“During a recent TV interview, speaking about this year’s Gay Pride Parade, I used an analogy that is inflammatory.
“I am personally distressed that what I said has been taken to mean that I believe all gays and lesbians are like members of the Klan. I do not believe that; it is obviously not true. Many people have friends and family members who are gay or lesbian, as have I. We love them; they are part of our lives, part of who we are. I am deeply sorry for the hurt that my remarks have brought to the hearts of gays and lesbians and their families.
“I can only say that my remarks were motivated by fear for the Church’s liberty. This is a larger topic that cannot be explored in this expression of personal sorrow and sympathy for those who were wounded by what I said.”
Francis Cardinal George, OMI
* Equality Illinois’ response…
“It appears that the Cardinal has had a chance to reflect on the deeply hurtful and destructive statement he had made on Christmas day in comparing the movement for LGBT equality to the Ku Klax Klan. His apology is important and will go some way toward healing the pain he has caused. However, his actions will speak louder than words, and we will be paying attention to see if his words translate into acts of dignity and respect towards LGBT people.” - said Bernard Cherkasov, Chief Executive Officer of Equality Illinois, the state’s oldest and largest organization advocating for full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.
“It’s a very cowardly way to deliver a statement,” said Andy Thayer of the Gay Liberation Network. “He not only made the statement twice, but three times, and he didn’t even make the apology to the people who his original statement was directed to.”
“I am underwhelmed,” Thayer told Chicago Phoenix. […]
“This is really fantastic news,” said Anthony Martinez, executive director of The Civil Rights Agenda. “I am actually really pleased that the cardinal is taking responsibility for his hurtful words. This will really allow the divides created by his harmful remarks between the Catholic Church and the LGBT community.”
*** UPDATE 2 *** From Rep. Greg Harris…
“I am glad that Cardinal George has reconsidered his remarks. Part of what makes America great is that the Catholic Church, and all faiths, are guaranteed Freedom of Religion by our Constitution. Similarly, the LGBT community will continue to struggle to achieve Equal Treatment Under the Law guaranteed by the our Constitution. In our democracy there will be philosophical, cultural and faith-based differences. However, we should always address these differences with respect and tolerance, and not attacks based on fear.”
I agree that the analogy was inflammatory and that the point that homosexual activism is becoming increasingly hateful, aggressive, and tyrannical could have been made without it. Cardinal George could have said that some homosexual activists discriminate based on religion; that some activists hate people who hold orthodox theological beliefs on homosexuality; that some employ hateful and obscene rhetoric; that some march in the streets violating public decency laws and promoting evil ideas; that some seek to diminish other people’s fundamental constitutionally protected liberties; and that some seek to use public schools to promulgate their philosophical, moral, and political beliefs about homosexuality. All of this may be hurtful to hear, but it is not unethical to say.
What I wish Cardinal George had said was that homosexual acts are soul-destroying acts that are “detestable” in God’s eyes and that the parade is a tragic, offensive event that shouldn’t take place on any day in any neighborhood. It is not an act of love to affirm or appear to affirm that which God condemns.
*Cardinal George should not use the terms “gay” and “lesbian.” Those terms do not merely denote same-sex attraction and volitional acts. They connote biological determinism, immutability, and an inherent morality. What other groups would Cardinal George choose to identify by their disordered inclinations and freely chosen sinful acts? Rhetoric matters.
* 2:12 pm - The firm says that the failure to deal with “pension under-funding” and address its mountain of past-due bills during the veto session led to the downgrade. From the ratings agency…
SUMMARY RATING RATIONALE
The downgrade of the state’s long-term debt follows a legislative session in which the state took no steps to implement lasting solutions to its severe pension under-funding or to its chronic bill payment delays. Failure to address these challenges undermines near- to intermediate-term prospects for fiscal recovery.
It remains to be seen whether the state has the political willingness to impose durable policies leading to fiscal strength, though in the recent past it has reached consensus on difficult decisions, such as temporary income tax increases enacted last year that stabilized state finances and reduced the state’s need for non-recurring budgetary measures. Illinois retains the sovereign revenue and spending powers common to all U.S. state governments. These powers, along with Illinois’ legal provisions giving G.O. debt service priority over other state spending, support the move to a stable outlook.
…Adding… California appears to be at A1, so it looks like we may have the lowest rating in the nation, at least with Moody’s. However, Fitch and S&P still have us higher. Word is that S&P’s rating won’t change. Stay tuned.
*** UPDATE: 3:04 pm *** As expected, S&P has decided not to change Illinois’ bond rating, according to its website. Click here to see the IL ratings.
*** UPDATE: 3:11 pm *** More from S&P…
The negative outlook reflects what we view as the state’s large accumulated deficit and improved but still elusive structural budget balance despite significant revenue enhancement for the current financial plan period. The accumulated deficit continues to pressure the state’s overall financial condition and liquidity in our view. If Illinois does not make meaningful changes to further align revenue and spending and address its accumulated deficit (accounts payable and general fund liabilities) for fiscal years 2012 and 2013, we could lower the rating this year.
The outlook also reflects ongoing weakness in the state’s pension funds and the possibility that it might issue a significant amount of additional debt as part of its effort to address the large accumulated budget deficit. A downgrade could also be triggered if pension funding levels continue to deteriorate or debt levels increase significantly, which would pressure the state’s near-term financial performance.
If pension funding levels stabilize and revenues and expenditures are successfully aligned in the next year, thereby stabilizing Illinois’ finances, we could revise the outlook to stable. We do not believe there is upside potential to the rating in the next year given the range of budget and liability challenges the state faces. [Emphasis added.]
*** UPDATE: 3:38 pm *** From Gov. Quinn’s office…
We are encouraged both Fitch and Standard & Poor’s affirmed the state’s long term bond rating. These actions indicate the state has taken positive steps to address its decades old budget challenges by reducing spending and enacting Medicaid, pension, worker’s compensation and education reforms.
The downgrade by Moody’s underscores, that although the state has taken positive steps toward fiscal stability, as Standard & Poor’s and Fitch indicate by holding our rating steady, swift bi-partisan action to implement further cost reductions and reforms in the upcoming legislative session are needed to stabilize the budget.
All three rating agencies as well as the investors in our bonds are clearly telling us we need more Pension reform. Moody’s clearly acknowledges that prior administrations left pensions underfunded creating this huge unfunded liability we face today. We have already implemented pension reforms that will save taxpayers over $200 Billion and just this week, Governor Quinn signed into law additional reforms to stop pension abuses. More needs to be done.
We also need to pay our bills and we continue to call on the General Assembly to embrace the Governor’s plan to refinance this debt that has been created over decades of fiscal mismanagement in order to get these bills paid immediately.
*** UPDATE: 4:06 pm *** US Sen. Mark Kirk…
“Moody’s decision to downgrade Illinois debt echoes the judgment of my Sovereign Debt Advisory Board report last year. Governor Quinn is planning to borrow $800 million more in the near future, with higher and higher interest costs paid by Illinois taxpayers. We are reaping the results of years of irresponsible spending and debt.”
*** UPDATE: 4:49 pm *** Republican Leaders Tom Cross and Christine Radogno…
“Today’s downgrade in our bond rating is obviously very bad news for our state and it proves that the General Assembly and the Governor must do some very substantive things this Spring that show we are committed to fundamentally changing the way we structure our budget now and going forward. Enacting major pension reform and Medicaid reforms must be at the top of the list. Obviously the practice of nibbling around the edges on reform and other budget strategies has not convinced these bond rating agencies that we are on the road to recovery. We must be bold and deliberate this Spring.”
*** UPDATE: 5:18 pm *** Topinka attempts to calm bond holder nerves…
TOPINKA TO BOND HOLDERS: ILLINOIS IN NO DANGER OF MISSING PAYMENTS
Comptroller responds to Moody’s announcement
SPRINGFIELD– Illinois Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka on Friday released the following statement in response to Moody’s lowering of the state’s bond rating:
“Despite today’s disappointing announcement by Moody’s, I want to make clear that there is no fear of the state missing a bond payment. In fact, as the state’s Chief Fiscal Officer I can reassure the bond community that the first payment we make each month is to our bond holders.
“Still, this is yet another cautionary note that cannot be ignored. While it would be premature to say how much, if at all, this will increase the state’s borrowing costs, Illinois leaders have a responsibility to hear the message being sent. Moody’s made clear that it would view further borrowing to pay current obligations as a negative act that could cause another downgrade. So once again, I must stress my opposition to proposed borrowing to pay down our bill backlog. The only way out of this mess is to keep cutting spending, provide for a better business climate and, for once, let growth outpace spending.”
[ *** End Of Updates *** ]
* What the Moody’s downgrade effects…
Moody’s Investors Service has lowered the State of Illinois’ general obligation bond rating to A2 from A1 and revised the state’s outlook to stable from negative. The A2 rating has also been assigned to $800 million general obligation January 2012 Series A and Taxable Series B bonds that the state has scheduled to price on January 11. Proceeds will finance school, transportation and other capital projects. We have also downgraded to A2 from A1 the rated portion of the state’s $2.47 billion of outstanding Build Illinois sales tax revenue bonds, and to A3 from A2 $2.48 billion of Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority and $73 million of Civic Center Program bonds.
“Although the state has taken positive steps toward fiscal stability, swift bipartisan action to implement further cost reductions and reforms in the upcoming legislative session are needed to stabilize the budget,” Kelly Kraft, a spokeswoman for Governor Pat Quinn, said in a statement.
Maybe the governor should’ve thought of that idea last year when he proposed $2 billion in additional spending. And that recent three-year projection of his didn’t help. His spending cuts were clearly not enough.
STRENGTHS
- Sovereign powers over revenue and spending
- Statutory provisions giving priority to debt-service over other state expenditures
CHALLENGES
- Severe pension funding shortfall
- Chronic use of payment deferrals to manage operating fund cash
- Weak management practices reflected in pension under-funding and payment delays
Outlook
The state’s stable outlook reflects its sovereign powers over revenue and spending, as well as statutory provisions establishing priority of payment for G.O. debt service. Although the likelihood of effective, proactive movement on major challenges appears minimal at present, the state’s stable outlook also relies on a demonstrated ability to make politically difficult choices as the need arises.
Fitch’s report noted that while the state has narrowed its budget gap, it’s still expected to end the fiscal year in June with a $508-million operating deficit, not counting more than $5 billion in unpaid bills to vendors and service providers. “While the actions taken were positive, significant challenges remain,” Fitch said.
“We are encouraged Fitch affirmed the state’s long-term bond rating,” a state budget office spokeswoman said in a statement. “This action indicates the state has taken positive steps to address its decades-old budget challenges by reducing spending and enacting Medicaid, pension, workers compensation and education reforms. That said, we hear and acknowledge from rating agencies and investors that additional bipartisan action to implement further cost reductions and reforms is needed in this upcoming legislative session to achieve fiscal stability in our state.”
A juror at the trial of convicted powerbroker William Cellini has stormed out of a Chicago federal courtroom yelling, “Leave me alone.” The outburst came Friday afternoon after a round of heated questioning from Cellini defense attorney Dan Webb.
Candy Chiles is being questioned at a hearing that was called after it was discovered she lied during jury selection. Chiles said she didn’t have any criminal convictions, but she pleaded guilty in the 1990s to drug possession charges and in 2008 to DUI charges.
Cellini’s attorneys say Chiles’ convictions disqualify her from jury service. They are seeking a new trial.
Judge James Zagel chastised Webb for “provoking” Chiles and suggested Webb change his tone to be less hostile. Webb denied using a hostile tone.
According to the AP, Judge Zagel has called a recess. I’ll update if anything big happens or if we get more details.
“You’re trying to see if I’m a liar so you can get him off?” juror Candy Chiles, a 50-year-old daycare provider, asked as her voice choked with emotion. “Leave me alone! Leave me alone!”
After the judge called an immediate recess, Chiles quickly walked out of the courtroom, shaking her head and muttering about the defense team.
It was her third blowup at Cellini’s attorney, Dan Webb, during his pointed, hour-long examination, which centered on whether she knew she was being untruthful when she told the court she had not been arrested or convicted of a crime. In fact, she has two felony convictions and another arrest on her record.
“Do not do me like this. Do not do me like this,” she said. “I am not a criminal. I didn’t steal anything … damn you.”
A juror who didn’t disclose her felony record while being selected to sit at the trial of Springfield power broker William Cellini told a federal judge today that she didn’t reveal her 2000 drug conviction because she had put the incident behind her.
“It’s in my past. I never mention it at all, that foolishness in my life,” Candy Chiles, a 50-year-old daycare provider from the South Side, said at a hearing in federal court.
U.S. District Judge James Zagel — who did not order background checks on potential jurors before the high-profile trial — is holding a hearing today to determine if Chiles’ equivocations denied Cellini a fair trial. She also did not tell the court about a felony DUI conviction in 2008 and an assault arrest in 1994. […]
Zagel said Chiles hadn’t been truthful in her answers to the court during jury selection.
“I think it’s pretty clear…you did not give complete answers to these questions,” the judge said. “In a way, you did not follow the instructions of the court to answer truthfully.”
Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum could become Carmel Catholic High School’s most famous alum, but few there today can remember him as a student.
Santorum — who came in a scant eight votes behind Mitt Romney in Tuesday’s Iowa caucuses — attended the Mundelein school back when it enrolled only boys. But he lived in the Chicago area for only a year before graduating in 1976 from Carmel, where he was a member of the National Honor Society and Service Club, a school spokeswoman said.
Not even former Illinois state Rep. Al Salvi knew he went to high school with Santorum until years later.
“He did say he was a quiet kid,” Salvi said. “For him, it was kind of difficult because he was kind of uprooted and brought here for that one year.”
On Wednesday, Illinois Conservatives endorsed Manzullo in the race for the GOP nomination in the 16th. But on Tuesday – before the endorsement was made public – Kinzinger’s campaign issued the following statement:
“In anticipation of Congressman Don Manzullo’s ‘major announcement’ tomorrow morning in conjunction with the Illinois Conservatives Facebook Group, it is important to note that that the Illinois Conservatives Facebook Group is run by a 20 year old from Congressman Manzullo’s home county and is not an influential voice within the Republican electorate.”
Illinois Conservatives responded with a statement of its own: “I believe Lennie Jarratt, John Bambenek, Michael Harn, Jason Plummer, Don Manzullo, and other conservatives would disagree that our endorsement means nothing,” Illinois Conservatives President Zach Oltmanns said. “If we are not influential then why has [Congressman Kinzinger] spent the last couple days attacking us?”
It doesn’t end there.
Kinzinger’s campaign also disputed an endorsement the group did (or didn’t) make in 2010.
“Also of note, the Illinois Conservatives Facebook Group is reportedly telling news outlets that Congressman Adam Kinzinger received their endorsement in the 2010 Republican Primary. This is completely inaccurate. In fact, the Illinois Conservatives Facebook Group backed David McAloon, who earned 9.6 percent of the vote to Kinzinger’s 63.7 percent in the 2010 five-way Republican Primary.”
(A) list on the Illinois Gingrich website said the candidates include state Rep. Mike Bost of Carbondale, former state Rep. Bill Black of Danville, former state transit official and lobbyist Roger Marquardt and, in a bit of an oddity, state Sen. Darin LaHood — son of Barack Obama’s transportation secretary, Ray LaHood.
The list notably does not include any really big names, such as that of the 2008 GOP gubernatorial nominee, Bill Brady, who had been flirting with the Gingrich camp.
Aides to the (barely) second-place Iowa finisher, former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, also are expected to file at least partial slates Friday. Among those active in that campaign are former U.S. Senate candidate Al Salvi and ex-state Rep. Penny Pullen of Park Ridge — both notable social conservatives.
President Obama’s campaign filed petitions this morning as well.
The campaign’s political director will be Nick Provenzano, the former campaign manager for Illinois Congressman Joe Walsh, and current political aide to Congressman Randy Hultgren. Serving as deputy director will be Chris Provenzano, a former campaign aide and executive assistant to Illinois Attorney General Jim Ryan. Bruce Donnelly, a grassroots specialist from Lake County and Bob Bednar, the Lake Co. GOP Treasurer, will serve as senior advisors to the campaign.
Democrat Tammy Duckworth’s campaign says she raised more than $470,000 in the quarter that ended Dec. 31, putting her within spitting distance of the $1- million mark when combined with the $476,000 she reported in the third quarter.
Earlier the other Democrat in the Democratic-leaning district, Raja Krishnamoorthi, reported that he had passed the $1-million mark. But the Duckworth campaign points out that Mr. Krishnamoorthi kicked off his campaign a quarter earlier than she did.
* And subscribers knew about this development earlier today…
State Rep. Rosemary Mulligan says she’ll be ousted from the primary election ballot after she wasn’t able to gather enough legitimate signatures to make her candidacy official.
But, the Des Plaines Republican says, she intends to run as a write-in during the primary election with the intention of still being active in the November election to run against Democratic Des Plaines Mayor Marty Moylan.
“They removed me,” Mulligan said this morning.
“I’m discussing my options with House Republicans right now,” Mulligan said this morning.
Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon is bringing her love of banjo to a Chicago audience.
Simon will play Saturday evening for a grand-opening preview of a $16.5 million education and performance venue at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago’s Lincoln Square neighborhood. […]
Simon has played the banjo for more than a decade with her Carbondale band, Loose Gravel.
She’ll join the Hoyle Brothers on stage Saturday. Simon says there’s a joy in live music and the Old Town School will help share that joy.
* The Question: What’s your one word reaction to this news?
Please do you utmost to keep your response to just one word. And let’s not be excessively mean-spirited. Thanks.
…Adding… In case you’re interested, LG Simon and Bau Graves from the Old Town School of Folk Music (one of my favorite venues in the world) were on Jonathon Brandmeier’s show this morning. They start a few minutes into the online podcast…
* I’ve been meaning to get to this for a while now, but for some reason kept putting it off. Researchers at Northwestern University and the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago polled some of the Chicago area’s wealthiest people. They only surveyed 104 of them, so it’s not totally scientific, but it’s a one of a kind look at who the so-called “1 percent” are and how they think. A working paper entitled “Wealthy Americans, Philanthropy, and the Common Good” looks at some of the results…
* Problems Facing the U.S.: Asked what they thought was the “most important problem facing the country today,” respondents cited budget deficits most frequently (32%), followed by unemployment (11%) and education (also 11%). Respondents were then asked to go through a list of 11 possible problems and rate them as very important, somewhat important, or not very important at all. Budget deficits again topped the list, with 87% calling them “very important,” followed closely by unemployment (84%), education (79%) and terrorism (74%).
* Political Activities: Wealthy Americans are far more active in politics than less affluent citizens. Nearly all respondents said they voted in the 2008 elections; half of the respondents said they had contacted at least one type of government official in the past year; 41% reported attending a campaign speech or event and 68% said they donated to a political cause or campaign in the past four years. Roughly one of five respondents said they “bundled” contributions from other people for a party or political cause; on average, respondents reported giving $4,633 to political campaigns and organizations in the past year.
* Political Attitudes: When asked to focus on how they would advance the common good, respondents often tended to argue for “getting government out of the way” in favor of free markets or private philanthropy. Of those respondents who considered deficits the most pressing problem, 65% mentioned only cutting spending as the way forward, compared to 35% who favored both spending cuts and revenue increases. No one mentioned only increasing revenue. Most respondents also favored cutting back most federal government programs, including Social Security and health care.
* Volunteer Activities and Charity: Nine in ten respondents said they had done volunteering work in the past year. Most respondents also reported giving money to a wide range of causes; the median respondent in the sample gave 4% of his or her annual income to charity. The authors estimate a household with $10 million in net worth tends to give roughly $40,000 annually to charity, or a little less than one half of 1 percent of its wealth.
The “median” household wealth for the survey group was $7.5 million.
* Nate Silver at 538 compares some of the findings to other polling. For instance, political participation…
In the Chicago sample, 99 percent reported voting in 2008; in the 2008 American National Election Study, only 78 percent of a nationally representative sample reported voting. Both numbers are probably inflated – nowhere near 78 percent of Americans actually voted in 2008 — but it seems unlikely that misleading survey responses would fully account for the gap between the 1 percent and Americans as a whole. Other measures of participation show even larger gaps. For example, 41 percent of the very wealthy reported attending a political meeting. Only 9 percent of Americans did so in 2008. And 68 percent of the very wealthy reported giving money to a political candidate, party, or cause in the last four years. In 2008–a year in which “small donors” were numerous–only 13 percent of Americans donated to a political candidate or party. Again, there are small differences in the wording of the questions between the two surveys, but they are not likely responsible for the 55-point gap.
When asked to name the most important problem facing the country, 32 percent of respondents said the deficit and 11 percent said the economy. By contrast, in an April 2011 CBS News/New York Times poll, 49 percent of Americans said the economy or jobs and only 5 percent said the deficit.
Among those who considered the deficit the most important problem, 65 percent favored spending cuts and 24 percent favored a combination of spending cuts and revenue increases. By contrast, a September 2011 New York Times/CBS News poll found that only 21 percent of respondents favored spending cuts exclusively. The majority (71 percent) favored spending cuts and tax increases.
About half of the survey’s 104 respondents reported initiating contact with a member of Congress, White House official or federal regulatory agency official at least once in the last six months. In contrast, a 2008 public opinion survey by American National Election Studies found that only 25 percent of the general public had contacted any elected official in the past 12 months.
Nationwide, white households are three times more likely to earn more than $200,000—the highest income bracket tracked by the U.S. Census Bureau—than black households. In Chicago, the disparity is even greater with white households being eight times more likely to be in the top bracket than their black counterparts, shows a Chicago Reporter analysis of census data.
For every 10,000 white households in the country, 475 make it into the top income bracket, but in Chicago, the number jumps to 868. For every 10,000 black households in the country, 113 make more than $200,000 compared with 96 in Chicago.
Richard E. Barrett, an associate professor of sociology at the University of Illinois at Chicago, said that Chicago, like other major cities, has a high concentration of wealth and many top-paid managerial jobs, but minority groups tend to represent a marginal group among the ranks.
*** UPDATE *** Gov. Quinn said today that a Beloit casino wouldn’t stop Illinois from putting a casino in Rockford…
“Frankly, I think people would much rather come to Rockford with the Rock River than go to Beloit… They’ve got a great mayor, lots of recreation, and who would want to go north of the border?”
With plans to bring a casino to Rockford and expand gaming in Illinois blocked, at least for the time being, by Gov. Pat Quinn and the Illinois House, a proposal to build an Indian casino just north of the state line in Beloit, Wis., is gaining traction.
The Ho-Chunk Nation may be close to applying for a federal gaming license — a process that could take about two years to complete. Ho-Chunk representatives will present their casino project and talk about its status at a public meeting Tuesday in Beloit.
A Beloit casino would, in effect, end hopes to bring a casino to Rockford.
“The facility they’re talking about in Beloit is larger than anything we’re talking about in Illinois and, at least originally, plans included a water park and convention center,” Sen. Dave Syverson, R-Rockford, said.
“With the fact that it won’t be taxed like Illinois casinos would be taxed, it’s unlikely that Rockford would ever get anything to pay the kind of costs it takes in taxes and license fees and be competitive with a casino 15 miles away.”
Thousands of new jobs could be coming to the Beloit area in the next few years if a tribal casino is built.
Beloit’s City Council on Wednesday night drafted an inter-governmental agreement with the Ho-Chunk Nation to build a casino.
Beloit City Manager Larry Arft describes the potential casino as a significant economic development generator.
“This certainly is a game changer, a paradigm shift, to get a facility of this size and magnitude. We don’t have all the final numbers yet, but the job totals would be in the thousands. The annual operating budget, many millions of dollars, and much of that would flow through the local economy,” Arft said.
Arft said the Ho-Chunk Nation purchased the land a few years ago in hopes of building a recreational facility. He said he’s optimistic the project will spark additional development in the area.
* Hooray, it looks like we lost again. Nice work, people. I’m looking at you, Gov. Pat Quinn, and you, Gaming Board Chairman Aaron Jaffe, and, you, gaming bill sponsors. Keep up the lousy work.
The chart, culled from exit poll data, shows the ideological disposition of those people who voted Republican for the House of Representatives in the elections of 1984 through 2010. Until fairly recently, about half of the people who voted Republican for Congress (not all of whom are registered Republicans) identified themselves as conservative, and the other half as moderate or, less commonly, liberal. But lately the ratio has been skewing: in [2010’s] elections, 67 percent of those who voted Republican said they were conservative, up from 58 percent two years earlier and 48 percent ten years ago.
Silver says this is about changing turnout, but it could also be about changing attitudes of Republican voters. Either way, discuss.
* When I see reporters quoting out of state “experts” on stuff like this, I usually tend to ignore the rest of the story…
“Permitting officials to hold outside jobs is a really bad idea,” said Richard Painter, a University of Minnesota law professor and former White House ethics counsel.
Yeah, so no farmers, no practicing lawyers, no business owners, no doctors, no teachers, no nothing in the General Assembly except full-time politicians. Right. That’s what we need. It’s working so well for Congress, right?
* However, this story does include some interesting info. For instance…
Lawmakers like State Representative Dan Burke, Democrat of Chicago, have shown themselves adept at working within the rules that govern lobbying by public officials. Burke is the brother of Ed Burke, a powerful Chicago alderman (he is not related to Christopher B. Burke, the engineer).
A lobby report filed with the city shows Dan Burke was paid $5,000 to lobby City Hall for the Chicago Roofing Contractors Association, the local wing of the industry group that represents roofing contractors throughout the state.
In February 2005, Burke co-sponsored a bill backed by the association of state roofing contractors that sought to protect its member companies from competition. Burke said his sponsorship was not a conflict of interest, even though the measure, which passed, benefited his client.
Speaking of the line separating his city lobbying activities and his state legislative actions, Burke said: “It’s murky, of course, but I was careful not to blend the roles.”
He shouldn’t have done that. As an example, it’s no big deal for a farmer to sponsor a bill that benefits all or most farmers. It wouldn’t be right, however, for a farmer to sponsor or vote for a bill that benefited only his own farm.
Larry Suffredin, a member of the Cook County Board, said that he responds to the problem by scrupulously abstaining on matters involving his legal clients and even companies in which he owns stock. But abstention can cause its own problems, leaving constituents disenfranchised when the people they elect do not vote on key issues.
Suffredin, who has lobbied in Springfield and Chicago on behalf of scores of clients, from big pharmaceutical companies to McCormick Place contractors to gambling companies, abstained from at least 30 votes over the past five years, county records show. That included votes on a $50 million Motorola contract with the juvenile detention center, county health contracts with GE Medical Systems and Abbott Laboratories, and tax increases on food, beverages and hotel stays.
* Look, I think you can make a pretty good case that elected officials shouldn’t be permitted to lobby other elected bodies. But I don’t think that Suffredin is a particularly egregious example of abuse. What the article above doesn’t mention is that his profession was a major campaign issue when Suffredin first ran for office (including his lobbying for a tobacco company, which wasn’t exactly popular in Evanston), but the voters went with him despite a very hard-fought campaign and have stayed with him ever since. What he does for a living hasn’t been some big secret.
Also, it is a bit tiresome to always see lobbyists portrayed in the media as suspect criminals. The vast majority of lobbyists are pretty darned conscientious people. The simplistic stereotypes constantly perpetuated by the media is basically just laziness masquerading as cynicism.
As slain Chicago police Officer Clifton Lewis’ body was carried in to a West Side church Thursday morning, sources confirmed three suspects were in custody in his death.
His casket was draped in a Chicago city flag. Bagpipes played as the casket was carried in to United Baptist Church, as hundreds of police officers in dress uniforms looked on and saluted.
At the service, police Supt. Garry McCarthy told Lewis’ family: “We are indebted to you. … I promise we will not tire until we find and hold those responsible for this senseless act.”
The off-duty Chicago police officer slain in a West Side convenience store Thursday night had just gotten engaged on Christmas Day, family friends say.
Clifton Lewis, 41, an eight-year veteran assigned to the Austin District’s tactical team, was pronounced dead Thursday at Stroger Hospital, officials said. Two men had walked into the M & M Quick Foods about 8:30 p.m. at 1201 N. Austin Blvd. in the Austin neighborhood, shot the officer, and then grabbed his gun and star and fled, sources said. […]
At a press conference, Chicago Police Department Supt. Garry McCarthy said that both of the offenders were armed, one with a pistol and the other a weapon that appeared on video to be a TEC-9. He also said that Lewis, who was standing behind the counter, drew his own weapon and was “subsequently shot.”
“The officer didn’t stand a chance in this case. He did everything he could,” McCarthy said. “Both offenders were wearing masks when they entered the location. One of the two offenders immediately turned and started firing at Officer Lewis. And Officer Lewis engaged that individual … and was subsequently murdered.”
* This was a special man, and the community has responded…
Emanuel, who on Wednesday participated in a leafletting asking for the public’s help in finding Lewis’s killers, said the robbery and slaying do not embody Chicago.
“As I went door to door yesterday in Austin, I want you to know that I saw an outpouring of love and support for Officer Lewis,” Emanuel said. “…That is the city that we call home, and what happened the other night darkens our lives. That is not the city we know. That is not the city we love. And that is not the people we are.”
Quinn said that “Cliff truly was a hero” and someone who “understood you had to live in a community to protect a community.”
* So perhaps in our own little way we can help memorialize Officer Lewis…
In lieu of flowers, family members request donations be made to PAWS Chicago in the name of Ofc. Clifton Lewis.
* Illinois switched from a “fair market” model to a “smoothing” model a few years ago to paper over falling pension funding rates. But with portfolio values increasing and the state making more timely contributions, it might want to switch back…
The latest review based on fiscal 2011 figures shows Illinois’ unfunded liabilities rose to $82.9 billion for a funded ratio of 43.4% from $75.7 billion for a funded ratio of 45.4% in fiscal 2010. The review was based on a model in which investment returns are smoothed over a five-year period. Asset growth helped stave off larger declines in the funded ratio.
The state shifted several years ago to the smoothing model. On a fair market valuation, the funded ratio actually improved. Unfunded liabilities fell in fiscal 2011 to $83.1 billion for a funded ratio of 43.3% from $85.6 billion and a funded ratio of just 38.3% in fiscal 2010.
The state’s 30 pages of pension and other post-employment benefits disclosure note that while the method used for figuring the state’s contribution rate complies with state statutes, it does not meet guidelines established by the Government Accounting Standards Board. The contributions fall short of the actuarially required contribution, or ARC.
Illinois contributed $4.3 billion in fiscal 2011 to the funds, short of the $5.9 billion ARC payment based on GASB guidelines.
Under the current plan to bring systems to a 90% level by 2045, funded ratios won’t rise above 50% until 2025, and without reforms the state faces huge increases to reach the 2045 goal.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I do not know why we need to have 90 percent of all possible pension payouts for the next 30 years on hand at once. I can understand why the feds want corporations to do this because most corporations eventually go under. But for a state, especially a state with the strongest constitutional pension payment mandate in the nation, having 10-15 years or so of all possible payouts for the next 30 years on hand ought to be more than enough. The requirement just seems onerous to me and wealth transfer to Wall Street.
House Republican budgeteer state Rep. David Harris, R-Arlington Heights, said he expects Medicaid costs to grow at nearly 8 percent a year for the next few years. Illinois is slated to spend $7 billion on Medicaid in the current state budget, about a fifth of the $33.2 billion spending plan.
“The Medicaid system is going to have to recognize that the dollars from Springfield are not going to be there like they were in the past,” Harris said.
Harris and his fellow Republicans have said Illinois could save billions of dollars by “trimming” people from Medicaid.
Kraft said the governor proposed a Medicaid rate cut last year, but lawmakers and Medicaid providers “did not have an appetite” for that. Instead providers and legislators opted to delay payments.
Mautino said that’s not an option next year.
“The state is going to have to find another $700 million for rising Medicaid costs, and you have about $1.5 billion unpaid bills that will have to be addressed in next year’s budget,” Mautino said. “The spring session will be all about trimming Medicaid costs.”
In terms of the economically related sources, both corporate income tax as well as sales tax could be viewed as somewhat outperforming expectations, while personal income tax has slightly underperformed and has struggled to achieve any real growth absent the tax increase. Looking ahead, the most likely scenario continues to call for modest growth over the remainder of the fiscal year and into FY 2013.
* Early in December, Attorney General Lisa Madigan and the Citizens Utility Board demanded that the Illinois Commerce Commission cut Ameren’s rates by $41.1 million…
The Citizens Utility Board and Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan asked the Illinois Commerce Commission on Monday to force Ameren Illinois to cut customer electricity rates.
The utility had sought a $40 million rate hike but withdrew that request as promised when the Legislature overrode Gov. Pat Quinn’s veto and passed controversial smart grid legislation last month. The legislation alters the rate-making process in a way that is expected to increase utility profits.
Consumer advocates say Ameren’s withdrawal of its rate hike request isn’t enough. That’s because when the case came before the ICC, an administrative law judge recommended that Ameren decrease customer electricity rates by $41.1 million because of concerns the company was padding its profit.
An administrative law judge agreed.
* But on December 30th, Gov. Pat Quinn quietly signed the “smart grid” trailer bill, despite his fierce opposition to the proposal. Quinn’s signature killed the rate case…
The bill at first sounded like it would aid consumers by requiring the Illinois Commerce Commission to dump Ameren’s pending request for a rate hike. But it became an accidental detriment when the administrative law judge overseeing the case recommended a decrease for consumers instead.
In the last five years, the vast majority of rate requests that come before the ICC have resulted in an increase to consumers. If the case had continued, and the ICC had accepted that recommendation, Ameren customers would have been on track to receive savings of between $30 and $50 per year.
But with Quinn’s signing of the trailer bill — which lowers the return on equity utilities will receive under a new formula-based rate system and increases the amount ComEd and Ameren will pay to upgrade its aging infrastructure — the case is null and void.
* As a result, some Ameren customers will receive a much smaller rate cut, while others will see a rate increase…
Ameren Illinois made its initial filing under the state’s grid modernization law on Tuesday, one that will initially provide modest rate relief for many electric customers in the Metro East.
Overall, Ameren’s electric rates would decline by $19 million a year if the new rates are approved, Ameren spokesman Leigh Morris said.
But not everyone will benefit. Customers in Ameren rate zones 1 and 3 (formerly AmerenIP and CIPS) would see slight reductions in rates. Those in zone 2 (formerly Cilco) would see an increase, Morris said.
Oops.
* And I don’t know if Mayor Emanuel was dinging the governor or not, but he sure did his best to celebrate Quinn’s trailer bill signature as soon as hizzoner returned from his vacation…
With a promise of 2,400 jobs for Chicago, ComEd on Wednesday launched the hiring blitz it promised in exchange for a $2.6 billion rate hike that will finance “smart-grid” technology.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel held a news conference with ComEd President Anne Pramaggiore to tout the benefits of legislation denounced by Gov. Pat Quinn as “smart greed” for the campaign contributions the utility lathered on state lawmakers who overrode the governor’s veto.
The hiring will begin with 350 to 400 Chicago jobs this year and up to 2,400 over the next decade, Pramaggiore said. […]
In his failed campaign to uphold his smart-grid veto, Quinn likened consumer-friendly improvements to the rate-hike bill to putting “perfume on a skunk.”
On Wednesday, Emanuel made the legislation sound and smell rosy.
* Smart grid will create 2,400 jobs here, mayor says
* Mayor Emanuel: ComEd Smart Grid to Create 2,400 Jobs in Chicago
* ComEd’s switch to smart grid will create about 2,400 jobs for Chicago, officials say - About 1,000 of those jobs will be related to construction over the next five years; 2 out-of-state firms plan to open offices here
* As I told subscribers yesterday, Sen. John O. Jones has dropped out of his Republican primary bid after his inadequate petitions were challenged by fellow GOP state Sen. Kyle McCarter...
Jones, a 16-year veteran of the General Assembly, withdrew from his March 20 matchup against state Sen. Kyle McCarter, saying he wasn’t sure he could survive a challenge of his nominating petitions by his opponent. […]
McCarter challenged Jones’ nominating petitions and found enough potential problems that Jones exited the race rather than embark on a legal fight. To run in the Senate primary, a candidate must have at least 1,000 valid signatures from registered voters within the district. Jones said if each of McCarter’s challenges had been successful, he would have been dozens of signatures short of staying on the ballot. […]
It wasn’t clear Wednesday whether the move means an end to Jones career in Springfield, which began in 1995 when he was elected to the House. He moved into his Senate seat in 2003.
“I’m going to leave my options open,” Jones said.
Gathering enough signatures to run as an independent will be a whole lot harder than it was in a party primary, so he’d better get his act together if that’s what he’s going to do.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Adam Andrzejewski is alleging fraud. From an e-mail…
Furthermore, seven signed affidavits alleged petition signature forgery. Evidence of more forgery was gathered on five more petition sheets. Rather than fight these legal assertions, Jones decided to drop out of the race. In addition, the objector was prepared to allege that union reps circulated nine pages of petitions on government property: inside a state prison and a school.
[ *** End Of Update *** ]
* Only a relative handful of people, like Democratic Sen. Dave Koehler, had an easy time gathering petitions this year.
It used to be, candidates could just flood the Board of Elections with thousands of iffy petitions, making it very difficult if not impossible to find enough signatures to kick them off the ballot (that’s what happened with Scott Lee Cohen and his gigantic mountain of signatures in 2010, for instance). Now, there’s an upper limit, after which the Board stops counting. Candidates have to make extra sure they’re turning in their most valid signatures or face the boot.
* But the current political climate is so toxic for politicians of all stripes that just going out a couple of weekends and gathering tons of sigs is no longer a viable option. People are in no mood to cooperate, and lots of candidates ended up turning in petitions on the last day of filing this year because they weren’t prepared for the reaction at the doors.
“Hi, I’m running for the Illinois General Assembly, you know, the people who raised your taxes and your electric utility rates, haven’t solved the pension mess, can’t pay the state’s bills, are still handing out legislative scholarships, forced you to register with the government when you buy Drano, allowed Chicago to install speed cams…”
[Sound of door slamming.]
* And it isn’t just legislators and legislative candidates having trouble…
Chicago’s election board voted unanimously Wednesday to remove Ald. Rey Colon (35th) from the March 20 primary ballot for Democratic ward committeeman because he did not collect enough valid signatures from registered voters in the ward.
Colon has served as committeeman since 2004, and his exit leaves only one candidate for the top party post: Nancy Schiavone, a lawyer who unsuccessfully challenged Colon for alderman last year. Schiavone could not be reached for comment. […]
Colon is the third incumbent ward boss who has encountered trouble staying on the ballot for this year’s primary. Ald. Toni Foulkes (15th) dropped her re-election bid after her nomination papers were challenged. Raymond Lopez, who ran against Foulkes for alderman in last year’s election, will run unopposed for committeeman of that ward.
Ald. Howard Brookins (21st) is currently fighting to stay on the ballot after a preliminary examination by election board officials found he was about 100 signatures short of the required total.
That’s just craziness. These are ward committeemen. They’re supposed to have an organization. But, things are tough all over and sometimes people can get lazy.
Reformers thought the new signature requirements would work against challengers before filing started. So far though, more incumbents than usual are having real problems. Heck, even the Obama campaign didn’t file petitions on the first day, and, as of this moment, hasn’t filed yet.
A southwest side community activist who’s running for State Senate says he was offered a state job and money to drop out of his political race, and he said that offer was secretly taped by the FBI.
Democrat Raul Montes Junior is running in the 12th District, a job that is also being pursued by incumbent 11th District Democrat Steve Landek, who is also the mayor of southwest suburban Bridgeview.
Earlier this month, Montes says he got a call from a political consultant he believes was representing Landek. They met in a restaurant on Taylor Street, where Montes said the consultant tried to entice him to withdraw from the primary race.
“He said, ‘We could compensate you for your time,’” Montes said. “‘Thousands of dollars, and possibly get you a Chicago coordinating job, and you’ll be working for Senator Steve Landek. What do you think about it?’ I started smelling something fishy.”
Montes said he didn’t feel comfortable about the offer and called the FBI. On Christmas Eve, he said he received a voicemail from Landek asking to set up a face-to-face meeting.
Montes said the FBI equipped him with an undercover recording device when he met with Landek last Thursday in a suite at Toyota Park in Bridgeview. He said they talked for nearly two and a half hours, and at the end of the conversation, Landek asked Montes what it would take to get him out of the race.
“He said, ‘What if I offered you something to come on staff with me at the Senate? You’ d be making over $30,000 a year,’” Montes said. “I listened to him. He goes, ‘What about if I give you some money?’ I go, ‘Money?’ He says, ‘Yeah. I can give you a check right now for $3,000, but you gotta withdraw. Go on vacation. Go somewhere you want. Come back in a few days, and then you work for me on my campaign.’”
Sen. Landek insists he did nothing wrong. But, wow, what a story this is.
Well-known election lawyer Burt Odelson says that he took a phone call from his friend Landek and advised him that it was perfectly legal for Landek to offer Montes a job for dropping out of the race.
“I talked to Steve in the middle of the meeting,” said Odelson, who is also representing a challenger to Montes’ nominating petitions. “Steve offered him a position on his campaign committee to help him in the campaign.
“Steve and I talked about this before he did it, because [Montes] did pass a lot of petitions and he did it all himself, and you can’t find people like that anymore who do that hard work.
“Especially, he lives in an area that’s new to Steve’s district. He’s Hispanic. It makes all the sense in the world to get young blood involved in the organization. Additionally, if you can get your opponent off the ballot, you get him off the ballot.”
Odelson said Landek did nothing wrong in offering Montes a job.
“It goes on every single day in politics,” Odelson said, “from every level of government including the judiciary. Steve offered a job on his campaign staff, and if that worked out he would consider him to work on his senate staff. … And it would save a lot of money not having to run against somebody run against him, even though Steve is going to beat him 80/20 or 75/25. He’s not a serious challenger. He lives with his parents in the basement.”
* Congressman Don Manzullo was in Oglesby earlier this week at a Bureau La Salle Tea Party meeting. This is how he pitched himself…
“The Rockford area (where I live) has consistently led the nation in unemployment,” said Manzullo while he explained his philosophy on how to get American back to work.
“I feel Kinzinger, whom I supported and campaigned for in the last election, has voted and works against our Bill of Rights,” [said George Richter, a Republican Earl Township precinct committeeman]
The guy essentially accuses his congressman of treason (or at least violating his oath of office) and there’s no follow-up?
Sheesh.
* And if you thought the D300 people would go quietly into the night, now that they got pretty much everything they asked for from the General Assembly during the Sears debate, think again…
Community Unit School District 300 leaders questioned whether a $275 million tax deal the state offered Hoffman Estates-based Sears was more of a corporate bailout than a fair business incentive to keep the company in Illinois.
“At this point, some members of the D-300 community are asking whether these so-called ‘incentives’ for Sears were actually a bailout, along the lines of the bank bailouts and car company bailouts,” said District 300 spokeswoman Alison Strupeck.
The company is deeply in the red, but that “$275 million tax deal” as reported by the local paper is actually spread out over many years, not given to the company all at once. So, it’s not a bailout.
* A recent Sun-Times headline read “Felon William Cellini’s family still profits off state contracts.” But that’s not exactly what’s going on…
As a convicted felon, William F. Cellini — the longtime Republican power broker recently convicted of corruption tied to former Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s “pay-to-play” schemes — can no longer do business with the state of Illinois, as he has done for more than four decades.
But the Illinois law under which Cellini faces a five-year ban on getting any state contracts doesn’t apply to his vast network of business ventures, some of which have been turned over to his daughter and son, according to state officials.
Cellini companies — New Frontier Management and an affiliate, Pacific Management Corp., which is owned in part by his daughter and son-in-law — have agreements with private landlords to manage 18 buildings now occupied by state agencies that include the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Human Services and the Department of Transportation, state officials say.
* Under current law, the state cannot force private property owners to hire or fire certain management companies…
Untangling the state’s relationship with Cellini-associated companies might be difficult. The state is not paying rent to Cellini-associated companies. The companies that own the buildings pay the Cellini-associated firms fees to manage them.
“I don’t think state has the authority to dictate for a landlord with whom they can do business,” said [Alka Nayyar, a spokeswoman for the Department of Central Management Services].
When the state seeks to lease property, it puts out a request for information from property owners, spelling out the amount of space needed and other requirements.
“We can’t pre-determine who responds to an RFI,” Nayyar said. “In all cases possible, we try to go with the lowest respondent as long as their particular proposal meets all the space requirements for the agencies.”
And since when do we start actively punishing children for their fathers’ crimes?
A suspected drunken driver charged with killing a pedestrian on a northwest side of Chicago street last year is now on the run — and the victim’s family is pointing the finger at Cook County’s elected leaders.
William “Denny” McCann’s family believes the suspect, Saul Chavez, would still be in the custody of law enforcement — and not a fugitive — if the Cook County Board hadn’t passed an ordinance that the family argues paved the way for the suspect to disappear.
“They f—– up,” Kevin McCann, the victim’s brother, told the Sun-Times. “He (allegedly killed) my brother, and they let him out of jail.”
The alleged felon made bail. The reason this is garnering media heat is because he was an undocumented immigrant…
In the days after Chavez’s arrest, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued a “detainer” for him, asking that the county jail notify the agency when the suspect posted bond and to detain him up to 48 hours so agents could pick him up for possible deportation proceedings.
But in September, county commissioners passed an ordinance instructing the jail to ignore the immigration detainers, whether the charges are for misdemeanors or felonies — describing the detainers as requests and not arrest warrants, as a federal court ruled earlier in the year.
Commissioner Jesus “Chuy” Garcia and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle championed the measure, saying the detainers sometimes targeted U.S. citizens and became costly as federal agents routinely would ask for the hold and forget about it. Both say they feel sympathy for the McCann family but that this points to problems with setting bonds.
The bond was set at $250,000. A family member scraped up the cash and he was let go. If Cook County had not passed the ordinance, he would’ve been turned over to Immigration, which would’ve then deported him south of the border. John Kass is riled up…
It wasn’t as if the politicians of the Cook County Board weren’t warned that they were creating a Willie Horton problem.
They were indeed warned, by Cook County Commissioner Timothy Schneider, as they passed a foolish new law.
The proposal passed. And the feds weren’t notified. Chavez, a Mexican national who had previously been convicted of a DUI, came up with $25,000, bonded out and disappeared. Now he’s believed to have skipped back home.
In other words, Chavez is right where the feds would’ve sent him anyway.
The problem in this particular instance is the bond, not necessarily the law.
…Adding… A couple of commenters have pointed out that the feds would likely have held Chavez in detention until his trial. So, yeah, this is a problem. Apologies all around. However, as another commenter pointed out, what bail bondsman in his right mind would agree to a $250,000 bond on a flight risk like this?
* Yes, I’m fully aware that both of these positions put me way out of the so-called “mainstream.” But when the media pack attacks, I usually try to take a couple of steps back to see if it’s a valid attack. Both of these stories allow people to get all worked up and fume at the powers that be, but, in my opinion, the outrage is misplaced.
*** UPDATE *** Via e-mail from Cook County Commissioner John Fritchey…
While there is no simple answer to this issue, what is being ignored in this story is that the suspect was being held in county jail for over FIVE MONTHS and ICE did nothing to take him into their custody.
The problem with the detainers is that they don’t require any probable cause and have been ruled to be voluntary detention requests. Candidly, some of you may be fine with this concept as long as it involves an undocumented person but what about if the detainer were erroneously used against a U.S. citizen or even a veteran, as has happened?
There are a few leading factors that allowed this situation to turn out the way it did.
Factor One: If the judge or State’s Attorney thought the suspect was a flight risk, they could have, and should have, set a higher bail or no bail.
Factor Two: If the feds wanted to deport him, they had five months to take him from county custody. They repeatedly choose not to because they don’t want to absorb the costs of processing and incarcerating these individuals.
Factor Three: And last June, a 7th Circuit Federal Court ruled that the ICE detainers are voluntary requests meaning that we have NO legal right to hold somebody once they post bond. To then comply with the detainer means that we would be unconstitutionally holding depriving somebody of their liberty.
And I am confident that once the county would be required to pay out the first million dollar plus judgment for a civil rights violation, there would be shouts that we shouldn’t be holding people without due process. Again, if the feds feel that they have a basis to hold somebody, they are more than able to take them from the county while we are legally detaining them.
Also not pointed out in the article is that the county ordinance provides that the Sheriff can still hold these individuals provided that the feds indemnify us for doing so.
To blame the outcome on the county policy is overly simplistic, misplaced and incorrect.
