* The governor’s office called today to say that this Sun-Times piece (which I quoted in the subscriber version earlier today) isn’t accurate…
Gov. Pat Quinn on Monday said if Chicago is to have its own casino, the Illinois Gaming Board must have “supreme” authority over it, rather than ceding power to the city.
Citing the Hired Truck scandal, Quinn said in a Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board interview that Chicago doesn’t have the best track record: “things don’t go so well when the city is running things.” […]
In remarks to the board, Quinn said negotiations are ongoing on the bill’s language but he would insist that the gaming board has the final word. That includes clarifying language that would allow the gaming board to revoke the City’s casino license if necessary.
“Understanding the city’s casino would be municipally-owned, I do believe that the gaming board authority must be supreme,” Quinn said. “The gaming board has to be the umpire. The final judge. I think that’s imperative.”
Asked if it were a must for his signature on legislation pending in the Illinois House, Quinn responded: “It has been from day one.”
* Not true.
The governor’s office says Quinn is fine with the current language regarding the regulation of the casino operator, which wouldn’t put the city’s license at risk. Instead, it would allow the Gaming Board to get rid of the private operator hired by the city if there any problems. The casino can’t legally function without the operator, so whacking the operator would shut down the whole thing. The Gaming Board will also be allowed to remove members of the city’s oversight board under the current proposal.
This finally puts a little daylight between Quinn and Gaming Board Chairman Aaron Jaffe, who has demanded the right to revoke Chicago’s license, even though he’ll have the ability to shut down the casino under this proposal.
* The response from Mayor Emanuel’s office to the Sun-Times story wouldn’t have been necessary if the two sides had been communicating with each other...
“As Governor Quinn knows very well, there is the potential for corruption at all levels of Government which is why we agree that the Gaming Board should have maximum oversight over all gaming in Illinois. However, there is also a not so proud history in Illinois where Governors have attempted to manipulate and influence the gaming board for corrupt purposes. We cannot expose the taxpayers of Chicago to such risk. That is why the appropriate remedy is to grant the gaming board the authority to revoke the license of an operator of a Chicago casino which would effectively shut down its operations. Furthermore, the gaming board also has the ability to remove the Chicago Casino Authority’s Board as well as its Executive Director, all appropriate powers for a state regulator.”
Quinn said yesterday that he and Emanuel haven’t spoken for ten days. Sheesh, man, the end of session is nigh and that’s no way to run a state, or a city.
Get it together, people.
- Dee Lay - Tuesday, May 21, 13 @ 11:06 am:
So….the gaming bill should pass and get signed by the end of the week?
Where’s the sticking point guv since you have signed plenty of bills this session without pension reform?
- Nickypiii - Tuesday, May 21, 13 @ 11:06 am:
Talking to an empty suit will get you no where. Why would Rahm waste his time talking to a man who doesn’t know what he wants or what he supports from one day to another. Quinn is the lamest of ducks and has little or no respect form the men who really run the State. When, and if, the “Governor” can keep a train of thought going for more than a day maybe then the Mayor will have time to speak to him.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, May 21, 13 @ 11:12 am:
===Why would Rahm waste his time talking to a man ===
Hate on him all you want, but he’s still the governor.
- Loop Lady - Tuesday, May 21, 13 @ 11:14 am:
Nickypiii: If I was the Governor I would only talk to Rahm when I really, really had to as well…I would get very tired of watching the veins in his neck stick out, and then watch him take his marbles and stomp off…
- wordslinger - Tuesday, May 21, 13 @ 11:15 am:
There’s a big difference between the gaming board being able to cashier an operator and revoking a license.
Once the city has its license, it would take a chance in the law to revoke it.
- Plutocrat03 - Tuesday, May 21, 13 @ 11:24 am:
I support Quinn’s position if:
The State gaming Board has unquestioned authority to monitor the operations and,
The State has the right/ability/power to pull the license from the city if the violations are of a sufficient magnitude.
Without a threat to lose it’s license, why would the City’s need to play by the rules?
Or it’s another one of those Chicago is so special that unique rules need to be put in place for them alone.
- Just Me - Tuesday, May 21, 13 @ 12:05 pm:
Dysfunction at all levels of government. A mayor and a governor should talk every week. Yeah, Quinn is a boob, but he still has the bill-signing pen.
- Just Me - Tuesday, May 21, 13 @ 12:06 pm:
(And the Mayor has most of the state’s primary voters.)
- dupage dan - Tuesday, May 21, 13 @ 12:11 pm:
This is the price we pay for having “transparent gov’t”. We get the chance to see how sausage is made.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, May 21, 13 @ 12:13 pm:
–(And the Mayor has most of the state’s primary voters.)–
He does? For what primary?
- walkinfool - Tuesday, May 21, 13 @ 3:02 pm:
Didn’t the state have its own commercial truck license scandal?
It’s a horse race as to who has the dirtiest laundry, and many downstate local governments cannot find much clean underwear either.
- thechampaignlife - Tuesday, May 21, 13 @ 3:51 pm:
Are the licenses/fees at play here still around $1.2B? I understand that on the open market they could be worth $5B or more. Any chance we’ll see the revenue numbers increase or be open to bidding with the current numbers as the minimum?
- Just The Way It Is One - Tuesday, May 21, 13 @ 7:47 pm:
It WOULD behoove the Governor to chat with the Mayor often, but not necessARily every other day or even every week. Each of them has a ton of responsibilities and work to do, after all. But they should confer often and despite their respective hefty egos, in the best interest of Illinois, and Chicago, need to work out all critical language approving an eventual Chicago Casino as respectfully, meticulously, and harmoniously as humanly possible, and just put the Ego thing aside–because we ALL need the monies that’ll be generated and it really has been draggin’ on for too long, not to mention the fact that reportedly there are still some other, lingering ethical fine points which have to be hammered out between the Governor and the Legislature–all aside from Rahm…!