* From the Howard Brookins campaign regarding their challenge of Congressman Bobby Rush’s petitions…
The Congressman filed 3070 signatures and has 742 remaining valid on his filing, an error rate of 76%. To qualify for the ballot, he needs to have 1,314. Therefore, he must rehabilitate at least 572 signatures.
Those 572 come out of a pool of 2,328 that were challenged for various reasons such as signature not genuine, signer resides outside the district, signer not registered, signer signed in multiple locations and signer address incomplete.
* But here’s the problem for Rush: The rules have changed. When the Rush campaign asks people to sign sworn affidavits attesting to the fact that they actually signed the petition the campaign will need a notary present during that signing. From the rules…
Evidence in the form of an affidavit must be sworn to, signed, and notarized before a notary public or other officer authorized to administer oaths in the State of Illinois.
From state statutes…
5 ILCS 312/7-105) (from Ch. 102, par. 207-105)
Sec. 7-105. Official Misconduct. (a) A notary public who knowingly and willfully commits any official misconduct is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.
(b) A notary public who recklessly or negligently commits any official misconduct is guilty of a Class B misdemeanor.
(Source: P.A. 84-322.)
Rush may need to get hundreds of affidavits signed, and that won’t be easy if the rules are followed.
…Adding… Ronnie Woo-Woo and Willie Wilson’s former spokesman. Such a combo…
Ronnie “Woo-Woo” Wickers has two words for Mayor Rahm Emanuel: “You’re out!”
The Cubs’ resident rooter, known for his “Woo-Woo” chants across Wrigleyville, joined a City Hall news conference Thursday urging the recall of the mayor.
“When you’re right you’re right, and when you’re wrong you’re wrong,” Wickers said. “Get him out.”
Wickers was the last speaker in a demonstration led by Gregory Seal Livingston, former spokesman for mayoral candidate Willie Wilson and now head of the Coalition for a New Chicago.
* The 2015 Golden Horseshoe Awards for Best State Senator - Democrat, and Best State Senator - Republican go to…
Senator Toi Hutchinson and Senators Karen McConnaughay and Pam Althoff (yes, I know naming two is cheating) for the role each played as bill sponsor and JCAR members, respectively, in securing an end to the Governor’s child care cuts.
While no one has been able to get lawmakers and the Governor to publicly acknowledge and move to solve our revenue problem, there have been a few few instances where lawmakers have come together to reverse unilateral and reckless changes in policy made by the Governor. Chalk Rauner’s child care cuts up to whatever you choose. Lawmakers of both parties saw the value of the program, and realized that the cuts were devastating for both families and businesses in their districts.
None of these women crowed about their involvement, and none took the bait presented in the form of Ken Dunkin.
Bravo to these women who chose to disregard politics to stand up for other women– especially because they had to stand up to powerful men who would rather they had stood down.
They didn’t get the most votes, but that nomination by Emily Miller was so strong that I couldn’t pass it up.
* OK, on to our next category. We’re going to skip ahead for a bit because today is the anniversary of Judy Baar Topinka’s untimely death. I’ve made an executive decision to rename this category in her honor…
* The Judy Baar Topinka Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Statewide Officeholder
Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan declared Wednesday that the state income tax rate should be raised back to at least 5 percent to help balance the state’s out-of-whack finances.
In doing so, Madigan potentially gave new life to Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner’s argument that Democrats are to blame for the stalemate in Springfield because they’re intent on only raising taxes to dig out of the state budget deficit. That’s likely to be a GOP attack point in next year’s House and Senate campaigns as Republicans try to cut into significant Democratic majorities.
The comments came as Madigan, following a rare public speech, answered a question at a City Club of Chicago luncheon posed by a Republican strategist who wanted to know how high taxes should go. A famously disciplined and veteran politician, Madigan seemed aware of the risks of his response even as the words came out of his mouth.
“Let me avoid creating a headline for tomorrow’s newspaper,” he joked, then proceeded to create one.
That second paragraph is kinda puzzling because Madigan said yesterday (as he has said many times before) that he wants a mixed approach, some revenues some cuts.
But, hey, the Speaker walked right into that mess. If he didn’t want to talk about tax hike specifics, he shouldn’t have talked about tax hike specifics. Blaming the media for reporting the only real “news” out of yesterday’s otherwise boring event didn’t do him much good, either.
* The AP has my favorite line of the day, however…
Although Madigan has made no secret of his support for higher taxes during the monthslong fiscal standoff, his response to an audience question after a luncheon speech to a packed City Club of Chicago gathering represented his first mention of a specific number.
“Let me avoid creating a headline for tomorrow’s newspaper and say that a good place to begin … would be the level we were at before the income tax expired,” the speaker said. “Starting there, you can go in whatever direction you want to go.”
Then again, Madigan himself could’ve sought to clarify what he said at the scrum, but didn’t for whatever reason. He apparently didn’t realize what was going on while he was talking…
Please focus on "start" word from Speaker. Suggests he'd go higher, which is so wrong. Will chase more ppl out of IL https://t.co/tcj9QaMC2m
Cook County Assessor Joseph Berrios, who also serves as chairman of the Cook County Democratic Party, has lost another round in court in his attempt to avoid turning over documents demanded by the county’s Inspector General as part of the IG’s investigation of allegations Berrios’ office improperly granted an assessor’s office employee a special property tax exemption.
A state appellate panel ruled Dec. 8 that the ordinances enacted by the Cook County Board granting the office of the Cook County Inspector General powers to subpoena documents from all county officials, including separately elected constitutional officers, such as the county assessor, during misconduct investigations.
The Illinois First District Appellate Court opinion was authored by Justice Neville, with justices Simon and Hyman concurring.
“We find that the (County) Board has the power to investigate allegations that county officials have abused their powers or committed fraud in their official capacities, as the corruption of county officials pertains to the county’s government and affairs within the meaning of the Illinois Constitution,” the justices wrote.
It’s not been a great couple of years for Berrios.
The mayor was at his most emotional when he discussed the need for respect between officers and young black men, and when he mentioned parents who have lost children to violence and people who get out of jail with few options.
He talked about a recent lunch with young men who had been in trouble with the law.
“So I asked them, tell me the one thing I need to know,” Emanuel said. “And rather than tell me something, one young man asked me a simple question that gets to the core of what we’re talking about. He said, ‘Do you think the police would ever treat you the way they treat me?’ And the answer is no, and that’s wrong,” Emanuel said, his voice rising before he began to pound the lectern. “And that has to change in this city. That has to come to an end and end now. No citizen is a second-class citizen in the city of Chicago. If my children are treated one way, every child is treated the same way.”
Aldermen applauded the mayor when he noted that double standard.
“Tell me the one thing I need to know.” That’s classic Emanuel, which makes this story so believable for me. The mayor teared up, and, to me at least, he clearly showed that he “gets it.”
* But it’s legit to ask what took him so long. Rep. La Shawn Ford (D-Chicago) and I had almost this exact same conversation last night…
Ford said Emanuel’s remarks on Wednesday showed a deep disconnect between the mayor and the black community.
“His speech to me was his recapping what we already know is going on,” he said. “The speech should have been: ‘We have diagnosed the problem. Here’s how we’re fixing it.’ Instead, you’re telling us what we already know? It’s like he’s having a revelation. That’s not good. … For this to be a surprise to the mayor, how the black community is treated, is pretty alarming.”
Ford told me that, while he most definitely welcomed the comments, he now wants the mayor to demonstrate with deeds that newfound understanding.
He’s right, of course. It’s going to take a lot more than heartfelt words to fix this mess.
Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan was asked following his address Wednesday at the City Club of Chicago about the state income tax rate. Given misleading headlines and mischaracterization of the Speaker’s comments, the following clarifies his long-held position:
As I have stated for several months, and as I stated in my address to the City Club today, when it comes to solving the state’s budget deficit, I believe we need to take a balanced approach that includes a combination of new revenue and reductions in state spending. A cuts-only budget, as the governor proposed earlier this year, would severely cut medical care services for the elderly, the disabled and struggling families, would hurt middle-class families and would do more harm than good. That’s why we need a balanced approach.
We have no plans to advance legislation to change the income tax rate, and I am committed to working with the governor to develop a budget that provides for a balanced approach to solving our budget deficit.
“The breakdown in the system was real, and it was the direct result of decades of racism and neglect of communities of color,” said Ald. Roderick T. Sawyer (6), Black Caucus chair. “These are just the first steps, but we will remain committed to delivering full justice and making our Chicago the best that it can be for all of its citizens.”
Sawyer also noted that members of the Black Caucus have worked with the City’s Corporation Counsel to amend the way police misconduct settlements are handled.
“We are instituting protocol wherein the full City Council will receive a full briefing on these matters that will include all of the evidence, full discussion of the underlying case and a recommendation from Corporation Counsel,” said Sawyer. “To ensure we receive the full story, the plaintiff’s counsel will be on hand as well. Finally the video, if one exists, will be made available to the full Council at the briefing.”
* Their seven ideas…
1) CPD must stop shooting people in the back.
2) CPD employees who file false reports must be prosecuted. So far, the Cook County State’s Attorney has not pressed charges against the officers who filed false reports in the Laquan McDonald case. It has been more than 400 days, and still, no charges. This is unacceptable.
3) City Council and the Emanuel Administration must engage directly with the FOP to reform the disciplinary sections of the contract which at times have hindered proper action against officers who use excessive force or engage in other inappropriate behavior.
4) A special prosecutor is needed to pursue justice in all police involved shooting cases.
5) City Hall must support full integration with federal agencies to bring the resources necessary to tackle the systemic economic issues that have caused the conditions in our community.
6) The Blue Ribbon Task Force must be broadened to include community members, representation from the City Council, clinicians and members of the Defense Bar.
7) Due to the fractured nature of the relationship between the African American community and the CPD, we need full and serious consideration of an African American police superintendent to replace Supt. Garry McCarthy.
* Keep in mind that the two sponsors of HB 4356, Reps. LaShawn Ford and Mary Flowers, are Chicagoans who currently have Democratic primary opposition…
Establishes a procedure for an election to recall the Mayor of Chicago. Effective immediately.
Oof.
That’ll get some TV play (by design).
* As we discussed earlier today, Chicagoans are mad as heck right now. Tax hikes, crime spikes, police shooting videos, coverups, lies, you name it, they are mad about it.
And several state legislators are now at the mercy of those very same angry city voters.
So, under the bus goes Rahm, although not literally because I doubt this thing ever sees the light of day. It’ll be interesting to watch whether any more jump on as co-sponsors, however. The days of cowering before the mighty mayor appear to be over for now. He’s got no campaign money in the bank, no troops, and the voters hate him.
Nothing personal. Just business.
…Adding… I’m not even sure this bill would be legal since Emanuel was elected under the current rules (which do not provide for recall). Perhaps our legal type commenters can clue us in.
* At today’s City Club luncheon, House Speaker Michael Madigan was asked, “How high do you think taxes need to go?”
Here’s Madigan’s response, which is at about the 1:08:37 mark on the video…
“OK, let me avoid creating a headline for tomorrow’s newspaper. [Laughter]
“I’d say that a good place to begin - good place to begin - would be the level we were at before the income tax [increase] expired. Starting there you can go in whatever direction you want to go.” [More laughter]
House Speaker Michael Madigan says the state’s income tax should be restored to the 5 percent level it was at until January.
The Chicago Democrat told a City Club of Chicago crowd that the state’s multibillion-dollar deficit demands a tax hike.
A four-year, temporary increase from 3 percent to 5 percent expired last winter with the blessing of incoming Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner. It dropped to 3.75 percent.
Madigan says the 5 percent level would be a “good place to begin.”
Sheesh.
*** UPDATE 1 *** More headlines…
* Tribune: Madigan: Raise income tax rate back to 5 percent, for starters
* Reuters: Illinois House speaker eyes return of 5 pct income tax rate
* WCIA tweet: BREAKING: IL Speaker Michael Madigan said he would support raising the state income tax back to 5 percent
*** UPDATE 2 *** Press release…
In response to Speaker Madigan’s call for a 33% income tax increase “as a good place to begin,” Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno:
“It’s a busy time of year for most families, but taxpayers need to pay close attention. The powerful Democrat leadership is proposing a whopping 33% income tax increase – with no reforms to change the way we do business in Illinois. It’s outrageous and shows what we Republican legislators and Governor Rauner are up against in the state budget negotiations.
The citizens of Illinois want structural reforms that will lead to a more competitive Illinois economy and middle class economic growth, while protecting the taxpayers.”
* But that’s about to change. Remember the story from Monday about a group calling itself The Humanity Fund which sent a letter to Secretary of State Jesse White asking that its gay pride Festivus Pole be, um, “erected” in the rotunda?…
The 2015 Gay Pride Festivus Pole is approximately 6’6” tall, painted with purple-glitter, covered in the rainbow colors of diversity, and topped with an 8” disco ball.
And while Quinn was governor, the state entered into a contract with SEIU to contribute money for each hour worked by home care workers represented by the union toward health insurance.
The state is paying $1.11 an hour.
But here is the rub: Fewer than one-fifth of the home care workers actually accepted the insurance offered by the health care fund administered by SEIU.
So instead of the state just contributing toward the 5,000 employees accepting the insurance, taxpayers are paying for those employees and an extra 20,000 workers who said they didn’t want it.
Wouldn’t it be better if workers declining the insurance got a pay raise instead?
Why would Quinn negotiate a contract like that?
At least on the surface, it would appear the contract has the state paying 80 percent more than it should.
Messages were left with SEIU and Quinn, but neither responded.
There is no ‘surcharge,’ on everyone and certainly nobody is being compelled to pay for benefits that are not provided (which IPI is dishonestly trying to suggest).
The state’s preferred method of accounting is to work that amount into the hourly rate as opposed to paying a lump sum per individual, hence why, by their accounting, it looks like everyone is being charged for health insurance. Again, the rate is based on the cost of up to the capped level of 5,250 workers taking advantage of the SEIU health insurance.
The union, by the way, claims it has no record of being contacted about this story.
* Full statement from James Muhammad, SEIU Healthcare Illinois vice president…
“In its latest attack against our workers, the Illinois Policy Institute, the political right hand of Bruce Rauner’s pocketbook which dutifully serves as his policy mouthpiece, is making totally inaccurate assertions about health insurance benefits for home healthcare providers.
“The IPI is making the outrageous claim that the state is contributing funds towards unwanted and unclaimed benefits. This is simply inaccurate. The state ONLY contributes funding sufficient to provide health insurance for a portion of the workforce that works full-time, or close to full-time, and has set a maximum number of workers that it will fund to cap spending. And what the state DOES contribute to our health fund is efficient and cost-effective by any measure. What a coincidence that IPI has decided to attack benefits that Rauner wants to deny at the bargaining table, and for which a St. Clair County judge recently ordered him to restore funding. (The Rauner attack group also incorrectly asserted that the administrator of the fund isn’t a full-time worker.)
“We have countless and moving stories of low-wage workers, for whom the health fund has been a life-saver. But we don’t think this, or facts, matter to the IPI, which is pursuing a coordinated political agenda with Rauner and his billionaire friends to harm workers, strip them of their voice and ensure that employers can lower wages, benefits and protections throughout Illinois.”
Top Illinois Republicans Tuesday denounced presidential hopeful Donald Trump’s recent call to block all Muslims from entering the U.S. […]
“Banning any race or religion, as Donald Trump has suggested, is anathema to American values and should be rejected,” [Sen. Mark Kirk] said in a statement. “Instead, the American people need both parties to develop a clear and concise strategy to destroy the Islamic state and prove that our security transcends political rhetoric.”
* The folks at EMILY’s List are apparently too busy reading DC-based publications to notice some mere local reporting. Here’s their press release from late this morning…
EMILY’s List Exposes Trump-Kirk Agenda
Today EMILY’s List, the nation’s largest resource for women in politics, denounced Illinois Senator Mark Kirk for aligning himself with the extreme and dangerous policies espoused by Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump. Earlier this year, EMILY’s List put Senator Kirk “On Notice” for his radical anti-woman and anti-family agenda, making his seat a top target for Democratic takeover in 2016.
On the heels of Donald Trump’s outrageous and unconstitutional proposal to ban Muslims from entering the United States, the Washington Post reported that Kirk “simply denied that Trump’s antics would have any impact on his contest.” Trump holds a commanding lead in all national polls of the Republican presidential primary.
“Senator Kirk has a long record of supporting dangerous and discriminatory policies that are in lockstep with Donald Trump’s offensive and incendiary rhetoric,” said EMILY’s List Communications Director Marcy Stech. “The people of Illinois don’t want an extreme Trump-Kirk agenda that demonizes entire segments of our population and puts American women and families in danger.
“As headlines predicting Trump-related losses down ticket start to pile up, maybe Senator Kirk should do some soul-searching about why he’s so tied to someone so toxic.”
They take an off-hand, brief comment about Trump’s impact on his own race and inflate that into a grand, unholy alliance with Donald Trump?
Sheesh.
EMILY’s List needs to apologize for this one.
Also, what “radical anti-woman agenda”? He’s one of the only pro-choice Republicans in that entire town.
Kirk agrees with other Republicans that what Trump has been saying on immigration since he began his presidential campaign, like claiming many undocumented immigrants coming from Mexico are “killers” and “rapists”, are reflecting poorly on the rest of the party.
“I would say that Trump is probably hurting the Republican Party with his over-the-top comments on the spirit and character of Mexicans, which is not correct,” Kirk said. “I went to school in Mexico. It’s not a country of rapists and criminals.”
And his “radical anti-woman agenda” apparently includes voting against a bill to defund Planned Parenthood.
Rep. Kelly Cassidy will hold a news conference Thursday to announce that she will introduce new legislation for 2016 that would replace criminal penalties with a civil fine for possession of a personal amount of marijuana in Illinois.
The news conference is scheduled for 11 a.m. CT in the Blue Room of the James R. Thompson Center. Rep. Cassidy will be joined by Rev. Alexander Sharp of Clergy for a New Drug Policy and other members of the Illinois faith community who believe the state’s current criminal penalties for marijuana possession are causing harm to their communities.
The new proposal will include provisions Gov. Bruce Rauner and a majority of the members of the General Assembly agreed to earlier this year. It will largely mirror legislation previously introduced by Rep. Cassidy that was approved in the Senate (37-19) on May 21 and in the House (62-53) on April 23, as well the amendments proposed by the governor when he vetoed the bill and returned it to the legislature on August 14.
OK, fine, but I’m still peeved that Rep. Cassidy didn’t simply accept the governor’s amendatory veto that even Illinois NORML said would be fine with them.
Hopefully, the new bill goes enough beyond Rauner’s amendatory veto to make it worth the wait.
But, really, decriminalization means people would still be buying an untaxed, illegal product from unlicensed, unlawful dealers. Cut out the criminal element and legalize it, fer cryin’ out loud. Plus, the state is a bit short these days and could use the bucks.
* Nominations for the 2015 Golden Horeshoe Award for Best Illinois State Representative - Republican were neck and neck. Rep. David Harris just barely pulled it out…
There is no one member more deserving of praise than David Harris. He is a voice of sound reason that both sides should spend more time listening to.
Rep. Dave McSweeney is awarded a very close runner-up for strong nominations like this one…
I think that everyone in Springfield was afraid of what he might be when he first got to Springfield. And, yes, he has definitely still ruffled feathers, especially in his own caucus. But he has really established himself as an independent thinker, who, while very conservative, is also interested in getting things done and doing what he thinks is right. In a year that has seen so little independence on either side of the aisle, McSweeney has actually stood out.
* The 2015 Golden Horeshoe Award for Best Illinois State Representative - Democrat…
It may be moot given that he was just sworn-in as Auditor General, but my vote for best House Dem goes to Frank Mautino. Never mugging for the cameras, always willing to spare some time for you, always willing to give it to you straight. What more can you ask for?
Also, an intellectual and political grasp of the budget not seen in most mortals, let alone mere legislators. This guy ate, drank and slept with budget books. He’s forgotten more about budgets than most people will ever learn. He’s going to be missed by a lot of people who’ve too often taken him for granted. They don’t make them like Mautino anymore.
No, they don’t.
Congratulations!
* On to today’s categories…
* Best Illinois State Senator - Republican
* Best Illinois State Senator - Democrat
As always, make sure to explain your nominations or your vote won’t count. Thanks!
* House Speaker Michael Madigan will be speaking to the City Club today at 12:30. He hasn’t done this gig in years, but I kinda doubt he’ll break any new ground. The post-speech questions could be interesting, however. Watch it live right here…
I’ll have a ScribbleLive feed when the time comes.
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Rauner described Donald Trump’s call for a ban on Muslims entering the U.S. as “an extreme action.”
“What he’s proposing is just fundamentally counter to American values,” Rauner said Tuesday in response to reporters’ questions. “I strongly, strongly disagree with candidate Trump.”
I think most agree that Trump’s proposal to halt almost all Muslim travel to the USA runs counter to American values.
But the governor wants a temporary ban on resettling vetted refugees here. The Donald wants a temporary ban on travel to this country by mostly unvetted tourists, etc.
“What we are trying to do is communicate with President Obama’s administration. What we’ve asked is that we share information with the federal and state government.” […]
“We have a duty to work together to try to block terrorists while allowing honest folks, immigrants and tourists to come to the United States,” Rauner said. “Right now the information-sharing is inadequate. The officials in Paris have acknowledged that their coordination and communication efforts among the different levels were not adequate.”
Wait.
The governor hasn’t called for blocking mostly unvetted Syrian tourists from coming to Illinois. He hasn’t talked about home-grown terrorists, either. He’s solely focused instead on vetted war refugees…
Critics say governors don’t have the legal authority to block refugees, and it’s discrimination to block out any one group.
But this time, Rauner didn’t just single out Syrians.
“I have asked the Obama administration to take a pause - it’s not a long-term action but a pause - in our acceptance, our welcoming, of refugees from Syria and Iraq,” Rauner said.
In written statements outlining his refugee policy, Rauner didn’t include Iraqis.
Apparently, Rauner didn’t read an open letter written by former Secretaries of State Henry Kissinger and George Schultz, former CIA Director General David Petraeus, former National Security Directors Brent Scowcroft and Gen. Michael Hayden, among others…
Given the stringent measures in place, we are especially concerned by proposals that would derail or further delay the resettlement of Iraqis who risked their lives to work with the U.S. military and other U.S. organizations. These refugees were given priority access to U.S. resettlement under the Refugee Crisis in Iraq Act. The United States has a moral obligation to protect them.
* Gov. Rauner forgot to mention Libya, by the way. I guess his crack anti-terrorism unit didn’t brief him on the loyal Iraqi workers or that God-forsaken country…
“We have an anti-terrorism group in our state government. They are not being informed by the federal government on what’s going on, who’s coming, what the backgrounds are,” Rauner said. “We can treat it all with highly classified folks, and what I’m advocating is just an increased level of communication so we can battle against terrorists together.”
I asked the governor’s office this morning how many people are in the state’s “anti-terrorism group.” I’ll let you know if they respond.
…Adding… Soccermom in comments…
I spent some time this year trying to help an Iraqi refugee who had fled an abusive husband (leaving her young son behind) to start a new life in America. She came here just about penniless, with two suitcases. And she proceeded to become a horrible burden on Illinois taxpayers (If you call working two jobs, graduating Harold Washington College as valedictorian and getting a scholarship to complete her degree at an Ivy League school being a horrible burden.)
What a jerk.
*** UPDATE *** So, do we ban Illinois National Guard members from coming to Illinois?…
An Illinois man pleaded guilty on Wednesday to plotting with his cousin, a National Guard member, to attack an Illinois military installation as part of a conspiracy to support Islamic State, a U.S. prosecutor’s spokesman said.
Jonas Edmonds was charged with his cousin, Army National Guard Specialist Hasan Edmonds, of planning to carry out an armed attack on the military facility where Hasan Edmonds had been training in Joliet, 34 miles southwest of downtown Chicago.
Today, area native, Harvard graduate, and innovation consultant, Jason Gonzales, announced his candidacy for the democratic nomination for state representative of Illinois’ 22nd district.
“I’m running to make the needs of the 22nd district first priority. Our community is suffering from a major lack of economic development, quality middle class jobs, and too many families are now having to pay property taxes that they just cannot afford,” Gonzales said. “From my early experience in the service industry as an SEIU member, as a former small business owner, and currently as an innovation consultant; I’m ready to bring new ideas and leadership to solve Illinois’ and the 22nd district’s toughest problems.”
Jason Gonzales, 41, spent his early years on the Southwest Side of Chicago, the son of a Mexican-American union electrician father and a dental hygienist mother. He describes himself as a “troubled teenager” who attended an alternative high school. Despite these challenges, he changed his life and graduated with honors from Duke University, where he was a student-athlete.
Jason began as a union worker with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) before starting and owning a catering and food service business for 13 years. His ambitions drove him to earn a Master’s in Business Administration at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he was a top student and served as an advisor and confidant to L. Rafael Reif, MIT’s 17th President. After MIT, Gonzales earned a Master’s in Public Administration from the prestigious John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, where David Gergen, the CNN Senior Political Analyst and advisor to five US presidents mentored him.
He moved back to Chicago, where he founded an international nonprofit training entrepreneurs and bringing clean water to the developing world. He has worked in business and real estate, managing multi-million dollar development bids and contracts. Gonzales is currently an innovation consultant, who has worked with companies in both public and private sectors.
Jason received awards from the City of Los Angeles for innovative community development in Chicago, the Durham Companions for his work with at-risk youth and has been nominated to the World Economic Forum and Council on Foreign Relations for innovation and global leadership. He serves as a trustee for both the Garfield Ridge Civic League and MIT Sloan Club of Chicago. He is also a member of the City Club of Chicago, Chicago Council on Global Affairs, and Spertus Institute of Leadership.
“I love this state and my community; I refuse to believe that we cannot bring impactful and positive change to Illinois,” Gonzales said. After 45 years of Speaker Madigan, it’s time for a change.”
I’m assuming his bio will be fact-checked.
Speaking of checked, Gonzales’ petitions weren’t challenged. However, both of the two suspected “put-up” (by Madigan) primary candidates were hit by challenges.
Gonzales, 41, says Madigan allies observing candidate filings at the Illinois State Board of Elections just before the close of business on Nov. 30 acted swiftly when he filed his nominating petitions challenging Madigan for the Democratic nominations in the 22nd Illinois House District. Within minutes of Gonzales’ filing, nominating petitions for two other candidates were filed. […]
“I specifically timed it so I had a shot at just me and Speaker Madigan on the ballot. Evidently I didn’t time it late enough. I didn’t want to time it too close because I was afraid there might be a line or something could have gone wrong where I couldn’t have filed. So I was waiting for the last minute and honestly they were not expecting me. I watched the whole thing go down,” says Gonzales. “I filed and … one of Mr. Madigan’s lobbyists or assistants… saw me because they thought I wasn’t running. There were rumors that I had dropped out of the race and I guess they had sort of staked their belief on that. When he saw me, he jumped up, grabbed a file box, went out into the hallway and I watched him pull two candidates’ petitions out of the box. Another assistant prepared them and as soon as I filed, they walked in with other people and filed those candidates right behind me.”
The MJM peeps likely didn’t stake their belief on anything since they apparently had petitions ready to go.
“Many of the signatures it’s our belief that they are bogus or they’re not valid in one way, shape or form. So the community members have filed objections to these two candidates which are very clearly Madigan plants. ” Gonzales said. “I don’t know anything about them. They appear just to be people from the neighborhood. I will find out more. I’ll be stopping by their homes at some point to introduce myself.”
His campaign committee as of Dec. 8 had filed no financial information, though Gonzales said he would be logging about $20,000 in donations in a few days.
* Michael Sneed says CPS CEO Forrest Claypool is looking at cutting administrative positions by a third…
Insiders tell Sneed to look out for the massive cuts as a down payment on bridging this year’s $500 million budget gap — and an effort to avert the worst impacts on classrooms.
Sneed is told about 450 CPS administrative jobs could be chopped to the tune of $50 million. The CPS Central Office, which has 1,400 administrative positions, has a $150 million budget. […]
Backshot: Claypool has been hustling to persuade Springfield to step up and do its part with a new campaign called “20 for 20” — arguing that CPS students are 20 percent of the state’s enrollment, but only get 15 percent of the funding.
Claypool and Mayor Rahm Emanuel have asked the state for a $480 million bailout, which includes $200 million for the Chicago Teachers’ Pension Fund.
* Senate President John Cullerton is also on the “20 for 20″ bandwagon. From his Tribune op-ed…
We estimate that Chicago schoolchildren, among the state’s most disadvantaged, will receive $4,037 per student in fiscal year 2016 while all other districts will receive, on average, $5,461 per student. That’s less than $3 in state funding to Chicago schools for every $4 suburban and downstate schools receive, on average. […]
The state’s unequal provision of classroom funding is even more abhorrent because 86 percent of Chicago public schoolchildren are low-income. Studies have shown it takes more money, not less, to educate children living in poverty. […]
Schools with high levels of children in poverty should get more than average funding if we are to demand the same results as in other schools. But if Chicago schools simply received average funding — 20 percent of funding for the 20 percent of state enrollment the city represents — Chicago Public Schools would receive upward of $500 million more, enough to avoid classroom cuts this year while the district fights its way out of an unprecedented $1.1 billion budget hole.
State funding is based partly on the local property tax base, and Chicago’s is growing. While Cullerton’s point about low-income families is spot-on, if we want to start basing state school funding on population, a whole lot of wealthy suburban districts will make out like bandits.
Cullerton also mentions the $3.8 billion given by the state to suburban and Downstate schools for their pension fund. Chicago receives very little for its own fund. On that topic, he makes a good point.
Radogno and Durkin also said lawmakers agreed [during yesterday’s leaders’ meeting] to shelve talk of changing the formula Illinois uses to fund public education, saying they will take it up after a budget deal is reached. Lawmakers have long agreed that the system should be more equitable, but not on how to fix it.
Emanuel’s remarks come amid poll results released Tuesday that show 51 percent of Chicagoans surveyed believe he should resign over his handling of the Laquan McDonald case. Perhaps more difficult in the long run for the mayor, though, is that his job approval rating has dropped to 18 percent from 35 percent a year ago.
Ouch.
The robopoll, which is here, was conducted Saturday by Ogden & Fry. The same outfit did a poll for the same publication back in September which found his approval rating at 25 percent.
No doubt that Emanuel’s poll numbers are horrible, but his approval rating isn’t that much lower post-LaQuan McDonald than it was before the horrible snuff video was released. Why? Tax hikes, teachers’ union troubles, junk bond rating, etc., etc., etc. Chicagoans are a mighty grumpy bunch.
64 percent, by the way, say they don’t believe the mayor when he says he never watched the McDonald video.
Remember that “credibility gap” phrase from the old days?
* Even so, I’ve said before that I don’t see Emanuel ever stepping down. One poll certainly ain’t gonna push him out the door. Besides, what aldercreature are they gonna replace him with? Not happening.
It’s also been fairly clear since the election that Emanuel isn’t going to run for another term (a big tipoff is that he’s barely raised any money since the campaign ended). So, while the poll may drive the media narrative for a bit (at least until we get another poll), it likely won’t matter in the end.
* But when half the populace thinks their mayor ought to resign… Whew.
The council is definitely gonna run for cover. And that’ll make it far more difficult to do the things necessary to turn that city around. He can’t go big if aldermen are constantly watching their backs because of him.
* Subscribers were tipped that these petitions were probably bad enough to get him kicked. So he apparently dropped out instead. Tribune…
Flynn Rush, the son of U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush, withdrew as a candidate Tuesday in challenging state Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie for the March 15 Democratic nomination on Chicago’s South Side.
Currie, who has served in the legislature since 1979, is the House majority leader, the top deputy role for veteran Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan.
Flynn Rush’s bid to get on the ballot already had faced a candidacy petition challenge. The State Board of Elections said Flynn Rush withdrew his candidacy on Tuesday afternoon.
The candidacy petitions of Bobby Rush also are facing an intensive challenge from Ald. Howard Brookins, 21st, one of three Democrats challenging the veteran congressman.
* Press release from the US Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois…
U.S. District Judge Richard Mills today sentenced former Illinois State Representative Constance ‘Connie’ Howard to three months in prison for fraud committed by Howard when she was a state representative. Following her release from the federal Bureau of Prisons, Howard, 72, was ordered to serve three months home confinement, the first three months of a two-year term of supervised release. Howard was also ordered to pay restitution to two organizations: $15,900 to the Chicago Urban League and $12,450 to the Black United Fund, Chicago.
In July 2013, Howard waived indictment and admitted that from 2003 to 2007, she solicited and obtained approximately $76,700, representing that the funds would be used to provide scholarships. In fact, no more than five scholarships, totaling $12,500, were issued, and approximately $28,000 of the funds raised was converted to her personal and political use. Misuse of the funds included expenses associated with the promotion of her campaign, and campaign events, and to benefit one of her assistants.
At the time of the fraud, Howard was a member of the Illinois House of Representatives. She served as Chairwoman of the Computer Technology Committee for the House of Representatives and the Eliminate the Digital Divide Advisory Committee of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Howard’s legislative and campaign offices were located in Chicago.
In 2003, Howard created an organization known as “Tee Off for Technology,” (TOFT), and established the “Constance A ‘Connie’ Howard Computer Technology Scholarship Fund, to provide scholarships to persons in need seeking a degree in computer science and related fields. Howard established an annual event in July 2003, known as the “Tee Off for Technology Celebrity Golf Outing.” Howard represented that the purpose of the organization and the annual golf outing was to be a fundraising mechanism for the scholarship fund. Because TOFT was not a tax-exempt organization, it partnered with tax-exempt organizations to serve as its fiscal agent to ensure that donations to TOFT and the scholarship fund were tax deductible.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy A. Bass prosecuted the case on behalf of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois. The investigation was conducted by participating agencies of the Central District of Illinois’ U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Public Corruption Task Force including the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Chicago Division; the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations; and, the Illinois Secretary of State Office of Inspector General.
Howard’s indictment and subsequent admission shocked a heck of a lot of people because Howard (D-Chicago) was pretty well respected in the GA.
Just goes to show, you never really know a person. Particularly in this business.
Lt. Governor Evelyn Sanguinetti made it her goal at the beginning of the Administration to visit all 102 counties in her first year in office. Her stop at the Gibson Area Hospital in Gibson City last week completed that mission.
Below is the lieutenant governor’s statement on visiting all 102 counties.
“Last week, I accomplished my goal of meeting with residents in every one of our 102 counties in Illinois,” Sanguinetti said. “Along the way I’ve met with small business owners, farmers, elected officials, students, educators, entrepreneurs, labor leaders, healthcare professionals, waterway operators, coal miners, veterans… and an endless number of Illinois residents who are ready for real reform in Illinois.”
“The most important job of an elected official is to listen. As the governor’s partner, it was important that I connect with as many Illinoisans as possible in the first year of this Administration,” Sanguinetti said. “Meeting with residents in their own communities helps me to better serve them by learning firsthand what issues are most important throughout our diverse state.”
The lieutenant governor’s responsibilities as Chair of the Local Government Consolidation and Unfunded Mandates Task Force, Chair of the Governor’s Rural Affairs Council, Chair of the Interagency Military Base Support and Economic Development Committee, and Chair of the Illinois River Coordinating Council, the Mississippi River Coordinating Council, and the Wabash and Ohio Rivers Coordinating Council allows her to lead the charge in advocating for an important, diverse and geographically spread-out set of interests. The Lt. Governor’s outreach to all 102 counties insured the priorities of each committee, council and task force she chairs are driven by local priorities.
* As you know by now, the governor signed the mostly non-GRF funding bill yesterday…
Rauner billed the move as a compromise, although it also provided him political cover as some House Republicans were willing to vote for the Democratic plan in the face of pressure from suburban mayors to free up the money. House Democrats ignored the governor’s requests and pressed on with their first plan, but ultimately used a procedural move to prevent the legislation from going to the Senate while the latest deal was worked out.
Monday’s action is likely to be the last major effort to plug budget holes for the remainder of the calendar year, as neither the House or Senate is scheduled to return to the Capitol until January.
Key areas that remain unfunded include colleges and universities, scholarship programs for low-income students and various programs for victims of sexual assault and those with developmental disabilities.
* Republicans are blaming Democrats for not funding MAP grants…
Republican Sen. Chapin Rose of Mahomet blamed House Speaker Michael Madigan for the lack of MAP funding.
“The Democrats had a few things that they added into this budget bill today, but apparently library grants rank higher than MAP grants in their opinion. The Speaker patted them on the head and said ‘We’re not going to (fund MAP) but we’re going to fund library grants,’” Rose said. “You’ve got Democratic supermajorities in the House and the Senate, yet Representative (Carol) Ammons was told no last week by the Speaker.
“We already have the answer, and the Speaker said no.”
* In case you’ve been under a rock, here’s the official Trump statement…
Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country’s representatives can figure out what is going on. According to Pew Research, among others, there is great hatred towards Americans by large segments of the Muslim population. Most recently, a poll from the Center for Security Policy released data showing “25% of those polled agreed that violence against Americans here in the United States is justified as a part of the global jihad” and 51% of those polled, “agreed that Muslims in America should have the choice of being governed according to Shariah.” Shariah authorizes such atrocities as murder against non-believers who won’t convert, beheadings and more unthinkable acts that pose great harm to Americans, especially women.
Mr. Trump stated, “Without looking at the various polling data, it is obvious to anybody the hatred is beyond comprehension. Where this hatred comes from and why we will have to determine. Until we are able to determine and understand this problem and the dangerous threat it poses, our country cannot be the victims of horrendous attacks by people that believe only in Jihad, and have no sense of reason or respect for human life. If I win the election for President, we are going to Make America Great Again.” - Donald J. Trump
“If a person is a Muslim and goes overseas and comes back, they can come back,” he said. “They’re a citizen. That’s different.”
OK, but Syed Rizwan Farook was a citizen.
* It’s good to see Gov. Rauner knocking down this nonsense. But if we’re supposed to be so afraid of vetted Syrian refugee families that we won’t let them temporarily resettle in Illinois, is it any wonder that people would then be scared half to death of almost totally unvetted Muslim travelers? Some might call the governor’s refugee proposal a slippery slope which led to the current inflamed rhetoric.
I still believe a recalibration of certain immigration/visa policies is in order because I love my country and I don’t want to see it attacked. But we gotta be really careful about opening up a racist Pandora’s Box because I love my country’s Constitution.
Frank Mautino, who resigned his seat Monday following more than two decades as State Representative of the 76th District, was sworn in as Illinois Auditor General in a private ceremony at Ottawa’s downtown courthouse late in the afternoon.
It was standing room only in the courtroom as Circuit Judge Eugene Daugherity gave the oath of office to a visibly emotional Mautino who stood before dozens of family, friends, supporters and public officials from both ends of the political spectrum.
Also present was outgoing Auditor General William G. Holland, who has served as auditor general of the Illinois since his first appointment in August 1992. Before the ceremony, Holland praised Mautino’s legislative career, calling the Spring Valley native “a man of great wisdom and dedication.”
Holland, who came from Springfield with members of his staff for the occasion, said, “This office is going to be left in wonderful hands.” Holland leaves office Thursday, Dec. 31.
* The raw vote tally and intensity of the nominations yesterday for our 2015 Steve Brown Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Government Spokesperson were pretty much split between two distinguished candidates. Oswego Willy was even torn…
What has been so frustrating to anyone following Illinois government is the constant and almost predictable messaging by all the offices involved. Many times it was easy to speculate what one of the other would respond to when faced with the issue of the day, the sound bite of the moment.
What has been noticeable is this Spokesperson’s responses. While doing her job at a high level, there has been more “plain speak” coming from her than any I can think of as quickly. Sometimes it is about saying what needs to be said for your boss without being saddled with checking the boxes of what is required to be said.
I nominate Rikeesha Phelon.
Her work-product and plain speaking when asked to comment for the President and the President’s Office has been refreshing and insightful. I have also enjoyed the “gallows humor” along with subtly pointing out avenues her boss and Office feel should be the message of the moment.
Being a spokesperson is hard enough, let alone in the environment Illinois government finds itself in today. People and communications are critical in trying to get Illinois government to function. This year, Rikeesha Phelon has done an outstanding job by not being cookie cutter, but being herself, and letting the message be more about the issue, and far less about checking talking point boxes.
* OW texted me after he made that nomination and said he had another one in mind as well. I encouraged him to add it…
I’d also like to include my name in calling for Lance Trover;
While dutifully working for the Governor, Lance has continued to be the constant and consistent voice in ensuring the Governor’s message is framed and making clear the position of the Administration.
Being a spokesperson is hard enough, let alone in the environment Illinois government finds itself in today. That holds true for Lance Trover, taking his lunch pail and hard hat and working tirelessly.
He has my unquestioned respect, and does the job with deft skill. Governor Rauner is being served exceptionally well by Lance Trover and deserves this award.
They’re both tremendously deserving, so they both win.
* OK, let’s move on to today’s categories…
* Best Illinois State Representative - Republican
* Best Illinois State Representative - Democrat
Remember, it’s about the intensity far more than the numbers, so make sure to explain your nominations. Also, do your best to nominate in each category. Thanks!
As far back as 1963, then-civil rights attorney George N. Leighton, who went on to become a federal judge, said the “number of (police brutality) cases” was “so numerous” and the patterns of brutality “so complex” that his Chicago branch of the NAACP hired an investigator just to document the allegations.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel helped crystallize the Laquan McDonald case for me Monday, although not quite in the way he intended.
Still struggling to contain the political fallout from McDonald’s alleged murder by a Chicago police officer, the mayor characterized the situation surrounding the teenager’s death as an “inflection point” that can lead to real, substantive reform in the Police Department.
“It cannot be just another incident,” Emanuel vowed as he introduced a new boss at the Independent Police Review Authority.
That’s it, though, isn’t it? That’s been the problem.
Right from the start, city government from the mayor on down treated McDonald’s death at the hands of a police officer as “just another incident.”
Just another police shooting. In a city that records dozens every year. […]
There’s a popular narrative in some quarters that Emanuel and his minions covered up McDonald’s shooting to get past the election. It’s possible, I suppose.
But I think the real problem may be that the alarm bells barely sounded at all.
There have been other police shootings, other citizen complaints, other videos, but people barely took notice. The city’s big media outlets weren’t even the ones which finally pried that McDonald shooting video from the government. There was no series of thundering editorials, columns and blog posts in April after the city council voted to give $5 million to McDonald’s survivors.
The mayor and just about everybody else treated this the same way they’ve always treated these things.
Video footage released by Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez on Monday showing the police shooting of Ronald Johnson last year revealed more than a fatal police shooting.
It showed the turmoil that some Chicagoans are living in as a result of gun violence — turmoil that has also made it harder to hold police officers accountable for misconduct. […]
Prior to the shooting — something that is not captured on the video — Johnson allegedly struggled with another police officer and was able to break free, according to Alvarez’s investigation.
At one point, five police officers and at least three police patrol cars and a marked Tahoe were involved in the chase.
Officers were dispatched to the scene when frightened residents called 911 to complain about shots being fired. You could hear the fear in their voices.
Residents reported shots being fired in front of 346 E. 53rd St., and that there were hooded black males running in the backyards and trying to get into the building’s entrance.
One exasperated caller pleaded with police officers to do something.
Unbeknownst to scared residents, a group of males that included Johnson had left a party in the nearby building and someone had shot out the back window of the car the group was traveling in.
Way too many Illinoisans are trapped in their own homes while this insane street war rages on around them.
Chicago’s best hope — and the mayor’s best hope — is the federal Justice Department investigation announced Monday. This sort of “pattern and practice” probe, which likely will lead to long-term federal court supervision of the Chicago Police Department, has worked wonders for other police departments. In the most successful cases, the use of deadly force declines while crime rates decline or hold steady — and community trust soars.
“This mistrust from members of the community makes it more difficult to gain help with investigations, to encourage victims and witnesses of crimes to speak up, and to fulfill the most basic responsibilities of public safety officials,” Attorney General Loretta Lynch said Monday, announcing the investigation.
[Rep. Elgie Sims] and [Sen. Kwame Raoul] also suggested licensing police officers, in that suspending or revoking a license might serve as an extra level of enforcement, as with lawyers, doctors and other licensed professionals.
Republican state Sen. Tim Bivins actually introduced a police licensing bill way back in 2010…
Provides that the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board has the power to require local governmental units to furnish personnel rosters, employment status reports, and annual training plans to the Board. Provides that a police officer who has been licensed, certified, or granted a valid waiver shall be decertified or have his or her license or waiver revoked upon a determination by the Illinois Labor Relations Board State Panel that he or she knowingly and willfully violated a rule or regulation of his or her department or agency that has as a penalty the discharge or dismissal of the officer from the department or agency. Establishes hearing procedures on decertification. Contains other provisions.
Bivins’ bill attracted just two co-sponors (the Democrat Raoul and Republican Sen. Pam Althoff) and went nowhere.
* Other developments…
* ADDED: New FOIA bill on police videos filed: A bipartisan measure aimed at strengthening the right of the public to see police dash-cam video has been filed in the Illinois House in the wake of law-enforcement-involved shooting deaths in Chicago. The measure, sponsored by Rep. Art Turner, D-Chicago, and co-sponsored by Rep. David McSweeney, R-Barrington Hills, provides that such videos, including dash-cam and body videos, are not exempt from the state’s Freedom of Information Act unless an agency obtains a court order. The bill also requires a court to conduct an expedited hearing when an exemption to the FOIA Act is claimed.
* I wonder if Sen. Kirk realizes that Cairo, Illinois is further south than Richmond, Virginia…
Republican U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk gave a lively speech boosting Illinois to the manufacturers group on Friday, but one attempt at a joke veered into stereotypes.
Kirk said he often asks employers why they operate businesses in Illinois, given the state’s reputation for “high costs and unions and corruption.” Kirk said one employer explained that in the states south of Illinois, it was hard to keep a business open, “because everybody was huntin’ on that day.”
The first-term senator, who is up for re-election next year, put on a southern accent as he cracked the joke, drawing a bit of laughter from the crowd. Illinois employees, Kirk said, “they just show up, they work all day.”
“My reason for this is our inherent Polish character,” Kirk continued. “The 2 million Poles that, you know, Poles just work all day long and don’t ask for recess. … We’ve got to make sure that we sell that. There’s no absenteeism during huntin’ season for us, unlike the southern jurisdictions. We sell the Illinois worker who is just going to work like crazy.”
Yep. No hillbilly hunters and a whole lot of Poles. That’s what makes Illinois so great.
Sheesh.
But, hey, at least he’s saying positive stuff, unlike so many other folks in this state.
* According to Greg Hinz, IDOT is looking at adding one toll lane in each direction on the Stevenson...
The Illinois Department of Transportation [yesterday] took the first formal step toward potentially adding tolled “managed lanes” in the median strip of Interstate 55 (the Stevenson Expressway) between Interstate 355 in Bolingbrook and Interstates 90/94 (the Dan Ryan Expressway) in Chicago.
The proposal—to be the subject of a public hearing at 4 p.m. Dec. 9 at the Holiday Inn at 6201 Joliet Road in Countryside—would not directly impact existing, free lanes. But with the Stevenson and other highways more clogged every year and money short for expansion, motorists eventually may have to chose between creeping along in heavy traffic or paying up and accessing faster toll lanes.
“We can’t go on moving traffic in the same way we have in the past,” said IDOT Secretary Randy Blankenhorn. “This approach works in more than 50 cities now,” such as Dallas/Ft. Worth, where tolled roads and lanes often adjoin existing free expressways. And, from my experience, vehicles on the toll roads move more quickly.
I, for one, would probably use the toll lanes if traffic was bad, and it’s often pretty bad in that area. But I’m not exactly poor. Your own thoughts? Would you use the lanes? Do you think adding toll lanes is fair to those who can’t afford them?
In many quarters, it’s common knowledge that Chicago’s system of investigating shootings by officers is flawed. But the Tribune’s examination of the system shows that it is flawed at so many levels — critics say, by design — as to be broken. IPRA’s own statistics bear that out.
Of 409 shootings since the agency’s formation in September 2007 — an average of roughly one a week — only two have led to allegations against an officer being found credible, according to IPRA. Both involved off-duty officers.
Yikes.
* Jonathan Goldman takes a look at how Chicago’s clearance rate of 99.5 percent stacks up to Las Vegas and other cities…
One of the findings by the [Las Vegas] Review-Journal was that the Use of Force Review Board cleared officers of wrongdoing in “a staggering” 97 percent of the use of force cases it reviewed. In its petition to the DOJ calling for an investigation, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) cited the 97 percent figure, noting that “Meaningful review of these events simply does not take place.”
Clearance rates in other places, while still high, were much lower than in Chicago. The Miami Police Department was also subjected to a DOJ investigation, which found that 87 percent of police shootings were cleared. In Palm Beach County, Florida, 90 percent of officer-involved shootings were cleared over a 15 year period.
A DOJ report examining the Philadelphia Police Department was released earlier this year, which found that 77 percent of the officers involved in a shooting did not violate departmental policies. Even with a clearance rate lower than some other departments, “Some interviewees told the Justice Department they believed that the department’s board of inquiry undermined findings from internal reviews of officer shootings, resulting in “too little discipline.””
Only one other police department had numbers similar to Chicago. The Newark, New Jersey police department was investigated by the DOJ beginning in 2011, after a request was made by the ACLU. In its petition calling for the investigation, the ACLU notes that in 2008 and 2009 there were 128 excessive force complaints made against Newark police officers. Not a single complaint was sustained – 100 percent were cleared, even better than Chicago’s 99.5 percent. An interesting trivia fact: the police chief in Newark at the time was Garry McCarthy, who was just fired by Mayor Emanuel from his Superintendent position here in Chicago because of similar problems.
[Yesterday] Alderman Howard B. Brookins, Jr. challenged the nominating petitions of his primary opponent, Congressman Bobby Rush (IL-01). After extensive review, Rush submitted less than 750 valid signatures. Illinois election law requires 1,314 valid signatures for the 1st Congressional District.
“For years Bobby Rush has not shown up for his constituents and it’s clear the community is no longer there for him. There’s no doubt that losing touch with the district resulted in desperate attempts of fraud. From hundreds of signatures outside of the district to blatant forgery, I’m confident the Board of Elections will find enough evidence to remove him from the ballot,” said Alderman Brookins.
Multiple discrepancies found in petition sheets:
Multiple signatures from the same person on different petition sheets.
One signer signed for another person or multiple people at a single address.
Circulators signed their own sheets.
Circulator signatures do not match.
Notary notarized his own signature.
Circulators repeatedly visited the same addresses and collected duplicate signatures.
Some sheets have no signatures and only printed names.
To see examples of these, please follow these links:
Rush spokesman Stanley Watkins said the congressman’s campaign has not yet had a chance to review the challenge, but predicted the incumbent “will have sufficient signatures” to remain on the ballot for the March Democratic primary.
The Brookins camp is using well-known election attorney Mike Dorf to pursue the challenge. An even better known election lawyer, Mike Kasper, also is working for Brookins but on other matters, spokesman Tom Bowen said. Kasper’s other clients have included Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan and Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
A second challenge also was filed against Rush by another party, according to Board of Elections records. Details were not immediately available.
Resolving a petition challenge can be a lengthy, complex process. By law, those who sign are supposed to be registered voters in the district that’s involved, but sometimes people move. In other cases, attorneys for both sides argue over whether a signature is or is not legitimate.
*** UPDATE *** Check out the last line in this tweet…
State Sen. Bill Brady (R-Bloomington) said the budget impasse has carried on for so long, it’s possible Illinois might never get a spending plan for the budget year that started nearly six months ago.
“If what some people are saying is accurate, nothing will happen until after the March primaries, then what’s the point?,” Brady asked. “We are looking at a budget for next year anyway at that point.
John Tillman, CEO of the conservative think-tank Illinois Policy Institute, told WJBC’s Scott Laughlin he expects the Democratic leadership will insist on a budget before the spring elections.
“I think (House) Speaker (Mike) Madigan is going to be very focused on those elections and he’s going to want to send his (party candidates) to go campaign because he feels very vulnerable,” Tillman said.
Thoughts?
…Adding… From comments…
Wait, Madigan feels vulnerable so he’s going to put his members on a vote to raise taxes right before their primaries? That’s insane.
So, please, click here. Then click on the “…” next to the “Message box and click “Report”…
Then click “Report this account,” and then click either “This timeline is pretending to be me or someone I know,” or “This is a fake account.” Then complete the process.
Researchers from IGPA’s Fiscal Futures Project found that Illinois’ budget practices are badly in need of reform. They assert, “The buy-now, pay-later content choices of the past were facilitated, even disguised, by then-existing procedural and reporting practices. Reform of these practices would improve budget transparency and accountability, and help prevent Illinois from getting into such dire fiscal straits in the future.”
The IGPA team suggests five concrete steps that Illinois can take today:
1) Refine and expand multiyear budget planning,
2) Require meaningful fiscal notes to accompany legislation,
3) Modify cash-only budget reporting to include significant changes in liabilities and assets,
4) Clearly identify non-sustainable or one-time revenue sources, and
5) Adopt a broad-based budget reporting frame with meaningful spending and revenue categories consistently defined over time.
All of those would surely help. Requiring legit fiscal notes would be a good place to start, but so much more needs to be done.
The full report is here. Let us know what you think.
A working paper released by the Volcker Alliance, a nonpartisan organization established in 2013 by former Federal Reserve Board Chairman Paul A. Volcker, sets forth six basic principles of sound budgeting for states and provides ten recommendations for improved budgetary transparency, including disclosure of 1) the use of one-time revenue sources to cover recurring expenditures, 2) deferrals of spending, and 3) underfunding of infrastructure maintenance and public-worker retirement obligations.
