* A letter sent today to Gov. Bruce Rauner from House Speaker Michael Madigan…
Governor Rauner:
Yesterday my staff and CMS had another productive discussion about the sale of the Thompson Center in Chicago. As you know, I have publicly acknowledged a desire to work with you on legislation authorizing the sale of the Thompson Center. Over the course of staff discussions, both your staff and mine determined the legislation proposed by Leader Durkin does not adequately plan for the sale and inadvertently interferes with the zoning authority of the City of Chicago. Your staff previously acknowledged that the legislation needed to be rewritten, and it was further conveyed, again yesterday, that legislation is not ready to move forward at this time.
Around the same time as this productive meeting, you stated publicly that I have held up the sale of the Thompson Center and that reporters should ask me why I’ve been blocking progress on this part of your agenda. With all due respect, I believe it is disingenuous of you and beneath your office to make such false statements to the media when you know or should have known that I have pledged my cooperation, that our staffs are working together on this initiative, and that we are working toward the same goal with your administration in good faith.
As you are aware, your administration included the sale of the Thompson Center in your proposed FY18 budget, with an anticipated sale price of $300 million. I have directed my staff to provide any assistance necessary so that we may pass legislation advantageous to the State of Illinois, while providing the least disruption to CTA commuters utilizing the lines that feed into the Thompson Center. I am advised CMS is in negotiations with the City on issues related to the CTA station and the easement, as well as zoning matters, and it is these discussions that have led to the stalling of the legislation, not my actions or the actions of the House.
Despite your inability to provide an accurate account of the facts or acknowledge my public and private comments, my staff will continue working cooperatively with your staff and CMS to develop a plan to maximize the ability of the State to sell the property, with a goal to passing legislation no later than May 31st.
With kindest personal regards, I remain
Sincerely yours,
Michael J. Madigan
Speaker of the House
Your thoughts on this?
*** UPDATE 1 *** From Eleni Demertzis at the governor’s office…
Speaker Madigan and his majority have had two years to do anything productive for the people of Illinois, but instead he’s held up every proposal to create jobs, provide property tax relief, balance the budget and improve education. Two years of holding up the people of Illinois — and now just more excuses and distractions to hold up something as simple as selling the Thompson Center. As usual, positive changes in government take place when the Governor can make things happen on his own — and change hits a brick wall whenever the Speaker has the ability to block it.
Yeah, things are sure looking brighter these days.
To be clear here, the governor’s CMS director said during a House committee hearing that the administration can sell the Thompson Center without the General Assembly’s involvement. It just can’t make the sale on the administration’s preferred timeline unless legislators approve. Rauner wants to use proceeds from the sale to help balance next fiscal year’s budget.
*** UPDATE 2 *** House Republican Leader Jim Durkin told reporters this morning (click here for raw audio) that objections to the Thompson Center sale legislation by CMS is “news to me.” He’s had the bill out there since 2015, he said, and hadn’t heard of any problems identified by the administration.
Leader Durkin claimed that Madigan was engaging in stalling tactics to prevent the governor from getting any wins.
*** UPDATE 3 *** Greg Hinz discovers there is a real problem, but it can be dealt with…
Rauner has been counting on the proposed sale to generate $220 million for the state, plugging a hole in his budget, as well as tens of millions of dollars in future property-tax revenue for the city. But to get that kind of money, he wants to ramp up zoning on the site, clearing the way for a huge development, perhaps the 115-story tower that one developer envisions.
One Rauner official who asked not to be named conceded that talks with the city are continuing about tripling the size of what now legally can be built on the site, as well as access to the CTA station in any new development.
But the city agrees in principle with selling the property, and any remaining issues with language can be resolved after the General Assembly passes legislation authorizing the sale, that source said.
However, it appears the speaker wants those issues settled first—and doesn’t like Rauner attacking him in the process. He wrote, “I believe it is disingenuous of you and beneath your office to make such false statements.”
- @MisterJayEm - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 9:25 am:
“With kindest personal regards”
And THAT is how you do disingenuous.
– MrJM
- AlfondoGonz - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 9:28 am:
It’s about time Madigan called out Rauner’s childish approach of governance through public barbs.
- Michelle Flaherty - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 9:28 am:
The Rauner administration specializes in slopping something together for headlines knowing full well it’s unworkable, and then, as people try to decipher it into something workable, the gov goes around and complains.
I’ve never seen such a victimized almost-billionaire.
- Sir Reel - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 9:29 am:
Rauner and his people are addicted to blaming everything on Madigan. They can’t help themselves.
- Fixer - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 9:31 am:
Welcome back, Speaker.
- doofusguy - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 9:31 am:
Poking the bear one to many times?
- The Captain - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 9:31 am:
For an unpopular incumbent trying to win re-election with little to no accomplishments facing an external political environment that probably will not favor his party and seems almost certain to be much less favorable than it was for him four years ago who is trying to blame someone/everyone else for the state’s problems he needs the voters to continue to give him the benefit of the doubt.
His problem is that he has a long track record (see above) of saying one thing while doing another, a seemingly deliberate disingenuousness. If the Democrats can erode that trust, and he’s given them a rather voluminous opportunity to do so, once it’s gone with the voters he can’t get it back and his rather fragile chance at re-election collapses.
- BucknIrish - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 9:32 am:
Must have taken a whole lot of complaining from his staff to get Madigan to write a public letter.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 9:33 am:
Madigan and all the Thompson Center’s he controls
- Triple fat - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 9:41 am:
Boom goes the dynamite!
- Oh Boy - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 9:41 am:
MisterJayEm,
I believe that’s how Speaker Madigan ends every letter.
- 47th Ward - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 9:42 am:
That’s the longest Tweet in history. Wait, it wasn’t on Twitter? Must have been an e-mail then or a fb post. No?
Did he at least fax it over to the Governor? Don’t tell me he put a stamp on this and put it in the mail…
- allknowingmasterofracoondom - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 9:47 am:
Wow. Great letter. That is the velvet hammer right to the teeth.
- Skeptic - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 9:47 am:
47th: No it was the courier on horseback you saw going down Wabash Ave.
- RNUG - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 9:48 am:
The Speaker is still capable of playing a multi-dimensional chess game. The letter shows a spirit of cooperation while factually citing the problems that are delaying things, and then takes the Governor to task on his misrepresentations. Plus it subtly says that the Speaker can give Rauner a public achievement if Rauner will work at it and be patient.
Brilliant on multiple levels.
- Dolphin - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 9:51 am:
You know that scene toward the end of the American President where President Shepard steps up to respond to character attacks from Bob Rumson…
https://youtu.be/zemrWBIc_hE
This is about as close to that as we get in Illinois.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 9:52 am:
Rauner’s response: “Squirrel!”
- Dolphin - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 9:53 am:
== As usual, positive changes in government take place when the Governor can make things happen on his own==
What changes? Name one.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 9:53 am:
===As usual, positive changes in government take place when the Governor can make things happen on his own — and change hits a brick wall whenever the Speaker has the ability to block it.===
This comes from the office of the man who personally derailed the Grand Bargain, undercutting his own legislative leader in the process…
Rauner is as disingenuous as he is heartless.
- Elliott Ness - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 9:55 am:
Ask yourself this: If you were going to sell property that you owned or were responsible for, would you turn it over to the Governor’s frat kids?
- Thoughts Matter - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 10:01 am:
Madigans letter: polite but firm and with his signature
Rauners spokeswoman response: the words of a teenager who just lost her cell phone for a week.
- The Dude Abides - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 10:02 am:
The administration still isn’t very accomplished at getting bills passed are they. It’s much easier to veto a bill than get one passed obviously. They’ve got the Speaker’s cooperation on this one and they still can’t get it done. SMH
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 10:05 am:
The Speaker should have ended his letter with: Your Obedient Servant.
- Anon - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 10:10 am:
What happened to CK? All the comments have been from ED recently.
“Mike Madigan and the sale of JRTC he controls.”
- Winnin' - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 10:12 am:
The truth? You can’t handle the truth.
- OurMagician - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 10:12 am:
If only the state had some parking meters to sell, that would help next year’s “budget” too.
- RNUG - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 10:13 am:
== Rauner wants to use proceeds from the sale to help balance next fiscal year’s budget. ==
One one revenue to address an ongoing lack of revenue.
Not exactly brilliant budgeting ..
although it probably is of superstar quality. /s
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 10:16 am:
===What happened to CK?===
Promoted.
- RNUG - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 10:16 am:
One time
- Lucky Pierre - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 10:22 am:
Two year property tax freeze in exchange for a permanent income tax increase.
Some Grand Bargain!
Even Dawn Clark Netsch had a permanent fix in her tax swap plan.
”
Rauner paints in pale pastels, but essentially he argues for what Democrat Dawn Clark Netsch, in 1994, promoted in her race against Republican Jim Edgar as a “Tax swap.” That is, raise the income tax rate, and lower the property tax rate. But, Governor Rauner only wants to freeze the property tax rate. So, Rauner is more of a net tax increaser than Netsch!
Governor Jim Edgar lambasted Dawn for wanting a tax swap, especially for wanting to raise the income tax rate—and Edgar won re-election big time in 1994. Then, two years later, Gov. Edgar changed his mind and argued for a tax swap. The plan was not popular with the people and was never adopted, not even when the Democrats had control of the House, Senate, Governor’s mansion and state Supreme Court, starting in 2002.
Your idol Governor Edgar proposed something similar. You should be for this but of course because it is Rauner’s idea you are against.
Typical
http://www.chicagonow.com/public-affairs-with-jeff-berkowitz/2017/03/a-strategic-plan-for-gov-rauner-posthumous-support-for-dawn-clark-netschs-tax-swap/
- Earnest - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 10:23 am:
Speaker of the House Madigan - well done.
Leader of the IDP Madigan - way too wordy and not part of a cohesive message
Rauner - weaker than usual but gets the job done
- Michelle Flaherty - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 10:26 am:
Is it possible/more plausible that no one tells Durkin anything?
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 10:28 am:
- Lucky Pierre -
Your bottom line is Rauner, indeed, personally scuttled the Grand Bargain, something possible, for something that won’t get 60 and 30.
You can talk around what you think is relevant, the reality is Leader Radogno was working towards 30 and “doing the doable” and Rauner purposely made scuttling the Grand Bargain for no deal… real.
Both Edgar and Ryan made clear, governors need to do the doable.
Rauner has no such feeling.
- facts are stubborn things - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 10:29 am:
Bottom line is this — Rauner needs Speaker Madigan way more then Speaker Madigan needs Rauner. The sooner Rauner figures this out the better. The road to Rauner’s re election in 2018 travels through MJM. MJM’s road to re-election does not take a turn through Rauner.
- Earnest - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 10:30 am:
Minority Speaker Durkin - wasted potential to be a fantastic caucus leader but instead sticking to Rauner’s script. Did a good job of it though.
- OurMagician - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 10:31 am:
=Leader Durkin claimed that Madigan was engaging in stalling tactics to prevent the governor from getting any wins. =
Perfect example of what’s wrong in Springfield, everything is treated like a game, looked at in wins and losses rather than doing your job.
- Lucky Pierre - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 10:41 am:
Doing the doable?
two year property tax freeze in exchange for a two year income tax hike.
After two years, apparently nothing that is a compromise for Democrats is doable.
Only Rauner has to back track. That has how it has worked with every Governor’s dealings with Speaker Madigan.
But hey he gets reelected so all is well.
- Henry Francis - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 10:41 am:
Ms. Demertzis’ statement refers to only 2 years of Madigan and his majority.
She’s still learning the Rauner word jumble.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 10:43 am:
Blamers gonna blame.
- Demoralized - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 10:44 am:
==You should be for this but of course because it is Rauner’s idea you are against.==
Once a victim always a victim.
==Some Grand Bargain!==
A “bargain” is a negotiation. You get something and I get something. The Senate negotiated what was palatable to both sides. You can only do what can be PASSED and not what you want to pass. You continue to fail to recognize that you can only do the doable.
If you and the Governor are waiting until you get every single thing you want you’ll be waiting for a long time. The Senate managed to at least get some conversations going and apparently had some good negotiations. You’ve been complaining every day about Madigan not negotiating. Well, the Senators did negotiate. And that still isn’t good enough for you. Pick a lane.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 10:45 am:
===two year property tax freeze in exchange for a two year income tax hike.
After two years, apparently nothing that is a compromise for Democrats is doable===
Rauner could put 90 (60 House, 30 Senate) ILGA members on stairs and show Madigan and Cullerton.
What hasn’t Rauner?
===Then, two years later, Gov. Edgar changed his mind and argued for a tax swap. The plan was not popular with the people and was never adopted, not even when the Democrats had control of the House, Senate, Governor’s mansion and state Supreme Court, starting in 2002.===
… and you think Rauner can get 60 and 30 where Edgar failed?
That’s fun.
- IRLJ - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 10:56 am:
Good for the Speaker doing that letter. The Governor has been winning the all important public relations war, virtually unopposed. If the Democrats are going to have a chance in 2018, they need to engage in public…discourse.
- Lucky Pierre - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 11:02 am:
Good for the Speaker doing that letter? Opposing the Governor just for political reasons?
How is opposing something labor and business agree on for once in this state- The I-55 toll road a feather in the Speaker’s cap?
- Harry - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 11:14 am:
“Something as simple as selling the Thompson Center?’
What, does Rauner hire 8-year olds to write his stuff? Anyone who has been even half-way around the block one time knows that selling an occupied government building like the JRT, with two embedded rail stations, no less, is a huge and complicated undertaking.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 11:15 am:
…positive changes in government take place when the governor can act on his own.–
Welcome to America, comrades. Sit in on an Eighth grade civics class to get up to speed.
- don the legend - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 11:19 am:
Yet the governor’s response does not address any of the speaker’s factual assertions regarding what is needed to move the sale forward. It’s clear the governor doesn’t have a clue or wants to have a clue as to what is going on.
- Henry Francis - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 11:28 am:
“positive changes in government take place when the governor can act on his own”
Just look at Intersect Illinois. The governor did that on his own. Over a year ago. Can anyone identify the positive change in government created over the last year plus?
Other than it allowed a select group of former DCEO workers to move over to Intersect and get paid a lot more than they could at DCEO. And they aren’t subject to FOIA. And they basically don’t have to account to anyone in the public. I’m sure for those lucky folks they consider it a “positive change”.
- Ferris Wheel - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 11:46 am:
They could just go talk to CMS director or the CTA and clear this up…
But I guess it’s easier just to issue statements.
- Annonin' - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 11:54 am:
Two phrases “simple as selling” and “news to me”
demonstrate the fundamental disconnect of BigBrain and the bootlicks he funds.
Selling a building with a federally funded transit station and a CITY EASEMENT is not “simple”
Ask the CMS brain trust from time to time about your bill
Ask the Tollway why the told BigBrain “nyet” on the I-55 toll lanes
- AlfondoGonz - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 11:56 am:
Maybe one too many cups of coffee today, LP?
- Louis G Atsaves - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 11:57 am:
This coming from the man who bragged to his fellow Democrats that he didn’t give the Governor a thing during Democrat day at last year’s state fair.
Cooperative, indeed!
- Anon - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 12:00 pm:
Promotion, Bruce?
Thanks,
ck
===What happened to CK?===
Promoted.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 12:09 pm:
Next stop for ck, a gig on Fox News.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 12:11 pm:
===This coming from the man who bragged to his fellow Democrats that he didn’t give the Governor a thing during Democrat day at last year’s state fair.===
“Democrat Day”… you’re better than this. I know you are. I’m embarrassed for you.
BTW, going around Madigan, having the deal worked with Cullerton, why did Rauner undercut Leader Radogno?
“Because… Madigan”
- Louis G Atsaves -
Rauner’s own actions TO Leader Radogno make your phony “Madigan” thingy… taste sour.
- Rabid - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 12:22 pm:
As usual a simpleton thinks he can make things happen on his own? When change hits a brick wall it’s called pitching quarters
- West Side the Best Side - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 1:04 pm:
Selling my house should be simple, make sure I have another place to live and clean the basement. I don’t have a CTA stop, don’t have employees from numerous agencies in the bedrooms, don’t have private businesses selling stuff on the first floor and basement and don’t have a house that was built for any other purpose than to be a house. The Thompson Center has all that and more so selling that is a bit more than finding a real estate agent you like to handle the sale for you.
- Just Me - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 1:16 pm:
Two issues: First, Speaker Madigan’s complaint about zoning matters is in reality a request to involve his buddy Alderman Reilly and make sure he gets his. Second, while the Speaker’s issue with the CTA station is legitimate, it is worth pointing out that the New York Subway station at Ground Zero has been in operation for years while the tower above it has been constructed.
- Henry Francis - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 1:45 pm:
So the Guv needs some help from the city on this? Wonder if he knows anyone there who owes him a favor? Maybe he will in 2023 - right Bruce?
- One to the Dome - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 2:01 pm:
After reading the Madigan letter, whats the Gov plan about those CTA riders? I guess its time for the Gov and Rahm to split a bottle of wine and work it out.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 2:27 pm:
$300M for a teardown and a site saddled with two El stations — is that reasonable, even in the hot commercial real estate market?
- badabum - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 2:45 pm:
Durkin’s bill reads: “The administrator shall have all power necessary to convey, condemn, and otherwise affect any and all interests in the real property subject to this Section.”
Good idea. Let’s give a Governor unchecked discretion to ignore building and zoning ordinances, tax laws, ethics laws, and the like.
- Ward Heeler - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 3:46 pm:
I had to visit the Thompson Center recently. What a neglected dump!
- Jake Arvey - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 3:58 pm:
Harry (who posted at 11:14 a.m. today) is exactly right. The sale of the Thompson Center will not be simple no matter what the price. Consider just this one fact: the 70,000 or so SF of retail space is master leased to Marc Realty and Winthrop REIT until 2034. Buying that out could be the subject of a lengthy and expensive process, whether it turns out to be negotiated or the state decides it has to condemn the leasehold.
- Not It - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 5:51 pm:
Um, guys, the State of Illinois is supreme to its units of local government.
As a matter of law, the State allows local governments to exist. It doesn’t need zoning permission to build what it wants on the property it owns. The Speaker is just trying to line the pockets of a certain local Alderman who he has a close relationship with.
- Jake Arvey - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 7:00 pm:
Not It, while it s true that the state doesn’t need zoning permission to build what it wants in property it owns, it’s not clear to me that the state can impose any zoning density on its property prior to sale and have that hold up when a non-state entity comes to own it. Can IL say, we hereby declare that our buyer can build 200 stories with an FAR of 60; sell the property to a non-state buyer; and then enforce its ad lib zoning act upon the city when the new owner seeks to build its tower?
- burbanite - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 7:12 pm:
State preemption only applies to what it is authorized to legislate. The State cannot preempt universally over local units of gov’t on all matters.
- Bill Edley - Wednesday, Mar 29, 17 @ 7:48 am:
Perhaps, the hold up is former Gov. Thompson’s demand to have another state building named after him. May I suggest the Springfield Armory across from the State Capitol.