* The Chicago Tribune editorial board commissioned a poll…
Overall, 4 in 10 respondents give the [Chicago public] schools a barely passing grade of C. Another 2 in 10 grade the system a D. More award an F (8 percent) than an A (7.8 percent.)
That’s not a report card any child would want to take home.
Suppose the schools in your neighborhood were graded A-F. as students are often graded. What grade would you give the school that your oldest child attends?
A 33.8
B 39.9
C 17.7
D 4.1
F 3.4
KNOW 1.0
REFUSED 0.2
When asked about all schools, yeah, 40 percent give Chicago’s public schools a “C” and etc. But parents give their own kids’ schools pretty darned good marks.
* In other fun with numbers, I’m not gonna take any sides on Gov. Pat Quinn’s suggestion that automatic transfers ought to be looked at and possibly capped at this fiscal year’s level. But keep in mind that this is not a cut. It’s the elimination of an increase. So this reaction to capping the Local Government Distributive Fund at current payouts is absurd…
Winnetka stands to lose about $140,000 in revenue, Bahan said, projection that’s on par with the Illinois Municipal League’s numbers. That would amount to a reduction of 1.5 full-time staff, he said, or a 1 percent increase in property taxes.
The Municipal League is predicting income tax revenue growth at 6 percent, while the governor’s budget office is predicting a 3.7 percent growth. Six percent seems like a lot, considering the state of the economy. But whichever side is right, this is not a cut of “X” dollars to Winnetka, it’s simply not giving them an extra “X” amount of dollars.
* And this is from a press release…
State Senator Bill Brady (R-Bloomington) will file a resolution next week calling on United States Senators Dick Durbin and Mark Kirk to seek a commitment from the new United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois to aggressively pursue federal prosecution of firearms offenses within the Northern District. According to Brady, greater prosecution of violent gun crime will result in enhanced safety and security for all citizens in northeastern Illinois.
“In 2012 the City of Chicago experienced more than 500 homicides, the vast majority involving the use of firearms,” said Brady. “Recent news coverage has shown that those convicted of firearms offenses in Chicago and Cook County receive minimal and inconsistent punishment. Stringent enforcement of these laws will have a positive effect in our neighborhoods and will increase safety by reducing gun violence.”
Brady pointed to other cities that had moved toward collaborative zero-tolerance enforcement and education efforts, emphasizing the positive effects observed in those communities as proof that it could work in Chicago. “Communities such as Richmond, Virginia have seen significant reductions in gun violence when local and federal law enforcement agencies work cooperatively to prosecute these violent crimes.”
Among all federal judicial districts, Chicago ranks lowest in prosecuting gun-related violence despite a recent surge in violent crimes involving weapons. In 2011 the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago prosecuted, according to some accounts, just 25 gun-related murders.
* I can’t help but wonder if his “according to some accounts” line is from the NRA…
Wayne LaPierre, executive vice president of the National Rifle Association, was on Meet The Press on Sunday in a debate session opposite New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. During an exchange with host David Gregory, LaPierre took to task the Obama administration for what he defined as a poor record enforcing federal gun laws in dealing with gangs in Chicago:
WAYNE LAPIERRE: I mean, let me give you the real sad thing though. Let me hold up a mirror right now to the whole national news media and the White House. I just got the TRAC data from Syracuse University of enforcement of federal gun laws. Last time I was here, I brought it from 2011; it just came out from 2012.
Do you know where Chicago ranks in terms of enforcement of the federal gun laws? Out of 90 jurisdictions in the country, they ranked 90th. Why doesn’t NBC News start with, “Shocking news on Chicago. Of all the jurisdictions in the country, Chicago’s dead last on enforcement of the federal gun laws?” Why doesn’t the national press corps, when they’re sitting down there with Jay Carney and the president and the vice president, why don’t they say, “Why is Chicago dead last in enforcement of the gun laws against gangs with guns, felons with guns, drug dealers with guns?
* Should Illinois county sheriffs and police chiefs have the right to deny individual concealed carry permits, or should this be a “shall issue” state? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
* Last year around this time, I celebrated my 50th birthday by throwing a fundraiser for Lutheran Social Services of Illinois. We raised about $60K for the group, but I wish I could’ve raised $60 million…
Chicago social worker Frank Harris and his staff have felt the pain of turning away even more people seeking treatment for their drug addictions as Lutheran Social Services of Illinois has taken steps to deal with funding cuts and chronic payment delays from state government.
“Who wants to be known as the state that can’t help those who need help the most?” he asked.
As the Kenmore Center treatment facility Harris supervises was forced to lay off 20 percent of its staff over the past few years, Lutheran Social Services reduced the number of substance abusers it was able to treat in the Chicago area by almost 1,200 a year.
The 5,630 people served in fiscal 2008 dropped to 4,464 in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2012.
It’s likely that many people turned away by Kenmore haven’t been able to find timely treatment elsewhere.
* In other news, the Wall Street Journal ran a story recently about how vendors facing mountains of past-due bills can get most of their money up front via a new company. The article is behind a subscriber firewall, but Illinois Review sums up some points…
Vendor Assistance is funded by a small investor group and has secured a revolving credit facility totaling $320 million, with Citigroup Inc. as the lead lender, WSJ reports. The company currently has 12 employees. […]
Vendor Assistance pays vendors 100% of what the state owes them—90% initially, and then the vendor is paid the remainder in two installments. Vendor Assistance makes its money from the late fees, which in Illinois are 1% a month on the balance owed after a 90-day grace period. Last year, Illinois paid a total of more than $85 million in late fees.
As IR notes, the worse off the state becomes, the more this politically connected company is paid. But at least something is being done.
I was raised in Belleville and still happily reside in Illinois. Over the last few decades, I’ve had the good fortune as a member of the band Wilco to play music in every state in the union and in countless other countries. In my travels, I’ve witnessed firsthand that gay and lesbian couples want to marry for the same reasons all of us do — to share a lifetime of commitment. I feel very strongly that everyone should be able to marry the person he or she loves and enjoy the dignity and respect that comes with that commitment.
By excluding same-sex couples from marriage, our state saddles them, their children and itself with second-class status. That is wrong, and it hurts Illinois families and businesses.
Nine other states have already extended the freedom to marry to gay and lesbian couples. I work and have friends in all those states, and I can say assuredly that it’s time for Illinois to join them. Waiting and sending the signal that we’re not open to and supportive of that community is a big mistake. The time is now.
I hope you’ll join me in calling on the Illinois General Assembly to give same-sex couples the freedom to marry by supporting SB 10.
Tweedy grew up in Belleville, an exurb of St. Louis in southwestern Illinois, where his first band Uncle Tupelo was based. The singer has spoken in favor of same-sex marraige before, teaming with Bob Mould and Minor Threat/Fugazi leader Ian MacKaye last year to oppose a proposed amendment to ban gay marriage in North Carolina. The ban eventually passed.
SB10 was successfully passed through the Illinois State Senate last month, though the State House of Representatives hasn’t held its final vote on the measure. The Chicago Tribune notes the legislation recently gained approval in a House committee, but Speaker Michael Madigan estimates that the bill is around a dozen votes short of the necessary 60 to pass. If SB 10 successfully passes through the House, governor Pat Quinn has said he will sign the bill.
I asked the Speaker about this and Madigan’s count of 12 short includes only Democrats whom he believes are solidly in support. So, that 12 number isn’t completely accurate.
And as much as I love Wilco, I really doubt Tweedy’s support is gonna make much of a difference. Pretty much everybody with a significant hipster population is already on board, except some conservative Republicans with university towns, but they’re not switching anyway.
The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network’s (GLSEN) annual “Day of Silence” aims to “create safer schools for all, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.” Public schools students who participate in the national event remain silent throughout the school day “to call attention to the silencing effect of anti-LGBT bullying and harassment in schools.”
But the Illinois Family Institute cites a statement from the American Civil Liberties Union on the topic that reads, “You DO have a right to participate in Day of Silence and other expressions of your opinion at a public school during non-instructional time: the breaks between classes, before and after the school day, lunchtime, and any other free times during your day. You do NOT have a right to remain silent during class time if a teacher asks you to speak.” […]
“The means by which [GLSEN seeks] to end bullying is to eradicate conservative moral beliefs about homosexuality or to make it socially impossible to express them,” [Laurie Higgins of the Illinois Family Institute] contends. “That’s what people need to understand. This isn’t centrally about bullying.”
I’m not sure what she’s talking about. From the other two ACLU points…
Your school is NOT required to “sponsor” Day of Silence. But Day of Silence is rarely a school-sponsored activity to begin with — it’s almost always an activity led by students. So don’t be confused - just because your school isn’t officially sponsoring or participating in Day of Silence doesn’t mean that you can’t participate.
Students who oppose Day of Silence DO have the right to express their views, too. Like you, they must do so in a civil, peaceful way and they only have a right to do so during noninstructional time. For example, they don’t have a right to skip school on Day of Silence without any consequences, just as you don’t have a right to skip school just because you don’t like what they think or say.
“The reason we’re asking this is every student absence costs schools money; for every student that’s absence, schools lose money,” the conservative [Higgins] explains. “And since administrations will not listen to reason on this topic, we have to hit them in the pocketbook.”
But, if the ACLU is correct, the Day of Silence thing is almost always a student-sponsored event. Why hurt the schools?
KEVIN HANLEY RESIGNS FROM TRUSTEE RACE
Cites Personal Conflict with Presidential Candidate as Reason
RIVER FOREST, ILL, March 20, 2013—River Forest Village Board trustee candidate Kevin Hanley announced tonight he is withdrawing his name for consideration for the April 9 village election citing a personal conflict with presidential candidate Cathy Adduci. Before a packed house at Tom and Marty Dwyer’s residence, Hanley outlined the reason for his withdraw.
“Last week Cathy Adduci told a lie and it almost cost me a close, personal friendship in the village,” says Hanley. “It truly upset my wife and the possibility of working with Adduci and taking time away from my family and knowing I could never trust her is not right thing for the residents.
“This has shaken me to the core and I have been wrestling with this decision since I learned of her actions. I cannot associate myself with her when I don’t know when she would be telling the truth or when she wouldn’t be.
“I absolutely support Mike Gibbs, Lissa Druss Chirstman and Tom Dwyer, Jr. They are the right candidates for the future of our village.”
He declined to elaborate on what the alleged lie was about, saying “it involved other relationships” that he would not bring into the controversy.
“It’s personal. I’m sorry for being vague. I don’t want to get into the details.”
Adduci said she was “shocked” by Hanley’s withdrawal and his comments, which she called “almost defamatory.”
“I’m mystified, and I am disturbed,” she said Thursday morning. “I don’t know what the lie is, I don’t know what the issues are. I have no idea of what Kevin’s talking about.”
Adduci called Wednesday night’s development “bizarre.”
“I’ve been on the (village) board six years. Even in the most tumultuous times, I’ve never seen this.”
Hanley is running on the Pride in River Forest slate, which includes presidential candidate Mike Gibbs and trustees Lissa Druss Christman and Tom Dwyer Jr. He told Gibbs Tuesday and decided Wednesday to resign.
“I don’t want to be elected then need to resign because of a lack of trust. It’s just not fair to River Forest residents,” he said. “My skin is not thick enough. I feel like I’m letting my team down. I believe (the slate candidates) would be the best choices.”
Hanley said he tried to remove his name from the ballot but the date for that has passed. This means he has the potential to still be elected. If elected, Hanley said he’ll resign, regardless of which candidate wins.
I’m trying to do what’s right for residents,” he said, saying he hopes voters will vote for those who still want to run. “I’m hoping I’m not (elected),” he said.
* The Problem: Too many Cook County prosecutors aren’t pressing for enough jail time for dangerous gun-toting criminals, and too many judges are letting these offenders off too easily.
* The Result: Too many dangerous criminals are back out onto the street committing more crimes.
* The Proposed Solution: Increase penalties for Unlawful Use of a Weapon.
the Department of Corrections estimates that the impact of the law in the next decade translates to $965 million extra [spending].
The price tag includes $260 million in construction to make room for 3,860 more prisoners. The numbers come from the agency that currently houses 49,000 inmates in space designed for 33,000 but which is nonetheless closing five facilities, including two major prisons, because of a budget crisis.
* Another Downside: The proposal is drafted in a way that focuses too much on non-dangerous types…
Gun-rights supporters such as Sacia are perplexed by what they see as Chicago’s insistence on lumping law-flaunting gang members in with those who follow the rules.
Zalewski amended his legislation to make exceptions for a person who usually has a valid Firearm Owners Identification card, but whose card had expired by fewer than 90 days when he was found with a gun. Todd Vandermyde, a lobbyist for the National Rifle Association, said those provisions don’t go far enough to protect law-abiding go owners. And he said once concealed-carry becomes law, permit violations of the sort would be regulatory offenses, not crimes. Nonetheless, he said, a permit infraction, for example, could still lead to a serious charge such as aggravated unlawful use of weapon.
“If they step outside the line just a little bit,” Vandermyde said, “they’re going to be slapped with an aggravated UUW and face mandatory three years in jail.”
* My two cents: First and foremost, the state’s attorney needs to do her job and focus like a laser on demanding more prison time for violent offenders.
Second, stop messing around and focus this bill on those who are the biggest danger, not paperwork violators.
Third, the NRA needs to participate more in this process. Chicago has an awful problem right now, and a little honest help with keeping bad guys off the street would be appreciated.
* The Daily Herald tried to bait Congressman Peter Roskam into commenting on the State Republican Party melee. “What message does the handling of this situation send to the rest of the nation regarding the Illinois GOP?” he was asked. Roskam wouldn’t bite…
“Illinois has a higher than average unemployment rate. It’s got a majority in the General Assembly that has squandered the confidence of the public. It is on the verge of a debt crisis and has completely underperformed based on bad leadership in Springfield. That’s what we should be talking about morning, noon and night every single day because that has the big impact on the daily lives of most Illinoisans. So I think to the extent that all these other things become distractions, the fact is Mike Madigan, John Cullerton and Pat Quinn have driven the state into the ground, from a financial point of view and Republicans are poised to have good alternatives and I think that’s front and center where most people want to be focused.”
More Republicans ought to follow Roskam’s lead. These endless fights over an essentially powerless and meaningless party chairmanship, particularly when a hot-button issue like gay marriage is tossed into the mix, are nothing but counterproductive.
Too many Republicans believe that their real enemies are within their own party. Keep it up and y’all will be fighting over absolutely nothing.
* When I told my subscribers about how 52 county Democratic Party chairmen had signed a letter in strong support of Gov. Pat Quinn, I knew there were several state workers on that list. Bernie did the full count, though, and came up with this astounding figure…
Of the 52 Democratic county chairmen listed as issuing that letter, at least 22 have state jobs, and another is on a state board. Combined annual salary for the 18 who work for agencies under the governor tops $1.1 million, comptroller’s records show.
“I would not endorse him,” said [Mason County Chairman Jay Briney] of Quinn, adding that he doesn’t get involved in endorsements much anyway, and he thinks it’s too early to talk about the 2014 race. A Havana resident, he said one example of unhappiness with Quinn in his area is the governor’s moves for gun control. […]
And Karen Boensel of Oakford, who leads Menard County Democrats, said someone with the governor’s staff discussed the letter in advance with her, but she did not give permission to use her name and was surprised when it appeared. She said any endorsements are up to her precinct committeemen.
* And Sangamon Chairwoman Doris Turner wasn’t the only one quoted in Bernie’s piece as saying this…
“There was a conversation that started there among a number of county chairmen with some staff from the governor’s office,”
Here’s hoping that no state resources were used in that letter or there will be heck to pay.
* Either way, the fact that staff was involved means that Gov. Quinn’s fingerprints are all over this thing…
Fellow Democrats,
We write today to express our full support for Pat Quinn in his bid for another term as our Governor. A costly, bitter 2014 primary fight between fellow Democrats is exactly what Illinois Republicans want: a chance to divide and weaken our party and recapture the executive branch of state government.
Pat Quinn took the reins of state government in the midst of the worst recession since the Great Depression - and in the aftermath of a massive, embarrassing scandal. As Governor, he has restored honor and integrity to Illinois. To clean up the mess he inherited, he’s had to make unpopular decisions, including some that have angered our allies. But in hard times more than ever, we need a truth-telling leader, unafraid of ruffling feathers and making tough decisions.
As we press forward through unprecedented challenges, it’s tempting and often convenient to criticize those leading the charge for painful but necessary reforms. Over and over, we’ve witnessed the same Republicans who led us into the national recession fight tooth and nail against Senator Durbin and President Obama’s efforts to pull us out of it.
Let’s be clear: Every dollar spent in a primary battle is a dollar not spent in our inevitable war against the Republican money machine in 2014. The last thing we need is a right wing, anti-worker Republican driving us back into recession.
Governor Quinn has earned our support for putting people to work with the largest ($31 billion) capital construction program in Illinois history. His effort is laying the foundation for a stronger, better educated and more prosperous state.
Thanks to Governor Quinn’s total commitment to public works, Illinois is rebuilding roads, bridges, schools and water systems statewide. These projects are creating thousands of jobs and restoring confidence in many discouraged communities.
But even as we repair our infrastructure, we know there is no easy fix to the economic problems facing our state. We understand that real recovery and reform takes time and courage. Here in Illinois, we’re lucky to have a Governor with an unmatched record of fighting for the public interest and the common good.
Please join us in standing united behind Governor Quinn.
In Solidarity…
Keep in mind that 52 signatures out of 102 counties is a failing grade for a sitting governor, especially considering that almost half of those supportive chairmen are on the payroll, and some of the others have relatives working for the state. That’s the best he can do?
And I’m so sure that this letter will discourage any primary opponents. Yep, it’ll frighten them right down to their snow boots. Undoubtedly so.
A recent meeting between Metro East legislators and Gov. Pat Quinn’s staff turned heated at times, and as a result nothing was accomplished in the standoff over Quinn’s appointments to the Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees.
The governor’s three appointments to SIU’s board were unanimously rejected by the Senate in late February — the first time anybody I’ve talked to can ever remember that happening. But the governor has doubled down instead of compromising.
Quinn replaced three members with close ties to the university’s Edwardsville campus, which is near St. Louis. For years, governors have followed a “gentleman’s agreement” regarding the university board, giving the Edwardsville campus three of its seven members. The governor appoints all seven with the Senate’s approval.
That agreement has coincided with explosive growth at the formerly backwater campus, so locals are loathe to go back to the old days of being treated as the redheaded stepchild of SIU’s Carbondale campus. Just one of Quinn’s appointments had connections to Metro East, a complete unknown who applied for the trustee post on the Internet.
The Metro East legislators want Quinn to back off his choices, and they want to make sure that Roger Herrin is not reinstated as board chairman.
Quinn engineered Herrin’s election as chairman a couple years back, but he was later ousted in a coup orchestrated by SIU President Glenn Poshard and replaced with famed Metro East trial lawyer John Simmons. Simmons was, in turn, ousted by Quinn last month.
The area’s legislators want to make Edwardsville School Supt. Ed Hightower the new SIU board chairman. Hightower, who is black, was also removed from the board by Quinn, a move that has been sharply attacked by the local NAACP and area black ministers.
But the governor is flatly refusing to back down, which led to some heated moments in that recent meeting, with at least two Democratic legislators raising their voices and denouncing the governor’s tactics.
And Quinn told reporters last week that he appointed “three good people, excellent people” and believes the Senate “needs to take another look at these excellent appointees.”
“I don’t think they treated the taxpayers of Illinois and the people who believe in education very well,” Quinn said of the Senate’s action. “The governor appoints people, and I appointed three people who I thought were good, so I’ll keep working on that.”
The Illinois Constitution prohibits Quinn from reappointing the three rejected trustees. A resolution from the Senate “requesting” that Quinn renominate them would be required before they could be appointed to the university board. That appears unlikely at best.
The SIU controversy has spawned payback legislation and spread to other universities as well.
Sen. Bill Haine (D-Alton) has introduced legislation requiring that at least three members of the SIU board be from the Metro East, with another three from the Carbondale area and the seventh from Sangamon County. SIU has a medical school in Springfield. The bill appears to be picking up steam.
University of Illinois boosters have grumbled for the past few years that Quinn has gone way outside the university’s environs for his trustee picks.
So Sen. Michael Frerichs (D-Urbana) moved a bill out of committee last week that would allow the U of I Alumni Association to pick five of the university’s nine trustees. State Sen. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet) is supporting the bill, as is the powerful alumni association.
And senators are awaiting word on what Quinn plans to do about the growing controversy at Chicago State University. Some Quinn-appointed trustees have pushed to oust CSU President Wayne Watson, and some of those are up for reappointment. They are surely facing a tough confirmation fight as well.
Watson has irked many at the university with an aggressive management style that, while showing some significant results for the school, has ruffled some powerful local feathers. But he has backing in the Senate, so another fight is almost guaranteed unless Quinn heeds the warning signs.
Yes, the governor “appoints people,” as Quinn says. But he does so in these cases only with the advice and consent of the Senate.
You’d think in an era where Quinn needs as much help as possible solving the pension funding crisis and the state’s busted budget, he would try to avoid openly antagonizing legislators and wasting valuable energy and time over stupid stuff like university board appointments.
Instead, he’s angering and alienating the very people he needs to help resolve Illinois’ serious financial crisis.
SIU President Glenn Poshard told state lawmakers Thursday he supports legislation designed to block Gov. Pat Quinn from stacking the university’s board of trustees.
In the Capitol for the first time since Quinn tried to remake the board in late February, Poshard said a proposal requiring an equal number of trustees to have ties to the Carbondale and Edwardsville campuses would relieve some of the problems facing the institution.
“It is our hope the situation will be corrected in a way that’s equitable to both universities,” Poshard told members of a House budget committee. […]
Despite testifying in a committee hearing room across the Rotunda from the governor’s office in the Capitol, Poshard said he has had no contact with the chief executive or his top aides since the latest controversy began.
“I’d love to have a meeting,” Poshard said. “We’re still in limbo.”
* I was actually surprised to see some Republicans quoted as saying that the spring break is no big deal. Usually, whenever the GA goes on break we see a hue and cry from the minority party about how the majority is shirking its duty…
When Illinois lawmakers walked out of the Capitol Friday for their last full weeks away before the end of their annual session, they left behind a building momentum on the effort to try to fix the state’s biggest financial problems.
But after months of furious debate, a cooling-off period might not hurt.
“We’ve been through a lot of work this month,” said state Rep. Darlene Senger, a Naperville Republican. “In order to recharge the batteries, I’m glad to have that break.” […]
“It won’t hurt momentum. The pressure the pension problem poses isn’t going away, it’s building,” said state Sen. Matt Murphy, a Palatine Republican. “Maybe (the break) will let people back out of their entrenched positions and see another way.
A couple of freshman Democratic Senators (Melinda Bush and Tom Cullerton) were quoted in the story saying they’d have much rather stayed in Springfield. And then there was this press release from a Senate GOP freshman…
“It’s irresponsible for the Senate to take a vacation while the pension debt compounds by millions of dollars every day,” said Senator Barickman. “If President Cullerton and other leaders in Illinois government were serious about actually fixing the problem, we would be in Springfield, working together to find a comprehensive solution.”
Senator Barickman says a pension bill passed by the Senate Wednesday, which specifically targets new and existing teachers, does not adequately address the financial distress faced by the state’s five pension systems.
“The bill President Cullerton passed this week was nothing more than a piecemeal approach to the problem,” said Senator Barickman. “We need comprehensive reform that is fair and constitutional.”
Freshman Sens. Bush and Cullerton both voted for one of the two pension bills last week. Sen. Barickman voted “No” on both measures, including the “comprehensive” Biss/Nekritz/Cross plan. Barickman lives in Champaign Bloomington, which has tons of university workers. That may explain more than he might be letting on here.
The first half of this session was mainly a tuneup. A trial run, if you will. Both chambers tested out some ideas, some passed, some didn’t. The real deadline is May 31st. If they don’t come to an agreement by then, they should be thoroughly excoriated. But I, for one, think they should be given a bit of time to reflect on what they’ve done and think about what they’re going to do in the coming weeks.
You?
* Related…
* Illinois hits a sorry milestone: Sometime this month, Illinois probably exceeded $100 billion in pension debt, a sorry milestone in the state’s long slog to fiscal hell.
* Can Assembly agree on pensions?: The Illinois Constitution says that public sector pension benefits cannot be diminished or impaired, and Tryon pointed out that judges in Arizona and Colorado have recently tossed out their states’ attempts to lower COLAs for existing employees. “The major component piece, the COLAs, has already lost in two other states within the last six months,” Tryon said. “I’m really worried that this would pass, we take a budget credit, spend that money, and then lose in court.”
* With spring break upon us, I’d been planning to take a couple days off from the blog. But then I realized that a lot of you might be homebound today because of the big snow storm…
* 17 inches in Springfield, reported at 6 a.m. Monday at Capital Airport
* 14.5 inches in Jerome at 3:15 a.m.
* 12.5 inches in Chatham at 10:30 p.m.
* 13 inches in Berlin at 9:45 p.m.
* 13.7 inches in Taylorville at 9 p.m.
* 15.5 inches in Riverton at 1:15 a.m.
* 12.5 inches in Sherman at 8:15 p.m.
* Even though no state facility closures have yet been reported, I figure some of you are probably still at home. The rest may have stories to tell. So, I’m gonna do a few posts today to give those who are stuck inside something to do.
* By the way, here’s my front yard…
I’m a bit worried about those low-hanging wires. I believe that one of them is for my telephone, which I disconnected months ago when I went totally mobile. Not sure what the other one is.
I am a regular reader of your blog. Also a county board member in McHenry County and attorney. I ran for State Senate in the 90’s.
I was interested in the REO Speedwagon number you had on Friday and thought you might be interested in this story.
When I was in college in Campaign in the late 60’s and early 70’s I was lead guitar for a band called “Feathertrain”. We were very popular at one point and played all over the state.
In late 1969 our agent, Irv Azoff, wanted us to start playing 6 nights a week instead of 4. This would have caused me to flunk out of college, so , figuring that no one ever heard of a 40 year old rock n roll star, I announced that I would have to quit in time to catch up on my studies before finals.
The band then began a search for a new lead guitar player. On a gig in Peoria we met a guy named Gary Ritchrath. He brought his guitar and played for us backstage but didn’t have an amplifier so all we saw was his fingers flying over the fretboard. We couldn’t tell if he actually sounded good so we scheduled him for an audition at our practice studio in Campaign, which was directly across the street from the popular Chances R nightclub. He was put up against the former REO Speedwagon guitarist, Bill Fiorio, now known as “Duke Tomato”. Gary won.
After I had quit, Gary joined REO when their lead player left. Then they picked up our singer, Michael Murphy, who I believe sang on original version of “Storm” , and our base player, Bruce Hall. Bruce is in the video.
I met Bruce when he was still in High School in a little town outside of Champaign. We had to get his parents’ permission for him to be in the band.
Keep up the good work with the blog. It is an invaluable resource. And keep rockin’.
L.A.-based film producer Bob Teitel is graciously opening his home tomorrow, March 22 to host a private reception, “An Evening with Gov. Pat Quinn” for guests including Chicagoans who work in the industry in Hollywood and a number of local movers and shakers who are flying out to rub elbows with the stars.
Suggested donation is $1,000.
Hosts of the evening are Chicagoans in L.A. Andrew Alexander, Len Amato, Jim Belushi, Jeff Garlin, Allan Loeb, Joe Mantegna, Roland Mesa, and Chicago-based Chaz Ebert, Billy Zane and Bill Zwecker.
Today House Republicans introduced House Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment 32 to put real “teeth” into the state’s balanced budget requirement. It demands that within 30 days of the enactment of a budget, the Auditor General’s Office must certify that the budget will be balanced with expenses not exceeding expected revenue. If the Auditor General declares that the budget is not balanced then the Comptroller will:
o Stop payment for the salary of General Assembly members and Constitutional Officers; and
o Stop all payments, besides those affecting public safety of the State, required by law, or required by the federal government
“For several years now, lawmakers have passed budgets that were absolutely unbalanced, leaving billions in unpaid bills,” said Representative Bill Mitchell (R-Forsyth). “It’s time to hold state government accountable to the taxpayers. Our balanced budget amendment will force lawmakers and the Governor to put their money where their mouths are. Pass a truly balanced budget or don’t get paid. This is a common-sense fiscal reform that is sorely needed in Springfield.” […]
HJRCA 32 also requires that within 10 days of the Auditor General declaring the budget is not balanced, the General Assembly must convene to address the unbalanced budget. Upon passage of a new budget, the Auditor General must certify if it is balanced, and only then will the Comptroller be allowed to continue payments.
Yes, it’s gimmicky, but I don’t think it’s a bad idea, although I’d be more comfortable with it if chief sponsor Rep. Mitchell had also voted for pension reform yesterday.
* And it would also be helpful if the Republicans could say what sort of programs would actually be cut because doing so would show that they had thought this through…
Mitchell said he believed schools would still be paid but was not clear on whether public union workers with “non-essential” duties would receive paychecks.
Your thoughts?
…Adding… From a longtime commenter…
come on Rich, it’s among the dumbest things I have ever heard. Who in God’s name would provide service to the state if that passed? I assume bond payments are protected but this clause would still have to be put in the bond docs and that would be adverse on our rates. Just another ill-conceived gimmick.
GUN GRABBING REPRESENTATIVE TO HOLD TOWN HALL MEETING – YOU NEED TO ATTEND
WHAT: Town Hall Meeting Held by Rep. Deb Conroy
WHEN: Tuesday, March 26, 2013, 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM
WHERE: Glenside Library, 25 East Fullerton, Glendale Heights, IL
Rep. Deb Conroy is living up to her promise to be Mike Madigan’s loyal stooge in the 46th District. Although she’s only been in office a few months, Conroy has racked up a record of disgusting indifference to the 2nd Amendment. Conroy has voted to leave you defenseless against violent criminals. She has voted to register and tax your guns. And she’s voted to ban and confiscate 85% of the firearms held by law-abiding citizens.
IT’S TIME DEB CONROY HEARD FROM GUN OWNERS
It’s very important that as many gun owners as possible show up for Conroy’s town hall meeting. When you get there, be sure to make your voice heard. Let Conroy know that you will not take the blame for crimes committed by raving lunatics, gang bangers, or hardened criminals. Let Conroy know that you vigorously oppose licensing, registration and insurance schemes. Let Conroy know that you demand to be allowed to carry a defensive firearm for the protection of your self and your family. Remind her that her constituence is not limited to Mike Madigan.
Be sure to wear IGOLD hats or shirts to the town hall. If you see members of the media there, approach them and tell them your story. Tell them that you are a law-abiding firearm owner and that you are sick and tired of people like Conroy and Madigan and their schemes to take your guns away from you.
CONROY’S #1 JOB IS TO BRING CHICAGO-STYLE GUN CONTROL TO THE ENTIRE STATE OF ILLINOIS
The only thing that can stop people like Conroy is the resolve of gun owners who refuse to let Conroy and her pals destroy the 2nd Amendment. So, plan to be there at the Glenside Library on March 26th. Plan to be there no later than 5:15. The gun grabbers will try to close the doors early to keep gun guys out of the meeting.
PLEASE DO THE FOLLOWING:
1. Pass this alert on to your gun owning family and friends.
2. Post this alert to any and all Internet blogs or bulletin boards to which you may belong.
* The Daily Herald’s Mike Riopell properly understood the significance of yesterday’s House action…
Supporters of big public employee pension cuts approved by the Illinois House Thursday say they’ve gotten past the hardest vote on the long-festering issue.
As they’ve debated for more than a year, lawmakers had been waiting for an indicator showing how powerful House Speaker Michael Madigan would want to move forward.
He provided some direction Thursday just before the House voted 66-50 to limit the annual cost-of-living increases to teachers’, state workers’ and lawmakers’ retirement benefits.
“I think we’re in a position to finalize preparation of a bill and move a bill from the House to the Senate that treats all aspects of the problem,” Madigan, a Chicago Democrat, said in a rare speech from the House floor.
Last week, the House voted to raise the retirement age and cap how much of a retiree’s salary could count toward his or her pension.
Approving the most controversial parts of an eventual pension reform package could symbolize an easing of gridlock on the issue.
Currently, retirees receive a 3 percent compounded annual increase in their pension benefits. The bill approved by the House limits that 3 percent increase to the first $25,000 of pension income.
After that limit is hit, retirees will get only a flat $750 a year increase in benefits. The House bill also delays the start of COLAs until age 67 or five years after a person retires. If the bill is enacted into law, current retirees who do not fit either category would get no further COLAs until they met one of those two standards.
According to the Illinois Teachers Retirement System, here’s how the cost-of-living adjustment change proposed in House Bill 1165 would effect a retiree who currently receives the average annual pension amount of $48,216.
*Current COLA: Pension grows to $49,662 in the second year and $51,152 in the third year
*Capped COLA: Pension grows to $48,966 in the second year and $49,716 in the third year.
Nekritz said HB 1165 would save the state $100 billion by the year 2045. It would cut well over $1 billion from the state’s pension payment next year, she said.
Supporters estimate the changes would reduce the unfunded liability by as much as $19 billion. There would be savings of as much as $2 billion more in the other two bills the House approved last week. One would cap the salary on which benefits are based to the limit set for Social Security, currently about $113,000 a year. The other would delay the retirement incrementally, based on workers’ ages now. Younger workers would have to retire later.
All three measures are part of larger legislative solutions backed by Cross and Rep. Elaine Nekritz, D-Northbrook – and the one that failed in the Senate on Wednesday, sponsored by Sen. Daniel Biss, an Evanston Democrat. The jubilation stems from the fact that together, according to Cross, the approved House measures account for two-thirds of the $30 billion reduction in unfunded liability the Cross-Nekritz proposal aims to create over the next three decades.
Opponents to HB 1165 say it is an unconstitutional reduction in employee benefits and unfair to retirees who planned their finances around the benefits they were promised when they left their jobs. “What’s not fair to do is to go to them and say, ‘You have to make up the entire liability,’ when over half the liability is because the state of Illinois never made its payments,” said Rep. David Reis, a Willow Hill Republican. He said lawmakers should instead accept a union coalition offer for employees to pay a larger percentage of their wages toward their pensions. “There are other avenues out there that have been negotiated with the various unions that may prevent a lawsuit, that I think would help us accomplish what we’re trying to do.”
And he’s not the only one. 21 House Republicans voted against the pension bill yesterday, many of them conservatives.
* There will be another post on yesterday’s House pension votes, but here’s my Sun-Times column…
What we have in Springfield right now is an epic legislative stalemate over an issue of absolute importance.
On one side we have the Senate president, John Cullerton, who says he wants to make sure that any pension reform legislation has a chance of being constitutional. On the other side, we have pretty much everybody else.
And I’m not sure why.
Cullerton came up with a plan that makes a whole lot of sense. His legal team was dubious at first that any public worker pension benefit could be reduced because our state constitution expressly forbids it:
“Membership in any pension or retirement system of the State, any unit of local government or school district, or any agency or instrumentality thereof, shall be an enforceable contractual relationship, the benefits of which shall not be diminished or impaired.”
The transcripts of the constitutional convention clearly show that the language was concocted to make sure that the General Assembly adequately funded the state pension systems or risk certain calamity when the whole thing crashed and burned. Like now.
Eventually, Cullerton’s lawyer applied a legal theory known as “consideration.” The pensions are contracts, so to alter those contracts you have to offer something of value in exchange for taking something else away. Offering continued access to government-subsidized health insurance premiums in exchange for taking away annual cost-of-living adjustments was what they came up with.
Almost immediately, though, the super-duper elite Civic Committee claimed that the idea would “lock in” billions of dollars in retiree health-care obligations. It would actually do no such thing. Illinois law allows the government to raise or lower retiree premiums based on the state’s fiscal condition, and a judge recently threw out a constitutional challenge to the statute.
The Civic Committee, a group of wealthy business executives headed up by former Republican Attorney General Ty Fahner, also has claimed that Cullerton’s proposal wouldn’t save enough money. But last year, Fahner supported a bill that actually would have increased state costs in the short term and saved the state just a few billion dollars over the long term.
Fahner has been all over the place. He supported a pension bill sponsored by House Speaker Michael Madigan last year, then claimed a few months later that the pension problem was “unfixable.” He demanded that cost-of-living increases be eliminated altogether, but now backs a plan that allows COLAs on the first $30,000 of pension income.
Cullerton took the plan endorsed by Fahner and grafted his own pension reform language onto it. Cullerton’s “consideration” proposal wouldn’t take effect unless and/or until the courts ruled that the Fahner-backed proposal was unconstitutional.
Fahner didn’t like that idea, either. And he and lots of big-business types lobbied hard against it, along with a certain editorial board down the street, and forced Republicans off the bill. That killed the proposal, and the Fahner-backed bill was defeated as well.
Meanwhile, the House has passed a few bills that will save some significant money, including a proposal approved Thursday that caps COLAs at $750 a year or 3 percent, whichever is less. The House has already approved legislation increasing the retirement age and capping pensionable income at $113,000.
What the House hasn’t done is take up Cullerton’s “consideration” idea, but the Senate president adamantly refuses to back off what he considers to be the only constitutional way forward.
And that, in essence, is what’s behind this doozy of a stalemate.
Somehow, this problem has to be resolved. I expect we’ll see lots of public bashing of Cullerton over the next several weeks to force him to back down. He doesn’t deserve it.
Illinois’ unemployment spiked for a second straight month in February, hitting 9.5 percent. But state officials say the increase is at least in part to increasing numbers of people who have started looking for work again.
The Illinois Department of Employment Security said the rate sharply rose to 9.5 percent in February from 9 percent in January. National unemployment fell to 7.7 percent in February.
* However, the Illinois Department of Employment Security explains the numbers…
Illinois added 12,400 jobs in February, continuing a three-year pattern of job growth that has intensified in the past seven months. Job growth has encouraged more people to look for work, especially those who gave up during the recession. Their re-entry into the labor force pushed the February unemployment rate to 9.5 percent, according to preliminary data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES). Data is seasonally adjusted.
“This is the counter-intuitive part of an economic recovery. If job creation is picking up, how can unemployment be picking up as well?” IDES Director Jay Rowell said. “Job growth gives workers who previously gave up their job search hope that they, too, will be hired. As such, they re-energize their work search, jump back into the labor force and push up the unemployment rate.” […]
Illinois businesses are hiring. More than 100,000 help-wanted ads are on Illinoisjoblink.com, the IDES employment website that links job seekers with employers. Keyword matching technology increases the likelihood of a successful new hire and compares favorably to private efforts that cost hundreds of dollars.
A federal jury convicted the Cook County Commissioner on all counts after deliberating for just a few hours.
Earlier Thursday, prosecutors blasted the former alderman as a tax cheat who “decided the rules shouldn’t apply to him.”
But Beavers’ defense team painted him as an elderly man who “may” have a gambling problem and never intended to defraud the IRS.
Jurors began their deliberations Thursday afternoon after hearing closing arguments in a packed courtroom, during which defense attorney Sam Adam Jr.’s theatrical style again clashed with prosecutors’ dry demeanor — and irritated Judge James Zagel, who issued a series of rulings in an attempt to rein Adam in.
Accused of cheating on his taxes in 2006, 2007 and 2008, Beavers “has been an elected public official for the last 30 years — he understands and he knows the importance of paying taxes,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie Hamilton told the jury.
Instead of paying taxes on checks he cut himself from his political campaign funds and spent on losing gambling runs at the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Beavers deliberately “kept everyone in the dark,” by falsifying his tax returns and campaign records, Hamilton said.
The Illinois House voted Thursday to limit compounding annual cost-of-living increases for state retirees in a constitutionally questionable move targeting the largest driver of the state’s $97 billion pension crisis.
The Senate-bound measure, sponsored by House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago), passed the House on a 66-50 roll call and would affect current and retired state workers, university employees, legislators and downstate and suburban teachers. Judges weren’t included.
Under the measure, current and future public employees would have to wait until age 67 or five years after retirement to begin collecting retirement benefits. State employees'’ annual cost-of-living adjustments would be capped at the lesser of 3 percent or $750 per year. […]
The vote represents the third incremental pension-reform measure to pass the House, following votes last week to cap the size of pensions and raise retirement ages.
…Adding… My reading of the bill indicates that the shorthand used in the above story is wrong. COLAs can’t be collected until age 67, not pensions.
In a rare speech from the floor, Speaker Michael Madigan indicated today’s move, in addition to other measures the House approved last week, means lawmakers should be close to “finalizing” more comprehensive legislation.
But while most observers agree cutting annual pension increases would save the state the most money, the move is also among the most controversial. The Illinois Constitution states pension benefits are not to be “diminished.”
State Rep. Mike Fortner, a West Chicago Republican, was among those who raised legal questions in opposing the plan. […]
A proposal from state Rep. Tom Morrison, a Palatine Republican, that would move most public employees into 401k-style retirement plans is set for debate in a House committee later today. But it isn’t expected to be approved.
* I told you earlier today that some anti-gun protesters planned to picket Attorney General Lisa Madigan over her refusal so far to appeal the federal court decree on concealed carry to the US Supreme Court.
Madigan has pointed out before that it’s too late to get on the Supremes’ docket at the moment. But these folks (and Gov. Quinn) didn’t want to hear that.
* Turns out, just a dozen people showed up to the protest, and they paraded around the Thompson Center wearing signs that said “Lisa, Don’t Let Us Be Targets”…
The pro-gunners often describe a fevered dystopian future of blood-thirsty dictatorial tyrants to justify their personal arsenals. On the other side we have folks who actually fear that licensed, trained, concealed carry permit holders will be targeting them for, I suppose, murder.
Man, do I ever despise arguments based on ignorant fear. It’s a big reason why I have such a hard time talking to some hardcore pro-gunners on this site. I don’t oppose much of what they want to do, but too many of them are such wussy fraidycats that I can’t deal with ‘em.
I’ve been in two war zones (three if you count Albania’s civil war) and never once carried a gun. The only time anybody around me had a gun was when I embedded with a National Guard unit in Baghdad on night patrol. I just don’t get this crazy fear. And today’s anti-gunner protesters appear to be pretty much a carbon copy of their opponents.
David Borris, president of Chicago Area Peace Action said, “believe me, there’s going to be all the Dirty Harry wannabes that are gonna see that purse get snatched, and they’re going to want to drop to one knee, and start shooting.”
I hear this sort of thing a lot from anti-gun folks.
* The Humane Society recently held a pet photo contest for legislators and staffers. Rep. Renee Kosel’s new puppy “Cookie” won for most adorable dog…
What a sweetie!
* “Frau Frau,” whose owner is Senate Democratic legislative assistant Mitchell Remmert, won the most adorable cat contest…
Aww.
* No offense whatsoever to Rep. Kosel, but I wish the Humane Society had allowed me into the competition because I would’ve submitted this undoubtedly winning video of my new puppy…
* The University of Illinois’ campuses will become totally smoke-free later this year. Some legislators want the ban applied to all public colleges…
An Illinois Senate committee approved a measure Tuesday that would ban people from smoking on state-supported university and community college campuses.
The vote was 7-5, with all but one Democrat, including Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, voting for the measure, while Sen. John Sullivan, D-Quincy, voted against it.
State law already prohibits smoking within public buildings, certain indoor areas and within 15 feet of building entrances. The proposal would prohibit smoking anywhere on campus, including parking lots and vehicles.
The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Terry Link, D-Waukegan, said such legislation would encourage people to quit smoking.
Sullivan noted that people currently can step outside the State Capitol building and smoke as long as they are 15 feet away from the door, so why did Link want to have a total smoking ban on all college campus property?
“Maybe what we will do is help people from ever starting,” Link said. “If we just get them while they are young, maybe they won’t take this up.”
“But what about from the staff and employees’ standpoint?” Sullivan asked. “Smoking is legal. So, what kind of accommodations will be made for employees who work at these universities and colleges?”
“It’s the same thing you have even in private industry when we went smoke-free,” Link answered, noting that the campuses of some hospitals and pharmaceutical companies are now entirely smoke-free.
* The Question: Should the GA pass a bill to make all Illinois universities and colleges completely smoke-free? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
* Former Chicago Bears linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer has been in the news quite a bit lately. He’s starting a fascinating new gaming company…
According to Hillenmeyer, the core concept behind OverDog is a simple one: Many professional athletes and even more sports fans are avid gamers, so why not create a product that allows them to face off against each other? […]
As Hillenmeyer explains, the way the product would work is a pro athlete would log on to the app via his smart phone and issue a challenge to his fans in any game of his choosing. After the athlete has issued the challenge, fans would get a notification on their phones and decide whether or not they want to play against the athlete. However, not every fan is going to be able to play against an athlete every time, so potential opponents for pros will be decided by a random drawing. Also, Hillenmeyer says that they are working to incorporate a streaming aspect, so at some point in the future of the product you could still watch the matchup even if you weren’t the one facing off against a pro athlete.
* But Hillenmeyer is also becoming involved in Statehouse issues. For instance…
Former Chicago Bear linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer is backing a plan to limit tackling in practice for high school and youth football players.
The legislation from state Rep. Carol Sente, a Vernon Hills Democrat, could come before state lawmakers this week.
Hillenmeyer has written a letter to lawmakers urging support for Sente’s plan, which would limit full-contact tackling in practice to two days per week during the season in an attempt to reduce the risk of long-term injury from concussions. How often young players tackle at preseason practices would be left to coaches’ discretion.
“Without it, a rogue, wannabe-Mike Ditka youth coach will continue to have unchecked ability to overexpose our next generation to harm, harm that is avoidable and has long-term implications,” Hillenmeyer wrote.
State lawmakers Wednesday balked at a suburban official’s plan to limit tackling at youth and high school football practices.
State Rep. Carol Sente’s plan to limit full-contact practice to twice per week tried to address a new focus on the long-term brain damage the repeated hits in football can cause.
But an Illinois House panel disagreed it was something the state should try to regulate, and rejected it by a 5-6 vote.
“I still have concerns about legislating these kinds of rules for athletes,” said state Rep. Sandra Pihos, a Glen Ellyn Republican.
Two Hall of Fame athletes signed a letter supporting a gay marriage bill on its way to the Illinois House.
Former Chicago Cubs shortstop Ernie Banks and former Chicago Bears defensive end Richard Dent, along with former Bears Hunter Hillenmeyer and Brendon Ayanbadejo, wrote that the “Illinois General Assembly should act now and give same-sex couples the freedom to marry.”
“In sports, any time a player is not treated with fairness and respect, the game is diminished,” the letter reads in part. “Similarly, treating any group of people as second-class citizens hurts us all, because discrimination is wrong no matter whom the target is.”
I’m not sure I’ve seen an athlete take this much of an interest in Springfield on bills as diverse as these. He hasn’t started contributing to campaigns yet, so maybe it’s just a passing thing.
* Roundup…
* Senate panel: Schools must carry catastrophic accident insurance: The Illinois Senate Wednesday started moving forward on an issue sought for years by former Rolling Meadows High School football player Rob Komosa, who died last weekend. A Senate panel Wednesday approved legislation that would require public and private schools to carry catastrophic accident insurance to cover their student athletes.
Thursday, Mar 21, 2013 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Wireless broadband technologies make life safer for citizens and our first responders who courageously step into harm’s way.
Police officers use wireless broadband technology to run facial recognition checks on suspects, process fingerprints, and share photos and videos.
Ambulances are equipped with wireless broadband technology that sends critical vital statistics ahead to emergency room doctors, saving critical minutes when life hangs in the balance.
Soon, wireless broadband technology will let fire commanders in the field receive real-time thermal imaging information so they can observe how fires are changing and moving
That’s why the state’s leading public safety organizations ― the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police, the Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois, the Illinois Sheriffs’ Association and the Illinois Police Benevolent and Protective Association ― joined the Illinois Partnership for the New Economy & Jobs to support a modern communications law in Illinois.
Remarkably, Illinois’ communications law still requires some companies to invest in 100-year-old technology, diverting limited resources from new broadband networks.
In 2013, the state should adopt a modern communications law to attract more private investment in the broadband networks that help make Illinois safer.
* Two things to think about before we move to the actual topic of this post. First, from the Illinois Constitution…
Membership in any pension or retirement system of the State, any unit of local government or school district, or any agency or instrumentality thereof, shall be an enforceable contractual relationship, the benefits of which shall not be diminished or impaired.
Pretty darned plain language there.
* And this is from the S&P downgrade back in January…
If there is meaningful legislative action on reform, we believe that there could be implementation risk based on the potential for legal challenges, and it could be several years before reform translates into improved funded ratios and budget relief.
* Now, on to today’s stories about the pension votes yesterday…
The Illinois Senate Wednesday approved a plan to cut working teachers’ pensions while rejecting a more sweeping plan, sending mixed messages about where the debate over one of the state’s biggest financial problems will go next.
A plan by state Sen. Daniel Biss to cut the pensions of public employees including teachers and lawmakers, which had appeared to gain bipartisan momentum in recent months, was instead soundly defeated 30-23.
Biss’ plan would have cut annual cost-of-living pension increases, raised the retirement age and required local school districts to start paying into a 401(k)-style plan for teachers, among other things.
But whether it would pass muster under an Illinois Constitution that says benefits cannot be “diminished” was a key question in the debate.
As a result, a proposal from Senate President John Cullerton was approved by a 30-22 vote.
I have yet to hear any credible arguments about how Biss’ plan survives constitutional muster. The best argument is that nobody ever knows for sure how a court will rule. That’s true. Other than that, the Constitution is pretty clear here.
The Senate voted 30-22 to reform just one state pension systems facing financial trouble, but it was the largest of five, the Teachers’ Retirement System.
True to the approach he’s taken previously, Cullerton, a Chicago Democrat, wrote the legislation to give teachers a choice between health care coverage during retirement or reduced annual cost-of-living increases. The “consideration” approach, Cullerton insists, would allow the state to sidestep a prohibition in the Illinois Constitution against reducing previously promised pension benefits.
“Benefits cannot be changed unless the Legislature offers public employees and retirees a choice and the opportunity to consider and accept that offer,” Cullerton said.
But between the slim victory on a narrowly drafted bill and the earlier defeat of another Democrat’s comprehensive approach to the pension crisis, the action Wednesday leaves questions about whether the General Assembly has the stomach to tackle the pension mess.
Biss, D-Evanston, and Cullerton took different approaches toward overhauling the retirement plans, and the divide broke down along partisan lines — as well as along Cullerton’s power base.
Biss’ broader pension measure picked up a dozen Republican votes, including that of Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno of Lemont. She called Biss’ measure the most comprehensive approach and the “best path forward at this point in time.”
But only 11 Democrats jumped in with Biss. The 23 votes fell seven short of passage.
The Senate Democratic rank and file sided with Cullerton over Biss. No Republicans backed the Cullerton plan, noting it only affected active teachers. […]
The Biss plan would save an estimated $150 billion over 30 years. Cullerton’s plan would save an estimated $18 billion to $40 billion.
Biss’ plan won’t save a freaking dime if it’s kicked out by the courts.
These Democrats voted against the bill: Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant, Melinda Bush, James Clayborne, William Delgado, Mike Frerichs, William Haine, Linda Holmes, Toi Hutchinson, Emil Jones III, Dave Koehler, Dan Kotowski, Terry Link, Andy Manar, Iris Martinez, Pat McGuire, Julie Morrison, John Mulroe, Tony Munoz, Kwame Raoul, Martin Sandoval, Ira Silverstein, Steve Stadelman, John Sullivan and Donne Trotter.
These Republicans voted against the bill: Jason Barickman, Dave Luechtefeld, Sam McCann, Kyle McCarter, Dale Righter and Chapin Rose.
And these three Democrats voted “present,” which is tantamount to voting “no”: Democrats Jacqueline Collins, Tom Cullerton and Mattie Hunter.
There are some hardcore conservatives amongst those GOP “No” votes. But they also have state facilities in their districts.
* Sen. Rose was one of those “No” votes, but he wants to cancel spring break…
“I see all of this as a gradual progression,” said Sen. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet. “If you start tweaking this cost of living adjustment cap on people who have already retired, you started putting this thing together.”
Rose said he wished the Legislature would stay in session for the next two weeks — when it is scheduled to take a recess — “on joint House and Senate meetings and just focus on this and not anything else. I would take everything else off.”
Sen. Jason Barickman, R-Bloomington, criticized the “piecemeal approach” of Cullerton’s bill.
But Barickman also voted against the more comprehensive bill.
* The Biss bill died because the Republicans, prodded by Ty Fahner and the business groups, killed Cullerton’s hybrid SB1 bill, which included his language and Biss’ language. It was a politically possible bill. Now, we’ve got a stalemate. The Sun-Times remains optimistic…
Illinois’ $97 billion unfunded pension bill demands a big, sweeping solution. If there was ever a time to make it happen, it’s now.
The answer lies in a separate bill that failed in a Senate vote Wednesday.
That plan, sponsored by Sen. Daniel Biss, is the only plan out there that truly reforms public employee pensions. It significantly cuts benefits — we won’t sugarcoat that — but does so in a fair and targeted way by phasing in an increased retirement age, shielding the pensions of the lowest income retirees from cuts and giving the retirement systems the right to sue if the state fails to pay its share.
Biss’ bill fell short by seven votes. Insiders tell us it simply can’t pass and it’s time to get real.
No doubt there is truth to that claim. But Illinois lawmakers can do better.
And really, 23 votes on a bill that wasn’t pushed by the Senate president is a pretty good showing the first time out of the gate. Picking up seven more votes as the spring legislative session continues is doable, particularly since Biss’ bill appears to be the favored approach in the House. A similar House bill is sponsored by Reps. Elaine Nekritz and Tom Cross.
There is almost no doubt in my mind that if Ty Fahner and the Tribune editorial board hadn’t stuck their big noses into this thing, Cullerton’s SB1 would’ve passed the Senate.
I’m starting to think that somebody doesn’t want anything to pass until 2015.
* And while I fully understand the criticism of Cullerton here (that he ought to just give up on his consideration idea and go with something else that might be able to pass like a stand-alone Biss plan), I’d point out that the Senate President strongly believes Biss’ bill is unconstitutional. So, this is something to keep in mind…
SECTION 3. OATH OR AFFIRMATION OF OFFICE
Each prospective holder of a State office or other State position created by this Constitution, before taking office, shall take and subscribe to the following oath or affirmation:
“I do solemnly swear (affirm) that I will support the Constitution of the United States, and the Constitution of the State of Illinois, and that I will faithfully discharge the duties of the office of …. to the best of my ability.”
No one’s supposed to know it, but the parent companies of the Chicago Tribune and the Sun-Times are on a collision course over unpaid bills.
At issue are the $70 million-a-year contracts for Tribune Co. to print and distribute the Sun-Times and its suburban daily newspapers. (The distribution deal began in 2007, and the printing deal began in 2011.) Just as Tribune Co. was emerging from bankruptcy at the end of December, Sun-Times owner Wrapports LLC paid only a fraction of what it owed, according to sources at both companies.
Since then, nothing. Some see it as a sign of financial trouble at Wrapports, where advertising revenues have fallen far short of projections. Others see it as a strategic move to force a renegotiation of the agreement or as a precursor to a bid for the Tribune.
Fearing that Tribune Co. could simply pull the plug, Wrapports has begun searching for alternate printing facilities. (Just a bluff? Who knows?) On the other hand, Wrapports chairman Michael Ferro appears to be gambling that the Tribune won’t put its No. 1 client out of business while it’s trying to attract a potential buyer. In the end, it all may wind up in court — if not on the front pages of both papers.
The Chicago Democrat said Wednesday he often breakfasts by peeling the potassium-packed fruit.
He spoke to reporters after announcing the winners of the Illinois School Breakfast Challenge. The competition challenges schools to increase participation in the school breakfast program. Winners attended an afternoon event at the Executive Mansion in Springfield.
Quinn said he also added some scrambled eggs to break his fast Wednesday.
But the event comes after he’s proposed some steep cuts to school nutrition.
The governor’s budget calls for $400 million in cuts to education. Out of education cuts comes $5 million from free school breakfast and lunch programs.
Governor Quinn shifted the blame saying, “Obviously our pension challenges. Our foremost fiscal challenge in Illinois. It’s squeezing out money in the classroom.”
He’s hyping a program that he’s cutting, without mentioning it. Marvelous.
The percent of Illinois students who are homeless or living in poverty has grown in recent years.
The Illinois State Board of Education reported Wednesday the proportion of low-income students grew from 37.9 percent to 49 percent between 2003 and 2012.
The ISBE says the spike in low-income students and those with limited English has led to increased costs for school districts. But state funding for education has decreased by more than $861 million, or nearly 12 percent, since the budget year that started in July 2008.
So, we have more homeless school kids while the governor is cutting breakfast programs, but there he was yesterday touting the breakfast program and talking about how he likes to eat bananas in the morning.
Demonstrators Wear Targets to Show What Illinois Will be Like Under Concealed Carry
Advocates for safe streets plead, “Lisa Madigan, Don’t Let Us Be Targets”
WHO: Rev. Wendy Ann Witt, Associate Pastor, Chicago Temple; Garrett Evans, student shot at Virginia Tech University; David Borris, Chicago Area Peace Action; Ellen Chiocca, Moms Demand Action; Lee Goodman, Stop Concealed Carry Coalition; and other community leaders
WHAT: Demonstration to ask Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court the 7th Circuit Federal Court’s decision that threw out Illinois’ ban on carrying concealed weapons in public
WHERE: James Thompson State of Illinois Building, 100 West Randolph, Chicago, IL (Street level, plaza entrance, inside)
WHEN: Thursday, March 21, 2013 at 11:00 am
CHICAGO (March 19, 2013) – Community leaders wearing National Rifle Association approved pistol targets will publicly call upon Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan to comply with Governor Pat Quinn’s request that she appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court the 7th Circuit Federal Court’s decision that threw out Illinois’ ban on carrying concealed weapons in public.
Madigan has stated that she does not plan on appealing since the Illinois General Assembly may pass a new law authorizing people to carry concealed weapons. But once the legislature acts, the case becomes moot, and it will not be possible to appeal. “Madigan is acting like a lawyer who waits until after her client has been executed to appeal the sentence,” said Lee Goodman, organizer of the Stop Concealed Carry Coalition.
Lee Goodman, a Northbrook resident and a member of the Stop Concealed Carry Coalition, was heartened by the governor’s stance and his statement that Attorney General Lisa Madigan should appeal the decision of the circuit court.
“I believe that’s the first time he said the decision should be appealed,” Goodman said.
