Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar » 2014

Wednesday, Jun 11, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller

* I’m having some serious Comcast internet problems today, so blogging could be spotty. I never did find an entertaining photo of the governor’s bill-signing ceremony yesterday at a Harley dealership, so we’ll go with the cupcake girl…

* The Question: Caption?

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Voted “least likely to succeed”

Wednesday, Jun 11, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Wanna try and guess the odds of this bill’s success?…

An Illinois lawmaker has introduced a proposal to ask voters in 2015 if term limits should be imposed on leaders in the state Legislature.

State Rep. Jack Franks filed legislation on Monday that would put a nonbinding question on the statewide municipal election ballot next April. The Marengo Democrat says that the structure of state government needs to be overhauled.

Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan recently became the longest-serving official in his leadership position in the nation.

Anyone also want to lay odds on how Franks votes when Madigan is up for reelection in January?

Look, I like Jack a lot. Always have. He’s a good legislator with some bright ideas. But he’s far too in love with these press release bills for my taste.

I do suppose, however, that his proposal could spark some debate, particularly when it comes to certain editorial boards. And I would assume that his idea has lots of support. But, c’mon, unless he’s willing to say he’d vote against MJM for Speaker next year, this ain’t exactly a serious proposal.

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Reform and renewal

Wednesday, Jun 11, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Give state grant money to the head of one of the most effective Democratic political organizations in the state, and surprises are few…

Young job seekers in Chicago’s south suburbs stood to benefit from almost half a million dollars awarded by Gov. Pat Quinn’s now-defunct anti-violence grant program that’s under investigation.

But some of that money went to a local government official with ties to Thornton Township Supervisor Frank Zuccarelli, who is a south suburban power broker known for turning out the vote and a political supporter of Quinn, the Better Government Association has found.

Thornton Township Youth Director Jerry Weems, a Zuccarelli underling and campaign contributor, got part of his salary paid with state grant money; got nearly $10,000 for his own nonprofit; and even more money — $3,600 — for a company owned by his sister-in-law. […]

With the grant money, the nonprofit paid teens $8.50 an hour to pass out anti-violence literature at events. It also paid Weems’ own nonprofit organization, Vision Management Services, $9,600 in 2012 for leading young adult workshops on stress management, anger resolution and basic social skills, according to interviews and records.

The Youth Committee Program also gave Weems a salary of more than $14,000 total in 2011 and 2012 with grant funds. The payments were in addition to Weems’ annual township pay, currently $127,722. Separately, the Youth Committee Program paid Enhanced Skillstreaming Professionals Inc. $3,600 with grant funds in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2013. State records show that private company is owned by Toinette Hill, Weems’ sister-in-law. Hill declined to comment.

Again with paying kids to hand out anti-violence fliers. This is nothing but make-work. OK, it gets kids off the streets for a few hours, puts a few bucks in their pockets, but is it really accomplishing anything?

* Meanwhile…

The legislative commission that last month opened hearings into Auditor General William Holland’s audit of Gov. Pat Quinn’s scandal-tainted Neighborhood Recovery Initiative announced Tuesday a new hearing date in July to continue delving into the report.

The Legislative Audit Commission has set July 16 and, if necessary, July 17 to continue hearing testimony on Quinn’s 2010 anti-violence grant program that is now under state and federal investigation.

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Yeah, that’ll work

Wednesday, Jun 11, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Personally, I think these campaign “countdown clocks” are goofy. And you gotta wonder how much staff time was used to create this silly little “website”…

Quinn for Illinois Launches www.RaunerBudget.com - A Laughing Matter for Bruce

In Honor of Day #464, New Countdown Clock Highlights Billionaire’s Budget Dodge

CHICAGO - A new clock is counting down the days and hours since Bruce Rauner promised to reveal his budget plan, as well as highlight what a laughing matter this silence has become for the billionaire tycoon.

Wednesday marks the 464th day since he entered the governor’s race that Billionaire Bruce has gone without disclosing a detailed budget plan of his own.

Go to RaunerBudget.com to see the clock - and hear just how important he thinks the issue is for the people of Illinois.

The audio file they use is Rauner laughing, repeated over and over again. But it’s poorly done and unless you know the back story (which, by the way, isn’t even linked on the site) you’d have no idea what the heck the clip was supposed to be about.

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The jury got it right

Wednesday, Jun 11, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller

* After Rep. Derrick Smith’s guilty verdict was announced yesterday, a juror told the Tribune that the federal mole was “a slippery and disgusting character” and said the FBI’s investigation was “somewhat sleazy.” More from what the juror said…

Jason Carter, 29, said the jury’s reservations included the FBI’s use of an undercover informant and two-time felon – a man identified at trial only as “Pete” — who repeatedly pushed the West Side legislator on a plan to extort a day care operator who needed a letter of support for a state grant. The scheme was a ruse concocted by federal agents.

“It didn’t feel right to us,” Carter said. “It’s not like he went to a day care and shook them down. He went to an FBI day care…but that was not to be considered by us.”

But…

Finally, after four hours of sometimes-heated deliberations, the jury was able to use the judge’s legal instructions to come to a unanimous verdict on each count of bribery and extortion, Carter said. […]

For a time, the jury’s foreman – not Carter — was strongly opposed to convicting Smith. But in the end, it was Smith who convicted himself with his own words, caught on undercover recordings talking about “cheddar” and “seven stacks” of cash and insisting on hiding any paper trail of the kickback, according to Carter.

“He never said, ‘Hey, listen Pete, I do these letters all the time and they are to help my constituents, not for my own personal gain,’” Carter said.

That’s exactly right. Smith deserved what he got, even if the feds went overboard on this thing.

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Cantor loss has Roskam ripple effect

Wednesday, Jun 11, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller

* US House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s stunning loss in last night’s primary to a tea partier - apparently the first ever primary loss by a Majority Leader in American history - has created an opportunity for one Illinoisan…

Breaking: Roskam is officially running for whip, per sources

— Robert Costa (@costareports) June 11, 2014

Roskam is currently the Chief Deputy Whip.

Curiously enough, voter turnout in Cantor’s off-year primary was actually 37 percent higher than it was during the presidential election. Some have speculated about possible Democratic involvement, but that’s just speculation at this point. Cantor’s internal polling had him 34 points up late last month. An independent poll conducted June 2nd had Cantor ahead 52-39.

Whatever happened, this is a big tea party victory and a huge defeat for the DC powers that be, including the US Chamber, who’ve launched a major effort to beat back the social right this year.

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Wednesday, Jun 11, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Wednesday, Jun 11, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller

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