* Thursday was Illinois Retail Merchants Association CEO David Vite’s last day as a Springfield lobster. His friends threw him a swell party, which included a roast by the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association’s Greg Baise.
Baise exceeded all expectations. His Vite roast was based on the “Most interesting man in the world” TV ad campaign. My favorite line…
“He knows exactly where Mike McClain is looking.”
Anyone who has ever seen Mike McClain’s, um, off-kilter eye will understand that joke. They may not laugh, but they’ll get it.
McClain chuckled, nodded and scanned the room, so everyone wondered whether he was looking at them or somebody ten feet away.
* Anyway, this is supposed to be about Vite, not McClain. Dave spoke at the end of the evening, thanked everyone for coming, and referenced this song…
* For months, the common belief was that Gov. Pat Quinn was going to pick a black running mate. That didn’t happen, of course, and now at least some African-American politicians are expressing frustration. The Sun-Times interviewed several, but here are two…
“He just blew it,” [Ald. Carrie Austin ] said.
“Kwame Raoul, Will Burns, Stephanie Neely. What happened to those individuals on your short-list that you would erase them off the list completely and go totally to another individual. We should have had some kind of forewarning that this is another individual on the short list that I have been talking with. But, to say nothing?…I’m upset with my governor now. . . .I can speak for [Ward] 34 and it ain’t lookin’ good.”
Austin said it’s entirely possible that, without a Democratic challenger, Quinn is taking the African-American vote for granted and appealing to a broader constituency by choosing Vallas. […]
“All of us are scratching our heads from a political standpoint. We were under the impression he was pursuing a Stephanie Neely, a prominent black businesswoman, maybe a Jehon Gordon, someone who’s very current with people right now in general,” said [Rep. Ken Dunkin], head of the Joint Legislative Black Caucus.
“With Paul Vallas, the only people who remember him are people like you and myself,” Dunkin said in an interview with the Sun-Times. “I think it would have boded well for [Quinn] to have cut across generational lines and ethnic lines.
Dunkin said Quinn is highly regarded by black voters and that perhaps in Vallas, the governor was looking for someone who would bolster his showing in the collar counties. But Vallas’ disadvantage is having been absent from Illinois’ political landscape for so long, he said.
“Some elected African-American officials are going to be disappointed, but I think Paul Vallas was sensitive to our community when he was over at the Board of Education — making sure kids get eyeglasses, making sure they get a good education, building schools, making schools safer. He showed that he really cared. And he did not only here in Chicago, he did it all over the country. He predominantly worked for African American causes. . . . Overall I think it’s a plus.”
Burnett said he could understand the disappointment of many colleagues in Quinn’s failure to pick an African-American candidate.
“We were expecting it, and it was being entertained, so we thought it was going to happen,” Burnett said. “But Paul Vallas is not a bad choice. He comes out of left field, but Paul Vallas showed his commitment to the African-American community a long time ago. He worked for the schools. . . . His heart is in the right place. But I think it is smart of the governor to get somebody who has a fiscal management brain, like Paul Vallas. Paul Vallas balanced many budgets with the city of Chicago. So I think it’s a good choice.”
Burnett also suggested Vallas was picked as a way to counter Republican claims that Quinn was not up to the fiscal management of the state. “I think he just check-mated them on that, because I don’t think you can get anyone who is more of a fiscal manager than a Paul Vallas. So I think he just check-mated the Republicans.”
* Does Gov. Pat Quinn’s choice of Paul Vallas as a running mate help him or hurt him politically? Take the poll and then make sure to explain your answer in comments, please.
A new union-backed ad buy will look to drum up support for passing comprehensive immigration reform in the House of Representatives by targeting vulnerable chamber Republicans, according to a statement.
The Service Employees International Union said Thursday they are spending more than $500,000 on attack ads targeting seven House Republicans who face tough re-elections next year, and House Speaker John Boehner. SEIU has already spent more than $2.5 million promoting immigration reform and a pathway to citizenship, the group said.
According to the statement, the 30 seconds ads will target Boehner in the Washington, D.C. market while going after Reps. Gary Miller of California, Joe Heck of Nevada, Mike Coffman of Colorado, Rodney Davis of Illinois, David Joyce of Ohio, John Kline of Minnesota and Michael Grimm of New York in their home districts. [Emphasis added.]
[Rep. Mike Zalewski] spent much of his Wednesday working to get support from people who are in favor of gun rights, including Rep. Brandon Phelps, the man behind concealed carry legislation, and Todd Vandermyde of the NRA.
They were worried the bill could send lawful gun owners to prison for making a simple mistake, so they got rid of the parts of the bill dealing with first-time offenders.
“It just shows when you sit down and find out people’s bottom line, you can get a lot of stuff done here,” said Phelps.
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel was a major force behind the bill and the negotiations.
“He’s the first mayor, since I’ve been here, who’s ever reached out,” said Phelps. “And it’s nice to know you have somebody like that, in Chicago.”
Within an hour, his legislation is up in the House. Zalewski runs through the routine things you have to do to start debate. Then, suddenly, Speaker of the House Mike Madigan hits the breaks.
“The clerk advises there are outstanding notes on the bill, so the bill shall be taken out of the record,” Madigan says.
Two seconds pass. “The chair is prepared to adjourn,” Madigan says, and he does.
The reaction among the sponsors can best be described as “You’ve got to be kidding.”
One minute, they’re about to debate the mayor’s gun bill. The next, Speaker Madigan points out some paperwork is missing, then abruptly adjourns the last scheduled session day of the year.
Herein lies the intrigue.
The “notes” the speaker referred to are requests for information that can only be provided by the administration of Gov. Pat Quinn. Things like how much the new, longer prison sentences would cost the Department of Corrections.
African-American lawmakers in the Illinois House used a procedural measure to delay the proposed legislation. The bill to set higher mandatory minimum sentences for illegal gun possession was stopped cold after a rarely used parliamentary move by the Black Caucus chairman.
“It was not a parliamentary trick. It was a parliamentary procedure that we have in the Illinois House rulebook,” said State Rep. Ken Dunkin, (D) Chicago.
Dunkin complained that sponsor Mike Zalewski had not answered all the questions raised during Wednesday’s committee hearing.
“I don’t understand why one member has the right to dictate to the other members that this isn’t a good public policy,” said Zalewski, (D) Riverside.
* Rep. Dunkin and other members of the Black Caucus want some more state programs…
“We want a bill that has a comprehensive approach toward dealing with getting bad guys off the street. We want that 100 percent,” Dunkin said. “The challenge with this bill still is there are collateral damages that will impact innocent people, potentially.”
The legislation’s prospects now appear fuzzy since lawmakers are not scheduled to return to the Capitol until Jan. 29 for the start of the spring session, though they could return earlier in the event of a pension breakthrough.
“We do enhancements down here every single year, and they fly out of the chamber,” Zalewski told reporters Thursday morning while acknowledging opposition from black lawmakers before the aborted vote.
“And all of a sudden, the one time we’re going to do enhancements for gun offenses, that’s the straw that’s going to break the camel’s back?” he asked.
The quick adjournment avoided a potentially fiery debate pitting African-American and Latino legislators against largely white Chicago-area and Downstate lawmakers, which would have put on display philosophical fissures among Democrats. It would have been the second time this week, following approval of gay marriage, that black lawmakers would have been asked to support a high-profile bill opposed by some of their constituents.
“Today was a day that we wanted to make sure that the sponsor and the mayor of Chicago (are) aware that we have a real problem” with this gun legislation, said Dunkin, who said crime fighting should not be done in a “piecemeal way.”
By blocking the legislation, the lawmakers aligned themselves on the issue with a re-election seeking Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn rather than Emanuel. Quinn has sought more money for programs to rehabilitate first offenders and re-entry programs for inmates.
Emanuel, who had billed the legislation as a way to help crack down on gun violence that continues to plague city streets, decried what he called “political stunts” to derail it.
Often, the administration responds to requests for notes on legislation within an hour, although state law allows five days for a response.
The Department of Corrections is responsible for the notes covering the cost and impact on prison population. Zalewski’s legislation was changed Wednesday afternoon and Corrections spokesman Tom Shaer said each change requires careful analysis.
But Zalewski pointed out that for weeks, the agency has been able to quickly respond with inmate and cost projections based on differing versions of his bill. Corrections has opposed the measure, saying it would cost $700 million extra over a decade.
No way did Quinn want that bill on his desk. No way.
* Believe it or not, we have stuff to talk about today other than the Paul Vallas pick. But I thought we might need an interlude before we proceed. And what better interlude could we possibly have than an Oscar the Puppy video?
* The quick setup is that I was sweeping leaves off the patio last weekend and Oscar wasn’t quite sure what the heck was going on, but he sure was interested. Have a look-see…
[Bumped up and subscriber protection removed because the story is getting out.]
* 10:01 am - Gov. Quinn is calling around telling people that he has picked Paul Vallas as his running mate.
Completely unexpected.
Stay tuned.
*** UPDATE 1 *** * 10:22 am - Vallas has been running school districts around the country for the past several years, facing controversy pretty much everywhere. But he is registered to vote in Palos Heights, where he voted requested a Republican absentee ballot in the 2010 primary, but did not return it, according to his voter file the Cook County Clerk’s office. He took a Democratic ballot in the 2012 primary from the same address.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Click here to read a story from earlier this week which illustrates the controversy this guy has caused. The CTU is not gonna like this choice, to say the least.
*** UPDATE 3 *** Quinn has quite often been about the past. The choice of Sheila Simon was as much or more about her late father’s last name than about her. He surrounds himself with trusted old friends from the treasurer’s office, the Walker administration, etc. Vallas hasn’t been involved in Illinois politics for years, although he did consider running as a Republican in 2010.
*** UPDATE 4 *** I’m assuming that the governor took a good long look at case histories regarding residency requirements. I doubt he’d want to get caught up in a long, drawn-out suit over this.
…Adding… I’ve turned comments on in case you’d like to talk about this totally unexpected development.
* Vallas pretty much beat himself in the 2002 Democratic gubernatorial primary. He had a fear of flying (from a near death experience) that kept him from campaigning, he blew a ton of money on consultants who didn’t perform, and he didn’t raise enough cash.
But he has very strong interpersonal skills. He can blow you away one on one. We’ll see what happens next.
The surprise development first was reported by Capital Fax in a subscribers-only alert a few minutes ago, but is being confirmed by Dean Vallas, Paul Vallas’ brother and longtime top political aide.
“It is true. He’s going to do it,” Dan Vallas told me in a cell-phone call. “It’s a great opportunity, particularly if that position is going to be remade. . . .Paul’s all about service.”
Quinn aides did not immediately return calls.
Mr. Vallas is respected as a tight fiscal manager and would bring some credibility to Mr. Quinn on that count.
As I told subscribers in a special edition, I talked to potential picks who’d been called this morning by the governor himself.
*** UPDATE 6 *** From the governor’s campaign…
Governor Pat Quinn Names Running Mate
for 2014 Campaign
Announces Paul Vallas as Democratic Candidate for Lieutenant Governor
CHICAGO – Governor Pat Quinn today named Paul Vallas as his running mate in the 2014 election. A longtime reformer and nationally renowned fiscal and education expert, Vallas will serve as the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor.
“I’ve known Paul Vallas for 30 years and he’s never been shy about fighting for education, reform and opportunities for working people,” Governor Quinn said. “We have made great progress these last few years, but serious challenges remain and our mission is not yet accomplished. Paul is an independent problem solver with a proven record of reform. He will be a strong Lt. Governor for the common good.”
“I am honored to join forces with the strongest reform governor in the country,” Paul Vallas said. “Since taking the oath of office, Governor Pat Quinn has rescued the state of Illinois from the verge of fiscal and ethical disaster following decades of bipartisan corruption. This governor has been getting big things done since he got here. Unlike his predecessors, Governor Quinn tackled the hard issues and has made the right decisions to get Illinois back on track.”
“Together we will fight every day for working families and deliver the reform and change that Illinois deserves,” said Vallas.
Nationally known for his success in improving some of America’s most troubled school systems, Paul Vallas enters the campaign following nearly two years of service in Connecticut’s largest city as Superintendent of the Bridgeport Public Schools. During his tenure, he eliminated a $12 million dollar budget deficit without closing a single school or laying off a single teacher. He instituted major reforms, modernized the curriculum and put laptops and Smart boards in every high school classroom.
Prior to that he served as Superintendent of the Recovery School District in New Orleans where he was instrumental in rebuilding the school district from scratch after Hurricane Katrina. Vallas raised test scores in New Orleans every year, significantly reduced the percentage of schools failing to meet state performance standards and eliminated reliance on FEMA restart dollars.
Vallas also oversaw the School District of Philadelphia for six years, overhauling the district’s curriculum, dramatically raising reading and math scores and eliminating the district’s massive budget deficit.
As the CEO of Chicago Public Schools (CPS) for six years, he consistently raised test scores, launched the largest school construction program in CPS history, balanced six consecutive budgets which led to multiple bond rating upgrades, and left the school district with a $330 million surplus after inheriting a massive budget deficit. A suburban Chicago native, Vallas also ran in the Democratic primary for governor in 2002, narrowly losing by 25,000 votes.
When Governor Quinn took office, Illinois was suffering from decades of fiscal mismanagement and corruption, in addition to the worst recession since the Great Depression. Since then, he enacted tough, new ethics laws; landmark education reform; and the largest capital construction program in state history, which is supporting more than 400,000 jobs updating our roads, schools and bridges. The governor also led historic budget reforms, including reducing discretionary spending to historic lows, enacting pension reform for new employees and restructuring the Medicaid program to save the state billions of dollars.
A champion for everyday people, Governor Quinn has always put working families first as he continues to fight to move Illinois forward.
*** UPDATE 7 *** The react begins…
React from Obama's heralded campaign strategist to (now confirmed) PQ choice of Vallas for Lt Gv RT @davidaxelrod: Surprising, strong move.
*** UPDATE 8 *** I just talked with Rupert Borgsmiller, who chairs the Illinois State Board of Elections.
I asked the chairman what could happen if somehow Vallas was kicked off the ballot due to a residency challenge. Would that “infect” Quinn’s legal viability as a candidate since state law requires them to run together?
Borgsmiller checked with his top lawyer and got back to me. Since this is a new law, he said, “There’s no way to determine an outcome of a scenario (like that).”
So, it’d be up to the courts.
However, Vallas has been voting at an Illinois residence for many years, and the failed challenge to Mayor Emanuel’s residency was probably stronger than this would be, so I really doubt this’ll be an issue once the dust clears.
*** UPDATE 9 *** There is one thing that Vallas brings to the table that the other LG choices do not: Executive experience. Quinn, more than any of his likely GOP opponents, can point to his choice as someone who could step up and run the government.
Also, Vallas’ previous statewide experience will be crucial. This is a very big state, man, and Vallas has already done that gig.
Vallas said at the time he was appointed that he expected it would take him about a year to turn Bridgeport around, but the city — thought a fraction of the size of the other districts where Vallas has worked — has proven a substantial challenge.
The school board that appointed Vallas was eventually ousted as a result of a state Supreme Court ruling and recently a new board was elected that is heavy on Vallas critics.
Vallas’ qualifications for the position have also been called into question by critics who say a University of Connecticut academic program did not provide the credentials he needs.
About six months ago, Vallas told the Courant that he planned to stay in Bridgeport “until I feel we have reached the point where we can safely say these reforms have been institutionalized.”
*** UPDATE 11 *** From the Illinois Radio Network…
Gov. Pat Quinn has selected Paul Vallas, who ran for governor in 2002 and lost in the Democratic primary. Vallas has talked about giving politics a try again on several occasions, and four years ago, he told host Jeff Berkowitz on the Public Affairs cable TV show that he’s now a Republican.
VALLAS: “I would take a Republican primary ballot.”
BERKOWITZ: “Do you think of yourself as a Republican?”
VALLAS: “I’m more of a Republican than a Democrat.”
BERKOWITZ: “If you run again for office you’d be running as a Republican?”
VALLAS: “I would, yes, yes.”
*** UPDATE 12 *** From the Rauner campaign…
Mike Schrimpf, communications director for Bruce Rauner’s gubernatorial campaign, issued the following statement regarding Pat Quinn’s lieutenant governor selection:
“Picking Paul Vallas confirms that Pat Quinn is running scared. Quinn understands that Bruce Rauner has a proven record on school reform and is the only candidate who will shake up the status quo in Springfield. Unfortunately for Quinn, no lieutenant governor candidate can cover up his record of skyrocketing unemployment, higher taxes and failing schools.”
*** UPDATE 13 *** Dillard…
Republican candidate for Governor Kirk Dillard issued the following statement regarding Gov. Quinn’s choice of former Chicago Schools CEO Paul Vallas for Lt. Governor.
“While I’m focused on winning the GOP Primary, clearly this is an all City Hall/Chicago ticket. Paul Vallas — like Pat Quinn — is a big spender. In a Kirk Dillard and Jil Tracy ticket, the collar counties and downstate will be represented too.”
*** UPDATE 14 *** Secretary of State Jesse White…
I applaud Gov. Pat Quinn for selecting Paul Vallas as his candidate for Lt. Governor. Paul has a proven track record of not only protecting our kids and ensuring that they have the opportunities to succeed in life, but also protecting our tax dollars. Paul’s budget and education experiences make him an outstanding choice and I am confident that he will be an outstanding Lt. Governor.
Friday, Nov 8, 2013 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Thanks to our Renewable Portfolio Standard, Illinois has seen over 20,000 jobs created, wholesale power prices cut by $177 million dollars a year, and 5 million tons less air pollution. So we know first hand that acting on climate change can create jobs, save consumers money, and clean the air.
We have also seen how important regulating carbon emissions can be in creating jobs and retaining our industrial base. Five years ago our auto industry was on the brink of collapse. Then, EPA spurred innovation by limiting carbon emissions from our cars, leading to a turnaround that produced a whole new generation of vehicles that Americans, and people across the globe, want to buy. Jobs were saved, and shifts and product lines were added at plants around our region, including Ford’s Chicago Assembly Plant, where the EcoBoost engine now powers police vehicles sold across the country. Five years after EPA imposed carbon limits on cars, the industry is growing faster than it has in 50 years.
The power sector is ripe for this kind of turnaround approach. Here in Illinois, much of our coal fleet is in bankruptcy, or losing money. Communities are concerned about the demonstrated health impacts they are suffering. The status quo isn’t working for anyone.
By setting carbon limits on power plants, EPA can again spur innovation in cleaner technologies, create jobs, and help position Midwest manufacturers as global leaders in the cleantech supply chain.
For Immediate Release:
Contact: Paul Caprio
Thursday, November 7, 2013
(Chicago) In the aftermath of the narrow (two vote margin) passage of legalized same sex marriage by the Illinois House on Tuesday, Family-Pac announced that it will oppose two legislators who broke pledges to oppose the bill. Ron Sandack (R - Downers Grove) and Tom Cross (R. Plainfield).
Said Paul Caprio, Director, “These two members broke their pledges not only to pro-family groups but to their own constituents. They have demonstrated a fundamental lack of integrity which should be of importance to all Illinois Republicans.”
Please consider a donation to Family-Pac today by going to our website (www.family-pac.com). Your support of $25, $50, $100, $250, $500, or $1000 will help us begin winning campaigns against these traitors.
Family-Pac has already begun the campaign against Sandack last night to tell 11,900 GOP households in his district of his vote in favor of same sex marriage in an automated call.
* Meanwhile, Rep. Cross’ Republican primary opponent in the state treasurer’s race is refusing to take any shots, while his likely Democratic opponent is trying to make hay out of relatively nothing…
Grogan opposes same-sex marriage, but he didn’t take any swings at Cross. “I’m running for treasurer, and treasurer doesn’t have a lot to do with that topic,” Grogan said. “How Tom Cross votes on it is not relevant to me.”
State Sen. Mike Frerichs of Champaign, the Democrat in the race for treasurer, has tried to seize on the issue, criticizing Cross for not publicly backing same-sex marriage before the vote Tuesday.
Grogan’s silence means this will be a non-issue for Cross in the primary campaign, other than outside groups like Caprio’s. That’s a big plus for Cross.
Republican Bruce Rauner’s gubernatorial campaign released yesterday a new web video attacking Governor Pat Quinn for the failure of the legislature to act pension reform during the just concluded Veto Session in Springfield.
“Illinois’ pension crisis has been building for two decades because the career politicians refuse to fundamentally transform the pension system,” said Rauner in a statement.
“It’s time to move towards a 401(k)-style program, similar to what most workers have in the private sector, and refuse to make any more special deals with government union bosses,” said the long-time Republican insider.
* The Internet video is called “Detroit.” From the script…
Detroit just declared bankruptcy.
And if we don’t change direction, Illinois is next.
The highest unemployment in the Midwest. The worst credit rating in America. And 100 billion in public pension debt.
The question is what to do.
Pat Quinn won’t change direction. Higher taxes, record spending, more Springfield failures.
It’s time for fundamental change in Illinois. It’s time for a leader with the guts to deliver.
Bruce Rauner for governor. Shake up Springfield. Bring back Illinois.
