I’m a regular reader of the blog and an infrequent commenter. Not sure if you’ve seen this yet but the Illinois Policy Institute is trying to get AFSCME members to resign their membership to “protect” themselves from “the union’s rules and disciplinary procedures.” I’ve attached pictures of the cover letter they sent and the resignation letter they’re encouraging us to send to AFSCME.
I wasn’t sure whether you’d consider it newsworthy, though it certainly was to me 😊. Feel free to share, though I’d prefer to be kept anonymous.
* The cover letter…
*** UPDATE *** From Anders Lindall at AFSCME…
Through their union, state workers have a voice for fair pay, safe working conditions, affordable health care, a secure retirement and the tools they need to do their jobs.
On the other hand, the Illinois Policy Institute — funded by a half million dollars from Bruce Rauner — wants to privatize public services, replace pensions with Wall Street accounts, double employee health premiums and has even advocated firing all state employees.
I highly doubt whether public service workers who know the real IPI agenda will fall for this deceptive attempt to strip union members of their rights and silence their voices.
An unlikely but powerful force is coming to the aid of the beleaguered owner of Illinois’ largest fleet of coal-fired power plants.
Exelon, the nation’s largest nuclear power generator and a frequent critic of its peers that burn coal, has floated a plan that would raise electricity prices in downstate Illinois and potentially keep open several coal-fired plants slated for closure. As recently as April, a senior Exelon executive accused the operator of those plants of using “the sky as a carbon sink.”
But the Chicago-based power giant has not suddenly had a change of heart. It’s gearing up for another run at winning subsidies from Springfield to save two of its nuclear power plants that are on the chopping block and feels like it needs the support of the state’s second-largest power generator, Houston-based Dynegy. That could help win votes from downstate lawmakers Exelon will surely need to secure backing for a statewide electric bill surcharge to benefit the money-losing Clinton and Quad Cities nukes, two of six stations Exelon operates in Illinois.
Dynegy dominates the power market in downstate Illinois and has opposed Exelon’s legislation. Executives at the two companies are meeting regularly, sources say.
At the same time, execs at Exelon and its Commonwealth Edison subsidiary have been in talks for more than a year with leaders of environmental and consumer groups as well as renewable-energy developers on a compromise. That would keep the nukes open and spur development of wind farms in Illinois, which have been stalled for years.
If they do cut a deal with the coal power generators, the question then becomes what the environmental folks do. There might be some division within those ranks, as the rest of the story hints.
* 49th Senate District candidate Michelle Smith (R-Plainfield) took one of those Facebook test things about how much she agrees with presidential candidate Donald Trump. The candidate, who’s challenging Sen. Jennifer Bertino Tarrant (D-Shorewood), posted the “94 percent agreement” results on her Facebook page and the Democrats turned it into a TV ad.
A couple of my pals recorded the ad with their phones and texted it to me. Here’s the better quality version…
* The Question: What grade would you give this TV spot? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
We came up with a stopgap spending plan. It is not a budget, it is not a balanced budget.
It is better, the current deficits that’s being run is better than the substantially worse out of balance budget that was proposed in the General in the spring. We were able to defeat that budget. This is better, but it’s not balanced and it’s not even a true budget. There are still programs that probably should be funded that aren’t.
Once again, Rauner repeatedly claimed that the House Democrats’ budget was $7 billion out of whack. But the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability projected the stopgap budget which the governor negotiated and signed into law is almost $8 billion out of whack.
It’s quite possible that the governor’s budget office underestimated the true cost of the HDem plan. But $7 billion is the number Rauner used, over and over and over again.
However, I would agree that the stopgap is, indeed, “better” than the HDems’ budget plan simply because it was a negotiated settlement.
Republican candidate for Illinois State Senate District 23 Seth Lewis’ Democratic opponent Sen. Tom Fullerton (D-Marion) was recently called out for his tax policies and inability to say no to House Speaker Mike Madigan.
Lake County’s Rod Drobinski, the Republican contender for state House in District 62, recently spoke out regarding the rank-and-file Democratic response to the failure of the Independent Maps Amendment.
“Many rank-and-file Democrats insist they support a remap amendment,” Drobinski said. “But they say nothing when their own leaders block the effort to get it done. They do not challenge [House Speaker Mike] Madigan (D-Chicago) or [state Sen. Tom] Cullerton (D-Villa Park). They do not protest. They do not demand a vote on the floor. They do not confront. They shrug their shoulders, change the subject.”
At least they got his name and home town right this time.
Sheesh.
That wasn’t Drobinski’s mistake, by the way. When they rewrote his press release, they added the “Tom” and “D-Villa Park” stuff.
* Gov. Bruce Rauner was asked today about his involvement in legislative campaigns. He said he was focused mainly on party building by contributing to the state GOP. The Republican Party, in turn, funds legislative races…
“I’m not involved in particular races or campaigns for the legislature… But in terms of specific races, I’m not involved in those in any material way.”
Bruce Rauner has never struck me as the type of guy who would be content with just writing big checks without ever keeping an eye on what people were doing with his money. Just sayin…
Real people — retirees — are getting big checks every month and have been promised they will continue to get them for the rest of their lives. There are tens of thousands of those retirees. The well will run dry, and then what? Shouldn’t these retirees be entitled to all of their promised benefits, especially considering they essentially lent the city money over their years of service to pay for them?
But should this burden become a legacy cost to taxpayers — most of whom resent the fact that public employee pensions are so much higher than their Social Security payments will be? Plus, in some cases, taxpayers weren’t born when the benefits were promised to retirees — the taxpayers are paying the price for past services. With the plans the city is putting forth, taxpayers will be paying these debts off for another 40 years, two entire generations. And the gap between what’s owed and what the funds have in the bank is only getting wider.
The Center for Pension Integrity has a proposed solution for a comprehensive settlement to rectify this mess, and it’s a federal one. The relief would not be a bailout. Instead, it would legally allow state and local governments with plans that have funding levels below 50 percent to modify plan provisions and benefits, and ultimately freeze and terminate the troubled plans. At the same time, local taxes would be raised to fund the restructured plans completely because beneficiaries shouldn’t give up benefits unless they get complete security for what is left. Because the plans would be terminated, taxpayers would be able to see their way out of this crushing problem.
The plans would be restructured so that pension benefits would commence at age 65 no matter when an employee retires. There would be a cap on overall public employment pension benefits of 150 percent of the local median income — no more automatic cost-of-living adjustments. Such changes would protect those with modest pensions and eliminate the windfalls that some retirees receive from the current generous provisions.
I’m completely sure that no government would ever deliberately allow its funding levels to drop below 50 percent so it could take advantage of this proposal.
* But something’s gotta give somewhere. Check out this analysis of the city’s new water and sewer tax hike…
Here’s what Chicago taxpayers face under the proposal passed today by the Chicago City Council’s Finance Committee, supposedly to stabilize one of the city’s four pensions, MEABF:
This year and next, taxpayers will contribute $163 million to the fund. The ramp up thereafter is $267 million in 2018, $344 million in 2019, $422 million in 2020, $499 million in 2021 and $577 million in 2022.
Then, the real shocks start. Beginning in 2023, the taxpayer contribution will be based on the “ARC.” That’s a purported “actuarial” calculation that supposedly would take the pension to 90% funding by the year 2057. The city estimates that contribution would be $879 million in 2023. It keeps going up, passing $1 billion in 2030 and reaching $1.9 billion in 2057.
You might think those contributions would reduce the unfunded liability rapidly. Nope. It’s projected to keep rising from today’s $9.8 billion until 2040 when it reaches $15.4 billion.
And surely, you probably think, this isn’t all based on old accounting using a ridiculously optimistic assumption about what the pension’s assets will earn. Wrong again. The assumption is the widely ridiculed 7.5%.
By “taxpayer contributions” I’m including proceeds from the proposed water and sewer tax. That tax, however, isn’t enough to cover the contributions described above. It would start at $56 million and top out at $242 million in 2020. The difference will have to come from other taxpayer sources.
The stack of bills owed by the state to Springfield hospitals, doctors and dentists for the care of state workers and retirees totals at least $160 million and sets new records with each passing month. […]
The amount owed by the state for that care is growing by about $200 million per month and won’t stop until there’s legislation appropriating general revenue funds to pay the bills, COGFA executive director Dan Long said. […]
Meanwhile, Springfield Clinic has delayed hiring, delayed constructing a physician practice building in Chatham and tapped its reserves to deal with the lack of payment from the state, Kuhn said. […]
At SIU HealthCare, the physician group involving faculty members from Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, the average delay in state payments stands at about 300 days, spokeswoman Karen Carlson said. […]
Because of the [525- to 550-day] delays, Memorial Medical Center, which is owed at least $60 million, has put off constructing an $80 million medical office building that would be rented to SIU doctors in Springfield.
* Consolidating school districts is easier said than done, but it does need to happen…
When compared with 14 peer states that each educate at least 1 million students, Illinois, which averages 2,400 students per district, appears to be managing its resources poorly.
Florida averages 40,012 students per district, while Georgia, North Carolina, California and Virginia each serve more than twice the that Illinois districts.
Over 60 percent of the districts in Illinois contain just 14 percent of the state’s overall students. Put another way, the 511 school districts in question serve an average of 526 students.
On the other hand, more than three-fourths of Illinois’ 872 superintendents earn six-figure salaries, and 320 of Illinois school district administrators, mostly district superintendents, are awarded annual incomes of $200,000 or more.
“You never want to lie to Mike Madigan. And you don’t make it personal. You realize you’re coming at it from a different direction, but at the end of the day, you’re going to need to compromise.”
Edgar doesn’t appear sure how that can happen now between Madigan and Rauner.
The former governor ascribes blame to both sides, although he appeared a little tougher on Rauner. Edgar said it was a mistake for Rauner to finance television commercials last year that criticized Madigan for the budget stalemate.
Illinois Republicans began airing a new television advertisement today targeting House Speaker Mike Madigan’s property tax appeals business. It explains how Madigan gains personally from high property taxes at the expense of everyday Illinoisans and links candidates for the state house to his inside game. The ad is airing on Chicago broadcast.
“Every single one of Mike Madigan’s handpicked candidates will have to answer for his record of profiting from high property taxes at the expense of hardworking families,” said Illinois Republican Party spokesman Steven Yaffe. “Madigan is the king at the top of a broken, corrupt system he’s protected for decades and that’s why he’s hands-down the most despised politician on the ballot this November.”
Mike Madigan made a fortune on tax appeals.
Representing the powerful and politically connected.
Saving his friends millions, forcing you to pay more.
It’s an inside game – played by people like Merry Marwig, Madigan’s handpicked candidate.
When Marwig thought her property taxes were too high, she got them lowered, at your expense.
Saved so much she did it again.
Marwig and Madigan – profiting from the same corrupt system.
Looking out for themselves, instead of you.
Gov. Bruce Rauner said Friday he doesn’t plan to get involved in replacing state Sen. Matt Murphy, a Palatine Republican and top ally who announced his resignation earlier this month.
“I’m not going to be particularly involved,” Rauner said. “There’s a process that will unfold. And local leaders very much control that process, and I assume they’ll come up with a very good person.”
After initially staying out of the process of selecting a replacement for departing GOP state Sen. Matt Murphy, the governor’s office and its allies have jumped into the fray. They held interviews for the six candidates Friday in Chicago. Among those questioning the candidates were the governor, chief political strategist Mike Zolnierowicz, John Tillman of the Illinois Policy Institute and Senate GOP Leader Christine Radogno.
I really don’t understand why the governor insists on saying that he’s staying out of legislative races when everybody knows he isn’t telling the truth.
Also, some folks are really starting to get nervous about all the influence that John Tillman appears to wield over Rauner these days.
* Paul Green was a model “public citizen.” He revered the value of reasoned and informed public debate, and that was always at the very core of his outstanding chairmanship of the City Club of Chicago, his research projects, his books, his teaching and his punditry.
He thoroughly despised those who debased the public discourse with purely emotional appeals. He had his viewpoints, many of them strongly held, but he relied heavily on facts. And he could wield those facts like a machete.
But while Paul could deftly slice you ear to ear with his razor-sharp wit, you’d laugh as soon as you figured out what had just happened to you. He was an impossible man to hate.
* One advantage Paul possessed over many run of the mill pundits is he actually had political experience of his own. He knew what it was like to run for - and hold - office. He was most definitely not an ivory tower professor.
He was constantly curious about new developments and new points of view and could often be spotted at forums and events other than his own. His mind was like a voracious vacuum cleaner, but he could also analyze all those bits of information and present it in a fair and digestible format.
His knowledge of Chicago and Illinois history was always spot on. During the primary, I wrote about how Rep. Ken Dunkin’s campaign was allegedly buying votes for $50 a pop. Paul sent me this e-mail…
To show you political inflation—A century ago Hinky Dink and Bathhouse John would pay 1st ward flophouse residents 50 cents a vote—now $50
* I’m most certainly biased about Paul because he was a friend for over 25 years. After my surgery last year and my subsequent pledge to forever quit smoking cigarettes (after years of constant hounding from Green and others), Paul sent me this…
RM
Two Words–THANK GOD–per stop smoking
As you may remember I told you how smoking basically killed my mom–
Stick to your pledge–TWO reasons–1. you are my friend and 2. the City Club now considers you a Xmas tradition!!
PMG
I kept that pledge, and going through our old e-mails today I realized that he often signed them “Your friend.” He was also one of the greatest public allies I’ve had through the years…
Rich Miller’s independent Capitol Fax site, for example, is an established must-read in the state capitol—Paul Green, director of the Institute of Politics at Roosevelt University in Chicago, even suggests that the new efforts [to start up Chicago and Illinois-centric publications] should leave the statehouse to Miller and focus on Chicago.
In his head, Paul Green curated unrivaled stacks of knowledge about Chicago politics dating back to the 1800s.
As a political analyst, he regularly shared his thoughts on radio, television and in newspapers.
As a professor, first at Governors State University before heading the Institute for Politics at Roosevelt University, he taught generations of students about the “Chicago machine.”
As an author, he delved into City Hall’s fifth floor occupants in a series of books, including one entitled “The Mayors: The Chicago Political Tradition.”
And as chairman of of the City Club of Chicago — a nonpartisan civic group that hosts forums and debates — Mr. Green served dually as a self-deprecating moderator and tough questioner of top local and national political figures.
“He was an excellent political scientist and historian, not only in Chicago, but for the state and national issues as well,” said longtime friend and colleague Ed Mazur. “He was very direct. He didn’t like BS or baloney. He always had a quick wit, so if you were two seconds too slow, he was already on the next page.”
Despite a rigorous academic background, Green was a self-styled humorist who was able to convey a sense of the city and its deep politics to national audiences in publications such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, Time and Newsweek.
“The Marquess of Queensberry Rules (for boxing) in Illinois politics is, ‘You wear your trunks around your ankles. There are no low blows,’ ” he once said.
Last month, hosting a City Club event featuring Greg Baise, the CEO and president of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association decrying Illinois’ economy, Green quipped to the audience: “For those of you taking Greg’s advice very seriously, we’ll have small vials of hemlock out there for those of you who think it just ain’t worth it.”
Long-time WGN Radio host Spike O’Dell, a friend and colleague of Green’s, posted the following on Facebook: “My heart is broken today with the news of Professor Paul Green’s passing. I always looked forward to our Wednesday morning conversation on WGN radio that I called “Paul and the Politicians”. He lived for the political “game”. He had a way of explaining it to our listeners in an informative, yet humorous way. He was my go to guy when it came to Chicago or Illinois politics. He will be missed by so many. I’m glad our paths had a chance to cross. Rest in peace my friend.”
* He would’ve gotten a kick out of tributes like this one from Mayor Emanuel…
“Countless people across the city know him as a gifted writer, teacher, historian, and analyst. I have known Paul personally for many years, and was always impressed by his capacious intellect, his boundless curiosity, and his quick wit. But beyond just his infectious personality Paul will leave an indelible mark on Chicago through his Institute of Politics at Roosevelt University, which has inspired a new generation of Chicagoans to answer the call of public service.”
Many of us knew Paul as the whip smart and jovial host of the City Club of Chicago’s many influential events. But he was more than that. Paul cared deeply about the future of our city, and he was never afraid to engage directly and critically with the elected officials in positions to effect legitimate change. I appreciated him for his friendship, but I treasured him most of all for never hesitating to offer me ideas on how I could better serve my constituents. In an age of never-ending partisan squabbling and stalemates, I can think of no one who did not adore and respect Paul Green.
I honestly don’t know how our city will fill the incredible void left by this giant of Chicago politics. May he rest in peace, and may God bless his family on this very sad day.
Green was also the chairman at the City Club of Chicago, a non-partisan group that hosts newsmakers, debates, and forums – one of which he hosted as recently as Wednesday, according to a statement from City Club President Jay Doherty.
“As a professor, Paul taught thousands,” Doherty said in the statement. “As a researcher, he will touch generations to come. As a commentator on radio and TV, he helped us understand political currents in the moment, with unerring accuracy.”
“As the obligatory first stop for out-of-town journalists, he helped untold millions understand this city he loved. As an ambassador for Chicago on his many overseas speaking tours, he kindled interest in our region and connections that strengthened Chicago’s place in the world,” Doherty added.
“Impeccably honest and brutally frank,” Doherty said. “He just called it like it was. He had a very biting wit. As he said many times, ‘I don’t give a rip. I’m going to tell it how it is.’”
Businessman Ed Mazur, a fellow City Club member who knew Green since they were in college, agreed. “He didn’t care much for what you might call BS,” Mazur said. “He didn’t like to dance around the edges. He liked to get to the heart of the matter.”
Politics were food and drink to Green, who liberally shared the vast riches of his knowledge through his writings, speeches and radio commentary.
“He loved government, he loved the city, he loved urban history, political history, public administration,” said Sharon Green. “He knew the numbers. He knew the facts. But he appreciated politics. He understood the good and the bad of politics.”
His book “The Mayors: The Chicago Political Tradition,” co-authored with Melvin G. Holli, is regarded as a classic.
Paul Green was the Director of the Institute for Politics and Arthur Rubloff Professor of Policy Studies at Roosevelt University.
“At Roosevelt, we know him as someone with such a strong supporter of his students and a mentor to his junior colleagues, and just a thoughtful colleague to everyone,” Bonnie Gunvenhauser, dean of Arts and Sciences at Roosevelt University tells WBBM Radio’s Nancy Harty. “He never really seemed happier than when he was telling me about some alum who had gotten a fantastic new job in politics, or with the Mayor’s office, or even outside of politics.”
“Paul was an instrumental player in Crain’s early expansion into political commentary,” said Crain’s Publisher and former Editor David Snyder. “He had a rare ability to blend his unmatched skill in dissecting local election results with a shrewd understanding of street-level politics in the city, county and state. Layered on top of it all was a wonderful sense of humor.”
I retweeted several rememberances of Paul yesterday, so click here if you’d like to browse through them.
The Washington Post published a story the other day entitled “Meet the wealthy donors who are pouring millions into the 2016 elections.”
The paper listed the top ten national donors to so-called “super PACS.” The list is topped by wealthy San Francisco Democrat Tom Steyer at $38 million. Second place went to “New York-based hedge-fund magnate” Robert Mercer, at $20.2 million.
Keep in mind that these are national-minded donors who are giving to super PACs that focus on the presidential race and U.S. Senate and congressional campaigns throughout the country.
Now, take a look at the money contributed by Gov. Bruce Rauner. His personal campaign committee has contributed over $16 million to the Illinois Republican Party alone this year, accounting for 95 percent of all the money the party has raised. The party has, in turn, used that Rauner money to fund television and radio ads, direct mail, polling, staff, etc. for state House and Senate campaigns.
In June, Rauner gave another $2.5 million to Dan Proft’s Liberty Principles PAC, which is heavily involved in legislative contests.
And the governor contributed $2 million to the Turnaround Illinois PAC, which describes its mission thusly: “To support state legislative candidates who support Gov. Rauner’s bold and needed reforms, and to oppose those who stand in the way.”
That’s roughly $20.5 million, enough for second place in the aforementioned Washington Post list. The difference is, here in Illinois, it’s one guy focusing on only one state.
There are some definite apples and oranges when making this comparison. Not every dime of Rauner’s campaign fund came from Rauner himself. But the total doesn’t include $2.2 million that Rauner gave to his own campaign fund this year, in order to avoid any possible double-counting as money is passed through.
What it does show you, though, is how one person is dominating the money race here far more than individual wealthy people are influencing the national races.
Yes, the Democrats have raised plenty of money as well this year. At the end of June, all Democrats (including the legislative leaders, the state party, rank and file legislators and Democratic challengers) actually had $3.4 million more cash on hand than all similar Republicans, including Rauner.
But Scott Kennedy at Illinois Election Data took a look at legislative funding so far this cycle and, as of 9 pm on September 6th, 16 of the top 20 total contributions to targeted candidates were Republicans.
So, if the Democrats had more cash on hand, then why aren’t they spending more of it? Well, the Democrats can raise only so much more money before November. Rauner and his wealthy friends can simply write big checks and completely erase any disadvantage as need be. It’s kind of like how people who are expecting a large inheritance don’t save much money for retirement. They know lots more cash is in the pipeline, so they often feel free to spend as they wish today.
Kennedy also looked at all the money raised this cycle by the Illinois GOP, the House Republican Organization, the Republican State Senate Campaign Committee and the personal campaign funds of the two Republican legislative leaders and found that of the $21.8 million they’ve raked in so far, 73 percent comes from Gov. Rauner. Without that Rauner money, the Republicans would be at a huge cash disadvantage, like they always have in the past.
Gov. Rauner is giving Republican legislative candidates a fighting chance in a year which otherwise would be seen as a complete lost cause. Despite her national problems, all polling shows Hillary Clinton with a double-digit lead in Illinois.
Without Rauner, Republican legislative leaders would be bracing for an even further retreat into their tiny minority, and praying that the off-year election of 2018 would give them enough of a boost to regain a seat or two here and there.
To make it clear, I’m not saying what Gov. Rauner is doing is a bad thing. House Speaker Michael Madigan has in the past absolutely drowned the House Republicans with his ability to outspend them. The tables are finally being turned on Madigan these days. What goes around comes around, as they say.
But if you thought that Rauner exerted a lot of influence on Republican legislators during his first two spring legislative sessions, you probably ain’t seen nothing yet, especially if the GOP does better than would normally be expected. The Republican leaders are going to owe him big. Really big. And, whatever happens in November, they’ll want to keep that money pipeline flowing freely in 2018.
* With backing of wealthy governor, Illinois GOP spending big: Before Rauner, the Illinois Republican Party Committee spent $3.4 million on races in 2012. The Democratic Party of Illinois, meanwhile, spent $6.7 million. Both parties distribute money to candidates through several other committees so those totals don’t tell the entire story, but they’re indicative of each party’s past spending prowess, according to campaign disclosures The Associated Press analyzed dating back to 2006 from the Illinois State Board of Elections. “There’s never been a time in recent history where House Republicans have outspent House Democrats. It’s been a considerable disadvantage,” said Rep. Jim Durkin, the GOP’s House leader… “Some of this spending has nothing to do with the election. It has to do with Rauner flexing his muscle,” said David Yepsen, director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale… “Democrats, if they survive, they’re going to know they’ve been in a fight,” he said.
