* The GOP opposition to House Speaker Michael Madigan’s bill appropriating $100 million for an Obama presidential library is principled and on target…
“We’re not opposed to the library, but we have lots of other needs,” [Republican Rep. Ed Sullivan] said, citing, for example, Emanuel’s push to outfit more city schools with air-conditioning.
“Do you want to pay for air conditioning in schools or a library? Do you want to pay for cops on the streets to stop the killing or do you want to pay for a library?” Sullivan said.
* Rep. Ron Sandack…
“I would love to see an Obama Presidential Library in Chicago, but believe it is incredibly irresponsible for the majority party to suggest allocating $100 million in taxpayer money to help fund it. Illinois has colossal financial problems, and at a time when critical budget areas like Education, Human Services, Infrastructure and Public Safety are underfunded, it’s just bad policy to be throwing money we don’t have toward a project we’re not required to fund.
“Representatives from the federal National Archives and Records Administration stated that all existing presidential libraries from our 31st President Herbert Hoover through our 43rd President George W. Bush, were constructed solely with privately-raised funds. The precedent is clear, and Illinois is not in a position to break tradition by offering to foot the bill.
“This isn’t Monopoly Money that would be funding this project. It’s real, hard-earned taxpayer money from the citizens of Illinois. Sometimes I wonder if the majority party forgets that they are dealing with actual dollars.
“Majority party leaders in Springfield are talking out of both sides of their mouths. They claim they must permanently extend the temporary tax increase of 2011 because the State is in dire financial trouble, and in the next breath they are advocating spending $100 million in taxpayer funds on the Obama library project. The state has $7.2 billion in unpaid bills and a $100 billion unfunded pension liability. While I support the construction of the Obama Presidential Library in Illinois, I cannot support spending taxpayer money on it. I’ll be voting no.”
* Jack Dorgan…
“We certainly think that the Obama Library in Springfield or Chicago would be a perfect location,” said Jack Dorgan, Chairman of the Illinois Republican Party. “But the use of public funds at this time is unacceptable. It needs to be spent on deteriorating classrooms and fixing potholes in our streets.”
* But Madigan is pretty much all about the politics…
“The people that are concerned about the optics are the people that are not supporting it. And you heard the roll call: They’re all Republicans,” Madigan told reporters.
* He did, however, address the propriety of spending tax dollars…
“We did it for Abraham Lincoln here in Springfield,” Madigan said, citing the presidential library and museum in Lincoln’s hometown for which $125 million in state funding was appropriated. “We should do it for Barack Obama in Chicago.”
To further tamp down the GOP concerns about state funding for the Obama library, Madigan’s spokesman, Steve Brown, added that presidential libraries across the country have been built on land that either was given or leased to those respective institutions by universities.
* More…
“You don’t have Lincoln’s friends and family any longer who could raise money,” said Representative Ed Sullivan, a Republican from suburban Chicago. “It’s apples and oranges.”
Sullivan said Obama, 52, is a “prolific fundraiser,” who with Democratic allies raised more than $1 billion for his 2012 re-election campaign. Sullivan pledged to personally contribute to the project, if public funds aren’t used.
State Senator Matt Murphy, another Republican from suburban Chicago, said Madigan’s push for the public money has more to do with “racial and partisan” politics than economic development.
“He is showing a fear that his base isn’t going to come out in this election,” Murphy said. “They are trying to gin up the usual wedge issues.”
Brown said politics are also playing a role on the Republican side.
“The Tea Party gene has kicked in,” he said in a reference to the national limited-government movement. “Anything that has the Obama name, the Tea Party wants to object to.”
- wordslinger - Thursday, May 1, 14 @ 9:25 am:
I’d take $100 million in bonded school improvements over money for the Obama library in a heartbeat.
The GOP should file a bill and bang the drum loudly. Make it an either/or proposition. Good politics and good government.
- Just Observing - Thursday, May 1, 14 @ 9:25 am:
=== “We did it for Abraham Lincoln here in Springfield,” Madigan said, citing the presidential library and museum in Lincoln’s hometown for which $125 million in state funding was appropriated. “We should do it for Barack Obama in Chicago.” ===
I’ve heard Abe isn’t the fundraiser he used to be. He’s not doing his call time.
I’ve heard Barack is much more accessible and a prolific fundraiser.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, May 1, 14 @ 9:29 am:
===The GOP should file a bill and bang the drum loudly. Make it an either/or proposition. Good politics and good government.===
That is the “Play”, and if a Bill gets stuck in Rules, that reinforces the idea that Politics is running this.
It’s one thing to talk, it’s another to have a Bill number to point to as politics in the form of governing.
Wonder what the holdup is by the GA GOP…
- Chicago Cynic - Thursday, May 1, 14 @ 9:33 am:
I don’t understand why the Speaker pushed this in the first place. I haven’t heard anyone from the library side or said this was needed. It’s also stupid politics. If I were the GOP, I’d keep on it.
- Adam Smith - Thursday, May 1, 14 @ 9:39 am:
One of Madigan’s more unseemly moves. But I think this one will backfire. The “tea party” line is just plain stupid.
If this is a move to gin up African-American votes in Nov it’s likely to come up a little short.
But it is certainly going to push more suburban and downstate independents towards voting GOP…and not because they are racist, as Madigan will clumsily claim, but because this is clearly an unwise idea at this point in time.
- OVERSIGHT - Thursday, May 1, 14 @ 9:45 am:
“The people that are concerned about the optics are the people that are not supporting it. And you heard the roll call: They’re all Republicans,” Madigan told reporters.”
Well,…Democrats do have a proven track record of spending funds we do not have.
How about paying down the pension debt (every little bit helps) and giving the Obama fundraising machine a chance to pony up the funds.
- Norseman - Thursday, May 1, 14 @ 9:46 am:
Wouldn’t it be a hoot if Madigan amended the bill to switch the money to air conditioners. Then you’d see so many red faces on the GOP side of the isle.
- Oneman - Thursday, May 1, 14 @ 9:49 am:
Nuff said….
- train111 - Thursday, May 1, 14 @ 9:49 am:
I fairly strong D in my voting, but I have to agree with the GOP on this. The state can not afford it. With all the corporate and special interest dough flowing into politcs, Obama could raise that money in 15 minutes on the phone.
I think it is a cynical ploy by the Dems to gin up the African American vote, by portraying the GOP as racist for opposing a library for the first African American president. Typical politics practiced by both sides here in Ill while Rome burns. No wonder 25% of the residents want out.
train111
- wordslinger - Thursday, May 1, 14 @ 9:52 am:
–I don’t understand why the Speaker pushed this in the first place–
The theory is that GOP opposition will energize the Illinois Dem base, where Obama is still very popular, in an off-year election. That’s all.
I doubt very much that there will be any significant state funding for an Obama library. It’s not needed. I suspect at some point Madigan will pull the bill and blame Republicans for lack of support.
It is an election year, you know.
- Oneman - Thursday, May 1, 14 @ 9:53 am:
Also the donate or lease land argument…
Unless you are putting the thing in the middle of the loop, you can buy a fairly nice chunk of land for 100 million dollars….
- John A Logan - Thursday, May 1, 14 @ 9:53 am:
Never bet against the Speaker. His track record of late has not been perfect, but I have to guess there is a second act to this play. Madigan is no fool and had to know this would be a difficult bill to push, so moving that money to something else that the republicans are clamoring is needed would not surprise me.
- Sir Reel - Thursday, May 1, 14 @ 9:55 am:
I’m glad Republicans are saying they’re for the library just not for using public funds given the state’s fiscal condition. Do the Democrats really think they’ll get out their base on this issue?
- Norseman - Thursday, May 1, 14 @ 9:57 am:
Willy, you’re right. That would be a play. However, as we so sorely know, the GA GOP is only capable of putting out press releases saying no.
- Almost the Weekend - Thursday, May 1, 14 @ 9:57 am:
If GW Bush can pay for his own library, so can Obama
- Where are the May Flowers? - Thursday, May 1, 14 @ 9:58 am:
“I don’t understand why the Speaker pushed this in the first place…It’s also stupid politics.”
“One of Madigan’s more unseemly moves. But I think this one will backfire.”
Tell that to Dwight Kay.
- wordslinger - Thursday, May 1, 14 @ 9:58 am:
–“We’re not opposed to the library, but we have lots of other needs,” [Republican Rep. Ed Sullivan] said, citing, for example, Emanuel’s push to outfit more city schools with air-conditioning.–
JL, Norse, there is a neat little trick bag there now.
Madigan could amend his proposal to $100 million for Chicago school improvements.
If GOP legislators balk at that, while claiming it’s a need, you have a nice double-barrel to campaign on: against Obama library, against improving Chicago schools.
- VanillaMan - Thursday, May 1, 14 @ 10:02 am:
How long after George Washington’s death, did it take to build the Washington Monument? How long after Franklin Roosevelt’s death, did it take to build the Roosevelt Monument? How long after Thomas Jefferson’s death did it take to build the Jefferson Memorial?
When you depend upon tax dollars to build monuments to even the greatest American leaders, it could take decades to do so.
Presidential libraries are built by the people who politically and financially supported their presidential candidates. Public money is not used in the process in locating, drafting, building and the initial opening and running of these libraries.
So having a state official demand that tax payers pay $100,000,000 to encourage Former Illinois Senator, Chicago resident and current US President Barack H. Obama to locate his future library in Illinois - is outrageous nonsense. Not only do we have no precedent for this usage of public funds for the building of a living former president’s library, we have no reason to believe that Mr. Obama would build anywhere else but in Illinois. Should Mr. Obama choose a location outside Illinois to build his library, then he will look bad. Permanently. The President does not need $100,000,000 to be persuaded to come home.
While Illinois ranks at the bottom of states that have residents who want to leave Illinois, that does not mean we need to start handing out money to famous Illinoisans to stay. Mr. Madigan’s actions may be interpreted as accepting what the Gallup poll results are saying about the Sucker State.
So, Illinoisans can object to Mr. Madigan’s demand for $100,000,000 to give to our President for his personal library edifice on the principles which have precedence within the US regarding presidential libraries, or they may reasonably reject Mr. Madigan’s demand for their money by accurately pointing out to him that there is NO MONEY.
The GOP is ensuring that Mr. Speaker becomes aware of the political damage of his demand, but this shouldn’t be the reason Mr. Madigan pulls the plug on his demand. Call me an optimist, but I do believe that Mr. Madigan should be persuadable using legal precedent and principle, instead of politics. However, dealing with him daily as legislators do - perhaps they know he is such a political animal that politics is the only way to convince him of his foolishness.
Finally, let’s remember that when precedent, logic and laws fail to persuade - then we are reduced to making decisions political. When we do that, we kick these issues into an orbit of emotions and stupidity. So Mr. Madigan has no one to blame for the political arguments being made today because he has made this a political issue.
You know what happens next, right? Folks who don’t like being told that they shouldn’t couldn’t or won’t be supported to give Mr. Obama $100,000,000 are going to go politically juvenile on everyone. They will call us names. They will claim we are racists. They will link us to extremist fringes. They will have a tantrum. They will pound their desks and cry out about how unfair everyone is. They will do this so that we give up and let them have their $100,000,000 for god knows what reason.
Don’t let them do that.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, May 1, 14 @ 10:12 am:
- Norseman -, there might be more than a little truth in - wordslinger -’s thoughts; Could the GA GOP be afraid of making a procedural move that allows the optics to be far worse than the retort intention of their own Bill.
Press Releases are both easy and lazy, but most of all safe of repercussions.
Still believe in running their own (GOP GA) Bill to either counter, or usurp the funding for the Library for air conditioners. The MJM Bill, holding the powder on that very specifically and radio silence until debate allows discussion again might be prudent.
This is another one of those times being afraid of their own shadow is in reality being afraid that MJM is their shadow to begin with.
Clean on its own legislatively, see how Madigan’s proposal comes out, clean or amended. Two tracks.
- Nearly Normal - Thursday, May 1, 14 @ 10:12 am:
Madigan is conveniently forgetting one fact about the library portion of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. It is what used to be the Illinois State Historical Library that was housed below ground under the Old State Capitol. Public access was through the parking garage.
More info is here: http://www.lincolnlibraryandmuseum.com/lincoln-library.htm
This is no doubt why state funds were used for the library and museum. The historical library had outgrown its location under the old state capitol and there were also concerns about safe storage of valuable materials.
It’s not just Lincoln materials that are in the library but other materials about state and local history. I have used the facility for genealogical research over the years at both locations.
- Oneman - Thursday, May 1, 14 @ 10:30 am:
Would love if someone asked the President about this with the mics on…
- 47th Ward - Thursday, May 1, 14 @ 10:32 am:
===Public money is not used in the process in locating, drafting, building and the initial opening and running of these libraries===
So Texas A&M is a private university? If VMan says it’s so, we’ll then, it must be true. Thanks for clearing that up for everyone VMan, and you only needed 1200 words.
- shore - Thursday, May 1, 14 @ 10:46 am:
Democrats don’t realize how dumb this makes them look. Obama raised $2 billion for his presidential campaign with $30k caps on donations. With this he can raise $1 million a head.
With all due respect to steve brown, the trib and sun times-who went 4/4 in obama presidential campaign endorsements have weighed in strongly against this.
It also speaks ill of Illinois, chicago, springfield, and state democratic party’s clout that it can’t beat Hawaii for the presidential library of one of its own former members without $100 million in tax dollars.
Let me put it this way, not even President Donald Trump would ask the state of new york for this kind of hand out and that blowhard’s ego is the size of the eastern seaboard.
- Pot calling kettle - Thursday, May 1, 14 @ 11:00 am:
==Democrats don’t realize how dumb this makes them look.==
If anybody knows politics, the Madigan folks do. Most of the items the Republicans point to will benefit their older, whiter base. The Dems are addressing a very specific portion of their base and trying to give them a reason to come out and vote in November. However, I suspect that the real goal here is to get Rauner to say something stupid about the Obama Library.
- Wumpus - Thursday, May 1, 14 @ 11:01 am:
Have Madigan or Quinn propose a tax hike to fund this. Put it on the ballot and see how it goes.
- The Doc - Thursday, May 1, 14 @ 11:02 am:
==Madigan could amend his proposal to $100 million for Chicago school improvements==
Word, Wordslinger.
Whatever your feelings for MJM, proclamations that this was an unforced error or poorly conceived idea are premature.
Now there’s at least one GOP official on record suggesting the funds could be spent for another purpose - specifically, A/C for Chicago schools. Not exactly what you’d expect from the mouth of a suburban GOPer.
- Walter Mitty - Thursday, May 1, 14 @ 11:26 am:
If the speaker changes and tries to get air conditioning for Chicago schools, how does that work against the R’s? If the super majority puts forth a horribile idea to set precedent that just about every voter is aware of our fiscal issues, why is it bad to say, Yeah money for kids instead of a library. This backfired on MJM. Whatever way he tries to spin or trap, PQ and MJM over see the mess that is this state. The response was perfect. We are for a library, but more for the tax payer’s … Any next move by MJM from this political move is a tough road to travel… If he is as smart as we know he is… My better guess.. The session ends and it’s never brought up again…It’s too toxic.
- Worth It - Thursday, May 1, 14 @ 11:26 am:
Conspiracy time…Maybe MJM is providing cover for the President. When Obama picks Hawaii for the library location, the blame can go to the ILGOP rather than to Obama himself.
- RNUG - Thursday, May 1, 14 @ 11:28 am:
A few days ago I suggested it was a just move to get $100M in funding “assigned”, and when the Obama library ends up in Hawaii, then divert the “already planned to spend” money for CPS A/C. Regardless of where the library ends up, I still see it playing out that way as far as where the $100M ultimately ends up.
- concern1 - Thursday, May 1, 14 @ 11:40 am:
king madigan always wants HIS way so Im hoping the GOP keeps up the pressure….this is the most ridiculous idea I have heard of yet out of the kings mouth….$100 million what a joke!!!!
- Motambe - Thursday, May 1, 14 @ 11:44 am:
Speaker Madigan’s point is well-taken. We did it for President Lincoln, so we should do it for President Obama. I agree, but…..we should use the same timeline. In 135 years.
- Formerly Known As... - Thursday, May 1, 14 @ 11:45 am:
The “Cult of Madigan” is strong with some today.
If Madigan sees the light and amends his own bill, that is evidence of an unforced error - not some ingenious plan to get kids air conditioners.
- Formerly Known As... - Thursday, May 1, 14 @ 11:49 am:
Unless, of course, garnering criticism and negative publicity in the Tribune, Sun-Times, SJ-R, Daily Herald, Crain’s and so on was all part of the “master plan”.
Sometimes people make mistakes, overthink things or outsmart themselves. It’s OK. It makes them human.
- Chavez-respecting Obamist - Thursday, May 1, 14 @ 12:16 pm:
Even I am for private funding for this thing, but the Tea Party line isn’t stupid. It is a kneejerk reaction for some members of the GOP to instantly oppose anything that would have the President’s name on it.
- A guy... - Thursday, May 1, 14 @ 12:23 pm:
We’ve talked this one to death. It’s dumb, unnecessary, unaffordable. If he needs incentive to put it in Chicago, well, that’s more interesting than anything else being said. Put it in Hawaii if you want scant visitors compared to Chicago. It would say a lot more about Obama if he did that and his loyal fans would take notice. I personally don’t believe he plans on coming back to Chicago to reside. We’ll see. If 100 mil goes to this and not schools or pensions, just watch the public employees unions go crazy. I’d be there with them on this one.
- spidad60 - Thursday, May 1, 14 @ 1:22 pm:
Can somebody bump the Steve Brown record player, it’s stuck on Tea Party Gene. Because people are against spending tax money we don’t have on something that should be funded other ways makes them Tea Partiers? sign me up! Taxed Enough Already!
- Ghost - Thursday, May 1, 14 @ 1:27 pm:
you are all missing the point!
We need a presidential library with a indoor water park…. anything else would just be crazy.
- Under Influenced - Thursday, May 1, 14 @ 1:31 pm:
Teeing this up was bad enough, but do you really need to provide the ball and bat too?
- The Doc - Thursday, May 1, 14 @ 1:41 pm:
==The “Cult of Madigan” is strong with some today.==
Not sure how suggesting that Madigan’s penchant for successfully playing long game is evidence of a “cult” of anything; only that your certainty of an unforced error proves the point quite nicely.
- Anon - Thursday, May 1, 14 @ 1:41 pm:
AC for schools or the Obama library? Wait a minute, aren’t the Republicans all opposed to extending the temporary income tax hike? The loss of revenue would surely lead to severe cuts in education funding. It seems our Republican friends are concerned about education funding except when it comes to providing the revenues for it.
- Wumpus - Thursday, May 1, 14 @ 1:47 pm:
Has Obama/his library people even asked for this?
- Bemused - Thursday, May 1, 14 @ 1:49 pm:
For the most part I tend to be fine with Obama. I also happen to feel his Presidential Library can be built with private funds.
I wonder if Speaker Madigan would be so quick to pony up 100 mil if the Library were being built in Springfield. There are some who feel having it close to the A. Lincoln Library would have merit.
- Formerly Known As... - Thursday, May 1, 14 @ 2:00 pm:
== only that your certainty of an unforced error proves the point quite nicely. ==
As does your insistence upon the infallibility of Dear Speaker.
All the negative press is part of the “plan”? OK.
- Formerly Known As... - Thursday, May 1, 14 @ 2:05 pm:
Wumpus - from Lynn Sweet == Then, out of the blue, Madigan proposed the unsolicited, giant, State of Illinois sweetener to build the case for the Obama library to be built in Chicago even as the state is looking for cash to pay billions of dollars in bills and pensions.
The foundation certainly did not ask for anything from the state. My goodness, the last thing I can imagine is foundation chief and Obama pal Marty Nesbitt wanting to get embroiled in the Springfield snakepit or a City Hall cesspool. ==
- Anonymous - Thursday, May 1, 14 @ 2:14 pm:
Illinois is BROKE. If we’re too broke to pay back the stolen deferred compensation of workers (pension funds), then we’re too broke for everything else. Broke means broke, doesn’t it?
- Formerly Known As... - Thursday, May 1, 14 @ 3:01 pm:
Looks like Brady rolled an alternative funding option today. That’s another good step.
- ejhickey - Thursday, May 1, 14 @ 4:09 pm:
Does the President want his library in Illinois? has anyone asked him?
- Federalist - Thursday, May 1, 14 @ 4:33 pm:
Why are other excuses/reasons being used to spend this money.
Why not use it to pay the backlog of existing bills?
- persecuted - Thursday, May 1, 14 @ 5:11 pm:
Funny little things: wants and needs. 100 million dollars. Murray Developmental Center, air conditioning in schools, potholes, library/museum, more cops to save kids from killing kids. Wants and needs. Seems hard for people born after 1946 to understand the definition of these two little words.
- wordslinger - Thursday, May 1, 14 @ 9:35 pm:
===Public money is not used in the process in locating, drafting, building and the initial opening and running of these libraries===
From today’s NYT:
–In the past, federal authorities said, private donations as well as gifts of land from nonfederal public entities have been used to build presidential libraries. Nothing in the Presidential Libraries Act precludes a foundation from getting money or land from a state or locality, said Susan K. Donius, director of the office of presidential libraries at the National Archives and Records Administration.–
- Formerly Known As... - Friday, May 2, 14 @ 8:59 am:
== private donations as well as gifts of land from nonfederal public entities have been used to build presidential libraries ==
Word is correct. We know this as demonstrated by the McKinley, Hayes, Coolidge, Lincoln and Wilson libraries.
As has also been previously explained by the NARA, you can build anything you want with public funds as long as you plan on operating and overseeing it long term, rather than the NARA. It’s why Illinois is one of only 2 states to operate a Presidential museum (MA is the other with the Coolidge museum).
- Formerly Known As... - Friday, May 2, 14 @ 9:04 am:
An interesting peripheral fact
Museums for every president from Washington (1) - Coolidge (30) are run by entities other than the NARA. Museums for every president from Hoover (31) - Bush (43) are run by the NARA.
- Frosty The Snowman - Friday, May 2, 14 @ 9:15 am:
Madigan reminds me of Captain Queeg worrying about the missing strawberry ice cream on this one. Mike needs to take a refresher course in “Prioritizing 101″. Maybe Mike Madigan is starting to lose his edge as old age and senility creeps in on him? He probably needs to rethink about when he plans to “dance off of the stage” while the audience is still clapping. My guess is that Lisa could see the subtle changes that had taken place in Mike over the past few years and this was the reason why she wasn’t going to risk losing her good political gig as Illinois Attorney-General. She knew her step-father’s normally sharp-as-a-razor mind was fading away at a rate faster than many others realized.