* We’ll talk again Tuesday. Meanwhile, I figured that after Rep. Dunkin called his fellow House Democrats “monkeys” the other day that this would be an appropriate way to end the week. You know, like a new theme song for them… or something. Turn it up…
Well, I hope we’re not too Messianic or a trifle too Satanic
“There are 48 states with a budget. There are two states without a budget: Pennsylvania and Illinois. You know what they both have in common? Both have governors that come from the private sector with no political experience,” [Mayor Rahm Emanuel] said.
“I’m not saying political experience is everything. But knowing how to work with people creating a compromise — there’s a skill that comes with that. It comes with ideas, persuasion, cooperation, trust-building from Day One.”
Ok, point taken. He’s made a ton of rookie mistakes. The other factor here is that Pennsylvania has a liberal Democratic governor and a conservative GOP legislature, the opposite of Illinois. It’s not an easy minefield to navigate without any relevant experience for either man.
* But this impasse is not all about Rauner’s inexperience. Remember this TV ad from the 2014 campaign?…
That’s become my favorite ad of the entire year.
In the ad, Rauner predicted he would “drive the career politicians nuts.” Mrs. Rauner rolled her eyes knowingly in the ad and smirked. He laughed and said “I will, I’ll drive ‘em nuts.”
Friday, Feb 12, 2016 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Exelon announced that its profits for 2015 were $2,270,000,000 and that it is increasing dividends to shareholders 2.5% per year for the next three years.
So you’re thinking – “The company is healthy, shareholders are getting more $$$, the power auctions provided them $1.7 billion for their nuclear plants in Illinois so they must be done asking struggling Illinois ratepayers for a bailout, right?” Nope - it’s never enough for Exelon.
“Groundhog Day was yesterday, but Exelon appears to want to keep celebrating. The Chicago-based nuclear giant is back to threatening to close nuclear plants in Illinois without financial help from the state.” – “Exelon’s Crane beats the drum again for nuke subsidies” Crain’s, February 3, 2016
To review:
Exelon made more than TWO BILLION DOLLARS ($2,270,000,000) last year
Exelon is INCREASING DIVIDENDS FOR SHAREHOLDERS
Exelon received a $1.7 BILLION WINDFALL through new capacity charges
Illinois still has no budget, the state’s finances and services are in shambles, the social safety net is being decimated but Exelon STILL wants the Legislature to pass a huge BAILOUT.
BEST Coalition is a 501C4 nonprofit group of dozens of business, consumer and government groups, as well as large and small businesses. Visit www.noexelonbailout.com.
An internal document that was forced [out] earlier this week by Attorney General Lisa Madigan to SEIU Healthcare Illinois shows a bizarre and oftentimes clownish approach to budgeting by the Bruce Rauner administration.
Belying his reputation as a shrewd businessman, the 47-page slide show created by $300,000-per-year hired hand Donna Arduin (attached) is rife with misspellings, comic sans font, two pictures of a bear, an image of Ronald Reagan and a racially-loaded statement about government and assertions that the Illinois State Fair, home healthcare for people with disabilities, the state university system and state museums are wasteful.
The sloppy presentation foreshadows Rauner’s disastrous approach to the budget and was authored some time in August. The administration fought its release, and for good reason.
The embarrassing communication was first reported on by Crain’s Chicago Business. Read about it here.
Said SEIU Healthcare Illinois Executive Vice President Greg Kelley:
“While cutting child care for working families, Bruce Rauner was wasting taxpayer dollars to create a right-wing motivational seminar that is more interested in Ronald Reagan than the people of Illinois. It is no wonder that he fought for months to keep this embarrassment from the public.”
“In the midst of a budget crisis he created, Bruce Rauner should explain why scarce public money was spent on this thing.”
* I don’t see it that way, but SEIU says the “racially-loaded statement” is the Reagan quote in Greg Hinz’s story…
The PowerPoint was used to train state budget analysts by Donna Arduin, a high-priced and controversial consultant Rauner used in the first months of his tenure. The document was Arduin’s—not Rauner’s—and it has a certain locker-room quality you might expect for something designed to get through to a bunch of newbies.
That being said, the presentation at one point seems to suggest that the Illinois State Fair, state museums and state parks all ought to be closed if they can’t pay for themselves. And it clearly sends a message to state universities, noting, “Nationwide, only 50 of more than 580 public four-year institutions graduate a majority of their full-time students on time.”
Beyond that, it includes an eyebrow-raising quote from the late President Ronald Reagan: “Government does not solve problems; it subsidizes them.” That’s worthy of note, given that other sections of the training guide urge the young analysts to “be opinionated” and push back against agency heads.
Another eyebrow-raising quote in the PowerPoint: “Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please.”
Rauner spokesman Lance Trover is blowing off the document as being of little value. “All I see here is an engaging and educational briefing for younger staff on how to always be focused on good policy outcomes and cost efficiency when developing a budget proposal. The media obsession with Donna Arduin borders on the surreal.”
The document is classic Arduin. Most of it was pretty good (budget analysts have been pushing back on agency heads forever because, you know, it’s their job), but then she just couldn’t resist including snarky, goofy stuff like most everything mentioned above.
* Subscribers have a copy of this mailer, plus another harsh one from the Stratton campaign…
The Democratic lawmaker who broke with Michael Madigan, depriving the House speaker of his supermajority and ability to override gubernatorial vetoes, is the target of a new campaign flyer out today in his district, and there’s only one word for it: “brutal.”
The flyer, prepared and paid for by Ald. Brendan Reilly’s 42nd Ward Democratic Organization, features what apparently is an old police mug shot of Rep. Ken Dunkin. It talks about jail sentences, being a “deadbeat dad” and more. And it prominently notes that Dunkin, who faces a difficult primary race against the union-backed Juliana Stratton, is getting tons of financial help from allies of Gob Bruce Rauner.
“Why are groups tied to Governor Rauner and the Republican Tea Party spending $750,000 to re-elect ‘Democrat’ Ken Dunkin?” the flyer asks on one side, picturing Dunkin with a “thumbs up,” hiding behind a pile of cash.
The flyer then answers its own question: “To help Ken Dunkin hide from his very disturbing record.”
On the back side, next to the mug shot, it says the representative’s “legislative record is disturbing but his criminal record is even worse,” with Dunkin allegedly having “twice violated orders of protection and served jail time.” He failed to pay child support and voting against a bill to make it easier to collect interest on delinquent child support, the flyer says.
In [a radio ad] that debuted Wednesday, Rep. Ken Dunkin was criticized for allegedly colluding with Gov. Bruce Rauner and Mayor Rahm Emanuel and acting against the interests of his constituents.
“Ken Dunkin has sold you down the river to Gov. Bruce Rauner and his boys,” the ad by Citizens Against Corruption chairman William J. Kelly says.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Could a walk-back possibly be in the works? I’m told by IllinoisGO, which has spent a ton of money supporting Rep. Dunkin, that they’ve seen the pieces and are looking to establish the facts.
“He [Ald. Brendan Reilly] did not consult with me before those were sent out,” Stratton said.
But Stratton added: “The information is relevant. It’s relevant to the voters of the 5th District who have a right to know all of the information to help them make an informed decision in this race about who should represent them in Springfield.”
Stratton said she’s heard “rumblings in the community” about the allegations in the fliers, but “I didn’t know any of the details.”
Asked if it’s fair to bring up alleged incidents that, in some cases, occurred two decades ago, Stratton said she’s “an advocate for a second chance,” but also believes that candidates and those holding public office should be held to “a higher standard.”
Friday, Feb 12, 2016 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Credit unions exist as member owned cooperative financial institutions. Cooperatives are most often formed to support producers such as farmers, purchasers such as independent business owners, and consumers in the case of electric coops and credit unions. Their primary purpose is to meet members’ needs through affordable goods and services of high quality. Cooperatives such as credit unions may look like other businesses in their operations and, like other businesses, can range in size. However, the cooperative structure is distinctively different regardless of size.
As not-for-profit financial cooperatives, credit unions serve individuals with a common goal or interest. They are owned and democratically controlled by the people who use their services. Their board of directors consists of unpaid volunteers, elected by and from the membership. Members are owners who pool funds to help other members. After expenses and reserve requirements are met, net revenue is returned to members via lower loan and higher savings rates, and lower costs and fees for services. In exceptional years, bonus dividends may be deposited into member accounts as well. It is the structure of credit unions - not their size or range of services - that is the reason for their tax exempt status, and the reason why almost three million Illinois residents are now among 100 million Americans who count on their local credit union every day to reach their financial goals.
Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice (IDJJ) Director Candice Jones today issued the following statement:
“The Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice today announced it will be closing its Youth Center in Kewanee. The decision to close IYC-Kewanee was difficult, but it is the right decision for the State of Illinois. We considered many factors in arriving at this conclusion, including: national best practices; optimal youth outcomes; ongoing challenges at the facility as highlighted by court-appointed juvenile justice experts and costs to the State. An analysis of each area supported an overall decision to close.
“This decision is about transitioning Illinois to a new model of rehabilitating youth that aligns with national best practices and improves community safety.
“What we know from national research and other states is that youth do best when we work with them in the most appropriate, least-restrictive setting. For misdemeanants and youth with other low-level offenses, that means partnering with proven, effective non-profits to provide resources and work with youth in their communities. It also means that secure custody in state facilities should be reserved for only the highest risk youth who pose a threat to the community.
“The Department’s facilities have historically mirrored adult correctional institutions in policy, programming and procedures, failing to take into account the unique needs of adolescent brain development. By closing this large, maximum-security facility, we will be able to transition to developing smaller, treatment-focused facilities that are proven to be more effective in rehabilitating youth.
“As of February 10, the Department had 436 youth in its care. Our capacity to room youth in single bunks without using confinement, a manner considered to be a best practice, is 989 bunks. Closure of IYC-Kewanee would leave 683 beds. That is enough capacity to comply with best practices, and account for seasonal fluctuations in the number of youth confined. We cannot continue to operate six facilities when the numbers are so clear.
“This closure will also allow IDJJ to reinvest a portion of the cost-savings into community-based programming and reduce overall costs to the State. It will also allow the State to explore repurposing the facility to continue to provide services [to citizens, other populations, etc.]. That’s good for taxpayers, youth, families, our communities and the entire State.”
I’m sure react will be forthcoming.
*** UPDATE *** From the ACLU…
We welcome the announcement that the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice will close the detention facility at Kewanee due to a falling population at the youth center. The ACLU of Illinois always intended our consent decree with the IDJJ (RJ v. Jones) not only to address the services that juveniles receive in facilities like Kewanee, but also to cause the Department to re-examine whether they need to detain so many young people. Clearly that re-examination is yielding results.
With the decision to move youth out of Kewanee, we are hopeful that the IDJJ will now have more resources to improve services and conditions for young people at the remaining five (5) facilities, and to provide necessary services to youth offenders in their own communities. We hope that this is just the first announcement regarding the closing of a youth detention facility, and that we can move to a day when Illinois detains fewer juveniles in far-flung parts of the state.
Edwin C. Yohnka
Director of Communications and Public Policy
American Civil LIberties Union of Illinois
* SEIU Healthcare has posted the now notorious exchange between President Obama and Rep. Ken Dunkin, with a couple of amusing twists…
* And Rep. Reggie Phillips (R-Charleston) wasn’t exactly soft-spoken with some EIU students after a recent rally when he tried to explain why he didn’t come to Springfield to vote for the MAP grant appropriations bill earlier this month…
* From Bob Fioretti’s state Senate campaign…
The pyramid scheme that has allowed [State Sen. Patricia Van Pelt] to get rich through her public office ranks its salespeople from entry level to “Diamond” level. The more people you can get to join a business that is roundly criticized by former members and consumer advocates, the higher your rank.
Van Pelt has used her office to achieve Platinum level and her pursuit of Diamond level, a journey that has gotten her a Bentley and a BMW, has caused her to blur the line between the business of government and her personal wealth. It was covered in a recent Better Government Association Investigative Report.
In the accompanying video she talks about using her influence as a Senator to earn money as the Platinum Vice President of a pyramid scheme. She has repeatedly demonstrated she doesn’t understand why she can’t leverage her office and use the more than 300,000 households in the district as patsies to fuel her desire for an extravagant lifestyle.
A s reported in March of 2014, Van Pelt was asked if she was ” soliciting public-sector employees… [that] could be construed as improper if it’s the boss doing the ask.” Van Pelt refused to comment.
But Van Pelt has a lot to say about going diamond.
“I need 7 BMW’s on the ground in order for me to feel comfortable driving a Bentley… Before I turn diamond I need to have 5 Bentleys on the ground.”
The Van Pelt campaign has laced the community with lies and propaganda in the hope of shifting attention from the truth. Numerous ethical complaints have flowed into several agencies, including the State Board of Elections, alleging improper campaign violations. It has gotten so bad, that a cease and desist order has been issued to the Van Pelt campaign regarding the distribution of deceptive materials to her community.
A top Senate Republican strategist laid out how the party plans to portray U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth should she win the March 15 Democratic primary and face Republican U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk in the general election.
Speaking at a Thursday breakfast, Ward Baker, executive director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said the GOP will seek to tie Duckworth to Mayor Rahm Emanuel, whose popularity has plummeted, and “Chicago-style politics.” Emanuel led the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee during Duckworth’s first, unsuccessful bid for a House seat in 2006 against Republican Rep. Peter Roskam.
Also running in the Democratic U.S. Senate primary is Andrea Zopp, the former head of the Chicago Urban League, and state Sen. Napoleon Harris. The breakfast was hosted by the Christian Science Monitor.
The mayor’s numbers are just horrible. I’ve never seen anything like this.
*** UPDATE 1 *** From Wordslinger in comments…
Has the RSNC checked in with Kirk?
Because Kirk gave Emanuel a ringing endorsement last year as a “strong capable leader” with “gravitas.” A mayor who can move the markets and the only one who could prevent…. you guessed it, Chicago from becoming “another Detroit.”
–”The people who are running against Rahm don’t have the gravitas with the bond market. I would worry about the value of the Chicago debt if Rahm was not re-elected,” Kirk, R-Ill., told reporters at an event celebrating Casmir Pulaski, the Polish general who fought gallantly in the American Revolutionary War.
……”It’s a concern if we had one of the less-responsible people running against him,” Kirk said at the event in Chicago. “None of them could command the respect of the bond market. The collapse of Chicago debt — which already happened with Detroit — would soon follow if somebody who is very inexperienced replaced Rahm. …You’ve got to have a strong, capable leader and the people I’ve seen running against the mayor are not that leader.”—
And that’s just one reason why I love my commenters so much.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Duckworth campaign…
“The truth hurts: Mark Kirk helped lead the charge into the Iraq War, and that disastrous decision created the conditions which gave rise to ISIS. He was wrong then, he’s wrong now, and his bizarre Twitter tantrum and subsequent statements reveal that he doesn’t appreciate being challenged or held to account for how he’s been wrong on just about every critical national security issue of the past 15 years, or for his irresponsible rhetoric. When Kirk fear mongers over Syrian refugees or says criticism of Iran will just “bounce off their turbans” — or when Donald Trump says we should ban all Muslims from entering the country — these politicians are dividing people and running counter to an America that welcomes people of good will from all faiths. They’re also doing groups like ISIS a favor by painting a phony picture that America is anti-Muslim, which only serves to recruit more terrorists who hate us and want to kill our soldiers and civilians.” — Matt McGrath, campaign spokesman
[ *** End Of Updates *** ]
* In other news, Sen. Kirk was on WLS this morning…
* Some quotes supplied by the Senator’s campaign…
I would say that for Tammy Duckworth to blame the junior Senator for Illinois for Islamic terror, shows she is a naive fool, not fit for office in the Senate with this threat that’s growing to the United States.
There’s a statement she made that she said of the 900,000 refugees who were let in the country not one has had a problem with law enforcement which is directly wrong, and she knows that in Bowling Green, Kentucky the FBI busted 2 Iraqi refugees who were plotting to conduct terror operations here in the United States. And that was already public record and already broadcasted by ABC news.
Saying that the Jr. Senator from Illinois was responsible for Islamic terror. You know, it was just so dumb. You just lay it out there. So blindingly idiotic to say that the people of Illinois would think that…
* Gov. Rauner said the other day that he wasn’t focused at all on politics. He can’t say that now. From a press release…
Governor Bruce Rauner has announced his endorsement of Bryce Benton, Republican candidate for State Senate in the 50th District, this evening at the Sangamon County Lincoln Day Dinner.
“I am proud to announce that I support Bryce Benton for State Senate in the 50th District,” said Rauner. “Bryce Benton serves the citizens of Illinois as a State Trooper. He makes sacrifices for the people of Illinois every day. He serves others, not himself. He has the utmost integrity and can’t be controlled by the special interests.”
“I’m asking you to join me in supporting Bryce Benton for State Senate,” said Rauner. “We have to send a message to the special interests – that their days of controlling Illinois are over. Illinois needs people like Bryce Benton who will serve our state with integrity and honor. We can’t afford to elect politicians who serve themselves and the special interests.”
“It’s an incredible honor to receive the support of Governor Rauner,” said Benton. “Governor Rauner wasn’t elected to maintain the status quo. Voters all over Central Illinois sent him to Springfield to turn our state around, and now he needs more allies in the Senate. The Governor has endorsed me because he knows that I won’t bow to the demands of special interests and will fight for all of Central Illinois.”
* That video was part of a longer video played last night at the Sangamon County Lincoln Day Dinner. The county party has endorsed McCann. Here’s an e-mail last night from a longtime reader, who sent it moments after the announcement…
At Sangamon County GOP Lincoln Day Dinner. Governor Rauner had a pre taped message. Mentioned all representatives of Sangamon County including State Senator Bill Brady. Excluded McCann.
Proceeded to rail about Special interests and Madigan. He glowed about Rosemarie Long and her great leadership. Went on for a little about her.
Then went on to say he had a special announcement. Said he was announcing he was endorsing Benton. Sam was in the room. Very uncomfortable silence with only Bryce’s table cheering.
Wow.
Weird that he sent a video and didn’t show in person, but whatevs.
* Meanwhile, here’s Sen. McCann’s new TV ad, which was recorded with a phone off a television screen because his campaign hasn’t sent it to me yet…
It’s a pretty darned good spot for a general. Not so sure about a GOP primary, but we’ll see.
The use of the term “hostage” is more than a little ironic for two reasons, however. First, Leader Radogno and her entire caucus voted against the K-12 appropriations bill last year. Second, she’s been openly and fervently supporting the governor’s own budgetary “hostage” strategy.
But, whatever. Nobody ever expects consistency in politics and this is no different. And Cullerton did, indeed, endorse a hostage-taking strategy on more than one occasion. So be it.
