*** 7:15 p.m. *** - A source briefed on the matter says the Dept. of Corrections inadvertently released employee names, job titles, and Social Security Numbers while completing a Freedom of Information Act request filed by a member of the general public.
Illinois officials erroneously released the Social Security numbers of more than 1,000 Illinois Department of Corrections’ employees this week.
A news release from the IDOC on Friday evening stated that, in response to a civilian Freedom of Information Act request, employees’ Social Security numbers were released along with their ranks, salaries and job duties.
…Adding…
Official DOC statement…
On Friday, August 14th, we were made aware of a security breach within the Illinois Department of Corrections. More than 1,000 of our employee’s Social Security Numbers were included in a response to a civilian FOIA request, along with their names, ranks, salaries, and job duties. We sincerely apologize for the release of this personal information and we are working to remedy the situation. At this time, there is no indication that the information has been misused. We are in the process of notifying the impacted employees and will be available to assist them with any questions they may have.
Since the breach was discovered, we have undertaken an investigation of the incident. We are also reviewing our internal policies and procedures and will make necessary adjustments to prevent similar incidents in the future. The General Assembly has also been notified, as required under the Personal Information Protection Act, 815 ILCS 530.
*** 8:42 p.m. *** - The Department of Corrections says it has launched an internal investigation into the incident. They won’t confirm where the employees worked just yet, however employee notifications are being sent out in tomorrow morning’s mail.
*** 9:09 a.m. 8/15 *** - AFSCME’s statement…
“The department yesterday informed our union of the potential breach of correctional employees’ personal information. In response to this troubling disclosure, AFSCME immediately recommended steps to inform employees and prevent the data from becoming public.
“At this time we believe that the actions of a quick-thinking mailroom worker stopped the information from being released. That individual is to be lauded for their actions and good judgment.
“AFSCME will do all we can to protect the security and personal privacy of the men and women who keep Illinois safe.”
* Here is a band you never…ever…ever…EVER thought would make an appearance on Capitol Fax.
But then again, remember the last time Miller went on vacation and left me the keys? He sent us some European screamo song for the Friday p.m. post.
So maybe this isn’t so random.
* I was a big Fall Out Boy fan when they were starting up in the early 2000s. Back then those guys played shows in the community centers and Lions Club halls in rural middle of nowhere central Illinois like they were sold out stadiums. I remember at one of their shows before they went really mainstream (I think it was at Bone Student Center?) a member of the event staff came to the microphone and warned us about getting too rowdy and out of hand. Without missing a beat, the band opened the set saying we’d take to the streets if they shut down the show.
Adding to the energy of those shows was a sense of pride. Here was a musical act quickly on the rise, and they were our generation and our state. Now THAT was cool.
* Anyways, FOB is playing the Fair this weekend. If they play the Grandstand like they played backwater Illinois back then, you guys are in for a good time.
This conversation’s still dead on arrival
Thanks for putting up with the kid this week. See y’all around.
Standard Poor’s Ratings Service lowered the Chicago Board of Education’s credit to junk, giving a thumbs-down to CEO Forrest Claypool’s proposed budget for 2016.
S&P becomes the third ratings agency to drop the Board of Ed to below investment grade, following downgrades by Moody’s Investors Service in May and Fitch Ratings in July.
“The rating action reflects our view of the proposed fiscal 2016 budget, which includes what we view as the board’s continued structural imbalance and low liquidity with a reliance on external borrowing for cash flow needs,” said S&P analyst Jennifer Boyd, according to a statement.
Kroll Bond Rating Agency is the only firm to give the Board of Ed an investment grade rating of BBB, one notch above junk bond status.
Governor Bruce Rauner announced today he has made appointments to the Labor Advisory Board, as well as several Arbitrator reappointments to the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission.
Name: Robert J. Fulton
Position: Member – Labor Advisory Board
Governor Bruce Rauner has appointed Robert J. Fulton to the Labor Advisory Board. Fulton brings close to four decades of experience in labor relations to the board.
Since 2007, Fulton has been a business manager and financial secretary-treasurer at Machine Movers, Riggers & Machinery Erectors, Local Union 136. In this capacity, Fulton provided leadership to Local 136 by negotiating collective bargaining agreements, overseeing day-to-day business and representing the union at political meetings. Prior to this, Fulton was a business agent and apprentice coordinator at Local 136.
Fulton resides in Chicago.
Name: Pedro DeJesus, Jr.
Position: Member – Labor Advisory Board
Governor Bruce Rauner has appointed Pedro DeJesus, Jr. to the Labor Advisory Board. DeJesus’ experience in corporate management and legal affairs will provide the board with unique insight.
DeJesus is currently the Executive Vice President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary at Tampico Beverages, Inc. In this capacity, DeJesus serves on Tampico’s executive leadership team. His principal areas of focus are commercial negotiations, corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property rights management and legal affairs. He also provides strategic advice to the management team and the board of directors. He has been in this role since 2007. From 2004 to 2007, DeJesus was Vice President & Corporate Counsel at Information Resources, Inc. Prior to that he was an attorney at McGuireWoods Ross & Hardies.
DeJesus earned his bachelor’s degree from Roosevelt University and his law degree from Northwestern University School of Law. He lives in Lake Forest.
Name: Guy Niedorkorn
Position: Member – Labor Advisory Board
Governor Bruce Rauner has appointed Guy Niedorkorn to the Labor Advisory Board. Niedorkorn brings 13 years of experience to the board.
Niedorkorn is the Vice President of the Power and Utility Group at Aldridge Electric, where he is responsible for overseeing that department’s operations. He has served in this capacity since 2003.
Niedorkorn is an active member of Local 134 IBEW and is on the Corporate Advisory Board for the Illinois Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
Niedorkorn resides in Palatine.
Name: John T. Coli
Position: Member – Labor Advisory Board
Governor Bruce Rauner has appointed John T. Coli to the Labor Advisory Board. Coli brings close to four decades of experience in labor relations to the board.
Coli serves as the President of Joint Council 25 in Chicago and Secretary-Treasurer of Local 727. Coli has been a Teamster since starting work as a parking lot attendant in 1971. He has served as a steward, business agent and Executive Board member of various labor organizations.
Coli resides in Chicago.
Name: Mark B. Buisson
Position: Member – Labor Advisory Board
Governor Bruce Rauner has appointed Mark B. Buisson to the Labor Advisory Board. Buisson’s experience in the insurance industry, as well as in sales and marketing will bring an important perspective to the board.
Buisson is currently the Vice President, Region Executive at PURE Insurance. At PURE, Buisson is responsible for growth, profit and loss for the company’s Midwest region, which is comprised of twelve states and includes $40 million in premiums. Prior to this role, Buisson was a sales and marketing manager at PURE, as well as the Director at Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company. He is a Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) and Certified Risk Manager (CRM).
Buisson earned his bachelor’s degree in English from Carthage College. He lives in Mundelein.
Name: Jonathan D. Ginzel
Position: Member – Labor Advisory Board
Governor Bruce Rauner has appointed Jonathan D. Ginzel to the Labor Advisory Board. Ginzel brings extensive experience in labor and employee relations to the board.
Ginzel is currently the Director of Labor & Employee Relations at Caterpillar Inc. At Caterpillar, Ginzel is responsible for negotiating and administering labor contracts in the U.S. and Canada, as well as providing consolation on labor issues globally. Prior to this role, Ginzel was a Senior Human Resource Manager and Division Manager at Caterpillar.
Ginzel earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Bradley University as well as his MBA and law degrees from Washington University in St. Louis. He lives in Peoria.
Name: Kim Clarke Maisch
Position: Member – Labor Advisory Board
Governor Bruce Rauner has appointed Kim Clarke Maisch to the Labor Advisory Board. Clarke Maisch’s knowledge of small business issues and the impact of legislation and regulation on them will be incredibly helpful to the board.
Clarke Maisch has been the Illinois State Director of the National Federation of Independent Business since 1998. In this role, Clarke Maisch is responsible for the organization’s communications with both the media and state agencies. Prior to this, she was Director of Communications for Illinois Comptroller Loleta Didrickson. She has previously served on the Illinois Department of Employment Security Advisory Board, the Illinois Small Business & Workforce Development Task Force, the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Advisory Board and the Social Security Retirement Pay Task Force.
Clarke Maisch earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism and political science from Southern Illinois University and a master’s degree in public affairs reporting from the University of Illinois at Springfield. She lives in Springfield.
Governor Bruce Rauner has nominated John R. Baldwin to become the next Director of the Illinois Department of Corrections. Baldwin is the former Director of the Iowa Department of Corrections and brings more than 35 years of overall experience to the position.
Baldwin led the Iowa Department of Corrections from January 2007 until his retirement in January of this year. As the director he oversaw a staff of nearly 4,000 officers who supervised 38,000 offenders. During his tenure, he worked with the Pew-MacArthur Results First Initiative to build a state-specific cost-benefit analysis on the state’s corrections department. The data was used to make more informed policy and budget decisions in an effort to reduce recidivism.
Baldwin began working for the Iowa Department of Corrections in 1983. In addition to his leadership as Director, Baldwin was the Deputy Director of Administration where he oversaw a number of areas including the budget, personnel and evidence-based practices. Prior to that, he supervised the business office for a forensic psychiatric hospital that was under the control of the Iowa Department of Corrections.
Baldwin holds a master’s degree in political science from Iowa State University and a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Iowa.
Nearly 90 percent of state spending has now been committed because of recent court rulings and Rauner administration actions even though there is no state budget in place.
Illinois Senate Democrats estimate that 89.4 percent of all state general funding is covered by court orders, consent decrees, mandated state spending or other agreements and arrangements. In other words, almost 90 percent of what the state usually spends has already been committed even through there’s no state budget in place.
In recent weeks, a federal judge ordered the state to pay Medicaid providers who serve children in Cook County. Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration subsequently announced that it would expand those payments to Medicaid providers serving children throughout the state. Most recently, the administration further expanded that to cover all Medicaid providers and all services statewide in order to avoid additional legal action.
That means nearly $7.8 billion worth of Medicaid spending will occur at the Department of Healthcare and Family Services despite there being no state budget in place. Medicaid spending across all state agencies is approaching $9 billion in the absence of a budget. The Medicaid program and overall budget numbers reflect Senate Democrats’ best estimates based on tracking of past budgets and estimated spending for those programs in the current budget year.
At the moment, the court orders and other agreements have put the state on a trajectory to spend an estimated $38 billion this fiscal year. The budget lawmakers approved that the governor vetoed, contained $36 billion in spending and investments. The state is expected to bring in $33 billion in revenue this budget year.
The thing is that these consent decrees do not cap spending. They only say what services or operations should be funded - sometimes broadly. To the best of our knowledge the administration is sticking to Fiscal Year 2015, but absent a budget and with the decrees structured the way they are there isn’t anything binding them to that.
So what if the budget passes with an appropriation that is below what was spent under the consent decree? It doesn’t sound like there is solid answer to that right now. Depending on how late in the year a budget comes and how much has been spent by then, is it possible there won’t be enough left to cut so that revenues and expenditures line up?
The whole scenario reminds me of speculation during the campaign that Rauner would have to sign a tax increase because the budget would be that bad and his hands would be tied. Are we headed that direction?
* I did ask the Governor’s Office if they agreed with the Senate Dem’s analysis. Their response…
The Governor proposed and asked the legislature to support numerous proposals that would result in billions of dollars of savings to the State, including adjustments to Medicaid provider rates, reductions in the amount the state spends on units of local government, pension reforms, workers compensation reforms, and reforms to the state employees’ health insurance program, among others. None of those proposals have been enacted by the legislature. None.
Instead the Madigan Democrats continue to support the failed status quo and push only for tax increases which failed to solve any problems over the last 4 years.
* Senate Democrats announced their intentions to make MAP Grants their next funding goal. They call it a “financial aid compromise to end student limbo…”
Democrats increased MAP funding in a budget proposal approved earlier this year. Rauner, however, vetoed the legislation, leaving many colleges and students in limbo for the coming year. Because of the governor’s veto, the state began its budget year on July 1 without a full budget plan, forcing colleges and universities to start up a new academic year with no state support and no financial aid for students.
That’s where the Senate hopes to begin to add some certainty. Since the governor vetoed efforts to raise MAP funding, the Senate Democrats are now putting forward a compromise that mirrors funding levels recommended by the governor in his budget plan.
Gov. Rauner recommended spending $373.3 million on student financial aid through MAP. The General Assembly approved an addition $24 million in student aid that led to the veto.
* Our Opinion: Topinka correctly predicted Illinois’ heart attack: The state is like a body, Topinka said during a campaign debate between her and Democratic challenger, former Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon. “If you try to pull it all out now, you will take a $2 billion hit, and you will cause the state to have a heart attack,” Topinka said. “You will also cause me to have a heart attack, because it would leave us high and dry.”
* An analysis of a recent PPP survey by the Clean Energy Trust suggests Gov. Rauner could win over, or at least maintain some support, of independent Illinois voters by supporting President Obama’s new clean energy plan.
According to a recent survey by Public Policy Polling (PPP), Illinoisans overwhelmingly support President Obama’s Clean Power Plan (CPP) by a margin of 67-31%, including 48% who strongly support it. Among Democrats, 85% approve of the CPP (73% strongly) while 67% Independents support the CPP, including 43% who strongly favor the President’s plan.
Even after negative arguments against the CPP are read to respondents, voters still overwhelmingly favor the President’s plan, with 62% of Illinois voters approving and just 31% opposed. Again, plans to limit carbon pollution are popular with Independents, who favor the CPP by a twenty-point margin, 59-39%, even after negative arguments are read.
Once respondents are read a description of the Illinois Clean Jobs bill, which would raise wind and solar production to 35% and double energy efficiency in order to meet the President’s Clean Power Plan, 67% approve while just 31% oppose. As with the CPP, Independents pace support for the Illinois Clean Jobs bill by 65- 33% margin, including 45% who strongly support.
Were Governor Rauner to support the CPP, it would greatly help him win back Democrats and Independents whose support may have waned during the ongoing and highly partisan budget crisis. By 38-15% margin, voters would look more favorably upon Governor Rauner if he supports President Obama’s initiative. That includes an astonishing 48-6% margin among Democrats and a healthy 23-point margin among Independents, whose opinion of Governor Rauner would improve by a 36-13% margin. Even 26% of Republicans would feel more favorable to Rauner if he supported the CPP.
The hike was supposed to be automatic because of court decisions and a 2014 law.
But Rauner, a Republican, battered the Legislature for weeks in mid-summer over the 2 percent cost-of-living adjustment for lawmakers who haven’t seen an increase in eight years.
But there were a few other fairly interesting measures the Governor also acted on, including some vetoes. Let’s go over them together, shall we?
The bill numbers and actions taken were announced via press release yesterday. The synopsis is straight from the General Assembly’s website.
Bill No.: HB 228
An Act Concerning State Government
Action: Signed
Effective Date: January 1, 2016
Amends the General Assembly Organization Act. Provides that until 4 years after the effective date of the amendatory Act, the General Assembly shall not enact any law creating any new unit of local government, including, but not limited to, the division of existing units of local government. Provides that the amendatory Act does not apply to the creation of a new unit of local government from the consolidation of 2 or more pre-existing units of local government.
Bill No.: HB2644
An Act Concerning Civil Law
Action: Veto
Current law permits condominium owners, acting by approval of 75% of unit owners, to limit or restrict certain rights of their board with respect to disputes and legal actions. This bill would remove that right and automatically void any contrary provision in a condominium instrument. This bill is an unnecessary restriction on the rights of condominium owners with respect to their property.
Bill No.: HB3104
An Act Concerning Local Government
Action: Signed
Effective Date: Immediate
Amends the Counties Code. Provides that appropriations required to meet an immediate emergency and certain transfers of appropriations exceeding the budget may be made with a two-thirds vote of a county board….provides that transfers of appropriations may be made without a vote of the board except in transfers that affect personnel and capital which require a two-thirds vote. Further provides that such transfers may be made only if the total amount appropriated for the fund is not affected.
Bill No.: HB3231
An Act Concerning Animals
Action: Signed
Effective Date: January 1, 2016
Amends the Humane Care for Animals Act. Provides that, in addition to any other penalty provided by law, a person who is convicted of a specified cruel treatment of animals violation upon a companion animal in the presence of a child shall be subject to a fine of $250 and ordered to perform community service for not less than 100 hours.
Bill No.: HB 3428
An Act Concerning Education
Action: Signed
Effective Date: Immediate
Amends the College and Career Success for All Students Act. Provides that beginning with the 2016-2017 academic year, scores of 3, 4, and 5 on the College Board Advanced Placement examinations shall be accepted for credit to satisfy degree requirements by all public institutions of higher education. Provides that each institution of higher education shall determine for each test whether credit will be granted for electives, general education requirements, or major requirements and the Advanced Placement scores required to grant credit for those purposes. Provides that by the conclusion of the 2019-2020 academic year, the Board of Higher Education shall analyze the Advanced Placement examination score course granting policy of each institution of higher education and the research used by each institution in determining the level of credit and the number of credits provided for the Advanced Placement scores and file a report that includes findings and recommendations to the General Assembly and the Governor. Provides that each institution of higher education shall publish its updated Advanced Placement examination score course granting policy on its Internet website before the beginning of the 2016-2017 academic year. Effective immediately.
Bill No.: SB 816
An Act Concerning Local Government
Action: Amendatory Veto
Note: Amendatory veto message below.
Illinois currently has almost 7,000 units of local government, far more than any state in the country. I strongly support the authority of units of local government to take initiative to dissolve and consolidate.
In one particular circumstance, however, this authority is hampering the DuPage Water Commission’s ability to effectively serve its constituents. The Commission was created and funded by voluntary participating municipalities. Because the Commission can be effectively dissolved by those municipalities, the additional authority conferred by the 2014 law is not necessary in the limited case of the Commission.
Bill No.: SB 1344
An Act Concerning Civil Law
Action: Veto
Note: Veto message is below
Under current law, a common interest community association may initiate the process to incorporate as a municipality upon approval by two-thirds of its members. Senate Bill 1344 would lower that threshold from two-thirds to “51%” of the members.
The decision to incorporate as a municipality, which implicates a range of tax and local governance policies, should not be taken lightly. Illinois has almost 7,000 units of local government, more than any state in country. As such, we should maintain the higher threshold for initiating the incorporation process.
Bill No.: SB 1360
An Act Concerning Business
Action: Veto
Note: Veto message is below.
Under current law, a business that operates with an assumed name is required to register that name with the Secretary of State and each county in which the business operates. The business is also required to renew that registration with the Secretary of State – and pay a renewal fee to the State – periodically. This bill would require the business to also renew its registration with Cook County, but no other county, every five years and pay a renewal fee to Cook County.
This new mandate and fee would apply mostly to small businesses. The economic climate in Illinois is already detrimental to business, particularly small business. Over and over, we hear small businesses report that they are overburdened with regulations and fees, which hamper their ability to expand and impose barriers to entry.
“We continue to look forward to productive conversations as we work toward an agreement that protects our classrooms, our teachers’ pensions and the taxpayers,” district spokeswoman Emily Bittner said. “Mediation is often productive in helping parties bridge their disagreements.”
Because the Chicago Teachers Union has deemed picking up all 7 percent of its pension costs at once as “strikeworthy,” Mayor Rahm Emanuel confirmed Wednesday that CPS CEO Forrest Claypool will propose stretching out the change over several years.
“It’s one of those things that the parties do when you don’t have a contract done, by law,” said CTU attorney Robert Bloch. “We could settle through mediation, that could get it done.”
Mediation is the first of several steps required before a strike can occur. The CTU has not yet held a strike authorization vote by its members.
* Meanwhile, We Are One chairman Michael Carrigan has an editorial in today’s SJ-R bashing the Governor for vetoing the arbitration bill…
The use of an independent arbitrator is a common and time-tested way to resolve contract disputes. The same fair process that SB 1229 offers to all state employees has been used for police officers, firefighters and prison security staff in Illinois for more than 30 years.
Unfortunately, Gov. Rauner has employed a lot of misinformation in his effort to defeat the bill. Contrary to his claims, there are many safeguards to ensure arbitration is fair. Among them, the governor and union mutually select the independent arbitrator, who has to take the state’s financial condition into account in crafting the fairest possible result for both sides.
The governor says the bill is not needed because he won’t lock out state workers. Tellingly, however, he never says he won’t try to impose demands so extreme that employees essentially are forced out on strike
* Related…
* New CPS CEO Forrest Claypool lines up leadership team: Andrell Holloway, a former CTA official who supervised internal audits, has taken a similar position at the school district at a $191,000 annual salary.
Another hire from the CTA is Doug Kucia, who resumes his role as Claypool’s chief of staff. Kucia, a longtime aide to Claypool during his time as a Cook County commissioner and head of CTA, has an office adjacent to Claypool’s executive suite at CPS’ downtown headquarters and will make $175,000 a year.
* My family and I marched in the Twilight Parade. There were a TON of people at the Fairgrounds taking in the parade and the preview. Here are some of the videos I took…
Jenny and I thought Robin, who is 14 months now, would throw a bunch of waves and blow kisses as she is prone to do during our walks through the park. No dice…
he Illinois Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in November on Chicago’s year-old pension law.
Orders entered Thursday set an expedited schedule with briefs due over the next three months.
The overhaul approved by Illinois lawmakers sought to eliminate more than $9 billion in unfunded pension liability by cutting benefits and increasing contributions. It would affect about 61,000 city employees and retirees.
Last month, Cook County Circuit Court Judge Rita Novak overturned a 2014 state law that reduced cost-of-living benefit increases for retired city workers and laborers and increased contributions by current employees. Those changes were coupled with increases in taxpayer payments to the pension funds.
Novak based her decision on a unanimous state Supreme Court ruling in May on a similar pension case. The court struck down a law changing state pensions, saying the Illinois Constitution’s protection against “diminished or impaired” pension benefits for public workers and current retirees was absolute. Novak concluded that ruling provided “crystal-clear direction” in the city pension case.
* I found this study while researching the McQueary column.
A study of New Orleans schools that considered test results of only students that returned to NOLA after the storm and their cohorts was published recently and concluded…
Student academic performance has risen considerably in New Orleans over the last decade as most of the city’s public schools were turned into charters, according to the Education Research Alliance.
The education overhaul following Hurricane Katrina boosted student performance by eight to 15 percentage points in the last decade. (That’s effects of 0.2 to 0.4 standard deviations for the more statistically minded among you).
That range takes into account a variety of factors that could skew the numbers either way: the effects of trauma, population changes, test-based accountability, and students spending a spell in better-performing out-of-state schools after evacuating from New Orleans.
Assuming the research was done in good faith and without bias, it sounds like good news. But then you have to consider that this only puts New Orleans on par with school districts throughout the State of Louisiana, which is consistently rated as one of the worst in the nation. Progress, but where else is there to go if the only option is up?
The national response to the hurricane aftermath was heartening, and for many young people, contributing to the rebuilding effort became a calling. Later, as the reform effort took hold, New Orleans also became the nation’s epicenter of school reform, an ideal place for aspiring reform-minded educators. Because the city is smaller than many urban districts, school leaders could be very selective in choosing from the pool of educators who wanted to come and work there.
The effects might also be smaller, at least in the short run, if the reforms were adopted on a statewide basis, because the reform is dependent on a specific supply of teachers. It seems difficult enough attracting effective teachers and leaders to work long hours at modest salaries in New Orleans; doing it throughout Louisiana is unrealistic without a major change in the educator labor market.
Leslie Koczur was a very popular lobbyist who worked for Comed as well as other organizations.
She passed away Tuesday. Can you post the details?
Here are the arrangements for Leslie Koczur:
The family will accept visitors on Sunday, August 16, 2015 from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Sullivan Funeral Home & Cremation, 60 South Grant Street, Hinsdale, IL 60521, 630-323-0275.
Funeral service will be held on Monday, August 17, 2015 at 11:30 a.m. at St. Isaac Jogues Parish, 306 West 4th Street, Hinsdale, IL 60617, 630-323-1248.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund (JDRF)http://jdrf.org/
Many readers thought my premise — through my use of metaphor and hyperbole — was out of line. I certainly hear you. I am reading your tweets and emails. And I am horrified and sickened at how that column was read to mean I would be gunning for actual death and destruction
*** End of update ***
* A member of the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board and columnist is facing strong criticism for saying she hoped a “storm” would hit the nation’s third largest city as the 10-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina approaches.
Envy isn’t a rational response to the upcoming 10-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
But with Aug. 29 fast approaching and New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu making media rounds, including at the Tribune Editorial Board, I find myself wishing for a storm in Chicago — an unpredictable, haughty, devastating swirl of fury. A dramatic levee break. Geysers bursting through manhole covers. A sleeping city, forced onto the rooftops.
That’s what it took to hit the reset button in New Orleans. Chaos. Tragedy. Heartbreak.
That’s why I find myself praying for a storm. OK, a figurative storm, something that will prompt a rebirth in Chicago. I can relate, metaphorically, to the residents of New Orleans climbing onto their rooftops and begging for help and waving their arms and lurching toward rescue helicopters.
* The column was initially posted on chicagotribune.com at around 3:20 p.m. yesterday, but was subject to some edits throughout the remainder of the afternoon and early evening. Huffington Post Chicago saved the first edition, and has made it available for review.
Among the edits was a new headline…
“In Chicago, wishing for a Hurricane Katrina” to “Chicago, New Orleans, and rebirth”
…and a modified closing…
“That’s why I find myself praying for a real storm. It’s why I can relate, metaphorically, to the residents of New Orleans climbing onto their rooftops and begging for help and waving their arms and lurching toward rescue helicopters.”
“That’s why I find myself praying for a storm. OK, a figurative storm, something that will prompt a rebirth in Chicago. I can relate, metaphorically, to the residents of New Orleans climbing onto their rooftops and begging for help and waving their arms and lurching toward rescue helicopters.”
On that front, a comparison of how the City of New Orleans, Louisiana, spends its money and levies its taxes to the City of Chicago, Illinois? Really? Quite a few differences between the two.
Today, there’s a feeling of desolation on nearly every block of the [Lower Ninth Ward] predominantly African-American neighborhood.
One of the first things you notice is the many empty lots, several on every street. Instead of houses, they now hold weeds and tall grass.
After Katrina, only about 37 percent of households returned to this once-vibrant neighborhood, which had a population of about 14,000 in 2000.
* Putting all of that aside, I can’t quite figure out what the author is hoping for if not a catastrophic natural disaster…
That’s what it took to hit the reset button in New Orleans. Chaos. Tragedy. Heartbreak.
Residents overthrew a corrupt government. A new mayor slashed the city budget, forced unpaid furloughs, cut positions, detonated labor contracts. New Orleans’ City Hall got leaner and more efficient. Dilapidated buildings were torn down. Public housing got rebuilt. Governments were consolidated.
…and…
At City Hall, nothing much has changed under four years of Mayor Rahm Emanuel. The candidate in 2011 who promised to make tough decisions on city finances has followed many of the risky practices of his predecessor. The city continues to pass budgets that are unbalanced and rely on borrowing, temporary revenue sources, gimmicky fee hikes and tax increment finance sweeps.
But before closing…
So if you think somehow new leadership is going to right the ship, you might want to get your head checked.
If electing new leadership won’t solve the problem, then why wish for a catastrophic event that might lead to an overthrow of the government? The column is critical of Mayor Emanuel for, in the author’s view, breaking his promise to make tough decisions. But if new leadership won’t change things, then I guess Emanuel can count on your vote.
For crying out loud, the new Governor this editorial board endorsed and has backed at virtually every turn while simultaneously lobbing bombs at his political enemies was elected after campaigning to shake things up. But if new leadership won’t solve the problem, as this column says, then all of that was for naught.
Throw the bums out, but that won’t fix the problem. What does that mean? Is that a different way of saying, “Meet the new boss; same as the old boss?” Is that to say we’re forever trapped in a cycle we can never free ourselves of?
If that’s the case, then what is the point of wishing for “an unpredictable, haughty, devastating swirl of fury” storm, figurative or not, other than just to have one?
* Last day, campers. I hope those of you who were in town enjoyed the Twilight Parade and the Fair.
A Bears pre-season victory and a Cubs sweep of the Crew certainly made for an even more enjoyable evening.
Let’s do this. Only one more day to the weekend!
* Frustrated Emanuel takes second crack at infrastructure trust: Nearly the entire board has been replaced ahead of a Friday meeting. Former Boeing Co. executive James Bell quietly resigned as the trust’s chairman in January with a year left on his term. The new chairman is Kurt Summers, who was an executive at the private equity firm of the mayor’s top campaign donor when Emanuel named him city treasurer late last year.
* Schock judge schedules hearing next week on leaks: U.S. District Court Judge Sue Myerscough ordered the hearing after federal prosecutors told the court “that, on August 10, 2015, there were media reports containing information that appear to derive solely from the government’s motion for an order to show cause, which remained sealed as of August 10, 2015.” “In light of this information, the court sets this matter for a videoconference on August 18, 2015, at 2:00 p.m.,” the judge said in the order.
* Top taxi official admits laundering vehicle title on Chicago cab: Alexander Igolnikov, 68, of Northbrook, faces five years in prison and a $250,000 fine after pleading guilty to a single count of securities fraud when he is sentenced Nov. 19 by U.S. District Judge Edmond Chang.
* Motorola Mobility slashes 500 jobs in Chicago: Motorola Mobility is cutting 500 positions, or 25 percent of its workforce in Chicago, as part of a major restructuring by its parent, China’s Lenovo Group.
* Chicago FOP president worries new Rauner law will slow cop responses: “This will burden the officers with more paperwork and keep them from being proactive,” FOP President Dean Angelo said Thursday. “They won’t be out there as much as they used to be.”
* SEIU Healthcare has a new ad attacking the Governor…
A new 30-second ad featuring the opposition of First Lady Diana Rauner and former Republican Gov. Jim Edgar to the dangerous cuts and political posturing of Bruce Rauner will debut today statewide, targeting a dozen legislators who previously have supported Illinois’ successful child care and home care programs.
A narrator in the ad notes the consequences of Bruce Rauner’s budget and contract proposals, as well as administrative rules changes, that would force seniors and people with disabilities into nursing homes and 100,000 kids off the state’s Child Care Assistance Program.
“If you think this is wrong, you’re not alone,” the narrator says, jumping to news footage highlighting the Diana Rauner and Jim Edgar aversion to the Bruce Rauner agenda.
Watch the new ad, titled “Growing Chorus,” here.
James Muhammad, Communications Director for SEIU Healthcare Illinois and a vice president of the organization, had this to say about the new ad:
“From a governor who campaigned for him to his own wife, a child advocacy leader who knows the stakes to this vulnerable population, the chorus of voices who are asking Bruce Rauner to back off from his radical agenda is growing louder by the day. We hope these new ads give legislators who have supported Illinois’ successful child care and home care programs in the past the courage to stand up to Bruce Rauner and say ‘enough is enough.’ ”
HB 4272, if passed, would force the state to fulfill its moral and constitutional commitment to properly funding public education by providing a continuing resolution for General State Aid and directing 55 percent of all new state revenues toward education. The bill would also implement a responsible pension cost shift carefully structured to invest all savings directly into General State Aid. This measure would result in an immediate infusion of $200 million for the Chicago Public Schools.
We’re told that State Rep. Christian Mitchell, a Democrat from Chicago, is going to introduce a bill that proposes a “cost shift,” meaning all downstate and suburban school districts would pay their own teacher pension costs – as opposed to having the state pay those costs, as it does now.
Chicago Public Schools said it will quit paying the bulk of pension contributions for more than 2,000 nonunion workers, a move that lays groundwork for the district to request similar concessions from the Chicago Teachers Union and other employees with labor contracts.
At the end of the month, affected employees will start to pick up an additional 2 percent of their pension costs, saving the district about $3 million, officials said. The next year, those employees will pay an additional 2 percent and, the following year, another 3 percent.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel called the plan “a path” he hopes teachers will agree to follow.
“It is a pay cut. Seven percent is huge,” Lewis said.
On the Claypool plan to reduce the contribution gradually, the union wrote Wednesday: “Whether this reduction is done at once or in phases, it still amounts to the same thing - a pay decrease at a time when workloads have increased by more than 20 percent.”
Mayor Rahm Emanuel - who appointed Claypool last month - says the CPS pension pickup is outdated.
“What worked 30 years ago, 40 years ago is different, we’re in a different position,” Emanuel said.
CPS reportedly has asked state lawmakers to pass a bill to remove the issue from CTU negotiations, in effect ordering Chicago teachers to pay all of their pension costs.
Powerful House Speaker Michael Madigan said in theory, he opposes such interference.
“Repealing or resetting collective bargaining reduces wages and the standard of living of middle class families,” Madigan said.
…Adding…
I missed this before posting, but Lewis has changed her rhetoric a bit. Via Chicago Tonight…
I understand the notion of phasing it in. If we want to be more like the private sector, then we need to be treated more like the private sector, compensation-wise.
It’s the members’ call, and that’s something we haven’t had a conversation about yet. We haven’t talked about that because it was never brought to us that way. But we do not want, clearly, a 7 percent [pay cut]. One of the other ways to deal with that is they always bring in new people. How do you do that with new people? How do you do that with people who are five years from retirement? What do you do with people who are 10 years away?
Robert Bloch, the general counsel of the teachers union, says CPS hasn’t discussed unilaterally phasing out the pension pickup and disputes the view that the expired contract would allow it.
In the past, CPS continued to pay the pension pickup after a contract had expired, undercutting CPS’ interpretation, said Bloch, who is also a partner in Chicago-based law firm Dowd Bloch Bennett & Cervone. In particular, CPS under the Emanuel administration made the payments during the tumultuous negotiations in 2012.
The language, which has not changed substantively in more than 30 years, has not been interpreted by a court or arbiter, he said, making past practice crucial.
“They can’t just take that away,” added Jackson Potter, staff coordinator at the teachers union. “It would be a potentially unfair labor practice.”
Governor Bruce Rauner signed SB 1304 today to create the Police and Community Improvement Act.
“Today we are taking steps to strengthen the relationship between our law enforcement officers and the public they protect with the Police and Community Improvement Act,” Governor Rauner said. “As a society, we must ensure the safety of both the public and law enforcement. SB 1304 establishes new and important guidelines and training for police departments and their officers, while protecting the public by prohibiting officers from using excessive force. I thank the legislators who sponsored this bill. It will have a lasting and positive impact on the people of Illinois.”
Additional Background: Illinois is the first state in the country to pass comprehensive legislation that include procedures for police departments that utilize body cameras; establish reporting requirements for officers who make stops or arrests; crisis intervention and racial sensitivity training; and prohibits excessive force like choke holds.
A detailed description courtesy of Sen. Raoul’s office…
Senate Bill 1304 implements numerous recommendations of the federal task force by
· - Requiring independent investigations of all officer-involved deaths
· - Improving mandatory officer training in areas such as the proper use of force, cultural competency, recognizing implicit bias, interacting with persons with disabilities and assisting victims of sexual assault
· - Creating a statewide database of officers who have been dismissed due to misconduct or resigned during misconduct investigations
· - Improving data collection and reporting of officer-involved and arrest-related deaths and other serious incidents
· - Establishing a Commission on Police Professionalism to make further recommendations on the training and licensing of law enforcement officers
The legislation also prohibits the use of choke holds by police and expands the Traffic Stop Statistical Study, which provides insights into racial disparities in vehicular stops and searches, to include pedestrians whom officers “stop and frisk” or temporarily detain for questioning. Finally, it codifies rules concerning the appointment of special prosecutors.
The new law does not require law enforcement agencies to deploy officer-worn body cameras, but if they choose to do so, they must adhere to the following standards:
· - The cameras must be turned on at all times when an officer is responding to a call for service or engaged in law enforcement activities.
· - The cameras can be turned off at the request of a crime victim or witness, or when an officer is talking with a confidential informant.
· - Recordings are exempt from FOIA with some exceptions:
· Recordings can be “flagged” if they have evidentiary value in relation to a use of force incident, the discharge of a weapon or a death.
· “Flagged” recordings may be disclosed in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act; however, in certain sensitive situations, such as a recording of a sexual assault, victim consent is required prior to disclosure.
· - Recordings must be retained for 90 days or, if “flagged,” for two years or until final disposition of the case in which the recording is being used as evidence.
“Police unions in this state stepped up to the plate and really led in a lot of the discussions involving the elements that were involved in this bill,” said Sean Smoot, Illinois Police Benevolent and Protective Association legal counsel and who also served on the White House task force on community policing. “I think that says a lot about our state and about our police officers and the people they put into position of leadership.”
“I truly regret comments made by House Republicans where they characterize as ‘poison pills’ efforts to help women with breast cancer and children with disabilities. These are not instances where these people requested this disease or this disability. These are people that are struggling through life - women with breast cancer; children with disabilities - and House Democrats today tried to include appropriation items in the appropriation bill which would address these problems.”
“The Rauner Republicans in the House objected to appropriating state money for LIHEAP, breast and cervical cancer screenings, early interventions, Meals on Wheels and child care, but they did not object to spending state money on McCormick place.”
“You can find a lot of Republicans here in the Capitol building who will whisper to you that, `We know that we need new revenue,’ but they whisper it and look around to make sure Rauner’s not watching. I’m open and public about it.”
* I asked the Governor’s Office if the Governor, as Leader Durkin indicated on the House floor during debate, supported Amendment Three. This was their response…
The Governor supports a clean bill that allows the state to pass through federal funds without adding to the state’s budget deficit. He is pleased to see the House pass legislation that does exactly that. This bill allows the state to provide services to some of our most vulnerable citizens while we continuing working on passing much needed structural reforms and a balanced budget
The House-endorsed measure adds about $435 million in additional federal funds for terrorism preparedness and for spending by the Illinois State Board of Education for things such as preschool expansion and student assessments.
It also provides $166.5 million to the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority from special state funds for debt service on expansion bonds. McPier, as it’s known, missed a $20.8 million monthly payment on bonds sold to bankroll a convention center expansion.
On a 12-0 vote, a House appropriations panel endorsed legislation that would prevent the Republican chief executive from altering a scoring system used to determine whether elderly and disabled residents qualify for certain state programs.
Republicans on the panel voted “present” on the proposal.
In February, Rauner proposed changing the scoring system to make it tougher for certain seniors to receive home health care services, such as homemaker assistance. While the governor was seeking to save money with the maneuver, opponents argued his plan would result in an estimated 24,000 senior citizens losing in-home care services.
Another 15,000 people with disabilities would lose their state assistance, Democrats said.
* There are some who appear to be unpersuaded by Sen. Kirk’s explanation as to why a former caregiver also received a paycheck from his re-election campaign, and instead believe the Senator may have violated federal campaign finance law.
In case you missed it yesterday, the Chicago Tribune wrote about the Senator’s live-in caregiver being paid by Kirk on a personal basis but also by Kirk for Senate. Campaign officials said in response the caregiver assisted Kirk in the mornings and evenings, which is why he was paid personally by the Senator. Then during the day the same guy did data entry and event staffing for the campaign - services he was paid for by Kirk for Senate.
“If the expense existed irrespective of whether Sen. Kirk was a candidate or officeholder, then he cannot pay for it with campaign funds,” Ryan said. “It seems to me that Sen. Kirk had these home care expenses irrespective of his candidacy.”
Kirk’s campaign said the senator personally paid Fombe-Abiko for caregiver services — a total of $29,177 over a 16-month period beginning in September 2013. Those duties varied depending on Kirk’s schedule, but typically involved a few hours in the morning and evening.
They say Fombe-Abiko was paid separately by the campaign for entry-level work such as data entry, driving Kirk to political events and stuffing envelopes.
Anyone who has faced the hardships of taking on a caregiver to assist a disabled or elderly family member could sympathize with Sen. Mark Kirk for dipping into his campaign funds to pay for a full-time helper after his stroke.
…
Although I consider this an improper use of campaign money for personal expenses, I’ve seen worse and can certainly appreciate Kirk could be feeling a financial squeeze, even with his $174,000 annual salary.
In the wake of a massive stroke, Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., needed a caregiver to help him. Kirk paid him through a combination of personal and campaign funds.
The arrangement shows how Kirk was able to leverage his control of his “Kirk for Senate” campaign fund to employ the caregiver.
Most stroke victims do not have the luxury of providing a second job for a caregiver not paid through personal funds. In Kirk’s case, according to a letter from the Senate Ethics Committee, most of the duties of that second, campaign-paid job could be performed at Kirk’s home.
Yes, the guy received paychecks from Kirk personally and the campaign. The Senator isn’t denying that. What they are denying is that the campaign paycheck was for caregiving services.
You might be able to argue that from an optics perspective Kirk and the campaign made a bad move by hiring the guy’s caregiver to work on the campaign, too. It’s fine to be skeptical of the campaign’s explanation, but I haven’t seen anything emerge that would justify dismissing their explanation of the arrangement.
Remember, the Senate Ethics Commission took a look at this arrangement back in 2013 and they found no laws were broken. At that time, Kirk also sought the legal counsel of a former FEC chairman and chief counsel to the Ethics Committee. Here are their thoughts…
From Rob Walker: There is ample precedent for allocating mixed purpose costs between a federal campaign and a federal candidate/officeholder. The Senate Committee on Ethics approved the dual employment arrangement for Senator Kirk and the Kirk campaign as fully permissible under the Senate Code of Conduct.
From Michael Toner: From an FEC perspective, the bottom line is that a campaign cannot pay for any expenses that constitute a prohibited personal use – that is, a use that would exist irrespective of an individual’s campaign for election to federal office or the individual’s duties as a federal officeholder. By separating an employee’s responsibilities into two separate positions, and having Senator Kirk and Kirk for Senate separately an employee for the work that he performs for each position, he has simplified the allocation process and eliminated personal use concerns.
I really don’t care if Kirk paid his caregiver out of his campaign funds, although that could be a violation of some law that prohibits paying someone to do campaign work who is actually doing something else, like helping you on and off the toilet.
If you ask me, that would be a pretty essential service for a candidate recovering from a medical illness, but Kirk’s not making any such claim and, in fact, contends the caregiver’s time was carefully monitored so he was paid out of the campaign funds only when he was working on campaign things, not when he was cooking the senator his meals, or helping him get dressed.
As I pointed out some years ago, as Kirk was recovering from his stroke, I was rooting for him. I happen to believe that anyone, senator or fast-food worker, ought to get the best treatment possible to allow him to recover from such a horrific medical event and then enough time off (with pay) to recover before returning to his job.
* By the way, there could be something to be said of the fact that none of the Democrats vying to take on Kirk have issued their own statement. Make your own deductions, if any, but to me their silence is near-deafening.
As federal spending watchdogs keep an eye out for $100 hammers, Illinois is getting away with $669,608 doors.
That’s right: The broke-as-a-joke Land of Lincoln, with its abysmally funded pension system and toilet-level credit rating, is dropping major coin to renovate the Capitol building in Springfield.
Yes, those copper doors. Remember all of the jokes, editorials, column inches, and moments of precious air time that were devoted to this story? Perhaps not quite as much as has been said about how much better Indiana is than Illinois. Surely such a blessed land would never…
A proposal scheduled to go before Indiana lawmakers later this week would spend nearly $875,000 on new doors for the Indiana Statehouse.
Gov. Mike Pence’s Indiana Department of Administration wants the money because officials say they’re worried about security issues regarding six doors that let government employees enter and exit the statehouse.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has granted the request of Governor Rauner for disaster designation in 87 Illinois counties and 14 contiguous counties that suffered losses due to rain and flooding this year.
“Illinois has suffered a lot of storm and rain damage throughout this Spring and Summer,” Rauner said. “I am pleased our request for federal assistance was granted and encourage farmers throughout these counties to contact their local Farm Service Agency for questions.”
The governor issued an official letter to USDA Secretary Vilsack on July 23, 2015. The 19 members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation also signed a letter to President Obama to endorse the governor’s request for this designation. Counties eligible for assistance were determined through the Loss Assessment Reports reviewed by the USDA.
“I am grateful to all the members of our Illinois Congressional delegation for their strong and united support for securing this assistance for farmers throughout the state,” Rauner added.
Farmers who believe they may be eligible for assistance should contact their county Farm Service Agency office. Loan applications are considered on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the extent of losses, security available and applicant’s repayment ability. Farmers who have questions should contact the state FSA office at (217) 241-6600.
“We’ll be making an announcement soon,” spokesman Andrew Edmier said.
Khouri is serving a second term on the county board and is owner of Green T Services.
Federal Election Commission records show she raised more than $100,000 toward a congressional campaign in the second quarter of the year. That follows a $200,000 loan she made to the campaign in the spring and another $15,250 loan in June.
* An expanding Illinois-based manufacturer is heading to East Chicago. From Crains…
In East Chicago, he said, Hoist will save $1 million annually on workers compensation-related costs, a significant sum for the firm. Workers compensation lawyers in Cook County right now are bringing three to four illegitimate claims against the firm a month, costing it money, according to Flaska.
Indiana also offers lower taxes for the company and less-expensive housing for his employees, he said. Hoist employs welders, assemblers, material handlers and other production workers. Hoist’s lifts are used by big manufacturers, like automakers.
Incentives played a critical role in the company’s decision to leave Illinois. Hoist will be able to lay claim on a big package of tax credits as it ramps up operations in East Chicago. By 2022, the company plans to employ around 500 people there.
More than two weeks after Mitsubishi announced it was pulling up stakes on its taxpayer-subsidized auto plant in Normal, officials still aren’t saying whether the company will have to repay any of the financial incentives it received from the state.
Rather than focus on the estimated $9 million that has been paid out to the company as part of a decade-long economic development agreement inked in 2011, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity says it is trying to ensure some other manufacturer fills the space left behind.
“DCEO’s primary focus is working with all parties to find a buyer for the plant and preserve the workforce,” agency spokeswoman Lyndsey Walters said in an email.
Mitsubishi received an EDGE grant not too long ago. Go read the whole thing before commenting.
* More posts to come this afternoon, so make sure you check back.
* Governor’s office responds to budget plea from Williamson County commissioners: The state also cannot reimburse salaries for some county officeholders, including state’s attorneys, public defenders and the supervisor of assessments, spokeswoman Catherine Kelly said. “The state does not have the appropriation authority to distribute local municipalities their shares from video gambling and the motor vehicle fuel tax, as well as reimburse for some county salaries paid for by the state, because Speaker Madigan and the legislators he controls failed to pass a balanced budget,” Kelly said
* Officials report sharp increase in medical marijuana cards for Illinoisans: About 3,500 people have applied for the cards, a 40-percent increase over the number four months ago, according to recently posted numbers by the Illinois Department of Public Health. What’s more, the department has issued 2,800 approval letters, a 75-percent increase over numbers reported as of March. Ten applications have been approved for patients under 18 years of age, according to the department.
* Kraft Heinz to cut 700 jobs in Northfield: “This new structure eliminates duplication to enable faster decision-making, increased accountability and accelerated growth,” Mullen said. He said the savings will free up money to be invested back into the company’s products. Affected employees, who worked in jobs such as sales, marketing and finance, will be given severance benefits of at least six months, Mullen said.
* Property assessments out this week for areas affected by O’Hare jet noise: The good news for Jefferson Township homeowners is that the Cook County assessor’s office will take the unusual step of “revisiting” affected areas in that township next year, after more market data and the results of a comprehensive review of jet noise implications are available, officials said. Normally, reassessments are done every three years.
* Stateville inmate diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease: Legionnaires’ is caused by a bacteria commonly found in warm water, like in hot tubs, cooling towers, hot water tanks, fountains and large plumbing systems, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People contract the illness by breathing in a mist or airborne water droplets carrying the bacteria, according to the CDC. It is not spread from person to person. People who come down with the disease can have a cough, shortness of breath, fever, achiness and headaches, according to the CDC.
* State appeals court throws out murder conviction in Burge-related case: In an opinion issued just two weeks after holding oral arguments, the three-judge panel concluded that it was “impossible to conceive” how prosecutors would be able to use Shawn Whirl’s confession at a new trial.
