* We’ve had so much success with the ScribbleLive software that I think I’m going to post a live feed every day. Yes, we have news feeds on the right hand column, but these selected feeds are instantaneous, so you can literally watch the day go by as it happens by simply watching this post. BlackBerry users click here, iPad and iPhone users remember to use the “two-finger” scrolling method…
Thursday, Nov 17, 2011 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Three different times, the Illinois legislature has rejected a proposal put forward by out-of-state energy company Tenaska to build the Taylorville Energy Center. This “clean coal” plant would leave Illinois families, businesses and government agencies paying up to SEVEN TIMES today’s market price for electricity.
When the legislature meets November 29, Tenaska will try once again to get Illinois consumers to foot the bill for their coal plant, which Illinois doesn’t need.
• The Taylorville Energy Center would cost Illinois electricity consumers $286 million per year.
• Illinois businesses and industry would bear the risks and absorb most cost overruns, making it harder to create jobs.
• Tenaska wants Illinois consumers to pay even if the Taylorville Energy Center never produces more than a single megawatt of power.
• The plant would add only two-tenths of one percent to the overall amount of power generation capacity available to Illinois
Hundreds of thousands of disabled people who have been able to park for free at metered spots throughout Chicago and the rest of Illinois would feed meters like everybody else under a proposal being drafted by a state lawmaker.
State Rep. Karen May (D-Highland Park) announced her idea on Wednesday — the same day Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel introduced a city ordinance to crack down on the growing number of able-bodied people who are illegally using disabled-parking placards to avoid paying the city’s escalating meter fees, set to rise to $5.75 an hour in the Loop in 2012 and to $6.50 in 2013.
State law long has allowed disabled people to park free all day in metered spots — a benefit that dates back to when public transportation wasn’t handicapped-accessible and meters had to be fed with coin after coin.
But a Chicago Sun-Times investigation published this week found that — with one disabled-parking placard in circulation for every 13 passenger vehicles throughout Cook County — the system is widely abused in Chicago. The number of parking tickets and court cases involving placard abuse has increased dramatically, the newspaper found, with people using relatives’ placards, fake placards and even stolen placards to park for free. […]
“There’s a disconnect. Just because you’re handicapped doesn’t mean you should park for free. You should be able to park close,” said May, who expects to have a bill ready by early next year. “I think we will be creative in finding a provision that protects the disabled community and cracks down on the people who are abusing.
“It’s an affront to the disabled community that all these people are abusing it.”
Abuse is certainly a problem, but the “disabled community” might also be affronted when they can’t park for free.
Thoughts?
…Adding… Dan Johnson in comments makes a very valid point…
I think Rep May is right, but unfortunately, all the parking meter money will go to Morgan Stanley. They must have anticipated when they paid the city $1.2B for the revenue over the next 75 years that they would not be getting any revenue from the disabled. To change the law now would be a windfall for Morgan Stanley and should require, at least, a corresponding cut in the parking meter rates to offset that windfall.
Handing more boatloads of money to Morgan Stanley won’t be a great vote for anybody.
Officials with the state treasurer’s office say they’re taking steps to make sure no problems result from an error on a mailing to 36,000 people who participate in Illinois’ Bright Directions college savings program.
The Bright Directions account holders received a quarterly newsletter with their Social Security numbers printed on the outside.
Officials say the mistake was made by the bank that keeps records for the program.
* From Illinois State Treasurer Dan Rutherford’s Twitter feed for the past few days…
Having lunch in St. Charles at Salerno’s Restaurant on the Fox River.
Pictured With Carpentersville Village President Ed Ritter today at our #cashdash event. pic.twitter.com/PbNlqUJ5
With Algonquin Village Trustee Debby Sosine at #cashdash this morning. pic.twitter.com/gI8mq7Pr
Pictured speaking at Carpentersville #CashDash this morning. pic.twitter.com/qfdjwEGC
triblocal.com/lake-zurich/co… Illinois Treasurer Dan Rutherford Completes Successful Cash Dash Event in Lake Zurich
Illinois Treasurer Dan Rutherford Completes Successful Cash Dash Event in Crystal Lake triblocal.com/crystal-lake/c…
Join me tomorrow, Thursday, Nov 17, at 6:05am when I am live on @WGNradio 720. I’ll be speaking with Bill Moller. Hope you can tune in.
I hope you get a chance to come out Thurs, Nov 17, to see if the state has any of your unclaimed property. #cashdash
Thursday, Nov 17, we will have our last stop in St. Charles at City Hall (2 E. Main St). Ill be there from 1:30-2 with #cashdash from 1-3pm
Thursday, Nov 17, the next stop is Elgin. I’ll be at the Centre of Elgin (100 Symphony Way) from 11:30-12pm and our #CashDash is 11am-1pm.
On Thursday, Nov 17, I’ll be at the Carpentersville Village Hall (1200 LW Besigner Rd) from 10:30-11 and #cashdash will last from 10-12pm.
Thursday, Nov 17, I’ll begin in Algonquin at 2200 Harnish Dr and will be there at 9:30-10am. The #cashdash event is from 9-11.
At Crystal lake #CashDash with Mayor Shepley, Nick Kachiroubas City Clerk, State Rep Mike Tryon, and Gary Di Renzo. pic.twitter.com/bIdcKoe7
triblocal.com/round-lake/com… Illinois Treasurer Dan Rutherford Completes Successful Cash Dash Event in Round Lake
21 hours ago Favorite Retweet Reply
Pictured with Mayor Suzanne Branding and Police Chief Patrick Finlon of Lake Zurich at our #cashdash pic.twitter.com/Dwne3XHE
With Mayor Mark Knigge of Wauconda at our #cashdash event. pic.twitter.com/TgsVd5w1
Addressing Wauconda residents at our #cashdash event. pic.twitter.com/DNp7LRfO
triblocal.com/grayslake/comm… Illinois Treasurer Dan Rutherford Completes Successful Cash Dash Event in Grayslake
Pictured with Round Lake President Jim Deetz and Trustee Sonya Sandoval. pic.twitter.com/xB7tNwAz
Pictured with Rep. Sandy Cole at the Grayslake #cashdash today. pic.twitter.com/VuXzrB6x
At Grayslake #cashdash w/Mayor Taylor, Rep Sandy Cole, Chief McCutcheon, and village trustees Worfel and Waldenstrom.
In Libertyville at #cashdash with mayor Terry Weppler and township supervisor Kathleen O’Connor . pic.twitter.com/7k30Ahti
Pictures with Libertyville Mayor Terry Weppler at #cashdash this morning. pic.twitter.com/M9TSAHWf
The last stop #cashdash stop Wednesday is Crystal Lake City Hall (100 W Woodstock St) from 2:30-4:30pm. I’ll be there from 3:30-4.
Wednesday I’ll be at Lake Zurich City Hall (70 E Main) for #cashdash from 2:20-2:50pm and the event runs from 2-4pm. Hope you can join us.
Wednesday I’ll also be in Wauconda at Village Hall (101 N Main St). #CashDash is from 1-3pm and I’ll be there from 1:30-2pm.
Wednesday I’ll be in Round Lake for #cashdash from 11:30-12 and the event will be from 10:30-12:30pm. We will be at 751 W Townline Rd.
Wednesday I’ll be in Grayslake for #cashdash at the Village Hall (10 S. Seymour) from 10:30-11am. The event is from 10am-12pm.
Wednesday I will be doing a #cashdash tour. First stop is Libertyville, @ Village Hall (118 W Cook) from 9-11 & I’ll be there from 9:30-10.
Donna Schaefer, McHenry township supervisor, contributed a box of paperclips at my #smartmoney Seminar today. pic.twitter.com/YsbfSrkn
Chicago Office work before going to McHenry Township in Johnsburg for our Smart Money & IL Funds Seminars.
Im at the Illinois Funds Symposium in Johnsburg this afternoon. pic.twitter.com/GE1LeLqn
Afternoon office discussing reorg of staff to be better customer service.
morn jog at fitness center, City Club of Chicago to hear friend & President of Chicago FOB Mike Shields; he did a very good job
algonquin.patch.com/articles/state… State Treasurer Encourages Algonquin Residents to Collect Unclaimed Property, Money Next Week
In Pilsen, Chicago at my Smart Money Seminar. Enjoyed speaking to the group. #smartmoney pic.twitter.com/SmmNKy3T
* Constitutional officers don’t have to sit in their offices all day. I totally get that they should be out there with the public. But that Social Security screwup isn’t the only problem Rutherford’s office has had in the past few months.
I’m no management expert by any means. I can barely manage myself, if that. But perhaps a little less travel and a little more hands-on management is in order here.
Shimkus testified that U.S. Rep. Jerry Costello, a 23-year Democratic congressman from a neighboring southern Illinois district, came to him in early spring of this year to attempt to negotiate a bipartisan congressional map. The two later met one-on-one in Shimkus’ hometown of Collinsville, where Costello, of nearby Belleville, presented rough maps to the Republican.
Shimkus said subsequent attempts to get more detailed information about the boundary lines failed and no further negotiations ensued. “You can’t negotiate when you don’t know the lines,” Shimkus said.
Asked about his relationship with Costello, who had been the state’s longest-serving congressman, Shimkus choked up with emotion and said, “He’s retiring. He’s a close friend and confidante. I’m proud to call him my friend.” Costello announced last month he would be stepping down from Congress.
Asked about the map’s effects on his political career, Shimkus testified that the new Democrat map was “egregious” and “terrible” and would split his hometown of 22,000 people into three congressional districts after he and Costello had represented Collinsville jointly for the past 20 years.
Illinois Republicans will get their day in court over the state’s new Democrat-drawn congressional remap.
A Thursday hearing is scheduled on the long-shot legal challenge filed by GOP members of Congress over the map that tries to erase some of their recent gains.
Illinois Democrats dominated the map-making because they control the General Assembly and the governor’s office. The new map drew Republicans out of their districts and lumped incumbent GOP members together or threw them into Democrat-friendly territory.
Plaintiffs have alleged that the 2011 Map (the “Adopted Plan”) violates the U.S. Constitution and the Voting Rights Act in three ways: it unconstitutionally creates a racially gerrymandered district; it intentionally dilutes the votes of Latinos; and it unconstitutionally discriminates against Republican voters. […]
While it may be true that Latino Democrats in the Illinois state legislature voted in favor of the Adopted Plan and Latino community groups have remained on the sidelines in this case, the Adopted Plan unlawfully discriminates against Latinos. The record overwhelmingly establishes that the Adopted Plan violates the Equal Protection Clause because race was the predominant factor motivating the shape of Adopted District 4 and the gerrymandered district is not narrowly tailored to comply with any compelling interest.
The record also makes clear that the Adopted Plan intentionally and unlawfully dilutes the votes of Latinos by packing Latinos into District 4, while it reduces the Latino population in neighboring Districts 3 and 5 to arrest the growing Latino community’s influence over contests in those districts.
And while political considerations often properly inform the redistricting process, the Adopted Plan takes partisan gerrymandering to an unconstitutional extreme. The Democratic-controlled Illinois government worked hand-in-hand with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee to draw a map that discriminates against and penalizes Republican voters based on their political affiliations and expression of political views. Under any reliable standardfor measuring the constitutionality of political gerrymanders, including the one that Plaintiffs have proposed in their Amended Complaint, the Adopted Plan violates the Constitution.
* The Republicans claim that Democrats created “an excessive supermajority of Latinos” in the newly created District 4 (65.9 percent Latino voting age population) while they “substantially reduced the Latino VAP in neighboring Districts 3 and 5 from where it currently stands.” Here are the districts in question…
The Republican argument is that if the Democrats had spread out the Latino vote and not “packed” so many into the 4th, the Dems could’ve created another Latino district.
Just about no one in politics that I know believes [the political gerrymandering] challenge will get anywhere. Gerrymandering, like it or not, is a fact of life.
But the Hispanic argument has more heft because the Democrats carved out three majority African-American districts, even though the 2010 census found that Illinois actually has more Latinos.
The Dems counter that the Latino population is much more dispersed and that creating two Latino districts would dilute them so much that incumbent Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Chicago, would be endangered. Republicans dispute that, but the map they’re offering would create districts that are only 53% and 48% Latino of the “voting age” population.
Democrats are concerned that while the panel has one Democratic-appointed judge, it also includes two who were chosen for the bench by former President Ronald Reagan. Both have been brought in to hear the case from Indiana.
Congressman Gutierrez was the primary motivating factor for creating just one new district. Some believe he wants to be the only and only king of Latino politics here, some say he’s right that Latinos are too spread out to “safely” create a new district that guarantees two Latinos will be elected. A 53 percent Latino district could conceivably put Gutierrez in some political danger.
But Gutierrez was also able to prevent any major Latino organizations from supporting the Republican lawsuit, which has surely hurt the Republican case.
Then again, a two-to-one Indiana Republican majority on the judicial panel is giving the Democrats heartburn.
* During a House Revenue Committee hearing last week, CME Group Executive Chairman Terry Duffy said “people follow jobs,” and pointed to Texas as an example where people are moving in droves to find work. Duffy made the comment to explain the dangers of treating businesses poorly.
Gov. Pat Quinn has said time and time again that businesses tend to locate where they can find educated, trained people.
Both are probably right to an extent.
* The Question: Who is more right, Duffy or Quinn? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
The House gave gun rights advocates their first legislative win of the year in a move that some saw as a Republican reversal on protecting states’ rights: approval of a federal regulation that would require states that issue concealed-weapons permits to honor such permits from other states.
The GOP-led chamber approved the National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2011, intended to allow gun owners to travel more easily from state to state without worrying about whether their concealed carry permit was valid.
The measure passed, 272-154, with 43 Democrats crossing party lines to support it.
The legislation is not expected to be taken up by the Democratic-led Senate. A similar measure failed in the Senate in 2009, although it won support from 20 Democrats.
This bill would mean people living “constitutional carry” states, which have no restrictions at all on concealed carry, could carry concealed weapons in Illinois, and Illinois couldn’t do anything about it. According to Todd Vandermyde with the NRA, the bill would not effect Illinois.
“Today’s vote brings us one step closer to making Illinois a right-to-carry state and allowing Americans to exercise their Second Amendment rights across state lines. Currently, Illinois is the only state in this nation that denies its citizens the right to keep and bear arms. The vote today shows just how archaic Illinois’ gun laws have become and how important it is that they be repealed.
“I have been on the frontlines of the Second Amendment debate since I came to Congress in January. In a recent back-and-forth debate that I have had with the Brady Campaign, I have defended the Second Amendment stressing the importance of gun rights and how they are being disregarded, especially in Illinois.
“I am pleased with the outcome of today’s vote and will always be an outspoken advocate for Second Amendment rights and particularly, a repeal of Illinois laws preventing the right-to-carry.”
Today’s vote is a victory for gun-owning, law-abiding citizens nationwide,” said Hultgren. “The passage of H.R. 822 means that a concealed carry license, like a driver’s license, must be recognized by other states. This commonsense bill ensures that a law-abiding citizen’s Second Amendment right to self-defense does not stop at their state line, and I was proud to support its passage.”
“NRA has made the National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act a priority because it enhances the fundamental right to self-defense guaranteed to all law-abiding people,” said Chris W. Cox, executive director of NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action. “People are not immune from crime when they cross state lines. That is why it is vital for them to be able to defend themselves and their loved ones should the need arise. And today, thanks to the work of Randy Hultgren, Congress has moved one step closer to advance crucial self-defense laws in this country.”
Thoughts?
(And I do mean “thoughts.” Do your very best to avoid bumper sticker slogans and talking points. A lifetime banishment is something you don’t want.)
* House Speaker Michael Madigan was in Rockford yesterday and answered questions about a recent Crain’s story alleging that his actions caused McPier to lose out on as much as a half billion dollars in savings by refusing to approve debt refinancing…
Madigan said he refused to deal with [McPier Executive Director Juan Ochoa] because he would not have any part in aiding corruption in the Blagojevich administration. Blagojevich was impeached by the House and convicted in the Senate Jan. 30, 2009. The ex-governor has since been convicted twice on federal corruption charges and awaits sentencing by Judge James Zagel.
“I say that story was peddled to Crain’s by Juan Ochoa, a direct appointment and direct agent of a twice-convicted felon, Rod Blagojevich,” Madigan said in the interview, which took place after a ceremony in Rockford marking the 10th anniversary of the E.J. “Zeke” Giorgi Legal Clinic. Giorgi, a 29 year state representative from Rockford who died in 1993, was a mentor to Madigan after the Chicagoan was elected to the House in 1970. The two became close friends.
Ochoa, Madigan said, “was part and parcel of the Blagojevich operation, he took orders from the governor’s office, and I was not about to approve issuance of that debt, whether it was the selection of bond counsel, the bond underwriters, which all would have been part and parcel of the Blagojevich fundraising operation, which is the reason Blagojevich is a twice-convicted felon.”
Madigan handed Register Star Senior Editor Chuck Sweeny a copy of a 2007 document, which he described as ” a proposed memorandum of understanding between Ochoa and John Filan, who was Blagojevich’s budget director.
“Ochoa will say he never signed it. Let’s assume that was correct, and he didn’t sign it. But this speaks to the intent of the Blagojevich administration relative to McCormick Place and what they would have done had they been able to issue that debt,” Madigan said.
Discussions of tax breaks began when CME Group, which owns the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, said the exchange might leave Illinois unless it gets relief from corporate income taxes. Sears Holding Corp. also wants concessions keep its operations in Hoffman Estates.
After that, tax breaks to benefit other companies were added to the mix, including extension of research and development credits, raising the exemption for estate taxes, and reinstating another business tax credit that had been eliminated when the state raised the income tax.
Gov. Pat Quinn insisted that individuals also share in the package, proposing an increase in the earned income tax credit for low-income wage earners.
Eliminating bonus depreciation would help pay for the package the first two years, but in the third year the cost is estimated at almost $800 million to $850 million. [Emphasis added.]
At the same time, the provisions would cost more and more. By 2014, the state would face $848 million in lost tax revenue, a number that would only grow.
But that’s assuming no significant jobs are added or businesses expanded, the opposite of the intent of the package, state Rep. Ed Sullivan, R-Mundelein, said at a joint Illinois Senate and House Revenue Committee hearing Wednesday.
“If we’re stagnant, and don’t succeed, then we’re looking at that. But we’re anticipating this creating an economic climate to spur growth,” Sullivan said.
A trio of competitors to derivatives exchange CME Group Inc. (CME) joined forces Wednesday to persuade Illinois lawmakers to block proposed tax breaks intended to prevent CME from leaving Illinois.
Other exchanges would be hamstrung by the bill that would tax CME and options exchange CBOE Holdings Inc. (CBOE) for 27.54% of all electronic transactions, said David Kupiec, a lobbyist who testified before the Illinois House Revenue and Finance Committee.
Kupiec represented Atlanta-based IntercontinentalExchange Inc. (ICE) and New York-headquartered NYSE Euronext (NYX), and Nasdaq OMX Group Inc. (NDAQ).
Currently, the Chicago-based exchanges pay taxes on all electronic trades, which account for about 85% of all business at CME.
The legislature is “picking winners and losers” among competing businesses if the measure is adopted, said Kupiec.
Kupiec described the 27.54% tax apportionment as an arbitrary figure. State officials said the tax figure came from U.S. census data estimating how much of the exchanges’ electronic trades are based in Illinois. Exchanges should be given the chance to opt out of the new taxing method, Kupiec contended.
More testimony is expected Friday from CME’s competitors.
* Related…
* Deal near to keep Sears in Illinois: The three sides, in Springfield for a legislative hearing, met for two hours in the office of House Speaker Michael Madigan and unexpectedly came away with the framework for a deal that would extend a tax break for Sears but for a shorter time period. Sears would give up some tax relief, allowing cash-strapped Community Unit School District 300 to get about $34 million more over a decade… A key lawmaker on state tax policy said one of the biggest challenges to putting together a major tax package that would help Sears and CME Group is figuring out how to pay for it.
* Illinois tax plan upsets small businesses: In testimony at the Capitol Wednesday, several small business owners said the General Assembly’s consideration of a tax bailout plan for the CME Group Inc., which owns the venerable Chicago Mercantile Exchange, needs to be scrapped or at least delayed until next year.
* This ever-more-common excuse about how an incredibly offensive comment was only a few seconds out of a longer speech is just bizarre to me…
The president of the Chicago Teachers Union says she isn’t stepping down over an “inappropriate” joke she made about Education Secretary Arne Duncan.
Karen Lewis said Wednesday that while her remarks were insensitive, they were just 120 seconds of her 35-minute speech at a social justice event in Seattle last month.
Lewis said at the event she could tell Duncan “went to a private school, because if he had gone to a public school, he would have had that lisp fixed.”
So, we’re only supposed to be upset if she spent all 35 minutes saying stupid things?
For crying out loud, get a clue and just apologize if you’re sorry and move along. If you’re not sorry, then there is no need for these lame excuses.
Sheesh.
* So, um, I thought the GOP was the states’ rights party these days? Apparently not…
U.S. Rep. Tim Johnson says he’s not done trying to alter federal law to allow Illinoisans to carry concealed firearms.
The Urbana Republican’s bid to attach an amendment bringing Illinois in line with the rest of the nation failed to reach the House floor this week, but a Johnson aide said the congressman is planning to re-introduce the measure in December.
Johnson and four other Illinois Republicans want to allow Illinoisans to be able carry loaded firearms in public if they have a concealed carry permit from another state. […]
Johnson was joined in pushing for the change by U.S. Reps. Bobby Schilling of Colona, Aaron Schock of Peoria, Adam Kinzinger of Manteno and Randy Hultgren of Winfield.
In a statement, Johnson said he believes the federal government should step in and supersede Illinois law.
* The Pro-Life Action League appears to be completely unclear on the concept. This is from a press release about a rape victim who disagrees with Jennie Goodman, who is receiving an award from Gov. Pat Quinn at a Personal PAC event. Goodman cut a TV ad for Personal PAC last year blasting Bill Brady for wanting to outlaw abortions, even in cases of rape and incest..
Mary Higgins is one of many other victims of rape and hopes that her press conference will put a face on the other innocent victims of rape. When Mary was sexually assaulted at age 18, she was faced with the choice that Jennie Goodman never had to make: what to do when she discovered that she had become pregnant with her rapist’s child.
As difficult as her situation was, Mary refused to punish her unborn child for its father’s crime. Mary chose life for her unborn daughter, and placed her for adoption. She says, “It was the best choice I ever made.” [Emphasis added.]
I mean absolutely no disrespect to Ms. Higgins. She obviously endured a terribly traumatic time, and I’m very glad that her choice turned out so well. But pro-choice folks would actually agree with her about her choice to not have an abortion. The operative word here is “choice,” and the Pro-Life Action League is not at all about “choice.”
We can disagree on what we believe on this subject, and I will always respect your position. But the Pro-Life Action League should stop using the word “choice” when want it wants to do is legally prohibit almost all women from ever having an abortion.
Voters in Maine overwhelmingly approved a “people’s veto” of a Republican-backed law that tightened voting regulations. The vote on Nov. 8 restores Maine’s decades-old policy of allowing same-day registration at polling places.
The state’s Republican-led legislature passed a law earlier this year requiring new voters to register at least two business days prior to an election. Supporters of the law said it would prevent voter fraud. Opponents argued fraud is not an issue in Maine and said the law would make it more difficult to vote. […]
In Maine, the people’s veto was included on the state-wide referendum election ballot after receiving more than 70,000 petition signatures. Roughly 60 percent of voters approved the veto, favoring same-day registration.
Last week, Ohio voters resoundingly rejected a ballot measure known as Issue 2 by a 61 percent to 39 percent margin. A “yes” vote would have affirmed Ohio’s version of Wisconsin’s collective bargaining law, which would have made it more difficult for public sector workers to organize and bargain with the state government. By rejecting Issue 2, Ohio voters repealed the law championed by Gov. John Kasich, and did so by a wide margin.
* The Question: Would you favor a “voter veto” of recently enacted Illinois state laws? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please. Thanks.
Gov. Pat Quinn took four months to remove his director of child welfare after being told state inspectors believed the man had turned a blind eye while a friend ripped off state government, and Quinn kept quiet about problems at the agency even after conducting his own review.
Quinn aides said the governor acted as quickly as possible to determine the truth and then make changes without causing major disruptions at the Department of Children and Family Services. They say state ethics laws barred him from revealing that inspectors were investigating then-Director Erwin McEwen, information that didn’t become public until three weeks ago. […]
Two Illinois House committees plan a joint hearing, said Rep. Greg Harris, a Chicago Democrat and chairman of the House Human Services Committee. […]
Rep. Jack Franks, chairman of the State Government Administration Committee, said he was troubled that Quinn did not remove McEwen far more quickly, particularly when the report said McEwen was no longer cooperating with investigators as required by law.
* Gov. Quinn received a report on serious ethics problems at DCFS way back on May 25th. The governor ordered a further review, which was completed August 1st. But McEwen was allowed to stay on the job until September, when he was then allowed to quietly resign.
The governor has refused to say why he let McEwen keep his job all those months and why he allowed McEwen to resign and not be fired. It wasn’t until mid October that the public was informed about what had happened…
According to the Illinois Inspector General, McEwen was siphoning millions in state grant money to one of his close friends.
The investigation looked at McEwens tight connections with George E. Smith, who ran several mental health and social service businesses in Chicago.
According to a lengthy report prepared by the state executive inspector general, Smith received a grant bonanza between 2008 and 2011, more than $18 million from several government agencies, primarily DCFS.
The investigation found that Smith forged a 100 signatures to cover up misspending, had excessive expenses including $100,000 in Chicago sports tickets and kept do-nothing ghost payrollers on the books to steal state funds. That was accomplished because McEwen allowed his friend to get away with it, according to state investigators.
McEwen refused to cooperate with the inspector general, but Quinn didn’t step in then, either.
* House committees only have subpoena powers if the House Speaker grants them. So far, that hasn’t happened. As a result, the administration could easily stonewall these two committees. But that would be a very bad idea.
Don’t say you haven’t been warned.
* Other stuff…
* Social Security numbers revealed on Illinois college savings program mailing: Officials with the state treasurer’s office say they’re taking steps to make sure no problems result from an error on a mailing to 36,000 people who participate in Illinois’ Bright Directions college savings program. The Bright Directions account holders received a quarterly newsletter with their Social Security numbers printed on the outside.
* Illinois’ promise to pay not a guarantee: “As of this week, the state has 162,934 unpaid vouchers totaling $3.525 billion, dating back to July 8, 2011,” Hahn said.
* How Quinn reshaped tollway board: A check of political campaign records shows no direct contributions to Quinn from any of the appointees or close family members.
* Quinn ‘optimistic‘ on budget deal for facilities
A Eureka High School teacher has been suspended until Nov. 28 for showing three segments of “The Daily Show” in his government and law class and warning students against an Internet search that yields results deemed to be pornographic.
School Superintendent Randy Crump suspended first-year teacher Rhett Felix on Tuesday morning following a two-hour executive session of the Eureka-based District 140 school board Monday night. During the public portion of the meeting, parents complained about bleeped obscenities and some sexual content of the segments and about a perception that Felix appears to have a liberal political bias.
“Mr. Felix has been suspended,” Crump said. “When he returns, he will be reassigned to another teaching assignment. That’s all I can share at this time.”
Felix, who lives in Bloomington, could not be reached for comment Tuesday. His salary of $40,189 will continue through his suspension.
Mr. Stone was my 9th Grade math teacher at Hanover High School. As I think I’ve told you before, Mr. Stone canceled class one day so he could play a videotape of a Bob Dylan TV special, “Hard Rain.” That video did more to change my life than any other high school math class I ever took. But if we’d been in Eureka, Mr. Stone would’ve probably been vilified as a flaming liberal and suspended.
* Look, 21st overall ain’t great, but it gives the lie to the “We’re all gonna die!” rhetoric from those who claim Illinois is the worst state ever. And 2nd in new plant openings is a plus, even though our high population means our per million rate is also around the middle of the pack. Tax competitiveness is still not horrible, even after the January tax hike.
* And we’ll never be able to compete with states like Texas because, for the most part, as survey responses clearly show, Illinois doesn’t roll this way…
* “a pro-business, entrepreneurial, right-to-work state”
* “no state income tax, ease of pulling permits, available work force”
* “the government makes it easy to do business”
* “Texas is progressive, fewer regulations”
* “willingness to work with business”
* “the tax climate, regulatory environment, incentive programs and work-force development efforts”
* “the state fights OSHA, EPA and other negative, useless regulations; no state income tax”
* “work-force availability, existing facilities and good economics for labor and facilities”
* “cooperation and flexibility of state and local officials; proactive in growing the economy.”
We can make it much eaiser to do business here, no question. But busting unions, killing off the income tax and fighting OSHA and EPA ain’t gonna happen. If that’s the climate you really want, then China or Mexico would probably be your best bets anyway.
…Adding… Via a commenter, note that 11 of the 20 states that are ahead of us in overall points have worse tax climate rankings.
…Adding More… The Tribune editorial board, which is so sure of itself on so many other issues, goes all wobbly and equivocates on meeting CME Group’s demands…
We honor CME’s long history in Chicago, where it pioneered the financial futures that became its mainstay, and created the stock-options industry led by CBOE Holdings. We honor Sears, which also has deep ties to this region. We appreciate all our headquarters companies, and we hope they realize their prospects are good in Illinois, despite the frustrating political dysfunction all around them. Their petitions for economic development incentives should be evaluated individually. The state needs to drive a hard bargain on behalf of taxpayers.
But let’s face it: Illinois is in trouble. Unemployment is at 10 percent, significantly higher than the state’s neighbors. It needs to entice and to retain employers in order to grow its tax base and put its citizens to work. For lack of more taxpayers, the state isn’t paying its bills. It isn’t addressing its spiraling pension costs. But it creates a fundamental sense of unfairness if it tries to bankroll incentive packages for every employer who whispers about moving. Trying to satisfy Duffy and his peers and avoid that sense of unfairness, the General Assembly proposed a grab-bag of special deals, tax cuts and revenue enhancers.
Incentive packages for individual companies have to rise and fall based on their benefit to the state, and they shouldn’t be shoveled through as part of some tax-cut Christmas tree that winds up costing the state hundreds of millions of dollars.
Nobody says being broke is easy. Illinois is finding out just how hard it is.
It’s weird that they can’t just come out and say what they mean.
* Other stuff…
* Chicago Latinos pay more in taxes than they get from government, study finds: Chicago-area Latinos pay substantially more in local taxes than they collect in education and other government services, according to a study being released on Wednesday by the University of Notre Dame. The report by the university’s Institute for Latino Studies says Hispanics pay $4.3 billion in direct sales, property and other taxes, and contribute another $724 million to stores and other businesses they patronize.
* Greg Hinz reports that Ty Fahner of the Civic Committee will try to work with organized labor on the pension reform issue next spring…
Ty Fahner, president of the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club, said the group will continue to lobby hard for pension reform and continue spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on TV ads demanding change.
But, in a phone interview, Mr. Fahner said the group will wait for a vote next spring — not sooner — and that it will spend the time trying to convince labor groups that reform works for everyone.
* Fahner also says he won’t be spending cash on the upcoming election cycle…
“We’re not going to play the (election) game,” he continued, “Playing the game has got us into (being) the worst financed state in America. . . .We’re not going to play the game of electing the most people, regardless of the cost.”
That’s quite a declaration, and Mr. Fahner said some may consider him “naive.” Even some business leaders tell me privately that they wish the committee would ratchet up pressure on lawmakers, much like school reform groups did in the last election cycle.
The “school reform groups” didn’t put pressure on lawmakers last fall. Stand for Children Illinois found lawmakers who supported its cause and then gave them tons of cash. The groups that pressured legislators were the teachers’ unions, which boycotted funding Speaker Madigan’s campaign funds and wound up on the short end of the stick the following spring.
* Despite what Fahner says, you might pardon some legislators for feeling like they’ve already been targeted by Fahner’s group. For instance…
Confident that the City Council will approve his proposed 2012 budget by a wide margin Wednesday, Rahm Emanuel said he’s already turning his attention to the biggest financial problem facing local taxpayers: the soaring cost of public employee retirement benefits. Even if Chicaqo doubled property taxes, it would still face a pension cost shortfall.
The mayor said he’s told “every leader in Springfield” that he’s willing to take the lead on the issue, “if it’s helpful.” Emanuel even offered to become the first Chicago mayor since Richard J. Daley to address the General Assembly. (Moments after his dramatic appearance, the House approved the bill Daley wanted. But it died later in the Senate.)
Public employee labor unions have blocked proposed legislation to reduce the cost of future benefits for current government workers. Unions argue that it’s unfair to reduce even future benefits that public employes have not earned yet. There’ve been several versions of the proposal. Supporters claim they would help taxpayers not only in Chicago, but also Cook County and the State of Illinois. State pension funds have gobbled up virtually every penny raised by last January’s “temporary” increase in the state income tax.
“In six to seven years, some of these pensions won’t have enough in to pay it. And the taxpayers are on the hook. And I’m not raising property taxes 130 percent, which is what’s required,” Emanuel said. “As I’ve said to every leader, I’m willing to spend my political capital. I’ll get in front of this. I’ll go to your caucuses. I’ll go to the General Assembly. I’ll speak on it. So, if people are looking for political cover, I the mayor will provide that, if it’s helpful.”
* But Steve Schnorf’s comment on a pension post yesterday gives us some hearty food for thought…
Rich, it’s worth reminding people that it is not the cost of the pensions that is breaking the bank. If that’s all we were paying, our payments would go down about 50% this year.
It’s the cost of the debt service on the uncontributed money from past years that is causing the strain. That payment is what is being ramped up, not the normal cost of the pensions, which is a very manageable number. Ever hear the Civic Committee tell you that?
No, I haven’t, Steve.
Schnorf is right about the real problem with the pension payments.
Pension payments are governed by something called “the ramp”. The ramp refers to a 1995 law that was passed that laid out a payment plan to get to 90% fully funded pension system in 50 years. The pension systems had been and continue to be woefully underfuned. This plan was designed to correct that. However because of the politics of the time “the ramp” did not call for steady increases in annual pension payments, it continued to call for very low (inadequate) payments in the 1990s and then a very aggressive increase (that’s why they call it the ramp) during our current time period. All the investment losses in 2008 made the situation even worse.
When the Trib and the deities at the Civic Committee whine annually about how each budget fails to fully fund the pension obligation what they mean in each instance is that the annual contribution falls short of what was called for in the 1995 legislation (the ramp). To them the ramp is sacred.
EXCEPT NOW THEY’RE WHINING THAT LAWMAKERS ARE PAYING THE LARGE AMOUNTS THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO UNDER THE SACRED LAW.
Give me a break.
Frankly, I’m starting to think that Illinois ought to stop worshipping at the the ramp’s sacred altar. If we lower the target to 70 percent funded by 2045, those annual payments would be a whole lot more manageable. The ramp isn’t holy writ. It’s a state law that can be changed like any other state law.
* I really find it hard to believe that the cost of this trip is an issue…
Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn was in New York on Tuesday to ring the opening bell at a stock exchange and get some face time on a national cable-TV morning chatfest.
The cost to taxpayers? An estimated $1,200 on airfare and hotel for the governor and a press aide, according to the administration.
A Quinn spokeswoman defended the overnight trip, saying it was well worth the expense because it allowed the governor to promote Illinois businesses on an international stage. The administration noted that the governor was joined by executives from dozens of Illinois high-tech companies and was there to lead a discussion with business owners about job creation.
$1,200 is a story? Really? If the governor did a New York fundraiser yesterday, then I’d be upset, but c’mon, man…
…Quinn and others are also pushing to reinstate a research and development tax credit, which would benefit many of the tech companies Quinn appeared with. It’s an idea backed by TechAmerica, a technology advocacy group that organized Tuesday’s event in New York. The group praised Quinn’s work helping manufacturing, information technology, biotech and other companies.
