* We started our day with a VanillaMan tune, so let’s wind up the day with another one. Click here if you want to listen to Dean Martin’s version of “Let it Snow” while reading VanillaMan’s, um, “highly” appropriate lyrics…
Oh the news tonight is frightful,
But this mulled wine is so delightful,
And since our politics is a no-go,
Let it flow! let it flow! let it flow!
Yeah - State budget talks are flopping,
So it’s time for a little bar hopping,
Drink up and drop your ammo,
Let it flow! let it flow! let it flow!
During these extra-long Illinois fights,
We’ve got to keep our spirits high!
Drink enough and you’ll get tight,
Making compromise easier to try!
Yeah – the other guys are evil elves,
But these kegs won’t empty themselves,
Drink up until they become your amigo,
Let it flow! let it flow! let it flow!
When you finally end the night,
And perhaps an end to the partisan show
Remember that no one’s wrong or right,
After you finish off the last Bordeaux.
Functioning government is so delightful,
There’s no room to be so spiteful,
Look! Sheila brought along her banjo!
Don’t go! Don’t go! Don’t go!
Let it flow! let it flow! let it flow!
Find the dough! Pay what we owe! LET’S GO!
J.B. Pritzker Can’t Hide from His Deep Ties to Rod Blagojevich
Pritzker following the Madigan Playbook - dodge and distract when you can’t handle the truth
“Now that J.B. Pritzker is desperate to hide his deep ties to Rod Blagojevich, he’s dusting off the Madigan Playbook - dodge and distract when you can’t handle the truth. Pritzker is attempting to whitewash history by calling his dealmaking with disgraced former governor Rod Blagojevich “crazy rantings.” The truth is that J.B. Pritzker and his family have a decades-long record of cutting deals with Rod Blagojevich and bankrolling his campaigns, while subsequently facing subpoenas from a federal grand jury.” - Illinois Republican Party Spokesman Aaron DeGroot
Moments ago, J.B. Pritzker’s spokesman attempted to whitewash the long record of Blagojevich-Pritzker dealmaking by calling Blagojevich’s propositions to Pritzker “crazy rantings.”
Unfortunately for Pritzker, his ties to Blagojevich go back decades.
J.B. Worked as Campaign Fundraiser for Rod Blagojevich
J.B. Pritzker fundraised for Rod Blagojevich’s campaign for the U.S. House, working alongside “North Side political boss” Dick Mell, Blagojevich’s father-in-law. The Chicago Sun-Times reporter visited Blagojevich’s campaign office and reported that J.B. worked there.
“’I’m J. B. Pritzker; I help with fund-raising,’ said the man in a dark green suit.”
(Chicago Sun-Times, In Mell’s World, It’s Politics as Usual, Jorge Oclander, March 23, 1996)
After Raising Money for Blagojevich, Pritzker Remarked That Blagojevich Would Be “very helpful” In His Own Campaign for U.S. House Crain’s Chicago Business reported, “Fresh from installing one junior congressman-son-in-law Rod Blagojevich-Alderman Richard Mell (33rd) apparently has his eye on another: J. B. Pritzker, 32, who wants Rep. Sidney Yates’ lakefront seat. Mr. Mell says any behind-the-scenes role won’t be official until Mr. Pritzker’s ‘98 campaign is official. The Pritzker family scion, who aborted a challenge to Mr. Yates, 87, two years ago, raised money for Mr. Blagojevich’s ‘96 race. Demurring about Mr. Mell’s future role, Mr. Pritzker, right, says, ‘I know Rod is going to be very helpful.’
Blagojevich Even Considered Giving Up His Seat to Pritzker, If Pritzker Would Help Fund His Gubernatorial Campaign
The Chicago Sun-Times reported, “Sneed hears Pritzker would help fund the gubernatorial race of Mell’s son-in-law, Rep. Rod Blagojevich (D-Ill.) and Mell, in turn, would throw his weight behind Pritzker for his son-in-law’s North Side congressional seat.”
Pritzker Fulfilled His End of the Bargain
J.B. and his family contributed over $160,000 to Rod Blagojevich’s campaigns. (Source: IL State Board of Elections)
Patti Blagojevich Uses Ties with J.B. In Job Search
Patti Blagojevich met with J.B., looking for job, just as Rod Blagojevich was trying to sell Illinois’ US Senate Seat.
The Chicago Sun-Times reported, “On Oct. 6, Blagojevich met with officials of the Pritzker Family Foundation, which has $65 million in assets. Among those at the meeting was foundation president J.B. Pritzker, one of several candidates the Chicago-Sun Times has reported the governor was considering to fill President-elect Barack Obama’s seat in the U.S. Senate.”
J.B. Pritzker’s Connections to Blagojevich were Subpoenaed by a Federal Grand Jury
Read the subpoena here.
An Illinois state representative is preparing to call a bill that would expand abortion access for women on Medicaid and some state health insurance plans.
State Rep. Sara Feigenholtz says the bill, which has been floating for two years, has renewed urgency in light of anti-abortion comments made by President-elect Donald Trump while he was on the campaign trail.
Currently, Medicaid covers abortion in the cases of rape and incest, as well as in some cases where the health of the mother is at stake. But pro-choice advocates say the exceptions are narrow, subject to the agreement of an auditor and that current law discriminates against low-income women who are on Medicaid plans, when more expensive private health plans cover the service fully. […]
Another bill sponsored by Feigenholtz may be largely political. She is proposing to protect the legality of abortion in case the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade law is overturned. […]
The bill would abolish Illinois’ so-called ‘trigger law,’ that states that, if Roe v. Wade is overturned, abortion would become illegal in Illinois, as would several forms of birth control. […]
Feigenholtz says she is close to having the required number of votes to pass both bills, but she does not believe she’ll have a veto-proof majority. That means the bills are contingent on Gov. Bruce Rauner supporting them and signing them into law.
Some supporters have been saying that they want to put Rauner on the hot seat. Either make him veto whatever they can get to his desk, or if he signs them it could gin up a credible primary opponent.
* But, always remember, suburban women have historically decided statewide elections and Rauner fully understands this. It’s a good bet that he signs whatever the sponsor can move to his desk, particularly that second bill, which doesn’t cost any money. We’ll see if they can pass the other one.
An attorney for a Rockford pregnancy care center and a host of Downers Grove medical centers argued in a Winnebago County courtroom today that an amendment to state law will serve as “a sword” should they be forced to hand out information about abortion services.
The Pregnancy Care Center of Rockford, Anthony Caruso, A Bella Baby OBGYN in Downers Grove, Best Care for Women in Downers Grove and Aid for Women filed suit in August against Gov. Bruce Rauner regarding an amendment to the Illinois Healthcare Right of Conscience Act. Bryan A. Schneider, secretary of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, also was named in the suit. […]
Bowman argued the amendment violates the free speech rights of anti-abortion medical professionals. If they don’t refer patients to those who provide abortions, or hand them a written list, the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation “can fine you $10,000 and take away your medical license,” he said.
And a primary opponent? Who’s gonna fund it? And who you got? Also, too, history.
* The 2016 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Campaign Staffer - Senate Republicans goes to Nick McNeeley hands down…
(T)here’s something to be said for campaigns that understand that embracing the new doesn’t mean forgetting the old. When someone can run a campaign that has the good ole fashion ops and have a field operation to bring home a victory, then a person that can make a huge difference in an outcome.
Nick McNeeley has a reputation by doing just that, with Sen. Anderson just a cycle ago, and putting again his skill and political savvy to a test to bring Dale Fowler home. McNeeley’s work in the field and orchestrating significant support from officials that could make a difference continue to make him shine, proving once again that the science and art of campaigns can also include the old and the new. Nick McNeeley proved he has the skills to make art, science, old and new equal victory.
I can’t add to that. He’s the best they have.
* The 2016 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Campaign Staffer - House Republicans goes to Kyle Haevers…
Haevers was one of the top Rauner field staff in 2014 managing Lake County. This year, for reasons mentioned above, had the unenviable task of dealing with Madigan’s number 1 target. Haevers pulled off a big win despite millions spent against them and Madigan sending his top guys. Haevers went toe to toe with Marty Quinn and handed “The General” his first defeat in the city.
Ald. Quinn pulled his crew out in the final days to save Rep. Yingling’s behind, but, yeah, he supposedly “never loses.” For a while there, that was a ground game like no other.
* From the Illinois Policy Institute’s news service…
What should be a resolved labor dispute between the state and its largest public employee union is instead costing taxpayers an additional $3 million each day, Gov. Bruce Rauner said.
AFSCME has been without a contract since July 2015. Although the state labor board ruled over a month ago that the two sides were officially at an impasse and Gov. Rauner can enact his “last, best, and final” offer, the union continues to challenge that ruling.
Rauner said last week that there’s a daily cost from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) union’s appeal to a higher court of the state labor board’s ruling that the talks had reached an impasse.
“Every day that we delay through these court actions costs the people of Illinois almost $3 million per day,” Rauner said. “Think of how much we could do for our children in poverty, think of how much we could do for our schools and our human services if we weren’t wasting almost $3 million a day on this contract.”
$3 million a day seems kinda high, so I checked in with AFSCME. I was told that if you look at just the people on whom Rauner is attempting to impose his contract demands, that’s “about 25,000 employees.”
$3 million per day divided by 25,000 unionized workers is $120 per person, per day.
That’s a huge cut. Gigantic, even. I mean, that’s $600 a week, man.
Just got robocalled by the Republican Party on pritzker. They play rod tape of how much he thought jb could raise if he got appointed to the senate seat
I heard that this could be coming so I did a little homework in advance.
* Here’s part of the raw audio of the exchange between Blagojevich and his aide Doug Scofield…
* And here’s the full transcript of the conversation. It’s on pages 6-7 on the Tribune’s site…
Notice how Scofield says it would be hard to get JB to do that and Blagojevich agrees.
Today, the Illinois Republican Party released a robocall highlighting potential gubernatorial candidate J.B. Pritzker’s deep ties to Illinois’ most corrupt political insiders, including Rod Blagojevich and his criminal scheme to sell President Obama’s US Senate seat.
“For years, J.B. Pritzker has worked behind the scenes to screw Illinois taxpayers. Pritzker provided nearly a million dollars to Mike Madigan’s political front group and inserted himself into Rod Blagojevich’s criminal scheme to sell Illinois’ US Senate seat. J.B. Pritzker is just another corrupt political insider.” – Illinois Republican Party Spokesman Steven Yaffe
JB Pritzker wants to run for Governor. But how well do we really know Pritzker?
We know that political boss Mike Madigan likes Pritzker and his billion dollar fortune as much as disgraced and imprisoned Governor Rod Blagojevich did.
Pritzker told Blagojevich he wanted to be appointed to the U.S. Senate and in exchange Blagojevich wanted JB to personally raise tens of millions of dollars for him.
Here’s Blagojevich on FBI tapes talking about it….
[Audio] I betcha JB can raise me money like that … If I can get JB to do somethin’ like that is it worth, ah, givin’ him the Senate seat? Incidentally, he, he asked me for it. Don’t repeat that.
JB Pritzker. Just another crooked insider who seeks to screw over Illinois taxpayers.
[Audio] $10 million dollars, $15 million dollars … JB can do it, couldn’t he? … Don’t repeat that.
Paid for by the Illinois Republican Party. 872-216-3791
Mess with a guy worth close to $4 billion and you’re essentially inviting him to start spending money soon.
Stay tuned, campers.
*** UPDATE *** From Pritzker’s spokesman…
“You would think a governor who has failed to pass a budget for two years and has allowed human services to be gutted would have better things to do with his time than to dredge up the crazy rantings of Rod Blagojevich.”
* Pastor Corey Brooks and Hermene Hartman, both Bruce Rauner campaign supporters, were at the governor’s minority business event and were interviewed by CBS 2’s Derrick Blakely…
Both Brooks and Hartman say they still believe in Rauner’s vision of economic growth to benefit black communities.
“Lack of economic opportunity is directly tied to the violence in our communities,” Rauner said.
Brooks says he has no regrets [for supporting Rauner despite several threats] and criticizes black legislators in Springfield.
“A lot of people in our community want them to stand for us, and not just stand for Madigan,” Brooks says, referring to Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, the political rival of Rauner.
Hartman did not foresee the state budget stalemate and the damage to social services.
“Some of these agencies are going out of business,” she says.
She doesn’t blame the governor for that?
“I blame all of them for that because they’re all responsible. That’s their job. Their job is to give us a budget,” Hartman says.
Three points:
1) Economic development is vital to stemming violence, no doubt. But it’ll take a whole lot more than Rauner’s Turnaround Agenda to accomplish that goal on the South and West Sides. He shouldn’t just be let off the hook here;
2) Speaker Madigan has truly become the be-all, end-all excuse for anyone in the Republican Party to avoid answering any sort of tough or even softball question; and
3) Yes, the governor has never proposed a truly balanced budget, but the Illinois Constitution also requires the General Assembly to pass a balanced budget, which it has not yet done under this governor. So, Hartman is correct.
Three Added to BossMadigan.com
Time for Sente, Fine and Mussman to Stop Empowering Madigan at Our Expense
The Illinois Republican Party today added three more legislators – Reps. Carol Sente, Laura Fine and Michelle Mussman – to BossMadigan.com.
“Mike Madigan has run Illinois as a political boss for over three decades. Madigan’s only motivation is to increase his own political power at our expense. The middle class, the voters, and honest, transparent government fall by the wayside in Madigan’s Illinois,” said Illinois Republican Party Spokesman Steven Yaffe.
“By repeatedly voting for Madigan for Speaker, empowering Madigan instead of standing up to him, Reps. Carol Sente, Laura Fine and Michelle Mussman bear responsibility for how far Illinois has fallen.
It’s not too late for them to do the right thing and pledge to oppose Madigan for Speaker this time.”
Carol Sente is a consistent vote for political boss Mike Madigan’s disastrous tax-and-spend agenda. Mike Madigan has channeled $1.5 million to Carol Sente over the years, and in exchange Sente has supported Madigan three times for Speaker. She backed Madigan’s plan to nearly double the income tax on many Illinois families. Worst of all, Sente voted to make sure she gets paid if the government shuts down, ahead of social service organizations and higher education. It’s time for Sente to finally break from Madigan and oppose his bid for Speaker.
Laura Fine has been a staunch Madigan ally in the House, supporting Madigan for Speaker at every opportunity. This should not come as a surprise, since Madigan has directed hundreds of thousands in special interest cash to Fine’s campaigns. Instead of standing up for fiscal sanity in Springfield, Fine helped Madigan ram through a budget that was $8 billion out of balance. She even voted to ensure that she is paid ahead of critical social services and schools. Fine has backed Madigan’s agenda for too long, but she can demonstrate her independence by refusing to support Madigan for Speaker again.
Michelle Mussman is one of Madigan’s most loyal legislators, having supported him for Speaker three times. Madigan called on Mussman to vote for the most unbalanced budget in Illinois history, and Mussman obliged, supporting a budget that would have required a $1,000 tax on Illinois families to balance. Mussman even voted to make sure she gets paid before schools and social services. It’s no wonder Michelle Mussman has backed Mike Madigan’s agenda, since he has funneled close to a million dollars into her accounts. Mussman now has a chance to break away from her support of Madigan by refusing to vote for him for Speaker for a fourth time.
To borrow a concept from Wordslinger, if Madigan’s “only motivation is to increase his own political power at our expense,” then why is the governor currently demanding that he present a budget plan? After all, if that stuff is true, then shouldn’t the governor completely mistrust anything Madigan proposes?
Joe Topinka, son of late Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka, has filed a lawsuit in Sangamon County Circuit Court seeking more than $60,000 in contributions she made to her state retirement system while serving as comptroller.
The suit seeks to overturn a ruling by the General Assembly Retirement System that because Topinka was paid more in retirement benefits than she contributed to the system over her life, no refund is due.
But Joe Topinka, 48, the late comptroller’s only child and a married father of a 6-year-old daughter, said his mother had said the money she put into her pension fund could help her grandchild with education expenses. […]
According to the written decision of the retirement system’s board, after Topinka’s death, the board issued an interpretation of state law. That interpretation stated, in part, that when a retiree goes back to work and becomes a participant in the system again, the death benefit “will equal total contributions made by the participant during all periods of active service, less the total amount of retirement and survivor’s annuity payments received by the participant and the participant’s survivor. If the total amount of … benefits paid is greater than the total contributions, no death benefit is payable.”
JBT’s total payments into the GARS pension system were about $262,000 and she collected almost $533,000. GARS has by far the worst unfunded liability of all the state’s pension systems.
Bernie also reports that Joe Topinka filed suit over his mother’s campaign fund, but that was dismissed and he’s appealing. He also filed suit in probate court to gain control of the campaign fund, but that, too, was dismissed and he’s appealing it as well, Bernie writes.
State lawmakers from both political parties are calling for an investigation of how the Illinois Lottery managed scratch-off games in response to a Tribune report showing the lottery didn’t award many of the biggest prizes in the biggest games.
“I just don’t think we should promise people things we don’t deliver,” said state Rep. Lou Lang, D-Skokie. “And if we say we have a game that’s going to pay X and it doesn’t pay X, then we’ve lied to the people who bought the tickets.” […]
Illinois handed over management of its lottery in mid-2011 to a private firm, Northstar Lottery Group, and the Tribune studied the 17 biggest-prize instant games that were begun and ended in the five years since.
Reporters found most of those games did not award all of their grand prizes and some did not award any. In all, those games awarded less than 60 percent of their grand prizes — a rate lower than other states studied by the Tribune, and lower than when Illinois managed its own lottery. The Tribune also found that, because of how the games ended, the lottery often paid a lower percentage of revenue than the games were designed to pay.
One $30-a-ticket game, for example, pitched the biggest instant grand prize in Illinois history: $46 million in periodic payments. But it was pulled from store shelves before it awarded either of its two grand prizes. Its designed payout rate — nearly 78 percent of sales — ended at 61 percent of sales. Had it paid out at its designed rate, players would have won an additional $10 million, the Tribune found.
The original story is here. I didn’t post it on Friday because I wasn’t quite clear on what the alleged scam was all about. You have to kinda read between the lines. For instance…
Take the game The Good Life: $30,000 A Week For 30 Years.
Based on internal design documents kept by the lottery, the game was designed to award 78 percent of its revenue — most of it in smaller prizes but anchored by two mammoth grand prizes.
It was pulled after selling less than 15 percent of the tickets printed; no grand prizes were awarded.
On an Internet bulletin board devoted to core lottery players, one poster lamented to his peers: “I don’t know why they are pulling it, but … I was playing this game for months and feel they must have made a whole lot of money and paid out very little.”
Indeed, by then, the game had raised about $63 million in sales.
It awarded about $38 million in smaller prizes.
The payout rate ended up being just shy of 61 percent, 17 percentage points less than the designed rate of 78 percent. […]
Because of when games were ended, and payout rates being lower than designed, the excess money was counted as profit — a metric for which Northstar was judged.
So, if I’m reading this right, the company apparently ordered far more scratch-off tickets printed than could possibly be sold, which would greatly lower the odds that somebody actually buys a winning ticket. Then, the game was canceled without any big payouts.
If that is the allegation, the Tribune doesn’t clearly spell it out. But it sure makes it look that way.
Also, for grand prizes that cost $1 million or more to fund, Illinois’ payout rate was about 60 percent, while New York’s was about 80 percent, Pennsylvania’s was 83 percent, Texas’ was 88 percent and the rate was 100 percent in Florida, Massachusetts and Ohio.
The Illinois budget ball appears to be in Gov. Bruce Rauner’s court, and he should take advantage of the opportunity to show real statesmanship and leadership.
On Friday, Republican Rauner canceled a budget discussion meeting with legislative leaders — including House Speaker MIchael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton, both Democrats — when he learned the lawmakers did not plan to present a balanced budget proposal.
Rauner said he would not schedule another meeting to discuss possible ways of hopefully ending the state’s ongoing budget impasse until lawmakers could present a balanced budget.
There’s only one problem with the tactic: It’s Rauner’s job to propose a budget.
The Governor shall prepare and submit to the General Assembly, at a time prescribed by law, a State budget for the ensuing fiscal year. The budget shall set forth the estimated balance of funds available for appropriation at the beginning of the fiscal year, the estimated receipts, and a plan for expenditures and obligations during the fiscal year of every department, authority, public corporation and quasi-public corporation of the State, every State college and university, and every other public agency created by the State, but not of units of local government or school districts. The budget shall also set forth the indebtedness and contingent liabilities of the State and such other information as may be required by law. Proposed expenditures shall not exceed funds estimated to be available for the fiscal year as shown in the budget.
The governor should lay political concerns aside and do the job dictated to his office by the Illinois Constitution. No one else in Springfield appears to want to do what is necessary to fix this ongoing fiscal mess. Rauner should lead the way.
* Meanwhile, we’ll be covering this live today, so check back…
* Another holiday song from VanillaMan. This one’s pretty darned dark, but VMan thought it was necessary. He does promise more light-hearted material next time. Click here if you’re unfamiliar with the tune, “Infant Holy Infant Lowly,”…
Governor’s goal he, starves us slowly
For his political wins, we fall
Unions suffer, incomes rougher
Government collapses in downfall
Cold winds stinging, state wards clinging
Without means, ruled by Philistines
The government of our sad state
Kills our dreams and suffocates
Progress slowly, politics lowly
Overtaxing, prevents relaxing
Underachieving, jobs are leaving
Government budgets take an axing
Chicago Looping, Mayoral regrouping
City’s teachers’ backs astooping
Communities crying out for saving
Instead its leaders are misbehaving
Always hoping, perpetually coping
Illinoisans await a joyous Spring
New day coming with factories humming
Our great state, once more will sing
And both parties, will be very sorry
For what they’ve done, to our happy home
That they’ll work forever harder
Or face wrath under Springfield’s dome
What’s the lesson, we’re confessin’
Over what we’ve seen transpire?
It’s that whether or not you like government
We cannot be led by crooks or liar
Doing nothing, will get us nothing
And with nothing, we fall on our face
It matters not what ere your party
It matters not what ere your race
* Gov. Rauner was asked today if he had a contingency plan in place in case he doesn’t get a full budget or a stopgap budget…
We’ll get, we’ll get things done.
“How can you say that?” a reporter asked…
Because I think in the end a majority of members of the General Assembly will do the right thing. Everything that we’re advocating has strong bipartisan support… We haven’t yet, but change is hard… I’m frustrated. I’m not the most patient person in the state, but I’m very persistent.
And then he went on to talk yet again about how raising taxes won’t solve anything and how growth is a must. And then he claimed, yet again, that several Democrats privately support his ideas without naming anybody. And then he changed the subject.
However, subscribers know a little about his fallback plan - and it’s all bad for Chicago and for certain Democratic legislators with state facilities.
Join me for my next Facebook Live tomorrow.Please submit your questions about the budget now or ask them live tomorrow at noon. #Raunerlivepic.twitter.com/NwA1UIRx7V
* The 2016 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best State Senate Staffer - Non Political, Republican goes to Jo Johnson…
She does it all and knows how to get along with people on both sides of the aisle.
Yep.
* The 2016 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best State House Staffer - Non Political, Republican goes to James Sherwood…
Lots of staffers are smart. James is that but also a genuinely good guy whose head isn’t so big it will explode. He proves that you can be a good staffer without sacrificing a pleasant personality
Congrats!
* Now, on to today’s categories…
* Best campaign staffer - House Republicans
* Best campaign staffer - Senate Republicans
Make sure to explain your vote or it won’t count and do your very best to nominate in both categories, please. Thanks.
* The latest from VanillaMan. Click here if you’re unfamiliar with the tune…
Angels we have heard on high
Pleading, begging o’re our plains
But Raunerites in reply
Berates them over budget strains
NO-Ooooooh-Oooooh-NO Deal
Democrats only live to STEAL
NO-Ooooooh-Oooooh-NO Deal
Without Turnaround there’s NO DEAL
Legislators feeling glum
With no pay, there is no plum
The Speaker whom ’er he be
Would never give in to Brucie
NO-Ooooooh-Oooooh-NO Deal
We’d rather listen to Brucie’s SQUEAL
NO-Ooooooh-Oooooh-NO Deal
“Right To Work” is Right To STEAL
Come to Chicago and see
Lootings, shootings across the town
Duck and dive on bended knee
Mayor Emanuel, who wears the crown
NO-Ooooooh-Oooooh-NO Deal
I’d rather have no sex APPEAL
NO-Ooooooh-Oooooh-NO Deal
Chicago’s Rauner’s Achilles’ heel
What can poor Illinois do now?
Whose government ignores angels pleas?
Illinois citizens come, let’s vow
We won’t succumb to government squeeze!
NO-Ooooooh-Oooooh-NO GOOD!
We’re tired of all your FALSEHOOD!
GO-Oooooh-Oooooh-LET’S GO!
Time for ANGELS to RUN THIS SHOW!
Raoul and the legislative black caucus have said they don’t want to increase mandatory minimums, which have drawn criticism for putting nonviolent drug offenders behind bars for decades - something even Obama is trying to undo in his final days through commutations and other actions.
Instead, Raoul says, he’ll propose directing judges to use the higher end of the sentencing scale when someone has a prior gun-related conviction. Judges would keep their discretion in sentencing, but Raoul’s bill may require them to explain their rationale.
As is, someone with a previous felony weapons conviction faces 3 to 14 years; Raoul’s measure might have judges consider more than 10 years. Currently, someone with a 3-year sentence can be freed after serving half their term with good behavior.
“The question is … whether (repeat offenders) are incapacitated long enough to create a breather for some neighborhoods that are just ravaged by gun violence, and long enough to create a deterrence,” Raoul said.
But such an effort could turn into a “war on guns” that would resemble the war on drugs of the 1970s and 1980s, according to Cook County Public Defender Amy Campanelli, whose staff represents many of the accused. It didn’t lead to a drop in drug usage, but to the “demonization” of mostly young African-American and Latino men, she said.
I’m not sure what the exact answer is here, but comparing this to the war on drugs is a bit on the specious side. That war was touted as a way to prevent people from putting what were believed to be harmful products into their own bodies, or selling those products to others. Guns used in the act of a felony would seem to be an entirely different matter.
One of Richard Nixon’s top advisers and a key figure in the Watergate scandal said the war on drugs was created as a political tool to fight blacks and hippies, according to a 22-year-old interview recently published in Harper’s Magazine.
“The Nixon campaign in 1968, and the Nixon White House after that, had two enemies: the antiwar left and black people,” former Nixon domestic policy chief John Ehrlichman told Harper’s writer Dan Baum for the April cover story published Tuesday.
“You understand what I’m saying? We knew we couldn’t make it illegal to be either against the war or black, but by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin. And then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities,” Ehrlichman said. “We could arrest their leaders. raid their homes, break up their meetings, and vilify them night after night on the evening news. Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course we did.”
IVAN MORENO, 34, who has been supervisory correspondent with The Associated Press at the Statehouse for about a year, will become the AP’s supervisory correspondent in Milwaukee. […]
SETH PERLMAN, 61, has been an AP photographer in Springfield for more than 33 years, and was laid off Friday. Perlman said there is severance pay involved and he’s happy with his situation. He also turned in his equipment to the company and has no plans to freelance. He certainly has been around to help showcase a lot of history. He’s a Miami native, got a journalism degree at the University of Colorado, and worked places including the Denver Post before coming to Springfield. […]
And one of WCIA-TV’s Statehouse reporters, KELSEY GIBBS, 28, is leaving in January to become a general assignment reporter for KFOR-TV in Oklahoma City. She’s a Springfield High grad who got her master’s in public affairs reporting from the University of Illinois Springfield. Gibbs said it will be her first time living outside Illinois, so she expects to have “a little homesickness” with her family still here. But she said she’s excited about the “jump to a bigger market.” […]
Other Statehouse reporters who recently announced departures are AMANDA VINICKY, going from Illinois Public Radio to WTTW-TV in Chicago; MIKE RIOPELL, who had been in Springfield for the Daily Herald, based in Arlington Heights, and took a job in Chicago with the Tribune; and WCIA-TV’s ED CROSS, who is becoming spokesman for the state Department of Natural Resources.
* The Illinois Abortion Law of 1975, passed in the wake of the landmark Roe v. Wade decision, with emphasis added…
It is the intention of the General Assembly of the State of Illinois to reasonably regulate abortion in conformance with the decisions of the United States Supreme Court of January 22, 1973. Without in any way restricting the right of privacy of a woman or the right of a woman to an abortion under those decisions, the General Assembly of the State of Illinois do solemnly declare and find in reaffirmation of the longstanding policy of this State, that the unborn child is a human being from the time of conception and is, therefore, a legal person for purposes of the unborn child’s right to life and is entitled to the right to life from conception under the laws and Constitution of this State.
Further, the General Assembly finds and declares that longstanding policy of this State to protect the right to life of the unborn child from conception by prohibiting abortion unless necessary to preserve the life of the mother is impermissible only because of the decisions of the United States Supreme Court and that, therefore, if those decisions of the United States Supreme Court are ever reversed or modified or the United States Constitution is amended to allow protection of the unborn then the former policy of this State to prohibit abortions unless necessary for the preservation of the mother’s life shall be reinstated.
I bring this up because a Republican president who campaigned on repealing Roe v. Wade has a Republican US Senate.
* But the Tribune looked into this matter back in 1991…
Anti-abortion groups would likely go to court to get the 1975 law reinstated [if Roe v. Wade is overturned], but whether they would succeed remains a question. […]
“Abortions will not be illegal because there is no statute in Illinois that makes abortions generally criminal,” [Attorney Paul Linton, counsel for the anti-abortion Americans United for Life] said.
The Illinois Legislative Research Unit of the General Assembly also shares that view. It would take a new law to outlaw abortion here, the research unit concluded in a 1989 study. […]
[Colleen Connell, director of the reproductive rights project of the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois] of the ACLU maintained that both the preamble and the law are unenforceable.
“The law has a unconstitutional vagueness,” she said. “It doesn’t specifically tell physicians which acts are prohibited and which are not. There’s a long-standing and unquestioned doctrine of criminal law in Illinois that says the law must be very specific.
“What the preamble says is the General Assembly didn’t like abortion, but the preamble has no legal, binding aspect.”
Category two includes a variety of midrange Democrats. Each has a following but would have to scramble to widen their base.
For instance, state Sen. Daniel Biss, D-Evanston, reminds me of the late Dawn Clark Netsch with his focus on fiscal probity and thoughtful backing of progressive causes. He raised $10 million for an anti-Rauner TV blitz this fall but insists it’s not about money. “I really don’t like the theory of ‘we’ll pit our billionaire against their billionaire,’ ” he says.
Two downstate officials are known to be considering a run, too, U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos of western Illinois and state Sen. Andy Manar of Bunker Hill. Both have been successful in regions that the Democratic Party statewide has all but abandoned in recent decades.
But Bustos recently accepted a job in House Democratic leadership that will be difficult to walk away from, even if she has Durbin’s rumored backing. That could make Manar, the former chief of staff to Illinois Senate President John Cullerton, the man to watch in a crowded field, especially if he’s able to consolidate labor behind him.
Sen. Manar is up for reelection in two years, so he’d have to give up his seat to run. I’m not saying he wouldn’t do that, I’m just saying that hard fact will definitely play a role in his decision-making.
Mike McClain, a Quincy attorney who has been described as “the most trusted and respected lobbyist in Springfield,” has announced his retirement.
McClain, 69, said he told his wife, Cinda Awerkamp McClain, two years ago that he would retire at the end of 2015 as an anniversary present for her.
“Then we had the Exelon bill come up, and my friend Mike Madigan was facing some tough times, and so (the retirement) kind of got put on hold” for another year, McClain said, referring to a bill to extend subsidies to the utility to keep two nuclear power plants in the state operating.
He kept his retirement plan secret until it was revealed Friday by Rich Miller in the Illinois political newsletter and blog Capitol Fax. The announcement caught many by surprise.
“He was extremely successful and really, really will be missed,” said state Sen. John Sullivan, D-Rushville.
Former state Rep. Art Tenhouse, R-Liberty, said McClain worked behind the scenes and could “cross over the partisan divide” on almost every issue that came up in the Legislature.
“Most people don’t realize what an advocate he’s been for Western Illinois and how many things he’s gotten accomplished for this region,” Tenhouse said. […]
Wrote Miller on Friday:
“McClain has been a vitally important sounding board and strategist for the Speaker. He’s never been afraid to clash head-on with other members of Madigan’s inner circle when he’s believed they’ve given his guy the wrong advice. McClain also participated in Madigan’s conference calls every Sunday during campaign seasons, including this past one.
“The extent of his influence with Madigan probably can’t be overstated and will likely never be known. Neither man is the type to write tell-all autobiographies. Madigan doesn’t always take McClain’s advice, of course, but, like pretty much everyone who comes into contact with McClain, he most definitely always listens to him and respects him and, perhaps most importantly, trusts him.
“He’s also been a valued private conduit to members of Team Rauner, who may not love Madigan, but can always talk to McClain.”
On Friday, McClain said “a Springfield old-timer” told him early in his career as a lobbyist that with his connections, McClain could make a lot of money and retire in five years, or make a more modest living compared with other people and keep lobbying for a long time, while keeping his reputation intact.
The FBI notified the Illinois Republican Party in June that some of its email accounts may have been hacked, but party officials were not told that it was part of a wide-ranging federal investigation of Russian activity in the nation’s political system, the state GOP’s executive director said Sunday.
Nick Klitzing said the state GOP on its own found 18 of its emails on the website DCLeaks.com. The New York Times reported the website was an outlet that U.S. intelligence officials and private cybersecurity companies believe was created by a unit controlled by the GRU, Russia’s military intelligence agency.
Klitzing said FBI agents raised questions about emails involving the state GOP accounts during their visit. The four email accounts involved were inactive or rarely used, and the hacked emails dated to 2015, long before the 2016 contests for president and Illinois offices, Klitzing said.
A review of the emails provided by the state GOP shows the messages were largely rudimentary in nature, ranging from requests for training and local party event invitations to reports and discussion that U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam of Wheaton should be considered a “dark horse” candidate to replace House Speaker John Boehner, a contest ultimately won by U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin.
The disclosure of the hacked email accounts comes amid reports by the Times and Washington Post that assessments by American intelligence agencies, including the CIA, concluded that Russia acted to influence the 2016 presidential election in favor of Republican President-elect Donald Trump and to hurt Democrat Hillary Clinton’s chances.
* Two years ago Saturday I got a call in the middle of the night telling me that Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka had died. Everyone who knew her was shocked. She just seemed so indestructible.
Her untimely death undoubtedly changed the course of Illinois history. While she was a good Republican, she would’ve undoubtedly stood up to newly elected Gov. Bruce Rauner’s constant demands for “right to work” and other anti-union legislation, providing a balance to that party which simply doesn’t exist these days. I also believe she would’ve sharply criticized the Democrats for obstructionism, bringing some sensible balance to that fight as well.
I’ve said this before and I’ll say it until I no longer have breath in my body: Never before in the history of any state has the death of a comptroller had such tragic consequences.
Top folks in the governor’s office said they didn’t quite understand last week why the Senate Democrats and House Speaker Michael Madigan’s spokesman were so upset with them about canceling last Thursday’s leaders meeting to discuss ending the long Statehouse impasse and finishing up an incomplete budget.
Gov. Bruce Rauner’s chief of staff reached out to Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago) last Wednesday to see whether he’d finished up a budget framework. Harris, who Madigan refers to as his “chief budget negotiator,” had reportedly made it clear earlier in the process that he wanted to get input from House Democratic membership before moving forward with any budget proposal. He hadn’t yet been able to do that, which led to the decision by the governor’s office to cancel last Thursday’s meeting.
Trouble is, the press release announcing that cancellation was sent at almost exactly the same time as top Democratic staff were informed of the news. And that led to internal confusion and more than a little anger.
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“I’m seriously floored by this,” said one clearly ticked off top Dem involved with the negotiations. “Every time we start to make progress they pull the plug.”
Public comments by Madigan’s spokesman (who is not involved with negotiations) were a bit harsh: “Somehow they had it in their heads that we’re going to take over some executive action [by proposing a full budget]. I don’t think that’s going to happen,” Steve Brown told the Chicago Sun-Times.
But the real reason the Democrats haven’t presented a plan after almost two years of demanding that Rauner propose one is that if they do lay out an actual spending plan, they’d have to essentially reveal the size of the tax hike they’d prefer, which is why Rauner hasn’t done it, either.
It wouldn’t be difficult for the governor to take the Democrats’ spending proposals, subtract out expected state revenues and then label what wasn’t yet funded as “the Democrats’ tax hike plan.” Or, more likely, “the Mike Madigan tax hike plan,” since the Republicans truly relish whacking the unpopular House Speaker.
That may not happen, but the complete lack of trust among Statehouse leaders exacerbated by the governor’s year-round campaign style pretty much makes that expectation a reality.
After all, I already get more than a dozen e-mails almost every day from the Illinois Republican Party slamming individual House and Senate Democrats for being Madigan’s minions. A “tax hike proposal” from Madigan could exponentially increase those attacks.
Not to mention that the governor’s state party sent a video “tracker” to the Statehouse this month to harass a few politically vulnerable House Democrats. The party posted video of one somewhat embarrassing encounter on YouTube. This stuff is, at the least, inanely juvenile and, at most, darkly autocratic. The governor’s party shouldn’t be paying people to follow opposing party legislators around Springfield with a camera. Period. And it could easily escalate out of control if the other side starts responding in kind.
In the past, the leaders and the governor would all figuratively hold hands and jump off the tax hike cliff together. But, in the past, nobody was blasting out campaign press releases just days after the campaign ended and hounding legislators with video trackers. So, nobody trusts anyone enough to do that now.
And that’s why Senate President John Cullerton went on WTTW’s “Chicago Tonight” program last week and said, “It’s not a matter of who’s going first,” but then firmly and repeatedly demanded that Rauner had to be the one to go first.
Even so, they actually appear to be making some slow progress behind the scenes.
Despite public comments by Republican leaders that reconstituting the rank and file legislative working groups was a waste of time, a small group planned to meet last Friday with the governor’s people to engage on a workers’ compensation reform plan. Cullerton said earlier in the week that he was confident a deal could be struck, particularly if it focused on weeding out fraud and abuse. Speaker Madigan said after last Tuesday’s meeting that he was willing to negotiate on that topic.
Another small working group was also scheduled to talk about local government consolidation and state mandate relief. Madigan said he was willing to engage on that topic as well. Madigan also said last week he was willing to talk about pension reform, which is another major Rauner demand and for which Cullerton already has a proposal.
They just need to find a way to trust each other enough to make it all happen. Don’t bet on it yet.
