* Rick Pearson is a state treasure…
Local property taxes have long been among the most unpopular forms of taxation. In 1978, then-Gov. Jim Thompson engineered a nonbinding ballot proposal called the “Thompson proposition” that proposed limits on state and local taxes. It also served as a driver for voter turnout in Thompson’s first re-election campaign, though no action was taken.
Charles Wheeler, a longtime statehouse reporter and professor of public affairs reporting at the University of Illinois at Springfield, questioned whether the lack of details from the Rauner camp on the property tax [freeze] and other issues were part of a “cynical” election strategy.
“I can’t believe they’re as uninformed as these things make them sound. It has to be they’re counting on the rest of us being uninformed and taking this nonsense at face value,” Wheeler said.
“Do they want to freeze the levy, freeze the rate, freeze assessments?” Wheeler asked. “How much money does the state get from property taxes? How much goes to the state? Nothing — not a penny.”
Go read the whole thing. Good, solid stuff.
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Frerichs reserves $1.1 million of TV time
Wednesday, Sep 3, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* A million dollars doesn’t buy a huge amount of TV time (Rauner is spending over half a mil this week in Chicago alone), but it’s more than Tom Cross has to spend, for sure…
State Sen. Mike Frerichs, D-Champaign, has reserved $1.1 million worth of TV air time in his bid to become Illinois Treasurer, the campaign has confirmed to Early & Often. […]
In June, he closed out the second three months of the year with $1.3 million in his campaign account. By comparison, Cross had about a $500,000 balance for the same period.
“This commanding financial advantage allowed the Frerichs campaign to reserve fall TV time at a significant discount,” a campaign statement reads.
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*** UPDATED x1 *** You gotta be kidding me
Wednesday, Sep 3, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* This is the sort of stupid crud that too often passes for “reform” in DC. Roll Call reports that Congressman Brad Schneider’s new TV ad might be in technical violation of federal election law…
Twenty-one seconds into “Together,” the congressman begins his disclaimer: “I’m Brad Schneider and I approve this message because we’re all in this together, accountable to each other.” But the voiceover is coupled with two shots: one of part of the side of Schneider’s face in a shadow as he drives a car and a second shot of him quickly entering a building through a revolving door and barely showing his face.
According to the Federal Election Commission, disclaimers can be conveyed one of two ways:
A full-screen view of the candidate making the statement (11 CFR 110.11(c)(3)(ii)(A)); or
A “clearly identifiable photographic or similar image of the candidate” that appears during the candidate’s voice-over statement. (11 CFR 110.11(c)(3)(ii)(B)).
This particular ad doesn’t fulfill the first requirement and may not fulfill the second requirement.
The Schneider campaign claims the law was followed. The ad in question is here.
I suppose there are reasons for this particular law, and we have our own weird laws and rules here (particularly regarding petition signatures). But, geez.
* Also, please raise your hand if you believe that the fine folks at Roll Call found this on their own by scrupulously timing this one particular advertisement out of the many hundreds currently running all over the nation?
Anybody?
I’ve become a firm believer in labeling opposition research for what it is. Just about everybody passes it off as “journalism” and I’ve come to believe that’s just flat-out deceptive.
*** UPDATE *** We may now know where that oppo came from…
Brad Schneider has landed himself in hot water for potentially breaking Federal Election Commission rules. Nathan Gonzales with Rothenberg Political Report/Roll Call unpacks the possible violations below.
The issue is with Brad Schneider’s shadowed face during the disclaimer – an ironic blunder given Schneider’s ongoing attempts to hide information about his tax returns and so-called small business experience.
It looks like Brad Schneider has a lot more work to do to introduce himself to the 44% of constituents who haven’t seen him do enough to form an opinion about him.
Emily Davis
Deputy Communications Director
Congressional Leadership Fund
…Adding… Apparently, the reporter did find it on his own. My apologies. I get pitched silly little dingy stuff like this every day.
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* The Libertarian Party’s battle to stay on the ballot isn’t over yet. An attorney affiliated with the Illinois Republican Party has filed a motion for judicial review of the State Board of Elections’ ruling allowing the Libertarians ballot access. You can read the motion by clicking here.
Rauner foe Doug Ibendahl is not amused…
The appeal was filed the day before Rauner told reporters he was “outraged” and “appalled” over multiple reports that Rauner supporters employed openly armed men in an effort to get Libertarian Party petition signers and circulators to recant their previously sworn representations.
.
The Libertarian Party last week filed criminal complaints with the Office of the Cook County State’s Attorney and the Office of the Illinois Attorney General. Governor Pat Quinn has also called for a full investigation.
.
Meanwhile, Mr. Rauner apparently hasn’t lifted a finger to clean up his own house. At his August 28 press conference, Rauner claimed ignorance and pointed all fingers at the Illinois Republican Party – despite the fact that at least one of Rauner’s salaried campaign staffers was working closely with the armed muscle.
.
Now that Rauner’s camp has moved the ballot access fight to Springfield, it will be interesting to see what kind of “ammunition” his muscle employs next.
* The Libertarians don’t have much time left to file a response. We’ll see what happens.
But, as they say, never bring a knife to a gun-fight. And this obviously is one.
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Quinn, Rahm tout minimum wage issue
Wednesday, Sep 3, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The minimum wage publicity push is just beginning, so get used to it. Expect to hear lots more about it as the weeks click by. Raising the minimum polls sky high and, of course, there’s that non-binding referendum this November which is designed to bolster turnout.
The general rule of thumb I use is that when my commenters start getting sick of discussing an issue, then it’s just barely starting to penetrate into the rest of the state. So, yeah, you’re sick of hearing that Rauner is rich. Well, most people don’t really know that yet. So, they have to keep pounding and pounding until the message finally burns in. Same with the Democrats’ support for the minimum wage. Like I said above, get used to it.
From a press release…
Governor Pat Quinn today will visit with local residents in communities across Illinois to talk about the importance of raising the minimum wage. The Governor will visit local cafes and fast food restaurants in Kankakee, Champaign, Decatur, Peoria, Galesburg and Rock Falls, to visit with workers and talk about their experiences.
The Governor is taking the minimum wage challenge this week, living off $79, the average amount someone working full time on the minimum wage in Illinois earns per week after housing costs, transportation and taxes. This budget will cover Governor Quinn’s food and living expenses from Sunday, Aug. 31 through Saturday, Sept. 6.
“Those who think that this challenge is a gimmick should spend one day in a minimum wage workers’ shoes,” Governor Quinn said. “Over the past few days I’ve only experienced a small taste of what it’s like to live on minimum wage. Our workers are making painful choices every day. I couldn’t even buy my niece a birthday card - can you imagine what it’s like for a family getting by on minimum wage come Christmas time?”
Raising the minimum wage in Illinois is part of the Governor’s commitment to drive economic growth, alleviate poverty and ensure all workers are treated fairly. Governor Quinn has a plan to raise the minimum wage in Illinois to at least $10 an hour. By increasing the Illinois minimum wage to $10 an hour, a half-million Illinois consumers will make an extra $4,800 a year and much of that extra income will be spent at local businesses on food, clothing and furniture, providing a strong boost to the local economy.
Nearly two-thirds of small-business owners support raising the federal minimum wage because they believe it will help the economy and, in turn, enable them to hire more workers, according to a poll conducted by the Small Business Majority. Leaders from large companies such as Costco, Starbucks and Stride Rite also have supported increasing the minimum wage as a way to reduce employee turnover and improve workers’ productivity.
* From the mayor’s office…
Mayor Rahm Emanuel today signed an Executive Order requiring City contractors and subcontractors to pay employees a minimum wage of $13 per hour for contracts advertised after October 1, 2014. The hourly wage will be indexed to inflation and increase proportionally on a yearly basis thereafter.
“A higher minimum wage is essential to putting a financial floor beneath our hard-working families,” Mayor Emanuel said. “With this Executive action, we’ll help ensure that nobody who is contracted to do work with the City of Chicago will ever have to raise their children in poverty.”
The Executive Order is the first step taken by the City to ensure that all employees contracted with the City of Chicago are provided with sufficient wages for a shot at the middle class. It applies to all service contracts, including construction contracts, advertised after October 1, 2014.
“We made the decision long ago to pay our employees a decent wage that enables them to support their families,” said Deborah Sawyer, President and CEO, Environmental Design International. “Raising the minimum wage is not only good for my employees, but helps reduce worker turnover and improves workplace morale – which helps my bottom line as a small business owner.”
Approximately 1,000 contracted employees will benefit from this Executive Order. These workers are typically employed as landscapers, maintenance workers, security officers, concessionaires, and in custodial services.
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Quinn slammed for criticizing “job creators”
Wednesday, Sep 3, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* This is a $100,000 “targeted online buy” from Americans for Prosperity Illinois. Rate it…
…Adding… Script…
The American dream.
Success.
Security.
That’s what Illinois’s governor should want for all of us.
Does Pat Quinn?
He criticizes job creators and business owners for their hard-earned success
He’s raised taxes, increased spending, and hasn’t solved the pension crisis
And while Illinois loses jobs – and paychecks – Pat Quinn’s taken millions in taxpayer dollars as an Illinois elected official
Call Pat Quinn and tell him to focus on helping people get ahead, instead of demonizing those who do.
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Today’s quotable
Wednesday, Sep 3, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Erickson…
Two years after drawing the ire of downstate voters with his plan to shutter prisons and other state facilities, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn is now highlighting those closures in a new television ad. […]
State Sen. Gary Forby, D-Benton, said the ad shows Quinn is more worried about garnering support in Chicago than in areas south of Interstate 80 where most of the facility closures took place in 2012 and 2013.
He predicted the governor could see a repeat of his 2010 performance when he won just three downstate counties — Jackson, Alexander and St. Clair.
“I’m glad I’m not running this year,” said Forby, who is not up for re-election until 2016.
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Non-denial denial
Wednesday, Sep 3, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tom Kacich took note of the Politico story claiming that the DCCC was pulling out of the race against Congressman Rodney Davis…
But the DCCC still lists Callis’ campaign in its top-tier “red-to-blue” category and hasn’t canceled any of the TV time it has reserved for Callis, starting later this month.
Asked for a comment on whether the DCCC was yanking its support for Callis, spokesman Brandon Lorenz wrote, “Judge Callis is running a strong campaign talking about her record of reform and holding Congressman Davis accountable for keeping perks like his taxpayer-funded gym during his government shutdown.”
Not really a vote of confidence for Callis.
That’s an understatement.
* Meanwhile, Davis is running his second intro ad, and it’s pretty good…
* Script…
I’m Toryn Davis.
Next year I’ll be a freshman in college.
I’m a little nervous but excited to get away from my brothers.
It’s also a little scary to think about how much college costs.
That’s why I’m so proud of my dad, Rodney Davis.
In Congress, he’s fighting to make college more affordable and working just as hard to create jobs, so we all have a better future.
Even them. (points to her brothers, Clark and Griffin).
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Bo-ring
Wednesday, Sep 3, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Give his campaign credit for a quick turnaround, I suppose, but Gov. Quinn’s new Web ad doesn’t live up to the hype of this press release…
A new Web ad from the Quinn for Illinois campaign features a recent headline from The Washington Post that, “Bruce Rauner spends more on wine than average Illinois households spend on everything.”
The Post piece follows Rauner’s admission that he had paid the more than $140,000 fee to join an exclusive Napa Valley wine club, where he helped to found the winery. The Post notes that the average Illinois household income is about $55,000.
Watch the new Web ad here.
Rauner has outraged Republicans and Democrats with his disingenuous attempt to misrepresent himself, dressing up in Carhartt jackets and touting an $18 watch.
In fact, the billionaire owns nine homes, paid $100,000 for an extra parking spot at one of his extra homes, and owns 23,000 acres (the size of Naperville) in Wyoming and Montana. He took in $53 million in 2012 alone.
Between bottles, Rauner has proposed cutting the minimum wage.
*No fancy wine was harmed during the filming.
* Man, is this thing ever boring…
I can’t stop yawning.
* National political writers and bloggers jumped all over this story. Bloomberg, WaPo, TPM, USA Today, Politix, MSNBC, Wonkette, etc. all got in on the gag. Yet all we get is a bottle of wine poured into a glass?
C’mon. Y’all can’t do better than this? It’s a Web ad. People won’t watch Web ads unless they’re somehow interesting. This ain’t.
Maybe they should have a glass of wine or two before brainstorming the next one.
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Quinn still has base problems
Wednesday, Sep 3, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* A new Reboot Illinois/We Ask America poll has Bruce Rauner leading Gov. Pat Quinn by eight and a half points, 45.5-37 with 7 percent going to Libertarian Chad Grimm. That’s down from Rauner’s 14-point lead in late July’s poll. Grimm may be having an impact here.
For the first time in a very long time (if ever) in a We Ask America poll, Quinn is actually leading Rauner in suburban Cook County, albeit by just a half a point, with Grimm taking 5 points. But Quinn is still getting slaughtered among self-identified independents 47-29. Rauner is stomping Quinn 57-32-6 in the collars and 52-24-9 Downstate.
* But the immediate problem for the governor is Democrats…
Compare that to Rauner’s showing with Republicans…
* Another problem he absolutely has to deal with is women…
Men tend to vote Republican, even in this state. If you’re a Democrat, you have to win the female vote. Period.
* From the pollster…
“As I’ve seen in other polls recently, the race for governor is tightening up,” said We Ask America Chief Operating Officer Gregg Durham. “Undoubtedly, the presence of a Libertarian candidate gives voters who aren’t happy with their choices an outlet for their frustration, and it appears to be hurting Rauner more than Quinn. Nearly 12 percent of the self-described independents chose Grimm; a situation that probably won’t last…but where will they end up?”
* Methodology…
This Reboot Illinois copyrighted poll asked respondents, “If the election for governor were held today, would you vote for Democrat Pat Quinn, Republican Bruce Rauner, or Libertarian Chad Grimm?” The poll is based on automated phone calls with a random sample of 1,064 likely Illinois voters statewide. The poll, conducted by We Ask America on Sept 2., 2014, has a margin of error of +/-3 percentage points. 29% of responses are from cell phone contacts.Party split of respondents: 35% Democrats, 27% Republicans, 38% Independents
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JBT maintains strong lead
Wednesday, Sep 3, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* A new poll from We Ask America has Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka leading Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon by 20 points, 51.4 to 31.5, with the Libertarian Party candidate receiving 8 percent. A July 31st poll had JBT’s lead at 19 points, without including the Libertarian Party candidate.
From Reboot…
The best news for Topinka came in one of the few categories where she trailed Simon, the daughter of Illinois Democratic icon Paul Simon. While Simon led Topinka by nearly 9 points among Chicago voters, Topinka was the choice for 34 percent of respondents in Chicago. A Republican candidate who can win 20 percent of the vote in Chicago has a strong chance of winning statewide.
“Despite the Libertarian candidate’s relatively strong performance, incumbent Republican Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka continues to distance herself from Democrat Sheila Simon,” said Gregg Durham, chief operating officer of We Ask America. “If Topinka’s extraordinary strength in Chicago holds, it will be tough for Simon to close the gap.” […]
The Sept. 2 poll included 29 percent of responses from cell phone contacts and had a margin of error of +/- 3 percent. Among respondents to the poll, 35 percent identified themselves as Democrats, 27 percent said they were Republicans and 38 percent said they were independents.
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* More magic ponies…
* Illinois Observer…
Local government finance experts have, however, panned Rauner’s proposal as unworkable and unrealistic because it would hamstring municipalities and school districts alike in their efforts to manage budgets in which routine inflation, for example, drives up costs.
“Mr. Rauner may be financial wizard in private business, but the property tax freeze idea betrays a total lack of awareness of municipal finance,” a suburban Cook County mayor told The Illinois Observer. “It belongs in the category of bizarre pipe dreams.”
Ah, but bizarre pipe dreams sell.
Policy aside, tapping perennial voter frustration over high property taxes and their routine increase is good politics – and a potential windfall for political consultants who would need to persuade voters either way.
*** UPDATE *** Quinn campaign response…
In response to a deceptive new television ad by Republican billionaire Bruce Rauner, who improperly filed for three property tax exemptions, former Cook County Assessor Jim Houlihan issued the below statement:
“In his deceptive new television ad, Bruce Rauner fails to mention that the Rauner Tax Plan would blow an $8 billion hole in the state budget and cause localities to enact the biggest property tax hike in Illinois history.
“The cuts in state funding for education made necessary by the Rauner Tax Plan would shift the financial burden for school districts to local property taxes. This would leave no choice but to send property taxes sky high.
“Mr. Rauner should stop deceiving voters.”
In reality, Governor Quinn, who opposes property tax increases, has made the tough decisions to restore fiscal stability to Illinois, putting the state in a position to provide more funding for schools and reduce reliance on property taxes.
Houlihan served as Cook County Assessor from 1997 to 2011 and before that served in the Illinois House of Representatives and as an aide to Chicago Mayor Harold Washington.
While Assessor, Houlihan fought to lower unfair property taxes that hurt families and businesses, instituting a 7% homeowner exemption. These efforts sought to decrease reliance on the property tax to fund education and other important services, a key priority for Governor Quinn as outlined in his 2014 State of the State address.
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* From AFSCME Council 31…
Four years ago, Scott Walker became governor of Wisconsin and launched an all-out assault on public employees. He pushed through legislation stripping state, university and city/county workers of their right to bargain collectively. The impact was immediate and devastating.
Now, billionaire CEO Bruce Rauner is running for Illinois governor and vowing to copy Walker’s extreme agenda. Our neighbors to the north have a personal message about what this would mean for AFSCME members here. Watch this brand-new video to hear directly from public-service workers in Wisconsin
After you’ve watched, here are three steps you can take to help spread the word and make a difference:
In unity,
Roberta Lynch
Executive director
AFSCME Council 31
* The video…
Discuss.
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