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Thursday, Dec 10, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller

* 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.

40 Comments

The Chicago circus

Thursday, Dec 10, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller

* They’re this/close to shark jumping…

Seemingly equal number protestors and media. More cops than both combined. pic.twitter.com/eLidvbrw2z

— Tom Palmer (@mottom) December 9, 2015

It's come to this: Ronnie Woo Woo attends anti-Rahm news conference #LaquanMcDonald pic.twitter.com/6cPoDGNUom

— Mary Ann Ahern (@MaryAnnAhernNBC) December 10, 2015

…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.

54 Comments

Question of the day - Golden Horseshoe Awards

Thursday, Dec 10, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller

* 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

Explain your nominations, please. Thanks.

53 Comments

Spin, span, spun

Thursday, Dec 10, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Tribune…

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.”

He did not elaborate.

Well, he could’ve “elaborated” if he was specifically asked about it by the AP at the follow-up press conference.

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

— Ron Sandack (@RonSandack) December 9, 2015

"Starting point"?! We knew Dems wanted higher taxes … but much higher taxes?! Will cause more people to leave IL. https://t.co/kSItZ5WEsS

— Ron Sandack (@RonSandack) December 9, 2015

Madigan was asked about that stuff, but he mainly just dodged the question.

* Mark Brown remained unspun…

For those who have been following the debate, Madigan broke no new ground.

Maybe Team Rauner doesn’t have Mark on speed dial.

72 Comments

Another Berrios loss

Thursday, Dec 10, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller

* From the Cook County Record…

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.

14 Comments

Moving from words to deeds

Thursday, Dec 10, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller

* This stood out for me the most yesterday…

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.

49 Comments

One year ago today…

Thursday, Dec 10, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Illinois’ political world irreversibly changed for the worst…