And, finally, I told him he should probably go a bit easier on Gov. Pat Quinn in private. Emanuel got all up in Quinn’s face last year during a meeting over a Chicago casino and angrily issued some not-so-veiled threats.
Quinn’s favorite line when he feels disrespected is, “I’m the governor!” — usually bellowed when he’s pounding on a table.
He’s like Eddie Murphy’s character on the old “Saturday Night Live.” “I’m Gumby, damn it!”
Mayor Rahm Emanuel, known for his temper and willingness to go toe-to-toe, reportedly lost it with Gov. Pat Quinn in a recent phone call.
A political source with knowledge of the situation who declined to be named told Ward Room Emanuel is upset Quinn wants stronger ethics rules when it comes to gaming.
I seriously doubt that was the real reason why he got so angry, but whatever.
* At that same sitdown, hizzoner and I talked music for a little while. We both love this band, so this one’s for Rahm…
* It’s Friday, so let’s talk about something besides politics.
The White Sox are in St. Louis next week to play the Cardinals. Instead of a question, how about we do some serious trash talking ahead of the three-game series? Cub fans are not allowed to comment.
Enjoy.
…Adding… With a hat tip to a commenter for reminding me, here’s a photo of a typical Cardinals fan…
* UIC Political Science Department chief Dick Simpson released a study earlier this year called “Chicago and Illinois, Leading the Pack in Corruption.” Simpson’s study ranked Chicago and Illinois as the most corrupt places in the nation. But a group called Integrity Florida has released a new study that only uses the last ten years of information, and that examination showed Florida was on top…
In February 2012, the University of Illinois at Chicago Department of Political Science and the Illinois Integrity Initiative of the University of Illinois’ Institute for Government and Public Affairs released the report “Chicago and Illinois, Leading the Pack in Corruption.”
While that publication indicated that Florida was the fourth most corrupt state in the nation, the U.S.Department of Justice data examined was from 1976-2010. In the modern era (2000-2010), there has been an upward trend towards more federal public corruption convictions in Florida. Florida was the top state for federal public corruption convictions five times since 1999 (1999, 2000,2001, 2004 and 2006).
The state’s rapid rise to the top position in the nation in five of the last twelve years of available data provides new evidence that reforms are needed to reduce corruption in the Sunshine State.
The only states that came close to Florida’s record during the modern era were Texas and California (Texas in 2008, 2009 and 2010; California in 2003, 2005 and 2007).
2010 is the most recent data set of federal public corruption convictions from the U.S. Department of Justice.
The key measure of spending on elementary and secondary education would be cut by $210 million, or 3.1 percent. When reductions in federal funds are included, the reduction tops $855 million.
State government is supposed to ensure a basic amount of money is available for all students, whether they live in rich districts or poor ones. That foundation level for the coming year is $6,119, and the budget cuts would mean Illinois provides only 89 percent of that amount, down from 95 percent last year.
The number of children getting help from early childhood education programs will fall sharply. Nearly 7,000 children lost services in the last round of cuts, the State Board of Education says, and now the service is slated to lose an additional 7.6 percent of its funds.
This year , the state will help provide about 194 million free or low-cost lunches to needy children. That service faces a 45 percent cut next year.
This year, the budget demanded by the Illinois House cuts another $210 million from education, bringing the total shortchanging of our schools’ and students’ needs to more than a half-billion dollars. It means next year the state-aid payments might stop in May while students are still in school.
This is unacceptable.
Senate Bill 7, the reform package I helped negotiate last year, was approved 112-1 in the House, 54-0 in the Senate. You’d think this overwhelming majority would similarly demand the resources needed for success. Instead, I watched many of these so-called reformers turn their backs on our children and our public schools. In one vote the General Assembly puts teachers and administrators on notice that they need to perform to higher standards, only to turn around and repeatedly slash funding for their training and development.
Make no mistake, resources are available. The Senate twice put the spotlight on hundreds of millions of dollars in special state accounts that somehow annually escape scrutiny. It is time to make education funding the priority we all claim it should be.
The path we’re headed down dooms our hard-fought reforms and, more important, our children.
They deserve better. They deserve more.
The higher education budget was cut about 6 percent, or $152 million.
* The General Assembly cut education, but restored lots of funding to the prisons budget, keeping facilities open that Gov. Pat Quinn wanted to shutter. But despite those restorations, inmate halfway houses are still closing. The Fox Valley facility will shut down in August…
Gov. Pat Quinn still intends to close the Fox Valley Adult Transition Center in August despite receiving enough money from state lawmakers to keep the Aurora facility open.
The women’s transitional center on North Lake Street houses about 130 low-level offenders who work to get back into the community after being released from prison. The center provides education, counseling and workforce training.
In the budget sent to the governor last week, lawmakers gave Quinn $18.8 million to keep the Aurora facility and a number of similar centers across the state open.
Women housed at the Fox Valley ATC work to gain full-time jobs and also participate in GED and college classes, and receive counseling on life skills, child care, anger management and avoiding substance abuse.
* Meanwhile, layoffs are on temporary hold at Tamms…
Worker layoffs at Tamms prison are on hold for now. The supermax prison was slated for closure because of budget issues, but the General Assembly proposed a budget that could keep it open. Apparently the state layoff procedure started on Monday, but ended yesterday reportedly because of a mistake by Central Management Services. Governor Pat Quinn has the final say on whether to close the facility.
* And the Singer Mental Health Center is still on track for closure…
The fate of one of Rockford’s Mental Health Centers is still up in the air. Chris asked us on Facebook when the Singer Center might be forced to shut its doors.
Here’s what we found out: a final date hasn’t been set. Senator Dave Syverson tells us that Governor Quinn’s office must first decide what will happen to the patients there. The plan is to shut it down by this fall, but it could be closer to the end of the year before any action is taken.
* 13th Congressional Democratic nominee David Gill released a poll last month showing he was leading the Republicans who wanted to replace incumbent Congressman Tim Johnson on the ballot. His lead over the eventual choice, Rodney Davis, was 10 points, 41-31.
We Ask America is out with a new poll, however, which has a big Davis lead over the Democratic candidate…
Since our sample was evenly divided between the two parties and Independents, Gill is probably a point or so closer than this nine-point spread.
I’m not sure why the heck they would do that, but whatever. More…
Gill is well-known among a large portion of the Democratic base of IL-13 (especially in the Champaign-Urbana area) due to the fact that he won the Silver Medal in three out of the last three elections. Plus, Gill barely won the March Democratic primary in a real squeaker where he was not the Party’s Chosen One. His openly bitter post-primary attitude has left a lot of area Dems unimpressed. Those wounds may heal, but in the meantime, Davis has received a lot of earned media in the last month. Gill hasn’t had a real chance to “define” Davis yet, so this one is like trying to decide the winner of a horse race a few seconds after the gate opens.
Davis is out to an early lead, but expect Gill to go the whip sooner than later.
*** UPDATE *** Davis was just put into the NRCC’s “Young Guns” program. From a press release…
Rodney Davis, Republican candidate for the 13th Congressional District, has been named to the National Republican Congressional Committee’s “Young Guns” program. The program, founded by Reps. Eric Cantor (R-VA), Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), and Paul Ryan (R-WI) in the 2007-2008 election cycle, is the primary method for recruiting strong candidates for open-seat races like the 13th District.
“Rodney Davis has met a series of rigorous goals that will put him in a position to win on Election Day,” said NRCC Chairman Pete Sessions (R-TX). “The momentum behind his campaign is proof-positive that Americans are fed up with Nancy Pelosi policies that spend too much, tax too much, and borrow too much at the expense of hard-working Illinois families. Rodney Davis is leading the pack as Republicans continue to send a loud and clear message that we will hold Democrats accountable for their unpopular partisan agenda.”
Friday, Jun 8, 2012 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Illinois’ energy and economic future is looking brighter than ever. Why? Natural gas is domestic, affordable, and reliable. Thanks to innovation and advanced technologies, large deposits of natural gas are now being tapped to provide cleaner, affordable electricity for communities all across America.
We can have that here in Illinois simply by converting our power plants to run on natural gas. Using this abundant, reliable energy source will immediately translate into lower electricity costs for Illinois consumers, manufacturers, hospitals, and schools. And switching from gasoline to cleaner-burning natural gas to fuel commercial truck fleets and public transit will help Illinois businesses; cities and towns lower operating costs and dramatically reduce emissions that pollute our air.
Lower energy and fuel bills will help Illinois’ economy prosper and save families money while moving America toward a secure energy future.
I want to say right off the bat without any hesitation or equivocation whatsoever that I happen to like prosecutors and cops. I respect and honor their difficult jobs. I couldn’t do what they do, so I’m glad they’re there for me and everyone else.
But as much as I revere them, as much as I respect them, I believe they’ve had far too much power over the state legislative process.
For instance, some very well-intentioned, decent people have been trying to pass a medical marijuana bill here for years. Law enforcement always stops it dead in its tracks. Why? Well, the answers range from “We’d be sending the wrong message to children,” to “marijuana is a bad thing.” And you can forget about trying to decriminalize or, heaven forbid, legalize marijuana possession.
For crying out loud, our last three presidents smoked pot, and their lives seemed to work out OK. But imagine if one of them had been busted for possessing a joint back in college. History would’ve been changed. Pot doesn’t usually kill political careers, but pot arrests sure do.
This spring, an attempt was made to finally put some teeth into the state Constitution’s protection of victims’ rights. Prosecutors were dead set against it. When Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez testified against the constitutional amendment, she couldn’t say exactly why she opposed it except to claim that parts of it were too vague. But she also couldn’t say what could be done to make the proposed language less vague.
The fight was over the rights of victims who’ve been shunted aside by the system. The Illinois Constitution guarantees that victims have a right to be notified of court proceedings, the right to speak at sentencing, the right to know when their attacker is being released from prison and the right to have an advocate present at all court proceedings, among other things.
What the Constitution doesn’t contain, though, is any recourse if those rights are denied. They specifically can’t appeal to a higher court, for instance. So their rights can be ignored and nothing happens.
Most prosecutors treat victims well, but some don’t, and that’s just a fact of life. Supporters of the constitutional amendment produced reams of letters from victims whose rights had been ignored. But prosecutors refused to negotiate a reasonable compromise, and the proposal died.
But the coppers may have finally overstepped when they fought a proposal to decriminalize audio recording of police in public areas. Right now, if you use your iPhone to video a cop being shot at by a crack dealer, you can be charged with a felony and sentenced to 15 years in prison.
The police complained that citizens would be interfering with their jobs and worried that video and audio could be altered to make them look bad. But even after those complaints were dealt with, the police still stood firm against the bill. The House took the rare step of overriding police objections and passed the legislation, but it stalled in the Senate when the cops persuaded Sen. Michael Noland (D-Elgin) to sit on it. Noland said he believed the police ought to be able to videotape citizens pretty much at will and that the House-approved proposal would create “bad law.” His eventual counterproposal was literally laughed off the Senate floor when he tried to bring it up for a vote.
Law enforcement should most definitely be listened to whenever legislators address criminal matters. But no group, no matter how important or vital, should ever have automatic legislative veto power. Opposing that bill was a big mistake, but it may finally open the door to some much-needed balance between the rights of citizens and the powers of law enforcement.
* The Illinois Supreme Court rejected a bid by the Republican legislative leaders to keep their lawsuit alive against the new district map…
House Republican Leader Thomas H. Cross III and Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno filed a complaint in February against the State Board of Elections and other state officials, claiming the redistricting maps are unconstitutional.
The complaint contends that 27 representative districts, including districts 113 and 114 in St. Clair County, violated provisions of the Illinois Constitution requiring districts to be compact and politically fair. Republicans claim that Democrats gerrymandered the districts in a way that would benefit their party in the next election.
The court in March ordered both parties to file briefs on whether the motion was timely under Supreme Court Rule 382, which governs actions related to redistricting challenges. The Board of Elections argued that the Republicans waited more than eight months after the maps were approved to file the complaint in an effort to delay the primary election.
The majority Democrats did not provide any reasoning for their decision. The vote was along party lines, with the three Republican justices dissenting. Justice Bob Thomas pointed to the lack of timelines in the state Constitution and in Supreme Court rules.
* House Republican Leader Tom Cross and Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno issued a joint statement…
“It is unfortunate the Illinois Supreme Court issued a partisan decision,” it read. “The majority took the unusual step of providing no grounds for their decision to prevent the people of Illinois from getting their day in court. The ruling is further evidence of the need for true redistricting reform in Illinois.”
Thursday, Jun 7, 2012 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Illinois’ energy and economic future is looking brighter than ever. Why? Natural gas is domestic, affordable, and reliable. Thanks to innovation and advanced technologies, large deposits of natural gas are now being tapped to provide cleaner, affordable electricity for communities all across America.
We can have that here in Illinois simply by converting our power plants to run on natural gas. Using this abundant, reliable energy source will immediately translate into lower electricity costs for Illinois consumers, manufacturers, hospitals, and schools. And switching from gasoline to cleaner-burning natural gas to fuel commercial truck fleets and public transit will help Illinois businesses; cities and towns lower operating costs and dramatically reduce emissions that pollute our air.
Lower energy and fuel bills will help Illinois’ economy prosper and save families money while moving America toward a secure energy future.
* Bill Knight, the deputy director of the journalism program at Western Illinois University, has a new column about a bill that passed both chambers which would remove campaign contribution caps when independent expenditures reach $250,000 in a statewide election or $100,000 in other races…
“Citizens throughout Illinois were angered by Rod Blagojevich’s corrupt actions and the state’s history of corrupt agreements involving political contributions, and voters demanded reform of Illinois’ loose campaign finance regulations, which allowed unlimited contributions to all candidates,” [Brian Gladstein, the executive director of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform] said. “This bill would be a step backwards and open the door to more corruption in the future.”
Democrats argued that they need limits lifted to make campaigns “fairer,” by leveling the playing field against SuperPACs. They’re concerned after the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2010 “Citizens United” decision and an Illinois court ruling in March that the federal case applies to Illinois, too, that they need to respond if a SuperPAC spends a lot of money against them. […]
Various opponents of the bill note that Illinois’ first campaign-finance reform restricting political action committees to $50,000 hasn’t had a chance to work yet.
“This is an inappropriate and hasty response to recent court decisions which have enabled the creation of so-called SuperPACs,” Gladstein said. “The proposal’s adoption by the General Assembly comes less than two years after Illinois’ corruption-fighting campaign contribution limits system went into effect. SB 3722 would allow a return to the environment that allowed corruption to flourish in our too-recent past, if the governor signs it.
“There are other ways to address the issue of independent expenditure committees, such as better and stronger definitions to what it means to be coordinating with a candidate,” Gladstein continued. [Emphasis added.]
Each quarterly report shall include the following information regarding any independent expenditures made during the reporting period: (1) the full name and mailing address of each person to whom an expenditure in excess of $150 has been made in connection with an independent expenditure; (2) the amount, date, and purpose of such expenditure; (3) a statement whether the independent expenditure was in support of or in opposition to a particular candidate; (4) the name of the candidate; (5) the office and, when applicable, district, sought by the candidate; and (6) a certification, under penalty of perjury, that such expenditure was not made in cooperation, consultation, or concert with, or at the request or suggestion of, any candidate or any authorized committee or agent of such committee. [Emphasis added.]
* The Question: Should Gov. Pat Quinn sign the bill lifting contribution caps when bigtime independent money is spent? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
* A top Moody’s analyst is fine with the progress Illinois has made on the budget and pensions so far this year…
Moody’s analyst Edward “Ted” Hampton praised the session’s achievements and said the agency at the moment remains comfortable with the state’s current rating level, though pensions remain a central concern. “Obviously this session yielded some progress on some fronts and not on others,” he said.
[S&P analyst Robin Prunty] said in an interview that while the state retains some breathing room to act, she is concerned over the difficulty of achieving the three-fifths majority needed to approve legislation in a special session: “We are watching to see if there is credible action but it’s hard to know if they will come to an agreement.”
I pointed out S&P’s misreading of the Illinois Constitution to subscribers today, but since the analyst repeated the assertion made in the firm’s original report, I figured I’d pile on some more. Here we go…
The General Assembly shall provide by law for a uniform effective date for laws passed prior to June 1 of a calendar year. The General Assembly may provide for a different effective date in any law passed prior to June 1. A bill passed after May 31 shall not become effective prior to June 1 of the next calendar year unless the General Assembly by the vote of three-fifths of the members elected to each house provides for an earlier effective date. (Source: Amendment adopted at general election November 8, 1994.) [Emphasis added.]
So, yes, they could pass a pension reform bill with an immediate effective date and try in vain to round up 71 House votes and 36 Senate votes. That would be hard. Maybe impossible.
Far more likely, though, is that any pension reform bill (if there is one) will have a delayed effective date, requiring only simple majorities.
This ain’t rocket science.
* Related…
* Will Walker election affect pension debate?: While the Wisconsin vote Tuesday is seen by some as a jumping-off point for GOP leaders in states like Michigan, Minnesota and Missouri to push for anti-union measures, Illinois public employee unions remain part of the discussions that are focused entirely on benefit costs. “I have a difficult time drawing a lot of parallels between them,” said Illinois Education Association director of government relations Jim Reed.
* State pension talks stalled: “My position on pension reform is that we have to eliminate the free lunch for local school districts,” Madigan said after emerging from the meeting. But Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno, of Lemont, said the proposal amounts to a “poison pill” designed to hold up action on other pension reforms. She noted the idea has little support among suburban and Downstate lawmakers because it could force property taxes to go up as schools seek to cover the added expenses. Radogno said the cost-shift idea should be separated from other pension proposals that do have support.
* Officials to meet again on pension solutions: Illinois officials will spend the next two weeks gathering financial information from the state’s more than 800 school districts to get a better idea of how shifting pension costs away from the state would affect those districts… Quinn said the next two weeks will be spent collecting financial data from school districts, including “what their reserves are, what their current contracts are, what exactly they have right now as to their costs.” “The more facts we could gather regarding what the impact would be on school districts, it would be very important facts we should know,” Quinn said.
*** UPDATE 1 *** According to a top source, General Enyart is submitting his resignation today from his position with the state and the National Guard to pursue the 12th Congressional District seat. I should have his official letter around one o’clock. Enyart’s announcement is set for 2 o’clock.
*** UPDATE 3 *** Enyart says he won’t announce his decision about whether to try for the ballot appointment until next week…
Maj. Gen. William Enyart, commander of the Illinois National Guard, retired from the military effective today, and said he was seriously considering seeking the Democratic nomination to replace U.S. Rep. Jerry Costello.
Costello, who has represented the 12th Congressional District since 1988, announced in October that he won’t seek re-election in November. That threw up for grabs a seat that had been considered safe for Democrats since World War II.
“I want to step down and take some time with my family and weigh the prospect of a candidacy.” Enyart said while standing at the Veterans Memorial in the Public Square here.
“I would not resign if I was not prepared to look at it very hard.”
[ *** End Of Updates *** ]
* I received this via e-mail earlier today…
Major General William L. Enyart will make an announcement regarding his future plans at 2 pm, Thursday, June 7 at the Veterans’ Monument, Belleville Public Square, Main and Illinois Streets, Belleville, IL.
Enyart is considering a bid for the 12th District. As you already know, this is longtime Democratic incumbent Jerry Costello’s seat and his hand-picked replacement dropped out of the race last month. Whoever is chosen for the spot will face Republican Jason Plummer in the general election.
Enyart said he had spoken with Costello about his possible candidacy but wouldn’t discuss specifics. “I’ve had the best job in the world with the Illinois National Guard,” Enyart said. “But this could be an area where I could a have significant impact.” […]
Metro East politicos say Enyart would be a formidable candidate with his military experience and contacts at Scott Air Force Base, which is the district’s largest employer and an important touchstone in Washington.
But a wild card in the mix is Circuit Judge John Baricevic, a Fairview Heights man who has a long résumé with decades in public office and who said he’s considering a run for the seat.
Baricevic said he enjoys public service but added that his decision could hinge on Enyart, whom Baricevic said would be a good candidate.
“If he’s serious about it, then I’ll probably step aside,” Baricevic said.
Baricevic was considered by insiders to be the guy who would be the most likely to get the weighted vote from St. Clair and Madison counties. If he’s willing to step aside for Enyart, and Enyart has talked to Costello about a bid, and Enyart is making an announcement today, you don’t have to be blind to see the signals here.
* Enyart, by the way, is a military lawyer who lists no combat experience on his resume…
ASSIGNMENTS:
1. November 1982 - November 1984, Trial Counsel, 66th Infantry Brigade, Decatur, Illinois
2. November 1984 - February 1985, Executive Officer, Company C, 2nd Battalion, 130th Infantry, Litchfield, Illinois
3. February 1985 - August 1985, Assistant Trial Counsel, 86th Army Reserve Command, Urbana, Illinois
4. August 1985 - September 1990, Selective Service System Officer, Detachment One, State Area Command, Springfield, Illinois
5. September 1990 - August 1993, Assistant Judge Advocate, State Area Command, Springfield, Illinois
6. August 1993 - May 1996, Deputy Staff Judge Advocate, 66th Infantry Brigade, Decatur, Illinois
7. May 1996 - September 1997, Command Judge Advocate, 33rd Area Support Group, Chicago, Illinois
8. September 1997 - October 2002, Deputy Staff Judge Advocate, State Area Command, Springfield, Illinois
9. October 2002 - December 2005, Staff Judge Advocate, State Area Command, Springfield, Illinois
10. December 2005 - May 2006, Deputy Commander, Joint Forces Headquarters, Springfield, Illinois
11. June 2006 - September 2007, Assistant Adjutant General-Army, Illinois National Guard, Joint Forces Headquarters, Springfield, Illinois
12. September 2007 - Present, The Adjutant General, Illinois National Guard, Springfield, Illinois
* Illinois Cares Rx is a program for low-income seniors and the disabled. Here’s a brief description…
Illinois Cares Rx pays Medicare Part D premiums and reduces co-pays, deductibles and other pharmaceutical costs.
The program’s clients must have incomes below $22,340 a year for a single person and $30,260 for a two-person household.
* That program was eliminated under the Medicaid restructuring agreement. The human cost…
Bonita Turley gets emotional when she thinks about the $100 in additional medical expenses she could have to pay each month.
The Buffalo resident is among a chorus of seniors and advocates who hope Gov. Pat Quinn decides not to sign a budget-cutting bill that would eliminate Illinois Cares Rx, a statewide prescription-assistance program for low-income senior citizens and people with disabilities.
“I want to be as independent as I can,” said Turley, 65, a former insurance clerk who takes medicine for diabetes, seizures and thyroid problems.
Assuming that Ms. Turley is single, that $100 a month cost increase would be 5.3 percent of her annual income if she is at the top of the scale. That percentage could be a whole lot higher depending how far she falls under the cap.
