DC games
Tuesday, Sep 22, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Yesterday on Illinois Review…
Pro-Lifers Feeling Betrayed by Sen. Kirk’s Refusal to Defund Planned Parenthood
Life activists are putting pressure on U.S. Senator Mark Kirk and other members of Congress to end the 500 million dollar plus taxpayer subsidy to Planned Parenthood.
Kirk has been blasted for that vote… from both sides…
Um, huh?
* The above is part of a digital ad campaign being run by the DSCC here…
“With just 10 days left before a potential government shutdown, Mark Kirk has yet to show that he will stand up against more Republican shutdown politics,” DSCC National Press Secretary Sadie Weiner said in a release that accompanied announcement of the ads.
But Kirk was the only Republican Senator who voted against de-funding in a Senate test vote in August. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell also did, but only for procedural purposes to give him the ability to take up the bill at a later date.
“Yet another ad from outside partisan groups that is short on facts and lacking any credibility,” Kirk campaign manager Kevin Artl said. He said Kirk “continues to answer the call for independent leadership by breaking from his party to support women’s access to health care and opposing efforts to shut down the government.”
Kirk’s re-election campaign also released a statement from Carole Brite, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Illinois, saying they “were able to count on the leadership of Senator Mark Kirk who wisely voted against de-funding Planned Parenthood.”
Drop the stupid ads, already.
* Meanwhile, Joe Walsh is apparently taking yet another look at the 14th CD…
Déjà vu? Top GOP sources say former congressman Joe Walsh of Mundelein is considering a primary bid against U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren of Plano in the 14th Congressional District next spring. […]
Hultgren’s staff is actively preparing for the scenario, and campaign workers for both Walsh and Hultgren were reportedly collecting petition signatures at a McHenry County Republican Party fundraiser last week.
But IR checked in with Walsh…
“Are you, or someone on your behalf, circulating petitions to challenge Hultgren in the 14th CD?”
Walsh’s response via text was four letters: “Nope.”
* More stuff…
State Sen. Mike Noland of Elgin was endorsed by the Illinois Federation of Teachers last week despite his past comment that strikes were “embarrassing” and his receipt of campaign cash from Stand For Children, a group that helped muscle in a 2011 law to make it tougher to get teacher tenure.
Noland is making a Democratic bid for Duckworth’s seat as she wages a battle for U.S. Senate. He’ll compete in the primary against businessman Raja Krishnamoorthi of Schaumburg and Villa Park Mayor Deborah Bullwinkel.
The Noland quote about strikes being “embarrassing” is here.
* And speaking of pretty old news…
Former Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Ill., lost another high-profile endorser over his opposition to the Iran nuclear deal, with former Sen. Adlai Stevenson III, D-Ill., switching to his Democratic primary rival, Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering.
Stevenson joins Abner Mikva — a former House member, Bill Clinton White House counsel and federal judge — in dropping Schneider over the Iran nuclear agreement.
Rotering and Schneider are in a battle to take on Rep. Bob Dold, R-Ill., in the north suburban swing 10th Congressional District.
Stevenson is a member of one of the most famous Democratic political families in Illinois with deep ties to the 10th district. His great-grandfather was Vice President Adlai Ewing Stevenson.
The Adlai E. Stevenson II High School in Lincolnshire, a major high school in the district, is named after the former senator’s father, who ran for president in 1952 and 1956 after serving as Illinois governor and United Nations ambassador.
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* Sun-Times…
The mayor’s painful prescription includes a four-year, $588 million property tax increase devoted exclusively to police and fire pensions and a first-ever garbage collection fee of $9.50-a-month-per household… Senior citizens would get a 50 percent discount.
The mayor’s budget also includes: $13 million in higher fees for building permits; a new, $1 million tax on e-cigarettes: a 50-cents–a-ride surcharge on taxicabs; a 30 cents-a-ride increase in the surcharge on ride hailing services and authorization for Uber, Lyft and Sidecar to make pickups at McCormick Place, O’Hare and Midway Airports in exchange for a $5 surcharge on every pickup and drop-off.
The cab and ride-hailing fees would raise $48 million. Struggling cabdrivers would get a 15-percent fare increase as compensation for losing what is now their last bastion of exclusivity. […]
Emanuel told the council he wanted to do what he could to help Chicagoans “who could least afford the additional burden” of higher taxes. “The lion’s share” would be borne by “our thriving central business district” as well as those whose homes are valued at more than $250,000. He backs a plan to increase the homeowner exemption to help those whose homes fall below that threshold won’t take a hit. […]
Emanuel said the dire alternative to a property tax increase is 2,500 police layoffs, 2,000 fewer firefighters, 48 fire station closings and twice-a-month garbage collection, instead of weekly pick-ups.
* Tribune…
Even if he gets aldermanic support for his menu of tax hikes, Emanuel’s $7.8 billion budget proposal requires some help from Springfield and Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner.
Emanuel is counting on Rauner backing a bill giving the city more breathing room in paying required annual increases in police and fire pensions. Without that help, the city could find itself $219 million in the hole next year.
Emanuel also wants Rauner to approve an increase in homeowner property assessment exemptions to dampen the blow of the property tax increases. Rauner, however, wants to freeze property taxes, not raise them.
The mayor said he spoke with House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton, the two Chicago Democrats who control the General Assembly, about the increased exemptions and said they both agreed to move the bill, starting with a House hearing Thursday.
Should be an interesting hearing. But…
Gov. Bruce Rauner has virtually promised to veto Emanuel’s homestead exemption proposal if it reaches his desk. How that issue plays out will be a key factor in determining the ultimate fate of the new budget.
From Innovation Illinois…
Governor Rauner is overstepping his authority and creating obstacles to the democratic process by threatening to veto the Mayor’s request for a change in the property tax exemption. Instead of supporting property tax relief for Chicago homeowners, the Governor is interfering in the City’s operations by insisting that Mayor Emanuel follow his lead by engaging in union busting as a quid pro quo for the Governor’s signature.
The State of Illinois cannot afford yet another government budget held hostage to Governor Rauner’s continuing attacks on working families in Illinois. The people of the City of Chicago deserve to have their elected officials make decisions on their behalf without interference by a Governor who puts his own extreme views on organized labor ahead of the public good.
Innovation Illinois urges Governor Rauner to withdraw his veto threat and allow passage of any reasonable changes in Illinois law that Mayor Emanuel and the City Council consider necessary to putting the City’s finances back on track.
* The Chicagoland Chamber wasn’t overtly hostile, but try reading between the lines…
Today, Mayor Emanuel presented the City’s Fiscal Year 2016 budget, which proposes to increase property taxes by as much as $600 million to pay for police and fire pensions, and $125 million in other revenue enhancements to pay for operating expenses. The property tax hike would take effect over four years, frontloaded in 2015 and 2016. The proposed budget includes $176 million in cuts and efficiencies.
No one likes higher taxes, least of all the business community that pays a disproportionate share of the property tax. The Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce will continue to monitor the City budget hearings and all proposals for additional fees or taxes, but no matter how large or small the property tax increase, the Chamber opposes all efforts to increase the homeowner’s exemption for residential properties.
An increase in the residential homeowner’s exemption would shift even more of the property tax burden on to businesses, as Cook County’s archaic and unfair classification system already requires commercial and industrial properties to pay 2.5 times more than residential properties.
The Chamber will remind the Aldermen that Chicago recently increased its minimum wage, implemented a plastic bag ban, increased the 911 surcharge, and is considering implementing a paid sick leave mandate. The Cook County sales tax increase and the looming state revenue shortfall should also be considered. Additional tax and regulatory burdens on the business community are simply not sustainable.
The Chamber applauds Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s leadership in presenting a budget that is honest about the true cost of government and takes another step in tackling our City’s legacy fiscal obligations. Chamber members want certainty so they can plan for the future, and this budget is a long-term step toward righting the City’s fiscal ship which has been off-course for a generation.
It took us a generation to reach this point, and the Chamber is committed to working with Mayor Emanuel and City Council on crafting an honest and responsible budget.
Also…
Ald. Brendan Reilly, whose 42nd Ward covers most of the central business district and some of the city’s wealthiest neighborhoods, made it clear he’s already hearing from constituents who feel that the property-tax exemption Emanuel wants to give residents whose homes are worth up to $250,000 will shift an unfair share of the burden to them.
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State postpones union layoffs
Tuesday, Sep 22, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From Sean Smoot…
“On Friday September 18th, the Conservation Police Lodge represented by the PBPA and the State of Illinois agreed to defer implementing any layoffs while the parties continue to discuss and/or litigate the propriety of the proposed layoff of conservation police employees. Accordingly, we have been assured that the layoffs will not occur as scheduled on September 30. We have been told that official notification of the agreement is being sent to the affected agencies and employees today.
“The state also agreed to defer proposed layoffs of employees represented by AFSCME and the IFT.”
I’m hearing that the Illinois State Museum also received a reprieve.
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*** UPDATED x1 *** A little help, please?
Tuesday, Sep 22, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From GoFundMe…
Ashley Aldridge is a young 19 year old mom who was cleaning up lunch after feeding her children and heard someone yelling for help. She saw a man whose wheelchair was stuck in the railroad tracks. She ran next door and asked her neighbor to watch her kids when she heard the clanging of the gate warning of an approaching train.
Running over she tried to lift the Hoverround out of the tracks and looking to the side she saw the train approaching. She rushed to the front and with her 130 pound frame she lifted the 200 pound man, his body clearing the wheelchair just as the 80 mph Amtrak demolished the chair.
When interviewed Ashley has insisted that she is just happy he’s alive and that she doesn’t have to live with wondering “what if”, what she neglects to say is that her house was broken into just weeks before with her bill money and savings being taken, she neglects to say that she and her young husband struggle as he works a roofing job with varied hours. This site is to give people a chance to give back to someone whose story and courage has so blessed a community and even a nation.
Click here to donate.
*** UPDATE *** SJ-R…
The story of Ashley Aldridge’s heroic efforts to save a man’s life in Auburn last week was told on the floor of the U.S. Senate on Tuesday.
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, recounted the story during a three-minute speech during which Aldridge’s photograph stood on an easel behind him.
“In a world in which we often hear the message we should only be concerned about ourselves and our own families, Ashley is an inspiration,” Durbin said. “Without a moment’s hesitation, this brave young mom risked her own life to save the life of a man she never met.”
Video of Sen. Durbin’s speech is here.
Donations have surged since I posted this earlier today, so click here if you haven’t yet.
* Related…
* Teen Saves 75 Year-Old Man Caught on Railroad Tracks: “I thought the train hit his feet. It was that close” said Aldridge.
* Auburn woman risks life to save man stuck on train tracks
* Brave Teen Saves Man Whose Wheelchair Was Stuck In Train Tracks
* Young Woman Saves Man Stuck On Railroad Tracks
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A modest proposal
Tuesday, Sep 22, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* My Crain’s Chicago Business column from last week is still fresh enough for a post here today…
I’ve lost count of the number of legislative overtime sessions I’ve covered since I started writing in 1990. I think it’s eight, but I’m not sure.
What I do know is that every time there has been any impasse between the governor and the Illinois General Assembly, somebody somewhere always screams: “Lock them in a room and don’t let them out until they make a deal!”
Despite the obvious fact that doing such a thing would be a serious felony, I’ve watched countless politicians, columnists and plenty of other people who ought to know better advocate kidnapping government officials as an actual legislative solution.
One Chicago Tribune pundit even went so far as to suggest that House Speaker Michael Madigan be blindfolded and ushered into the governor’s office. Maybe it was a metaphor.
Look, I don’t blame people for being angry at their state government after months of impasse. I truly understand the rage at the people we elected to run our government who refuse even to talk to each other.
My first overtime session was in 1991 and it lasted about two weeks. I was completely miserable the whole time because I had never endured anything like that before.
But that overtime session was relatively brief (no matter how endless it felt), so nobody who relied on the government was affected that much. The same went for the following overtimes, when the basics often were taken care of with temporary, one-off budgets.
This time, though, real people are being hurt, including those who are least able to fend for themselves.
About a third of the state-funded providers of services for the homeless have shut down, according to the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless. At the same time, most of the other nonprofit organizations are experiencing increased demand for services. There are dozens more problems just like that one. It’s only going to get worse.
So, yeah, I get the anger, particularly since the two sides really aren’t that far apart on the budget. When they finally get around to it, they could wrap it up in a matter of days.
Don’t believe me? Think the state is on the very precipice of fiscal death?
Well, a recent report by Moody’s Investors Service outlined a very doable solution to this year’s budget problems—a combination of an income tax hike that the governor could agree to and some modest cuts that even moderate Democrats could stomach.
The problem, of course, is that the Democrats will not accede to Gov. Bruce Rauner’s demand that a tax hike be accompanied by pro-business/anti-union economic reforms.
Neither side has moved closer to the other in months. I was so disgusted the other day that I actually found myself muttering about how they should be locked in a room together.
And then it hit me.
Remember in August when U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman threatened Illinois Comptroller Leslie Munger with contempt of court because Munger hadn’t complied with the judge’s order to pay millions of dollars in bills for the severely disabled? That got everyone’s attention, and the bills started to be paid.
But one day, maybe soon, maybe in a few months, the state simply won’t have the money to pay those bills on time.
Maybe then, Coleman, a no-nonsense judge, could threaten to toss the governor and the four legislative leaders into the hoosegow until they come up with a freaking solution.
Do you think that would spark an interest in budget negotiations?
Please, Judge Coleman, your honor, ma’am, make this happen.
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A look ahead
Tuesday, Sep 22, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* With session coming up in a couple of days and the governor’s latest veto threat, it occurred to me that perhaps we should talk about my syndicated newspaper column, which was published early last week…
As you probably know already, Illinois Comptroller Leslie Munger said that the state government’s backlog of unpaid bills will hit $8.5 billion by the end of December, up from about $6 billion right now.
That’s a headline-grabbing number, since the end of December is not exactly the greatest time for people and companies that are owed money by the state. The state’s bill backlog was about $8 billion this past January, right after most of the 2011 state income tax hike expired. But the backlog fell to $3.5 billion by the end of July, and just $2.3 billion of those bills was more than 30 days overdue.
But let’s take a look at another estimate Comptroller Munger released last week.
The comptroller totaled up state spending from last fiscal year that isn’t currently being mandated by federal and state court decrees (Medicaid bills, state employee and judicial salaries, etc.), continuing appropriations (bond and pension payments, legislative salaries), a signed appropriations bills (K-12 education) and other things, and came up with $4.3 billion.
The $4.3 billion is the total amount that was paid out last year but is not currently being sent to colleges and universities, state employee health care providers, non-Medicaid social service providers, MAP Grant college student aid recipients, lottery winners over $25,000, plus various “transfers out,” including to local governments for things like motor fuel tax distributions.
Eventually, that money will have to be paid in full or in part, or significant portions of the state are gonna be in a big world of hurt.
So, the Senate Democrats stepped in last week and passed an appropriations bill that covers most of those state payments that aren’t already going out the door. The problem, of course, is that just because they passed a spending bill doesn’t mean there is any money to pay those bills.
And there are indeed no available state revenues to pay for most of those appropriations (with the exception of money that comes out of “special funds” like the $582 million appropriated from the Motor Fuel Tax Fund).
It’s kinda like thinking you have money in your bank account because you still have plenty of checks.
All the Senate’s legislation would do is hasten the point at which the state physically runs out of money to pay any of its obligations. There’s already billions of dollars less coming into state coffers because of the January tax hike expiration, but the Senate bill would spend billions of dollars more.
The governor’s overall record on veto overrides so far this year has been 60 wins and one loss, with that “loss” being a veto of Medicaid funding for heroin treatment that was overridden by both chambers and is therefore now law. But the governor agreed to Republican legislators’ demands to not oppose the override, and there are those who believe he only vetoed it so he could look like he was opposed to spending money on heroin addiction treatment, so it wasn’t really a loss.
It’s therefore more than reasonable to assume that even if the House Democrats do manage to get all 71 of their members to town later this month and pass the Senate’s spending legislation (probably a big “if” since one of those Democrats has tickets to see Pope Francis that very day), the governor will likely veto the thing and then the House Democrats will struggle in vain yet again to override. So, last week’s floor action could very well turn out to be futile. And even if they do override him, the governor doesn’t have to spend the money without a court order.
In an open letter to members last week, the governor’s chief legislative liaison urged the Senate Democrats to “come back to the negotiating table to pursue compromise, reform and a balanced budget,” to which the Dems responded, “What is this ‘negotiating table’ that they speak of?”
According to the Senate Democrats, the four legislative leaders and the governor have not met with each other since late May. And the governor refuses to even discuss the budget until the Democrats agree to address his “Turnaround Agenda.”
I just don’t know what to say anymore.
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* Press release…
The non-partisan Independent Maps coalition announced Tuesday that it is more than halfway to its goal of collecting 600,000 petition signatures for a state constitutional amendment to create a non-partisan independent commission responsible for drawing state legislative districts.
“In less than five months, more than 300,000 Illinoisans signed petitions to put this important amendment before voters in 2016, and that puts us halfway to our goal of 600,000 signatures,” said Dennis FitzSimons, Chair of Independent Maps.
“Because entrenched political interests don’t want to give Illinoisans an opportunity to vote on this amendment, we know they will challenge the validity of some of our petition signatures,” FitzSimons said. “To be absolutely certain we will meet the Illinois Constitution’s requirement of 290,216 valid signatures, we’re going to collect more than twice that number. Defenders of the current partisan system will not be able to overcome those numbers.”
“We’re ahead of schedule, and that is thanks to the hard work of volunteers giving up weekends and evenings to collect signatures and to voters who signed the petition because they are fed up with the results of rigged legislative maps,” FitzSimons said.
“Voters are frustrated and feel their voices are not being heard in the General Assembly,” said Cynthia Canary, Executive Director of Independent Maps. “The discontent is real, and it stems in part from the fact that 60 percent of the legislators elected last year didn’t have anyone running against them. When legislative districts are designed to maximize partisan advantage, the likelihood of true competitive elections is minimized. Partisan maps discourage competition and give us legislators who cruise into office without having to debate a challenger or even listen to a single voter.
“Volunteers have told us that voters are sometimes so eager to sign petitions that they grab the clipboards out of their hands, sign the petition and ask others around them to sign, too,” Canary said. “We’re very encouraged by the response throughout Illinois, but there’s a lot of hard work ahead of all of us.”
Independent Maps got off to an early and fast start this spring thanks in large part to the Illinois League of Women Voters, which has local and regional Leagues across the state, and to thousands of volunteers engaged in two previous amendment campaigns. Last month, the Illinois Farm Bureau – with more than 400,000 members in Illinois – increased the reach of the coalition and made its 95 offices collection points for volunteers to turn in completed petitions.
From Sept. 20 to 27, Independent Maps is challenging Chicago area volunteers to deliver 10,000 signatures in 10,000 minutes. The #10in10Campaign will use social media to tell the stories of our volunteers’ involvement and encourage others to help us reach our goal of collecting 10,000 fresh signatures by 10 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 27. To learn how to get involved, like us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/MapAmendment) and follow us on Twitter (@mapamendment).
As we’ve discussed before, this particular idea could very well hurt the Democratic Party’s legislative grip, not just because the resulting map would be more fairly drawn, but because the proposal would protect the “geographic integrity” of units of local government, which would likely disadvantage Chicago.
Unless the Democrats believe they have a slam-dunk legal case against this proposal, they need to get out in front of the issue with their own idea or they’re gonna pay a steep price - and they’ll deserve it.
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Rauner pushing mandate relief
Tuesday, Sep 22, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The governor’s press office has recently been sending out “In Case You Missed It” e-mails about the topic of unfunded education mandates. Here’s today’s…
The following is a transcript of a story that ran on WQAD News. Watch the story here:
HOST: Educators across the state of Illinois are praising Governor Rauner after his call to end some unfunded mandates that school districts say would save them money. But as News 8’s Shane Simmons reports some educators don’t see change coming anytime soon.
REPORTER: For the last several years — Illinois schools have followed more than 100 unfunded mandates from the state. Basically, the state tells schools what they have to do. For example, schools are required to provide daily PE classes for students, which educators say is an additional cost that takes away from the classroom.
SUPERINTENDENT 1: You almost get used to it. To where you know what you have to fund, how much it’s going to cost, and you build that into your budget.
REPORTER: For years educators have pushed to eliminate some of these mandates, but say the idea just sat there and really didn’t go anywhere.
SUPERINTENDENT 1: If we don’t have to have those mandates, that’s saving us money to put into education for our children.
REPORTER: Governor Rauner says he wants to push lawmakers to let schools operate how they choose — specifically — letting districts decide whether or not they want to offer daily PE classes, drivers education and lifting restriction on third-party contracting, like for busing services. Rauner says it would save schools statewide $200 million a year. That would offset his other proposal – a property tax freeze. However some teachers unions oppose the move fearing lay-offs or outsourcing of jobs to a third party.
SUPERINTENDENT 2: Anytime you give local school districts that opportunity to focus on putting more resources — that’s ultimately better for our kids.
REPORTER: Dr. Jay Morrow from United Township High School says while some relief from the unfunded mandates would be nice — he doesn’t count on it happening anytime soon — pointing to a game of politics.
SUPERINTENDENT 2: We haven’t spent a great deal of time getting the numbers on this because they have talked about mandate relief for quite some time, and I think this is all part of a grand scheme, a grand bargain you will, that it will be a give and take. And if this is a gave or take on who’s side, it all depends.
REPORTER: Shane Simmons, WQAD News 8.
HOST: Governor Rauner can’t take any action on the mandates alone. Previous bills on this topic have failed in the general assembly in previous years.
* So, why is this so difficult? Well, the AP had a pretty good story on this the other day…
“It’s like nailing Jell-O to the wall,” said state Sen. Andy Manar, a Democrat who tried to negotiate mandate relief last year. […]
Manar, of Bunker Hill, said he couldn’t get district officials to agree on a “top 10″ of mandates they’d like to get rid of. What one legislator or organization sees as unnecessary another sees as critically important, he said.
Teachers’ unions also have opposed eliminating the requirements, which in some cases could lead to layoffs or outsourcing jobs to non-unionized companies.
Jim Reed, government relations director for the Illinois Education Association, said the state’s largest education union opposes new mandates that aren’t funded and believes the solution is for the Legislature to fully fund the mandates it’s approved.
He said outsourcing driver’s ed or school bus drivers could create safety problems, and physical education requirements shouldn’t be relaxed when childhood obesity is a serious problem.
What we could really use here is some strong gubernatorial leadership on a compromise.
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