Monday, Sep 14, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller

* I’ve been shaking my head at a story published the other day entitled “Gov. Rauner threatens to halt health insurance payments to providers for state workers”…

As Illinois approaches its 11th week without a state budget, Gov. Bruce Rauner has threatened to take the unprecedented step of stopping all payments to doctors, hospitals and others providing health care to the almost 363,000 state workers, university employees, retirees and others covered by the state’s group insurance plan.

“All health care services will continue to be paid as long as possible,” said Meredith Krantz, spokeswoman for the Illinois Department of Central Management Services.

“However, in the near future, we will no longer have the legal authority to continue to pay health care vendors for their services,” she wrote in an email Friday to The State Journal-Register. […]

“The state has never said, ‘We’re not playing claims,’ before,” said Anders Lindall, spokesman for Chicago-based Council 31 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

Lindall called the new information from the state “very disturbing.”

The governor isn’t “threatening” to do anything. Gov. Rauner vetoed the health insurance payment appropriations bill weeks and weeks ago, so the state simply has no legal appropriations authority to pay providers.

I’ve explained this several times before. Click here for an August 4th post which shows what Fiscal Year 2016 payments were and weren’t being made at the time.

The state was so far behind on its Fiscal Year 2015 group insurance payments that it is apparently only now catching up. Once all those payments are made, there’s nothing anybody can do unless a new bill is passed and then signed into law or a court orders action.

* And, even then, where’s the money gonna come from? Just because there’s an appropriation or a judicial decree doesn’t mean the state has any available tax revenues to make those payments. As I wrote in this week’s syndicated newspaper column…

It’s kinda like thinking you have money in your bank account because you still have plenty of checks.

So, now what? Well, a federal judge might be our only hope. Click here for my Crain’s Chicago Business column.

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Friday, Sep 11, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The House and Senate are both out of town next week, so I’m gonna take some time off.

See you on the flip side…

Yes, I’m fumbling and I know my car don’t start.
Yes, I’m stumbling and I know I play a bad guitar.

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Exelon Just Received A $1.7 Billion Rate Increase Through The Market-Based Capacity Auction

Friday, Sep 11, 2015 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

The final results are in and as many analysts have noted, “Exelon was the big winner in this year’s [PJM grid capacity} auction.” Here are the highlights:

$1.7 BILLION RATE INCREASE FOR EXELON – Exelon engineered the new rules to increase their profits. Their $1.7 BILLION reward will be paid for by struggling Illinois ratepayers.

Byron and Quad Cities Both Cleared the Auction and are Obligated to Run Well into the Future

Exelon’s Low Carbon Portfolio Standard would have raised $1.6 billion over 5 ½ years for Exelon. The Capacity markets, under Exelon-pushed rules, earned Exelon $1.7 billion over only three years.

Illinois doesn’t have a balanced budget, service providers are being decimated and real people across Illinois are hurting. It’s time for Exelon to take their HUGE $1.7 BILLION WINDFALL and stop asking legislators to keep padding their profits.

Enough is enough!

Just Say “NO” to the Exelon Bailout

BEST Coalition is a 501C4 nonprofit group of dozens of business, consumer and government groups, as well as large and small businesses. Visit www.noexelonbailout.com.

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Friday, Sep 11, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Question of the day

Friday, Sep 11, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller

* From the BND…

Fed up with mass shootings and the recent violence against law enforcement officers, state Sen. Bill Haine, D-Alton, announced Thursday he would file legislation to restore the death penalty in extremely violent cases.

“As a former state’s attorney, I understand the complexities of seeking the death penalty for individuals who have committed heinous crimes,” said Haine. “I have been shocked and appalled by the recent killings we have seen in churches and of police officers. The reality is there are some crimes in which the death penalty should be an option for a jury of our citizens to consider.”

He added, “Those who take the life of officers, or engage in mass killings, need to face the appropriate consequences.”

The legislation would restore the death penalty as a sentence option for those convicted of serial killings, heinous murders of a child, of an elderly person or of a person with a disability, murders of crime witnesses, correctional officers and law enforcement officials, the statement said.

* The Question: Do you support a limited restoration of the death penalty? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.

customer survey

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Today’s number: 2,744,578 views

Friday, Sep 11, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Video of State Rep. Litesa Wallace’s floor speech last week defending the state’s child care assistance program has gone truly viral, with over 2.7 million views on Facebook and more than 129,000 shares.

Have a look…

…Adding… Rep. Wallace’s speech followed Rep. Ives’ address…

Thanks to a commenter for the linky.

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Dold’s rationale

Friday, Sep 11, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller

* GOP Congressman Bob Dold won during two off-year elections and lost during a presidential election. He recently told the Daily Herald why he will win in the upcoming presidential year…

For one, Illinoisan Barack Obama won’t be at the top of the ticket next year to draw local Democratic voters, and U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk is set to be in a spirited re-election race that might draw Republicans to the polls, Dold said.

Kirk formerly held Dold’s congressional seat and is “obviously extremely popular in the 10th District,” Dold said.

Plus, he says, the state GOP is stronger now after Gov. Bruce Rauner’s victory last year.

“The Illinois Republican Party in 2012 was basically nonexistent,” Dold told the Daily Herald editorial board during a visit Thursday.

Thoughts?

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Destroying our infrastructure

Friday, Sep 11, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller

* SaukValley.com…

Michele Miller, executive director of Northwestern Illinois Center for Independent Living, warned in July that the agency’s contingency plan was to close temporarily, then cut down on staff and limp by on reserves when it returned to operation this month.

NICIL shuttered its doors at 412 Locust St. in Sterling for the first time in 30 years as the best route to conserve money, Miller said.

It recently reopened, and business has been limited so far – she’s brought back two people, but because of the budget struggle, some NICIL workers have quit to take other jobs, she said.

That’s one of the least noticed aspects of this impasse. Good people, well-trained people just can’t deal with the financial stress and leave to find other jobs or don’t wait around to be re-hired. And it’s expensive and time consuming to replace them.

We really are destroying our not-for-profit infrastructure one group at a time.

* More from the article…

[Sara Pasley of Dixon, an early intervention developmental therapist] carries a caseload of 25 children. She works with the state, but isn’t a contractor. In fact, the government considers her more of a vendor, and she is paid according to an agreement.

But the state is asking such providers to continue working, although the paychecks have stopped going out. Pasley last was paid in June, she said, and the sudden death last year of her husband Mike, a popular social studies teacher in Amboy, left her as the family’s lone income.

And her cash savings will run out in October.

How we expect these folks - who perform jobs that most of us wouldn’t ever go near - to operate under such conditions is literally beyond me.

* Related…

* Op-Ed: Stop waging political battles on the backs of our youngest children

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LaHood react

Friday, Sep 11, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller

* From Congressman-elect Darin LaHood…

“First and foremost, I want to thank the voters of the 18th Congressional District for entrusting me to serve them in Washington. I’d also like to thank my opponent for a hard fought campaign and my wife, Kristen, and our three boys for standing by my side every step of the way over the last six months.

“Throughout this campaign, our volunteers and supporters worked tirelessly to spread our message of getting our economy back on track, reigning in government overspending, and fighting for term limits by knocking on more than 80,000 doors and making over 90,000 phone calls. For that, I cannot thank them enough.

“Six months ago I decided to run for Congress because of my three boys. I want to ensure that they have the same opportunities that I had. I’m going to go to Washington to fight for a better future for the kids and grandchildren of Central and West Central Illinois. Its time for reform in Washington. We must resolve our $18 trillion debt, create openness and transparency in government, fight for term limits, and repeal and replace ObamaCare.

“As I prepare to head to Washington, I am humbled and honored for the opportunity to serve the families of Central and West Central Illinois. I am excited to get to work and make sure that conservative common sense has a place in Washington.”

* PJStar…

The state senator led Democrat Rob Mellon by a tally of 34,907 to 15,840, according to final results compiled by The Associated Press. That’s a margin of 69 percent to 31 percent.

* National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Greg Walden…

“I’d like to congratulate Darin LaHood for his well-earned victory this evening. Darin will undoubtedly be an effective voice for 18th District families from his first day in Congress, and will continue to fight to bring good paying jobs back to central Illinois, balance the budget, and strengthen our national defense. I look forward to having Darin join our historic majority as we continue driving to strengthen America.”

* IL GOP Chairman Tim Schneider…

“I would like to congratulate Congressman-elect Darin LaHood on his victory in the special election for the 18th Congressional District. Darin will stand up for taxpayers in Central & West Central Illinois by fighting to create jobs, balance the budget, and ensure transparency in government. Darin has a proven record of reform in Springfield, and he will use that experience to push for conservative reforms in Washington, D.C.”

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This is why so many of us love Frankie Mautino

Friday, Sep 11, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Rep. Frank Mautino shared some good news this week with his local newspaper about his cancer treatments…

(T)he outcome was better than hoped. Subsequent tests showed no trace of cancer. They had gotten it all. Mautino had been braced for a final, post-operative bout of chemotherapy to zap any lingering malignant cells; now, doctors decided there was no need.

* And the guy truly is all class…

Frank Mautino received a get-well voicemail from Gov. Bruce Rauner the same day a Rauner-sponsored “hit piece” came in the mail demonizing him and his fellow Democrats.

Mautino pondered the governor’s encouraging message and then marveled at the not-so-nice mailer that arrived almost simultaneously. Such is life in Illinois politics: The sick don’t get a break from partisan sniping.

“I called the governor and I said, ‘Hey Bruce. I want to thank you for your voice mail. I also got your robo-calls and your flier,’” Mautino said, smiling. “He laughed. That’s the line of work I’m in.”

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When “significant progress” means “no progress”

Friday, Sep 11, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Gov. Bruce Rauner was asked yesterday if there’s been any movement toward wrapping up this overtime session…

“There has been some significant progress.”

Really?

That would be news to me.

He went on to say…

“It’s a difficult situation for me to describe in detail, which leader, and which issue, which members of the General Assembly are for reform, which aren’t. It would be, it would hurt the process for me to publicly discuss the personal positions.”

Wow. That would be huge news.

* But…

None of the state’s top leaders in Springfield are using marijuana, as far as we know. But they do seem to inhabit alternate realities.

Top Democrats claim there hasn’t been any serious bargaining over a new state budget since May. The old one expired in June. [..]

“What we need right now is leadership from the governor. What we need now is a focus on math in order to resolve our issues,” [Senate President John Cullerton’s spokesperson Rikeesha Phelon said].

She said there’s been no serious negotiation since Rauner vetoed the Democrats’ unbalanced budget, and the state Government has operated without one for 10 weeks.

So, not only has there been no significant progress, there’s been no progress at all.

But that’s by far the best lede I’ve seen all summer, so we have that going for us.

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Illinois Credit Unions – A Model of Kindness

Friday, Sep 11, 2015 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

As part of their commitment to community service, the credit union movement as a whole supports countless local charitable activities as evidenced by their fundamental philosophy of “People Helping People.” For credit unions in Illinois, this mantra is not just part of their culture - it’s a lifestyle.

As an example, the $12 million Danville Bell Credit Union for the past two years has lived out a local campaign of paying it forward. This initiative has included performing numerous random acts of kindness, such as paying for groceries, shoes for school kids whose families could not otherwise afford, meals, and renewing a gym membership for an area firefighter.

This generosity has spread tremendous goodwill throughout the community, helped people through temporary financial difficulties, and also inspired other credit unions and members to return the favor for others. In one touching interaction, the credit union filled the gas tank for a college student who, as it turned out, happened to be down to her last $20.

Illinois credit unions are not just employees - they’re your neighbors, they raise their families here, they’re your trusted financial partner. To them, kindness is not only a guiding principle, its woven into their DNA.

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Dunkin: “If this governor wants to work with me, I’m working with him”

Friday, Sep 11, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller

* ABC 7’s Charles Thomas interviewed Rep. Ken Dunkin yesterday about missing last week’s crucial session day.

Thomas reported that other Black Caucus members he talked with yesterday said they were angry at Dunkin for staying in New York rather than coming back to the Statehouse and doing his job. Nonetheless, Thomas led his story with this line: “Illinois Democrats are worried that state Rep. Ken Dunkin’s independence could be contagious, especially among African-American lawmakers.”

Thomas also quoted Chicago consultant and Dunkin ally Maze Jackson as saying “When one guy breaks off the plantation, it’s gotta make a lot of people in Springfield nervous, real nervous.”

Dunkin, for his part, told Thomas that he was looking for ways to find common ground with Gov. Rauner. “If this governor wants to work with me, I’m working with him,” Dunkin said. And the governor told Thomas that he and Dunkin “share a passion around economic empowerment, especially in the black community.”

“Today is the time that we have to take charge of our own destiny here,” Dunkin told Thomas about black legislators.

* Click here to watch it all.

* By the way, Rep. Dunkin did not take listener questions when he appeared on WVON Radio earlier this week, but after he left the air some folks called in to vent their displeasure with the Democrat for working with Rauner.

Yes, Speaker Madigan is unpopular in that district (as he is pretty much everywhere), but Rauner scored less than 20 percent of the vote in Dunkin’s district during last year’s general election, and he is not a popular guy in Chicago and likely not with black, Democratic primary voters, either - hence the attempt to make this about Dunkin’s rejection of “plantation politics.”

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)

Friday, Sep 11, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller

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