Illinois Senate President John Cullerton is urging Gov. Pat Quinn to change his decision about closing the Tamms Correctional Center; adding if he doesn’t, the legislature will attempt to override the governor’s decision during the veto session in November […].
The money for the Tamms facility, the state’s only super-maximum security facility, is in this year’s state budget, along with the money for other facilities Quinn is trying to close at the end of the week.
“That’s nonsense, it’s in the budget,” Cullerton said during a morning interview with members of The Southern Illinoisan newsroom. […]
Cullerton says he doesn’t see how the prisons will close in time and suggests Quinn should simply keep them open. If not, Cullerton said the legislature will attempt override his decision in November.
The Senate President is in southern Illinois today for a media event with state Sen. Gary Forby. The SDems will probably have to spend big bucks to protect Forby this fall, so this event is obviously designed to help the perpetually targeted incumbent.
…Adding… This is, of course, almost entirely for show. Quinn can close whatever facility he wants, regardless of a veto override.
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn has officially abandoned his hope of shutting down prisons by Friday.
A letter from the Corrections Department instructs employees at targeted prisons to keep reporting to work. In it, Director S.A. “Tony” Godinez announces a “temporary delay for the layoffs and closures” that were scheduled for Aug. 31.
The letter was obtained Monday by The Associated Press.
Quinn wanted to empty the Tamms supermax prison and the women’s prison at Dwight to save money.
* From IDOC…
The state remains committed to the closure plan, and is moving forward with an expedited arbitration with AFSCME to facilitate the closures. IDOC has agreed to continue the halt of inmate transfers associated with the closures. As we continue arbitration under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, the department has notified employees impacted by the closures to continue work in their current position and location while the arbitration proceeds, until further notice.
We look forward to resolving this matter as quickly as possible as we work to close outdated, half-full and expensive facilities in order to save Illinois taxpayers tens of millions of dollars annually.
Safety and security is of utmost importance and is always the department’s top priority. IDOC will implement the closures responsibly and in a way that prioritizes public safety and security while minimizing impact on staff and the inmate population.
* The Chicago police have a new study that shows almost a third of the guns seized by Chicago cops came from the suburbs, with another 13 percent coming from elsewhere in Illinois…
The research shows that some 29 percent of the guns recovered on Chicago’s streets between 2008 and the end of March were bought in the Cook County suburbs. Lake County, Ind., was the second largest source, accounting for six percent of the weapons, and other counties surrounding Chicago – including Lake County, Ill., and Will, DuPage and Kane counties – were also in the top 10 sources.
Two gun stores in suburban Lyons and Riverdale accounted for more than 10 percent of the guns recovered. […]
The study covers 17,230 guns the ATF successfully traced after they were recovered in Chicago. Many guns can’t be traced because of their age or other factors, said Seth Bour, the Crime Lab’s deputy director. […]
Ander said she was surprised by the percentage of guns that came from Illinois, rather than from neighboring states with comparatively relaxed gun laws. About 42 percent of the guns came from Illinois. Indiana ranked second, contributing 18 percent of the guns, and Wisconsin accounted for about 4 percent.
* And notice from this Sun-Times graphic that the vast majority - 88 percent - of all guns seized were handguns…
Military style assault rifles get a lot of publicity when people like Gov. Pat Quinn try to ban them. But they’re barely a blip in Chicago.
* The Illinois Republican Party is now selling “Fire Madigan” paraphernalia. From a press release…
After coverage of our FIRE MADIGAN signs at Republican Day at this year’s Illinois State Fair, we’ve had many people asking for FIRE MADIGAN materials so we’ve created this online FIRE MADIGAN store.
If you think after over 40 years in Springfield and Illinois being ranked as one of the worst states financially that it’s time to Fire Illinois House Speaker/Illinois Democratic Party Chairman/Father of the Illinois Attorney General Mike Madigan, you can have a little fun helping spread the word with any of these FIRE MADIGAN products, including t-shirts, hats, bumper stickers, buttons, and signs. Check back often as more designs and products will be added in the weeks ahead!
The Illinois Republican Party is selling these items at cost through CafePress.com to keep the costs at low as possible so that as many people as possible can help spread the word that Illinois needs to FIRE MADIGAN. There is no financial profit or loss on this merchandise by the Illinois Republican Party.
If you were expecting a kumbaya moment when Rep. Joe Walsh met with Muslims in Lombard on Friday, you bought tickets to the wrong movie.
Walsh antagonized many in the religion by claiming that radical Muslims have infiltrated the Chicago suburbs, and are trying to kill Americans.
At the town hall meeting, attendees who ranged from doctors to housewives challenged Walsh’s assertation that radicals are in places like Elk Grove, Addison and Elgin.
Walsh said that he was making a broader point that radicals are infiltrating small towns, and although the meeting became heated at times, Walsh didn’t back down from his original statements.
Ahmed said the meeting turned confrontational after a few in the crowd demanded an immediate apology from Walsh, which Ahmed said wasn’t the purpose of the meeting.
“Somehow, it turned out to be confrontational,” Ahmed said. “I don’t think that helps anything.”
He said it appeared some people were attacking Walsh and there was a lot of shouting, but some people did actually want to engage in discussion.
Ahmed said Walsh’s initial comments were controversial and incited some people, but Walsh was trying to make a point in last night’s meeting and he wasn’t allowed the opportunity.
“Our view is that a good opportunity was frankly lost in advancing the dialogue,” Ahmed said.
* Even so, Walsh was his usual bombastic self. There’s very little one can do to have a “dialogue” with him. For instance…
Walsh went so far as to blame the federal government for the Fort Hood Massacre nearly three years ago. He said the government was trying to be politically correct and not offend Muslims, so much so that an American Muslim in the Army allegedly killed 13 people.
* A lot of people are quite worried about the state employee rush to the exits in anticipation of pension reform. I’m not really so sure. Maybe it’s time for some new blood, anyway…
Whether it’s overseeing trail maintenance, knowing when to pump water from a lake or helping mow the lawns, the on-site superintendents of Illinois’ state parks play an important role in managing the state’s natural heritage, from Starved Rock along the Illinois River to tiny natural sites in every corner of the state.
But since late last year, almost a quarter of the park superintendents have retired, taking with them in many cases 30 or more years of experience that will be hard to replace in an agency hit hard by years of budget cuts and unsure whether it can replace them.
Riverbend Humane Society August
At least 23 park superintendents and another half-dozen assistant superintendents have left the state Department of Natural Resources since late 2011. Beyond eight openings the DNR has already filled or is trying to fill now, department officials say they don’t know when they would have the money to find substitutes.
The exits appear to be driven in most cases by concerns about potential changes in the state’s underfunded pension system. DNR says the retirements and earlier cuts and staff shifts have left it with 75 superintendents at its 126 parks, recreation areas and other outdoor destinations.
* Meanwhile, the state’s 2011 “Teacher of the Year” talks about her participation in a recent parade…
Brave said she walked in another parade recently behind Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn.
“People along the route booed and hissed him but cheered the teachers,” Brave said. “My thought was, ‘You wanted to destroy our pensions.’ He kept looking back at us to see what was going on.”
I’m pretty sure that was the State Fair kickoff parade. The crowd did cheer the teachers, and they most certainly booed Quinn.
When Gov. Pat Quinn came to Peoria last week to tout a piece of legislation expanding access to childhood immunizations, he sat at a table inside Kroger at 9219 N. Lindbergh Drive and signed his name on some official-looking papers.
In fact, it looked for all the world like he was signing the actual legislation, making it law during his stop here.
Not so much. In fact, he faked plenty of people out by conducting what we later discovered was a mock bill signing - what his press staff called a “ceremonial signing.”
We’re told that he does this routinely during flyarounds, when he hits multiple cities in a day to promote what his office determines is a major piece of legislation that they want to highlight.
“We do it with important bills,” spokeswoman Brooke Anderson said by phone Friday, noting that the legislation would make it easier for kids to get state-mandated shots to prevent illness prior to the start of the school year. It lets pharmacists administer the shots to kids middle school age where previously they could only give them to youngsters age 14 and up.
* The Question: Are “fake” bill signings acceptable politics or dishonest government? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
Citing name recognition and popularity, respondents to a Daily Herald survey of GOP delegates to the Republican National Convention overwhelmingly prefer state Treasurer Dan Rutherford to be the party’s gubernatorial nominee in 2014.
The survey was sent to the state’s 54 directly elected GOP delegates and 54 alternates, as well as the 12 delegates and 12 alternates elected at the state party’s convention in June. A total of 51 delegates responded to this survey question, asking them to select from among five choices — state Sen. Kirk Dillard, of Hinsdale; state Sen. Dan Duffy, of Lake Barrington; state Sen. Matt Murphy of Palatine; Rutherford; and Congressman Aaron Schock of Peoria. Respondents also were given the option to name someone else.
Of the responses, Rutherford, of Chenoa, received 73.1 percent of votes. State Sen. Kirk Dillard, of Hinsdale, was a distant second, with 9.6 percent. Schock received 5.8 percent of votes, Murphy 2 percent and Duffy no votes.
More than just those guys are looking at a bid. Kabillionaire Bruce Rauner has been eyeing a gubernatorial race for quite some time. Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno is also being mentioned as a possible candidate.
Republican party officials say the Republican Governors Association plans to call a meeting in Illinois after the Nov. 6 election, encouraging a smaller primary this time around. If Rutherford, Schock and Brady all join the fray, many veterans foresee a repeat of the crowded 2010 field, noting that their similar bases — all are located within a 100-mile radius downstate — could benefit suburban candidates like Dillard and Murphy, should they too squeeze into the picture.
The rule in 13-year-old Abby Goldberg’s house is no phone calls from boys at night. But on Saturday, her father made an exception when Gov. Pat Quinn called the Grayslake girl turned activist shortly after 9 p.m. to share some good news.
After her yearlong crusade and an online campaign dubbed “Don’t Let Big Plastic Bully Me,” the northwest suburban girl is celebrating Quinn’s decision to veto legislation that would have prevented cities and towns in Illinois from banning plastic bags and imposing fees on their use.
“I was so excited,” the giddy eighth-grader said Sunday. “I thanked him so many times.”
Concerned about the fate of animals that can eat or become fatally tangled in discarded plastic bags, Abby posted a petition on Change.org in June decrying “the devastation that millions of plastic bags have caused the environment and ocean life.” A month later, with more than 150,000 signatures in hand, she traveled to Springfield and urged Quinn to oppose the industry-backed bill. On Saturday, Quinn called Abby to tell her he had no intention of signing the plastic bag bill.
* No way could Quinn resist such an entreaty. And now Champaign may move forward with a ban or a tax…
Mayor Don Gerard on Sunday applauded Gov. Pat Quinn’s veto of a bill that would have prevented Champaign from dealing with plastic bags on its own terms. Gerard said local officials can now resume discussions about limiting the use of the bags at stores within its borders. […]
If the veto stands, Gerard said it could be time to continue the discussions in the Champaign City Building of banning or placing a per-bag fee on plastic bags at checkout lines.
“I suppose it is time for us now to continue those discussions,” Gerard said. “There was actually pretty substantial support to move forward with something, to do something.”
City officials earlier this year presented the program to city council members as a way to deal with plastic bag litter throughout the city. By forcing retailers to charge a fee — something like 5 cents per bag — or by banning the use of plastic bags altogether, they said residents would use fewer bags when they check out at stores.
The veto is a victory for Abby Goldberg, a 13-year-old from Grayslake, Ill., who had launched a petition drive against the bill. Goldberg wanted her community to ban plastic bags, and in July she personally delivered a petition with more than 150,000 signatures urging the veto.
On Aug. 26, Goldberg sent a message to her Twitter followers that the battle is not over.
“OK, thanks are done, time to role up our sleeves again!” she wrote to backers who were congratulating her on the victory. “Encourage [Illinois] legislators to not override veto!!!!!!” she wrote.
Manufacturers said they were disappointed in Quinn’s decision. Lawmakers could still vote to override Quinn’s veto.
Mark Denzler, vice president of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association, said in a statement that the law “represented an opportunity for Illinois to lead the nation in recycling plastic bags and plastic film that account for a major part of the waste stream.”
He said that without a statewide regulation manufacturers and retailers would face a “confusing and costly patchwork of regulations across the state.”
* The response from the Retail Merchants Association…
The most critical aspect of the bill-most often left out by opponents’-is the recycling requirement of both plastic bags and plastic film. Plastic film includes newspaper bags, dry-cleaning bags, shrink wrap, etc. Plastic bags constitute just 15% of plastic waste, whereas 85% comes from plastic film.
* Legislation would have diverted 426 tons/852,000 pounds of plastic from landfills at a minimum
* To put this in perspective, a Toyota Prius weighs 3,042 pounds. So, SB 3442 would have at a minimum diverted the equivalent of 280 Prius’ from landfills every year.
* Governor Quinn’s vetoallows home rule municipalities to take away choices from consumers who want to recycle plastic and now can tax their residents, or ban plastic bags entirely.
* SB 3442 was supported by a broad coalition of organizations such as the Illinois Retail Merchants Association (IRMA), Illinois Manufacturers’ Association (IMA), American Progressive Bag Alliance, Chemical Industry Council of Illinois (CICI), Illinois Food Retailers Association, Illinois Petroleum Marketers Association/IL Association of Convenience Stores, National Solid Wastes Management Association and Solid Waste Agency of Lake County (SWALCO)
“The legislation that passed the legislature with strong bi-partisan support would have established the first statewide recycling program in the nation,” said David Vite, President/CEO, Illinois Retail Merchants Association (IRMA). “Governor Quinn had the opportunity to lead the nation. Instead, his veto ensures Illinois continues to be a follower without a comprehensive plan.
Those of us who advocated for a first in the nation comprehensive plastic recycling program will be reviewing our options in the coming days.”
* From the governor’s press release…
Opponents to the bill and those urging a veto include the Illinois Municipal League, Northwest Municipal Conference, nearly 150 municipalities, Sierra Club, Illinois Environmental Council, Environment Illinois, Illinois Recycling Association, Chicago Recycling Coalition, Prairie River Network, Alliance for the Great Lakes, Center for Neighborhood Technology, Natural Resources Defense Council, Faith in Place, Protestants for the Common Good, Illinois Policy Institute, Surfrider Chicago, Center for Oceanic Awareness, the 175,000 signers of Abby Goldberg’s online petition and others.
* Democratic Cheri Bustos has a new TV ad running in the 17th District. Rate it…
* Republican incumbent Congressman Bobby Schilling’s campaign responded to the ad via press release this morning…
Like the PR executive she is, Bustos has remade herself to such an extent she appears virtually unrecognizable in this professionally shot, stage produced ad.
“Welcome to the race, Cheri Bustos,” Jon Schweppe, communications director for the Schilling campaign, said. “For far too many voters, this ad will be the first time they hear of Alderwoman Bustos. Our campaign got started twenty months ago, and voters have noticed Bobby Schilling out meeting the people, while Cheri Bustos has been missing in action. The Bustos campaign will have their work cut out for them, down double-digits with only 70 days remaining.”
Schweppe also responded to a couple of Bustos’ claims in her new ad.
Bustos: “I’m running for Congress because Washington’s got its priorities all wrong, putting the special interests ahead of the middle class.”
“It’s odd that Bustos wants to bite the hand that feeds her, given the fact that special interests have almost exclusively funded her campaign,” Schweppe said. “Bustos has received more than $100,000 from the radical pro-partial birth abortion PAC EMILY’s List, and she’s spent more time in Chicago and Washington, DC dining with wealthy limousine liberals than she has in-district meeting with the people.”
Bustos: “…it’s time to put Main Street ahead of Wall Street.”
“Cheri Bustos didn’t put Main Street first, she put Bustos Parkway first,” Schweppe said. “She has a record, and it certainly didn’t serve working families in East Moline. Bustos voted repeatedly for a barrage of tax increases and fee hikes, while she spent $625,000 of taxpayer money on an earmarked pet project to build a luxurious parkway right outside her home.”
* As I told you last week, I’m not a big fan of the national conventions. But at least the weather has given reporters something to write about down in Tampa…
As hotel workers tied down reclining chairs and other beach furniture ahead of the storm’s anticipated high winds, heavy rains and surging tide, some delegates recalled the Republican convention in St. Paul four years ago, when Hurricane Gustav also threatened a New Orleans that was still reeling from the damage of Hurricane Katrina.
Then, the first day of the convention was cut short and delegates immersed themselves in charitable acts to help hurricane victims to offset the negative image of President George W. Bush, who critics alleged did not do enough to avert the Katrina tragedy. With some storm-tracking forecasts showing Isaac heading toward New Orleans, questions about another Republican convention and Bush’s Katrina legacy were abundant.
“We’ve had practice (in Minnesota) from getting a curve ball thrown to you that you didn’t expect,” said state Rep. Dan Brady, R-Bloomington. “I mean, the perception is, we want Illinois to know we’re down here doing serious work when it comes to conventions. It’s not just a party.”
The situation has the potential to offer voters the contrast of a Republican celebration of Romney while Obama deals with hurricane relief. Rutherford said a potential storm striking Louisiana would “highlight the strength (Republican Gov.) Bobby Jindal has.”
* My brother Doug is at the convention as an alternate delegate. He’s Tweeting…
So humid here that I think I’ll go swimming in a lake to dry off.
* Rep. Ed Sullivan and lobbyist Jim Riemer are having a bit of fun with weather and convention video updates. Here’s the first update they sent on Sunday…
* Monday morning’s report was more sedate about the weather…
* And, what the heck, let’s do a ScribbleLive convention thingy as well. BlackBerry users click here, everyone else can just kick back and watch the coverage…
“We’ve got to activate the taxpayers of Illinois,” Gov. Pat Quinn told reporters after the Aug. 17 legislative special session failed to move any sort of pension reform forward.
Quinn pledged to lead a “grass-roots” effort to push legislators to pass a reform bill. But will the voters actually listen to him?
A recent poll conducted for Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle found that 54 percent of the county’s likely voters disapprove of Quinn’s handling of the public employee pension issue. Just 29 percent approved.
Keep in mind, this is Cook County we’re talking about. It leans strongly Democratic. Quinn’s job approval numbers are radically upside down throughout the state, but 54 percent of Cook County voters still approve of how he’s doing his job.
So if he’s getting this sort of pension-issue disapproval in Cook, of all places, it’s most likely a whole lot worse elsewhere.
The numbers were a tiny bit better for Quinn among Chicago voters, with 32 percent agreeing with his handling of the pension issue and 52 percent disagreeing. Among the county’s suburban voters, however, only 24 percent approve while 57 percent disapprove. Among black voters, 35 percent approve, 54 percent do not. But among white voters, just 25 percent approve while 55 percent do not.
Also, this poll of 600 likely voters was taken Aug. 1 through 6, which was before the special session debacle. Quinn did not emerge from that pension session looking competent in the least.
It was his special session. He called it. He ran the show. And he got nothing for his troubles except defeat.
And Quinn’s statements about attempting to activate a grass-roots movement merely play into the notion, pushed by Republicans, that the House vote to eliminate future General Assembly pensions and reform current pensions was nothing more than a political act.
It’s clear that the governor, at least, will be attempting to inject himself into campaigns to try to convince voters that Republicans who voted against the bill were acting in self-interest.
You might be wondering why Preckwinkle’s campaign shared those negative poll numbers about her party’s governor. After all, Preckwinkle told Crain’s Chicago Business in July that she planned to run for re-election and wouldn’t challenge Quinn in a Democratic primary.
But her thinking appears to be evolving. While the county board president still hopes that Quinn will get his act together, her campaign says, she’s not ruling out a primary bid. The polling shows the way forward.
Preckwinkle’s poll shows that her job approval ratings are stronger than even President Obama’s. She has an incredibly strong net 52 percent job approval rating (67 percent approval versus just 15 percent disapproval) in Cook County.
That compares with Obama’s 45 percent net approval (72 percent to 27 percent) and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s 43 percent net (69 percent to 26 percent). Quinn’s net approval? Only 9 percent.
Also, 84 percent said a very convincing reason to support Preckwinkle is that she is an “effective leader who says what she does and does what she says. When running for board president, she said she would repeal (an increase in the county sales tax). In her first six months of office, she did just that, saving taxpayers $440 million a year.”
The idea, reportedly, is to position Preckwinkle the same way against the state income tax. If she runs, she will vow to let it repeal itself in 2015, just as she vowed to repeal the county sales tax hike.
Her hesitancy in advocating a repeal of the state tax hike reportedly involves the thinking of people like House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago). If he strongly opposes repeal, then Preckwinkle may drop the whole primary challenge idea.
Quinn won the 2010 Democratic primary election over then-state Comptroller Dan Hynes with incredibly strong support in black precincts. Preckwinkle, who is black, would definitely erode that backing. Quinn has never polled well with women, and a Preckwinkle candidacy would make that situation even worse.
If Preckwinkle starts appearing a lot downstate and in the collar counties, we’ll probably have our answer regarding her political plans. Her latest appearance, in Champaign-Urbana, didn’t go well. She said there should be a “special place in hell” reserved for President Ronald Reagan for his war against drugs and push for prison terms for minor drug offenses.
She had to quickly back off and apologize. Preckwinkle is discovering that there is a whole lot of Illinois outside Cook County, and not everybody thinks like she does.
* Related…
* Voters grilling Ill. candidates about pension fix: “Why can’t we put four or five or six options on the table and let (retirees) choose?” asked Minor, the Senate candidate from southern Illinois.
* Their pension fiasco, your income tax: The legislator — a hard worker who pursues centrist solutions — grew more dispirited as last week’s conversation lengthened. Bad enough that the Aug. 16 special session to address Illinois’ pension debacle had yielded only partisan rhetoric. Even worse, this lawmaker fumed: “The two parties intentionally failed — so that each now has the opportunity to blame the other.”
* VIDEO: Ralph Martire - Public Affairs - 2012-08-26
* VIDEO: Roger Eddy — Concerns About Shifting the Cost of Pensions
* Let’s do another song from one of the most talented singer-songwriters to come down the pike in a very long time, John Fullbright. As always, turn it up…
* Treasurer Dan Rutherford was asked by a reporter today what he would say when asked by his Republican colleagues at the Republican National Convention in Tampa about his home state. Would Rutherford tell them he was embarrassed? His response…
* Transcript…
“I’m not embarrassed for Illinois. This is a great state. I love Illinois. It’s a great place to raise a family. It’s a good place to have a business - we can do things differently to make it better, but it’s a good place to have a business. Quality of life, we’ve got ourselves a transportation system, a good education system… there’s a lot of wonderful attributes of Illinois.
“So, when I go down to Tampa and I talk to my other colleagues and they talk about Illinois, the problem in Illinois isn’t Illinois. The problem in Illinois is the elected government that we have. That’s the problem we have here in Illinois. And so when I tell them I say ‘Keep the faith,’ Illinois can turn itself around. We can turn ourselves around.
“Illinois can be a much better place, and we can go out and change our government and bring in leadership that is ready to stand up and exercise the tough love that’s necessary in this capital city.
“And as I said earlier, it’s time for the politicians to sit down and the statesmen to stand up.”
* My brother Doug is an alternate delegate to the Republican National Convention next week. I won’t be there with him because I just don’t go to national party conventions. I went to one in Chicago, but that was because it was so close. There’s just nothing I want to write about at either convention. I’m not sure how much TV coverage I’ll watch, either, because national politics just doesn’t interest me all that much.
* The Question: Will you be watching the upcoming national party conventions? Explain.
Gov. Pat Quinn is in office for at least two more years after this one, but he’s popping up as the villain in some Republican attack ads.
For example, in one YouTube video, since taken down, challenger Mark Minor’s campaign suggested State Sen. Gary Forby, D-Benton, was in lockstep with the governor’s plan to close the supermax prison at Tamms. Forby wasn’t.
Kent Redfield, a political science professor at the University of Illinois at Springfield, says Quinn makes an easy punching bag because he’s unpopular, he’s not doing a very good job, and everybody knows who he is.
“If you’re a Downstate Democrat, you want to make it about the district,” says Redfield. “And if you’re a Republican, you’d like to make it about state politics.”
That ad was a classic of the genre - with the genre being unbelievably amateurish and not even remotely clever campaign spots. It was so bad it was funny, but not in a good, cultish way. More like a “we’re laughing derisively at you, not with you,” or even a “Whatever it is they were ingesting when they were convinced they had a great concept and superb, um, execution, they’d better stop right now and maybe think about rehab” kinda way.
This must not stand. God-awful campaign videos like that one must be preserved for history’s sake.
* Fortunately for Planet Earth, I suspected that the Minor campaign might eventually come to its senses and pull the spot off the Interwebtubes, so I saved it to my computer. Thankfully, it’s now preserved for all to see. Let’s watch it again, shall we?…
* From a press release issued by the Illinois Republican Party late yesterday afternoon…
BREAKING: Madigan takes another $100K from Union TODAY!
After taking $250K from SEIU before Pension Reform Special Session, Madigan doubles down on cash proving he’s not interested in pension reform
CHICAGO – The Illinois State Board of Elections’ website reports that Service Employees International Union (SEIU) gave the Friends of Michael J. Madigan political committee $100,000 in contributions TODAY – Thursday, August 23.
SEIU has already given political committees controlled by Illinois House Speaker/Illinois Democratic Party Chairman/Father of the Illinois Attorney General Mike Madigan and State Senate President John Cullerton $242,000 in the days leading up to an Illinois General Assembly Special Session on Pension Reform - leading to calls by the Illinois Republican Party for a federal investigation of the timing of such donations.
“Mike Madigan has doubled down on pension reform – and sadly Illinois taxpayers are the losers,” said Brady. “Today’s disclosure prove Mike Madigan has no shame and, despite his rhetoric, no interest in fiscal reform.”
Board of Elections records previously show that on Aug. 17 – the same day as the Special Session – Service Employee International Unions (SEIU) gave $47,000 and another $50,000 to the Democratic Majority (a committee chaired by Madigan to elect Democratic State House members); on Aug. 13 it contributed $50,000 to Cullerton; on Aug. 10, $45,000 to the Senate Democratic Victory Fund, and on Aug. 6, $50,000 to the Democratic Party of Illinois (chaired by Madigan).
* OK, let’s go over thisyetagain. If you’d read the timeline provided by SEIU on Wednesday, you already know that the union cut one of those two checks on July 25th and the other on July 27th. They were both mailed a few days later…
SEIU Contribution Timeline
Monday, July 23rd – SEIU Illinois Council PAC Endorsements were made and contributions approved.
Wednesday, July 25th – SEIU Illinois Council PAC Endorsement checks were cut and mailed promptly to the following funds:
‐ $50,000 to Democratic Majority
‐ $50,000 to Friends of Michael Madigan
‐ $50,000 to Citizens for Cullerton
‐ $50,000 to Senate Democratic Victory Fund
Friday, July 27th SEIU Healthcare Illinois Indiana PAC endorsement checks were cut and mailed/delivered promptly to the following funds:
‐ $50,000 to Citizens for John Cullerton
‐ $45,000 to Senate Democratic Victory Fund
‐ $50,000 to Friend of Michael Madigan
‐ $50,000 to Democratic Party of Illinois
‐ $47,000 to Democratic Majority
Considering the wisecrack that Chairman Pat Brady made about me during Republican Day at the Illinois State Fair, it’s pretty obvious he reads this website. So, he should know that his earlier claims were proved false. An SEIU spokesman called this latest press release “more of the same Republican bombast.”
* And it’s not like Chairman Brady is ignorant of the law when it comes to when contributions have to be reported.
As you can see by looking at this chart, a big chunk of twelve large donations made by billionaires Ken and Nancy Griffin to various Republican county and other organizations throughout Illinois in late December of 2011 and early January 2012 were then sent to the Illinois Republican Party in mid January. The IL GOP did not disclose any of those contributions for about two months. $140,000 of the $240,000 the Griffins sent to the local party organizations went back to the state party for tickets to a state party fundraising event featuring Karl Rove.
When asked back in April why the party sat on the cash for so long, this is how the party’s attorney explained things…
Under law, he says, “the date that stuff gets reported as a donation is the date it was deposited.”
Does that mean the state party really sat on more than $100,000 in checks for two months or so before depositing them?
The state party has been short-staffed, operating with a skeleton crew, Mr. Fogarty replies, adding that most of the donations apparently were made in connection with a Jan. 24 fundraiser featuring GOP star Karl Rove.
However things might appear, nothing improper occurred here, he concludes. There’s “nothing unusual” about some folks like the Griffins spreading their money around to various groups, he says.
So, Chairman Brady knows all about the law when it comes to reporting requirements. Or, at least, he should. And therefore, he knows what he is saying is just bunk.
*** UPDATE *** Illinois Review releases its hounds…
In an attempt to obfuscate recent revelations that the SEIU is transferring hundreds of thousands of dollars into various Democrat political committees, Madigan-backed “mouthpieces” have been employed to try and change the conversation by talking about “when” the money was transferred, rather than the fact that it was. Not to mention the stunning amount, and its ultimate purpose.
The Democrat apologists are also using the rather stale ploy of attempting to kill the messenger. In this case its Pat Brady, Chairman of the Illinois Republican Party, who has been consistently and successfully exposing Mike Madigan and the Democrat/Union money system embedded in Illinois.
I just ripped the DCCC today for stupid lies about Joe Walsh. I don’t like lies. And I really don’t like repeated lies. About anyone. I’m no fan of Walsh, but i’ve stuck up for him when few others did - to the point where I got an angry phone call from a Democratic operative not long ago chastising me for being anti-Duckworth. I ain’t, and I told him so.
And as far as the “stunning amount” of money contributed by SEIU, it’s big. No question. But the union’s “ultimate purpose” is being obfuscated by the IL GOP, IR and others, including some here. The point is that SEIU has just a relatively small handful of members who belong to state retirement systems. The union is far more concerned with human service funding because it directly impacts its members. Higher pension costs equals less human services money.
I was asked earlier today by a Republican commenter why SEIU would give so much money to the Democrats since it is such a “big player” in the We Are One coalition, which is fighting the pension reform bill. Here’s what I wrote…
I went back and looked at my saved emails (and I save them all)…
Neither the SEIU state council nor the [SEIU] healthcare group attended the August 13 press conference denouncing the pension plan before the special session. Only a small SEIU local attended.
A We Are One press release from May on media contacts for pension issues listed AFSCME, IFT, IEA and others, but not SEIU.
The only press release from SEIU on pension reform since the beginning of the year that I can find is from the aforementioned Local 73, not the state council or healthcare council.
The argument being put forth by the state GOP is entirely bogus. And now their friends have taken to attacking the messenger. Classy move, that.
* The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is notorious among reporters for blasting out endless cut -and-paste e-mailed press releases with only the names changed. Here is one such clump I received one day last week…
* DCCC Launches New Advertising Linking Congressman Schilling To Paul Ryan’s Budget that Ends Medicar
* DCCC Launches New Advertising Linking Congressman Walsh To Paul Ryan’s Budget that Ends Medicare
* DCCC Launches New Advertising Linking Congressman Dold To Paul Ryan’s Budget that Ends Medicare
It got to the point earlier this year that I personally asked a DCCC media person to remove me from the list. I’ve been taken off some of them, but not all. I rarely open them any more.
* But I did open a recent e-mail when I saw this headline…
REPORT: Under Ryan Budget, Congressman Walsh Gets Better Health Care Than Illinois Seniors
I received several more of the same, exact press releases about other incumbent Republicans. From the DCCC’s statement…
According to a new Bloomberg News report today, Congressman Joe Walsh’s (IL-08) Medicare-ending Ryan budget would increase health care costs for seniors while protecting health care for Members of Congress like himself. The Ryan-Walsh budget is a “plan to revamp the health-care program for the elderly [that] wouldn’t have the safeguards against rising costs included in the coverage that lawmakers and other federal workers receive.”
“Congressman Joe Walsh will do anything to protect himself and his perks like taxpayer-funded health care, even while ending Medicare for Illinois seniors,” said Jesse Ferguson of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “Congressman Walsh would sell out seniors by ending Medicare and raising their health care costs but at the same time protect his own taxpayer-funded health care. For months voters have learned about Congressman Walsh’s agenda to protect millionaires instead of protecting Medicare, but now it’s clear he’s really just trying to protect himself too.”
Trouble is, Walsh has declined the congressional health insurance benefit. From January of 2011…
Rep.-elect Joe Walsh, a Republican from Illinois, will make good on a campaign promise and forgo government provided health care for himself and his wife in protest of the Obama’s health care plan — in spite of his wife’s a preexisting condition.
“I don’t want to burden the American tax payer about my health care bill,” he said on CNN Tuesday.
“Right now,” he continued, “the health care system has a real bias against folks who need to shop out there in the individual market. My wife and I now are going to have to go through the struggles that a lot of Americans go through, trying to find insurance in the individual market and having to deal with problems of preexisting conditions.”
There are plenty of things the DCCC can use against Joe Walsh. More than I can count. The guy practically has a “Kick Me” sign permanently attached to his back. I mean, just imagine the sort of cognitive dissonance required to say this…
Illinois Congressman Joe Walsh said Missouri Senate candidate Todd Akin’s comments about rape were “idiotic” and “insulting,” but he’s questioning why fellow Republicans haven’t stood up for him.
I replied to the DCCC’s blast e-mail asking about Walsh’s refusal to take the health care benefit, but have yet to hear back. I’ll let you know what they say, if they ever reply.
A suburban congressional candidate improperly claimed two homeowner exemptions at once over a period of several years, a Daily Herald investigation has found.
But after the Daily Herald pointed out the error, Tammy Duckworth says she paid $1,928 in taxes she saved because of the extra exemption, plus an added $612 in penalties. […]
According to her campaign, Duckworth never applied for the Cook County homeowner exemption after moving to the Hoffman Estates property, and only began receiving the exemption after applying for a veterans tax credit.
In 2010, Duckworth was appointed to a veterans affairs cabinet post in the Obama administration and was living in Washington D.C. for part of the year. She completed a change of address form with the U.S. Postal Service, noting the Hoffman property was still her primary residence, Fahey said.
After that, Fahey said, Duckworth received a letter that the homeowner exemption was taken off the DeKalb property.
Doesn’t appear to be much there, but I’m sure it’ll be used against her, especially if this Illinois Republican Party press release is any indication…
In the wake of the Daily Herald report that 8th District Congressional candidate Tammy Duckworth improperly claimed two homeowner exemptions at once over a period of several years, the Illinois Republican Party urged Duckworth to come clean to the voters and answer the following unanswered questions:
1) According to the Daily Herald, Tammy Duckworth was alerted in 2010 that she was not eligible to receive a second homestead tax exemption. Why did she wait until the Daily Herald contacted her two weeks ago to correct the supposed error?
2) Does Tammy Duckworth think it’s hypocritical that she advocates raising taxes on 8th District residents when she herself wasn’t paying the taxes she owed?
3) At a time when more than 8% of homes in Illinois are facing foreclosure, will Tammy Duckworth apologize to struggling 8th District families for gaming the system?
* From the Chicago Tribune editorial page today about the gaming bill that’s sitting on Gov. Pat Quinn’s desk…
Lawmakers still are promising to ameliorate Quinn’s concerns, whatever they may be, in a trailer bill. Sorry, that alone is a deal-breaker. With an issue as serious as a massive gambling expansion, every detail — from contract bidding to how the new revenue will be spent — should have been part of the underlying bill, not compiled in a “Trust us, Governor” afterthought.
* So, the Tribsters hate trailer bills, eh? Really? This is from an October 26, 2011 Tribune editorial on ComEd’s “smart grid” bill…
The bill passed the General Assembly in May, and Gov. Pat Quinn vetoed it last month. The utilities have lobbied furiously to win the additional votes needed for an override. Democratic Sen. Don Harmon has crafted a trailer bill that makes positive changes, and the Senate on Tuesday approved that bill on a 37-20 vote.
Looks to us that, in this case, the General Assembly is driving a hard bargain on behalf of Illinois citizens. […]
On balance, this measure coupled with the changes offered in the trailer bill offers the best way available to secure the power system that Illinois needs for the future. Thanks to vigorous negotiations, what was once a lopsided bill in favor of the utilities has become a plus for Illinois businesses and citizens. We support it. […]
We viewed this legislation with skepticism, and only now embrace it. We thought the formula for return on equity was too rich in favor of the utilities. With Tuesday’s trailer bill, it’s whittled down to a more reasonable level. We thought the requirements for hardening the grid against future storm outages were inadequate. The trailer bill addresses that too. ComEd even revived a good idea for a fund to cushion the impact of higher rates on the elderly and poor. As the legislation underwent a rigorous review, it got better. That’s how the legislative process is supposed to work.
So, a clean-up trailer was just fine with the Tribune a year ago and an example of “how the legislative process is supposed to work,” but now even the theory of a clean-up trailer is a bad idea in principle?
I don’t get it.
* Well, maybe I do. The Tribune is opposed to gambling expansion and has contorted logic to fit its current ideology. From today’s editorial…
A video gaming rollout with the potential for some 45,000 gambling terminals statewide, plus this bill’s five new land-based casinos and slot machines at racetracks, would more than saturate Illinois with legalized gambling. Most major casino operators are looking overseas for gambling opportunities, not domestically. It’s a sign the industry senses its own bell curve.
Emanuel points toward a study showing Hammond, Ind. generating $20 million a month in revenue from Chicago gamblers — money that’s used for scholarship programs.
The Tribune appears to be flacking for the gaming monopolies controlled by existing license holders instead of looking at how a neighboring state’s casinos are draining this state’s coffers.
* We’ve talked about some of this here and in the subscriber section, but I thought the public at large should know more about it as well. My Sun-Times column…
There are a couple of stories the media isn’t telling you. Both are pretty important to understanding what’s happening in Springfield these days.
Let’s start with Gov. Pat Quinn.
The governor called a special legislative session last week that failed miserably. Quinn wanted pension reform addressed, but the House couldn’t even pass a bill, at Quinn’s request, to eliminate future legislative pensions and reform the system that legislators have. The Senate adjourned before the House even voted, strongly signaling that it wasn’t interested in the bill, either.
To avoid looking like a weak and unfocused leader, Quinn has loudly blamed the Republicans for the failure of that bill and claimed that he plans to “activate” the grass roots come September to put pressure on those Republicans to vote for a reform bill.
So we’ll probably see the governor doing news conferences next month assailing Republican House members for voting against reforming their own pension system.
Up until now, however, nobody has really reported details about that House roll call.
Yes, most House Republicans voted against reforming the General Assembly’s pension fund, but so did a whole bunch of Democrats.
The proposal received 54 votes, which is six short of a majority. Several Chicago area Democrats who are allied with Quinn voted “No,” including some liberals and almost the entire House Black Caucus. If the governor had flipped just half of those Democratic “No” votes, the legislative pension reform proposal would’ve received a majority.
About the only place where Quinn still has support in Illinois is in Chicago and in heavily African-American suburban townships.
“Activating the grass roots” in rock-ribbed Republican DuPage County will be fruitless. Almost nobody there cares what he thinks. If Quinn really wants to pass this bill, he’ll focus on his own party members.
Don’t ever expect that to happen, though. This “grass-roots” effort almost surely won’t be about passing a bill. It’s more about political cover for the fall elections.
And that brings us to the other story you’re not being told.
The Republicans say they want reform, and that’s dutifully reported by the media. But the Republicans also won’t compromise to get something done.
There are some serious public policy reasons for this GOP intransigence, but there are also some very sound political reasons as well that nobody really talks about.
Any success at ending the pension stalemate would mean that the ruling Democrats would finally look like they’re getting something accomplished in Springfield. That would be bad for Republicans because their road to victory this year is painted with claims that the majority Democrats are clueless incompetents. Governmental chaos and voter fury is the order of the day, and solving problems won’t help that aim.
And that’s why the Republicans wanted the governor to call more special sessions on pension reform. The GOP knew that nothing would be accomplished on pensions because the Democrats don’t want to upset the teachers and other public employees with harsh pension reforms before the election.
Several Republicans would rather avoid that scenario as well, by the way. They aren’t stupid.
A long round of do-nothing special sessions would’ve made the Democrats look like idiots.
The Democrats aren’t stupid, either. They bolted town after voting on a mostly symbolic legislative pension proposal that they can use in their re-election campaigns.
Almost nobody is being straight with the public on this pension issue. But now I hope you understand a little more about why they’re not.
* Last night, after the column was posted online, I received an e-mail from the governor’s press office…
The governor blamed Republican leaders because Republican leaders told him no on 4 different proposals. Not the Speaker, not the Senate President. Republican leaders wouldn’t agree to support ANY proposal that was on the table, including one their own leader proposed. It wasn’t the governor’s proposal to abolish pensions for legislators- it was Cross’- the governor just agreed and said, “ok let’s do that too.”
Cross did propose abolishing legislative pensions, but according to the governor, Cross didn’t agree to run the bill on its own last Friday. Basically what happened is that the governor and the Democrats advanced Cross’ idea to prevent him from using that against them in the coming elections.
* I also received a text message from a legislator heavily involved in the pension reform issue…
Finally! Your column today is refreshingly accurate on the reason for inaction. Thank you.
Illinois is edging closer to having its credit rating lowered because officials have failed to address the state’s massive pension problem.
Moody’s Investors Service called the failure a “credit negative” Thursday. That could lead to a reduction in Illinois’ credit rating, which is already the lowest of any state. That would make it more expensive to borrow money.
Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services also says it is evaluating the state’s rating.
* And the finger pointing continues by both sides…
The governor still blames inaction on pension reform on obstructionist Republican lawmakers in the General Assembly.
“The Republican legislators and the leaders last Friday, they refused to do anything,” said Quinn. “They wouldn’t even reform their own pension system.”
“So the minority party in this state are the obstructionists? No, I don’t agree with that,” said Rutherford. “Stop that! Its time for people to stop being politicians and stand up and be statesmen.”
Um, Dan? Yes, they are.
* The full Moody’s statement…
Illinois Fails to Enact Pension Reform, a Credit Negative for the State
Last Friday, the Illinois General Assembly in a special session failed to approve any of several potential state pension reforms, a credit negative for the State of Illinois (A2 stable), which faces material pension funding challenges. Inaction on the state’s pension liabilities will further strain this lowest-rated US state’s finances.
Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, a Democrat who called the special session after lawmakers failed to pass pension reform1 this spring, blamed Republicans for the impasse. Democrats control both General Assembly chambers, but Democrats sought bipartisan support.2 All legislators except those retiring from office face reelection this year, making many wary of action before 6 November elections.
Under current law, the state provides most employer contributions for the Teachers’ Retirement System and State Universities Retirement System, statewide plans covering non-state employees. One of Governor Quinn’s proposed reforms that appeared to polarize the legislature was shifting some of the responsibility for funding teacher and university benefits to school districts and universities from the state itself.
Both sides of the political aisle advocate addressing the state’s pension liabilities, which have become the largest among states, both in absolute dollars and relative to state revenue. Illinois’ reported pension liabilities amounted to $146.5 billion, or $82.9 billion net of assets on a smoothed basis as of 30 June 2011. These figures are calculated using elevated discount rates,3 thus understating the liabilities’ present value.
Without pension reforms or revenue increases, state officials expect the share of operating revenue needed for retiree benefits to keep growing. In the current fiscal year, the state has budgeted for the combination of general fund pension contributions and pension obligation bond debt service to rise to $6.65 billion, or 20% of total general fund expenditures and transfers out. These figures compare with $4.03 billion, or 13% of expenditures and transfers out, three years earlier, as shown in the exhibit.
Rising employee benefits will erode the state’s ability to deliver core services. The governor has warned that as the state struggles to cover Teachers’ Retirement System and State Universities Retirement System normal costs (the value of future benefits accrued by employees in a year), it will need to scale back university and school funding. A consequence of this budget strain in the past has been the growth of a large backlog of unpaid bills. The state’s enacted fiscal 2013 budget provides for a 20% decrease in accounts payable from state general funds. There are six legislative session days in late November and early December, but Illinois may not agree on an approach to pension funding until early 2013. In the meantime, the funding challenge will keep growing.
Illinois’ biggest pension fund is being urged by its own consultant to lower its expected return on investments — a step that, if accepted, could force the fund to cut benefits or raise taxpayer contributions even more than lawmakers have been considering.
The pension fund cannot “cut benefits” nor can it “raise taxpayer contributions.” Only the General Assembly can do that. And you have to read well more than half way through the piece to see that the consultant also says this…
“The most significant of the recommended changes are that the post-retirement mortality assumption is revised to reflect improved longevity, future salary increases are expected to be lower and lower investment returns are assumed,” Buck said of its report.
The article also focuses on a reduction in the expected rate of return to 7.75 percent from the current 8.5 percent. But the consultant provided a range of choices ranging from 8.25 percent down to 7.75 percent.
