“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.
