* AP…
Gov. Bruce Rauner promised Wednesday that Republicans would outspend Democrats this fall in a GOP effort to reclaim the Illinois General Assembly.
“This year, we’re going to go toe-to-toe with them,” Rauner told party county chairmen at an event starting the Illinois Republican Party Governor’s Day at the Illinois State Fair. Rauner said Democrats have far outspent the GOP in recent elections, but “we’re going to do better than they do. You’ll see the biggest ground game ever for legislative races in Illinois.”
He did not mention the source of funding, but he has previously poured millions of his personal wealth into party coffers. […]
“We’re going to stand against that machine and beat that machine this year,” Rauner said. Democrats have their party day at the Illinois State Fair on Thursday. Democrats hold supermajorities of 71-47 in the House and 39-20 in the Senate.
* Sun-Times…
“The machine has pounded with their power in the past. They have outspent us two, three, four-to-one. Not this time. Not this time. We’re going toe-to-toe — and, in fact, we’re going to do better than them,” Rauner said of the well-funded campaigns, which already include TV ads and mailers.
Rauner, whose own funds help to fuel his governor’s campaign, continues to push on for his reforms, despite a constant battle with state Democratic leaders. Although Rauner didn’t mention Madigan during the breakfast, party organizers handed out a button featuring a picture of a young Madigan which included the words” “career politician since 1971.”
Rauner spoke of a state “taken over by a machine, a political machine that doesn’t care about people,” saying it’s also taken over Chicago, the Democratic Party and the Illinois General Assembly.
“We are going to stand against that machine and we are going to beat that machine,” Rauner said to cheers, saying the machine is behind job losses, lower family incomes and the highest property taxes in America.
* Tribune…
Much of the Rauner effort has been to link Democrats to Madigan, the Southwest Side Democrat who has served as speaker for 31 of the last 33 years. At the fair, Republicans distributed buttons pushing term limits with a picture of a young Madigan, calling him a “career politician since 1971.” That’s the year Madigan arrived in the Illinois House after serving as a delegate to the convention that resulted in the 1970 Illinois Constitution.
While attacks on Madigan haven’t worked in the past, state House GOP Leader Jim Durkin, of Western Springs, said the difference this time is the governor’s money.
“We have the resources to be able to really educate Illinoisans about what’s happening in Illinois and what the problem is. First time we’ve had the resources to do it,” Durkin said.
“It’s either the governor and on the other side it’s organized labor,” he said of the campaign money race. “This is competition. We’re competing with them. … It’s both green.”
* Rauner chanted “Term limits! Term limits! Term limits!” at the end of his speech. People were pretty hot and tired by then, so there wasn’t a whole lot of energy in the crowd. Plus, the issue can’t be addressed by voters until 2018 at the earliest.
Meanwhile, there’s a presidential race going on, but you’d hardly know it by listening to the speakers…
I saw very few Trump signs at the rally today.
36 Comments  
|
Durbin bites back at Rauner in campaign e-mail
Wednesday, Aug 17, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* If you were watching the Governor’s Day live feed, you know that Congressman Rodney Davis called out US Sen. Dick Durbin for being a longtime politician who has helped create trillions of dollars in deficit spending at the national level. Durbin has been musing about a gubernatorial bid and this Durbin campaign e-mail will only increase the speculation…
We should be making it easier for people in this country to vote.
I honestly don’t think this is a radical idea, which is why I was disappointed to see Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner veto legislation to modernize voter registration.
This bill would dramatically modernize voter registration in Illinois, adding thousands of eligible voters to the rolls and making our state’s voting lists more accurate and secure. In addition, this idea would remove an obstacle for people who live far from where they need to register.
And it even included strict provisions to protect against voter fraud.
In short, there was no reason to veto this legislation, which is why I’m asking you to join me today in expressing your disappointment with Governor Rauner’s action:
Tell Governor Rauner that it is unacceptable to veto modernizing voter registration in the state of Illinois by adding your name today.
I was proud to see my State Senator and good friend Andy Manar introduce this idea and happy to see it received overwhelming bipartisan support when it passed the General Assembly.
This legislation will make it easier for two million people in Illinois to vote in future elections. My hope is that the General Assembly will move quickly and overturn this shortsighted veto.
In the meantime, let’s make sure that Governor Rauner hears from people like us. He needs to know that we’re all going to continue fighting to make it easier for people in this country vote.
ADD YOUR NAME
Best wishes,
Dick Durbin
The e-mail’s links connect to this website.
17 Comments
|
Munger doubles down on legislator pay
Wednesday, Aug 17, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Press release…
Illinois Comptroller Leslie Geissler Munger on Wednesday announced “No budget, no pay” legislation to ensure that the General Assembly and Governor pass an annual balanced budget, as required by the state’s Constitution.
Specifically, the legislation requires a balanced budget be passed in order for the state’s Constitutional Officers – and the 177 members of the General Assembly – to be paid their salary.
“I don’t know of an employer that would pay someone that is not doing their job. Why should taxpayers settle for less?,” Munger said. “We tell small businesses, nonprofits, hospitals, schools and others to wait in line for months for what they’re owed by the state – it’s unconscionable that we would prioritize politician pay and move them to the front.”
Munger’s announcement comes after she directed her staff in April to pay politicians – herself included – like every other state vendor. State law demands that elected officials be paid, but Munger implemented policy that required them to wait in line.
Despite pushback from her colleagues, Munger has followed the policy. She is now introducing legislation to ensure that if a balanced budget is not in place, there is no compensation for elected leaders.
She also noted that her challenger for Comptroller, Susana Mendoza, spent 10 years in the State House, voting for every one of Speaker Madigan’s budgets, tax increases and pension holidays. Munger said Illinois must go in a different direction.
“I was raised in Joliet, I met my husband at U of I and raised my family in Lincolnshire,” Munger said. “We love Illinois and I, like many Illinois voters, have seen enough of the machine politics that have made Susana Mendoza. Enough is enough. When I look at her record, I can’t help but ask, what’s the deal?”
Thoughts?
86 Comments
|
Today’s quotables
Wednesday, Aug 17, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Says the person who was appointed to her current office after losing a legislative race…
* But Munger isn’t exactly wrong about Mendoza, either. Check out this Illinois Issues profile posted on the Democratic comptroller candidate’s own campaign website…
She calls fellow Democrats Ed Burke, a Chicago alderman, and Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan political mentors
Think that’ll somehow find its way into the fall campaign?
20 Comments
|
Question of the day
Wednesday, Aug 17, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tribune…
Details about the Illinois Fairgrounds Foundation were few Tuesday, beyond the large-scale goal of raising enough money to cover an estimated $180 million to repair dilapidated barns, aging sewer and electrical systems and deteriorating roadways.
Several board members have been appointed, but the group has yet to secure any pledged donors — beyond a promise by Rauner that he and wife Diana Rauner plan to kick in an unspecified sum. Diana Rauner also is spearheading private fundraising to revitalize the dilapidated governor’s mansion and has said she’s secured $4.5 million in pledges so far, including $1 million from herself and the governor.
As it stands, everything is on the table, including the possibility of selling naming rights to buildings, said board member John Slayton.
* The Question: Best corporate State Fair building names?
75 Comments
|
Don’t hold your breath
Wednesday, Aug 17, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Ain’t gonna happen…
Rod Blagojevich and his supporters hope President Barack Obama might consider clemency for the imprisoned former governor.
“Obama certainly has the power to commute (reduce) Blagojevich’s sentence and send him home to his family. The president has two daughters just like Blagojevich and he may have some compassion for him,” says Leonard Goodman, the defense attorney handling the former governor’s appeal of his 2011 corruption conviction.
An online petition asks Obama to grant clemency to the imprisoned former governor. It needs 100,000 signatures by Sept. 9 in order to get the White House’s attention. It has 969 signatures as of Tuesday afternoon. The petition, whose creator is identified only as “A.G.,” was put on the White House’s “We the People” website. […]
“I think he deserved some kind of pardon or diminished sentence, but I don’t think there’s any likelihood that will happen. There are a lot of people out there with much more compelling problems,” says Ed Genson, Chicago’s dean of criminal defense attorneys. […]
“The focus of President Obama’s clemency attention has been on drug offenders and cases of (pardoning) people who have been long out of prison and who are dealing with the adverse effects of having a conviction,” [Margaret Love, a D.C. attorney who specializes in executive clemency issues] says, adding it would be unlikely for Obama “to do anything so unpredictable” as to pardon Blagojevich.
No way is this gonna happen. No way.
Blagojevich and Obama were never close. In fact, Rod left the 2004 Democratic National Convention in a huff because Obama was getting all the media attention. Rod saw himself as Illinois’ rising star, and he never got over the fact that Obama was the one who caught lightning in a bottle. Obama, for his part, mostly kept his distance from Blagojevich. They did share a fundraiser (Tony Rezko), but there wasn’t any other significant overlap to my recollection, so the former governor has nobody with strong Obama connections to make his case. And their families weren’t close, so Obama wouldn’t have a personal feel for their current pain.
Also, Blagojevich was initially convicted of trying to sell Obama’s US Senate seat. A commutation or pardon would be seen by many tinfoil hat types as an admission that Obama was somehow in on it.
Not to mention that US District Judge James Zagel did a pretty good job the other day of explaining why Blagojevich didn’t deserve a reduction in his sentence.
And then there’s the pathetic response to the online petition.
Nope.
23 Comments
|
Rauner sets another money record
Wednesday, Aug 17, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* SJ-R…
Gov. Bruce Rauner was among a group of buyers who paid $104,000 Tuesday for the Grand Champion Steer, besting the previous Illinois State Fair record of $100,000.
The steer was shown by Lucas Wisnefski, 18, of Wyoming, Illinois. Speaking to reporters afterward, Wisnefski explained his formula for success.
“It’s hard work and dedication,” he said. “Always try to work the hardest you can.” […]
The previous record paid for a champion steer was two years ago. Last year, it brought $62,000, and then was resold for another $12,000. Wisnefski’s steer was bought by Bruce and Diana Rauner and a group calling itself Friends of the Exhibitor (Wisnefski).
The governor wasn’t available for comment after the sale.
* Tribune…
Congratulations to Gov. Bruce Rauner — the Usain Bolt of buying expensive cattle at the Illinois State Fair — who on Tuesday night became the proud owner of a $104,000 steer. […]
Wearing blue jeans, cowboy boots and a red and blue plaid shirt, Rauner confidently fended off rival bidders to scoop up a 1,324-pound cross-breed named “David L.”
Just as Bolt celebrated before the crowd in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday night with his trademark “lightning” pose, the governor acknowledged the audience at the state fairgrounds in Springfield with his trademark “thumbs up” gesture.
Rauner got a big cheer for setting a new record at the charity auction, which benefits 4-H clubs and the Illinois Future Farmers of America.
26 Comments
|
Rauner signs bill to extend local wind farm tax
Wednesday, Aug 17, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Press release from Wind on the Wires, a group which advocates for wind power…
Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner signed legislation Tuesday that will ensure the state’s rural communities continue to receive tens of millions in annual property tax revenue from wind farms.
Senate Bill 2612, sponsored by Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) and Rep. Tom Demmer (R-Rochelle), extends a sunset provision in an existing law that is scheduled to expire at the end of 2016. The tax revenue from Illinois wind farms injects millions of dollars into local coffers for rural schools, roads, and other government services.
Illinois’ existing wind projects provide over $30 million in annual property tax revenue to local communities, according to a July 2016 study by the Center for Renewable Energy at Illinois State University. The state ranks fifth in the nation for installed wind capacity, and is leading the way for clean energy job growth in the Midwest, according to a recent study by Clean Energy Trust.
“Business stability for wind farm operators is an issue on which both sides of the aisle can agree,” said Kevin Borgia, public policy manager at Wind on the Wires. “We applaud Sen. Koehler and Rep. Demmer for forging unanimous, bipartisan support for the legislation.”
“Extending this provision will ensure that rural Illinois communities will continue to benefit from tax revenue generated by wind farms for years to come,” Borgia added.
The bill is not a tax break, it simply extends the sunset on existing law governing the amount of local property taxes that wind farms will pay to local governments. This revenue is increasingly important for rural counties amidst ongoing budget stalemate at the state capitol.
* Rep. Demmer…
Legislation passed by State Representative Tom Demmer (R-Dixon) to extend the process by which wind energy devices are assessed for property taxes, providing stability for both the industry and local taxing districts was signed into law by Governor Rauner on Tuesday.
“I am glad to deliver a stable, predictable method that both local government and wind energy developers can use for the next five years,” said Rep. Demmer. “This helps communities and businesses plan for the future. That is good for taxpayers and good for wind energy employees.”
Prior to the Governor’s enactment of Rep. Demmer’s legislation, the assessment process for wind energy devices was scheduled to sunset in tax year 2016. Under the terms of the legislation, the assessment process will be extended five years, until 2021.
Wendy Ryerson, Chief County Assessment Officer for Lee County and past president of the Illinois Chief County Assessment Officers Association, reacted the passage of SB 2612 in May by stating, “the continuation of the state-wide assessment standard provided by SB 2612 offers stability for taxing districts and wind project owners, and gives assessment officials a proven methodology to follow. It is a win-win for everyone.”
Rep. Demmer’s legislation was supported by the Illinois County Assessment Officers Association, the Fair Assessment Information Resources Committee, and the Illinois Farm Bureau.
13 Comments
|
Caption contest!
Wednesday, Aug 17, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From the twitters…
…Adding… An ILGOP press release “explains” the button…
The seasons come and go, but not Mike Madigan – he’s been a career politician for 45 years and the Illinois House Speaker for over 30 years.
No wonder Madigan has stonewalled every legislative and citizen attempt to get a term limits referendum on the ballot.
In Mike Madigan’s mind, term limits exist – he only enforces them when his minions fall out of his good graces. The politicians he controls are churned through his Chicago Machine and propped up by his rigged system of special interest cash and gerrymandered districts.
IT’S NO SURPRISE THAT MADIGAN OPPOSES TERM LIMITS
HE’S MADE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OFF HIS SPEAKERSHIP AND HIS POLITICALLY-CONNECTED LAW FIRM
Mike Madigan’s law firm – Madigan & Getzendanner – handles property tax appeals for some of Chicago’s most expensive properties3.
When wealthy Chicago property owners need to save money on their property taxes, they turn to Madigan, and Madigan turns to Cook County Assessor Joe Berrios, Chairman of the Cook County Democratic Party and longtime ally of Madigan, for favorable property tax appeals.
In 2013, Madigan’s firm secured $10 million in property tax tax refunds and shaved $18 million off property valuations for clients.
Madigan has said that his annual income has topped $1 million, in addition to his $95,000 salary as Speaker of the House, but he refuses to reveal his net worth or release his tax returns.
Mike Madigan has eliminated any ethical boundaries between his private business dealings and his public capacity as Speaker – Madigan is using his political clout for personal financial gain. Now more than ever, Illinois needs term limits to put an end to Madigan’s rigged system and his Chicago Political Machine.
55 Comments
|
* Bernie interviewed US Sen. Mark Kirk…
Asked if he has considered becoming an independent, given his policy differences with some in his party, Kirk said, “In the case of Illinois, the Democratic Party is largely a party of SEIU,” which is short for Service Employees International Union.
“The SEIU is so corrupt,” he said. “The problem is the big unions are already running the state. They’ll run it just like the big unions have run Puerto Rico. … And I think it’s incumbent upon me as a leader of this community to make sure we have fiscally conservative decisions to make sure we have enough money for roads and prisons and schools. We gotta protect the people of Illinois from the fate of the people of Puerto Rico or Greece.”
* More…
Kirk also said he has been “all over the map” on who he would support for president, but returned Tuesday to saying he plans to write in former CIA director and retired U.S. Army general David Petraeus, who pleaded guilty to mishandling classified information.
As for the Petraeus guilty plea, Kirk said, “My worry is that he was always seen as a potential rival to the president. I think they went too hard on him.”
In case you lost track, Kirk started out backing Trump, then went to Petraeus, then dumped him for Colin Powell and now he’s back with Petraeus.
Kirk also told Bernie he “largely” likes Gov. Rauner’s Turnaround Agenda.
20 Comments
|
* Pearson…
The schedule says Governor’s Day, also known as Republican Day, but make no mistake: It’s Gov. Bruce Rauner’s day at the Illinois State Fair. […]
Rauner has remade the Republican Party in Illinois, using his wealth and that of his friends to provide campaign resources unlike anything the state GOP has ever seen.
Rauner has provided the state party organization with more than $10 million from his campaign fund for this election cycle. That, in turn, has allowed the state GOP to move huge sums of cash to the legislative campaign arms of state House and Senate Republicans.
Much of that money has been turned into cable TV ads and mailers backing Republicans challenging targeted Democratic incumbents in the suburbs and Downstate, most often seeking to connect the officeholders with Rauner’s chief nemesis, longtime House Speaker Michael Madigan, who chairs the state Democratic Party.
* Some of today’s focus, I’m told, will be on US Sen. Dick Durbin, who’s been openly mulling a run against Rauner in 2018, including when he was at a Metro East event with Rauner just the other day.
“I think you’re going to see folks address [Durbin] in their remarks today and it will be part of a larger effort over the course of the next few months as long as he’s considering,” said a Rauner insider this morning. “He’s had a free pass in the press in our view.”
The insider said Durbin has “Mountains of baggage,” adding, “He’s screwed up DC for over 30 years and thinks he’s qualified to fix the state? What a joke. And, oh, by the way - he embarked on this navel gazing exercise about whether to run by first kissing Mike Madigan’s ring.”
Mess with the bull…
54 Comments
|
|
Support CapitolFax.com
Visit our advertisers...
...............
...............
...............
...............
...............
...............
...............
...............
|
   
|
Hosted by MCS
SUBSCRIBE to Capitol Fax
Advertise Here
Mobile Version
Contact Rich Miller
|
