Reader comments closed for the weekend
Friday, Nov 15, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The Black Lillies will play us out…
So, I’ll shoot ‘em while I’ve got ‘em
Give it all ’til I’m dead
Though there’s storm clouds arising
And lightning flashing ahead
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* I wish Director Calica nothing but the best, even though things look really grim right now. From a press release…
Governor Pat Quinn today announced that Director of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) Richard Calica will resign due to serious illness. Director Calica has been diagnosed with cancer and today informed the Governor of his medical condition.
Calica has served as Director of DCFS since December 2011, leading an overhaul and major reorganization of the agency at a time of major budget challenges. DCFS Chief of Staff Denise Gonzales will become Acting Director effective immediately.
“It’s been an honor and a privilege to serve under Governor Quinn,” Director Calica said. “This has been the most exciting and rewarding time of my career in child welfare. The reforms that we’ve put in place will maximize this agency’s ability to ensure the safety of children who are at risk of abuse and neglect for years to come.”
“My prayers are with Director Calica and his family during this very difficult time,” Governor Quinn said. “Director Calica has taken this agency in the right direction and he always put the safety of our most vulnerable children first. We are deeply grateful for his dedicated public service, which has saved countless lives.”
Under Director Calica’s leadership, DCFS has added 138 new investigators to the frontlines, reducing caseloads from as high as 20 to nine per investigator. Director Calica streamlined the department’s operations to focus resources on front line case workers while eliminating an entire layer of middle management. He also eliminated the backlog he inherited of more than 2,500 overdue investigations.
The director also established a new system of performance measures across the agency to increase accountability, and modernized the agency’s 30-year-old hotline system, which has led to 40 percent increase in the volume of callers who immediately reach a child protection specialist.
Director Calica will work with agency leadership to transition over the coming days.
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* The Obamacare mess in context…
In explaining the relatively low figures, administration officials cite problems with the federal website that have prevented people from signing up. But they also say experience shows people wait until the last minute.
When Massachusetts expanded health coverage in 2007, only 123 of the 36,167 people who ultimately signed up did so during the first month of enrollment. But more than 7,000 signed up in the final month.
OK, fine. So why wasn’t that made crystal clear by the administration long ago? Plus, that website. Ugh. And the lie that everybody would be able to keep their insurance if they wanted to? Disgusting. Oh, and then there are all the howls and crocodile tears from the loyal opposition which offers zero truly constructive alternatives. Can’t anybody play this game? The idea is to govern.
* From Obamacare to driver’s licenses…
The phone lines ring busy, the website isn’t much help and nerves are fraying for residents hoping to book appointments to apply for a Temporary Visitor’s Driver’s License from the Illinois Secretary of State.
Complaints about the sign-up process are mounting, days after the state opened a long-awaited appointment booking website and telephone hotline to non-U.S. citizens who want to apply.
More…
“We had to design the system in a way with four pilot facilities available launching on Dec. 3 and 10, that we could study how this works in this controlled environment,” said Secretary of State spokesman Henry Haupt. “And this is giving us the opportunity to make any adjustments.”
Haput said the pilot program is working as planned. The state intentionally limited the appointment numbers to 117 a day. Twenty-one additional facilities are scheduled to open in January, and Haupt said that will allow the state to increase its capacity for appointments starting later in December.
Until then, people can continue trying to sign up on a daily basis until slots are full.
Ere Rendon with ICIRR said about 10 out of 100 people her organization worked with were successful in scheduling an appointment.
She thinks the pilot program could have been communicated better from the beginning so people wouldn’t feel panicked when they couldn’t get through.
No kidding.
* And on to the Philippines…
Surrounded by mountains of boxes of donated goods and dozens of volunteers — some of whom openly wept — Gov. Pat Quinn declared Friday: “We are all Filipinos today, all across Illinois!” […]
But that relief effort has hit a snag, organizers at the center said Friday. A military contractor bringing supplies to the Philippines was supposed to be providing room on his aircraft, which hasn’t yet got off the ground.
“We believe right now that he’s caught up in red tape,” said Rose Tibayan, one of the relief effort organizers. “So we’re trying to find other means to get it over there.”
Quinn said his office is working with the U.S. Department of Defense to allow an Illinois National Guard transport plane to deliver supplies.
Oy.
*** UPDATE *** Oh, for Pete’s sake…
Countless local state retirees hoping to learn more about enrolling in a Medicare Advantage health plan have been left without the help meeting they were promised, because the meeting location was way too small for the crowd.
Traffic was jammed around the Illinois Terminal building where a 9:30 a.m. meeting was being held, and crowds of people were turned away while others stayed in the lobby to argue with an apologetic State Sen. Mike Frerichs who was scheduled to speak. […]
Frerichs spoke only briefly, and also had the unpleasant task of telling people who managed to get some of the limited seats that if they parked in certain places they were subject to finding parking tickets when they got out of the meeting. [Emphasis added.]
What. The. Heck.
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The big tent revisited
Friday, Nov 15, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Illinois Republican Party Chairman Jack Dorgan, speaking of the divide within his party…
“People who believe in one single issue, and will fall on the sword and lose an election because of one single issue, I don’t think are good political thinkers,” he said. “I really don’t. I respect what they say. I respect what everyone says.
“But because someone’s different or means something (different) or comes from a different part of town and they want to be Republican, the only thing I can say to them is, ‘Welcome.’”
* This, however, may be too big of a tent for some GOP primary voters…
Republican businessman Bert Miller’s entrance into the primary race that will decide who takes on Democratic U.S. Rep. Bill Foster is his first run for office, but he’s not necessarily new to elections.
As owner of Naperville’s Phoenix Closures, Miller took a turn last decade as chairman of the powerful Illinois Manufacturers Association and has given campaign donations to mostly Republicans, including Jim Oberweis, former House Speaker Dennis Hastert and former U.S. Rep. Don Manzullo — and most recently Kirk Dillard on Oct. 30, records show.
But his primary opponents have seized on two gifts to Democrats: $1,000 to then Democratic Senate candidate Barack Obama in 2003 and $1,000 in 2002 to Rod Blagojevich.
“Giving to those two figures does not help our country move in the right direction,” said Chris Balkema, a fellow Republican candidate for the 11th Congressional District and Grundy County Board member.
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Not so hard to miss
Friday, Nov 15, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From the Twitters…
* It may not be as hard to miss as Dave thinks, particularly if you’re a member of the Springfield Diocese. Television is the main source of news for well over half of Americans. So, check out Springfield WICS TV’s lede…
When Gov. Pat Quinn signs the recently-passed same-sex marriage bill into law next week, the bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Springfield will hold a special prayer service.
Later in the very brief piece, it’s mentioned that the Bishop “will offer ‘prayers of supplication and exorcism in reparation for the sin of same-sex marriage’ at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield.
Kinda on the buried side.
* WAND TV’s ten o’clock broadcast made no mention of the Bishop’s comments. The station covers Decatur and Springfield as well as Champaign. The story isn’t on WCIA’s website. The Champaign TV station also covers Springfield news.
Springfield’s newspaper did cover the story, however, and even gave it to Statehouse reporter Doug Finke.
* One of the more interesting stories I’ve seen on this topic, though, was from Quincy’s WGEM TV. The station interviewed Quincy Msgr. Michael Kuse about Paprocki’s plans…
But not all Catholic leaders are taking a hard line against gay marriage.
Local Monsignor Michael Kuse says he takes the same stance on gay marriage as Pope Francis when it comes to treating gays as equals in the eyes of God.
“I think that’s our role as the church, to help people grasp this new way of acceptance into our life and to say ‘well you know, I can love, no matter who it is.’ And I hope that’s in the heart of everybody,” said Kuse.
* Click here to watch the story if the embedded video doesn’t load…
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He’s ba-ack!
Friday, Nov 15, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I was talking to Paul Green yesterday about my speech to the City Club of Chicago next month (we’re gonna use this as a charitable opportunity - more details later) and he told me that Todd Stroger was speaking in his class. We both wondered if Stroger would make any sort of announcements.
He didn’t disappoint. Stroger will be running for the county board…
“I’ve had almost four years to kind of relax and think about things, and I think it’s time to get back in,” said Stroger after the paid speaking engagement.
The announcement is not a surprise. Beavers’ seat on the County Board was still warm when Stroger began reaching out to Democratic committeeman in March in hopes they would appoint him to fill the vacant position. The seat ultimately went to Stanley Moore.
Stroger said he will maintain his job as an insurance salesman during his upcoming campaign.
The nonchalant announcement came several minutes after he told the college class how much he disliked being County Board president. “It was four years of just hell. I was fighting all the time, the newspapers were just crucifying me,” he said.
He most definitely was not a good county board president. But he wasn’t a bad alderman at all. He was a classic “Peter Principle” case.
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* I’ve been hearing for months that there is quite a large opposition research book on Democratic congressional candidate Ann Callis. So, this story might be the tip of the iceberg…
Ann Callis of Edwardsville, who stepped down as chief circuit judge earlier this year to run for the Democratic nomination for Congress, currently is delinquent on her taxes on two Scottsdale, Ariz., properties, according to a review of online statements at the Maricopa County treasurer’s office.
In Illinois, Madison County records show Callis was delinquent on her 2009 property taxes for a home in Troy, requiring her to pay about $679 in added penalties in 2011 to fix the problem.
Callis spokesman Marshall Cohen said Thursday the campaign was reviewing tax records.
“We are trying to clarify all this,” Cohen told the Lee Enterprises Springfield Bureau.
He suggested the tax snafu with the Troy home may not have been Callis’ fault.
“She paid it as soon as she realized it was due,” Cohen said.
This isn’t a lot of money we’re talking about here, but why the heck were those Arizona taxes not paid before she launched her campaign? She’s the DCCC’s pick in this race, so you’d think they’d get her personal finances in order before launching her out there.
According to the story, Callis listed assets totaling at least $3.3 million, including stock in John McGurk’s Irish Pub in St. Louis. Republican incumbent Rodney Davis listed his assets at $85,000.
* The 13th District Democratic primary has a new candidate, by the way. Bill Byrnes is a a retired “college educated trucker” and part-time school bus driver and union steward from Bloomington. He probably doesn’t have a chance. But check out his plain-talk rhetoric…
“Today people are sick and tired of the BS. They want congressmen who will change the situation by working together,” said Byrnes. “That’s my hallmark.”
Byrnes added, “I’m not a lawyer. Isn’t the last thing Washington needs is another lawyer? There’s thousands of lawyers in Washington, D.C., and every congressman has a staff of them. Also at 66 I’m not exactly part of the youth movement so I’m not going to be a career politician.”
He said that electing him would “send a message loud and clear to Washington: get to work. Give me the chance and I’ll work with the other side to hammer out solutions to tough problems. I will never obstruct this democracy, conducting the day to day business of serving all of the people.”
* Meanwhile, this should help both Davis and Cheri Bustos. From a press release…
Leaders of the Transportation for Illinois Coalition today offered congratulations and support to Illinois U.S. Reps. Cheri Bustos and Rodney Davis for their appointment to help negotiate key policy decisions on America’s waterways in Washington.
Bustos, D-17th, and Davis, R-13th, were named Thursday as members of the congressional conference committee that will negotiate a new Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA), critical to speed up repairs and upgrades to locks and dams on key waterways in Illinois and around the nation.
TFIC – an umbrella organization of labor, business and construction groups – recognizes the importance of two Illinois representatives working to resolve differences over WRRDA’s direction between the U.S. House and Senate. Bustos and Davis were strong supporters, along with Illinois U.S. Senators Dick Durbin and Mark Kirk, of the version of WRRDA that passed the House in late October. They had worked to ensure key repairs and upgrades for aging locks and dams on the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers were included in the House bill.
TFIC leadership is confident Bustos and Davis will bring a sense of bipartisan commonsense and a keen awareness of the importance of strong waterway transportation networks to the negotiating table.
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Give the Green Light to Shovel-Ready Clean Energy Jobs
Friday, Nov 15, 2013 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
According to the nonprofit wind energy advocacy group Wind on the Wires, there are thousands of megawatts of shovel-ready wind energy projects in Illinois that represent over $4.7 billion in potential investment in our state. They’ve leased land, lined up their permits, and applied to connect to the grid. What’s the holdup? A crucial update to Illinois’ Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS).
The Green River wind farm near Walnut, Illinois is one example. Mainstream Renewable Power leased 12,000 acres of land and lined up their siting, transmission and environmental approvals.
But here’s where Mainstream hit a snag: our energy market has changed since our RPS was enacted in 2007, creating a real challenge to projects like Green River which are trying to sell the power from their turbines and bring these benefits to the Illinois economy:
• About 200-400 construction jobs
• 5-10 full-time operations jobs
• Approximately $1.4 million annually in property tax revenues to Lee County alone
And its not just about wind - solar is poised to skyrocket if we free up the Renewable Energy Resources Fund to invest in Illinois projects, as originally intended.
The Green River project and many others can move forward if we take action and update the RPS to create a more stable, transparent clean energy market. We all win when Illinois moves to clean energy, and we can do it without touching the existing cost cap that protects consumers.
It’s time to update the RPS.
www.ILikeCleanEnergy.org
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* The Sun-Times’ Dave McKinney asked the four gubernatorial campaigns whether they’d support repealing the gay marriage law (once the bill is signed into law, that is). None of them expressed any interest…
“As you well know, our agenda is an economic agenda,” [Sen. Bill Brady] told the Chicago Sun-Times, when asked if he would move to repeal the measure as governor. “My opposition [to same-sex marriage] is pretty clear. It is what it is. But I don’t see the Legislature putting a bill on the governor’s desk to repeal it.”
State Sen. Kirk Dillard, R-Hinsdale, another GOP candidate for governor, also said through an aide that he had no intention of trying to repeal same-sex marriage if he wins the Executive Mansion. Before voting against same-sex marriage, Dillard had said he would work to repeal the state’s civil unions law.
Dillard believes the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act faces “constitutional questions raised by several law professors who argue it will end up in court,” but he won’t work to repeal it if elected governor, campaign spokesman Wes Bleed said Thursday.
Treasurer Dan Rutherford, who is also in the race for governor, said Wednesday he had no intention to try repealing it if elected. Venture capitalist Bruce Rauner’s campaign said the same thing.
“Bruce has repeatedly stated his view that the issue is better decided by the people in a referendum than by the politicians. That said, it’s not an issue Bruce plans to spend time on as governor,” Rauner spokesman Mike Schrimpf said. “His focus is on growing the economy, solving the budget mess, fixing our schools, and enacting term limits because those are the most pressing problems facing Illinois.”
If the law is of questionable constitutionality, as Dillard apparently believes, then why leave it on the books?
* Anyway, Brady said essentially the same thing on Allen Skillicorn’s radio show this week. His comments come at about the 15-minute mark…
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Question of the day
Thursday, Nov 14, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From the Twitters…
* The Question: The 2013 Illinois Republican Party was to a a frat house on the last day of college as the 2014 IL GOP will be to ________?
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Foster race attracts yet another GOP candidate
Thursday, Nov 14, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Rep. Darlene Senger has a new GOP primary opponent. From what I hear, he’s a pretty good guy, has secured about a quarter million dollars in commitments and could give Senger a real race to face Democratic incumbent Bill Foster…
Bert Miller said he had an epiphany a few weeks back, and it led him to set his sights, and his skill sets, on a new goal.
Flanked by his family and backed by nearly two dozen supporters attired in campaign T-shirts, the longtime Naperville businessman Wednesday morning launched his bid for the U.S. House seat representing the 11th Congressional District next year. The district includes a part of the Aurora area.
Miller, 66, emphasized the experience he accrued over more than three decades as owner of the Naperville plastics manufacturing firm Phoenix Closures, and said it will translate well to lawmaking in the nation’s capital.
* Daily Herald…
The other candidates in the race haven’t raised a huge amount of money. Senger has led the group in fundraising but has taken in far less than some other suburban primary candidates.
The run is Miller’s first try for political office, which contrasts him with Senger and Balkema. Senger has picked up support of local Republican members of Congress such as U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren of Winfield.
Miller is former chairman of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association, a major player in Illinois politics.
Aurora private investigator Ian Bayne is also running for the GOP nod.
* Meanwhile, Democratic Congressional candidate Ann Callis didn’t sound all that enthused about welcoming either Gov. Pat Quinn or President Barack Obama to her swing district campaign against freshman Republican Rodney Davis…
On Quinn: “He’s been around the district. I don’t think it’s my choice whether I welcome him or not. . . . I’ve seen him at various events.”
On Obama: “Well, he is the president of the United States. I would never tell the president of the United States not to come to my district.” […]
(W)hile an Obama appearance might help Callis with Democratic voters in the district, it could lose her as many (or more) Republican-leaning independents.
As for Quinn, it’s not clear he’d be all the much help even among Democratic voters in the district, given his Chicago-centric base and general lack of popularity.
* Watch…
* In other news, Congressman Davis is once again coming under fire from his right flank…
A tea party group has launched a campaign to support primary challenges against all 87 Republicans who voted for the deal in late October to reopen the government and raise the debt ceiling.
The Tea Party Leadership Fund, a PAC affiliated with the group TheTeaParty.net, began a fundraising push — dubbed the “Primaries for Traitors Fund” — shortly after the shutdown deal passed in the House, and they are now ramping up efforts to find “credible candidates” in each of the districts, said the fund’s treasurer, Dan Backer.
“From our perspective, we see this as a signature vote. You can’t be a conservative and vote to raise the debt ceiling,” Backer said. “I recognize there are some places where voters may actually think that was the right vote. And there may be places where you have an incumbent who wins with 90% of the vote every time and there’s not a credible challenger. I recognize that, but we’re certainly going to do our best.”
Backer says the group has honed in on a few specific members to start: Illinois Rep. Rodney Davis, New York Rep. Peter King, North Carolina Rep. Robert Pittenger, Louisiana Rep. Charles Boustany, and most importantly, Backer said, House Speaker John Boehner in Ohio.
* But…
Despite raising more than $1 million in 2012, the group only spent around $27,000 in support of two Republican candidates last cycle, according to Open Secrets, and no money against Republican incumbents.
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* Don’t expect to see much of Paul Vallas on the campaign trail any time soon…
Departing Schools Superintendent Paul Vallas told the Board of Education on Tuesday night that his focus would be on the district, and not on running for lieutenant governor of Illinois, during the remainder of his tenure here.
Try as they might, however, board members could not pin him down to an exit date. […]
Vallas said he gets vacation and personal days just like every other superintendent.
“There is no primary. There is no race to run,” he said. “Obviously, I will work with the board to transition. I took one personal day.” […]
“I anticipate I will spend 99 percent in the district, maybe more,” Vallas said. “I intend on being a full-time superintendent until the transition period is over.”
He has a 60-day notice clause in his contract, but the local school board has to vote to start the countdown. So far, that hasn’t happened.
* Vallas also got some good news today. Hey, a TKO is still a win…
The Connecticut Supreme Court has overturned the ruling of a judge who ordered Bridgeport Superintendent of Schools Paul Vallas removed from his job because he was not qualified. […]
A state judge ruled in July that Vallas improperly received a waiver to state certification requirements.
However, the Supreme Court overturned the ruling, saying the plaintiffs did not bring their challenge of Vallas’ credentials to state education officials first.
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Today’s Dillard quotes
Thursday, Nov 14, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* For whatever reason, the Chicago media has mostly taken a pass on covering the day to day aspects of the Republican gubernatorial primary. I’ve found it fascinating and at times more than little entertaining. But, hey, this is a state politics blog. It’s what we do.
But because of this lack of coverage, things like Sen. Kirk Dillard’s much more strenuous effort to accentuate his right-wing credentials this time around are going mostly unnoticed. Tom Kacich at the Champaign News Gazette got a first hand look at a Dillard event this week, however, and covered what he saw…
Dillard is a state senator from Hinsdale and a disciple of former Gov. Jim Edgar. But unlike Edgar, his gubernatorial campaign has taken a hard right turn this year, and he spoke out Wednesday against gay marriage, gun control and welfare spending.
* Dillard on welfare…
Dillard attacked Illinois Democrats for welfare and social service spending, saying that “the lion’s share” of the 2011 income tax increase “went to expand the welfare rolls in Illinois.”
Um, the “lion’s share” of the $7+ billion tax hike money has been spent on funding the state’s pension payments, which had been skipped, or skimped on or borrowed to cover for years.
Human service program spending has risen, but not by a huge amount, and state Medicaid spending took some big cuts last year.
* Gay marriage…
“I saw a couple of you at the traditional marriage rally at the state Capitol a week ago. I found it incredible that I had to stand in the Capitol building in my own state and defend traditional marriage and then get criticized for it,” he said. “I kind of shook my head as the father of a 12-year-old and a 10-year-old, wondering where society is going when I’ve got to do that.”
When does he start pushing for repeal?
* Madigan…
“…I am the antidote to Pat Quinn, and I am the guy who can get (Democratic House Speaker) Mike Madigan to do things he doesn’t want to do.”
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* From a press release…
Scheduled for approximately the same time that Gov. Pat Quinn signs into Illinois law the redefinition of civil marriage, Bishop Thomas John Paprocki will offer “Prayers of Supplication and Exorcism in Reparation for the Sin of Same-Sex Marriage” at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Sixth and Lawrence streets in Springfield, on Wednesday, Nov. 20, from 4 to 5 p.m. Clergy, religious and laity are invited to attend. […]
Bishop Paprocki said that since same-sex marriage is contrary to the plan of God (see Genesis 1:27 and 2:24, Matthew 19:4-6 and Mark 10:6-9), those who contract civil same-sex marriage are culpable of serious sin. He also noted that politicians who enacted civil same-sex marriage legislation are “morally complicit as co-operators in facilitating this grave sin.”
“It is scandalous that so many Catholic politicians are responsible for enabling the passage of this legislation and even twisting the words of the pope to rationalize their actions despite the clear teaching of the church,” he said. “All politicians now have the moral obligation to work for the repeal of this sinful and objectionable legislation. We must pray for deliverance from this evil which has penetrated our state and our church.”
* He also referenced some comments made by the Pope back when he was a Cardinal…
Regarding the proposed redefinition of civil marriage in Argentina, then-Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio wrote on June 22, 2010: “The Argentine people must face, in the next few weeks, a situation whose result may gravely harm the family. It is the bill on matrimony of persons of the same sex. The identity of the family, and its survival, are in jeopardy here: father, mother, and children. The life of so many children who will be discriminated beforehand due to the lack of human maturity that God willed them to have with a father and a mother is in jeopardy. At stake is the total rejection of God’s law engraved in our hearts. … Let us not be naive: it is not a simple political struggle; it is an intention [which is] destructive of the plan of God. It is not a mere legislative project (this is a mere instrument), but rather a ‘move’ of the father of lies who wishes to confuse and deceive the children of God.”
Bishop Paprocki noted, “The pope’s reference to the ‘father of lies’ comes from the Gospel of John (8:44), where Jesus refers to the devil as ‘a liar and the father of lies.’ So Pope Francis is saying that same-sex ‘marriage’ comes from the devil and should be condemned as such.”
It’ll be interesting to see how the GOP gubernatorial candidates respond to this demand for repeal.
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Speaking of big money
Thursday, Nov 14, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tribune…
…Rauner’s decision to now bust the self-funding cap comes as the Democratic Governors Association formed a so-called super political action committee last week to financially assist Quinn’s bid for a second elected term.
The Jobs and Opportunity for Illinois PAC will be allowed to raise and spend unlimited money in independent expenditures to assist Quinn’s re-election. Even if Rauner had stayed below the self-funding threshold, once the super PAC spent more than $250,000 any limits on campaign donations would have been lifted.
As mentioned above, this is an independent expenditure committee. So far, there’s no money in its bank account, but it’s being formed awful early, so it could, I suppose, conceivably be used to finance ads against Rauner in the GOP primary.
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Pension reform session date eyed
Thursday, Nov 14, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I told subscribers about this yesterday afternoon…
A top aide to House Speaker Michael Madigan told Illinois lawmakers Wednesday to be ready for a special session in Springfield in December, emailing them shortly after legislative leaders met to discuss solutions to the state’s $100 billion pension crisis.
Madigan Chief of Staff Tim Mapes told Democrats in the email to reserve time for a “possible” session beginning Dec. 3. He also asked them to “keep other days that week available.” Senate President John Cullerton later sent an email to Senate Democrats, asking them to keep Dec. 3-4 open.
Voting on a pension plan isn’t specifically mentioned in either email, but Madigan spokesman Steve Brown told The Associated Press that pensions were “the likely reason” that the legislature would return. […]
Dec. 3 is the day after the deadline for candidates to file paperwork for the 2014 campaign, including anyone challenging incumbents. The timing is important because scheduling a vote on a divisive issue such as pension reform after the filing deadline would remove the threat for some lawmakers of a primary challenge based on their decision.
* Finke…
House Republicans also received the email.
A spokeswoman for Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno, R-Lemont, said the leaders are still waiting for actuaries to verify what the potential savings could be from various reform proposals, a practice referred to as “scoring.”
“The numbers are what determine whether these concepts work,” said Patty Schuh. “We are still awaiting numbers.”
“The leaders continue to make progress,” said Vicki Crawford, spokeswoman for House Republican Leader Jim Durkin of Western Springs. “They are still waiting on scoring from the systems. We are simply telling members to be prepared for a possible return to Springfield.”
* McKinney…
The date that the leaders are zeroing in on is significant on the political calendar. Candidates seeking a spot on the 2014 primary ballot have to file their nominating petitions with the state by Dec. 2.
While there is no deal yet on pensions, incumbents in both parties would be spared the possibility of labor-driven primary challenges if they are asked to vote on pension-reform legislation after the nominating petition filing deadline. […]
Durkin spokeswoman Vicki Crawford said there is no consensus yet, but the aim is to strike a deal by the end of the year.
“They’re making progress. We’re still waiting for numbers,” she said. “No deal yet.”
The leaders have been meeting since the first week of veto session and they’re making progress. This vote is fast becoming a reality.
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Quinn plays dodgeball in Springfield presser
Thursday, Nov 14, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Gov. Pat Quinn was determined to avoid answering some questions at his press conference yesterday. On the Chicago Park District pension reform bill, for instance, he said…
“We’ll look at that bill as we do every other bill,” Quinn said, “and look at it very carefully, and make a decision based on how I feel the merits are.”
* More…
Quinn was asked three times about keeping the income tax increase. He opted to discuss pensions instead.
“I’ve said before, you know, our No. 1 focus has to be on pension reform,” Quinn said, adding, “You don’t want to put the cart before the horse.”
* More…
Pressed on why he wouldn’t directly answer the question, Quinn responded: “A budget is based on what your costs are. We don’t know what our pension costs are until we really address the pension-reform issue. That is the No. 1 budget challenge that we have.
“You don’t want to put the cart before the horse,” Quinn continued. “I think you need to know what your expenditures are and what the pension requirements are, and I hope we can come up with a pension-reform measure that is good for those who receive retirement income as well as for the taxpayers,” he said.
* More…
Efforts to increase penalties for gun crimes? “When it comes to anything with public safety and criminal justice, I think we need to do it in a comprehensive way; a way that protects the public. I’ve signed bills dealing with those who commit crimes with guns.”
What about whether the income tax rate should stay at 5 percent after 2014? “We don’t know what are pension costs are, until we really address the pension reform issue.”
Pension reform was also his answer to a question of whether lawmakers will return to Springfield between now and the end of 2013. As for what sort of corporate tax breaks the state should be offering, the governor walked away. The news conference took all of 20 minutes and included the presentation to Quinn of a pink guitar autographed by country music star Carrie Underwood.
* And…
Wednesday’s event was the latest in a series of taxpayer-financed fly-arounds Quinn has scheduled to highlight construction projects heading into the 2014 election season.
In addition to praising changes being made to the Prairie Capital Convention Center in Springfield, the governor also made pit stops in East Alton and Peru.
While he wouldn’t discuss the pension proposal, Quinn did say the $4 million in state funds to upgrade the convention center was money well spent.
“We want Brad Paisley to be very happy,” the governor said, pointing to the country music star’s upcoming visit to the facility.
* Raw audio…
* In contrast, Metro East reporters attending Quinn’s Alton presser basically gave him a pass on everything yesterday…
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* If you think controlling Paul Vallas is gonna be tough for the Quinnsters, controlling Vallas’ brother Dean could end up being a nightmare.
Dean Vallas used his significant wealth to steer his brother’s ill-fated 2002 gubernatorial campaign. It didn’t go well. Eight years later, Dean backed Republican Sen. Bill Brady against Gov. Quinn. Carol Felsenthal recalls her 2010 interview with Paul Vallas’ mercurial brother…
I described Dean, a resident of Palos Park, as “the ringleader” that year in recruiting Democrats to support Brady, who is not only a Republican but a conservative Republican. Dean told me that he had signed on to back Brady before the Republican primary, and that his title was Cook County finance co-chairman. […]
But the 2010 gubernatorial race was different, Dean—a retired owner of restaurants and a food service company—argued. The very future of the state depended on businessman Brady vanquishing lifelong politician Quinn. Vallas was lavish in his praise of Brady, calling him “completely independent,” a man who “has been in business [a family home construction company] for his whole life, has had to meet a payroll—knows what it’s like not to sleep on Friday night because you can’t make the Saturday payroll.”
Most important, Dean said, was that Brady was not part of “the old guard” (Mike Madigan, et al) who have “made a mess of the state.” He gave Quinn his due as “a real good man” but one who lacked “the political skills to navigate around a Mike Madigan.” […]
In the wake of Brady’s loss to Quinn, Dean Vallas told me, “I’ve never worked that hard for a Republican candidate,” but added that his work was not so much “anti-Quinn as pro-Brady.” He said that had Brady eked out a victory he would have “fully engaged the legislature” and “basically you would have had a democracy back in Springfield.”
Discuss.
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Rauner triggers candidate self-defense law
Thursday, Nov 14, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tribune…
Wealthy Republican governor candidate Bruce Rauner is adding $500,000 of his own money to his campaign, an amount that will trigger a provision allowing his three GOP rivals and Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn to raise unlimited amounts from contributors.
Much of the Rauner’s money will be spend on a new series of ads set to begin airing Friday on broadcast and cable TV, two sources close to the campaign said Wednesday. The new ad continues a theme in which Rauner contrasts his inexpensive wristwatch with a critique of “Pat Quinn’s watch” over Illinois government spending.
The commercials will mark the beginning of what one of the sources described as the start of an “intensive and sustained” presence on television as the first-time candidate tries to introduce himself to potential voters. It’s also a further display of Rauner’s campaign wealth relative to his Republican rivals.
Rauner’s latest cash influx was to have been made Wednesday, the sources said, and show up in campaign finance disclosure forms as required by early next week. Rauner, an equity investor from Winnetka, will have donated $749,000 to his own campaign. That will bring to nearly $4 million the amount generated since he began his bid earlier this year.
* Ormsby…
In the new ad, which primarily attacks Governor Pat Quinn, Rauner, speaking to the camera, ditches his trademark hunting jacket, flannel shirt and rural background stage in previous ads for a brown, sleeve-less fleece-like zipper vest, button-down shirt, and a suburban kitchen.
* Rate the new ad…
* Script…
This old watch cost me 18 bucks. Pretty cheap, but it gets the job done.
Pat Quinn’s watch in Springfield - just the opposite. Record spending, taxes, job losses, and one of the worst run governments in America.
I’m Bruce Rauner. I’m a business guy, not a politician. I’m running for governor to turn our state around; to send a message to the special interests and career politicians who created this mess: your time - it’s up.
* Caps explained…
Before this week, Rauner was just $1,000 shy of the threshold to take off the caps — having given $249,000 of his own money. He’s now given $749,000 of his own money into his campaign. He has not disclosed his upper limit, but aides have said he would do what it takes to win.
Under state law, candidates can only accept contributions of up to $5,300 from individuals and $52,600 from political action committees.
But those caps are lifted for everyone in a campaign if any statewide candidate or member of the candidate’s immediate family contributes or loans more than $250,000 to his or her campaign during the 12 months prior to an election.
So Rauner’s latest infusion allows all three other Republicans, as well as Quinn on the Democratic side, to accept contributions of any size.
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