220 billion in pension costs over the next 25 years by passing sweeping pension-benefit reductions for future public employees whose retirements are state-funded.
But by doing so, they may have shifted a big chunk of retirement costs to school districts, local governments and the taxpayers who support them.
The cut to benefits is so severe that future teachers probably will have to be put in the federal Social Security system, according to a consultant’s report for the Teachers’ Retirement System.
“It seems likely that, at some point in the future, the TRS second tier plan will no longer meet the requirements for FICA (Social Security) tax exemption,” says the report from Buck Consultants.
* Rev. Sen. James Meeks dropped out of the mayor’s race today, just as the Sun-Times reported he’d do yesterday. Tribune…
“It is long past time that we build on the tremendous successes of the great Harold Washington and his administration by electing another African-American to become our mayor. But as long as our community remains divided and splintered – to the specific advantage of the front-running, status quo candidates – we will never see things improve. We need to speak with one voice.
“So, even as I continue to believe that I would be both the best prepared and the most electorally viable candidate in this race, I have chosen to lead by example. I am hereby announcing my withdrawal from this race, and am urging the other African-American candidates to do likewise.
“In so doing, I am endorsing no one person; rather, I am asking all of the African-American candidates to subordinate their own candidacies to the greater good of our city and our community, and submit to a caucus of clergy, elected officials, and residents whose sole purpose shall be to winnow the remaining field down to one candidate. Under no circumstances will I be a candidate for Mayor this year; I want to be a part of this process, and there should be no question about my motives,” the statement read.
The Tribune also reported that Meeks was balking at releasing his income tax returns.
* The Sun-Times has react from the other two black candidates. Meeks urged that one of the two drop out as well…
No chance, Davis and Braun told the Chicago Sun-Times.
While Meeks is dropping out, Davis says he’s “dropping in,” and is moving ahead with planned fund-raisers, endorsement sessions and town hall discussions. I’m moving ahead.”
Moseley Braun spokeswoman Renee Ferguson said the former senator also is “in the race for good.”
In November, a coalition of black clergy members, business leaders and community activists concerned about splitting the black vote selected Davis as their preferred candidate. A Chicago Tribune/WGN poll released earlier this month showed Davis was the leading black candidate in the crowded field, with support from 9 percent of registered likely voters.
Meeks followed with 7 percent, and Braun had 6 percent.
A spokeswoman for the coalition, Tracey Alston, said Thursday that group leaders are still convinced one black unity candidate will emerge.
“Stay tuned,” Alston said. “The process is ongoing. It will remain ongoing until there is one candidate.”
* I will probably post a few stories before returning full-scale on January 3rd, but comments will be closed. The automated news feeds will continue operating, of course, so check back if you want to keep up on the latest doings.
* I did this last year, so I thought we’d start a new tradition. Those of us who grew up watching Chicago TV will remember this one…
Though old Santa really has no need for Joe
But takes him ’cause he loves him so
* House Speaker Michael Madigan recently received a contribution solicitation from the Better Government Association. The BGA’s Andy Shaw says this was an oops. They don’t take money from politicians and Madigan has been removed from the mailing list. In the fundraising letter, Shaw says the BGA is “watching” the politicians. Madigan sent a letter in reply…
Dear Andy: Concerning the enclosed solicitation where you state “we’re watching.” Andy, who is watching you. With kindest personal regards, I remain, sincerely, Mike.
Shaw’s response…
I appreciate [Madigan’s] endorsement of a transparent process that encourages a vast audience of Illinois residents to watch all of us—that’s the civic engagement we so desperately need to clean up the mess we call Illinois government. So I invite Mr. Speaker and everyone in Illinois to watch what we’re doing at the BGA, as we attack waste, fraud, patronage, cronyism, nepotism, pay-to-play and inside deals with every tool at our disposal—media partners, TV, radio, website and social media
I also encourage the speaker to mobilize his considerable power and expertise in concert with other political, business, labor and civic leaders to forge longterm solutions to the state’s budget and pension crises. The BGA is eager to join the discussion, and we hope that Illinois residents will be watching this process closely because no government challenge is more important as we turn the calendar on another year.
* The Question: What do you make of Madigan’s letter?
Snark is not discouraged.
…Adding… I posted this in comments, but then I figured I should probably put it here so nobody misses it…
People, c’mon. It’s Christmas. A little more jocularity and a little less jugular, please.
* 1:52 am - Chicago elections board hearing officer Joe Morris has recommended that Rahm Emanuel should stay on the mayoral ballot. Morris’ full report can be read by clicking here.
This is a non-binding recommendation. The full board will take up the matter at 9 o’clock this morning. Check ABC7’s website for live Internet video.
The preponderance of this evidence is that [Emanuel] never formed an intention to terminate his residence in Chicago; never formed an intention to establish his residence in Washington, DC, or any place other than Chicago; and never formed an intention to change his residence. […]
The weight of this evidence shows that the Objectors failed to bear their burden of proof and persuasion that the Candidate intended, in 2009 or 2010, to effect any change in his residence or to be anything other than a resident of Chicago for electoral purposes.
Once residence has been established in Illinois, the touchstone of continued residence is the intention of the resident and not the physical fact of “having a place to sleep”. […]
It should not be lost that every citizen and resident of Illinois is also a citizen of the United States… This “dual citizenship” inheres in the very idea of a federal republic, and the business of the United States is as much the legitimate concern of a citizen of Illinois as is the business of the State or of one of its municipalities. To this end, Illinois law expressly protects the residential status and electoral rights of Illinois citizens who are called to serve the national government. Section 3-2 of the Illinois Election Code, 10 ILCS 5/3-2 thus provides, in pertinent part:
[N]o elector… shall be deemed to have lost his or her residence in any precinct or electoral district in this State by reason of his or her absence on business of the United States, or of this State.
There is no principled reason to exclude service in the Executive Office of the President or elsewhere in the executive branch from the ambit of “business of the United States” any more than to exclude service in the armed forces, the diplomatic corps, Congress, or the Federal judiciary.
The preponderance of the evidence establishes that the sole reason for the Candidate’s absence from Chicago during 2009 and 2010 was by reason of his attendance ot business of the United States.
Morris also ruled that Emanuel owed no fines to the city, as the opposition had alleged. Past-due fines are an automatic candidacy killer in Chicago. Read the whole thing and then give us your thoughts.
State law requires mayoral candidates to “have resided” in the city for the year prior to Election Day. The only exception is for active-duty members of the military.
But Morris ruled that Emanuel did not forfeit his status as a Chicago resident when he agreed to give up a seat in Congress to serve at President Obama’s side.
Even after renting out his Chicago home, Emanuel continued to pay the property tax bill, vote from that address and list it on his Illinois driver’s license and checking account. […]
Odelson is expected to appeal if, as expected, the three-member election board affirms Morris’ ruling.
Actually, the “only exception” is not just for active-duty military, as Morris’ opinion clearly states.
Also Wednesday, Emanuel’s campaign moved quickly to correct an e-mail that went out to supporters lamenting the Chicago firefighter tragedy while also asking for campaign donations.
“As we celebrate this holiday season, we must remember how fortunate we are that we have brave men and women working out there every day to protect our homes, our communities and our families,” the e-mail from Emanuel read.
Included after those words was an electronic button marked “Donate.”
Emanuel spokesman Ben LaBolt said the gaffe resulted from the wrong template being used in sending out the e-mail. The campaign corrected the mistake, and when e-mail recipients clicked the link they got a message of apology and a link to a list of organizations taking donations for the firefighters’ families.
Oof.
* Related…
* NY Times: Hearing Officer Says Emanuel Eligible to Run for Chicago Mayor
* AP: Report: Emanuel should be in Chicago mayor’s race: “The hearing officer is sort of like an Italian traffic signal—it’s a mere suggestion. He is basically giving his opinion,” said Paul Green, a political scientist at Roosevelt University in Chicago.
* Bloomberg: Emanuel Meets Chicago Residency Rule for Mayoral Race
* FT: Political rottweiler changes tack in mayor polls: He has now undergone a transformation. Pugnacity has been replaced by affability, aggression by geniality, and the famously quick temper has given way to seemingly endless patience.
* Meeks is wrong on contracting issue: Contrary to his personal view that only African Americans have suffered discrimination, courts throughout this nation have found otherwise; that, in fact, African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, Arab Americans, American Indians, women and persons with disabilities, have all suffered from discriminatory practices. Those rulings have provided the constitutional basis for the minority/women/disadvantaged business enterprise programs in Chicago as well as the state of Illinois. These programs dictate that eligible minority and women-owned businesses shall be entitled to a percentage of government contracts. We would certainly hope that whoever is elected the mayor of this great city would respect the rule of law and maintain the program that serves to provide job and business opportunities to all Chicagoans and not just a select few.
*** UPDATE 1 - 9:49 am *** Objector Burt Odelson has just finished his statement. He said that Joe Morris’ opinion is “shallow” when it talks about the residency laws. He claimed that Morris looked at statutory construction on the municipal fines issue, but ignored it on the residency issue. Odelson said the recommendation gives new “hope” to city employees who want to live outside Chicago because they could just demonstrate “intent” to reside in the city.
“This (69-page) recommendation, I’m trying to guard my words, is shallow. It’s shallow in reciting the facts,” Odelson said.
“I was extremely disappointed we had to wait that long for such a poor product. This wasn’t a difficult case. It only became difficult because of all of the objectors.”
All of Emanuel’s actions — including applying for a homeowner’s exemption, and amending his 2009 tax returns to declare he was an Illinois resident — each came after Mayor Richard Daley announced he would not seek re-election, Odelson said.
Odelson declared Emanuel’s moves as “self-serving action(s) taken to bolster his residency.”
* Also, if you’re having trouble with ABC7’s live feed, WGN also has one.
It would be different if he’d pulled up roots and settled elsewhere, but in fact Emanuel took steps to preserve his residency: He leased his house rather than selling it; he voted absentee from his Chicago address and listed it on his vehicle registration and driver’s license. In such cases, the law focuses on intent, and Emanuel clearly meant to come home to Chicago.
The election code is silent on marmalade. Everything else is pretty straightforward. Heck, the appeals are probably already written.
Thursday’s board decision won’t put this to rest. But it should be a pretty easy vote.
*** UPDATE 2 - 11:42 am *** We now have a motion and a second to adopt Morris’ report. That’s two out of three.
*** UPDATE 3 - 11:43 am *** Looks like it’ll be a unanimous vote because the chairman is now saying he’ll side with the other two.
“It was a difficult case to manage. For me, it was not a difficult case to decide,” said Richard Cowen, an elections commissioner.
The election board, however, is not expected to have final say on the issue. The losing objectors have a week to appeal the board’s decision to the Cook County Circuit Court. The case could wind its way through the court system, including the Illinois Court of Appeals and the Illinois Supreme Court, for weeks.
“My goal is to get this through the courts as soon as possible,” said Burt Odelson, lead attorney for the objectors, to Emanuel’ attorneys after the commissioners rendered their decision.
*** UPDATE 5 *** Gery Chico’s response…
“For too long, the mayor’s race has been focused on residency, not real issues.
“From day one, my campaign has proposed and released more comprehensive policy plans to improve the City of Chicago than any other candidate.
“No matter who gets in or out of this race, I believe I am the best prepared to lead this city in a whole new direction.”
* 3:22 pm - In case you’re wondering, I checked with the Chicago elections board a little while ago and was told they haven’t yet received hearing officer Joe Morris’ recommendations in the Rahm Emanuel residency case. Morris was originally scheduled to turn in his brief yesterday afternoon, which morphed into last night, which morphed into midday today. Midday has come and gone, of course.
The board will meet tomorrow to decide Emanuel’s fate. Check this post for updates.
From the board…
The members of the Chicago Electoral Board will meet to hear this case and most likely issue a decision at a session that will start at 9 a.m. on Thurs., Dec. 23 at 69 W. Washington St., in the Lower Level Conference Room. This is an open meeting. This is the same room at the base of the escalator where the evidentiary hearing was conducted last week. The attorneys on both sides have already requested a “Rule 20″ hearing to address the Board before the Commissioners vote.
* Meanwhile, the Chicago Sun-Times reports that Rev. Sen. James Meeks may drop out of the race…
Congressman Danny Davis, former U.S. Senator Carol Moseley Braun and State Sen. James Meeks met privately Wednesday in a last-ditch effort to unite behind a consensus black candidate for mayor.
One day before Thursday’s deadline to drop out of the race, the three top African-Americans in the race tried once again to find the unity that has so far eluded them.
The candidates discussed current election poll results and “factors that will contribute most significantly to victory for whoever is running and their chances of being successful,” Davis told the Chicago Sun-Times.
Braun confirmed she met with her opponents, but told reporters she “would not make news” on that topic.
If any of the three major black candidates drop out of the race, it’s most likely to be Meeks. And a source familiar with Wednesday’s discussion said that could happen soon.
*** UPDATE 1 *** I just talked to Meeks’ spokesman. The relevant quotes…
“Meeks is not dropping out… He’s gotten nothing but encouragement from people for speaking out on the minority and women-owned business program… A meeting took place, but he’s not dropping out.”
…Adding… In making some more calls, I’m not sure I totally believe the campaign’s denial. We’ll see soon enough.
*** UPDATE 2 - 9:57 pm *** From James Allen, spokesperson for the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners…
We’re told a recommendation in the residency case should be coming in the next hour or so.
History will remember Richard J. Daley as Chicago’s greatest mayor, his son said Tuesday as he approached the day he will surpass his father’s record of more than 21 years in office.
Asked about the significance of the fact he will take the crown for mayoral longevity on Dec. 26, Mayor Richard M. Daley pointed out it wouldn’t even be a question if his father had lived to the end of his term.
* The Question: Who was the greatest mayor in Chicago history? Explain.
* Illinois lost out on holding onto 19 congressional seats by just 75,046 residents, according to Election Data Services. Our population increased, just not enough. Illinois hasn’t gained a seat in Congress since 1910. The West and the South have been picking up seats for the past 70 years…
“The trend is growth in seats for western and southern states, and a tendency to lose seats in the Midwest and Northeastern states. In fact, since 1940 there’s been a net shift of 79 seats to the South and West,” said Robert Groves, director of the Census Bureau.
So, while it sucks that we’re losing a congressional seat due to reapportionment, and while we certainly have more than our share of problems here, the Chicago Tribune editorial today was just downright breathlessly negative…
The loss of a congressional seat is a barometer of many things. But most of all it is a barometer of people making decisions — about themselves, their children and the kind of future that Illinois promises.
Would you come to a state that makes national headlines not only for the size of its estimated $15 billion deficit this fiscal year, but also for its political leaders’ inability to dig in and reform how they spend?
Would you come to a state where thousands of kids are doomed to dead-end classrooms, where bright school reforms struggle and the dim status quo often prevails?
Where public corruption investigations provide one of the few employment growth industries? Where too many people around the world now think of Illinois as the chronically corrupt Land of Blago?
Where some $130 billion in unfunded obligations for public employees’ retirement benefits may — unless lawmakers come to their senses — condemn taxpayers and their progeny to decades of tomorrows spent retiring today’s debt from yesterday’s commitments?
Actually, we are gaining population. People are moving here. Yeah, we’re screwed up, but considering how close we came to keeping 19 seats, and considering the historical trends, losing one seat isn’t some Greek tragedy of epic proportions. We lost a seat in 1950 and again in 1960, when we were still pretty darned strong. Back in those days, we had worker shortages all over the place, yet we still lost seats.
Again, losing a seat in Congress is unacceptable. We should definitely use this as a learning, humbling experience. But we lost seats when we were still hitting on all cylinders as well. The Tribune ought to look at a little history to put things into perspective before screaming bloody murder again.
· The 2010 Census showed the nation grew 9.7% since 2000. Based on the Census Bureau’s 2009 ACS 1-Year Estimates, the Latino population grew 37% from 2000 to 2009, where the non-Latino White population grew less than 3%. Stated otherwise, Latinos made up 51% of the United States total population growth, compared to non-Latino White population contributing 21% of the U.S. total population growth.
· Based on the ACS data, in the following 16 states Latino population growth accounted for more than 60% of the state’s total population growth: California, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, and West Virginia. Latino population growth represents more than half the state’s population growth in 21 states.
In the eight states that gained Congressional Districts under the 2010 Census, the 2009 ACS data show that, with the exception of Florida and Texas, the Latino population grew more than 55%. In Texas and Florida, the Latino population grew a respective 37.16% and 48.82%. These relatively lower percentages represent large figures, with the states growing by 2,478,390 and 1,309,582 Latinos respectively. [Emphasis added.]
*** UPDATE *** From the Latino Policy Forum…
Illinois will be down a seat in the House of Representatives following the 2012 elections, according to yesterday’s US Census Bureau announcement. Analysis from the Latino Policy Forum indicates that two seats would have been stripped from Illinois, had the state’s Latino population not grown as dramatically as it has over the past decade.
“Latinos have made significant, well-documented contributions to the workforce and economy,” said Sylvia Puente, executive director of the Latino Policy Forum. “But beyond economics, Census data show how Latinos’ sheer numbers are benefiting Illinois.”
Without a Latino population increase of nearly half a million people since 2000, Illinois would have fallen short of the population needed for an 18th House seat, having sufficient population for just 17 seats. This shortfall is estimated at 315,656 to 368,937 people, according to analysis from the Latino Policy Forum.
Based on total apportionment population, each House seat represents 716,767 people, meaning that Illinois’ current 18-seat apportionment requires a population of 12,793,806. But without the Latino growth, Illinois population would have come in at an estimated 12,424,869, good for only 17 House seats.
* Related…
* Democrats in charge of drawing map: How can Illinois be gaining population and still be losing a seat in the U.S. House? The simple answer is that Illinois’ population did not grow enough during the past 10 years compared with other states.
* Illinois loses congressional seat: If the census shows a big Hispanic population increase in Illinois — and if that growth is not scattered across the state —Illinois Democrats may be under pressure to create a second Hispanic district. The first Hispanic district in Illinois was drawn following the 1990 census — a convoluted “C”-shaped district that includes Hispanic neighborhoods on Chicago’s North and South Sides wrapped around a district running from the lakefront to the near western suburbs.
* Remap war begins as census figures roll out: While detailed intrastate population breakdowns won’t be available for at least a few weeks, insiders are suggesting that the figures may well indicate that Chicago and Cook County no longer have enough African-Americans to sustain three super-majority black districts but enough Latinos to force creation of a second majority-Latino district.
* Illinois loses seat in U.S. House: Privately, some Democrats and Republicans agree that potential scenarios could involve merging parts of Schilling’s district with those of the 18th central Illinois district of Republican U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock of Peoria and the northwestern Illinois 16th District of U.S. Rep. Donald Manzullo of Leaf River. Schilling, of Colona, lives about 65 miles away from both Schock and from Manzullo, making it easier for mapmakers to set up potential head-to-head matches in a largely rural part of the state. Still, closer to Chicago, elements of Manzullo’s district also could be combined with the North Shore 10th District of Dold and 8th District of Walsh.
* Illinois gains population, but loses a congressman - Costello, Shimkus should be safe in redistricting: On the bubble, however, will be Schilling, a member of the GOP’s conservative Tea Party wing and one of four House freshmen elected last month. Schilling defeated Rep. Phil Hare, D-Rock Island. Cobbled together from other districts a decade ago during the last redistricting, Schilling’s 17th District — which stretches for north of Rock Island, hugs Illinois’ western border and reaches into sections of Madison, Sangamon and Macon counties — makes a logical target for the Democrat leaders to split up among other districts, including Shimkus’, Jackson said.
* Illinois political parties map strategy: Illinois taxpayers could shell out as much as $3.4 million in the upcoming battle to redraw the state’s political boundaries.
A City Hall insider for decades, Chicago mayoral candidate Gery Chico has made millions of dollars in the last few years from his law firm that lobbies for clients seeking city business, according to three years of tax returns he released Tuesday.
Chico’s 2009 federal income tax return shows he and his wife, a school consultant, made $2.6 million. The couple paid about $830,000 in federal taxes on their income. They paid more than $900,000 in federal taxes the year before, when they declared $2.9 million in earnings, according to the records. […]
Chico’s law firm, Chico & Nunes, is a registered City Hall lobbyist for more than 40 companies — including large corporations such as Cisco Systems, Exelon Generation and Clear Channel — according to city records.
Chico said that if he is elected mayor, he would sever ties with the law firm but would not ask the firm to give up its business lobbying at City Hall.
I know lots of lobbyists. Almost all are more honest and scrupulous than many people I know outside of politics. The problem is, the common folk don’t think so. To them, lobbyists carry bags of cash around to hand out to crooked politicians. If Chico does start to surge, Rahm Emanuel can use that tagline against him. And it’ll probably be effective. That last statement about refusing to ask his firm to stop lobbying the city just makes it worse.
*** UPDATE *** From the Chico campaign…
- Gery isn’t a lobbyist and hasn’t had that registration since he was appointed to the Park District in 2007.
- Gery’s law firm isn’t primarily a lobbying firm - most revenues come from litigation, federal regulatory law, real estate transactions, construction safety and employment.
- if Gery is elected, he would sever all ties with the firm. As mayor, he would go further and restrict his old firm from being eligible from bidding on any city contracts. (just fyi, as part of his ethics plan, Gery would also abolish no-bid contracts and put everything out to competitive bid, which could save the city millions…)
- A little context here in terms of transparency. The Trib asked for his tax returns about 3 weeks ago, and we provided this openly and transparently as soon as Gery’s accountant prepared it for us. I believe Gery is the only serious competitor who has been working in the private sector, and we released three years of his tax returns…. and others like Rahm Emanuel, Carol Mosely Braun & James Meeks have yet to release their tax returns.
The chairman of the City Council’s Black Caucus is in danger of being knocked off the ballot because of outstanding fines stemming from code violations at a pair of Chicago properties he allegedly owns.
But scroll down…
Other sources said Kasper is arguing that at least one of the outstanding fines stem from an eight-year-old citation issued to the “correct address, but the wrong” real estate identification or PIN number.
“His name got dragged into it,” a source said of Burnett. “The citation was for work done without a permit. The property [Burnett] owns is vacant.”
Before filing for re-election, Burnett asked the city to run a “debt check” on him. It came back “clean,” said a source close to the alderman.
* We haven’t heard the last of this one, methinks…
Weeks after Cook County Assessor Joseph Berrios drew criticism for putting his son and sister on the payroll, a report was sent out by two county watchdogs reminding of ethics rules against hiring kin.
The two-page “advisory,” co-authored by county Inspector General Patrick Blanchard and ethics board chief MaryNic Foster, doesn’t go after Berrios specifically, but tongues are wagging about the timing of its release and the clear reminder of the ethics ordinance, which prohibits county elected officials and other employees from hiring or immediately supervising a relative. […]
Asked whether Berrios might rethink the hires considering he may have violated county ethics law, [spokeswoman Kelley Quinn] said: “Absolutely not. I think because we do have them here, this transition has gone smoothly.”
* Related…
* Springfield’s Education Reforms And The Chicago Mayoral Race
* Coming To Their Consensus - Blacks labored in vain to unite behind a single mayoral candidate. Meanwhile, all but one of the top white contenders have bowed out.
* Inspector General urges City Hall adopt no-gift policy: “This is an area that is fraught with the possibility of bribery at worst and the appearance of impropriety at best…A history of unchecked gift-giving…creates a perception of partiality,” Ferguson wrote.
* Preckwinkle names new aides on county contracts: The county’s new purchasing agent is Maria de Lourdes Coss, a Chicago city official who most recently worked as a purchasing director at the University of Illinois-Chicago. The new contract compliance director is E. LaVerne Hall, most recently at the Chicago Public Schools business diversity office.
Already financially strapped because of lower tax revenues and budget reductions, suburban schools this school year are grappling with new state funding cuts aimed directly at bus transportation.
The state budget last summer cut more than $146 million from the regular transportation budget line item for elementary and secondary education, resulting in a reduction of more than 40 percent from last year, according to the Illinois Association of School Boards.
On top of that, most districts still are waiting to receive state transportation funds from last year, leaving some districts across the state scrambling to keep their transportation budgets afloat. […]
Complicating matters is a state law that, with few exceptions, requires school districts to provide bus service to children living 11/2 miles or more from school. Transportation also is required for those students who live within 11/2 miles but whose route has been deemed a hazard to walk.
Like I’ve been saying for months, the state is one of the greatest drags on Illinois’ economy.
* And people just don’t seem to understand why this is so. Here’s a recent letter to the editor in the Lake County News Sun…
Where is all the money from the Illinois Lottery going? I thought this was going the schools? So why are they so broke?
Yeah. The Lottery brings in [said in Karl Sagan’s voice] billions and billions of dollars. Right. Everything is supposed to be so easy. It ain’t.
[East St. Louis] Mayor Alvin L. Parks Jr. said he plans to give up half of his salary to help save some police officers’ jobs.
Parks said Monday that he will give up $25,000 of the $50,000 salary he is paid as mayor. He said it will be effective Jan. 1 for one year.
Parks is hopeful that other city leaders will follow his lead and give up something to help save the officers’ job.
City officials are considering a plan to lay off 19 police officers, four public works workers and one full- and one part-time telecommuicator. Thirteen firefighters are already laid off, and City Manager Deletra Hudson said they will remain off.
The $340 million budget approved Tuesday attempts to eliminate an $18 million deficit. It cuts city spending by about $7 million while reducing or eliminating other planned projects. It strips out 98 full-time positions cut through retirements, voluntary separations and layoffs.
It eliminates the Office of Special Events, all historic preservation incentives, and most of the money for historic preservation and public art.
And, like most municipalities, it shows increasing amounts of money going toward health insurance and public pensions.
The budget also relies on concessions from all city employees, or further cuts if unions don’t agree to other cuts. All employees have been asked to take a 10 percent salary cut or the equivalent in concessions. Two of the city’s unions have already reached agreements.
The Jonesboro Elementary School Board, meeting Tuesday night at the grade school, heard plenty of comments about a proposed 4.5 percent increase in the tax levy, but ultimately decided unanimously to make no increase at all in the levy.
The move came at the recommendation of Superintendent Gary Hill, who explained that as the equalized assessed valuation of properties in the district increases, more money will be collected even at the same levy rate. […]
Hill said the $350,000 in state aid paid to the district this year came from the state’s use of federal stimulus funds, but questioned where next year’s state aid will come from.
In order to meet those [pension] obligations, which its 2011 budget puts at $1.25 million, the McHenry City Council last July raised its sales tax by 50 percent, or from 1 percent to 1.5 percent.
The 2011 obligation is nearly four times greater than the $327,380 the city paid into its public safety pension fund in 2001. […]
Statewide, the cost of police pensions more than doubled over a 10-year period, from $86 million in 1997 to $215 million in 2008, according to the Illinois Municipal League. Firefighter pensions during that time increased by the same percentage, from $70 million to $176 million. […]
“One cause [of the pension crisis] is the downturn in the market, but another equally important thing is all the pension sweeteners approved over many years that increase the cost for municipalities and the state of Illinois, as well,” Cary’s Davis said.
* Things are so bad that Brookfield wants to charge an entrance tax on its town’s storied zoo. The Sun-Times delivers an appropriate response…
In trying to understand why the Village of Brookfield, after decades of peaceful co-existence, wants to stick Brookfield Zoo with a big new tax on admissions, we’re reminded of what Willie Sutton said about why he robbed banks:
“That’s where the money is.”
The Village of Brookfield, like pretty much every suburb and Chicago, is hurting for money and desperate to find ways to increase revenues without hiking property taxes. If you’re the City of Chicago, you resort to half-baked solutions like privatizing parking meters. If you’re the Village of Brookfield, you go after the zoo, slapping a 25-cent amusement tax on every admission ticket, hoping to pull in up to $500,000 a year. […]
Further eroding the village’s argument is the state law, which more than 80 years ago established the zoo on Cook County Forest Preserve District land, to be operated by the non-profit Chicago Zoological Society. That law is widely read in Springfield as requiring that the zoo’s full price of admission be used to run the zoo — and for nothing else. State law also prohibits one government — in this case, the village — from imposing a tax on another government — in this case, the forest preserve district.
* Related…
* Illinois Human Service Cuts Mean Tough Times For Women: The Center for Tax and Budget Accountability predicts human services programs are most at risk. In a new report titled “Gender Disparities In Human Services” (PDF), the center argues that human service programs simply don’t hold the same appeal as other general fund-supported programs. “Not everyone has direct experience, for instance, with mental health, developmental disability, substance abuse or child abuse concerns. In a political system which allocates scarce public financial resources among competing, legitimate public services, those services with the smaller constituencies are most likely to be cut,” the report says. Indeed, CTBA’s report says that over the last 10 years, the state “has cut its real investment in various human service programs collectively by more than $4.4 billion.” No other “core” programming area has faced such a loss of resources.
* Planned layoffs of deputies spurs outrage downstate
* Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs is dismantled as 29 are laid off
* Soup Kitchens, Food Banks Looking For Help: According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the Greater Chicago Food Depository (GCFD) has seen a 36 percent increase in the number of people seeking assistance since 2006. Between July and October of this year, food pantries throughout the Chicago area fed 1.7 million visitors.
* Judge weighs tossing out atheist’s suit over state grant
Longtime friend and lawyer, the former Gov. James Thompson, said if an appeal fails, he would make a plea with the U.S. Bureau of Prisons to place Ryan on supervised release and allow him to tend to his ill wife.
“The BOP policy would be a last resort if he has no judicial relief,” Thompson said on a phone interview from Paris. He said the Ryan family never held their hopes high.
* Sneed: Dressed in the clothes she was to wear to a Kankakee hospital, she said she talked to George after learning he wouldn’t be released. “He seemed upbeat. He said it wasn’t over. We still had hope.”
* Prison for Will County senior?: Judge Daniel J. Rozak said he will make a decision Dec. 30 on whether 69-year-old Charles Clements should be placed on probation or sentenced to time in prison for killing Joshua Funches during a spat over Clements’ lawn in May.
* Another Cook County Probationer Goes “Off Leash”: Antonio Glasper, of 14437 South Halsted, and five accomplices were charged with armed robbery and other crimes after police say they burst into the business armed with handguns and left with several hundred dollars. Unlike his companions, Glasper was on probation with the Cook County Adult Probation Department.
* Needle Exchange Site Might lose Its Special Use Permit: The zoning board of appeals is looking into whether the needle exchange program should be allowed to operate out of its downtown location. But with a 400-percent increase in direct care services this year alone, the director for total health awareness fears it could put Rockford citizens in danger.
* Equality Illinois to begin search for new public policy director - Rick Garcia fired from state’s largest gay rights group
* Cherkasov: focus not on the personalities, but on full equality
* Amtrak arrival part of broader plan for Tutty’s Crossing, downtown
* Canadian National fined $250,000 - Regulators say railway underreported Chicago-area crossing delays
* Meals on wheels: Chicago City Council should ease limits on food trucks
* Chicago adding in-school health centers: The center, which opened in October and is operated by the nonprofit Heartland International Health Center, serves students at Hibbard and two nearby CPS schools, Albany Park Multicultural Academy and Thomas Edison Regional Gifted Center. It offers comprehensive health services and dental care to students at no cost to families. Next semester it will begin offering mental health services.
* Memorial marks 100-year-old tragedy of Stock Yards disaster
* Madigan: Chicago Man Sentenced for Securities Fraud, Theft
* 6 Businesses Busted For Smoking: The Macon County Health Department issued citations to the following establishments: AIW Hall, Bud’s on Green, Elmer’s O’le Time Inn, Ken’s A-Frame, Rocco’s and the Sundown Lounge.
