* 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.
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OK, now maybe take another lap?
Tuesday, Dec 8, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Press release…
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.
To see where the Lt. Governor’s travels have taken her please visit her website at: http://www.illinois.gov/ltg/visits/Pages/default.aspx
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*** UPDATED x3 *** Leaders to meet again
Tuesday, Dec 8, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* 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.”
The MAP funding bill has no HGOP sponsors. Just sayin…
* And the leaders are meeting again today…
Gov. Bruce Rauner has planned another round of talks on state budget with legislative leaders in Chicago.
Rauner spokeswoman Catherine Kelly says the meeting is Tuesday afternoon at The James R. Thompson Center.
Check back at 3:30 or so and I’ll have a ScribbleLive thingy posted if events warrant it.
*** UPDATE 1 *** The governor took questions before the meeting…
*** UPDATE 2 *** I’m assuming this sums it up pretty well…
*** UPDATE 3 *** More…
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The slippery slope
Tuesday, Dec 8, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Hmm…
* 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
* Trump’s been backtracking a bit…
“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.
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Mautino sworn in
Tuesday, Dec 8, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* It’s official…
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.
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Question of the day - Golden Horseshoe Awards
Tuesday, Dec 8, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* 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!
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In which I concur
Tuesday, Dec 8, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Context…
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.
* So, I think Mark Brown nailed it…
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.
But this one crystallized it for people.
* Mary Mitchell also nails it…
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.
* Agreed…
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.
Yep, that would be Chicago. Bring in the feds.
* I wrote about this topic last week…
[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.
* Video shows Chicago cops repeatedly using Taser, then dragging suspect from cell
* Chicago police commander goes on trial today on charges he assaulted suspect
* Chicago Police Department Chief of Detectives Dean Andrews Resigns
* African-American Legislators Call for Expanded Probe of Chicago Police
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Unclear on the concept
Tuesday, Dec 8, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* 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.
…Adding… Heh…
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IDOT considering adding toll lanes to I-55
Tuesday, Dec 8, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* 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?
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* From the Tribune…
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.
Wow.
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*** UPDATED x1 *** Could Rush be toast?
Tuesday, Dec 8, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From a press release…
[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:
Subscribers know more.
* Greg Hinz has the react…
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…
Yikes.
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Today’s quotables
Tuesday, Dec 8, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* WJBC…
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.
Heh.
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* Somebody has set up a fake Oswego Willy Facebook account. This is so not cool.
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.
Thanks!
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Budget-improving bullet points
Tuesday, Dec 8, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From the U of I’s Institute for Government and Public Affairs…
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.
* Meanwhile…
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.
That report is here.
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Oddities and ends
Monday, Dec 7, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Apparently, this little scheme is quite popular in Chicago…
For more than a year and a half, state Sen. Patricia Van Pelt (D-Chicago) recruited people into a home-based sales organization that she called “the opportunity of a lifetime.”
Other local politicians, including Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown and Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White, also have belonged to the company, 5Linx. But Van Pelt was one of the most visible company cheerleaders, seen on one promotional video for 5Linx boasting of her BMW and Bentley. She joined the company after she heard about a “million-dollar earner” with 5Linx, she says on the video. […]
In the video, titled “Senator Patricia Van Pelt’s 5Linx Platinum Lifestyle,” she blurs the line between her public office (a part-time job) and her sales position. Twice on the video Van Pelt’s name, title and the seal of the State of Illinois are featured prominently.
Despite the rhetoric in videos from Van Pelt about the wealth potential of 5Linx, she told the BGA that saving money on services is the benefit most people realize after joining.
Van Pelt rose to platinum senior vice president — one of the highest rankings in the 5Linx organization. But she quit 5Linx in June and joined a similar company, Utah-based Ariix international because, she said, she liked that company’s products. Ariix contributed $10,800 to Van Pelt’s political committee in September.
Have a look at the 5Linx page. Sheesh. No wonder Jesse White (who backed Van Pelt for the Senate) never did anything with it.
* I told subscribers about this earlier today…
Three months after the Illinois Senate rose to honor what seemed to be the heroics of Fox Lake police Lt. Charles Joseph Gliniewicz, a McHenry Republican is asking to take it back.
State Sen. Pam Althoff has made the rare request to strike from the Senate record the mournful resolution honoring Gliniewicz that was adopted in September, days after the officer died.
“Since adoption of Senate Resolution 942 the facts and circumstances related to it have changed,” the new resolution says.
I wasn’t aware this could be done, but I suppose anything’s possible…
Rescinds Senate Resolution 942 and expungement of entries relating to it from the Senate Journal and the Illinois General Assembly website.
* And, finally, an e-mail that was sent to the secretary of state’s office…
Greetings;
My name is Chaz Stevens, Executive Director of The Humanity Fund.
I am seeking information regarding installation of our 2015 Gay Pride Festivus Pole inside the Illinois State Capitol rotunda. We’d like the pole’s erection to near the Baby Jesus … as you never know, the little one might want to dance the night away!
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.
There are no moving parts, no power requirements, but plenty of opportunities to air one’s grievances.
I’m including a couple of links to get you up to speed, just in case you dialed in from another galaxy.
http://www.rawstory.com/2015/12/christian-lawmakers-unintentionally-open-the-door-to-gay-pride-festivus-pole-at-arkansas-statehouse/
http://www.mtv.com/news/2618454/gay-pride-festivus-pole-arkansas-capitol/
http://www.arkansasmatters.com/news/local-news/man-applies-to-place-gay-pride-festivus-pole-at-capitol
http://spectrum.suntimes.com/news/10/155/7654/festivus-pole-gay-arkansas/
http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2015/dec/01/advocacy-group-requests-gay-pride-festivus-pole-st/
And, for your edification, here are a few pictures of the pole in action.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/7008106/HuffPo.zip
Yeah, it’s pretty gay looking! Ain’t that the coolest?
I’m expecting my application to be accepted in short order, otherwise I’m gonna have some problems with you people!
KINDLY CONFIRM RECEIPT OF THIS EMAIL.
Happy Festivus, see you soon!
Chaz
The pole…
* Related…
* Sandra Salgado: Republican Party “Behind Steve Reick 100%,” GOP Primary Opponent Backs Jack Franks
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* Let’s circle back to Friday’s nominations. The 2015 Golden Horsehoe Award for Best Legislative Campaign Staffer - Republicans goes to…
I nominate Jordan Ryan on the R side. Competent, smart and always informs the House Republicans of the pertinent talking points and positions of the caucus.
As of next year, when we go back to handing out four prizes in this general category, the Best House GOP Campaign Staffer award will be named for Nick Bellini. The man is a beast.
Runner-up this year is Roxanne Owens, who was a very close second.
* The 2015 Golden Horsehoe Award for Best Legislative Campaign Staffer - Democrats goes to…
Anne Schaeffer. Anne has been nominated in previous years, but this is her year to win the award. As previous posters have noted, she often leads some of the more difficult races. More than that though she is mentor to new staff and provides a great example of how to stay organized and task oriented, all with a smile on the face. And it hasn’t been mentioned this year, so I will add that she also led the re-map staff for the Dems. Anne Schaeffer is a team player and winner.
Runner-up is Mitch Schaben.
Congratulations to our winners!
* Today’s category…
* The Steve Brown Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Government Spokesperson
The winner can be a spokesperson at any level of government. It’s not specifically a legislative thing. Just remember to explain your vote or it won’t count. Thanks!
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Rauner: “Stay strong”
Monday, Dec 7, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* WUIS on the governor’s recent speech to the IMA…
“I am the most persistent rascal on the planet,” Rauner said. “I do not back down; I do not give up.”
But Democrats also have been persistent. They won’t agree to any of the business-centered reforms Rauner’s pushed.
As a result, Rauner says the stalemate will continue.
“It looks now most likely January to April,” Rauner said. “‘Kay? Persistence. Persistence. Stay strong.”
* OK, so, have a look at this chart prepared by Voices for Illinois Children. It’s just a sampling of some human service programs in the DHS Division of Family & Community Services that aren’t being funded during the impasse. All dollars are FY 2015 and are displayed in thousands. Click the pic for a larger image…
* Some program descriptions from the state’s website…
* Comprehensive Community Based Youth Services (CCBYS) provides crisis assistance to youth who have run away from home or have been kicked out of their homes.
* The Family Case Management (FCM) program serves pregnant women, infants, and children with high-risk medical conditions.
* The Supportive Housing Program provides the necessary supportive services coupled with housing to enable formerly homeless individuals and families, or those in danger of becoming homeless obtain or maintain community-based housing. The program is designed to prevent people returning to or falling into homelessness. The supportive services must be needed for the homeless or formerly homeless individuals to function independently.
* The Redeploy Illinois program grants funds to counties or groups of counties that will establish a continuum of local, community-based sanctions and treatment alternatives for juvenile offenders who would otherwise be incarcerated if those local services and sanctions were not available, as required by 730 ILCS 110/16.1. In exchange for these program funds, the provider agrees to reduce the number of Redeploy Illinois eligible commitments from that county (ies) by a minimum of 25%.
* Emily Miller at Voices wrote me the other day about the above chart and, more specifically, Redeploy Illinois…
Hi Rich,
Something that gets lost in the budget impasse conversation that we must keep an eye on is the value of investment in interconnected state services that have gone unfunded since July 1, and the inefficiency of a piecemeal approach. […]
I’ve attached a sample of DHS programs that will remain unfunded even after the non-GRF money is released. Redeploy Illinois is an excellent example of the lack of wisdom in funding services piecemeal.
Alternatives to incarceration for juvenile offenders offered by Redeploy Illinois are not receiving state funding. According to DHS, the average cost per capita to serve a youth in Redeploy in 2014 was $5,912. The cost to house that same youth in the Department of Juvenile Justice was $111,000. And because the program reduced incarceration by 238 youth in 2012, the state saved nearly $17 million that year alone.
As time goes on without investment by the state, Redeploy is increasingly unable to serve youth. Because youth who have access to Redeploy services have a 27% lower recidivism rate than those who are incarcerated, youth released from incarceration are more likely to commit crimes that land them back in the system.
And where are the youth without access to services committing those crimes? In the same municipalities that are about to have their non-GRF funding released. Aside from the damage crime does to children, families, and communities, increased crime means additional local policing costs, and the additional cost of re-incarceration for the state.
The argument is not that municipalities and other non-GRF areas should not get funding. It is that funding them alone, without the network of other support services, is not maximizing state investment.
Given the fact that we are about $6 billion down in revenue than we were this time last year, it seems like efficiency of state investments and responsible budgeting is something lawmakers and the Governor should pay more attention to.
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What passes for progress these days
Monday, Dec 7, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Among other things, SB 777 would allow Chicago to reamortize its police and firefighter pension debt to lower the next payment by $200 million. The governor has been against the bill. Now, he’s for it. But only after he gets his Turnaround Agenda passed…
In a statement, Deputy Chief of Staff Mike Schrimpf says the governor “would sign SB 777 as part of a larger package of structural reform bills.”
In other words, the bill will get signed–when and if Rauner and legislative leaders reach a deal on a new state budget that includes some of the pro-business and related “structural changes” that the governor wants.
That statement raised some eyebrows in the office of Senate President John Cullerton, who backs the bill but has held back from sending it to the governor for fear of a veto. “The Senate president is encouraged by the development,” his spokeswoman said in a statement.
So is City Hall. As one top Springfield insider put it, “This is a very positive movement toward the bill when you look at (Rauner’s) previous statements.”
So, the bill has been moved from one pile (no way) to another pile (OK, but only after TA is passed).
I guess that’s kinda similar to progress.
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* Tribune…
Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez announced Monday that no criminal charges will be brought against a Chicago police officer in the fatal shooting of Ronald Johnson III because a dash-cam video of the shooting shows Johnson wielding a gun.
* ABC Chicago…
“The legal question in this case is not whether Officer Hernandez shot Mr. Johnson and killed him, those facts are not in dispute. The legal questions are: Number 1, is there sufficient evidence that exists to meet the legal burden of proof required to bring charges? Number 2, in using deadly force, did Officer Hernandez act reasonably under the law?” Alvarez said.
* Sun-Times…
A dashcam video, which was enhanced to provide the clearest view, showed Johnson just moments before he was shot and demonstrates that he was carrying a gun, according to the Cook County state’s attorney’s office.
At a news conference Monday morning, Alvarez and one of her deputies gave an extremely detailed narrative of what happened leading up to the shooting of Johnson, including audio tapes of 911 calls, police communications, maps and dashcam video.
Johnson and three other men had been at a party at 53rd and King Drive in Oct. and as they left their car was shot at.
The driver of the car heard the sound of a cocking gun from Ronald Johnson, who sat behind him.
Go read the rest.
* DNA Info…
The video was analyzed by experts and Alvarez said they are confident Johnson was carrying a weapon. She said the people in the vehicle with Johnson, who attended the party with him, also confirmed that he had a weapon. When asked how sure she was about Johnson being armed, she acknowledged the video was not “Hollywood quality.”
“They’re grainy, it’s dark, it’s blurry, it happened so fast,” Alvarez said, but after consulting with multiple experts she said they are confident that Johnson was carrying a gun.
Again, the video had no audio. Alvarez called the lack of audio in the dashcam videos “frustrating” and said the Chicago Police Department needs to answer for that.
A screen grab from the video is here. It’s hard to see anything.
*** UPDATE *** Mayor Emanuel…
“A life was lost here, and that is a tragedy that can’t be taken lightly no matter the circumstances. That’s why independent investigations are so crucial in these cases. Now, as our independent police review authority resumes its investigation to determine whether the shooting was consistent with CPD’s policy, we must also ask ourselves if the existing policies on the use of deadly force are the right ones and if the training we provide to officers to make split-second decisions in life or death situations is sufficient.”
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Meh
Monday, Dec 7, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Politico…
On the 14th day since the Laquan McDonald police shooting video was released, Mayor Rahm Emanuel is on political life support.
Not trying to pick on Politico here. Lots of outlets are saying the same breathless thing these days, as if any second now he’s gonna quit or be forced out.
* However…
[Chicago Ald. Ed Burke] noted that state law includes no recall statute for Chicago mayors and there is “no mechanism” to remove a mayor in whom the voters have lost confidence.
If he’s charged with a crime, if the president and/or Hillary throw him totally under the bus, if there are extended and devastating riots (which some seem determined to spark) then I can see Emanuel quitting.
As long as events don’t completely overtake him, he has a lot of time left on his term, and time is his main ally here.
* But as I’ve said before, the mayor truly needs to go big. Use this as an opportunity to create much-needed, dramatic change for the better. Chicago can be made a safer, better city if this is done right. And that benefits everyone, particularly the police.
…Adding… Greg Hinz…
In calling current and former Emanuel insiders and others who know him well, I hear some things that suggest that, as always, there’s another side to the story.
For instance, the mayor feared that if the McDonald video was released the wrong way, some cops would get their backs up and hit the city with a case of blue flu. And bad relations with some reporters, who “hate him,” according to one mayoral ally, can make things look worse than they are.
But far more typically, I heard there really is a problem, and his name is Rahm Emanuel.
“He’s a one-man band. That’s the way he’s been for five years. He micromanages everything,” says an insider who knows the mayor well. “Sure, he needs a better staff. But he wouldn’t listen to it anyhow.”
Others make the same point: Emanuel is so focused on the short-term goal of winning the 24-hour news cycle that he gets in his own way and avoids the long-term plans needed to reach his ultimate goals. He downplayed the need for a federal probe of the Police Department, for example, even though such an investigation is coming anyhow and could provide him with the necessary cover to force unpopular but needed changes.
Emanuel “needs a Teele,” says another source, referring to onetime mayoral aide Terry Teele, who in his own boisterous and convivial way was one of the few people in the world who could tell Richard M. Daley to his face when he was full of it.
…Adding… Related…
* Karen Lewis: Rahm Would Have Won Even if McDonald Video Had Been Released: “I don’t think he would have lost. I think that had he shown the video it would have helped him, shown that he was serious about transparency. But the real issue is how in the world was Chuy going to win? Rahm had all that money he could throw at the election. We are in a place now where elections are bought, not won.”
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Roundup
Monday, Dec 7, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The power of video…
Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez on Monday will announce the results of an investigation into a fatal Chicago police shooting that occurred a week before 17-year-old Laquan McDonald was shot and killed by a different officer.
The announcement in the case of Ronald Johnson III comes less than a week after Mayor Rahm Emanuel said the city would drop its fight against release of police dashboard video showing an officer shooting Johnson in the back on the South Side.
* Is anyone really surprised?…
Newly released documents in the fatal shooting of Chicago teen Laquan McDonald – including original incident reports, as well as summaries filed later by detectives — show that critical aspects of some officers’ version of events are not backed up by the now widely-viewed video of the incident. […]
One report states that as Van Dyke arrived and exited his vehicle, McDonald was “swinging the knife in an aggressive, exaggerated manner.” […]
In the video, Van Dyke begins firing at McDonald within about 30 seconds of arriving on the scene, near Pulaski Road and 41st Street — though the other officers already on the scene did not fire.
The report, however, has Van Dyke fearing for his life.
* Go read this entire story…
It is a system seemingly designed to fail.
Chicago police officers enforce a code of silence to protect one another when they shoot a citizen, giving some a sense they can do so with impunity.
Their union protects them from rigorous scrutiny, enforcing a contract that can be an impediment to tough and timely investigations.
The Independent Police Review Authority, the civilian agency meant to pierce that protection and investigate shootings of citizens by officers, is slow, overworked and, according to its many critics, biased in favor of the police.
* Oh, geez…
It sounds like something James Bond would carry: A knife that’s also a gun.
But it is the kind of thing police officers are warned about from time to time, just as they are about guns disguised as belt buckles and tire gauges and motorcycle handlebars modified to fire a shotgun round.
The knife-gun, which isn’t well known outside of gun enthusiast circles, has pushed its way into the case surrounding the 2014 killing of Laquan McDonald, a black 17-year-old who was shot 16 times by a white Chicago police officer, Jason Van Dyke.
The city released more than 300 pages of police reports and other investigation documents late Friday pertaining to the case, including a December 2012 bulletin warning officers about a “revolver knife” and a reference to Van Dyke remembering the bulletin.
During an interview with his superiors about the sequence of events and his decision to use deadly force, Van Dyke said he was aware of throwing knives, spring-loaded knives that propel a blade and he “recalled a previously issued Chicago Police Department bulletin warning of a weapon which appeared to be a knife but which actually was capable of firing a bullet, making it a firearm.”
* Meanwhile, if you read this Sun-Times story, you’ll see that the alderman who claimed they were deliberately misled by the mayor’s office about the shooting aren’t really telling the truth…
In painstaking detail, Patton described how Officer Jason Van Dyke, whom Patton did not identify by name on that day, fired 16 shots into McDonald’s body on October 20, 2014, as five other responding officers exercised restraint.
* And here come the feds…
Attorney General Loretta Lynch said Monday the Justice Department civil pattern or practice probe of the Chicago Police Department will focus on the police use of force, racial bias and its systems of accountability.
Lynch said the investigation will review in part the department’s use of force and deadly force, how any violations are investigated, how those officers are disciplined and whether there is any racial or ethnic disparity in how those matters are handled.
* Here’s what to expect…
A pattern or practice review determines whether there are unlawful policing practices in a police department. If there is an agreement that remedies need to take place, the negotiated deal is overseen by a federal judge who appoints an independent monitor. If there is no agreement, the Justice Department can go to federal court and seek an order.
According to the Justice Department, “in addition to gathering information directly from community members, all pattern and practice investigations involve interviewing police and local officials, gathering information from other criminal justice stakeholders, observing officer activities through ride-alongs and other means, and reviewing documents and specific incidents that are relevant to the investigation.
“At the conclusion of an investigation, the division issues a public report detailing the findings. If the investigation finds no systemic violations of constitutional or federal statutory rights by the law enforcement agency, the division will state that and close the investigation. If, on the other hand, there are findings of patterns or practices of misconduct, the division will articulate precisely what those patterns or practices are, and will identify any systemic deficiencies underlying those patterns.”
* Related…
* ADDED: Sen. Mark Kirk Reacts to Laquan Mcdonald Shooting: “As far as I’m concerned, every single police officer who witnessed this shooting and failed to arrest officer Jason Van Dyke or who falsified reports to mislead investigators should be off the streets,” said Sen. Kirk in a statement. “And every person who made an effort to hide the murder of Lacquan McDonald should be held accountable by either the Department of Justice investigation, the federal grand jury investigation or the upcoming trial,” Kirk added.
* This Is How London Police Deal With A Knife-Wielding Suspect
* Rahm Emanuel op-ed: I own the problem of police brutality, and I’ll fix it
* Black People Are Not Ignoring ‘Black on Black’ Crime: To the extent that killings by the police generate more outrage, it is completely understandable. Police in America are granted wide range of powers by the state including lethal force. With that power comes a special place of honor. When cops are killed the outrage is always different than when citizens are killed. Likewise when cops kill under questionable terms, more scrutiny follows directly from the logic of citizenship. Great power. Great responsibility.
* Police review authority boss ousted: A former federal prosecutor will head the agency charged with investigating police shootings in Chicago after the immediate resignation of its chief administrator, Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s office announced Sunday.
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* Tribune…
Acting in the aftermath of the San Bernardino mass shooting, the Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal from gun owners who challenged a Chicago suburb’s ban on assault weapons.
Two conservative justices said they would have heard the case and struck down the ban.
The court, though, left in place a lower court ruling that found that local governments have leeway in deciding how to regulate firearms. The federal appeals court in Chicago upheld the city of Highland Park’s 2013 gun law that bans semi-automatic weapons and large-capacity magazines.
In October, the federal appeals court in New York largely upheld similar laws in Connecticut and New York, among a handful of states that ban semi-automatic weapons.
Discuss.
…Adding… Steve Chapman has some perspective on this issue…
It’s hard to think of any plausible safeguard that would have blocked firearm acquisitions by the husband — a Chicago-born U.S. citizen with a government job, a spotless record and no known history of mental illness. Law enforcement officials report that all four of the guns the killers had were bought legally in California.
Farook bought the two pistols, and another man bought the two rifles. The couple may have gotten the rifles in violation of the state’s rule that all gun transfers must go through a licensed dealer. Determined criminals can easily evade the law.
Two people capable of making or acquiring more than a dozen pipe bombs, which are not sold at Wal-Mart, probably have ways of getting the sort of guns they deem necessary.
Not that they would especially need “assault weapons.” These rifles are functionally indistinguishable from other semi-automatic firearms, which discharge equally lethal rounds with equal rapidity. And plenty of ordinary guns with higher calibers can do worse damage just as quickly.
Trying to prevent carnage by getting rid of “assault weapons” is like trying to prevent alcoholism by outlawing vodka. There are plenty of good substitutes. Limiting the size of magazines is also no hurdle for a minimally competent shooter, who can bring extras to quickly replace depleted ones.
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* We Are One, of course, is the labor coalition which fought pension cuts. From Chicago FOP President Dean Angelo’s Facebook page…
The following is an earlier response to an FOP member addressing his concerns about reevaluating the lodge’s previous support of the CTU.
Dear Member,
Shortly after my taking office, Lodge 7’s association with ‘We Are One’ took a different direction after discussions about some in ‘We Are One’, in the CTU and in a few of the other groups were voicing anti-Police rhetoric.
Although the Lodge’s previous administrative body, as well as our lobbyist of the time, thought is best that the FOP be affiliated with ‘We Are One’, personally I did not. I quickly informed the new Board of my concerns.
The CTU filled at least 3 buses that headed to Ferguson after accepting an invite from their president to join in the demonstrations against the Police. We have also been informed that there was a Chicago contingent in New York and in Baltimore as well. Maybe those who previously thought we needed to be affiliated with this organization would like to answer to our Membership for signing on with them in the first place.
In keeping with their organizational anti-Police stance, a recent CTU newsletter contained a 3-page article describing how to best go about complaining against Police Officers working in and/or responding to issues in the public school system. Maybe the CTU should quell the classroom behaviors and gang problems with their own internal staff, social workers or administrators.
If what I just wrote falls short of clarifying the Lodge’s present position on ‘We Are One’, the CTU, it’s present leadership and any future FOP support; let me guarantee you that as long as I am sitting in the President’s chair of Lodge 7 there will no longer be any support from Lodge 7 to the CTU or any other organization that calls for their body of membership to rally against the Police.
I hope this addresses your concerns.
Dean C. Angelo Sr.
* The guy is outspoken, to say the least…
Fraternal Order of Police President Dean Angelo said Wednesday he was “surprised” at Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s decision to fire Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy, calling it “another kick” to the Chicago Police Department and “another blow” to a “beat up” rank-and-file.
Angelo also hinted strongly that Emanuel may have made a mistake by bowing to pressure to fire McCarthy to ease racial tensions brought to a boil by the Laquan McDonald shooting video. Angelo likened the mayor to a permissive parent who gives in to quiet a child’s tantrum.
“People are screaming for a change. If you have kids that scream for treats and you give them treats, they’ll continue to scream” and demand even more candy, Angelo said.
Oy.
* From a Tribune editorial…
[Chicago FOP President Dean Angelo] would have you believe that from another angle, McDonald can be seen menacing the officers with a knife instead of walking hurriedly away from them. From another angle, he’s struggling to his feet, knife raised, instead of writhing on the ground and falling still.
No way.
The video is so damning that Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s top attorney negotiated a $5 million settlement with McDonald’s relatives before they even filed a lawsuit.
The city fought hard to keep the public from seeing it, until a judge ordered it released.
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Beware the backlash
Monday, Dec 7, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* My weekly syndicated newspaper column…
With growing numbers of black and Latino politicians calling for Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez to resign, it’s probably time for the county’s Democratic Party leaders to rethink their summertime decision not to endorse anyone in the primary.
The incumbent state’s attorney is facing two Democratic primary challengers, Kim Foxx and Donna More.
Foxx, an African-American woman and former prosecutor, is the former chief of staff to Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and is backed by other African-American and liberal leaders, plus some labor unions.
More is white, is a former county prosecutor and has represented casino interests since she left the Illinois Gaming Board decades ago. She also contributed to Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner’s campaign (one of only a handful of contributions she’s ever made). The first-time candidate has demonstrated an ability to raise enough money to compete.
The general rule of thumb for incumbents facing primaries is “the more, the merrier.” Multiple candidates can split the “anti” vote against the incumbent, which means Alvarez won’t need to receive 50 percent plus one to win. In other words, she could win.
The Chicago media is currently in an uproar about police-involved shootings, and Alvarez is taking big heat for her cozy ties to the police and for her alleged slow-walking of murder charges against the police officer who shot 17-year-old LaQuan McDonald 16 times last year.
Alvarez has always been very friendly to police interests, once charging a woman with a felony for recording two Chicago police officers as they were trying to convince her to drop sexual harassment charges against another police officer. That’s going above and beyond.
So, when the state’s lone Latino in the U.S. Congress, Luiz Gutierrez, withdrew his Alvarez endorsement and other major Cook County Latino figures called on her to resign, the pressure built to a full-on boil.
But as we’ve seen elsewhere, a racial backlash could easily develop in this contest. Racial politics are a hard fact of life in Cook County (as they are most places), so what follows may seem insensitive, but it’s not meant to be at all.
The hard fact is that suburban Cook County just isn’t as racially diverse or as liberal as Chicago. It was just 24 percent African-American and 25 percent Latino in the last census, compared with 32 percent white in the city. The suburbs have quite a lot of people who fled Chicago or who refuse to live there.
It’s also not a stretch to imagine that the reaction by suburban whites to the “Black Friday” protests on Chicago’s famed Michigan Avenue were probably a bit different than they were on the South and West Sides.
Alvarez has repeatedly and quite angrily insisted that she won’t let “the politicians” with “political agendas” force her out of office or out of the race.
So, the question has to be asked: What if Alvarez actually wins the nomination as a pro-police, law and order candidate? The uproar from the Democratic base would be deafening, and the consequences in the state’s largest and most important Democratic county might be substantial.
On the other hand, House Speaker Michael Madigan and Chicago Ald. Ed Burke support Alvarez. Those two have a lot of sway in Cook County, so as long as they are with the incumbent, the party likely won’t back anyone else.
Both men represent majority Latino areas. Madigan is himself facing a Latino primary opponent (which is probably no big deal, but Madigan hates taking chances). When asked last week if it was time to reconsider the county party’s non-endorsement, Madigan said he was too busy focusing on the state budget — which is simply not believable if you know the multitasking Madigan even a little bit.
And Burke flatly refused to back away from Alvarez last week.
Madigan also has quite a few contested suburban general election House campaigns, so the opinions of those voters have to be factored in as well.
It’s always possible, perhaps even probable, that Alvarez and More will cancel each other out, allowing Foxx to win.
But Chicago Democrats have enough problems these days (impending school strike, huge budget deficits, a murder spike, taxes rising everywhere) without piling an Alvarez primary victory on top of that gigantic mountain.
The Democratic Party showed it could adapt when it stripped Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown of her slating because of a federal investigation and then handed it to one of her opponents.
The same sort of rethinking should be done with the Alvarez contest.
* Along those same lines…
It was a big plate of awkward served up at the annual Irish Fellowship Club of Chicago Christmas luncheon Friday at the Chicago Hilton & Towers Hotel … and Sneed was there.
So was former Chicago top cop Garry McCarthy, who has just been fired. […]
McCarthy, who had been invited to the luncheon before he was canned, was given a prolonged and sustained standing ovation.
Emanuel was not.
McCarthy was the only one on the dais to receive a standing ovation.
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* My Crain’s Chicago Business column…
A southern Illinois state senator pointed out something the other day that sounds obvious, but really isn’t.
Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, said we can’t address challenges until leaders agree what those challenges actually are. He was referring to the excruciatingly long state government gridlock, but that’s just one example of a broader problem.
As we all know by now, Gov. Bruce Rauner won’t even talk about crafting a state budget until his nonbudget demands are met. He breezed past the very real hardships created by the lack of a budget on Dec. 1, telling reporters. “We’ll take short-term pain for big long-term gain.”
OK, well, tell that to rape victims who can’t get counseling. Explain that to homeless kids or pregnant women or infants with high-risk medical conditions who can’t get services because of the budget deadlock.
On the other hand, Rauner’s right that we need to do something about local property taxes and the workers’ compensation insurance program, which is too expensive for employers.
Yet neither side can agree on what the real issues are or on what the top priorities should be. The Democrats refuse to see the damage they’ve done to this economy with their decidedly not pro-business laws. On the other hand, how can Rauner sleep at night after all but saying rape victims won’t get help until redistricting reform is passed?
Look at the Syrian refugee issue.
Click here to read the rest before commenting, please. Thanks.
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* One reason why the Democrats are so loathe to cut a deal with Gov. Rauner on his non-budgetary demands is that they figure he’ll just come back at them next year with another set of major demands. From the Tribune…
Gov. Rauner has long said he is not pushing a “right-to-work” agenda for Illinois, but when speaking to a friendly crowd Friday at the Illinois Manufacturers Association’s annual luncheon, Rauner said the idea was only off the table “for now.”
“Our labor regulations, while all the states around us have gone right-to-work, that’s killing a lot of employers,” Rauner said. “I’ve taken that off the table, for now anyway, in the spirit of trying to get a deal.”
Rauner is currently pushing a less aggressive version of right-to-work, which allows local governments and school districts to decide what gets collectively bargained and whether or not to pay prevailing union wage rates on public projects.
That effort, along with a number of other items on Rauner’s legislative wish list, has held up action on a budget for state government since the new financial year began July 1. Rauner told the manufacturer’s group that he had always expected the budget fight to drag into the new year, and said it could be months still before a deal is made.
“When I started this process, I thought we’d probably have a compromise in the fall,” Rauner said. “That was my original, when I started last January, I thought we’d have a compromise in the fall. It looks now most likely January to April.”
* Meanwhile…
The Sunday Spin podcasts: State Rep. Ron Sandack of Downers Grove, the House GOP floor leader, said an agreement to end the Springfield stalemate may not come until April, after the March 15 primary elections.
The show can be heard by clicking here.
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