* Subscribers are already well aware of a report about several maxed out contributions by two very wealthy to little county Republican Party committees and groups all over the state. Much of those contributions then were contributed back to the Illinois Republican Party via tickets to a Karl Rove fundraising event. Bernie Schoenberg takes the story one step further, however, and connects those contributions to a 13th Congressional District hopeful…
Rodney Davis of Taylorville, one of four remaining candidates for the nod, ran the Republican “victory” coordinated campaign effort in Illinois in 2010. He spent most of 2011 as acting executive director of the state party.
Davis said he did have a role in helping the Griffins find GOP organizations to contribute to, but those donations were “absolutely not” linked to the Rove event.
“I introduced some of those county party chairmen to Mrs. Griffin, absolutely,” Davis said. “Each of those counties knew from Day 1, they have the ability to spend that money to help elect Republicans, and that’s what they’re going to do.”
* Davis worked for Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady when those contributions were raised. Brady is now chairing the search committee to replace retiring Congressman Tim Johnson on the ballot. From Bernie…
Pat Brady, as state party chairman, is overseeing the selection process and reiterated that he is staying neutral. Still, in defending Davis’ role in party activities, he also heaped praise on Davis.
Brady said Davis did “an unbelievable job” running the Illinois victory program in the 2010 cycle, when the GOP won a majority of U.S. House seats in the state. Brady also said he basically took five months off from party work last year to help his wife, JULIE, in her continuing battle with cancer. During that time, he said, Davis handled party restructuring and worked to pay off the party’s debt.
“He’s really transformed it into an effective organization and done everything that I’ve ever asked him,” Brady said of Davis.
Brady won’t have a vote on the final selection, but his close connection and high praise for one of the potential ballot appointees is causing some consternation with the other camps.
Jerry Clarke, another potential replacement, is a member of the Illinois Republican Party Central Committee.
* The Question: Should Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady recuse himself from the Tim Johnson replacement search? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
* Subscribers were tipped to this bill earlier in the week. It passed the Senate Executive Committee yesterday and is now on the floor…
Illinois’ Senate leader wants to require publicly traded corporations operating in the state to disclose certain financial information, an idea Republicans and business groups criticized.
Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, introduced the Corporate Disclosure and Responsibility Act on Wednesday and said the goal is to help the state and public evaluate the effectiveness and need for corporate tax breaks, such as the deal offered last year to the CME Group Inc. and Sears Holdings Corp., aimed at keeping them in Illinois.
“Publicly traded corporations already tell shareholders how their investments resulted in losses and profits,” Cullerton said. “The people of Illinois deserve the same transparency.” […]
Senate Minority leader Christine Radogno, R-Lemont, said it was “political gamesmanship” on the part of Cullerton and Senate Democrats, calling the measure “a cheap shot to the business community.”
As part of its economic development efforts, the state has awarded incentive packages to companies that agree to invest in the state and create jobs here, allowing them to take credits against their corporate income taxes. But since some companies pay no income taxes for a variety of reasons, the state has broadened some packages to allow them to retain a portion of the employee income taxes they withhold from paychecks.
“We are being asked to approve bills giving money to companies that apparently don’t pay (income) taxes,” Cullerton said. “It would be helpful to know what the situation is.”
* Cullerton made reference during the hearing to a similar Wisconsin law, but even before the hearing began some business lobsters were saying this was political payback to the Illinois Chamber…
But a source who would know says there’s another reason for the measure, perhaps the main reason. That would be the recent appearance by conservative GOP Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin at a Springfield luncheon sponsored by the Illinois Chamber of Commerce.
The appearance by a figure who has rankled organized labor in his state came as officials in this state are talking to unions about a pension-reform deal. So the timing was bad.
Moreover, it turns out, Wisconsin already has on its books a law that includes a portion of what Mr. Cullerton is proposing to do here.
Chamber chief Doug Whitley says he’s heard the same thing. And he sure isn’t happy about it.
“If it’s just a manner of having fun and sending a message I can understand that,” he emailed me. “But not only is it just totally unnecessary, it just sends off more warning bells” to companies that might want to set up shop here.
Adds Mr. Whitley: Mr. Cullerton takes “pleasure in reminding us” that things could be made worse for business in Illinois. And Mr. Whitley’s response: “Get over it, already.”
Others, however, said this bill was political cover for liberals who will have to make some tough budget and pension votes in the coming weeks. The same thing goes for the minimum wage bill that’s still pending in Senate Exec.
Thursday, May 10, 2012 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Illinois residents want to cut the deficit and create jobs without tax increases or budget cuts. A recent independent analysis shows that a modest expansion of gaming in Illinois would create 20,500 jobs and $200 million in desperately needed new annual revenue.
That’s why Illinois labor leaders are united in support for the compromise legislation contained in Senate Bill 1849:
“With our unemployment numbers still hovering around 9 percent, the state can’t afford to take a pass on this vital piece of legislation. We’ve got men and women ready to go to work today, and SB 1849 would finally give them the opportunity to earn their living.” Tom Balanoff, President, SEIU Local 1
“More people at work means more tax revenues coming in to help balance our city, county and state budgets.” Dave Whitmore, Business Manager, Ironworkers Local 4
“More than 50,000 jobs are at stake! Not only would SB 1849 create 20,000 new jobs, it would save more than 30,000 agri-business jobs that effect nearly every single one of Illinois’s 102 counties!”Former Rep. Bill Black, Chairman, the Illinois Revenue and Jobs Allliance.
* The most interesting thing about this roll call is not that the bill lost. It was always destined to lose. It’s that Sen. Gary Forby decided not to fight another day by pulling the bill out of the record. This was theater designed for the folks back home, not much more…
An effort to give lawmakers the power to block Gov. Pat Quinn from closing large state facilities fell one vote short of passage in the Senate on Wednesday.
State Sen. Gary Forby, whose district includes Tamms Correctional Center, which Quinn wants to shutter as part of a budget-cutting plan, had sought to give the General Assembly a say in whether closures can go forward.
But, the measure received just 29 of the 30 votes needed to move to the House for further deliberations.
Quinn wants to close adult prisons in Tamms and Dwight, youth prisons in Joliet and Murphysboro, a center for developmentally disabled residents in Centralia and numerous other state facilities. At stake are more than 2,000 jobs.
* That vote gave Gov. Pat Quinn a big boost in his attempt to cut the budget and force AFSCME and other unions to the bargaining table on pensions. Quinn also got some backing for his pension plan from the Illinois Chamber…
Illinois and Springfield Chamber of Commerce officials endorsed Gov. Pat Quinn’s ideas to restructure the state’s ailing pension systems on Wednesday, while expressing reservations about his idea to shift pension costs from the state to local school districts, community colleges and universities.
“These funds are literally looking at insolvency if we don’t make changes,” Illinois Chamber President Doug Whitley said of the pension systems.
But Whitley acknowledged that local chamber officials, including those in Springfield, are concerned about Quinn’s desire to gradually make local officials responsible for paying their workers’ pension payments.
Erich Bloxdorf, interim president of the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce, said cost-shifting should not occur until other changes are passed, “and only if local governments can control their pension benefits.”
* And in a somewhat surprising move, the Chamber also believes Quinn’s proposal to shift employer pension costs to school boards and universities has some merit. From a press release…
Although sensitive to the cost shift this provision will have on local governments and property owners, the Illinois Chamber believes this policy change has merit and should be pursued provided that local districts and public universities are assured a sufficient number of years to phase in the costs and assume the management responsibilities. Beside the fact that “the devil is always in the details” and we are still waiting for a bill to emerge, this proposal is sufficiently complicated and controversial for local communities it likely to be left for another day.
* If you were watching yesterday’s live session coverage post, you knew right away that this had happened…
House lawmakers moved [yesterday] to reduce the $800 million annual cost of insurance for retired state workers by making them pay more for health care that some now get for little or nothing.
The action unfolded as House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, and Minority Leader Tom Cross, R-Oswego, implored colleagues to make the legislation part of a major effort to rein in billions of dollars in health-care for the poor, public employee pensions and the state’s budget overall.
“The prescription on the table is huge,” Madigan said. “This is one small part of it. …If we can’t do this, what in the world are we going to be able to do?”
Under the legislation, retired state workers, judges, lawmakers and university employees would have premiums for their group health insurance program set each year by the Quinn administration. The bill went to the Senate on a 74-43 vote.
CMS could still negotiate the premium levels with the unions, but JCAR will have the final say. So, collective bargaining will be severely diminished on this issue, but not totally eliminated.
* CMS plans to use several pension income tiers to set premium levels…
The percentage of health care costs the retiree would pay also would be based on pension level, according to a Quinn administration letter. Pension amounts would be broken into seven tiers. The higher the tier, the more the retiree will pay. The cost increase isn’t expected to be as significant for retirees on Medicare, but no one is expected to pay less than he or she is paying now, the letter said.
“Not only are these benefits unaffordable given today’s fiscal situation, but they are far more generous than those provided by other governments to their employees and those provided by the private sector,” said House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago), who sponsored the bill along with House Minority Leader Tom Cross (R-Oswego).
“If you take this bill and compare it to other matters we’re being asked to do in this session, I say if we can’t do this bill, what are we going to be able to do?” Madigan asked.
Indeed, the health-care decision represents the first of several painful fiscal votes lawmakers face this month, when they are expected to impose $2.7 billion worth of Medicaid cuts and dramatically trim state and possibly city pension benefits.
Members voting “no” included state Reps. Adam Brown of Decatur, Bill Mitchell of Forsyth, Rich Morthland of Cordova, Brandon Phelps of Harrisburg, David Reis of Willow Hill, Chapin Rose of Mahomet, Keith Sommer of Morton and Pat Verschoore of Milan.
The House passed this by a fairly lopsided vote. But remember, this financial reform may be the easiest of the big three to accomplish. So when we see 43 “no” votes — including 18 Republicans —it makes us suspicious.
State Rep. Chapin Rose, of Mahomet, remember what you told us when you ran in the Republican primary this year? “A solution must be found” for unsustainable health care costs, you wrote in our questionnaire. The solution came to a vote Wednesday. You voted “no.”
Republican state Rep. Rosemary Mulligan, of Des Plaines, who voted against the bill, asked during debate how it would impact her own bottom line. She is retiring this year.
Our bottom line is this: Lawmakers, you created one unholy financial mess in this state. You know exactly what you have to do to fix it. Don’t come home until you do.
* Related…
* Savings From Eliminating Free Retiree Health Insurance Unknown
* The House Special Investigating Committee is meeting this morning at 10:30. Rep. Derrick Smith’s attorney is reportedly planning to attend the hearing and will speak. Expect fireworks.
* You can follow live Tweets here. You can find the House’s live audio/video feed for hearing room 114 here. The nice folks at BlueRoomStream.com have also provided us with a live embed…
[Embed removed because hearing is over.]
My intern Owen Irwin is at the hearing and we hope to have post-game media comments soon after. Check back here for updates.
* Gov. Pat Quinn released his income tax returns to the public this week. From a press release…
In addition to his $157,321.60 in salary as Governor in 2011, Governor Quinn reported interest income of $4.81, a taxable refund of $1,222, $18.04 in income from the Foreign Currency Fee litigation settlement fund and a $42,500 withdrawal from his SEP (Simplified Employee Pension Plan).
Governor Quinn paid $38,094.86 in federal income tax and $7,750.73 in state income tax in 2011. Quinn also paid $3,938 in property taxes on his home on the west side of Chicago. The Governor donated $11,562.72 to charity.
With a big hat tip to a reader, check this out. Click the pic for a better view…
OK, we’re going to do a little math here, but stick with me anyway.
The federal tax he reported paying was actually $1,607.48 less than the tax he reported owing. But he looks like he reversed the numbers. Instead of subtracting what he owed from what he paid, which would have given him a negative result, he subtracted what he paid from what he owed, and then asked for a $1,607.48 refund when he actually appears to owe that amount.
* This is really no big deal. Mistakes happen all the time. And he can probably clean this up by filing an amended return.
But it looks like he did his own taxes. Perhaps he needs to realize that he’s just too busy being governor to do this stuff by himself.
I asked the governor’s office for a response and haven’t yet heard back.
* By the way, the income tax hike he signed into law hit Quinn but good…
In 2010, Quinn paid about $4,400 in state taxes, while in 2011 the figure was $7,750.73.
* Audit: IL employee used state investments for personal gain: George Egan, former director of portfolio management for College Illinois!, and others also were given combined bonuses of $176,003 after resigning or being fired. Egan was a partner in a company, which was not identified in the report, that invested $500,000 in the Balestra Capital investment firm at the same time the firm was bidding on a contract with College Illinois!, according to the audit by Illinois Auditor General William Holland.
* A downside to Illinois’ open meetings training: The first time she tried it, she could get in. But after 25 minutes or so, the website froze. So Zohfeld tried again. And again, as she demonstrated last week. “And I’ll tab it and put in my secret password,” Zohfeld said in a jokingly hushed voice. “And [the screen] says, ‘Your login attempt was not successful. Please try again.’ So, let’s try it with a capital T.” That didn’t work either.
* The last time I posted something about a bill to lay out requirements for recycling supermarket plastic bags, we got some comments like this one…
Just recycle the darn plastic bags people. It’s not hard. Take a big bag. Stick all the little plastic bags in it. When full. take to store for recycling. I do it all the time. I still get the convenience of plastic bags but know that I’m minimizing their footprint by recycling them.
How many of these plastic bags are there? No one really knows. Estimates on the web range from 4 billion new bags a month to 7 trillion a year. Many countries — about a fourth of the world’s population — either ban or heavily tax them out of existence. The bags are either illegal or rare in Belgium, Italy and Ireland.
Because the bags are light, they float and blow easily and travel long distances. It takes only about a dozen bags carelessly discarded, stuck in the trees, to pretty much ruin the appearance of a park. And because the bags have a shelf life of as much as 1,000 years, they will be with us a long time. The Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria have long since decayed. The sword of Charlemagne is a relic. The bag from a foodmart is eternal.
State Rep. Michael Tryon, R-Crystal Lake, has a bill in the hopper requiring plastic manufacturers to set up a network of recycling sites. Most, but not all, grocery stores already have them. Chicago already has a recycling program.
But most people could not be bothered. Tryon noted that only two percent of the bags are recycled now. By contrast, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 72 percent of all newsprint and 85 percent of all cardboard is recycled.
State Rep. Monique Davis’ Democratic friends in the Illinois House Tuesday spared her from a tax bill of at least $444,500.
By a 60-54 vote, with Davis voting present, the House entered into the legal dispute between the longtime South Side lawmaker and the Chicago Board of Education over her refusal to pay back rent and leaseholder taxes on her district office, which is in a school-owned building.
The measure would bar taxation on any property owned by a state or local government leased to another state or local government. It makes no mention of Davis, but the bill would essentially undercut a school system lawsuit against Davis.
That provision was tucked in a broader bill that would exempt a Wheeling office used for “disaster preparedness” and owned by the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System from property taxation.
Davis, who occupies a rent-free Chicago Board of Education building as her district office, was sued in 2009 by the school system in a bid to collect seven years of back rent of $75,000 and uncollected leasehold taxes and penalties totaling $444,500.
A local Democratic contender for a new Illinois House of Representatives seat is facing a domestic battery charge.
Natalie Manley, a Joliet accountant and candidate in the 98th District race, was arrested Tuesday by Joliet police at her home in the 3100 block of Ingalls Avenue.
Police said the arrest stemmed from a dispute Manley had with her 21-year-old daughter. The younger woman reportedly told police she had lost her cell phone and was unable to let her mother know she would be home late.
When the 21-year-old did return to the apartment she shares with Manley at around 2 a.m. Tuesday, police said she was attacked by her mother, who “punched, kicked, knocked her to the ground, struck her in the face [and] hit her with a set of keys.”
* And now onto something a little funny. First, the setup…
With the primaries more than a month in the past, two more Democrats will be on the November ballot.
The leaders of the county Democratic committees nominated Wanda Rohl for the 16th Congressional District and Thomas Boken Jr. for the 90th House District at their meeting Tuesday evening.
Rohl, a hospice worker from outside of Ottawa, will face U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Manteno, in the redrawn 14-county district, which includes Lee, Ogle, Bureau and the western half of DeKalb counties.
Kinzinger defeated fellow incumbent U.S. Rep. Don Manzullo, R-Egan, in the March Republican primary.
A hospice worker sounds like a fairly decent candidate. Good for her. She has no chance, but participation in our democracy is a great thing.
OK… in case you missed it…. this is an adult conversation!
Today on my hour long commute to class I was flipping through radio stations when I heard ” Do women think about other men while they are having sex?”
OK…the radio guy said “sure they do” while his female co hosts where like “oh hell no…we have to concentrate to get to the big O”.. I laughed and thought oh wouldnt that be nice… I miss the big O, but in true reality as a 39 year old, college student who works, and has three kids… thinking about getting to the big O even if I could, is ususally not what is on my mind…
Things I think about during sex…
God I am tired!
Can the kids here us?
This bed makes way to much noise.
OMG the dog just jumped up on the bed…
Did I remember to lock the door.
I have to get up in 4 hours.
What time is it?
OK the cats are fighting in the basement.
I can’t concentrate… I need to turn the TV off.
…blah, blah, blah……
Oh YEAH….. I Love Him.
Sex is great, but really I am at the point I have to schedule an appointment to have sex otherwise I have other things are on my mind.
So now that you have thought about it the question is… What’s on your mind during sex?
Now, there’s nothing wrong with a healthy discussion about sex. But, sheesh, man, at least consider deleting this kind of stuff before you jump into a congressional race.
The Illinois Municipal League’s Legislative Director, Joe McCoy, says cities across Illinois are facing similar problems of growing unfunded liabilities. He says it’s a disturbing trend that’s grown in recent years, as stock values tumbled. McCoy says there’s not much municipalities can do about it. They don’t decide what retirement benefits should be offered to employees. The state does.
“The biggest structural problem we have with the system is that the state gets to dictate what the pension benefits are and they don’t have to put in a single dime toward funding the financial obligations that they’ve imposed on local taxpayers,” McCoy said. ”So they don’t have any real incentive to restrain themselves from enhancing benefits. Because they reap all the political benefits of increasing the pension levels, without having to pay the bill.”
* The Question: Should state government be prohibited from setting pension benefits for local government employees? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Illinois residents want to cut the deficit and create jobs without tax increases or budget cuts. A recent independent analysis shows that a modest expansion of gaming in Illinois would create 20,500 jobs and $200 million in desperately needed new annual revenue.
That’s why Illinois labor leaders are united in support for the compromise legislation contained in Senate Bill 1849:
“With our unemployment numbers still hovering around 9 percent, the state can’t afford to take a pass on this vital piece of legislation. We’ve got men and women ready to go to work today, and SB 1849 would finally give them the opportunity to earn their living.” Tom Balanoff, President, SEIU Local 1
“More people at work means more tax revenues coming in to help balance our city, county and state budgets.” Dave Whitmore, Business Manager, Ironworkers Local 4
“More than 50,000 jobs are at stake! Not only would SB 1849 create 20,000 new jobs, it would save more than 30,000 agri-business jobs that effect nearly every single one of Illinois’s 102 counties!”Former Rep. Bill Black, Chairman, the Illinois Revenue and Jobs Allliance.
* Rep. Elaine Nekritz’s bill to repeal Illinois’ supremely goofy law making it a felony with a maximum 15 years in prison to record audio of an on-duty police officer could get a House floor vote today. Her bill came up short last time after opposition from the coppers. This federal appellate court ought to boost her bill’s chances…
In a blow to Illinois’ sweeping eavesdropping law, a federal appeals court on Tuesday blocked its enforcement in cases where someone is recording a police officer at work.
It was a victory for activists who had feared that using smartphones or video cameras to record police responding to demonstrations during this month’s NATO summit in Chicago could land protesters and bloggers behind bars for years. It’s also the most serious legal challenge to the measure — one of the strictest in the nation — and adds momentum to efforts by some state lawmakers to overhaul the legislation, whose constitutionality has been questioned. […]
“The Illinois eavesdropping statute restricts far more speech than necessary to protect legitimate privacy interests,” the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit said in its opinion. “As applied to the facts alleged here, it likely violates the First Amendment’s free speech and free-press guarantees.”
The ruling stemmed from a 2010 lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union seeking to block Alvarez from prosecuting ACLU staff for recording police officers performing their duties in public places, one of the group’s long-standing monitoring missions.
Chicago has already decreed that it won’t arrest people for violating the law during the NATO summit. It’s an unfair, unworkable, unconstitutional statute and the strong opposition by law enforcement to this proposal has no basis in reality.
* It’s tough to pass any legislation that’s opposed by law enforcement agencies, including prosecutors. Videotaping interrogations was going to break the process, according to law enforcement, and state legislation very nearly didn’t pass. But have you heard of any real problems since that requirement became law nine years ago?
The constitutional amendment would have changed the role of victims in the legal process. But uncertainty over how that role would affect a prosecutor’s ability to go after criminals helped sink the bill just days before Sunday’s deadline to put it on the ballot.
Victims’ rights are often a bipartisan rallying cry at the Statehouse. When the amendment first passed the House in February, only two Democrats voted against it. Changes were made in the Senate, but 55 senators still voted for it.
The amendment, HJRCA29, seemed on track to clear the House again until Wednesday, when it met a buzz saw of opposition from both defense attorneys and prosecutors. The lobbying effort by the Illinois State Bar, Illinois state’s attorneys and Illinois public defenders associations forced lawmakers in the House Judiciary Committee on Criminal Law to reconsider their position.
“This, in my mind, has thrown a very interesting dynamic into something that early on was very easy to get behind and strongly support,” said Rep. Jim Sacia, R-Pecatonica. “This opposition has greatly convoluted that.”
(a) Crime victims, as defined by law, shall have the following rights as provided by law:
(1) The right to be treated with fairness and respect for their dignity and privacy throughout the criminal justice process.
(2) The right to notification of court proceedings.
(3) The right to communicate with the prosecution.
(4) The right to make a statement to the court at sentencing.
(5) The right to information about the conviction, sentence, imprisonment, and release of the accused.
(6) The right to timely disposition of the case following the arrest of the accused.
(7) The right to be reasonably protected from the accused throughout the criminal justice process.
(8) The right to be present at the trial and all other court proceedings on the same basis as the accused, unless the victim is to testify and the court determines that the victim’s testimony would be materially affected if the victim hears other testimony at the trial.
(9) The right to have present at all court proceedings, subject to the rules of evidence, an advocate or other support person of the victim’s choice.
(10) The right to restitution.
(b) The General Assembly may provide by law for the enforcement of this Section.
(c) The General Assembly may provide for an assessment against convicted defendants to pay for crime victims’ rights.
(d) Nothing in this Section or in any law enacted under this Section shall be construed as creating a basis for vacating a conviction or a ground for appellate relief in any criminal case.
Victims already have some pretty broad rights here. But there is no actual enforcement mechanism if those constitutionally guaranteed rights are denied. And because the Constitution bars appellate relief, this really can’t be resolved through simple legislation.
The deadline for putting constitutional amendments on the ballot has passed. So the opposition won big. It would be nice, though, if the next time this comes around that there was a real effort by prosecutors to help come up with a solution. “Trust us, we know what’s best for them,” isn’t it.
* The 1990’s welfare reform initiative required single moms to work, so child care service was provided to help those mothers, who typically don’t make much money, cope. But when a huge hole developed in the state’s budget for child care services, a shock wave was felt throughout the state. Gov. Pat Quinn now says, however, that he may have found some extra cash between some couch cushions…
“We’ve located about $73 million in the budget that will not be spent on the original purpose this year, so we’re going to reallocate that money for the child care subsidy to make sure that working moms and dads have the subsidy they need in order to go to work and make sure their kids are well taken care of,” Quinn said Tuesday.
Officials with Quinn’s budget office said the money will come from a fund originally set aside to pay Medicare premiums.
The proposal is under review by Democratic leaders. A spokeswoman for Senate President John Cullerton of Chicago said he is also open to alternatives, but warned that “the solution will demand a consensus.”
A spokeswoman for House Republican Leader Tom Cross said he wants to work to solve the child care funding shortfall and is examining the proposal.
* While welcome news, the governor’s continued rebuff to those wanting to generate new revenues through gaming expansion is just plain silly…
Quinn warned lawmakers against getting distracted by the gambling push, which happens almost every year near the end of the spring session, saying they need to keep their “eye on the prize.”
“We have very, very high priorities in restructuring Medicaid and reforming our pension system and getting a good budget. So, we don’t want to get distracted here,” Quinn said following an appearance at Soldier Field for the opening of the Special Olympics spring games. “I think we’ve got to keep our eye on the prize, and the prize is complete restructuring and reform of two programs that need fundamental overhaul.”
Quinn’s comments came in response to a rally by labor leaders in Chicago urging support for a gambling bill that would bring casinos to Chicago and four other locations across the state. Union groups say the proposal would create thousands of much-needed jobs in Illinois. The gambling expansion was passed by lawmakers last year but stalled after Quinn threatened to veto the bill because it also would allow slot machines at horse racing tracks.
Since then, pro-gambling lawmakers have been trying to work out a deal that would appease horse track owners. Prospects for a gambling expansion likely would improve after the November election, when lame-duck legislators might be more willing to vote for it.
The state needs that money now, governor. Are you really willing to kill off social service functions because you don’t want people to gamble at the track? Dude, no offense, but people are already gambling at the track.
When Rep. Raymond Poe, R-Springfield, stated his belief that such a move would contribute to unemployment by keeping older workers on the job longer (thus keeping young people out of jobs), and that 67 is too old for teachers to work, Emanuel was politely dismissive. A 62-year-old or younger “retiree” is not really a retiree, he said.
“The assumption you have is that people at 62 are retiring, and I don’t think that’s true. Or at 50. In fact, they’re going on with many years of work left in them, and they do work, which is a reflection of … a change that’s going on in society,” Emanuel said. “Actually they go on and continue many years of very healthy and productive work.” […]
“It’s good for the system, it’s good for the employees and it’s honest with everybody that’s expected to pay into it. That in fact they’re not retiring,” Emanuel said. “And at the Social Security level, people who retire at 62 get a lower benefit than people at 67. That’s some of the changes that are going on.”
Some 39 percent of workers now plan to retire after age 65, up from 30 percent before the recession in 2007 and just 15 percent in 1995. Age 65 remains a popular retirement age, with just over a quarter (27 percent) of workers planning to retire then, a proportion that has remained fairly consistent over the past decade. Older workers generally expect to retire at a more advanced age than younger employees. Those age 40 and older are planning to retire at an average age of 68, compared to age 65 among people under 40.
The proportion of people who think they will be able to retire early has declined significantly over the past five years. Some 13 percent of workers are now aiming to retire in their early 60s, down from 18 percent in 2007. And the proportion of people who think they will retire in their late 50s has declined from 11 percent in 2007 to 7 percent in 2012. Just 6 percent of workers say they will retire before age 55, which is the same proportion of people who thought that in 2007.
Thoughts?
* Related…
* Editorial: ‘The moment of truth’: The mayor talked of the “moment of truth.” Quinn talks of a “rendezvous with reality.” We’d settle for a vote.
* WSJ Editorial: How to Do Pension Reform: Illinois Democrats are spearheading pension reform, and get this—they’re not merely tinkering around the edges.
* D87 union: ‘We want seat at pension reform table’: President of the Bloomington Education Association Rich Baldwin said teachers can’t stomach everything in the package. He said he doesn’t know of any pension reform package the state’s unions have offered as a counter. “What we’re asking is we’d like to be at the table to discuss some of these things,” Baldwin said. “I’ll personally say some of what the governor is floating I could live with, but I can’t live with the entire package without the obligation that the state is going to commit to paying their part of the plan.”
* You may have already seen this video of Sen. Mark Kirk’s stroke rehab progress, but it’s a heckuva thing, so here it is…
* Coverage…
* Emotional Kirk thanks Illinois’ people for “patience” in first video: Kirk, 52, who has been in the care of the Rehabilitation Institute for the last several months, says he is anxious to get back to work but gives no timetable for doing so. He thanks the people of Illinois for “the patience they have given me to recover from a big stroke.”
* In video, Sen. Mark Kirk says he’s anxious to get back to work: In the video, the Highland Park Republican speaks confidently — and occasionally haltingly — into the camera and talks about being anxious to walk the 45 steps up to the Capitol to begin working again…. Video shows him walking determinedly, if not easily, with a walker and on a treadmill with the help of a harness and a physical therapist. Some shots show him using parallel bars to support himself with his right hand. Kirk says he hopes “to climb the 45 steps that my staff counted from the parking lot to the Senate front door to fight for the people of Illinois.”
* Sen. Kirk releases video showing his rehabilitation after stroke
* “My stroke” - Sen. Mark Kirk writes about his illness and rehabilitation
