Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar » 2017 » May
SUBSCRIBE to Capitol Fax      Advertise Here      About     Exclusive Subscriber Content     Updated Posts    Contact Rich Miller
CapitolFax.com
To subscribe to Capitol Fax, click here.
Report: Comptroller will freeze warehouse lease payments

Thursday, May 4, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller

* From WCIA’s Statehouse reporter…


Some background is here.

  23 Comments      


Question of the day

Thursday, May 4, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller

* SJ-R

Norb Andy’s Tabarin is closed indefinitely and the building is for lease a little less than a year after the landmark downtown restaurant reopened following a major renovation.

Owner David Ridenour said Thursday that dining traffic had not met expectations, though he said the bar and live music shows did well. Ridenour said he also has had trouble staffing the restaurant in recent weeks, including loss of the chef.

The restaurant and bar at 518 E. Capitol Ave. closed and then reopened briefly before the latest shutdown.

“It’s closed indefinitely. I don’t see it reopening temporarily,” said Ridenhour.

* The Question: Your favorite Norb Andy’s memory from back in the day?

  24 Comments      


Comptroller Mendoza featured in new EMILY’s List video

Thursday, May 4, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller

* This video was played last night at the EMILY’s List annual gala

  15 Comments      


What a crock

Thursday, May 4, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller

* From the Illinois Policy Institute’s “news director”

By definition, fake news ignores the facts. It disregards and/or distorts the truth to deliver a message that is far removed from reality.

I would argue that much of the news coming out of the Illinois Statehouse is fake.

I say “news” but I mean more than that. Much of the conversation surrounding the budget impasse is fake.

News media, lawmakers, public employee unions, gossip peddlers … all are culpable to some extent.

Illinois is on the brink of fiscal insolvency yet the conversation still focuses on the need for Democrats and Republicans to compromise so a budget – any budget – can be passed.

But passing a budget and saving Illinois aren’t the same thing. In fact, passing a bad budget will only worsen the state’s outlook.

Illinois needs massive structural reforms: to pensions, to workers’ compensation, to overly burdensome regulations that have stifled economic growth, to lopsided rules and regulations that overwhelmingly favor state-worker unions to the detriment of taxpayers.

Short of these absolutely necessary reforms, bankruptcy might be the only option.

But no one is talking about that.

Nobody is talking about the bankruptcy option because it’s not allowed under federal law. So, pardon me if we don’t constantly talk about something that can’t currently happen and isn’t under Statehouse control.

* But, yeah, passing a budget will only make things worse. Yep…


Fake news is biased propaganda designed to produce a desired outcome, which is exactly what that column was.

  85 Comments      


*** UPDATED x1 - Rauner responds *** Pritzker wants Rauner to “break his silence” on ACA repeal and replace

Thursday, May 4, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Press release…

Today, House Republicans will vote to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act with the American Health Care Act. This dangerous plan would be a disaster for millions of Americans across the country and here in Illinois.

JB Pritzker released the following statement in response:

“It’s unbelievable that Republicans, who are supposed to represent our families, will vote to take away health care from nearly 24 million Americans today,” said JB Pritzker. “This is exactly what we don’t need, tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires on the backs of Illinois’ working families and those with preexisting conditions. It’s time for Bruce Rauner to break his silence and stand up for the more than one million Illinoisans who will lose their health care. As governor, I will stand up against the Trump-Rauner agenda and fight for all Illinoisans to have access to health care.”

* Greg Hinz asked around yesterday

Gov. Bruce Rauner’s office has said nothing for months about the Washington debate, but insiders say the governor remains concerned about big cuts in Medicaid spending included in the Ryan bill.

* And I’m kinda surprised that nobody has picked up on this Illinois Working Together press release yet…

President Donald Trump’s proposed replacement of the Affordable Care Act would save Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner millions of dollars each year by eliminating a tax provision that funds health insurance for working people under Obamacare.

In 2015, Gov. Rauner paid $6.6 million in the Net Investment Income Tax, a provision created by the Affordable Care Act that applies only to the wealthiest individuals and is a critically important source of funding for the ACA’s health insurance premium subsidies. See here for Gov. Rauner’s 2015 tax return; Net Investment Income Tax is listed on line 62.

The American Health Care Act — TrumpCare — would eliminate the Net Investment Income Tax, simultaneously gutting ACA funding and funneling money to rich individuals like Rauner.

Gov. Rauner also paid $1.8 million in the Net Investment Income Tax in 2014 and $1.9 million in 2013, running his three-year savings to $10.3 million. According to the Joint Committee on Taxation, repealing the Net Investment Income Tax would cost the U.S. Treasury $158 billion over 10 years.

If the Affordable Care Act is repealed, 1.2 million Illinoisans would lose health coverage according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. To date, Rauner has refused to take a position on the Trump-GOP effort to repeal the ACA.

“After supporting Donald Trump in the 2016 Presidential campaign, Gov. Bruce Rauner now stands to save millions if Trump guts health coverage while slashing taxes for the rich,” said Jake Lewis, Campaign Director for Illinois Working Together. “The people of Illinois deserve to know where Gov. Rauner stands: Will he defend the 1.2 million Illinoisans who will lose care if the Affordable Care Act is repealed, or would he rather pocket millions of dollars while hard-working people lose their health care?”

*** UPDATE ***  The governor says he’s “concerned”…

Governor Bruce Rauner has released the following statement regarding the U.S. House of Representatives’ passage of the American Healthcare Act:

“The bill that passed in the U.S. House today continues to be of deep concern to our administration. Recent changes did not address fundamental concerns about the bill’s impact on the 650,000 individuals that are part of our Medicaid expansion population, nor have those changes eased the concerns of the 350,000 people in the individual market who are dealing with skyrocketing premiums and fewer choices. We will continue to voice our concerns as the law moves to the Senate.

“The Affordable Care Act is a seriously flawed law that should be changed. Difficult as the task has proven, we are hopeful that our federal lawmakers will continue to work hard to get this right for the people of Illinois and our nation.”

  69 Comments      


JB Pritzker’s union issues

Thursday, May 4, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Mark Brown

Just six months ago, workers at PECO Pallet in Hegewisch brought out the giant inflatable rat to draw attention to their frustrations in negotiating their first union contract with an ownership group led by billionaire venture capitalist J.B. Pritzker.

On Wednesday, a group of 14 other unions made an exceptionally early leap into the 2018 governor’s race by endorsing the very same Pritzker for the Democratic nomination, lauding him for his commitment to working people.

These are not necessarily conflicting facts, but they do highlight the complications of an ultra-wealthy businessman trying to launch a political career on the Democratic side of the ledger.

For Pritzker, who is trying to build early momentum in the multi-candidate Democratic field with a likely goal of convincing opponent Chris Kennedy to back out, the union support is key to knocking down criticism that he’s just another rich guy.

But it’s just as plain that it’s Pritzker’s vast wealth — and his stated willingness to invest it toward vanquishing Gov. Bruce Rauner and in support of other Democrats — that makes his candidacy so attractive to party leaders working behind the scenes to help launch his campaign.

You really should read the whole thing. The union pickets came down after Pritzker personally intervened, but it’s chock full of other interesting stuff.

* Meanwhile, Amanda Vinicky has some react to yesterday’s union endorsements

Businessman Chris Kennedy’s media team emailed a reaction showing a screenshot of a Google search for “Hyatt hotels union boycott.”

Pritzker is heir to the Hyatt hotel fortune.

A Google search turns up a history of Hyatt hotel labor dispute and worker strikes.

Pritzker does still have an ownership stake in Hyatt though it’s relatively small, and his campaign says he has no management role.

  18 Comments      


*** UPDATED x2 *** Corrections director grilled on why records were moved

Thursday, May 4, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller

* AP

Illinois Senate Democrats say Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration inappropriately spent money to move records from a closed prison to new warehouse space.

Sen. Andy Manar is a Bunker Hill Democrat. He questioned Corrections Department Director John Baldwin during an appropriations committee hearing Wednesday.

Manar says Department of Human Services records had been stored in at least one building on the campus of the former Dwight Correctional Center in Livingston County. But he says those records were moved to a Springfield warehouse the state recently leased for $2.4 million amid a two-year budget stalemate. […]

Manar says he was told the Dwight building needed extensive roof repairs. But there is other vacant state space.

* Finke

“What was occurring at the Dwight facility that would cause these documents to have to be moved out of a state-owned facility to another facility that is leased to a private vendor?” Manar asked.

“I have no idea at all,” Baldwin replied. “I have not heard of that.”

Manar then asked Baldwin if he was aware the documents had been stored at Dwight.

“No,” Baldwin said.

Baldwin acknowledged the department has a number of vacant buildings on its hands, but told Manar he could not vouch for them being suitable for storing paper documents.

*** UPDATE 1 *** From the Department of Corrections…

Hey Rich,

I just wanted to clarify that CMS assumed full financial obligation for the facility in Dwight in 2014 and entered into an agreement with DHS on the DOCs behalf. The agreements between the agencies gave DHS access to several buildings on the grounds so they could store their files. Neither CMS nor DHS were required to notify the Department or the Director about when or why they moved the documents.

Nicole

* And this is from the Department of Human Services…

Hi Rich –

I saw your post about the DHS records being moved. The attached memo details some of the issues at the Dwight facility and illustrates the need for a new location. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Best regards,

Meredith Krantz

The memo is here.

*** UPDATE 2 *** Sen. Andy Manar…

Once again, our committee is left with more questions than when we started. The governor is more than halfway through his term and it’s as if no one knows who’s running what within the Rauner administration.

We’ve asked very simple, straightforward questions now to three different agency directors and the governor’s chief of staff. We have yet to receive a simple, straightforward answer back about why millions of taxpayer dollars are being spent to move and house old state paperwork in a former furniture store when Illinois has several empty buildings available at no cost.

These records were kept at the now vacant state women’s prison in Dwight. If there were maintenance concerns at that site, we would like to know the cost of remedying them because it’s hard to believe it would cost more than the $2.4 million that taxpayers will pay to lease the former furniture store.

Keep in mind, we are in a budget crisis and we are talking about the Rauner administration spending millions to find new homes for old paperwork. We have simple questions we would like answered: Who in the administration is directing this and why is it such a priority?

Bruce Rauner promised management expertise from a proven businessman. Given the mismanagement and confusion we’re witnessing, clearly the taxpayers are not getting what was promised.

  25 Comments      


“I know you are, but what am I?”

Thursday, May 4, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller

* From the Illinois Republican Party…

“Madigan’s spokesman confirmed yesterday what we already knew - Democrat candidates for governor are doing Madigan’s bidding by supporting his tax hike, no reform agenda. Illinois can’t afford to return to the days where governors worked for the Chicago Machine, not Illinois families and taxpayers.” - Illinois Republican Party Spokesman Aaron DeGroot

In a rare moment of honesty, Madigan Spokesman Steve Brown admitted that the the Democrat candidates running for governor - J.B. Pritzker, Chris Kennedy, Daniel Biss, and Ameya Pawar - support Speaker Madigan’s tax hike, no reform agenda to balance Illinois’ budget.

In his interview with the Chicago Tribune, Brown said, “It appears, as near as I can tell, that every one of the candidates pretty much supports (Madigan’s) idea that you need a balanced approach to the state budget… We’ll let the candidates go out and prove themselves.”

And what is Madigan’s “balanced” approach to the state budget?

At the end of 2015, Madigan said income taxes should be hiked by at least 33%.

Additionally, Madigan refuses to consider any reforms to state government as part of a bipartisan budget deal.

Just last month, Madigan’s spokesman telegraphed Madigan’s true sentiments of the Senate’s efforts to pass a balanced budget with job-creating reforms by saying the grand bargain is “a group of bad ideas.”

As expected, the Democrat candidates for governor have been working overtime to “prove” themselves to Speaker Madigan. Watch Madigan’s tax hike puppets betray taxpayers HERE.

* The Tribune story was about Daniel Biss’ suggestion that Madigan was somehow behind those labor union endorsements of JB Pritzker yesterday

Madigan spokesman Steve Brown and Local 150 spokesman Ed Maher said there was no involvement by the speaker.

“The speaker’s not taking a position in the Democratic primary,” Brown said. “It appears, as near as I can tell, that every one of the candidates pretty much supports (Madigan’s) idea that you need a balanced approach to the state budget, which is really the No. 1 issue in the state of Illinois. We’ll let the candidates go out and prove themselves.”

Um, a “balanced approach to the state budget” actually means cuts and new revenues. Gov. Rauner says the same thing all the time. So is he in Madigan’s pocket, too?

  27 Comments      


*** UPDATED x2 *** Rauner’s new ad tries to connect him to start-up lifestyle

Thursday, May 4, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Gov. Rauner’s latest campaign video

* Script…

For the small business owners, the entrepreneurs, the risk-takers and change-agents. There’s no 9-5. Work doesn’t stop and they don’t stop, because they know there’s always more to be done, more to achieve.

Bruce Rauner knows that drive. He made his name leading one of Illinois’ most respected businesses.

But his first job was cooking burgers. His second? Parking cars. In college, he worked in the dining hall to earn extra money.

When he moved back to Chicago to work at a data company, he spent nine months sleeping on a camping mattress, because he didn’t have any furniture.

But this self-made businessman would go on to earn an MBA from Harvard, joining an investment start-up and building a reputation as a business pioneer.

That same spirit now drives his push for real reform in our state, because across Illinois more than one million small businesses are led by creative, driven innovative people from every walk of life. And they need a governor who’s fighting for them.

Working for you and our future. Bruce Rauner.

Thoughts?

*** UPDATE 1 ***  The ILGOP press release puts the video into context…

More than one million small businesses in Illinois are hurting from decades of tax-hikes, burdensome regulations, and corrupt politics in Springfield.

As Governor Rauner cuts the red tape and fights for change to help small businesses, Democratic candidates for Governor shockingly had nothing to say this small business week.

That’s right, J.B. Pritzker, Chris Kennedy, Daniel Biss and Ameya Pawar refused to even acknowledge small business week and the challenges that half of Illinois’ workforce faces.

But Governor Rauner is speaking out.

This week, Rauner toured small businesses across Illinois – pushing for real reform to help small businesses grow. See coverage of the Governor’s tour below.

And this morning, Rauner released a new digital ad highlighting the role small businesses play in Illinois, and how his business background and reform plan is paving the way to deliver change for struggling small businesses.

So, the governor officially declared “Small Business Week,” embarked on an official tour of the state to celebrate it, and then his state party whacks Democratic candidates for not following suit.

*** UPDATE 2 *** Ameya Pawar campaign…

Like Donald Trump, Bruce Rauner ran as a populist but governs as a plutocrat. Bruce Rauner claims he’s fighting for working families but under his leadership,130,000 low-income college students aren’t receiving tuition grants, 47,000 children aren’t receiving affordable child care that allows their parents to go to work, and 80,000 people have lost access to mental health services in Illinois.

Like Donald Trump, Bruce Rauner was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and this video is just another attempt to draw a veil over a life of privilege. Governor Rauner, you might have been “successful” in business, but spare us the theatre, the costume, and the phony accent. Do your job and pass a budget.

* Illinois Working Together Campaign Director Jake Lewis…

Today, Gov. Bruce Rauner visited the Small Business Development Center at Lincoln Land Community College. According to Crain’s Chicago, nearly a quarter of small business centers at Illinois colleges have closed because of the Rauner budget crisis. Colleges with shuttered small business centers include Governors State University, Joliet Junior College, Illinois State University, and Waubonsee Community College in Aurora.

When Governors State University was forced to close its Illinois Small Business Development Center and Illinois SBDC International Trade Center, school officials noted that “the centers have helped more than 6,000 clients create 4,650 new jobs with 190 new business starts and 150 business expansions.”

Other universities have made extensive cuts to their small business centers. Southern Illinois University’s Small Business Center, which was on the brink of closing due to the budget crisis, has cut its staff from 11 to two.

“It is the height of hypocrisy for Gov. Rauner to tout his failed political agenda at a college small business center while the Rauner budget crisis has shuttered similar centers across Illinois. By holding the budget hostage, Gov. Rauner has forced nearly a quarter of college small business centers to close and others to severely cut programming. To actually help small businesses in Illinois grow, Rauner should put people before politics, drop his failed political agenda, and pass a budget.”

  101 Comments      


Nursing home strike averted

Thursday, May 4, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller

* SEIU press release

Nursing home workers have reached a tentative agreement with nursing home owners for a three-year contract, averting the largest nursing home strike in history.

Through this contract, the owners and management teams at the 103 nursing homes of the Illinois Association of Health Care Facilities recognize 10,000 SEIU Healthcare Illinois members as skilled, dedicated, and irreplaceable employees who provide quality care.

Nursing home workers won important improvements, including:

    Significant wage increases. This means nursing home workers will be able to provide for their families while taking care of others.

    Staffing provisions to help reduce turnover and increase the quality of care for residents.

The union had planned another rally early this morning and most of the Democratic gubernatorial candidates were expected to attend.

  35 Comments      


Simple solutions are usually neither

Thursday, May 4, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The Tribune editorial board writes about the latest impasse wrinkle of Mayor Emanuel blocking Gov. Rauner’s bid to sell the Thompson Center

We’re left to presume that Emanuel’s remarks had more to do with his sour relationship with Rauner and “Don’t give the governor a win,” the unofficial motto of Illinois Democrats.

Rauner vetoed an Emanuel-backed, much-needed pension package in March that would have eased the city’s financial crunch, and he hasn’t stormed to rescue Chicago Public Schools from its need for pension relief.

Tit for tat. Rauner needs Emanuel to get the Thompson Center deal done; Emanuel throws up a roadblock. Politics and revenge play into what could be a partnership benefiting all taxpayers.

Here’s an idea: Get city and state lawyers in a room — or better yet, Emanuel and Rauner — and you could have a deal in an afternoon. That would be the mature solution. Instead, petulance all around.

Getting them into a room together for an afternoon would be a good idea. No doubt. People should act like grownups.

But there are far too many other issues out there to be resolved first, and neither man has direct control over all of them.

  14 Comments      


*** LIVE *** Session coverage

Thursday, May 4, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Watch it all in real time right here with ScribbleLive


  1 Comment      


Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)

Thursday, May 4, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller

This post is password protected. To view it please enter your password below:

  Comments Off      


That’s a lot of backbones

Wednesday, May 3, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Gov. Rauner speaking in Springfield this week

“From storefront shops that anchor Main Street to the high tech startups that keep American on the cutting edge, small businesses are the backbone of our economy and the cornerstone or our nation’s promise”

* Last month

Rauner, promoting his pro-business agenda in the speech in Elk Grove Village, called the suburbs “the backbone of Illinois prosperity.”

* Last summer

Rauner said he enjoyed his time at the Du Quoin State Fair, calling the fairgrounds “beautiful.”

“It’s wonderful to support our farm families and agriculture. It’s the backbone of our prosperity,” he said.

* Also from last summer

Governor Bruce Rauner visited Woods Equipment in Oregon on Monday afternoon. He said businesses like Woods are the backbone of the state.

“Manufacturing is the key to our prosperity here in Illinois,” says Rauner.

* May of 2015

Governor Bruce Rauner served as the keynote speaker at the sixth annual DuPage County Regional Business Outlook event held Tuesday at the Drury Lane Conference Center, providing his framework for driving growth and economic development in DuPage County and statewide.

Governor Rauner shared his insight with a gathering of nearly 1,000 of the region’s business and civic leaders, welcoming them as “the backbone of the Illinois economy,” before sharing his vision for the future of the state.

  66 Comments      


Question of the day

Wednesday, May 3, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller

* From the Sun-Times interview of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bob Daiber

As for Illinois House Speaker and Democratic Party of Illinois Chairman Michael Madigan — the state Republican Party’s primo target — Daiber said the speaker was his second call when he decided to run. Daiber said the speaker “heard the rumor” and asked if he was serious. Daiber said Madigan told him to “move forward.”

“He’s not a bad guy. I’m probably the only guy who says that,” Daiber said of Madigan. “I have respect for him.”

* The Question: Suggested Daiber campaign slogans?

  36 Comments      


*** UPDATED x1 - Pawar responds *** Biss implies Pritzker union endorsements were about Speaker Madigan

Wednesday, May 3, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller

* From Biss for Illinois campaign manager, Abby Witt, regarding today’s labor union endorsements of JB Pritzker today…

“The fact that these endorsements were given out to a candidate who is only weeks into his public life, who has no voting record on union issues, but does have a family business with a history of anti-union behavior — and without so much as an endorsement questionnaire or interview — tells you all you need to know about these announcements. While this is the way business is done in Springfield, the working men and women of Illinois deserve better.

“Daniel Biss is never going to be the choice of the billionaires or Mike Madigan because our campaign is building a movement of ordinary people ready to take their state back from money and the machine.”

Like I said earlier today, the gloves are coming off.

*** UPDATE ***  From Sam Hobert of the Pawar campaign…

Ameya Pawar will always be a steadfast supporter of organized labor and collective bargaining rights and his partnership with labor to pass paid sick leave, raise the minimum wage, and combat wage theft are a reflection of his commitment to labor and working people–endorsements or non-endorsements won’t change that.

  65 Comments      


SB 1502 – Bad for Illinois’ Small Business Community

Wednesday, May 3, 2017 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]
 
SB 1502 is a highly complex privacy and transparency regulation that punishes small businesses, companies and organizations alike that have websites or online newsletters to hire lawyers to set up new IT and compliance systems—even in cases where these businesses already offer significant protections and privacy controls.
 
It encourages frivolous lawsuits that hurt Illinois businesses by incentivizing cases that recover fees through class action lawsuits over minor technical violations, putting small businesses and start-ups in the crosshairs of unfair litigation.
 
For more information on why it is necessary to oppose “Right to Know,” read the op-eds in Crain’s Chicago BusinessChicago Sun-Times and The State Journal-Register.

  Comments Off      


State Fair fills last Grandstand slot

Wednesday, May 3, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller

* This would’ve been a great show in the 1990s

The Illinois State Fair filled the last open spot in its Grandstand concert on Wednesday by announcing the addition of Sublime with Rome and Blues Traveler.

The show will be Tuesday, Aug. 15.

Sublime with Rome consists of members of the band Sublime, perhaps best known for its 1990s hit “What I Got,” and singer/guitarist Rome Ramirez. The rock band, which has heavy influences from both hip and reggae, is promoting their latest album “Sirens,” which includes “Wherever You Go” and the title track.

Blues Traveler has been performing since 1987 and covers a variety of genres, including blues, psychedelic, folk and Southern rock. Their hits include “Run-Around” and “Hook.”

The concert joins the rest of the Grandstand lineup headlined by Brad Paisely, John Mellencamp, Pentatonix and more.

So, we get those guys, Foghat, Peter Noone from Herman’s Hermits and Alabama.

Hooray!

  29 Comments      


Administration warned over huge Medicaid revamp

Wednesday, May 3, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller

* From Crain’s

Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza wants Gov. Bruce Rauner to hit the pause button on revamping the Medicaid managed care program.

In a state without a budget for two years, rebidding a program that could potentially award up to $9 billion a year over four years in contracts should have more scrutiny, Mendoza, a Democrat, said in a letter today to the Republican governor. She said the procurement could be the largest in the state’s history.

“We are effectively seeking to restructure the state’s largest budget item without a budget,” Mendoza wrote. “Why are we making this monumental change during this period of unprecedented upheaval?”

Rauner in February announced that he would overhaul the managed care program, a key Medicaid initiative that intends to rein in costs, but one that the governor says hasn’t saved enough money. It’s an unpopular program with doctors and hospitals alike. They complain about its heavy administrative burden.

* SJ-R

In a letter sent to Gov. Bruce Rauner Tuesday – and also released publicly – Mendoza said the proposal calls for a 25 percent increase in Medicaid recipients using managed care while also greatly reducing the number of managed care providers.

“Similar initiatives in other states, advanced without appropriate questions being raised, have been met with unforeseen challenges, including reduced access to service and increased administrative costs,” Mendoza said.

The Democratic comptroller asked Rauner, a Republican with whom she has often been at odds, to delay implementation of the contract to give lawmakers and others more time to review the proposal. She is also asking legislative leaders to set up a forum for further discussion of the plan. […]

“The managed care reboot will improve healthcare delivery through a transparent process that was designed with significant stakeholder input to ensure integrity, competition and sustainable program costs for Illinois,” DHFS spokesman John Hoffman said in a statement.

* A lot could be at stake

The board chairman of one of the largest private Medicaid health plans in Illinois fears the Rauner administration is locking the nonprofit out of a lucrative state contract.

If so, the health plan, Chicago-based Family Health Network, likely will dissolve, forcing its more than 200,000 members to find health insurance and doctors alike elsewhere, said Jose Sanchez. He’s board chairman of the plan, known as FHN, and CEO of Norwegian American Hospital, one of five hospitals that founded the plan 22 years ago.

A group of state lawmakers is taking it one step further, suggesting in a letter to Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner that the hospitals would close without revenue generated from the health plan. Many of the facilities are anchors of impoverished neighborhoods.

“The healthcare delivery infrastructure for Latino and African-American communities are in grave danger of collapse,” the lawmakers wrote in the March 28 letter to Rauner.

The reason those hospitals could close is that they depend on the revenues from their stake in FHN to remain viable.

* A group of legislators held a press conference today to blast the plan and demand that it be delayed. They also warned that some safety net hospitals will close.

Their signage was more partisan than the presser, however…


  21 Comments      


Pritzker releases new video ahead of union event

Wednesday, May 3, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Press release…

In anticipation of today’s event with working families at the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 399 in Chicago, the Pritzker campaign released the following video to share why members of the labor movement are standing with JB.

The event, of course, is Pritzker’s endorsement by several trade unions.

* Rate it

  22 Comments      


A problem few know about

Wednesday, May 3, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The Southern

Illinois ranks eighth in the nation in the number of cases of human trafficking, which includes many child victims. Yet, an overwhelming majority of Illinois citizens are uninformed about this important human rights issue, according to the results of the latest poll from Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Paul Simon Public Policy Institute.

The poll provided voters the definition of human trafficking from the Trafficking Victims Protection Act as the act of recruiting, harboring, moving or obtaining a person, by force, fraud or coercion, for the purposes of involuntary servitude, debt bondage or sexual exploitation. This definition was provided to inform voters on the issue and remove potential bias.

The poll was taken March 4 to March 11. The sample included 1,000 randomly selected registered voters and the margin for error was plus or minus 3.1 percentage points. Sixty percent of the interviews were with respondents on cell phones.

More than half, 51 percent, of voters surveyed disagree or strongly disagree that sex trafficking affects their area, with 28 percent reporting that it does. One in five voters, 21 percent, did not know or refused to answer.

The full poll, along with some crosstabs can be read by clicking here.

  15 Comments      


Homebuilding contractors warn against service tax proposal

Wednesday, May 3, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller

* SJ-R

An organization representing homebuilding contractors said Tuesday that a proposal in the Illinois Senate’s “grand bargain” that would apply the sales tax to home repairs, among other services, would cost the state hundreds of jobs.

The sponsor of the legislation, however, said extension of the tax to certain services is necessary to get the state out of its financial hole.

The bill would apply a 6.25 percent sales tax to home repairs, landscaping, dry cleaning and the use of storage units.

According to the Home Builders Association of Illinois, imposition of the tax would discourage home owners from having work done, causing a $47 million decline in home repair and maintenance work, 521 fewer Illinois jobs and nearly $8 million less in local and state tax revenue.

We need every, single job we can get in this state and I don’t want to seem harsh or dismissive, but the lack of a fully funded state budget has cost Illinois a whole lot more than 521 jobs - if, indeed, those home repair jobs will actually disappear. That’s a pretty darned precise estimate.

Again, when you lose your own job the unemployment rate is 100 percent. I’ve been there. I don’t wish that desperation on anybody. But something has got to give here and it would be helpful if the Home Builders Association could come up with their own ideas.

  50 Comments      


DCFS director could be leaving as yet another tragedy unfolds

Wednesday, May 3, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The Tribune reports that DCFS Director George Sheldon may be leaving for a job in Florida

The change of leadership would be another blow to DCFS, which had seven directors or acting directors in the three years before Gov. Bruce Rauner appointed Sheldon in February 2015.

The Tribune has also learned that in recent months that Sheldon fell under a cloud of ethics probes by DCFS Inspector General Denise Kane and Illinois Executive Inspector General Margaret Hickey. Kane’s office has investigated allegations of favoritism in contracts and hiring, as well as abuse of authority by a top aide, according to government documents and interviews.

Separately, Sheldon faced pushback from veteran agency investigators who say they are pressured to quickly close abuse and neglect cases even when children face serious harm.

The agency last week was roiled by the death of 16-month-old Semaj Crosby in Joliet. DCFS opened and closed four investigations into alleged abuse in her home and had visited just hours before she was reported missing. She was later found dead under a couch in the home.

The revelation that veteran investigators are complaining about pressure to quickly close abuse cases couldn’t come at a worse time, as the Tribune notes.

* Herald-News

Semaj’s family told police she’d been playing with other children in the front yard Tuesday afternoon when she disappeared and they spent an hour looking for her before calling police. Semaj’s mother, Sheri Gordon, was questioned twice by investigators and consulted with a lawyer before allowing police to search the house late Wednesday. […]

A representative of the Department of Children and Family Services was at the house about an hour before Semaj went missing. The agency opened two investigations of Gordon for allegations of neglect last month. DCFS spokeswoman Veronica Resa stated in an email that DCFS personnel had been at the home about 3:20 p.m. Tuesday “and had seen all three of the mother’s children, including Semaj. There were no obvious hazards or safety concerns at that time.”

But sheriff’s police described the house’s condition as “deplorable,” with garbage strewn throughout. The residence was tagged Thursday as unfit for occupancy.

Including Gordon, her two sons and Semaj, five to 15 people were regularly living in the house as “squatters,” according to sheriff’s police.

Emphasis added for obvious reasons.

* ABC 7

An Illinois judge is demanding to know what did state child care workers do to help the family of a 1-year-old girl who was found dead in their home.

Will County Circuit Judge Paula Gomora made the request Tuesday during a hearing to determine where to place the deceased girl’s three older brothers. […]

During the hearing, Gomora said Department of Children and Family Services caseworkers missed obvious signs of trouble in previous visits to the home.

DCFS contracted with the private child welfare agency Children’s Home and Aid to provide services to the family. Both DCFS and Children’s Home and Aid declined to comment Tuesday.

* Sun-Times

Officials released photos on Monday giving a glimpse inside the now-condemned home in far southwest suburban Joliet Township where 16-month-old Semaj Crosby was found dead last week. […]

As police conduct a “suspicious death” investigation, the newly released photos and reports provided by the Will County Land Use Department in response to a Freedom of Information Act request by the Chicago Sun-Times appear to back up the “deplorable” conditions inside the home that authorities described last week. […]

“The entire structure appeared unsanitary because of the heavily soiled carpets, walls, garbage and [it] contains a serious degree of filth,” an inspector noted in her report.

One of the photos

* But DCFS isn’t the only agency that didn’t take action

Will County Sheriff’s deputies encountered little Semaj Crosby on Easter Sunday when they did a well-being check.

The department said on its Facebook page that three deputies went to a Joliet Township residence April 16 after someone made an “abandoned” call to 9-1-1.

“When they arrived at the home they came across some kids outside playing with sticks,” the Facebook post said. “They went inside and spoke to the mom and grandmother and found that everything was fine.”

* But Director Sheldon told a Senate committee this morning that he has reviewed the case and didn’t find anything wrong…


* And…


Interesting.

* Back to today’s Tribune report about the possibility that the director is leaving

“There are two things that make this a particularly difficult job right now,” [ACLU of Illinois legal director Ben Wolf] added. “The agency’s problems are very profound … and the budget impasse and political paralysis that caused it are putting enormous pressure on the child welfare system and all of the other human services in Illinois.”

Governor, we need a budget.

  39 Comments      


Local 150, other trade unions to endorse Pritzker today

Wednesday, May 3, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Politico

SCOOPLET — As we first reported Monday, J.B. Pritzker today will hold a news conference touting an endorsement from a series of trade unions. POLITICO has the first glimpse of a full list of the 14 groups backing him early in the game. Here they are: Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters, The Chicago District Council of Laborers’, Local 881 UFCW, Boilermakers Local 1, Bricklayers District Council, International Union of Elevator Constructors Local 2, Heat and Frost Insulators Local 17, Ironworkers Chicago District Council & Vicinity, Operating Engineers Local 150, Operating Engineers Local 399, Plasterers and Cement Masons Local 502, UA Plumbers Local 130, Roofers and Waterproofers Local 11, Sheet Metal Workers Local 73.

That’s no scooplet. As I told subscribers this morning, Local 150 of the Operating Engineers is a huge get for Pritzker. That local is the de facto leader of this state’s construction trade unions. It is heavily involved in Illinois politics and has plenty of money to play with.

And Kennedy’s helming of the Wolf Point construction project, done in conjunction with organized labor, should’ve given him a much better foothold with all those trade unions that are now backing Pritzker.

Big win for Pritzker, big loss for Kennedy.

* Meanwhile, Sen. Daniel Biss responded to JB Pritzker’s new TV ad last night at 7:41…

“His tag line should be ‘I can write big checks.’ Bragging about how you threw money at problems is not thinking big; it’s thinking like a billionaire. And it’s not a case for being a good governor. We already learned our lesson on this front with failed experiment Bruce Rauner.

“While JB Pritzker and Chris Kennedy are copying plays from the Bruce Rauner billionaire’s playbook, Daniel Biss is fighting for legislation today that would change the way campaigns are financed in this state — because, the fundamental problem in Springfield is that our government has been answering to the very rich, under both parties.

“The answer to Illinois’s problems isn’t going to come from billionaires or machine politicians. They’re the people at the root of our problems. It’s going to come from a movement of people ready to take their state back from money and the machine.”

The gloves are really coming off early.

* And Bob Daiber sat for a couple of interviews

Daiber says “people in Springfield” know he “knows the game.” He calls himself the “poor guy in the room.”

“I’m the guy that most people wish would go away, but it’s not going to happen,” Daiber said.

Daiber might lack the popularity and Camelot mystique of Kennedy, but he’s banking on his name recognition in Downstate Illinois to help him in the race — despite having a bit more than $37,000 on hand at the end of March. Daiber knows he’s up against millions in the race, but he says he’s making plans for the next few months and focusing on the issues. Among his plans is a June meeting with the AFL-CIO to try to gain its endorsement. He also plans to unveil detailed tax structure plans — in January.

“I stay focused on the issues. I look at the support that comes. The money will follow me,” Daiber said. “And that’s how I plan to stay in the race.”

I doubt if he’s known Downstate anywhere beyond Madison County. And considering the trade unions’ endorsement of Pritzker, he probably shouldn’t count on the Illinois AFL-CIO unless Pritzker stumbles really badly. And I do mean badly.

* Another

Q: Rauner has waged war on Democrats, saying they’re just interested in raising taxes and he’s guarding against it.

A: I think $1 billion of unpaid bills is pretty much evidence his plan isn’t working very well. His deficit has almost tripled since he’s been in office … The average person is saying: look, if you got to raise taxes, raise taxes. Let’s just get on with it and get a budget … Saying you’re a tax and spend Democrat? How about a tax and stabilize Democrat? Just to bring stability to the state. Let’s look at a progressive income tax system.”

I sure hope that $1 billion thing is a typo. It’s a whole lot more than that.

  73 Comments      


Another day, another complication as Emanuel bricks Thompson Center sale

Wednesday, May 3, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller

* DNAInfo

Mayor Rahm Emanuel acknowledged Tuesday he was blocking the sale of the Thompson Center in the heart of the Loop until he’s certain that Chicago taxpayers won’t get “stuck with the tab” for rebuilding the massive CTA station underneath the state building.

“I’m not going to stick that tab on Chicago taxpayers,” Emanuel said at an unrelated event to tout park and library improvements in Bronzeville. “Why would I do that to Chicago taxpayers?”

The sale of the center is contingent on the City Council changing the rules that will dictate the size of the building that will eventually replace the the three-decade-old state office building at 100 W. Randolph St.

Eleni Demertzis, a spokeswoman for Gov. Bruce Rauner, responded by saying said Emanuel was “trying to distract from the real issue — which is the city being greedy and trying to extort the state taxpayers for more money than what the property is worth.”

* Maybe so, but there’s also this

“I am not going to let the state have a short term, book a couple hundred million and then stick the Chicago taxpayers with [a bill for] $100 million. How about paying the teachers’ pensions?” Emanuel asked.

Call me crazy, but I kinda think that if Gov. Rauner wasn’t holding up progress on appropriating $215 million for Chicago teacher pensions and hadn’t vetoed another city pension bill that this sale might be going more smoothly.

And for the governor’s office to complain when somebody else holds something hostage that Rauner wants is a bit rich.

But, man, it’s like everybody is in the room throwing roundhouse punches at each other these days.

* Sun-Times

The mayor noted the Thompson Center station is “one of the busiest stations in the entire network of 140-plus L stations.” That begs the question: “If you sell it and it has to come down, who builds it and who takes the cost?”

“I’m not gonna stick that on Chicago taxpayers. The developer or the state has to do it,” the mayor said.

“I’m not gonna have a short-term gain [and a long-term loss] when you have one of the most important stations and the reason that property is so valuable [being demolished]. Yes, the state gets to book the money when they sell. But, who’s gonna build or rebuild that station? I’m responsible to make sure that tab is not on the Chicago taxpayers.”

A significant part of the value of the Thompson Center site is that incredibly busy station underneath. You gotta figure the new owners would want to keep that station intact.

* Not to mention that the city would get a bunch of money from the sale

“If we maximize the development in the way that we’ve conceived of at 3 million square feet, it could be over $40 million a year in additional property tax revenue for the city,” Hoffman added.

Again, this is likely a lot more about CPS funding than it is about the CTA.

  33 Comments      


*** UPDATED x1 - Raw audio *** “Targeted” CPD officers shot with a high-powered rifle

Wednesday, May 3, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Tribune

Chicago police were questioning three people and were searching for others after two plainclothes officers were wounded Tuesday night in the Back of the Yards when gunmen began firing “indiscriminately” at them, authorities said.

Both Deering District officers were shot by a “high-powered weapon,” police said. One officer was hit in the arm and hip, the other in the back.

They were taken to Stroger Hospital, where they were in serious condition but stable. Officials said their injuries were not life-threatening.

The officers were sitting in an unmarked car in the 4300 block of South Ashland Avenue around 9 p.m., following up an earlier investigation, when they saw someone in a silver van shooting at another vehicle, according to preliminary information from police.

“The occupants began firing shots indiscriminately in the direction of the officers,” the Police Department said in a statement. “The officers returned fire.” It is not believed they hit anyone.

* NBC 5

Chicago Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said both officers “were targeted” and “there are high security concerns” for both men.

* Sun-Times

Multiple security cameras are in place around the intersection where the shooting occurred, near 43rd Street and Ashland Avenue. […]

Multiple weapons were recovered in the area, as well as a vehicle possibly used in the shooting, Johnson said. […]

The vehicle the officers were in was “riddled with bullets” from what police believe was a high powered rifle, he added. […]

Hundreds of officers from across the city had swarmed the area in the hours after the shooting. Dozens more congregated at the hospital. Mayor Rahm Emanuel visited the officers and their families before leaving about 10:35 p.m.

*** UPDATE ***  The CPD dispatch audio is horrifying

  18 Comments      


*** LIVE *** Session coverage

Wednesday, May 3, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller

Follow all the action (or inaction) in real time right here with ScribbleLive


  1 Comment      


Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)

Wednesday, May 3, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller

This post is password protected. To view it please enter your password below:

  Comments Off      


« NEWER POSTS PREVIOUS POSTS »
* Selected react to budget reconciliation bill passage (Updated x3)
* Reader comments closed for Independence Day
* SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Some fiscal news
* Isabel’s afternoon roundup (Updated)
* RETAIL: Strengthening Communities Across Illinois
* Groups warn about plan that doesn't appear to be in the works
* SB 328: Separating Lies From Truth
* Campaign news: Big Raja money; Benton over-shares; Rashid's large cash pile; Jeffries to speak at IDCCA brunch
* Rep. Hoan Huynh jumps into packed race for Schakowsky’s seat (Updated)
* Roundup: Pritzker taps Christian Mitchell for LG
* Open thread
* Isabel’s morning briefing
* SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition (Updated)
* SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today's edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
* Selected press releases (Live updates)
* Live coverage
* Trump admin freezes $240 million in grants for Illinois K-12 schools
* Yesterday's stories

Support CapitolFax.com
Visit our advertisers...

...............

...............

...............

...............

...............


Loading


Main Menu
Home
Illinois
YouTube
Pundit rankings
Obama
Subscriber Content
Durbin
Burris
Blagojevich Trial
Advertising
Updated Posts
Polls

Archives
July 2025
June 2025
May 2025
April 2025
March 2025
February 2025
January 2025
December 2024
November 2024
October 2024
September 2024
August 2024
July 2024
June 2024
May 2024
April 2024
March 2024
February 2024
January 2024
December 2023
November 2023
October 2023
September 2023
August 2023
July 2023
June 2023
May 2023
April 2023
March 2023
February 2023
January 2023
December 2022
November 2022
October 2022
September 2022
August 2022
July 2022
June 2022
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
February 2022
January 2022
December 2021
November 2021
October 2021
September 2021
August 2021
July 2021
June 2021
May 2021
April 2021
March 2021
February 2021
January 2021
December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
June 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
April 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005
December 2004
November 2004
October 2004

Blog*Spot Archives
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005

Syndication

RSS Feed 2.0
Comments RSS 2.0




Hosted by MCS SUBSCRIBE to Capitol Fax Advertise Here Mobile Version Contact Rich Miller