Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar » Ricketts plan, luxury tax suffer deadly fate
SUBSCRIBE to Capitol Fax      Advertise Here      About     Exclusive Subscriber Content     Updated Posts    Contact Rich Miller
CapitolFax.com
To subscribe to Capitol Fax, click here.
Ricketts plan, luxury tax suffer deadly fate

Wednesday, Mar 30, 2011 - Posted by Rich Miller

* On Sunday, Senate President John Cullerton dusted off his plan to use Chicago’s amusement tax growth to help finance upgrades outside Wrigley Field

The multi-million dollar proposal would upgrade Wrigley’s creaky creature comforts for both fans and players. The Ricketts family, owners of the Cubs, said they would not alter the fundamental appearance of the historic ballpark.

The idea fell flat in Springfield this past winter. The Ricketts family and their lobbyists tried to push it through in the same lame duck session that approved a 67 percent increase in the Illinois income tax.

In a Fox Chicago Sunday taping, Cullerton said that he thinks the measure has better prospects in the current spring session. He hopes the General Assembly would vote to approve it by Memorial Day.

“There should be some conditions,” Cullerton said. “First of all, Mr. Ricketts has to come up with half the money himself. He should make sure that he comes up with that first. If there’s money to be spent inside the park, that’s where he should spend his money.”

* But Mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel is a no-go

Mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel said Tuesday he wants to find a way to save 97-year-old Wrigley Field, but the taxpayer-financed plan being floated anew by Cubs’ chairman Tom Ricketts is a “non-starter.” […]

After striking out with Mayor Daley and Gov. Quinn, Ricketts had hoped for a different outcome with Emanuel.

But during a post-election meeting with Ricketts, Emanuel said he reiterated the “healthy skepticism” he expressed during the campaign about using taxpayer dollars to renovate Wrigley.

In other words, it’s back to the drawing board for Ricketts.

“They know my position from the past. It was an informational meeting. It was a short meeting. … And I let them know that, if all we did was re-package old ideas, that was a non-starter,” he said.

* Meanwhile, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle stated the obvious yesterday. Rahm Emanuel’s “luxury tax” is dead in the water

With Emanuel at her side, Preckwinkle said she likes the concept, but believes the Illinois General Assembly is unlikely to act.

“My understanding from my conversations with the people in Springfield is that the legislature there is sort of done on the tax issue,” Preckwinkle said. “And having raised taxes on individuals and businesses at the beginning of this year, that’s all that anyone can expect coming out of Springfield.”

* Related…

* Looking for the best primer on Chicago politics? Try ‘The Lawyers Who Reformed Chicago

* City Hall on edge as Emanuel moves in - Bureaucrats, lobbyists wonder about their futures under the next mayor

* To merge or not to merge services? Emanuel and Preckwinkle ask a committee.

* Chicago And Cook County’s “Gang Of Six” Joint Committee Announced

* Weisberg Dethroned: Chicago’s Cultural Ambassador’s Departure And What It Means For the Future Of Events In Chicago

* Corporate Titans Fund Emanuel’s Political Group

* Chicago nonprofits fund Emanuel team’s transition - Leading foundations agree to cover $200,000 in costs

* Emanuel said to be making own list for top cop - Mayor-elect says he won’t just sit and wait for search panel’s report

* Alexi Giannoulias being considered for two top education posts?: Word is Mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel has spoken with Giannoulias about chairmanship of the Chicago City Colleges board and Gov. Quinn has chatted with Giannoulias about heading the Illinois Community College board.

* Chicago’s Pending Rat Problem

* Preckwinkle ‘appalled’ at alleged drinking, sex, theft at Cook County pool

* Dueling Ads in Northwest Side Runoff

* Danny Solis: The Establishment Candidate, but Campaigning like a Rookie

* 38th Ward: The Inspector vs. The Inspected

* Shiller, Tunney grill Cappleman, Phelan in 46th Ward forum

* 36th Ward race: Condos, clubby atmosphere, experience all campaign fodder

* 6th Ward: Lyle vs. Sawyer a choice of political style

* Influence Pedaling in Uptown

       

9 Comments
  1. - wordslinger - Wednesday, Mar 30, 11 @ 10:08 am:

    It’s hard to remember a business group that has had such bad luck in timing as the Ricketts.

    Back when they were finalizing their deal with the Tribbies, it looked like they were:

    –buying a young, 97 win team that would challenge for the pennant for years;

    –shedding the Wrigley Field liability with Blago and Big Jim working with Zell to spin off the park before purchase;

    – building on a cash-cow that sold out every day with happy customers gladly disposing of their income and was making a killing scalping its own tickets in the secondary market.

    Not so much right now. They’re going to have to wait, I’m guessing for a while.


  2. - Cincinnatus - Wednesday, Mar 30, 11 @ 10:13 am:

    I don’t know about you, but after I read the headline, ‘The Lawyers Who Reformed Chicago‘ I could help but see every other reference post with a jaundiced eye:

    “Bureaucrats, lobbyists wonder about their future”
    “Gang Of Six”
    “Corporate Titans Fund Emanuel’s Political Group”
    “Chicago nonprofits fund Emanuel team’s transition”
    “Mayor-elect says he won’t just sit and wait for search panel’s report”
    “Corporate Titans Fund Emanuel’s Political Group”
    “Preckwinkle ‘appalled’ at alleged drinking, sex, theft at Cook County pool”
    “Condos, clubby atmosphere”

    Thank God those lawyers cleaned things up! Can you imagine the headlines if they didn’t?


  3. - jerry 101 - Wednesday, Mar 30, 11 @ 10:20 am:

    non profit foundations spending $200,000 to fund Emanual’s transition…man, what a waste. There are so many organizations out there who could have used that money a lot more than Emanual. With the state so far behind on payments, there are tons of social services agencies in and around the city which are struggling to survive. A little piece of that $200,000 could help any number of organizations find a bit of breathing room.

    Instead, it gets spent on helping Emanual find some nice drapes for the 5th floor.


  4. - Cheryl44 - Wednesday, Mar 30, 11 @ 10:30 am:

    Depending on your neighborhood, the coyotes ought to be able to take care of the rat problem. Around Swedish Covenant Hospital you can hear a bunch of them howling whenever an ambulance goes by.


  5. - The Captain - Wednesday, Mar 30, 11 @ 11:48 am:

    Could the Bronx Zoo snake help our rat problem? Two birds and all.

    Easy prediction: John Kass uses the “rat” problem for a week’s worth of lousy stories.


  6. - Just Observing - Wednesday, Mar 30, 11 @ 12:30 pm:

    Alexi G. is not really all that qualified to head up either Board. He is nothing more than a nice-enough guy who played b-ball with Obama and had access to a bunch of money to buy his Treasurer post. He was a light-weight for Senate and I’m glad he lost. Being State Treasurer — his only public service job ever — does not make one qualified to head up Chicago City Colleges.


  7. - downstate hack - Wednesday, Mar 30, 11 @ 4:39 pm:

    Public subsidies for sport teams should be over. Even when governments were solvent it was a terrible idea. We are cutting social services but subsidizing billionaire owners paying shortstops hitting 210 millions a year.


  8. - mokenavince - Wednesday, Mar 30, 11 @ 5:37 pm:

    White Sox open at home April 7th, forget the problems of the Cubs and all the fans from Iowa and cheer for the Chicago White Sox. Be there!


  9. - wordslinger - Wednesday, Mar 30, 11 @ 8:47 pm:

    The “Lawyers who Reformed Chicago” article in the links above is an educational and worthwhile read.

    The author is Don Rose, the gourmand, jazz cool cat and political barracuda who helped elect, among others, Jane Byrne, Harold Washington and Jim Edgar.

    Rose proposes that the Chicago federal judiciary promoted by Sen. Percy and appointed by Presidents Nixon and Reagan cleaned out a lot of Daley I bench hacks and paved the way for landmark lawsuits by goo-goo liberals that dealt tremendous body blows to The Machine.

    You don’t have to buy all of it to enjoy a good review of the federal intervention in Chicago politics and a pretty good yarn.


Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.


* Showcasing The Retailers Who Make Illinois Work
* Reader comments closed for the holidays
* And the winners are…
* SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Update to previous editions
* Isabel’s afternoon roundup
* Report: Far-right Illinois billionaires may have skirted immigration rules
* Question of the day: Golden Horseshoe Awards (Updated)
* Energy Storage Brings Cheaper Electricity, Greater Reliability
* Open thread
* Isabel’s morning briefing
* SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today's edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
* Live coverage
* Selected press releases (Live updates)
* Yesterday's stories

Support CapitolFax.com
Visit our advertisers...

...............

...............

...............

...............

...............

...............

...............


Loading


Main Menu
Home
Illinois
YouTube
Pundit rankings
Obama
Subscriber Content
Durbin
Burris
Blagojevich Trial
Advertising
Updated Posts
Polls

Archives
December 2024
November 2024
October 2024
September 2024
August 2024
July 2024
June 2024
May 2024
April 2024
March 2024
February 2024
January 2024
December 2023
November 2023
October 2023
September 2023
August 2023
July 2023
June 2023
May 2023
April 2023
March 2023
February 2023
January 2023
December 2022
November 2022
October 2022
September 2022
August 2022
July 2022
June 2022
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
February 2022
January 2022
December 2021
November 2021
October 2021
September 2021
August 2021
July 2021
June 2021
May 2021
April 2021
March 2021
February 2021
January 2021
December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
June 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
April 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005
December 2004
November 2004
October 2004

Blog*Spot Archives
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005

Syndication

RSS Feed 2.0
Comments RSS 2.0




Hosted by MCS SUBSCRIBE to Capitol Fax Advertise Here Mobile Version Contact Rich Miller