* Sen. Durbin said today that he believes Attorney General Lisa Madigan will make up her mind soon about whether she’s running for governor. He also didn’t have the kindest of words for Gov. Pat Quinn…
Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) pointedly declined Wednesday to endorse Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn and said Attorney General Lisa Madigan could be the only Democratic challenger if she chooses to run against the embattled governor next year. […]
“There’s a feeling that the governor needs to show leadership and produce results in order to merit renomination and reelection.” […]
Asked after the breakfast whether he would offer an endorsement in the race, the veteran senator said he was not likely to. As for whether Quinn was seeking his support, Durbin said: “It hasn’t happened yet, and I don’t expect it to.”
Durbin demurred, however, when asked the question that is on the mind of many politicos in Illinois: Can Madigan run and serve as governor if her powerful father remains in his post as speaker of the House?
While acknowledging Speaker Mike Madigan is the most powerful political figure in Illinois, Durbin noted that Lisa Madigan “has really earned her stripes as an individual, not as his daughter” and has “one of the highest approval ratings of any state official.”
Sounds like Durbin has his mind pretty much made up.
* I actually agree with the folks over at Illinois Review and Breitbart that some Chicago political reporters have been way too hard on 2nd Congressional District GOP nominee Paul McKinley. Yeah, he was a felon. He served a whole lot of time in prison. But he has risen above his past and is now living a decent life and encouraging others to do so as well.
Some of his positions are a bit odd, but, whatever the case, the guy has no chance of winning, so this breathless hyperbole just doesn’t resonate…
But what none of them is watching is one of the most interesting races in Illinois’ history develop in front of their own eyes.
An opportunity that is only possible in a special election such as this one: a lazily campaigning Democrat, an awakened populace tired of being trampled on, an enthralling candidate, and an energized grassroots making history by coming together across racial and economic barriers to support McKinley, a convicted felon who has turned his life around and is trying to save his community. Is it any wonder, as McKinley says, “The Machine is panicking?”
The Illinois Republican Party did not respond to Breitbart for comment.
I do believe that the national, state and local GOP ought to put some resources into his campaign to build some infrastructure there for future reference, like the 2014 statewide races. Hey, it couldn’t hurt.
McKinley, unfortunately like a lot of black men, did some time behind bars. But he’s now on the straight and narrow and he ought to be celebrated for that, not condemned.
* Meanwhile, I still don’t think we have the full story about why state Sen. Toi Hutchinson dropped out of the Democratic primary…
Monday, in what is believed to be her first public comments on the race since she bowed out, Hutchinson answered questions about her candidacy before the Kankakee Kiwanis Club during the club’s luncheon at the Quality Inn & Suites in Bradley.
[…]
Hutchinson said she had raised more than $300,000, and might have been able to double that, but that she was unwilling to do what it took to win.
“It would have meant scorched earth, going right to the wall to raise that kind of money,” she said. “And I would have had to go entirely negative.”
She said leaving was the hardest decision she ever had to make. Her own teen daughter advised her against quitting. But, she said, she couldn’t complain about negative campaigns and million dollar fundraising and then do the same thing.
“It would have made me something I’m not,” she said.
That is essentially what she told everyone who asked when she dropped out. But she didn’t run an entirely positive campaign, and she’s still having some trouble in the Senate because of it.
* If you want to see what a successful Illinois Republican is - not some ideologically embittered hyperpartisan - then you have to go no further than Big Jim Thompson.
Elected four times as governor, Thompson embodied Illinois Republicanism. Tough, accomplished, governing-focused and pro-business but with a decidedly humane and moderate face.
Thompson spoke this month to the World Presidents’ Organization/Young Presidents’ Organization Chicago Chapter forum and part of his speech has been transcribed. We ran some excerpts the other day, but I strongly urge you to read the whole thing now. This guy still has it…
We need to improve the business climate in the state of Illinois because we need to increase employment in the state of Illinois. There is no sounder reason to increase employment and to drive down the cost to the state of Illinois of pensions and pension reform than more jobs in this state. Two million people in a population of 12.8 million, 2 million people in the state of Illinois are on food stamps. Two million, Why? Because they don’t have jobs that can support themselves and their family. They don’t have enough money to buy food, so they’re on food stamps.
Now we’ve got a choice. We can continue all those people on food stamps and just push (them) away, put them behind the curtain, don’t think about them. Or we can work to increase the business climate in this state to provide the jobs that will start taking people off food stamps and off welfare and off government assistance.
Thompson, unlike so many modern “conservatives,” did not demonize the poor and heap condemnations upon them He fervently wants to help them with the only hand up that really matters: A decent job.
We’ve got to scour the tax code of this state, get rid of wasteful tax expenditures, or have a rational tax policy that encourages business and its growth in this state. And you can tell the difference. And yes, various businesses will come and say, “But keep mine.” OK. That happens all the time. But the governor and the legislature can decide who’s right in that one. Academics can help them decide who’s right in that one., Economists can help them decide who’s right in that one. You don’t have to listen to every special plea no matter where it’s from. But if we’re not constantly looking at our tax policy, looking at our unemployment compensation policy, looking at our workers’ compensation policy to make this state a haven for business and send those carpetbaggers from Wisconsin and Indiana and Iowa and Mississippi and Alabama and Texas back to their own states. Thank you very much, we’ve got just as good a business climate in Illinois as any that you can conjure up to make our people move. If we don’t put our efforts behind that, if we don’t link it to government expenditures beginning with pension reform, we are going to be in even bigger trouble.
* And he wants us to think big, like he did back in the day…
We need to substantially repair Illinois’ infrastructure. The governor is going to hope to sell $800 million in bonds shortly that would go for capital projects, infrastructure. It’s not enough. It’s not enough. […]
Look, I used to be proud to say that Illinois was the transportation center of the world. And it was literally true. What’s the largest economy in the world? The United States. What state has more components of a transportation system than any other? Illinois. Sitting in the heart of the nation. Criss-crossed by Interstate highways north, south, east, west. The Mississippi River flowing down, the Illinois River. Railroads running into the state and out of the state. Illinois in Lincoln’s time was the jumping-off place for the railroads to go west, To bring the finished goods from eastern and Midwestern factories out to the West and to bring the grain and the beef back. We still occupy that position even though the cargo that we carry may be different now.
O’Hare until just recently was the busiest airport in the world. Now, if the United States is the largest economy in the world and if Illinois has more transportation components than any other state, then Illinois is literally the transportation capital of the world and we ought to act like it and keep that system in repair. Because when you talk about the economy of this state you have to pay very close attention to what I call the economic backbone. Of the state. What do I mean by that?
The transportation system, obviously. The ability to get the employees to and from work. The ability to get goods out of your factory to where you’re sending them across the world. The ability to get raw materials in to aid in your process of manufacturing. If we don’t have a good, decent transportation system, we will never have a strong economy and won’t have the jobs we want.
* Thomspon also took a swipe at Attorney General Lisa Madigan and Gov. Pat Quinn when he made this point about utility infrastructure…
A lot of politicians like to pick on the utilities. Our electric utilities. Our telephone systems. Well that’s all well and good. An attorney general can be the people’s lawyer and bash the utilities and oppose rate hikes and try to hold down profit. I mean, the list is endless.
But governors, governors responsible for the economic climate of the state have to ensure that our utilities as well as our transportation system are doing their job. That our utilities are strong, technologically advanced and dependable. And you can’t have a utilitly system, whether it’s phones or electricity or gas, that’s strong, technologically advanced and dependable if you are consistently trying to starve it in the name of consumers or customers. That’s why the job of attorney general and governor are different. Very different.
And we have to scour the state budget to end the boondoggles. I know everybody decries the boondoggles. The press likes to expose them. Grants going to community organizations that turn out to be just for the private profit of those who are running them. Look, it’s not a lot of money. The state budget is $35 billion. Stuff like that is in the millions. Small potatoes. But what it is, it says something about the credibility of the state. It says something about the credibility of state government if you’re wasting money.
I know that candidates’ favorite refrain is “fraud, waste and abuse.” They’re going to end fraud, waste and abuse and then when they get elected it’s the last you ever hear about it, and they start participating in fraud, waste and abuse. And I’m not here to tell you, as some politicians have before me, that if we cut fraud, waste and abuse we can cut taxes and don’t have to spend as much. That’s all wrong. It’s wrong. That’s such a miniscule part of the state government that makes no difference except that it debases state government. And people feel less about their state government when they read something like that in a newspaper and there’s no reason why we shouldn’t get rid of it.
The point is, people in Illinois — and in other states; we’re not the only ones – the point is that people in this state have allowed things to go so far that they think they can get away with anything. And they have. They have. And let’s stop pointing fingers about who’s responsible for this, the legislature, the governor, the public employees – it’s irrelevant. They’re all responsible. And we’re all responsible.
Right freaking on.
Yeah, he made his share of mistakes, kicked his share of cans down the road. I could give you a very long list of all of that. But, man, the dude was a giant, and he loved every square inch of this state and had the skills to make his visions a reality.
This used to be a great state. We still are in many respects, but we’ve slipped partly because we’ve completely lost our confidence - and for good reason. Too many clueless governors and voters. Too much inertia, partisan and otherwise. Not enough vision.
I don’t know about you, but, personally, I’d vote for Big Jim if he ran again. This is exactly the sort of leader we so desperately need in Illinois right now.
Illinois Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon is [in Washington, DC] for a series of profile-raising interviews with state and national media and meetings with the National Lieutenant Governors Association and the Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association as she is putting together a political team for her anticipated 2014 statewide run.
The office Simon is to run for is to be determined. She’s waiting to see if Attorney General Lisa Madigan vacates her spot to challenge Gov. Pat Quinn in a Democratic primary for governor. She’s also mulling comptroller.
Comptroller, eh? Some of her people are flatly denying that she’ll run against Judy Baar Topinka, but that’s what she told Gov. Quinn back in December when she informed him that she wouldn’t be his 2014 running mate.
I doubt she’d do it, or that she could defeat Judy Baar Topinka if she does run. Some of her people have flatly denied that she intends to run against JBT.
Still, I’m interested to know what y’all think about a possible matchup.
Following Adam Andrzejewski’s announcement today that he will not be seeking public office in 2014, activist Bill Kelly publicized his own possible candidacy for State Comptroller. In a press release, Kelly said he would make “an updated announcement” about his plans for the 2014 election season on April 13 - the same day he’s planning a protest outside a meeting of the Illinois Republican Party State Central Committee in Chicago.
“It is no mystery that I have been exploring another bid for Illinois comptroller,” Kelly said. “After four years of [Judy Baar] Topinka, Illinois is worse – not better off. I have run against Topinka before and I can do it again,” said Kelly.
According to his website, the announcement “will be based on whether Pat Brady is forced to resign his Illinois GOP chairmanship.” Kelly has been a vocal critic of Brady since 2010.
* Yesterday’s dismissal of lawsuits which attempted to link free retiree health insurance premiums to the state Constitution’s pension benefits protection clause prompted this reaction from Senate President John Cullerton…
“The real impact of this ruling is that it reinforces my position that a guarantee of health care access can be negotiated as part of a contractual change to protected pension benefits. Only the benefits found in the Illinois Pension Code are protected by the Pension Clause.
“Pension reform is my top priority. While I acknowledge that there are a number of ways to structure a bill, I believe that a reform based on contractual principles of offer, consideration and acceptance is the best way to ensure that the legislation is upheld in court. I will continue to advocate that giving state employees and retirees a choice between cost of living allowances and access to health care is the best way forward”.
Since insurance is not a guaranteed right, then he can now argue that he’s offering retirees a real choice: Keep your COLA or keep your access to insurance.
* The House rejected several gun control measures yesterday. The Sun-Times has a pretty comprehensive story up about yesterday’s debate. The failed proposals would…
(R)equire gun-owners to report private transfers of firearms to state police within 10 days; train and be certified separately for each weapon a gun owner wishes to carry; carry only one firearm per license; purchase a $1 million liability insurance policy; and give the Legislature until Jan. 1, 2016 before any legislation can take effect.
The first piece of legislation, sponsored by Rep. Ann Williams (D-Chicago), passed by a 67-44 margin and would ban gun owners from “knowingly” bringing firearms into bars or restaurants that serve alcohol. The restriction would not apply to street fairs and vendors, Williams said.
The second was opposed by the NRA, but backed by several of its supporters…
And the second adopted measure, sponsored by Rep. Robert Martwick (D-Norridge), gives police the option to object to a concealed-carry application when the applicant has been arrested five times or three times for gang-related offenses in the last seven years. The legislation passed by an 84-29-1 vote.
Rep. Jack Franks didn’t like that one…
“I could be arrested on the House floor if I start screaming and throw a box of Kleenex,” Rep. Jack Franks (D-Marengo) contended. “I can think of lots of reasons people get arrested but not convicted. So, why are we using an arrest standard and not a conviction?”
The provision was supposedly aimed at gangbangers and others who are habitually arrested, but never actually convicted.
* Other amendments which have passed the House in previous weeks…
require gun owners to register their firearms, report lost or stolen guns to state police within 72 hours and lock up their guns if living with someone who could be mentally ill or have a criminal history.
Take a deep breath before commenting, campers. I had a long conversation with some idiot this morning who sent me an e-mail calling me a “Nazi,” so I’m in no mood for nastiness here. Deletions will be swift.
* Moody’s lowered credit ratings by one notch yesterday for several state universities, including NIU, Governors State, Eastern and Northeastern. The ratings agency also revised its outlook to “Negative” for for ISU, WIU and SIU.
The ratings and outlooks were lowered because of the state’s poor budget health. Reuters…
The credit rating agency also warned that further deterioration of Illinois’ general obligation rating, future higher education funding cuts and payment delays could also pull the universities’ ratings down. […]
Moody’s said a review it launched in December was due to the universities’ significant dependence - ranging from 31 percent to 46 percent - on Illinois for operating revenue and continued delays in the payment of those funds.
The University of Illinois, the biggest state system, received a negative outlook on its long-term ratings of Aa2, Aa3 and A1, affecting $1.56 billion of debt. The system has had to resort to tuition hikes, unpaid days off for workers and salary freezes to cope with the state’s financial problems, according to Tom Hardy, executive director of university relations. […]
Eastern Illinois University, which Moody’s downgraded to A3 from A2, has received only 20 percent of its $44 million annual appropriation and could have a $2.2 million funding cut in fiscal 2014, said Paul McCann, the university’s treasurer and business services director.
“As state leaders continue to drag their feet on meaningful and constitutional pension reform, Moody’s Investors Service has more terrible news for Illinois. Moody’s has downgraded the ratings of Governors State University, Northeastern Illinois University, Northern Illinois University and Eastern Illinois University. These are universities that rely heavily on state funds for operations. This comes after Moody’s placed the long-term ratings of all Illinois public universities under review for possible downgrade on December 18, 2012, due to ‘significant dependence on the state for operating funds and fringe benefits, as well as extensive appropriation payment delays in a challenging budget environment that continues to pressure Illinois’ public universities cash flow and liquidity.’ Moody’s also said in December 2012 that the state’s credit rating can go up with a sustainable pension reform plan, and three months later, there still has not been any significant action.”
“This means it will cost these universities more to borrow money. Therefore, I fear these downgrades will hinder the universities from borrowing money to make essential improvements to their institutions. I do not think it is fair to students, parents and teachers to put residence hall and educational building upgrades in limbo because state leaders cannot pass solid pension reform measures. If universities do want to make these upgrades, will the increased cost be passed onto parents and students through higher fees for tuition, room and board? Illinois needs to have strong and competitive universities to offer a better future for our children.”
Members of the largest state government employee union have ratified a new contract covering 35,000 state workers.
The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees said Tuesday the vote was 96 percent of voters in favor of the deal to 4 percent against.
* From AFSCME…
STATE EMPLOYEES RATIFY NEW UNION CONTRACT
State workers represented by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 31 have voted to ratify a new collective bargaining agreement.
The contract covers some 35,000 employees, including child protection workers, nurse aides, correctional officers, police dispatchers, environmental technicians, and many others who provide vital services to Illinois residents.
The tentative agreement between AFSCME and the State of Illinois was reached on February 28 and submitted to union members for approval by secret-ballot vote at locations across the state over the past three weeks.
The agreement was reached after more than 15 months of often-contentious negotiations with the administration of Governor Pat Quinn.
“This new contract takes into account the state’s fiscal challenges, while also recognizing the vitally important work state employees do,” AFSCME Council 31 executive director Henry Bayer said.
“AFSCME members are on the front lines every day,” Bayer added. “They care for the elderly and people with disabilities, protect public safety, maintain state parks, respond to emergencies and more. They often work without sufficient staff or resources, going the extra mile to provide services that residents rely on, and they deserve to be treated fairly.”
Employees will receive a general wage increase that averages 1.3% per year over the contract’s three-year term. Those eligible for step increases will receive them as scheduled, while workers with more than 10 years’ seniority will receive a $25 per month increase in longevity pay.
At the same time, union members agreed to higher health care premiums, co-pays and deductibles, changes that will save the state some $900 million in the aggregate over the life of the agreement.
“While this contract doesn’t fully keep pace with the rising cost of living, it will help employees meet those costs,” Bayer said. “At the same time, it will help the state to address its economic challenges.”
* Gov. Pat Quinn’s announcement wasn’t overstated at all. Umm…
Governor Quinn Announces Best Contract for Taxpayers in Illinois History
Three-year Agreement Ratified by Union After Longest Negotiation in History
SPRINGFIELD – Governor Pat Quinn today praised the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 31 members’ approval of the new union contract covering some 35,000 state employees. Negotiations took more than 15 months and the agreement was ratified by AFSCME members over the past two weeks. Today’s development is part of the governor’s commitment to restore fiscal stability to Illinois.
“This is the best contract for all taxpayers in Illinois history,” Governor Pat Quinn said. “This contract recognizes the fact that the state is facing unprecedented financial challenges. I want to thank the members of AFSCME who approved the agreement and the women and men who negotiated at the table for more than a year to get this job done. Even in difficult times, the process can work. This is a win for all of our taxpayers and a win for state workers as we continue to move Illinois forward.”
AFSCME announced ratification of the contract this evening. The approved agreement will result in $900 million in healthcare savings over the life of the contract. The contract puts an end to free retiree healthcare in Illinois to ensure all retirees will begin paying a modest portion of their health insurance premiums starting July 1. In addition, the contract includes the most modest Cost of Living Adjustments in state history at a rate of 0 percent, 2 percent and 2 percent. Combined with step and longevity adjustments, this will total about $200 million over the life of the contract. The contract calls for new hires to start three steps lower, which amounts to about 9 percent less starting salary, which will save taxpayers money for years to come.
The contract also settles the pay raise litigation that has been tied up in court. As part of the agreement, the union and the administration have agreed to seek approximately $140 million in fiscal years 2012 and 2013 wages from the previous contract that were never appropriated.
This 15-month negotiation was the longest in the state’s history.
* I told subscribers about this development yesterday…
A coalition of African-American clergy from Cook County has begun airing radio commercials on black-oriented stations urging opposition to the measure. The radio ads come on top of automated telephone calls placed to African-American households by former state Sen. James Meeks, pastor of Salem Baptist Church of Chicago.
The African American Clergy Coalition, as the group calls itself, is also working with the Catholic Conference of Illinois and representatives of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod against the gay marriage bill.
[Rep. Greg Harris] would not say whether the efforts by the African-American clergy group have cost him votes.
“I think people are going to listen,” he said. “They are going to listen to all sides. They are hearing from ministers and parishioners on both sides of the issue in their districts. I think they are going to come to the same conclusion the majority of Americans have in that this is the fair thing for government to do — to treat all people equally.”
Wednesday, Mar 20, 2013 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has issued a “Call to Action,” to actively engage all the state pipeline regulatory agencies, technical and subject matter experts, as well as pipeline operators to accelerate the repair, rehabilitation, and replacement of the highest risk gas and liquid pipeline infrastructure.
Peoples Gas believes in PHMSA’s directive and the agency’s recommendations – in 2011, the utility implemented an accelerated plan for upgrading its natural gas distribution system to replace all of the cast iron and ductile iron mains. This program is the right thing to do for our customers and our state, especially while natural gas supplies are abundant and wholesale costs are low.
State utility regulatory commissions have been advised by PHMSA that they should play a key role in reducing the amount of cast iron pipe by adjusting utility rates to incentivize replacement. However, Illinois’ regulatory environment has not changed in response to this federal priority and remains unpredictable, outdated and inefficient. Without the assurance and under the current regulatory system, Peoples Gas’ upgrades could take over 40 years to complete.
Senate Bill 1665/House Bill 2414 is necessary to get timely cost recovery in Illinois to give natural gas utilities the confidence to continue investing in infrastructure upgrades.
Wednesday, Mar 20, 2013 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
ComEd and Ameren are at it again – this time trying to pit the General Assembly against the Commerce Commission with Illinois consumers caught in the middle.
Senate Bill 9 and House Bill 2529 is not about improving infrastructure, or ending ComEd’s smart meter delay. It’s about money — your money! ComEd and Ameren want to get more of you money through higher rates. And they will even charge you interest!
ComEd and Ameren are failing to meet the very metrics they wrote in PA97-0616. But instead of being accountable to ratepayers and legislators, Senate Bill 9 and HB2529 would make it look that they are in compliance with the law and grant them retroactive rate hikes plus interest.
As Crain’s Chicago Business points out:
“…ComEd will be allowed to charge ratepayers interest on its unreimbursed pension contributions with no regulatory review.”
We urge the General Assembly to hold ComEd and Ameren accountable and Vote NO! on SB9 and HB2529
* As you probably know, former appellate justice Gordon Maag sued the state over a new law that allows CMS to set public employee retiree health insurance premium rates, claiming the law is an “unconstitutional violation of the Illinois Constitution Pension Protection Clause.”
But Judge Steven Nardulli just tossed out the suit, ruling…
1) Health insurance benefits are not guaranteed pension benefits protected by the Pension Protection Clause;
2) Plaintiffs do not have a vested contractual interest in free health insurance;
…Adding… This would seem to strengthen Senate President Cullerton’s pension reform proposal, which would force folks to choose between a COLA and access to government health insurance.
If one were to accept the premise that health insurance benefits are vested rights that accrue upon retirement, one must accept the premise that those benefits cannot be reduced, regardless of changing medical technology or the willingness of insurance providers to make a particular policy of health insurance available. The fact that medical technology and contracts offered by insurance companies change, as opposed to the actuarial certainty of a pension payment, lead this court to the conclusion that health insurance benefits are not the same as a pension protected by the Pension Protection Clause. […]
This conclusion as applied to the Kanerva Plaintiffs requires special mention. The Kanerva Plaintiffs are all former Merit Compensation employees of the State, many of whom elected to take early retirement, allegedly in reliance upon promises made by the State that their medical benefits would be “sacrosanct” in retirement. Even accepting the allegation that promises by SERS and CMS were made to the effect that those retirees would not be charged premiums for health insurance, those representations cannot create a contract between the Kanerva Plaintiffs and the State.
*** UPDATE *** AFSCME responds…
“We are greatly disappointed by today’s decision,” AFSCME Council 31 executive director Henry Bayer said. “We continue to believe this law impairs the rights of men and women who retired after careers with state government or state universities to obtain health insurance coverage according to the terms in place when they retired. It also violates the constitutional clause that prevents the diminishment of retirement benefits earned by public employees. We intend to consult with the plaintiffs and our union partners about our options going forward.”
While AFSCME is not a party to the suit in question, it joined with other labor unions in support of a class action suit filed in August 2012, later consolidated along with other cases before Judge Steven Nardulli.
“If it doesn’t work out with the negotiations they have going on right now [in Chicago], Mayor Stephens wants the Cubs to know they have an option and Rosemont could be that option should they decide to look elsewhere,” Mack said.
“What he does is put deals together. That’s what Rosemont has always been known for: a place where a business could go and find a friendly environment. He sees a situation that hasn’t been working and it’s in his nature to say, ‘We could make that happen in Rosemont.’”
Mack acknowledged that Stephens has met with Cubs underlings, but never directly with Ricketts.
But, he said, “There are 25 acres of land that Rosemont is willing to give to the Ricketts family to build a stadium. It’s the last piece of land of any size at the intersection of Balmoral and the Tri-State Tollway.”
Dennis Culloton, a spokesman for the Ricketts family, said the Cubs remain focused on getting a deal done in Chicago.
“The family appreciates the expressions of interest from Rosemont and others, however, the current focus is to work toward an agreement with the city of Chicago,” Culloton said in a statement.
Asked whether Ricketts was prepared to follow the lead of the Bears and White Sox by threatening to leave Chicago, Culloton would only say, “Tom Ricketts has no intention of talking to the mayor of Rosemont before opening day. Right now, the answer is ‘no.’ I cannot predict the future.”
The reference to “others” applies to former DuPage County Board Chairman Robert Schillerstrom, who made a similar pitch to Ricketts last summer.
“I told him he should consider moving to DuPage County as an option. He’s got a tremendous fan base out there. We still have a variety of large vacant sites out here that would be able to meet their needs,” Schillerstrom said Monday.
* The Question: Do you care if the Cubs abandon Wrigley Field and move to the ‘burbs? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
* An Internet survey hosted by the Illinois State Rifle Association showed almost unanimous opposition to pretty much any gun control measure and support public carrying of firearms. And if you wonder about why that is, well, this may be the reason…
Just over 80% of respondents feel that they could become the victim of violent crime while about half feel unsafe travelling outside their neighborhoods.
Wow. Half of the people who took that Internet survey don’t feel safe outside their own neighborhoods? And 80 percent think they’ll be the victim of a violent crime?
According to a Gallup poll, the percentage of Americans who feel crime is rising nationally has generally increased, from 53% in 2004, to 68% in 2006, to 74% in October 2009. Gallup found similar results for our perception of local crime, with the percentage of Americans who believe there’s increased crime in their area rising from 37% in 2005 to 51% in 2009.
Easier and faster access to crime news likely accounts for some of the misperception. And we’ve become all too aware of crimes that barely existed in the US 20 years ago, such as identity theft and terrorism. Yet overall, crime statistics show that the chances of actually becoming a crime victim are relatively low: the odds a person 12 or older will be a victim of a personal crime (including violent crimes, robbery, and pickpocketing/purse snatching) in a year are 1 in 46.61, and the odds of being a victim of a violent crime are 1 in 48.36. The odds a household will be a victim of a property crime (including burglary, theft, and car theft) in a year are 1 in 6.83.
Here’s the scoop on some commonly feared crimes and the real odds of being a victim. (All real-crime odds are for a one-year period, so, naturally, your lifetime odds of victimhood increase as you continue to walk the Earth.)
* Identity Theft:1 in 1.52 (66%) of us worry about this digital-age crime, and with good reason: the odds a household will be a victim of identity theft in a year are 1 in 18.22—over 5%.
* Car Crimes:1 in 2.13 of us worry about our car being stolen or broken into. The actual odds of car theft in a year? Nationwide, just 1 in 187.3.
* Sexual Assault:1 in 5.26 of us worry about this terrifying crime. 1 in 541.1 women actually become victims of rape or sexual assault in a year (1 in 1,008 people overall).
* Murder: For this most final of all crimes, our worry seems egregiously out of proportion. 1 in 5.26 of us worry about being murdered, but the odds a person will be murdered in a year are just 1 in 18,690.
The survey was accessible from the ISRA’s Internet page and was also distributed by way of the ISRA’s e-mail alert service. In all, more than 4,500 individuals responded to the 50-question survey over a two-day period. Of those 4,500 respondents, 97% reported that they owned at least one firearm.
The survey was accessible from the ISRA’s Internet page and was also distributed by way of the ISRA’s e-mail alert service. In all, more than 4,500 individuals responded to the 50-question survey over a two-day period. Of those 4,500 respondents, 97% reported that they owned at least one firearm.
Survey results indicate that recent gun control proposals are not very popular with gun owners. No less than 99% of respondents expressed opposition to banning AR-15 style rifles. Similar majorities oppose banning AK-47 style rifles and other semiautomatic rifles, pistols and shotguns.
Proposed regulation of ammunition also failed to garner support among those surveyed. A full 99% of respondents oppose limits on how much ammunition a person could buy. Similar numbers oppose registration of ammunition purchases, microstamping of cartridges, and ammunition taxes to pay for crime victim medical bills. Contrary to what is reported in the media, 98% of gun owners surveyed oppose limits on the capacity of rifle, pistol and shotgun magazines.
Background checks were also unpopular with those surveyed. Results show that two-thirds of respondents oppose background checks on private gun sales – even if the government was required to destroy all records of the background checks.
Much of the gun control movement’s standard wish list found little support among respondents. Gun owner licensing met with 95% opposition while both gun registration and mandatory liability insurance for gun owners are opposed by 98% of those who took the survey.
The ISRA survey results also revealed some significant credibility gaps as witnessed by the fact that less than 5% of respondents feel that the police could protect them from crime. Less than 8% feel that gun control effectively thwarts crime while less than 20% of respondents feel that gun control organizations are acting in good faith. About 90% of respondents feel that politicians who promote gun control are only doing so for political reasons. The credibility of the press took a hit as 97% of respondents feel that media is biased against private firearm ownership. Less than 1% of respondents identify with the policies of big name gun controllers like Rahm Emanuel, Chuck Schumer or Michael Bloomberg. [Emphasis added.]
* From an e-mail sent by Organizing for Action, formerly known as Obama For America…
If you care about marriage equality, here’s something really important you can do right now.
As early as this week, the Illinois State House could vote on a bill — already passed by the state Senate — that will give all couples the legal right to marry. If it passes, Governor Quinn says he’ll sign it into law. That’s huge for all of us in the OFA family who care about this issue.
Right now, reports say the bill is short of the votes it needs to pass, so these calls matter.
Take two minutes and look up your state representative right now — then give them a call to let them know that you want them to vote YES on the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act.
It’s really easy: Just use that website to look up your address, click “confirm your address,” then scroll down to find your state representative’s information.
Like President Obama said last year, he believes that marriage equality is a question of fairness — of treating others the way you want to be treated.
Right now, his home state is just one step away from becoming the 10th state in the nation to approve same-sex marriage — and making sure that gay and lesbian families in Illinois are treated equally in the eyes of the law.
We’ve heard from OFA supporters here in Illinois that this issue matters to you, and that’s why we’re teaming up with Illinois Unites for Marriage — a joint project of ACLU Illinois, Equality Illinois, and Lambda Legal — to add our voices to this fight.
This House vote is the final hurdle to making sure this historic legislation becomes the law of the land. Right now, a number of state representatives are still undecided, and we know this vote’s going to be close.
Take a few minutes to look up your state representative today and urge them to vote YES in allowing all loving couples to share in the freedom to marry:
Today, I announced that I am staying on as CEO of For The Good of Illinois and will not seek public office in 2014.
After consulting with supporters, donors, advisors, and my family, I have decided not to run for office in the 2014 election cycle.
Now, we are free to pursue transparency & accountability reforms on a non-partisan basis. We will continue to put “every dime, online, in real time” through the Open the Books platform; advocate for aggressive auditing of government agencies; and, when necessary, pursue legal action to expand transparency.
We have been effective at exposing corrupt practices. This will continue…
Our platform of real solutions - expanded transparency, forensic audits, and freezing property taxes - is robust. These policies, along with other necessary reforms, begin to solve the long-term problems of the state.
Together, we are a national leader in pioneering online transparency of Government spending. Our first-to-market mobile app which hyper-localizes twelve years of United States Government checkbook spending to your zip code- is a game changer with national implications. Stay tuned for more….
My Conclusion: Illinois requires aggressive reforms, and after balancing the pros and cons of each approach, I decided I will have a more positive impact outside of an elected position.
* Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner spoke at the Cumberland County Lincoln Day Dinner last week and had something interesting to say about the AFSCME contract…
“I may have to take a strike and shut down the government for a few weeks [in order to] redo everybody’s contract.”
We urge every senator who is tired of watching Illinois tumble to fiscal ruin to vote yes.
We know critics question whether this bill, introduced in the Senate by Daniel Biss (D-Evanston), will hold up in court. But we also know that an alternative bill, promoted by Senate President John Cullerton, falls far short of solving this pension mess.
The Biss bill — also introduced in the House by Rep. Elaine Nekritz, a Democrat, and House Minority Leader Tom Cross, a Republican — would save the state $167 billion over 30 years. The Cullerton bill would save no more than $88 billion.
Um, Cullerton’s bill actually includes Biss’ language. His own proposal doesn’t kick in unless and/or until the Biss language is declared unconstitutional.
I went to dinner with some friends last night and we were marveling at how ill-informed some legislators are about this pension reform issue, even after years of debate. They ain’t alone.
