Politico reported yesterday, “There’s mounting evidence” that “powerful forces within the Democratic establishment” are steering political support to get behind billionaire J.B. Pritzker.
In 1960, party insiders tried to push my uncle John Kennedy out of the race for president, but he took his message directly to the primary voters.
The thing about history is, if you don’t learn from it, you are doomed to repeat it. If a group of political insiders think that they can bypass the voters and select a nominee, they have learned the wrong lessons from 1960 and from last year’s presidential primary too.
I am going to take our message of radical change to the voters in Illinois.
Insiders don’t want to hear the truth and they don’t like me because I’m the one telling it. They want to silence us because we threaten the status quo. But that’s not going to stop me from working to bring change to a system that hasn’t been helping families and residents across Illinois for a long time — and I hope it won’t stop you either.
We need a government that works for the people of this state: a property tax system that can’t be abused by the wealthy and insiders, fair funding for our public schools, expanded voter access to include more people in our political process, and comprehensive tax reform that includes a progressive income tax.
Please contribute today to help spread our message of radical change across the state — and show the political insiders that we won’t be intimidated or silenced.
The people of Illinois are angry about the current state of our politics, our government, our economy, and our leaders. For many, the politics of the establishment, the economy of the establishment, and the representatives of the establishment have become the enemy.
Our current leaders have a choice: they can bury their heads in the sand — or they can embrace the change needed to rebuild the future of our state and renew the promise of the American Dream.
I know where I stand, and I’m grateful you’re with me.
Thank you,
Chris
The insiders don’t want Kennedy out of the race because of his ideas or because he threatens the status quo. At least not yet, anyway (although that line about insiders abusing the property tax system is starting to come close). They want Kennedy out because dey want dat guy over by dere with the bottomless checkbook.
There’s mounting evidence that powerful Democratic players in the state — from House Speaker Michael Madigan to Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel — are steering unions, interest groups or politicians to throw their support behind billionaire J.B. Pritzker, the brother of former U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker.
The subject isn’t discussed in public. Kennedy’s campaign says he hasn’t explicitly been asked to get out, and officials in various state and county party groups insist they will remain neutral in the primary contest.
But there’s no mistaking the political calculus at work. For all the nostalgia and political romance wrapped up in the Kennedy name, J.B. Pritzker has pledged to bankroll his own campaign against Bruce Rauner, the wealthy Republican governor with whom Illinois Democrats are engaged in an all-out war. Since 2014, Rauner and billionaire ally Ken Griffin have poured millions of dollars into winning the governor’s mansion and cutting into the Democratic majority in the state legislature. In December, Rauner deposited $50 million into his own reelection account.
“I get it. A lot of the politicians are looking at the Rauner model, saying: ‘We want that. We want the guy with unlimited resources,’” said Bill Daley, the former chief of staff to President Barack Obama who is supporting Kennedy. “It’s an automatic, instant pot of gold. It’s understandable from a raw, crass political standpoint. I’m not sure that it works in the long term.”
Maybe, maybe not. I’m not sure I’d rely on Bill Daley for political advice these days, either.
The Kennedys are used to burying opponents under an avalanche of money and making light of it afterward.
Consider the laughs 1960 presidential candidate John F. Kennedy generated when he responded to accusations by his rivals that he was trying to buy his party’s presidential nomination. “I have just received the following telegram from my generous father. ‘Dear Jack: Don’t buy a single vote more than is necessary. I’m not going to pay for a landslide,’” JFK joked.
He was, of course, referring to family patriarch Joseph P. Kennedy, who built the family’s mammoth fortune through astute stock market investments and forays in the banking, movie, real estate and liquor businesses.
So it’s more than ironic that Chris Kennedy, the son of the late U.S. Sen. Robert Kennedy and former chairman of the University of Illinois Board of Trustees, finds himself on the outside looking in at the party establishment.
Since necessity is the mother of invention, he’s rebranding himself as an underdog who won’t be pushed around by the big dogs.
Yep, but, like Jim writes, it’s absolutely necessary. Kennedy has to get out of that old mindset. Whether he truly can or not remains to be seen.
* Ever since Mayor Emanuel said he would figure out how to keep classrooms open for the fullly scheduled school year, legislators have been privately predicting that he would dump the whole thing on their heads and then shift the blame blame to them for the resulting crisis…
Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Monday offered no clues on how he will attempt to come up with the cash locally to fund Chicago Public Schools, saying he will spend the next few weeks trying to pry education money out of Springfield.
Emanuel’s comments were the latest example of his administration trying to keep the focus for CPS’ financial problems on Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and state lawmakers. […]
“Today’s May 15th. The state of Illinois has two weeks till the end of the (legislative) session,” Emanuel said while standing in a room festooned with images of famous children’s book characters like the Cat in the Hat at the newly opened American Writers Museum downtown.
“My entire focus is making the best use of the time, in the remaining two weeks, that Springfield fulfills their obligation to the children of the state of Illinois and, therefore, the children of the city of Chicago, that the children of Chicago are not treated like second-class citizens,” he added.
He’s no Richard Daley, meaning he can’t just clap his hands and make things happen. He doesn’t have that sort of sway over legislators. But he does have a powerful bully pulpit and - like Gov. Rauner, Speaker Madigan and others - he has no qualms whatsoever about shifting blame.
* I’m not a fan of holding press conferences in front of candidates’ homes, but such is life I suppose…
“It’s one set of rules for people like J.B. Pritzker, and another set of rules for the rest of us. J.B. Pritzker is a typical Chicago politician who engages in a con game to benefit himself at the expense of Chicago schoolchildren.” – Former ILGOP Chairman Pat Brady
Today, former ILGOP Chairman Pat Brady held a press conference at J.B. Pritzker’s “uninhabitable” mansion in Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood to highlight Pritzker’s property tax scam.
This weekend, the Chicago Sun-Times ran a front-page story detailing how Pritzker is abusing vacancy laws to slash his property tax bill. The billionaire has gotten nearly a quarter million dollars back in property tax breaks and refunds, taking money from Chicago Public Schools and other city services by claiming that a $3.7 million Chicago mansion is “uninhabitable”.
But interior photos from when Pritzker bought the $3.7 million mansion show a luxurious home that is far from uninhabitable.
Click here to see the pics, which were taken in 2007 when Pritzker bought the place. That used to be one seriously nice abode until Pritzker deliberately gutted it and then let it go to seed.
* The Pritzker campaign responded…
Today, the Illinois GOP held a press conference in front of JB Pritzker’s home, in an attempt to highlight the fact that JB appealed his property taxes.
Given that Governor Rauner has failed to pass a budget for two and half years and has few successes to point to in office perhaps they think it a good use of their time to bring attention to a process used by over 50,000 Cook County residents yearly, including Governor Rauner himself.
A memo leaked today revealed how far Rauner and the GOP are willing to go to distract attention from his failures as Governor:
Press conferences at condos Rauner owns at 340 E. Randolph St where his property taxes were appealed 6 times.
Drive by visits to multiple parking spaces Rauner owns at 340 E. Randolph where his property taxes were appealed 16 times.
Meet and greets with the 50,000+ Cook County residents who appeal their property taxes yearly.
HOLD INDEFINITELY: Press conference celebrating the passage of a budget or social service agencies thriving under Governor Rauner’s leadership.
As we’ve discussed before, Rauner’s condo association made those appeals, not Rauner himself.
* But, wait. There’s more. From a rival campaign…
To mitigate the damage from the property tax story, JB’s campaign said:
It’s worth noting that unlike his neighbors and many residents of Cook county (including Bruce Rauner), JB’s 2015 appeal is the only time he has appealed his taxes since he bought the property in 2006.
· Chris Kennedy has also appealed his property tax assessment for his Kenilworth home to the Board of Review and the Board ruled in his favor. (158 Melrose Avenue)
· In 2012, 2014, and 2015, Rauner appealed his assessment for his Randolph Street Penthouse. (340 E. Randolph Street, 61-PHE)
· In 2012, 2014, and 2015, Rauner appealed his assessment for his Randolph Street condo. (340 E. Randolph Street, #4103)
· In 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015, Rauner also appealed his assessment for three parking spots (Space P1-28, Space P2-30, Space P2-36)
The problem with that is that Pritzker’s Astor Street LLC which owned the side-by-side mansions also owns a condo and parking spot a block away at 1445 N. State (see links and attachments from Cook County Property Info - show ownership by Astor Street LLC, with a mailing address of Pritzker’s office at 111 S Wacker #4000)
Recorder of Deeds records show that Astor Street purchased the condo & parking spot for $385,000 in December 2006.
Assessor and Board of Review records (attached) show that the taxes for the condo and parking spot were appealed in 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, and 2016.
Therefore, they are being dishonest by bringing up Rauner’s appeals of his condos and parking spots when JB has done it just as often.
In fact, unlike Rauner, who didn’t get reductions, the Assessor and Board of Review reduced the Assessment for Pritzker’s Condo and parking space multiple times.
The Assessor reduced the taxes in 2012 and 2015. The Board of Review reduced the taxes in 2009, 2012, 2015, and 2016.
Even if the appeals were carried out by the Condo Assn - that’s what happened in Rauner’s case, and JB used that as the basis to attack him for this.
Ouch.
* In response, the Pritzker campaign released this statement…
It seems that Bruce Rauner and JB Pritzker were two of the over 50,000 Cook County residents who appeal their property taxes each year.
And, just as an FYI, that raw oppo I posted wasn’t from Team Rauner.
* Ted Slowik followed Gov. Rauner around Homewood-Flossmoor High School for an hour on Friday afternoon and finally got to ask him a question…
“One question, governor,” I said. Rauner turned and looked at me for a moment.
Then an aide interjected and said Rauner wasn’t taking questions.
“Please,” I said, “just one question as we’re walking.” We were on a sidewalk outside the North Building and it was a good 100 feet or so to the parking lot.
The governor turned away, but I went ahead and asked about something Rauner told students moments earlier about increasing education funding by $700 million.
The governor’s Twitter account also claimed, in a Tweet published at 11 a.m. Friday, “We’ve increased state support for K-12 education by $700 million, setting new records for funding levels.”
I thought the claims were disingenuous, seeing as how the state owes more than $1 billion to public schools as part of the massive backlog in unpaid bills due to the budget impasse. […]
“How can you claim credit for increasing education funding by $700 million when the state owes more than a billion dollars to schools?” I asked Rauner.
The governor continued walking as I followed behind.
“No response?” I said to the back of the governor’s head.
Nanton was among a group of activists announcing they will march from Chicago to Springfield, 200 miles over 15 days, to demand a “People and Planet First Budget.” […]
Her coalition, Fair Economy Illinois, composed of immigrants, veterans, people of color, students and churchgoers aged 23 to 90, wants to eliminate corporate tax loopholes, install a transaction tax on La Salle Street trades, and ask wealthy folks to pay more. Those strategies could raise, they say, $23 billion in new dollars and end Illinois’ stultifying budget crisis.
It’s a welcome tactic. The marchers will hit town hall meetings, listening sessions, dinners and sleepovers, reaching out to suburban and rural residents to tout a budget “that puts people and planet ahead of corporations and billionaires,” says their press release.
Nanton, 30, declared she will march for “hope.”
“Young people in my community don’t have to be dying,” she exhorted. “Kids should be able to come home or be at after school programs, practicing an instrument that they love because we have fully funded music programs, instead of picking up a gun because they have no hope,” she shouted as her fellow activists urged “Amen.”
* And the marchers aren’t just focusing on Gov. Rauner…
Rauner the focus of protesters' ire, but Mike Madigan not spared. "He's been screwing us over for 47 years!" says one of the speakers pic.twitter.com/GOMgNwEGuM
A tax on La Salle Street trades is something that’s been pushed for a while by the Chicago Teachers Union, among others. It’s a way of avoiding taxpayer ire by focusing on someone else - a wealthy someone else. But it’s just more magical fairy dust, like saying you’ll cut unspecified “waste and abuse” to balance the budget. And neither is a graduated income tax as long as there aren’t super majorities in both legislative chambers in favor of it.
* From the Illinois Policy Institute’s news service…
The Illinois State Board of Elections could determine Monday what sanctions it will impose on Auditor General Frank Mautino’s campaign fund from his time as a state lawmaker.
A year ago, the board ordered Mautino’s campaign to clarify tens of thousands of dollars in spending at Spring Valley bank and a service station in his district. Mautino has taken no action on that order and has exercised his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination.
Last month, it was formally determined at a hearing that Mautino was in violation of the board’s order. The hearing officer has since recommended the elections board fine the Mautino camp for failure to amend campaign reports.
* Mautino’s campaign fund is closed and he can’t re-open it without violating state law, which prohibits the auditor general from doing any campaign stuff…
For starters, any fines approved by the election board wouldn’t be paid by Mautino personally, but by his campaign committee. Further, Mautino’s campaign committee won’t pay any fines because it was closed Dec. 31, 2015, and no longer exists.
Auditor General Frank Mautino needs to be fired by the same people who hired him, Rep. Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton) told the House on Thursday.
“Make no mistake about this: Our auditor general should be removed from by this body,” Ives said. “This body put him into the office and only can this body, with the Senate, take him out of office, and it is our duty to do so at this point.”
Ives demanded the passage of House Joint Resolution, which calls for Mautino’s ouster following controversies regarding discrepancies in his campaign spending. […]
“Specifically, [Mautino] willfully violated the board’s May 18, 2016, order vis-à-vis failing to amend disclosure reports filed in 2014 and 2015 to one, reflect an accurate breakdown between gas and repair made to his account; two, identify the actual recipients of itemized expenditures; and three, identify the specific purpose for the expenditures,” Ives said.
* And this is from the Illinois Policy Institute’s radio network…
State Sen. Laura Murphy, D-Des Plaines, who upon taking office called for Mautino to resign, has since changed her tune.
“The only evidence that the state board of elections found was failure to file an amendment timely, that is not an egregious violation,” Murphy said. […]
Murphy said if federal investigators had something, they’d act.
“If it is a significant crime and if they have evidence, [the feds] move right away, she said. “If there is nothing, then the process seems to be slowed down.
…Adding… Actually, if you click here, you’ll see that Sen. Murphy didn’t call on Mautino to resign, she said he should take a leave of absence during the probe.
…Adding More… Greg Bishop sent me the audio and Sen. Murphy did, indeed, say to him that she had wanted Mautino to “step down.”
Americans for Prosperity-Illinois (AFP-IL) recently launched the “Freeze the Tax” multimedia effort to urge Springfield lawmakers to pass a permanent property tax freeze, legislation AFP-IL has championed for several years. Illinois homeowners already suffer under some of the highest property taxes in the nation, yet property taxes continue to rise at a faster rate than home values and income. “Freeze the Tax” features a web video, digital ad buys, and a direct mail campaign in addition to grassroots activity.
“With negotiations in the General Assembly ongoing and only three weeks remaining in the Legislature’s Spring Session, now is the time for our elected officials to finally resolve this important issue,” stated AFP-IL State Director Andrew Nelms. “We know, both anecdotally and through polling, that Illinois residents overwhelmingly support a long-term property tax freeze. We also know Illinoisans pay more, much more, in property taxes than residents of other states. Yet, the Legislature has failed to get the job done. So we’re sending them a simple message loud and clear – enough is enough, freeze property taxes now!”
Digital ad buys and direct mail target districts of the following elected officials:
Senators: Sen. Scott Bennett (Champaign), Sen. Melinda Bush (Grayslake), Sen. Cristina Castro (Elgin), Sen. Thomas Cullerton (Villa Park), Sen. William Haine (Alton), Sen. Linda Holmes (Aurora), Sen. Julie Morrison (Deerfield), and Sen. Laura Murphy (Elk Grove Village).
Representatives: Rep. Daniel Beiser (Alton), Rep. Deb Conroy (Villa Park), Rep. Fred Crespo (Streamwood), Rep. Stephanie Kifowit (Aurora), Rep. Anna Moeller (Elgin), Rep. Martin Moylan (Des Plaines), Rep. Michelle Mussman (Schaumburg), Rep. Carol Sente (Vernon Hills), Rep. Katie Stuart (Collinsville), and Rep. Sam Yingling (Round Lake Beach).
“Illinois homeowners pay some of the highest property taxes in the nation and property taxes keep going up, faster than our home values and family incomes. For far too long, Springfield has failed to provide any relief. It’s time to give homeowners a break. Tell Springfield to pass a permanent property tax freeze. Take action at FreezeTheTax.com.”
Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan says she’s seeking a fifth term next year.
Madigan recently revealed her 2018 plans during an unrelated news conference in Chicago. The Democrat is already the longest-serving attorney general in the state’s history.
Madigan, now 50, has passed on a series of potential opportunities and once again will be staying put. And with that a central question resurfaces: perhaps the very thing that helped her first win election — being the daughter of veteran House Speaker Michael Madigan, who’s also the state Democratic chairman — is what’s now weighing down her political ambitions. […]
Rauner’s attacks also have carried over to include Lisa Madigan. In March, he contended she was “clearly part of a coordinated activity, coordinated pattern” with the speaker to shut down government by seeking a court order to stop state worker paychecks amid the budget stalemate.
The Rauner-subsidized state Republican Party also released an Internet ad contending the attorney general’s actions over state paychecks were designed to help her father raise taxes and “protect their power.” The attorney general’s office responded at the time by saying the governor “needs to stop the baseless finger-pointing and do his job.” […]
“Admittedly, I’m pretty close to Speaker Madigan and on his leadership team, so I would say the answer to that question (of whether the brand is tarnished) is no,” said [Rep. Lou Lang], a Skokie Democrat.
Well, of course Lou would say that.
But, then again, I waited all morning for a snarky ILGOP press release and never did see one. I suppose they have plenty of time, however.
* The Question: How do you see Lisa Madigan’s future? Explain.
* From a press release issued on Mother’s Day by the Cook County Sheriff…
Over 200 officers, 32% of those assigned to work the 7-3 shift at the Cook County Jail, have called in sick or FMLA, and not reported to work. 86 officers calls in sick and another 120 invoked the Family Medical Leave Act.
Despite this record number of call offs, the visitation schedule has not been affected. The jail has been placed on a lockdown with only essential movement, including medical and mental health, taking place.
The extraordinary number of call offs puts additional pressure on the men and women of the Sheriff’s office who come to work as scheduled.
“It’s the perfect storm of situations: It’s Mother’s Day and there is beautiful weather,’’ Smith said. “Unfortunately, it’s devastating to the people who do come to work and for the taxpayers.’’
Additionally, Smith said that as of about 3 p.m. Sunday, about 25 percent of staff for the second shift of the day also had called in sick. […]
Similar incidents have occurred in the past, including in January 2016 and on May 8, 2016, Mother’s Day, when about 20 percent of workers called in. […]
A representative of the union that represents the staffers was not immediately available.
Last year on Mother’s Day, 420 officers called in sick. About a month later, more than 520 officers called in sick on Father’s Day and the following Monday.
In May 2015, almost 640 correctional officers called in sick for shifts the same day that boxers Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao faced off.
That lockdown [last year on Mother’s Day] cost the [county] $75,000 in overtime expenses to cover the employees who did show up for their shifts, the Tribune reported at the time. […]
The mass absences tend to “track suspiciously” with bad weather, holidays and major sporting events, read a Tribune editorial from last year.
In May 2015, more than 600 jail employees called out of work during a weekend that featured two major sporting events: the Kentucky Derby and the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao boxing match, as local media reported. On Super Bowl weekend the same year, nearly 900 bailed on their shifts, according to the Tribune.
The situation has gotten so bad that the Cook County Jail came up with a name for it: “Super Bowl Fever.”
House Democrats seeking common ground with Gov. Bruce Rauner in order to end the budget stalemate and put the state on a path to fiscal stability will outline additional reforms they plan to present to the governor at a press conference Tuesday at 10 a.m. in the Capitol Blue Room.
“House Democrats believe the budget crisis demands immediate action, and it is our hope to show Governor Rauner that we stand ready to work with him,” state Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie said. “We plan to seek common ground with the governor on his proposals, and present him with items we believe should be part of the bargaining in order to encourage economic growth while lifting up the middle class.”
Last week, House Speaker Michael J. Madigan appointed Currie and House Leaders Lou Lang, Arthur Turner and Jay Hoffman to work with Rauner to find compromise on issues unrelated to the state budget. The legislators also plan to raise additional items that the House Democratic Caucus proposals believes will improve the business climate while lifting up the middle class.
Who: State Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie
State Rep. Lou Lang
State Rep. Arthur Turner
State Rep. Jay Hoffman
What: Press conference on negotiations with Gov. Rauner
Lawmakers in Central Illinois and elsewhere have long lamented how much money Chicago schools receive in state money compared with schools in their districts.
Sen. Jason Barickman, R-Bloomington, has introduced a bill that would remove Chicago’s special block grant of $250 million, which is above and beyond what the state’s standard funding formula for schools provides.
Barickman’s legislation, Senate Bill 1124, would create an evidence-based formula that would mean gains in funding for every school district but Chicago. It is backed by Sen. Sue Rezin, R-Morris, whose district includes La Salle County.
Chicago would lose $62 per student. Locally, Streator High would get $1,254 more per student under the legislation, more than the other three major districts in the area. Following are Ottawa High, $1,119; Streator Elementary, $609; and Ottawa Elementary $499.
Passage of the bill could be difficult.
Ya think?
You gotta wonder what Downstate legislators would say if suburbanites and Chicagoans banded together to snatch away the vast majority of state money for road and bridge construction and repair.
After 22 months without a budget, all eyes have been on the state Senate. But after another failed attempt to vote on the “grand bargain” last week, it’s reasonable to ask if anyone is thinking about plan B.
The answer from Senate budget negotiators is: not yet. Each says they’re still trying to make a comprehensive deal both sides can live with.
“We are focused on getting an agreement on a budget that has cuts in it, that is balanced, that has reforms,” says Sen. Dale Righter, a Republican from Mattoon.
Sen. Heather Steans, a Democrat from Chicago, say they’re still negotiating: “I’m remaining really optimistic that we’re actually going to get some Republicans to yes, and that’s certainly my hope.”
More than 70 days passed with no action, just repeated promises that things are “really close.” I tried to jump-start efforts last week because I have a calendar and I can see that we are running out of time.
We managed to pass one proposal, giving local governments greater financial flexibility when it comes to borrowing, something that should save local taxpayers money. But the governor still believes that, despite proposed cuts and reforms, the benefit system for injured workers is too generous. He continues to pull Republicans off the deal until those benefits are cut further.
It’s a similar situation with a property tax freeze. A two-year freeze is waiting to be voted upon. It would pass if called for a vote, but the Republican sponsor won’t do so because the governor wants a stricter, longer freeze on local governments’ abilities with no consideration of the potential consequences.
And every day we turn another page on the calendar, approaching that May 31 deadline.
I’ll keep negotiating, but at some point negotiating has to lead to a deal, and a deal has to result in votes to move forward.
The Bellaires say their situation is evidence of a statewide shortage of caregivers known as direct support professionals who feed, bathe and perform other essential tasks for people with disabilities. After Gov. Bruce Rauner last year vetoed a bill aimed at increasing the minimum wage for these workers — who on average make $9.35 an hour — their turnover rate has grown from 40 percent in 2016 to nearly 56 percent in the first three quarters of this fiscal year at the state’s six largest agencies, according to Kim Zoeller, president and CEO of the Ray Graham Association, an agency that serves 2,000 children and adults with disabilities in DuPage County. […]
Lawmakers in Springfield are now considering legislation that would raise the overall amount the state pays group home businesses so that caregivers are paid at least $15 an hour. The state Senate passed a bill Wednesday that representatives in the House will consider. With weeks left before the end of the legislative session, and lawmakers still at an impasse over the budget, advocates for people with disabilities say the worker crisis has gone from dire to potentially dangerous. […]
Running out of options to address the shortage of direct support professionals, a legal rights group for people with disabilities last month filed a motion in federal court hoping to convince a judge that current conditions are in violation of a 2011 ruling known as the Ligas consent decree. The decree ensures that, regardless of the state budget situation, funding continues for people with disabilities who want to live in community-based settings, and with the support needed, said Barry Taylor, vice president for civil rights for Equip for Equality, a legal services firm for people with disabilities.
If the federal court motion doesn’t work, advocates say they’re not sure what else to do. [Emphasis added.]
Today, Illinois ranks 47th nationally in its per capita fiscal spending on community developmental disability services. Combined with the current budget impasse, wages and benefits are far below the levels needed to attract and retain qualified individuals. Annual turnover of direct care staff can exceed 50% and many organizations have vacancies of 20% and higher.
* But it’s a broader problem than that. Press release…
Child welfare advocates from across Illinois swarmed the capitol on Thursday and warned lawmakers that a workforce crisis has engulfed private sector child welfare agencies that provide care to 85% of the 14,700 youth in care with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.
“The private sector child welfare workforce in Illinois, which totals nearly 6,000 employees, is convulsed by an annual staff turnover rate of a staggering 40%,” said Child Care Association of Illinois C.E.O. Margaret Berglind. “If the Chicago Cubs had turned over 40% of its players annually, they would not have been the 2016 champions. Period. The same goes for child welfare.”
Dozens of Illinois child welfare agencies sent their CEOs and top staff to Springfield on Thursday to lobby lawmakers to support legislation, House Bill 2594, sponsored by State Rep. Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago), that aims to boost private sector financing by $100 million annually to reverse the workforce crisis. The legislation would increase the rates paid to child welfare providers and boost expense reimbursement rates paid to foster parents.
Berglind said that Illinois foster parents are being victimized by “obsolete, paltry” expense reimbursement rates.
“The state’s reimbursement of foster parents for their expenses is so obsolete, so paltry that the average Illinois foster parent shells out of their pocket, on average, $359 per month,” said Berglind. “The state is using foster parents as ATMs. Foster parents. Think about that.”
Berglind also said that DCFS’ current strategy of “nibbling away at problems” is failing to address the department’s biggest challenge.
“We applaud DCFS for its multiple, micro initiatives and pilot projects, but nibbling away at problems whiling ignoring the biggest systemic challenge facing the agency, the 40% annual staff turnover of private sector agencies, is no longer sustainable,” said Berglind. “By substantially investing in the rescue of the workforce, this legislation will move children to permanent homes more quickly, including reunification with birth parents.”
The child welfare workforce challenge faced at the Lutheran Child and Family Services-operated Lutherbrook Child and Adolescent Center, a highly-specialized residential treatment center for youth ages 6-18, located in Addison, illustrates the workforce problem across Illinois.
“During the five-months from October 2016 through February 2017, Lutherbrook extended thirty-seven direct care staff job offers and twenty-three or 62% declined based on the starting salary,” said Lutheran Child and Family Services of Illinois C.E.O. Mike Bertrand.
Bertrand noted that Lutherbrook recently had 16-beds open for intake, but the center was forced to decline referrals from DCFS until the agency could fill 17-direct care staff positions.
“That is about half our workforce since we are fully-staffed at 36,” said Bertrand. “This paralysis leaves those youth to sit in psychiatric hospitals, detention centers or shelters or unable to receive the treatment services they need until an alternative placement can be found.”
A joint rate study conducted by DCFS and the Child Welfare Advisory Council, comprised of private sector agencies, serves as the foundation of Feigenholtz’s bill and reveals the workforce compensation problems faced by agencies.
“The study showed that residential treatment agencies should be paying front-line residential treatment workers at least $16.00 per hour, but struggle to pay them $12.00,” said Berglind. “Foster care agencies should be paying caseworker $18.71 per hour but they hardly reach $16.50. The problem is obvious.”
Amends the Judicial Privacy Act. Provides that “judicial officer” includes retired justices and judges. Effective immediately.
Senate Floor Amendment No. 1
Provides that “judicial officer” includes actively employed and former or deceased justices and judges (rather than actively employed and retired justices and judges)
I’m kinda thinking that wouldn’t have happened under the old paper system since signing the names of legislators would be considered forgery and it would be fairly simple to catch and prosecute violators.
And it also makes me wonder how many other electronically filed witness slips may be forgeries.
The Cook County Board of Commissioners is considering an ordinance that could transform access to and transparency of the legislative process in local government.
It’s a brief proposal, but it could mean dramatically heightened public access to one of the largest units of local government in the nation.
Ordinance 17-3293, introduced by Commissioner Larry Suffredin representing the County’s North Side 13th District, puts in motion the development of an online “witness slipping” system. Such a system would allow Cook County residents and advocacy organizations to easily weigh in on pending legislation as it moves through committee by registering their opinion and perhaps providing online testimony on specific pieces of legislation.
“I’m not focused on the politics. I’m trying to get a balanced budget with structural changes to grow the economy, protect our taxpayers, properly fund our schools and our human services.”
With less than three weeks left until the end of the legislative session, Governor Bruce Rauner is busy jamming both work-related and campaign events into his schedule.
After leaving a school in Bloomingdale Friday, Rauner headed to a midday fundraiser at Bentley’s Pancake House in the northwest suburb. The flier for the fundraiser, which was emailed to supporters, asked for donations from $5 to $50.
Rauner again refused to discuss his re-election campaign during the event and has not formally announced that he’s a candidate in the 2018 race.
The anti-Rauner group, Illinois Working Together, is making hay about the exchange, complaining that Rauner made the campaign stop at the time the Illinois Senate was in session. “It is inexcusable for Gov. Rauner to be campaigning while legislators are trying to find a path forward on a budget,” Jake Lewis, campaign director for the group told POLITICO in a statement.
It’s a state SUV — NBC’s camera shot shows Rauner entering a state SUV. Well, he is governor and has state police security detail. A Rauner campaign spokeswoman, Kirsten Kukowski, said this via text message: “Since the Governor’s term in office, the party has reimbursed and will continue to reimburse the state of Illinois for the Governor’s travel outside official state business.” She added that “most executives are in this position and handle similarly.”
Asked how his campaign stop squares with comments hours earlier that he’s not thinking about politics, Kukowski said: “As far as your question goes, he made a stop to talk to people between official events and it’s paid for by political funds as we’ve explained in the past. We will of course continue to do that.”
I’m proud to announce that the Illinois Policy Institute received two Lisagor Awards from the Chicago Headline Club last night.
Senior Writer Austin Berg earned well deserved recognition for his groundbreaking storytelling work, winning for Best Individual Blog Post (independent) and Best Individual Blog (affiliated).
This was a banner year for our team, which received 14 nominations for the prestigious awards – a new record for the Illinois Policy Institute.
The Chicago Headline Club nominates talented writers, filmmakers and illustrators for its coveted Lisagor Awards each year, and the nominees represent the best of the best in Chicago journalism. With these nominations, our team is among the likes of the Chicago Tribune, Bloomberg News, NBC 5, WGN, NPR and more.
We have worked hard for years to position ourselves as one of the best sources for news and media throughout Illinois. The continued growth of our audience and recognition among the best in legacy media are steps toward achieving that goal.
The best part? We’re just getting started. As our team grows, we’re tackling new projects and reaching new audiences each day. To see our latest work, check out “Forgotten Illinois,” a short documentary capturing the real life struggles facing small-town Illinoisans across the state.
According to the Headline Club, “The awards recognize the best of Chicago journalism and are named for Peter Lisagor, the Chicago Daily News’ Washington bureau chief from 1959 to 1976.”
Discuss.
…Adding… It wasn’t without some dissent, apparently…
Creditting a dark money organization with journalism awards is very troubling toward the role of what journalism means at this time.
* The Illinois Review closely parses Gov. Rauner’s appearance on WBEZ last week…
Before the measure was voted on in the Illinois House, Rauner’s spokeperson Allie Bovis wrote Illinois Review in an email on April 14, “Governor Rauner does not support HB40 and will veto the bill if it reaches his desk.” […]
Rauner told Sarabia’s caller Friday that he was proud of Illinois being “progressive” on the issue of abortion.
“We’re one of the more progressive states,” Rauner said. “I support that. I want to protect that. But the bill goes further and expands taxpayer funding in a way that only two other states have. That’s very divisive, it’s very controversial. That part, I don’t think makes sense to do now.”
It doesn’t make sense to do “now”? That comment raised concern among conservatives about just how committed Rauner is to abortion and how far he is willing to go to alienate pro-lifers that trusted pro-life leaders. Leaders that placed their reputations on the line, encouraging conservative Republicans to support Rauner in 2014 against Quinn, assuring them he couldn’t be “as bad” as Quinn on the issue.
Rauner has, in effect, bought up Republican organization support with token checks to county and township groups - and appears to be either tone deaf or obstinate on the state Republican Party’s platform and its importance to grassroots voters.
Well, the governor did say that the reason he was vetoing HB 40 was because it’s divisive and the General Assembly needs to instead “focus” right now on a budget and economic reforms. That statement didn’t preclude signing it if the state gets a budget and economic reforms. And that could be one reason why the Democrats put a parliamentary hold on the bill and kept it from getting to the governor right away.
Of course, they’ll have to pass a budget and economic reforms, but if they do (still a big “if”), the governor might find himself in yet another trick bag.
The thin-skinned, strong-arm Statehouse partisanship of the past two and a half years reached out and infected the Illinois Conference of Women Legislators’ annual fundraising gala last week.
COWL is a bipartisan organization which raises money every year to “assist mature women who wish to continue their undergraduate education,” according to its website. “The goal of the scholarship is to focus on deserving, qualified women whose educations were interrupted due to family concerns and economic problems,” the group says. Women who have shown “leadership promise through community service” are given preference.
Anyway, it’s a good organization, and it’s one of two events that I never miss each year — the other one being the House vs. Senate softball game. Both events allow legislators to do things together without partisan or leadership barriers. They help build relationships and trust. Plus, they’re both a lot of fun. And after 21/2 years of watching politicians fight each other to a draw on a state budget and economic reforms, we all need the occasional good time.
Lately, COWL has also brought in professional comedians to set the mood. This year’s comedian was Patti Vasquez, who has her own show on Chicago’s WGN Radio and did an increasingly rare interview with House Speaker Michael Madigan last week.
The evening often has the feel of an old-time variety show staged by amateurs. It’s not supposed to be perfect, and that can sometimes make things funnier. A legislator singing way off key would be unlistenable in another context, but at the COWL event, it can be hilarious.
Some legislators have lots of talent. Rep. Will Guzzardi, D-Chicago, stunned the audience with his exquisite piano playing abilities. That he chose to cover a Tom Waits song and sang it in Waits’ gravelly voiced style made his performance all that much better.
Rep. David Olsen, R-Downers Grove, is a cheery and bright young man who generally speaks softly and is of, shall we say, slight build. But he sang a full-throated, a capella version of “Illinois,” our state song. Olsen mesmerized the audience.
Come to think of it, the men kind of stole the show last week.
COWL always stages some sketches and songs that are drenched in political satire. Otherwise, what’s the point?
Rep. Rob Martwick, D-Chicago, plays guitar and sings and wrote a parody of Otis Redding’s universally famous “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay.”
“I’m sittin’ here on the House Floor / Waitin’ for a budget deal that I can vote for / I’m sittin’ here on the House Floor / Wastin’ time.”
Martwick wrote several strong lyrics: “Sittin’ here resting my bones / ‘Cuz the lobbyists won’t leave me alone / 200 miles I’ve roamed / Just to make this seat my own.”
But I particularly enjoyed the bridge: “Looks like nothin’s gonna change / Everyone keeps on passin’ the blame / I can’t do what the Governor tells me to do / This state’s going down the drain.”
He got a big howl of approval for that one.
COWL also produced a dance routine this year to a song by R&B singer Cupid called “Cupid Shuffle.”
Legislators on stage were dressed in checkered, western-style shirts just like Gov. Bruce Rauner wears in his latest TV ads featuring him in a pristine work shop and talking about the Democrats’ “duct tape solutions.”
Some members held up large signs with “Do your job” written on them, which is a constant refrain of Rauner’s critics. Some also carried signs featuring a large, menacing cartoon image of House Speaker Michael Madigan that was devised by the Madigan-hating Illinois Policy Institute.
Duct tape was supposed to be part of the routine, but the gimmick was scrapped at the last minute because the players didn’t have enough time to remove the tape and change between songs. So, they wound up with extra boxes of the stuff.
But a freshman Republican House member reportedly took a video of the skit during rehearsal last week and sent it to a member of her leadership team. Republican legislators told me later they were then yanked out of the dance and by showtime last week only Democrats performed during the routine.
Unreal.
Some people just don’t know how to laugh at themselves.
Today, the JB Pritzker for Governor campaign released its second TV ad, “Incubate.”
“Incubate” highlights JB’s visionary work to grow Illinois into one of the top technology hubs in the world. Five years ago, JB brought tech leaders and entrepreneurs together to found 1871, a non-profit technology incubator. In the years since, Chicago transformed from a city falling behind in the tech economy, to a leading center for technology growth and innovation. Along the way, 1871 supported hundreds of startups and helped create over six thousand good paying jobs in Illinois.
“When Illinois was falling behind in the tech economy, I decided to think big, bring people together, and get results for our state,” said JB Pritzker. “I’m proud of our work building 1871, and helping turn Illinois into one of the top technology hubs in the world, a center for creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship. But there is more work to be done. Under Governor Rauner’s failed leadership, Illinois is losing jobs and wasting opportunities. We need a Governor with big ideas, who knows how to bring people together and get things done.”
Encouraging start-ups is the prominent feature of the new ad, which contains testimonials from people largely affiliated with 1871. The candidate does not speak in the ad.
Instead, it features Suzanne Muchin, founder of Mind + Media Matter Studio, a multiplatform marketing firm and 1871 board member; Matt Moog, CEO of PowerReviews, a customer review technology firm who chaired 1871; Shradha Agarwal, president of Outcome Health, a consumer focused wellness website; Amanda Lannert, CEO of Jellyvision and a member of 1871’s advisory board and Neal Sales-Griffin, CEO of CodeNow, a computer code mentoring firm and one of Encouraging 1871’s first tenants.
In the ad, Moog touts that “Illinois is now one of the fastest growing and largest technology hubs in the world” after Muchin laments that a decade ago the state was far behind on high technology jobs.
“This is what’s possible. When someone like J.B. puts forward a big idea and a big vision, that is exactly what our state needs right now,” Muchin says to close the ad.
