So candidate Rauner, back in 2012, you sketched out a plan that would have social service spending be held up as a way to prod Democrats to back your plans to weaken government labor unions like SEIU and AFSCME. But Gov. Rauner, didn’t just this week you say it was Democrats who were pressuring you on the budget?
GOV. RAUNER: “They want that kind of pressure. I believe that’s what they’re doing now. They want the pressure of no scholarships for kids. They want the pressure of no childcare as a way to push the process. That’s the only explanation I can give.”
Candidate Rauner?
CANDIDATE RAUNER: “I think we can drive a wedge issue in the Democratic Party on that topic.”
* From the very end of today’s Sun-Times story on the Chicago City Council’s passage today of a $755 million hike in taxes and fees…
There’s a 66 percent increase in Chicago booting fees along with the green light for City Hall to start using “self-release” Denver boots with a daily fine of $50 if the boot is not returned within seven days.
There’s also a fivefold increase in the maximum penalty seldom imposed against property owners who fail to remove snow and ice from the sidewalk adjacent to their buildings.
Motorists who drive without insurance will find themselves in violation of the city code, with fines ranging from $500 to $1,000 for the first and second offense to $1,000 for every subsequent offense.
For the first time, City Hall will require companies that “aggregate and sell” parking spaces, including those selling spaces through mobile apps, to collect the city’s parking tax, which stands at 22 percent on weekdays and 20 percent on weekends.
Yet another last-minute change would tie the annual permit for overweight trucks to the Consumer Price Index to “better account for the impact of large trucks on city streets.”
In a last-ditch attempt to garner more support for the plan, Emanuel conceded a 2-cents-per-ride fee for ride-share services like Uber and Lyft to help traditional taxi drivers pay their registration fees on Monday. In exchange, the amendment gives ride-share drivers access to airports, but it requires them to register with the city and pay $5 each time they drop off or pick up someone from the airport.
The vote came after some last-minute agreements between the mayor and council members, with Ald. Michele Smith, 43rd, securing consideration for a residential property tax rebate program should the mayor’s proposed homeowner’s exemption increase fail to get approved in Springfield. Emanuel had been reluctant to focus on any rebate option for fear it would diminish prospects for passage of his exemption plan in Springfield.
The rebate is the better way to go. Chicago doesn’t have to rely on Springfield, and if history is any guide most people won’t even ask for the give-back.
* I’m probably excerpting too much from this story and I’ll take it down if requested, but wow…
A 75-year-old Army veteran is recovering from stab wounds after saving 16 terrified children from a knife-wielding teen who had reportedly planned a mass murder.
James Vernon was leading a chess club meeting with children at a public library in Morton, Illinois, Tuesday afternoon when Dustin Brown, 19, burst into the room wielding two knives and threatening the children, Fox News reported.
“He actually ran into the room yelling, ‘I’m going to kill some people!’ ” Mr. Vernon told the Pekin Daily Times Thursday.
The 16 children — ranging in age from 7 to 13 — hid under tables in the library’s conference room as Mr. Vernon tried to distract the teen.
“I tried to talk to him. I tried to settle him down,” Mr. Vernon told the Pekin Daily Times. “I didn’t, but I did deflect his attention” from the kids “and calmed him a bit. I asked him if he was from Morton, did he go to high school. I asked what his problem was. He said his life sucks. That’s a quote.”
As Mr. Vernon inched closer to Mr. Brown, Mr. Brown started to back up, giving the children room to escape. […]
Mr. Brown slashed the knife at the Army vet, who blocked the blade with his left hand.
“I grabbed him and threw. … Somehow he wound up on a table” with the knife in his left hand pinned under his body, Mr. Vernon told the Times. “I hit him on the (right) collarbone with my closed hand” until Mr. Brown dropped that knife.
Mr. Vernon was able to keep the teen pinned down until police and paramedics arrived. […]
“I failed my mission to kill everyone,” Mr. Brown later told police, according to an affidavit. […]
Mr. Vernon underwent surgery for his injuries, which included two cut arteries and a tendon on his left hand from blocking the knife.
“I gave them the cue to get the heck out of there, and, boy, they did that! Quick, like rabbits,” Vernon said.
“There were no more potential victims in the room. He focused on me. There was no more talking,” but Vernon watched what Brown did with his knives and learned.
“I knew he was right-handed. He was whittling on his left arm” with the one in that hand, “making small cuts. He was trying to scare me, and he did.” But if Brown attacked, “I knew which hand it was coming from.”
Brown slashed from the right towards Vernon, who blocked the blade with his left hand. “I should have hit his wrist. That’s how you’re trained, but it’s been half a century,” he said.
After all the children fled, the knife-fight training Vernon learned in the Army five decades ago kicked in. Brown slashed from the right towards Vernon, who blocked the blade with his left hand.
“I should have hit his wrist. That’s how you’re trained, but it’s been half a century,” Vernon recalled. “First rule of combat: Be fast and vigorous,” said Vernon, who never served in combat. […]
Vernon said he was “bleeding pretty good,” but managed to hold Brown until a library employee removed the knives and helped to keep Brown pinned until police and paramedics arrived.
At the time of the incident, Brown was free on bond while facing prosecution charges of possessing child pornography. He told police he’d been planning for two weeks to kill people and then himself, according to an affidavit.
Had he brought a gun instead, “It would’ve been a different story,” Vernon said.
A 76-year-old Army veteran is being hailed a hero by Gov. Bruce Rauner.
The Governor declared [Monday] James Vernon Day. […]
“He in a threatening moment with families’ lives on the line, stepped forward, risked his own life to protect you,” Gov. Rauner said.
* But, in true hero fashion, Mr. Vernon is as modest as the day is long…
“I was hoping this would died down a bit,” he said before Rauner’s visit Monday, “but I recognize it’s important to the community not to let it go so quickly and do what they think they should do. Its part of the healing process.”
He’s done his own healing too. The bandages that once immobilized his right arm are gone, now replaced by a light sling and splint. Scribbled across the thumb: “I love you” and a heart. […]
“It’s an interesting circus that I’ll be glad to step down from in a week of two,” he said. “The kids ask about it, and then say, ‘OK, now can we play chess?’”
“And that’s exactly what I want to hear: ‘Thank you Mr. Vernon. Can we play chess now?’”
* This is standard stuff in both chambers and in both parties. But Speaker Madigan is not exactly beloved, so top-down involvement becomes a story whenever it’s one of his chamber’s seats: “Filling Mautino seat ‘top-down’ process”…
The selection of state Rep. Frank Mautino’s replacement is a “top-down” process that involves the state Democratic Party, which has spoken with people interested in the position, a top La Salle County official said Tuesday. […]
So far, La Salle County Circuit Clerk Andrew Skoog, a Utica Democrat, is the only announced candidate.
County Board Chairman Jerry Hicks, D-Marseilles, said his understanding was the state party interviewed Skoog and others. He wasn’t sure about the others’ identities.
But he said it appeared Skoog was the state Democrats’ preferred choice, given that Skoog is publicly campaigning for the position.
Hicks said the state party becomes involved in legislative appointments so it can determine who it’s willing to back financially.
* Governing Magazine looks at the impasse and has pulled out three very notable quotes from some folks…
“We probably have a different approach,” says former Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar, a Republican. “I was a creature of state government. I worked my way up the ranks. I was very concerned about a budget because you have to have that to manage state government. He comes from the private sector where some of these business issues are a high priority to him. He’s entitled to his approach. But if I were governor right now, my priority would be to get a budget. These other things he might have to put off and wait to do another day.”
These “other things” Edgar is referring to are business-friendly measures. This year’s stand-off has stretched on for months because Rauner wants the legislature to pass these measures before he will sign off on the budget, which almost certainly will include some sort of tax increase. His proposals include restrictions on workers’ compensation, curbs on civil lawsuits, a freeze on local property taxes and limits on collective bargaining for government employees. The governor also wants the legislature to send voters a constitutional amendment to impose legislative term limits and another ballot measure to leave redistricting to a citizen panel, rather than keeping it in the hands of lawmakers.
Many of the ideas come straight from the playbook of the business community, which Todd Maisch, president and CEO of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, says is no accident. “In my opinion,” Maisch says, “we consider Rauner part of the business community. There is very little daylight, if any, between the governor and us.” Maisch points out that no legislation the group has opposed has become law under Rauner. “The vast majority in the business community,” he says, “believe that, if there was a time for marked departure from the status quo, that time is now. Somebody from the outside is most likely to achieve that change.”
But Democrats have refused to budge. They see little reason to do so: Rauner’s proposals would hurt Democratic legislators and their key constituencies, especially organized labor. “It was almost as if he said, ‘Vote against your core principles, and for your reward, I’ll let you pass a tax increase,’” says Senate President John Cullerton, a Chicago Democrat. “Democrats like to spend money, but we don’t like to raise taxes any more than Republicans do. So this was dramatically backwards. This idea of holding the budget hostage didn’t work.”
Last week, The Illinois Campaign for Political Reform (ICPR) and the undersigned group of civic organizations urged you to meet to end the Illinois budget crisis.
We asked, and you responded. A meeting date of Wednesday, November 18th was deemed mutually acceptable. We hope this meeting will include serious budget negotiations, given the increasingly dire consequences to our state as the current impasse continues.
We are reaching out again to recommend that the agenda for this meeting include input from all participants, thus ensuring that all perspectives are considered. Your collective leadership in this meeting will demonstrate a bipartisan effort to find a solution for this prolonged budget stalemate. A meeting agenda that reflects this bipartisan effort and encompasses all issues is necessary to produce a positive outcome for our state.
We commend the Speaker and Governor for supporting public access to this important meeting. Providing media access and a live stream online will create an opportunity for the public to see and understand the budget negotiation process.
A bipartisan effort is required to end the budget crisis. A meeting on November 18th with an agenda developed by all parties could lead to an important resolution for our state.
Sincerely,
Hon. Susan Garrett
Board Chair, ICPR
Mary Kubasak
President, League of Women Voters of Illinois
Hoy McConnell
Executive Director, BPI
Maryam Judar
Executive Director, Citizen Advocacy Center
Abe Scarr
Director, Illinois PIRG
Andy Shaw
President and CEO, Better Government Association
George Ranney
Chair, CHANGE Illinois
Brooke Wiseman
President, Union League Club of Chicago
I’ll let you know if anyone responds.
…Adding… I added some emphasis because some folks in comments seem to be confused. This is about making sure that the budget is discussed along with whatever else. It was, after all, supposed to be a budget meeting. The governor decided to make it about other things besides the budget. It should be seen as a rebuke of what Gov. Rauner tried to do. A polite rebuke, but a rebuke nonetheless.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Rikeesha Phelon with the Senate Democrats…
The meeting agenda will be the best predictor of the meeting’s productivity.
If the governor truly wants to end the budget stalemate he will be open to an inclusive process that focuses on immediate state budget solutions.
*** UPDATE 2 *** The press release is out and here’s the headline…
Reform Groups Urge Bipartisan Agenda for Upcoming Budget Meeting
Notice they use the word “budget.” Make no mistake, these groups want budget talks to finally begin.
“Gov. Rauner is working hard for local governments because his agenda allows them to more easily make decisions that best serve their communities, unlike the status quo,” Kelly said in an email.
“Governor Rauner continues to fight for structural reforms that will put the state on a path to fiscal health, but the legislature continues to protect the failed status quo.”
“Status quo” is defined as “existing state of affairs.” So that would be today, October 28, 2015.
The “status quo” includes:
– runaway, historic FY16 deficit.
– abandonment of social services.
– squeezing of universities to the point of possible closing.
– stiffing Illinois businesses that contract with the state, resulting in layoffs, drawdowns of cash reserves and addition of debt.
– starving municipalities of dedicated revenues.
– running a fraudulent state lottery scheme.
I’m sure I’ve missed some.
But no, the “status quo” is not acceptable.
Neither is the willful political strategy that caused it, all in the service of an agenda in which no data-driven fiscal or economic benefits have ever been articulated.
The question now is when does the governor own the “current” status quo.
After months of quiet chatter about a bid, state Sen. Napoleon Harris III of Flossmoor says he’s decided to get in the race. Although it’s a little late, there are signs he means it.
I’ve confirmed that Harris is circulating nominating petitions and that he’s hired a pollster, Mike McKeon. In an interview, Harris said he hopes to file needed federal paperwork by the end of the week and has arranged to rent office space. […]
Politically, Harris’ entry could hurt Kirk by injecting more energy into the Democratic race or help him by splitting the African-American vote with Zopp, giving Duckworth an easier path to the nomination.
Interestingly, when I asked about the latter, Harris took a clear shot at Zopp, saying, “I have a base. I’m an elected official. I don’t see her as having a base.” But he ducked a chance to go after Duckworth, saying she has a record and could defeat Kirk.
Considering how many e-mails I get from the Kirk campaign and other Republican Party outlets eagerly touting Zopp’s candidacy against Duckworth, I’m not sure how this helps Kirk, particularly since Harris appears to be targeting Zopp.
* Interestingly enough, one of the issues developing in this race is marriage equality. I don’t know how much resonance it will have since it’s now the law of the land, but Duckworth said this past summer it should’ve happened “decades ago”…
Cegelis and Duckworth oppose President Bush’s restrictions on embryonic stem cells for research, but Scott said he supports them to protect fetuses. None of the candidates support legalizing gay marriage.
…Napoleon Harris, one of the Democratic Party’s most deeply conservative voices. Senator Harris is on record as anti-choice, anti-marriage equality, against the Equal Rights Amendment, and in favor of voter ID laws.
…Adding… From Sen. Toi Hutchinson…
Since 2013 I’ve had the opportunity to serve with and become friends with Senator Harris. We’ve had many heart to heart talks about my views on reproductive rights and the impact that has on the economic security of women. I’ve watched his votes closely and have been very thankful that on issues I care passionately about like eradicating pregnancy discrimination, strengthening domestic violence laws, the right to be given all of your medical options when someone exerts their ability to deny care, anti bullying, healthy sexual education, and ratifying the equal rights amendment, Senator Harris has stood with us each time. Voters will decide based on his record, and the reality is, his voting record is strong in this arena.
* Zopp, on the other hand, played a role in passing the marriage equality law. Zopp was president of the Chicago Urban League when it participated on the Illinois Unites for Marriage campaign, hosting the field office and running phone banks, as well as acting as a much-needed go-between between the LGBT and African-American communities. Her group won Equality Illinois’ 2014 Freedom Award…
Equality Illinois, the state’s oldest and largest organization advocating for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Illinoisans, announced today that the first of its annual Freedom Awards to be presented at the 2014 Equality Illinois Gala is going to the Chicago Urban League for spreading the message of fairness and equality. […]
An active partner with Equality Illinois and other organizations in the pro-marriage coalition, the Chicago Urban League committed valuable resources and talent and even the use of its headquarters to the marriage campaign. When the U.S. Supreme Court ruled this summer that same-sex married couples cannot be denied federal rights, the Chicago Urban League applauded the decision “as a civil rights organization that has, for nearly a century, fought for equality for the undeserved and disenfranchised.”
* Meanwhile, Zopp took some political shots at Rauner this week…
U.S. Senate Candidate Andrea Zopp was joined by students and non-profit leaders at a press conference Tuesday to address how the Illinois budget impasse and Governor Bruce Rauner’s unwillingness to resolve his conflicts with Democrats has negatively impacted the lives of everyday Illinoisans, especially the communities who can ill afford to bear the burden.
Zopp discussed how cuts to MAP grants, after school programs, daycare, and more have led Illinois residents to scramble to provide for themselves and their families.
Zopp spoke out against Rauner’s focus on selling the Thompson Center instead of attacking the real issues, Zopp said: “At a time when so many people are in dire need of support, especially minority communities and the poor, the governor has chosen to put a stake in the ground when he should be focused on being an effective leader.”
Torrey Barrett, Executive Director of the K.L.E.O. Community Life Center, has first-hand experience of the struggles in the community when youth don’t have better alternatives in their neighborhoods. “This budget crisis has hit our kids the hardest. From after-school program funding to MAP grants for college, our leaders have made it so much harder for hard-working youth rise out of poverty and succeed.”
Jocelyn McGee, a mother and MAP grant recipient spoke about how the budget impasse has made it difficult for her to finish her studies because her child care costs have doubled at the same time the future of her grant funding has become uncertain. “Cutting aid for children means that I will no longer be able to send my son to daycare unless I quit school and go back to work full-time. “This is a problem for me. It becomes a bigger problem when the state does not support students because I rely on MAP grants to pay a portion of my tuition at DePaul.”
Bianca Berkhia, Director of Development at La Casa Norte, a Humboldt Park-based not-for-profit that provides vital support services to youth and families facing homelessness, called on the Governor to do what’s right for the people of Illinois and end the budget impasse. “The people we serve are suffering under the crushing blow of the Rauner approach to running government without a budget. A resolution is possible but he must come to the table and do the job he was elected to do.”
Also participating in today’s press conference were Tyler Solorio, an Army Police veteran of the war in Afghanistan and MAP grant recipient; and Phil Crawford, a MAP grant recipient who is a junior at Roosevelt University.
* Both Zopp and Harris are attempting to stake out a position on police misconduct…
In response to the forceful arrest of a Spring Valley High School student arrest caught on tape, U.S. Senate Candidate Andrea Zopp has issued the following statement:
“As a mother, former prosecutor and someone who has spent years working in the community to create better opportunities for students to get a quality education, I am deeply disturbed by the incident between a police officer and a student at Spring Valley High School in Columbia, South Carolina. Once again, the country is shocked by the excessive use of police force caught on film. Schools are places where students should be educated, empowered and made to feel safe. Not flipped over in a desk, dragged across a floor and violently arrested in front of their classmates. Especially when they pose no threat to the authorities.”
“Unfortunately, this appears to be another vivid example of an excessive use of force on a person of color by a police officer. I am glad to hear that federal authorities are investigating this incident as a possible civil rights violation. I call on Congress to carefully monitor the investigation and use their legislative power to ensure that better training is provided to police officers who work in schools. More needs to be done on the local, state and federal to stop these incidents from happening. As the wife of a retired law enforcement officer, I know that there are other choices that could have been made in that classroom to better address the conflict between the student and school administrators.”
Senator Napoleon Harris (D-Harvey) recently contacted the U.S. Attorney General after reports in the media raised concerns about violation of basic human and constitutional rights at Homan Square, calling for an investigation of policing practices in Chicago.
Homan Square is a Chicago police warehouse where a number of detainees have reported being mistreated by police.
“Transparency protects our police officers and the people they interact with,” Harris said. “When 7,000 people are held by police with few public records, it raises red flags and I feel we have a responsibility to look further into it.”
* Despite this rhetoric, Zopp is not exactly a woman of the people. For example, I have no idea why she even bothered to respond to this October 22nd Crain’s story, entitled “Where top execs go for steak”…
“Chicago Cut. For lunch, I order lobster salad; for dinner, bone-in rib eye. I like the restaurant because it has a great energy and vibe, the service is outstanding and they always make you feel welcome. I typically go for lunch but have been there for breakfast and dinner. It’s always great.” — Andrea Zopp, U.S. Senate candidate, Chicago
Rauner won on the basis that he will do something different and sorely needed to turn things around in this state. Now that he’s holding to his word, everyone keeps dangling the needy out there as incentive to break him from his position.
Well, that has apparently worked with everyone in the past, which is why nothing substantial has been accomplished to start digging us out of the mess we’re in. If Rauner gives in too, what has been gained? Are we really advocating for keeping the status quo??
That pretty accurately sums up the governor’s position. Not his public position, of course. Gov. Rauner would never be so explicit about having such a complete disregard for the “needy” during this war. Indeed, the governor and the Chicago Tribune editorial board say they’re really on the side of the needy for the long term. Just as soon as the governor wins, those folks will have jobs and bright futures.
Nevermind that the promised land of Indiana has a higher poverty rate than Illinois. Nevermind that all of the “pro-business” reforms he’s pushing would lower wages for working people and/or deny quite a few of them compensation if they’ve been injured. That’s not a bug, by the way, it’s a feature.
* I am for reasonable pro-business reforms and I’ve outlined them in the past. For instance, here are three doable yet significant ideas from one of my Crain’s Chicago Business columns way back in July…
* On workers’ comp, the Democrats have moved a tiny bit on requiring “causation,” a connection between the workplace and the injury. But they won’t budge further. Workers who may be half at fault for their injuries should not wind up “on welfare,” as House Speaker Michael Madigan repeatedly has said.
What about rolling back some of the “reforms” that former Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich signed into law in 2005? Those changes forced employer costs way up. Nobody would wind up on welfare if those were rolled back, and employers would save money.
* I don’t know anyone who disputes that local property taxes are too high. Rauner wants a two-year freeze on school property taxes. The Democrats are willing to give him that as long as the least-well-off districts are helped.
But Rauner also wants to all but eliminate collective bargaining rights for local unions. That will never fly with Democrats.
How about temporarily limiting the growth of employee wages and benefits for, say, five years? Once the two-year tax freeze expires, the caps on wages would free up revenue. Local school districts could use that money—plus property taxes—to gradually start paying for the pensions of its employees. Illinois now covers those costs, unlike just about every other state in the country.
* ”Prevailing wage” is a hot-button issue for the far economic right, and this Republican governor is most certainly in that camp.
If local governments could pay construction workers less than union rates, Rauner says, those governments could do more projects. Union leaders disagree, saying their workers are better trained so they’re less costly in the long run. Plus, God forbid a roofer should be able to afford community college tuition for his kids.
In reality, though, almost nobody ever uses union labor to build their own home. The cost is prohibitively high.
Why not somehow tie the prevailing wage requirement to median prices for local new homes? Locally funded projects that cost less than a set amount wouldn’t have to pay prevailing wages. Cities and villages do more small projects than you might think.
Accepting those reforms wouldn’t require a “surrender” by Gov. Rauner, as the brain-dead zombies on the Tribune editorial board would have you believe. The workers’ comp idea (involving rolling back 2005’s 7.5 percent raise for permanent partial disability) would likely save more than “causation,” according to research by the governor’s own staff.
* On the one hand, you’ve got a governor who’s hellbent on destroying unions, and on the other hand you have a pro-union Democratic Party which is hellbent on destroying the governor.
Eventually, this war has to end. Let’s hope that end date isn’t in January of 2019… or 2023. We simply can’t make it that far.
A trucking company that leases semis to the Illinois Department of Corrections is taking the vehicles back after the state failed to pay its bill because of the ongoing budget dispute between Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and Democrats who control the legislature.
The Larson Group agreed to a six-year contract in 2010 to lease five semitrucks to the prison agency for $68,000 a year. The vehicles were used by Illinois Correctional Industries, an offshoot that has inmates make a variety of products ranging from food and clothing used in prisons to dishwashing soap and Adirondack chairs sold to outside customers.
While the contract was good for another year, the company decided to walk away after the state racked up what the department says is an outstanding balance of $17,010.30.
The trucks have been parked at a warehouse in the central Illinois town of Lincoln, and the corrections agency is scheduled to turn over the vehicles Thursday, corrections spokeswoman Nicole Wilson said. The agency owns other vehicles that can be used to transport food between prison facilities, she said.
The governor has said that business owners support his decision to hold the budget hostage to his anti-union agenda. One wonders whether that particular business owner is of the same mind.
Statement by the United States Attorney’s Office Following the Guilty Plea of Former U.S. Speaker of the House John Dennis Hastert
CHICAGO — This morning, JOHN DENNIS HASTERT, 73, of Plano, pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of illegally structuring cash withdrawals in order to evade financial reporting requirements. The Honorable U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Durkin scheduled a sentencing hearing for February 29, 2016, at 10:00 a.m.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois issued this statement following the guilty plea:
“Now that Mr. Hastert has pled guilty, and the Court has accepted his guilty plea, the case will proceed to sentencing. As part of the sentencing process in this case, as in all cases, we will provide the Court with relevant information about the defendant’s background and the charged offenses, and the defendant will have an opportunity to do the same, so that the Court can impose an appropriate sentence taking into account all relevant factors in the case. We have no further comment about the matter at this time.”
Sneed is told Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Gov. Bruce Rauner, two business buddies who have spent family holidays together, are brawling over the state budget, according to two sources.
“The relationship is seriously frayed,” said a source familiar with the fracas – but who asked to remain anonymous.
Like two cats from Kilkenny, the two pals are battling over King Rauner’s purported fiscal “turnaround” agenda for the state which is giving Rahm, faced with empty city coffers, a serious case of nerves.
Sneed is told a major brouhaha took place between the two recently, but it’s unclear whether a phone was tossed or a shouting match took place. […]
Word is the duo are continuing to talk – but there is no logical discourse due to Rauner’s refusal to negotiate. […]
“Rauner, who has only known success in business, is fearless . . . and fearless can be dangerous when the lives of needy people are at stake,” the source added.
To get on your enemy’s good side, you have to stop playing the part of their enemy. As Dobronsky explains, it’s possible for an enemy to dislike you simply because they do not know you. And if you continue to play the enemy, they never will. For example, someone might share a mutual friend with you, and see you as a threat to their relationship. They’ll drum up excuses as to why your mutual friend shouldn’t spend time with you, or find ways to speak ill of you when you’re not around. You might feel inclined to fire back and poison your friend’s mind against them too, but before you do, consider that it takes two sides to start a war. While you may not be the primary instigator in your feud, you should cut off all retaliatory action immediately. […]
Do Them a Favor, Ask for a Favor
Favors are perfect for swaying someone no matter which way they go. When you do your enemy a favor without being asked, you prime them for reciprocity later. People don’t like to feel like they owe someone something, so they’ll start to look for ways to help you later. That sounds an awful lot like the start of an alliance, right? For example, you can get bonus favor points by jumping to the rescue when your work enemy is in a crisis. The more stressful their situation is, the more thankful they’ll be for your helping hand. […]
Find (or Create) a Common Enemy
Remember that ancient saying “The enemy of my enemy is my friend?” Consider it from your adversary’s perspective. Say you have an in-law that you can’t seem to win over, for example. If you can find something that you both dislike, you’ll be able to unite against that common enemy as allies. According to Brian Uzzi and Shanon Dunlap at Harvard Business Review, you can do this with a method called “redirection.” […]
Show Off Your Other Allies
A few clandestine operations can start to sway your enemies without you saying a single word to them. As Larry Stybel, Ed.D, and Maryanne Peabody, MBA, at Psychology Today explain, sometimes it’s better to approach your enemies indirectly
State Rep. Mike Tryon, R-Crystal Lake, said the budget impasse would have been fixed quickly had an actual shutdown happened.
Government operating essentially by judicial fiat has delayed the urgency, Tryon said.
“Right now, the most useless politician in the country is an Illinois General Assembly member because we’re being governed by court order and the executive branch,” Tryon said.
“Ludicrous,” “ridiculous” and “plain crazy” are a few of the ways that Southland mayors describe the latest development in Springfield.
They’re referring to a proposal by Gov. Bruce Rauner to offer low-interest state loans to municipalities that are suffering financially because the state has refused to release money it collects on behalf of towns such as revenue from the motor fuel tax, video gambling and 911 fees. […]
“The governor is proposing that we pay interest on money that we have coming to us,” said Palos Hills Mayor Gerald Bennett, who is also president of the Southwest Conference of Mayors. “That’s ridiculous. Why should our taxpayers basically pay the state in order to get the money that’s due us? This is revenue the state collects on our behalf and is not part of the state budget. […]
New Lenox Mayor Tim Baldermann, who once ran for Congress as a Republican, said he didn’t want to take sides in the ongoing political war between the Republican governor and Democratic legislators, “but you don’t hold public safety funds, 911 funds, hostage because of a political dispute. You don’t jeopardize the peoples’ safety.”
As for the idea of offering low-interest loans to municipalities in financial trouble, “that’s just ludicrous,” he said.
The state’s budget impasse is affecting municipalities across Illinois, which have been dipping into reserves in the absence of motor fuel taxes and emergency telephone system funds since July 1.
But casino towns such as Elgin, Aurora and Des Plaines are feeling an even greater sting without their share of gambling tax revenues, which fund expenses like road projects, economic development and social services. […]
“At some point we thought maybe governance, common sense and stewardship of the state of Illinois would have taken over by now,” Elgin City Manager Sean Stegall said. “Apparently not.”
While visiting the Quad Cities on Monday, Rauner said he doesn’t expect a budget agreement will be reached when he meets next month with the state’s four legislative leaders – the first such meeting since May. The governor stood by his demand that any state spending deal includes pro-business anti-union reforms from his so-called “turnaround agenda.”
[House Speaker Michael Madigan] said there’s an epic struggle going on between the Democratic majority legislature and the first-term Republican governor, one that eventually will be settled, and he said it’s “unfortunate” the governor isn’t more optimistic about the meeting with legislative leaders on Nov. 18.
“I wouldn’t give up hope so soon. Hopefully there will be a meeting. Hopefully it will be productive. Hopefully there will be some kind of a settlement coming out of the meeting. I wouldn’t just give up hope before we even settle down to look at each other and start to talk,” he said. […]
“I’m prepared to do a settlement today, if everybody were reasonable,” Madigan said.
Well, everybody ain’t being reasonable. And I do mean everybody.
Businessman and Urbana City Council member Mike Madigan said Tuesday he will run for the Republican nomination for state Senate in the 52nd District that includes Champaign and Vermilion counties.
Madigan, 52, is the only announced Republican candidate for the seat held by Democrat Scott Bennett of Champaign. Bennett was appointed to the seat earlier this year after Mike Frerichs, also a Champaign Democrat, was elected state treasurer.
Madigan, a member of the Urbana City Council since 2013, also owns Hickory River Smokehouse restaurants in Urbana, Decatur and Springfield. […]
Madigan is no relation to the Democratic speaker of the House with the same name, although he has worked in the Statehouse. The Republican Madigan worked on the Senate Republican staff for five years in the 1980s and ’90s and as a legislative liaison for George Ryan, when he was both secretary of state and, later, governor.
I told subscribers about this earlier today.
Madigan’s restaurant supplies food to the annual House vs. Senate softball game. I’m a sponsor of that event. I’ve known the guy for years. I’m betting he’ll make a good candidate.
“He understands that our state is not business friendly and what comes from that is insufficient employment and what comes from that is insufficient revenue for the state and what comes from that is a poor bond rating,” Weaver says. “That’s what this whole budget impasses is about, is that the Governor is asking for some serious reform to how our state looks at business and his desire to make our state more business friendly.”
I think that’s a better, more succinct summation than the governor has ever given.
Trouble is, Gov. Rauner has so far made this impasse far too much about whacking unions and not nearly enough about finding tough but do-able, bipartisan ways of moving the state forward. There are potential deals out there if he wants them.
The governor said in the Quad-Cities that he had already compromised to help reach a budget deal but Democrats are refusing to budge and just want to raise taxes. Democratic leaders in the House and Senate have said they want a balanced approach that includes cutbacks in spending.
Gov. Rauner said he has dropped his request for legislation to allow right-to-work zones in Illinois and to stop “trial lawyers” from contributing to campaign funds of judges.
As I’ve said many times before, when you stop demanding things that would never pass in a gazillion years, that’s not a compromise, that’s just a woefully belated recognition of hard reality. You get no credit from the other side when that happens.
Due to devastating changes made by Governor Bruce Rauner’s administration, Illinois has the lowest income-eligibility in the entire nation for child care assistance. In fact, the other 49 states all have eligibility guidelines set at 100 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL) or greater – Illinois’ eligibility is set at 50 just percent of FPL.
This is just one of the findings in the National Women’s Law Center’s (NWLC) new “Building Blocks: State Child Care Assistance Policies 2015” report (see attached). This report, when looked at in concert with Illinois Action for Children’s recently-released Policy Brief “Survey Confirms Devastating Impact of Child Care Changes on Children and Working Families”, paints a bleak picture of the access to child care that families have in Illinois.
As the NWLC report states, “A family with an income above 100 percent of the federal poverty level ($20,090 a year for a family of three in 2015) could qualify for child care assistance in all states in [February] 2015.”
That changed in July 2015, however, when Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner’s administration unilaterally made sweeping changes to the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) that now see new applicants making more than just $10,045 a year (for a family of three) being denied for child care. Put more plainly, 90 percent of new applicants who were eligible prior to the rule changes are now being denied.
What does this mean? According to the survey results in Illinois Action for Children’s Policy Brief:
· The number of child care assistance applications submitted in August 2015 is down almost 50 percent from August 2014. This suggests that many parents, knowing they will be denied, are deciding to not even apply.
· The CCAP caseload decreased by 9 percent, from 154,050 to 140,812, after just one month of data collected under the new rules.
· Since July 1st, 100 providers in Cook County alone have reported closing their doors.
…Meanwhile, the data in the National Women’s Law Center’s 2015 report clearly show the rest of the nation going in the opposite direction of Illinois: increasing income-eligibility, decreasing parent co-payments, extending job search grace periods, and increasing reimbursement rates to child care providers.
As the NWLC report states:
Families’ access to child care assistance and/or the extent of assistance they could receive increased under one or more key child care assistance policies in nearly two-thirds of the states—twice the number of states in which families’ access to assistance and/or the extent of assistance decreased—between February 2014 and February 2015. This year’s trend built on progress made in each of the previous two years, when families experienced improvements in more states than they experienced cutbacks, and contrasted with the two years before that, when families experienced cutbacks in more states than they experienced improvements.
At a time when early care and education is more recognized than ever as an essential work support for parents and a vital first rung on the education ladder for all children, Illinois has foolishly chosen to go against that trend and dramatically reduce its investment in children and families.
Illinois Action for Children, Voices for Illinois Children, the Ounce of Prevention Fund, Latino Policy Forum, the Illinois Association for the Education of Young Children (IL AEYC) and Fight Crime: Invest in Kids Illinois join the National Women’s Law Center in its call to significantly increase investments in child care at the federal and state level. Furthermore, we call on Governor Rauner and Illinois General Assembly to repeal, revoke, or otherwise recall the changes to the Child Care Assistance Program that have made Illinois the shame of the United States when it comes to child care access.
Six Illinois public universities had their credit ratings on about $673 million of debt cut by Moody’s Investors Service because of a political standoff that’s left the state without a budget for four months.
The credit-rating company lowered Western Illinois, Eastern Illinois and Governors State by two steps to Baa3, one level above speculative grade, while Northeastern Illinois was dropped one rank to Baa2. Moody’s cut Northern and Southern Illinois one grade to Baa1, three levels above speculative grade. All have negative outlooks, signaling that they could be lowered again.
“Given expected state funding cuts and the lack of appropriations thus far through fiscal 2016, the university’s reliance on the state will place a strain on operations and liquidity,” Moody’s said in an e-mailed report on Northeastern University.
The slew of downgrades comes less than a week after Moody’s lowered Illinois to Baa1 on Oct. 22 as the budget impasse showed few signs of nearing a resolution. Republican Governor Bruce Rauner and the Democrat-led legislature have failed to pass a spending plan for the year that started July 1, squeezing the finances of universities that rely on state funds.
The downgrade reflects NEIU’s significant exposure to the State of Illinois (Baa1 negative), which contributes a large portion of its operating revenue. Given expected state funding cuts and the lack of appropriations thus far through fiscal 2016, the university’s reliance on the state will place a strain on operations and liquidity. Additional challenges include declining enrollment leading to moderation of historically strong operating performance.
Credit strengths include the university’s solid liquidity position, its status as a designated Hispanic-Serving Institution, and strong debt service coverage.
OUTLOOK
The negative outlook reflects expectations that future state budget pressure or additional material declines to enrollment could lead to further deterioration of the university’s finances and liquidity.
The downgrade reflects GSU’s significant exposure to the State of Illinois (Baa1 negative), which contribtes a large portion of its operating revenue. Given expected state funding cuts and the lack of appropriations thus far through fiscal 2016, the university’s exposure to the state will place a strain on operations and liquidity. Additionally, the downgrade incorporates the risks and opportunities associated with GSU’s shift to becoming a four-year university.
While net tuition revenue will likely grow along with increasing enrollment, resource growth at the university will slow as operations narrow due to a sizable uptick in expenses related to the expansion. This is important because GSU has a particularly thin liquid resource base, meaning that the incremental pressure from continued budget delays has a sharper negative impact on GSU than some of its peers.
OUTLOOK
The negative outlook reflects expectations that future state budget pressure could lead to additional deterioration of finances and liquidity. It also reflects risks associated with the change in GSU’s operating model within an area with declining numbers of high school students.
The downgrade reflects WIU’s significant exposure to the State of Illinois (Baa1 negative), which contributes a large portion of its operating revenue. Given expected state funding cuts and the lack of appropriations thus far through fiscal 2016, the university’s exposure to the state will place a strain on operations and liquidity. Relative to other regional public universities in the state, WIU has a particularly thin liquid resource base, meaning that the incremental pressure from continued budget delays has a sharper negative impact on WIU than some of its peers. Further, declining enrollment will continue to pressure net tuition revenue,
The Baa3 rating favorable incorporates the university’s established market niche as the provider of a nationally prominent program for criminal justice education and moderate leverage.
OUTLOOK
The negative outlook reflects expectations that future state budget pressure or additional material declines to enrollment could lead to further deterioration of the university’s finances and liquidity.
The downgrade to Baa1 is based on SIU’s modest liquidity position and elevated 43% reliance on state appropriations (including on-behalf payments), making it vulnerable to the State of Illinois’ (Baa1 negative) weakening financial position and ongoing fiscal pressures. While SIU’s liquidity position is modest, it has sufficient cash flow to manage through the state’s payment delays near-term and a large expense base from which it could cut over a prolonged period.
The rating favorably reflects SIU’s sizeable scope of operations and financial reserves, as well as its significant role in the state as a large public university with diverse academic offerings. While management has demonstrated the ability to navigate through a challenging state funding environment, the university’s fundamental credit strengths are dominated by a heavy reliance on state support and highly competitive student market which jointly have pressured operations and revenue growth in recent years.
OUTLOOK
The negative outlook reflects continued pressure on state appropriations and net tuition revenue growth that will continue to challenge operations and limit growth in liquidity.
The downgrade of NIU to Baa1 reflects its high reliance on the State of Illinois (Baa1 negative) for operating funding, with the state’s budget impasse and longer term budgetary pressures signally increased likelihood of ongoing material reductions in state support. NIU’s modest liquidity cushion allows it to manage the state’s near-term payment delays due to the budget impasse but liquidity pressures will build if the state budget impasse continues into 2016. NIU’s narrow cash flow will continue for the next few years due to enrollment declines in the face of a competitive student market, as well as its high leverage and thin financial resource coverage.
The rating favorably reflects NIU’s operating scale and adequate financial resources, and its market role as one of Illinois’ largest regional public universities with diverse academic offerings. NIU’s new leadership team is launching financial and strategic initiatives to review its program offerings and its expense infrastructure.
OUTLOOK: The negative outlook reflects continued pressure on state appropriations and net tuition revenue growth that will continue to challenge operating performance and cash flow.
The negative outlook reflects the expectation of continued pressure on the level and timely payment of state appropriations. While ISU has flexibility to reduce expenses, it has relatively limited ability to significantly grow revenue from other sources.
WHAT COULD MAKE THE RATING GO UP
- Greater revenue diversification combined with stronger operating cash flow, demonstrating the ability to withstand reduced reliance on state support
* Anyone who has ever waited in long lines for a taxi at O’Hare and Midway can relate to this Uber video…
The problem isn’t usually a lack of cabs, however. It’s the way the system is set up. Too many people are fed through a funnel that’s just way too narrow. Uber cars picking up people willy nilly around the airport could cause other problems for those folks who are waiting on friends and family for rides.
Hey, I’m not against Uber at all. But what I’d like to see is a much more rational approach to the cab stands in the first place. The city should fix those goofy airport bottlenecks before they add more cars.
Today is the day Victor Reyes is holding a breakfast fundraiser for the Democratic Party of Illinois that House Speaker Mike Madigan chairs.
Reyes, the former Daley political operative turned lobbyist, will hold the event at Manny’s, the famed political lunch spot at Roosevelt Road and Jefferson Street. It’s $2,500 for sponsors and $500 for individuals, according to an invite, which also indicated the speaker himself will be on hand.
Reyes was chairman of the once-powerful Hispanic Democratic Organization, a Daley patronage army that was dismantled during a federal probe into city hiring. Federal prosecutors described Reyes as a co-schemer in the hiring fraud. He was not charged, although witnesses and court records have detailed his extensive influence in city hiring and in the Daley political organization.
More than $134 million has gone into Illinois campaign funds this year, according to the Illinois Sunshine update put out by the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform. That includes more than $5.8 million reported so far this month.
Madigan has been raising a lot of money this year, but there’s no way he can keep up with the Rauner folks.
* And speaking of money, an SEIU local is not happy with incumbent Sen. Patricia Van Pelt (D-Chicago)…
Rep. Mike Zalewski, D-Riverside, will hold an afternoon news conference at the James R. Thompson Center to unveil legislation that would place new regulations on popular fantasy sports websites.
The legislation would ensure that placing money on games though sites like FanDuel and DraftKings would not be considered gambling, while also setting limits to prevent overplaying and to keep those under 18 from playing. The proposal also would allow the sites to check for back child support or tax liens before players could put up money.
Zalewski said the bill will serve as a jumping-off point for further negotiations on the issue, saying it’s a growing industry in need of consumer protections. Sen. Kwame Raoul, D-Chicago, will carry the matter in the Senate.
As Senate Revenue Committee chairwoman, I stand ready to work with the governor and end this crisis. Yes, new revenue is needed. I know it. You know it. The governor knows it. So let’s have that discussion in a rational, balanced and adult manner because this current process is an abysmal failure.
Rather than prolong the pain in hopes of political gain, we need to seize this opportunity to fix our antiquated and broken revenue system, because without a modern tax and revenue system we will continue to careen from one crisis to the next.
I am willing to stand up and say: Stop it. Stop it right now.
I hope others will do the same.
I have no doubt that Sen. Hutchinson is sincere.
But as much as people complain about the governor not showing his cards, the Democrats are gonna have to stand up soon and show theirs on revenue. If we want to be responsible, we’re gonna need new revenues. It’s time everyone in both parties grew the heck up.
Tuesday, Oct 27, 2015 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Credit unions are committed to several cooperative principles, including “Concern for Community.” While focusing on member needs, cooperatives such as credit unions work for the sustainable development of their communities, including people of modest means.
As an example, 1st MidAmerica Credit Union in Bethalto provides crucial fundraising for a host of agencies and organizations in Metro East and surrounding areas. Over the past seven years in fact, the credit union has raised more than $128,000 for these vital, local sources of support for residents.
Specifically for the past three years, 1st MidAmerica has dedicated fundraising efforts to the Madison County Child Advocacy Center (CAC). This professional and child-friendly organization assists in the investigation of allegations of child abuse, provides access to services and treatment for victims and their families, and raises awareness within the community. As a result of sponsoring its annual charity golf outing this fall, 1st MidAmerica raised more than $30,000 to benefit CAC. This was a record high fundraising total for the tournament and an increase of more than $3,000 over the previous year’s event.
Honored to partner, pleased to support. Credit unions help grow safer and stronger communities. And that’s why they are A Smarter Choice.
* The 2011 workers’ compensation overhaul is beginning to show some results, Crain’s reports…
The report by the Workers Compensation Research Institute may strengthen the arguments of those Democrats who say more time is needed to determine the results of a 2011 law, which reduced medical fees and made other changes.
Medical payments have fallen nearly 15 percent, to an average of $14,513 per claim, during the 12-month period ending Sept. 30, 2013 (measured as of March 31, 2014), down from from $17,140 per claim in 2010-11, according to the institute, which is funded by the insurance industry. Illinois’ average payments are now lower than Indiana ($18,863), Wisconsin ($17,787) and Iowa ($16,051), according to the study, which compares 17 states that handle more than 60 percent of the worker’s comp cases nationwide. […]
Despite the drop, Illinois’ average medical payment per claim is still 19 percent above the median for the 17 states. The figures are for claims involving more than seven days of lost time and include bills submitted 12 months after the injury.
The WCRI study highlighted some costs going down but other non-hospital costs remaining higher than other states included in the study. Governor Bruce Rauner’s office says “The report highlights the need for the reforms that were included in the Governor’s workers’ compensation legislation.” Rauner’s office also says “while the 2011 reforms made progress, there is still much more work to do to make Illinois more competitive.” A statement from the ILTA says the 2011 reforms are having the intended result: lower costs to insurance companies and employers. ILTA also says further changes in workers’ compensation laws must focus on the insurance industry, not injured workers’ rights. Governor Rauner has said workers’ compensation must address causation.
Medical costs are only one part of workers’ comp. Injured workers also receive money for missed work time. And total insurance costs are still rising…
Illinois had the seventh highest worker’s compensation insurance rates in the nation as of Jan. 1, 2014, the most recent statistics available, down from the third highest in 2010, according to the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services, which tracks rates for all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Even so, Illinois Democrats contend that what’s really needed here are rules clamping down on insurance company windfall profits. They have a valid point, too.
…Adding… From the governor’s office…
Illinois still has the 7th highest workers’ compensation costs in the country, and Illinois’ workers’ compensation costs are more than double the costs in Indiana. It’s clear we need major workers’ compensation reform if we want to grow manufacturing jobs in Illinois.
* It looks like the goo-goos are gonna have to step up again and force a real meeting…
Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner says he doesn’t expect a budget agreement to come out of a planned meeting next month with legislative leaders.
The Rock Island Argus reports that during a visit Monday to Rock Island, the Republican is insisting he won’t agree to a budget deal unless it includes reforms from his “turnaround agenda.”
Rauner and the Democrats have been at odds over a budget which should have taken effect July 1. The first-year governor wants changes to the business and political climates, such as tighter workers’ compensation rules and term limits for officeholders. Democratic leaders have said they want a balanced approach that includes cutbacks in spending.
The governor has said he would circulate an agenda for a Nov. 18 meeting.
Gov. Rauner said he doesn’t expect any resolution to the budget impasse until January and doesn’t expect any agreement will come out of a planned meeting with Democratic leaders in the legislature next month. He accused Democrats of attempting to increase pressure on him by allowing the budget impasse to continue.
“They want the pressure of no scholarships for kids, they want the pressure of no childcare as a way to push the process, that’s the only explanation I can give,” Gov. Rauner said.
He remains open to discuss possible tax increases if its tied to the reforms he supports.
“I’ve said all along that I will support tax reform and some new revenues if we do it the conjunction of major structural reform,” he said.
Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner gave no signs of giving ground in his budget fight with legislative Democrats in a visit to the Quad-Cities on Monday. […]
Last week, several groups asked that the leaders and Rauner meet, which prompted House Speaker Mike Madigan to suggest that it be public. Rauner responded that his office would organize a Nov. 18 meeting.
The governor said Monday that he has had continuous talks with leaders and that he has committed to a public meeting. But he added that he didn’t think it would result in much.
“I don’t think they’re going to offer compromises or creative solutions in front of a media negotiation,” he said. “I just don’t think that’s likely. But we can get issues on the table. We can have a good conversation.”
“There is a misperception with the media that negotiations are not happening,” said Gov. Rauner. “They have been happening now for a long time.”
Negotiations are not the problem that Rauner pointed out to the Illinois residents. Instead, Gov. Rauner pointed the finger at the state’s legislature.
“Legislature has been dragging out the process,” said Gov. Rauner.
The Governor’s ultimate goal is to push through a new budget and new reforms instead of simply raisin taxes.
“We know what we have to do. We have to have reforms,” said Gov. Rauner. “And the reforms I am pushing, true property tax relief, short term limits, re-districting, hugely popular.”
