Today’s numbers
Tuesday, Jan 14, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The AP looks at concealed carry applications and the Cook County sheriff’s determination to weed out as many as he can…
In examining 2,000 of the first 5,000 applications, the department has flagged more than 120 that it will recommend Dart object to. The law allows objections for what it calls a “reasonable suspicion” that the applicants are dangerous even if their backgrounds would not automatically result in denials of their applications. Among those flagged by the Sheriff’s Department are a gang leader who has been arrested — though never convicted — a dozen times on aggravated battery with a dangerous weapon and other charges, and a man who was arrested but not convicted of domestic battery and endangering the life of a child. […]
In Cook County, Smith said “the numbers are so high” that to keep up, the 20-person unit assigned to investigate the applications would have to be tripled in size.
But state Rep. Brandon Phelps, a sponsor of the legislation, said 30 days is long enough for local law enforcement to submit objections to the state panel made up of former prosecutors, judges and others. He also says it isn’t necessary to provide additional funds since local law enforcement isn’t involved with issuing the permits.
Further, he and others said that because applicants have already passed background checks to obtain the state’s Firearm Owners Identification cards, the state could find itself in court if the panel upholds scores of local objections.
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Question of the day
Tuesday, Jan 14, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* These are not new arguments, but this is a new story…
A coalition of business groups says that Illinois employers cannot afford another increase in the minimum wage.
Against the backdrop of minimum wage-related mudslinging in the Republican race for governor and the possibility that Democrats could push a boost in the minimum wage through the General Assembly this spring, the 18 organizations said an increase to $10 an hour is “far too drastic.”
“Illinois already has a minimum wage higher than all of our neighboring states, and we are tied for the sixth highest minimum wage in the country. If Illinois were to pass a $10 minimum wage, that amount would almost double the rate since only 2003,” the coalition said in a statement issued Tuesday.
* The Question: Should Illinois increase its minimum wage to $10 an hour, keep it as is or lower it a dollar an hour to the national rate? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
web surveys
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Ignoring science
Tuesday, Jan 14, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Chicago may ban the indoor use of e-cigs…
Several aldermen continued to express concerns about the indoor ban Monday, arguing there is no clear scientific consensus that the vapor emitted from electronic cigarettes is dangerous like smoke from tobacco products.
“It is a ban, because you’re making people go outside, you’re treating it just as you would an analogue cigarette or tobacco cigarette,” said Ald. Rey Colon, 35th. “You’re lumping it together in the same category even though you don’t really have any proof that it has any harm. You’re saying ‘We’re going to regulate first and ask questions later.’ ” […]
Ald. Brendan Reilly, 42nd, suggested the City Council adopt the part of the city e-cigarettes ordinance that regulates sales while putting off a vote on the portion dealing with indoor smoking in public places until more scientific consensus has been reached on the health impact.
“I’m certainly not here to defend Big Tobacco. They’re done enough harm in this country,” said Reilly, who smokes. “But I do have friends and family members who are using (e-cigarettes) to quit, to get away from combustible tobacco that kills people.”
Tobacco has all sorts of carcinogens in its smoke. E-cigs are just nicotine and water vapor. Also, I totally agree with Reilly.
* Meanwhile, the New York Times ran an article recently on an attempt to ban GMOs in a Hawaiian county…
Scientists, who have come to rely on liberals in political battles over stem-cell research, climate change and the teaching of evolution, have been dismayed to find themselves at odds with their traditional allies on this issue. Some compare the hostility to G.M.O.s to the rejection of climate-change science, except with liberal opponents instead of conservative ones.
“These are my people, they’re lefties, I’m with them on almost everything,” said Michael Shintaku, a plant pathologist at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, who testified several times against the bill. “It hurts.” But, supporters of the ban warned, scientists had not always correctly assessed the health and environmental risks of new technology. “Remember DDT?” one proponent demanded.
* The Illinois angle…
In November, Washington became the latest state to reject a ballot proposal that would have required labeling of foods with genetically modified ingredients.
At the same time, Maine and Connecticut have passed laws requiring labels on genetically engineered foods. However, their laws won’t go into effect until other states in the Northeast also adopt GMO labeling laws.
Against that backdrop, an Illinois lawmaker said he will pursue legislation this year requiring labels on foods with genetically modified ingredients.
“I’m dealing with this strictly as a consumer right-to-know bill,” said Sen. Dave Koehler, D-Peoria. “I’m not saying yea or nay to the health risks. I’m saying consumers have a right to know and they can make up their own mind.”
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Dillard vs. Dillard
Tuesday, Jan 14, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* As I’ve already told you, Sen. Kirk Dillard responded to these claims by Bruce Rauner’s campaign…
“Kirk Dillard is the worst type of career politician. He’s double-talking and has more clout baggage than O’Hare during a snowstorm. The fact is Kirk Dillard and the other career politicians repeatedly clouted people into the University of Illinois and never thought twice about it. Voters know he is a hypocrite and will reject him.”
* Dillard’s retort when asked about it by Mary Ann Ahern yesterday…
“The one or two people that I have ever written letters of recommendation to for the University of Illinois are there. I think the ones that I wrot actually were rejected and you can check that out Mary Ann.”
Video…
* OK, let’s check it out. From the July 16, 2009 Tribune…
University logs obtained by the Tribune show that Dillard’s name was tied to seven students on the clout list since 2005. Three were admitted, but the state senator said his involvement rarely went beyond a formal letter of recommendation and that he never pushed to overturn an admissions decision.
Oops.
* Back to yesterday, when Dillard was asked if he saw a pattern with Rauner…
“There’s a pattern that began when Mr. Rauner hired Rahm Emanuel when he came out of the wrought iron gates of the White House even though the mayor did not have investment banking experience. He hired Rahm Emanuel and obviously it was to help him garner business in the private sector.”
Video…
* Tribune today…
But in trying to accuse Rauner of a “pattern” of clout, Dillard erroneously said Rauner “hired Rahm Emanuel when he came out of the wrought iron gates of the White House (as a top adviser to President Bill Clinton) even though the mayor did not have investment banking experience.”
Emanuel sought advice from Rauner, but Chicago’s future mayor went to work for an investment management firm, not a Rauner company. Rauner’s firm did end up doing a major deal which helped Emanuel become wealthy.
Obviously, the much bigger error was the way Dillard downplayed his involvement in the so-called admissions scandal at the U of I.
But if he wants to play in the big time, he’s got to play by big time rules.
So far, the media has been giving him a pass, mainly because it’s Rauner’s turn in the barrel. Dillard’s turn could be coming, however.
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Running mate disqualified
Tuesday, Jan 14, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Sun-Times…
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tio Hardiman should be allowed to remain on the March 18 primary ballot but his running mate should be barred from having her name appear alongside his, a state hearing officer has determined.
That good news/bad news recommendation disclosed Tuesday by the State Board of Elections now awaits a ruling by the eight-member state election board perhaps as early as Thursday in a decision that could ultimately wind up in the courts.
The board’s chief legal counsel, Steve Sandvoss, also has to weigh in on the case. His recommendation along with that of hearing officer Barbara Goodman will be presented Thursday to the state board. […]
Donald did not meet the requirement of a state law that dictates lieutenant governor candidates be legally registered to vote, Goodman ruled.
Nobody really knows what will happen if Donald remains off the ballot. State law requires that a gubernatorial candidate file with a running mate, but the statute is silent on what happens if that running mate is kicked off the ballot, withdraws or dies. I see lots of court time in the future, which won’t be good news for Hardiman.
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Old slam resurfaces, lawsuit results
Tuesday, Jan 14, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* It ain’t beanbag..
A candidate for the Illinois General Assembly is accusing a former Chicago alderman of slandering him while stumping for another candidate at a West Side church last week.
Eddie Winters, a candidate for the Illinois House of Representatives 10th District seat, filed the suit against former Alderman Ed Smith (28th), claiming Smith referred to him as a “wife-beater” who “failed to pay child support and leaves his kids starving.”
The lawsuit, filed Monday in Cook County Circuit Court, alleges that Smith made the remarks while speaking in support of another 10th District candidate, Pamela Reaves-Harris, at Mt. Vernon Baptist Church on Jan. 5, 2014.
“I stand by my statement, because the record shows it to be true,” Smith said in a emailed statement. “Mr. Winters does not want the people to know his true character. The voters have the right to know who he is and his past.”
Winters is backed by Secretary of State Jesse White and Ald. Bob Fioretti. Similar allegations were made against Winters by a previous opponent, former Rep. Annazette Collins, who was also backed by Ed Smith. Winters denied the allegations at the time. Smith ought to either put up or shut up on these charges once and for all.
The incumbent in the five-way primary is indicted for bribery state Rep. Derrick Smith (D-Chicago).
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Rauner tries defense
Tuesday, Jan 14, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* CBS2 interviewed Bruce Rauner about the renewed controversy over the alleged strings he pulled to get his Winnetka daughter into a top-flight Chicago public school ahead of other applicants…
Rauner admits making a call to former Chicago Public Schools CEO Arne Duncan to see how he could get his daughter into Payton, despite what he calls a middle school attendance record marred by illness. He says principals have some discretion in admitting a small percentage of students, and parents have a right to make an appeal like he did.
“There’s nothing to apologize for that, there’s nothing wrong with it, and I would do it again and again,” he tells CBS 2 Chief Correspondent Jay Levine in a one-on-one interview.
Rauner said he gave money to Walter Payton Prep more than a year after his daughter was admitted there. He said he and he wife have donated millions to schools.
* OK, most people would only be able to call the local principal to file an appeal. Rauner went straight to the tippety top…
So how difficult was it for an average Chicago student to be admitted into Payton College Prep the year that Bruce Rauner made a call to get his daughter in?
More than 9,000 students applied for 353 open seats in the 2008-09 academic year, according to data obtained by the Sun-Times through the Freedom of Information Act. This happened before the Chicago Public Schools system changed its policy on attendance records. That means for the thousands of students competing for 353 open seats, consideration was supposed to be based on test scores, grades, and students’ attendance when they were in seventh grade.
Mike Schrimpf, spokesman for Rauner’s gubernatorial campaign, told the Sun-Times that Rauner’s daughter “was admitted off the principal’s list, the same way many students have been admitted.”
Data shows that even by that measure, it’s an elite crowd.
Fewer than .0014 percent of Payton students were allowed in through principal discretion that year. […]
A source with specific knowledge of the admission told the Sun-Times that Rauner’s daughter was not a so-called “principal pick” but was let in following a phone call.
And he didn’t just write one check to the school. He also wrote a half million dollar check to the Chicago Public Schools Foundation.
* Also from the Sun-Times…
Here are the largest donations the Rauner Family Foundation has made between Jan. 1, 2009, and Dec. 31, 2011. The foundation had assets of $50.7 million as of the end of 2011.
1. $500,000 to Donors Trust, Alexandria, Va., 2011
* From the Donors Trust “Building a legacy for liberty” website…
The founders of DonorsTrust recognized the need for philanthropic resources and services to help donors effectively manage their charitable giving. Moreover, it was clear to them that there was no infrastructure dedicated to a nationwide community of liberty-minded donors and organizations.
DonorsTrust was established as the sole donor-advised plan dedicated to promoting a free society and serving donors who share that purpose. To date, DonorsTrust has received over $400 million from these donors who are both dedicated to liberty and to the cause of perpetuating a free and prosperous society through philanthropic means. Since inception, DonorsTrust has granted out over $300 million to over 1000 liberty-minded charities.
From the Donors Trust FAQ page…
I need to reduce the capital gains tax liability associated with my appreciated stock, closely held stock, or unexpected windfall. Can DonorsTrust help?
Appreciated Stock
You own appreciated stock and want to distribute it to a number of charities and avoid the capital gains tax. Make one transfer of stock to DonorsTrust and receive the market value for your gift. Then at your leisure, request DonorsTrust to distribute multiple gifts from the transfer.
* From The Independent…
A secretive funding organisation in the United States that guarantees anonymity for its billionaire donors has emerged as a major operator in the climate “counter movement” to undermine the science of global warming, The Independent has learnt.
The Donors Trust, along with its sister group Donors Capital Fund, based in Alexandria, Virginia, is funnelling millions of dollars into the effort to cast doubt on climate change without revealing the identities of its wealthy backers or that they have links to the fossil fuel industry.
However, an audit trail reveals that Donors is being indirectly supported by the American billionaire Charles Koch who, with his brother David, jointly owns a majority stake in Koch Industries, a large oil, gas and chemicals conglomerate based in Kansas.
Millions of dollars has been paid to Donors through a third-party organisation, called the Knowledge and Progress Fund, with is operated by the Koch family but does not advertise its Koch connections.
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The curious case of Keith Matune
Tuesday, Jan 14, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Chicago Tribune, May 07, 1991…
A Woodridge man was arrested and charged with being a fugitive from justice after police discovered he is wanted on a larceny charge in Montgomery County, Va.
Police said they stopped a car driven by Keith R.W. Matune, 21, of 5921 Jackson Drive early Friday on the 6200 block of Belmont Road for driving with bright headlights.
Matune, who was taken to Du Page County Jail, will be extradited to Virginia, police said.
* Matune is now running for the Illinois House as a Republican against Rep. Ron Sandack (R-Downers Grove). He’s expected to have lots of support from groups on the right because of Rep. Sandack’s vote for gay marriage and his years-long battle with Dan Proft (whose PAC just received a $1.5 million check from a far right businessman). The House Republican Organization found the above story with a simple Google search, I’m told. HRO has vowed to defend all challenged incumbents in the primary.
The 1991 arrest in and of itself is probably no big deal. Things happen in life. But Sandack wanted to make sure Matune knew about this, so, apparently as a courtesy, he asked for a sitdown with Matune, and the two met with one person from each camp present to talk it over.
* Matune then issued a blistering press release…
Keith Matune, who is challenging State Rep. Ron Sandack, claimed today that the incumbent Republican legislator threatened him at a meeting the two had at Omega restaurant in Downers Grove yesterday, January 12.
According to Matune, Sandack told him the meeting was a “courtesy” to inform him that members of the House Republican Organization (HRO) will be releasing unflattering, personal information about his past. Information that could damage Matune’s reputation in the community.
The information Sandack may have been referring to is a newspaper article from 1991 that noted Matune had been arrested for larceny, was an out of state fugitive from justice, and was being extradited.
Matune said the incident was an “innocent misunderstanding” and explained that he “unintentionally wrote a $150 check that was returned for insufficient funds while attending college out of state.” While home for the summer, he was stopped by local police for a broken headlight and was notified during the stop that there was an out of state warrant issued for an insufficient check.
Matune said he was “completely surprised and unaware of the situation,” and that he was not arrested and all charges were dropped within 24 hours after he made full restitution.
Sandack totally denies that any threats of any kind were made.
And he wasn’t arrested? Well, not according to the Tribune, but maybe the paper made a mistake. Still, there’s also this little matter of what looks to be mugshots…
* And check out this DuPage County record by clicking here…
the said defendant after having been charged in Montgomery County, Commonwealth of Virginia with the offense of Fraud - Insufficient Funds Check, in violation of Virginia statute 18.2-181, fled the Commonwealth of Virginia with the intent to avoid prosecution of that offense. [Emphasis added.]
* Back to Matune’s press release…
According to the Illinois State Police database, Matune has no record of arrest, which is reflected in his employment applications. [Emphasis added]
Uh-oh. If he really was arrested, that might turn out to be a huge problem for Matune because he’s a teacher.
* And then he revealed something that HRO didn’t know about. Back to the Matune press release…
Matune apologized for the incident in a press release, including an indecency charge during a fraternity prank. [Emphasis added]
Um, OK.
* Ormsby…
Meanwhile, a GOP source told The Illinois Observer that Matune had contacted the Daily Herald and asked if he “could amend his questionnaire and they confirmed he answered NO to the question: Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime?”
Oof.
If Matune is now attempting to cover up his 1991 arrest, he may have compromised the value of “it was a long time ago” argument by allegedly committing a fresh transgression, a transgression that would strike at the heart of his current character. Not good.
While the original charge would haunt Matune’s campaign, if he mishandles the response – that could doom it.
Uh-oh.
I’m assuming more will be on the way. Stay tuned.
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Another view on the pension lawsuits
Tuesday, Jan 14, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Jacob Huebert at Illinois Review looks at the three lawsuits filed to overturn the new pension reform law…
All three suits allege that the law violates the Pension Clause because it makes modest reductions to annual increases in retiree benefits, commonly referred to as COLAs. The Cook County suit also alleges that the law’s increases in retirement age for some workers and its (generous) cap on pensionable salaries violate the Pension Clause.
The lawsuits’ claims don’t have merit. The COLA reduction doesn’t touch the benefits workers have already earned, but only limits increases going forward. COLAs are a way for the Illinois General Assembly to help retirees keep up with changes in the cost of living, which may fluctuate over time; by their nature, they’re not written in stone.
As for the higher retirement age, the Illinois Supreme Court has already held that the Pension Clause allows a change in workers’ retirement age even if it indirectly affects the benefits they will receive. And the pensionable salary cap – which, at more than $110,000 for participants in the Teachers’ Retirement System in 2014, is unlikely to leave anyone destitute – doesn’t violate the Pension Clause because it only affects benefits workers will earn for work done in the future, not benefits they’ve already earned.
Discuss.
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* From last week…
“Anyone who wants to see more people going back to work should support lowering the minimum wage,” John Tilman, Illinois Policy Institute, said.
* From this week’s Crain’s we have Illinois Policy Institute writer Scott Reeder…
I’ve been covering politics for more than 25 years. I’ve seen politicians prevaricate, flip-flop, quibble and just about everything in between. I’m never surprised when they do it. But it’s still disappointing.
The Illinois minimum wage is $8.25 per hour; the federal rate, $7.25.
Last month GOP gubernatorial hopeful Bruce Rauner told a Moline audience that he favored rolling back the Illinois minimum wage. Now he’s saying he doesn’t want that. He says he was just being “flippant” when he made the statement.
I’m sorry. I’m not buying it.
A lower minimum wage helps low-skilled workers enter the job market because it lowers employers’ costs to hire and train them. This enables more people to be hired and start their way up the ladder toward higher wages.
That’s pretty standard free-market economics, something Mr. Rauner has expressed strong support for. But those principles seem to be butting heads with politics.
* When your allies advise you to jump off a cliff, it’s probably best to find new allies.
Throughout pretty much all of last year, Rauner favored the standard Republican Party line about opposing any increase in the minimum wage. Then, one time in December (that we know of), Rauner switched to the Illinois Policy Institute position and demanded that the minimum wage be lowered. Rauner’s move has seriously damaged his campaign and has opened the floodgates of public criticism.
Let that be today’s lesson. Those guys are politically toxic. Rauner gave the group half a million dollars, but that doesn’t mean he has to listen to them all the time.
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