* 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.
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Cut the guy a little slack
Wednesday, Mar 20, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* 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.
* Related…
* Planned Parenthood Endorses Robin Kelly In 2nd District Race
* Kadner: Mr. Lewis wants to go to Washington
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Question of the day
Wednesday, Mar 20, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Rep. John D’Amico, who is sponsoring a bill that would outlaw handheld cellphone usage while driving…
* The Question: Caption?
Keep it clean, people. Thanks.
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The dude still abides
Wednesday, Mar 20, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* 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.
* But he’s no automatic mouthpiece for big business, either…
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 he made an excellent point about cleaning up government…
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.
* Another invaluable insight…
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.
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Simon still thinking about comptroller?
Wednesday, Mar 20, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Lynn Sweet…
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.
* Meanwhile, time for a little comic relief…
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.
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Cullerton vindicated by court ruling
Wednesday, Mar 20, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* 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.
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Gun control measures lose
Wednesday, Mar 20, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* 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.
* One of the other two amendments which passed yesterday is already in an NRA-backed bill…
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.
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* 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.
Just the other day, Moody’s whacked some Chicago debt ratings because of the precarious state budget.
* React from Treasurer Dan Rutherford…
“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.”
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* SJ-R…
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.
Discuss.
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Rate the ad
Wednesday, Mar 20, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* 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.”
The ad…
Rate it, please.
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[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.
Members of the Illinois legislature: Vote YES on SB 1665/HB 2414. Click here to learn more: www.peoplesgasdelivery.com/legislation
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Retroactive Rate Hikes plus Interest!?!
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
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