Campaigns react to Rauner address
Tuesday, Jun 20, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Chris Kennedy campaign…
“Governor Rauner promised a grand, unifying speech. Instead, all we got was a few minutes of empty remarks in an empty room. The only unifying thing Bruce Rauner is doing is bringing voters together to support radical change in Illinois. We have state leadership that has completely and utterly failed us. It doesn’t have to be this way. Compromise - real compromise - like the kind that happens before the session ends when lawmakers are debating the merits of their proposals, is not surrender.
“This speech is indicative of Rauner’s views on “unity”. He goes around our lawmakers, operates outside our legislative process, and talks into a camera in an empty room instead of bringing us a balanced budget.
“As he’s said before, if Chris Kennedy is elected as the next governor and he doesn’t balance the budget, he won’t run again. That’s the level of accountability and honesty that’s sorely missing in Springfield.”
* Sen. Daniel Biss…
“Illinoisans were just subjected to the worst infomercial in our state’s fiscal history—advertising more of the same hypocrisy out of Governor Rauner that we’ve seen over his entire term. While saying “failure to act is not an option” with regards to passing a budget, he doubles down on the very fecklessness that’s gotten us here in the first place.
I’ll remind the governor that he has chosen not to act for the last two years, putting himself, his wealthy friends, and his campaign first. It’s time he and Speaker Madigan sit down, take action, and end this pain.”
* JB Pritzker…
For nearly three years, Illinois families have seen and felt the impact of Governor Rauner’s disastrous and divisive leadership. Parents are struggling to pay the bills, schools are finding it harder to stay open, and vital social service agencies aren’t getting the funding they need.
The budget crisis has crippled our state while Bruce Rauner sat by and did nothing. Now today, on day 720 of the crisis he created, Rauner has decided he wants to make people think that he’d like to work together to get something done. But I don’t believe a word of it:
Click here to view video
Bruce Rauner calls his proposal a compromise budget, but that could not be further from the truth. There’s nothing about it that’s a compromise. There’s no unity in his call for unity. It’s a sham.
Our schools need funding. Our mental health facilities and our shelters need funding. Our social safety net needs rebuilding.
We need somebody who is going to stand up for Illinoisans. That’s not what Bruce Rauner is trying to do. What he’s proposing is a sham and I won’t stand for it.
Thank you –
JB
* Ameya Pawar…
“Gov. Rauner is a liar, a fraud and a flake. In his brief televised address tonight, he said he wants to work with all members of the General Assembly to pass a balanced budget during the special session, but he’s attacking Democrats with TV ads, mailers and flyers. He said he supports equitable funding for public education, but he has threatened to veto a bill which would increase funding to 270 school districts in our state, including Chicago’s. When he was campaigning for governor he said he was pro-choice, but now he’s against a bill that would expand health care coverage for women that would provide more access to abortion care.”
“This has gone on too long. The governor has been exploiting the divisions between Chicago and the rest of the state and using coded language to play off people’s fears. He would rather see our state divided to put more money in the pockets of his donors than do his job and improve the lives of people across all communities.”
“Illinoisans deserve a governor who will stay true to his word and lead our state out of financial crisis. It’s not enough to talk a good game–we have big challenges as a state and we need a governor who understands how to cut through the politics as usual and get things done that actually improve people’s lives. That’s what I’ve done as alderman, by securing funding for neighborhood schools and passing several pieces of progressive legislation that directly benefit working families. And that’s the kind of leadership I’ll bring to the governor’s office if I am elected.”
* DGA…
“Tonight, Bruce Rauner tried to reset his failing tenure as Governor of Illinois by offering nothing new in terms of policy or message. Instead, he pretended he played no part in creating and exacerbating the state’s fiscal crisis. Bruce Rauner purposefully drove the state off the rails, leading to nation’s longest budget impasse in history, skyrocketing debt, a crippling blow to our higher education system, and a ruined social safety net. That is not the record of someone interested in unity or governing, but someone who is willing to sacrifice Illinois’ future for political points. Illinois, under Bruce Rauner’s failed leadership, is moving backwards.”
* Team Rauner…
Governor Rauner addressed the people of Illinois tonight from the Old State Capitol in Springfield on the eve of the legislators’ 10-day special session, stressing the need for unity and compromise.
This special session provides the opportunity for legislators to make lasting change for our state. We need a balanced budget with spending caps, long-lasting property tax relief, term limits, and reforms to grow jobs.
You can watch the Governor’s full address here, or read the quick recap below:
QUICK RECAP
Gov. Bruce Rauner on compromise:
“We’ve asked the General Assembly to come together in a special session for the next 10 days – not as Democrats and Republicans – but as leaders who share bipartisan concern for our state’s future.”
“To do what those who came before us did that changed the course of history: have the courage to dare to do what is right … to act for the people.”
Gov. Bruce Rauner on a balanced budget:
“Last week, we reviewed a compromise budget plan that I can sign… It is truly balanced. It funds schools, higher education, and human services. It provides a real path to property tax reduction.”
“We must agree on a balanced budget plan, and get it to my desk before the end of the state’s fiscal year – one week from Friday.”
Gov. Bruce Rauner on real reform:
“The plan also stands tall for fundamentals. Spending reductions. Limits on expenses. Debt reduction. And term limits on legislative leaders and statewide officeholders, including the Governor.”
“Failure to act is not an option. Failure to act may cause permanent damage to our state that will take years to overcome.”
The text of the address is here.
…Adding… Not a campaign release, but this is Rep. Greg Harris, who spoke for the House Democrats…
“Democrats are returning to Springfield in hopes that the governor is finally ready to compromise on a budget. But, even now, the governor is talking out of both sides of his mouth: As he holds a campaign speech ostensibly calling for unity, he’s also bankrolling negative attack ads and mailers against House Democrats and the very people he is calling on to work with.
“House Democrats have said for two years that we believe a resolution to Governor Rauner’s manufactured budget crisis must be our top priority. We have continually looked for ways to compromise with the governor without hurting middle-class families, and have worked to find common ground so the governor will finally focus on a budget.
“At the governor’s request, House Democrats have voted to cut property taxes, reform workers’ compensation, improve the business climate, sell the Thompson Center and reform the state procurement code. With each attempt to meet Governor Rauner half way, we urged him to return to the table to negotiate a budget. Sadly, the governor refused each time.
“The budget supported by Governor Rauner and legislative Republicans is not balanced. It’s not the honest budget Illinois taxpayers deserve. It’s clear that real negotiations and real compromise are needed.
“Despite the repeated campaign attacks against House Democrats, we have continued to prioritize a balanced budget. In the weeks since the spring session adjourned, we’ve held a series of budget hearings where we’ve heard directly from the victims of Governor Rauner’s budget crisis. From the parents of children with developmental disabilities, to survivors of sexual assault, the men and women speaking out are in agreement: the governor needs to put aside his extreme agenda and compromise. The governor dismissed these people as ‘props’ instead of recognizing who they are – victims of his budget crisis.
“Governor Rauner, your actions speak louder than your rhetoric. After more than 700 days of blocking compromise, it’s up to you to prove that you are finally ready to put the needs of Illinois families ahead of political games and start working in good faith on a budget.”
* And one more…
“Unity doesn’t come from a speech and it certainly doesn’t come from campaign attack ads aimed at your negotiating partners,” Cullerton said in a statement Tuesday. “It comes from a willingness for practical compromise with others and exerting the effort to round up the votes needed to make that compromise law. To date, we haven’t seen that from Gov. Rauner. I hope this signifies is a step in a new direction.”
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* The governor will speak live tonight from the Old State Capitol starting at around 6:03 pm. The address is scheduled to last three or four minutes (apparently it’s designed to fit into local TV news broadcasts). I’ll post a ScribbleLive thingy before then and we’ll also use that for reactions. Background on the speech is here.
The governor’s campaign Twitter account tweeted about the speech this afternoon and he posted a notice on his campaign’s Facebook page. The tweet and Facebook post directed folks to a page on Rauner’s campaign site where people can sign up for an e-mail “recap” of the address after it’s over So, he appears to be using his address tonight to beef up his campaign e-mailing list, which is often used for fundraising. There’s also a “donate” button on that campaign page. That’s the same campaign, by the way, which is currently running ads sharply critical of Speaker Madigan and his “puppets” for blocking a budget when he, himself repeatedly blocked a Senate budget.
Anyway, check back around 6 o’clock. You can watch the speech on the governor’s Facebook page (click here) or his campaign site (click here). Also, check your local TV stations because some will be carrying it live via a special satellite feed.
* And away we go…
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Hostage begs for mercy
Tuesday, Jun 20, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* WPSD…
The health care systems families rely on in Illinois are feeling financial strain as the state gets ready to wrap up its second full year without a budget.
Bigger health care systems such as Southern Illinois Healthcare say they’re owed more than $70 million combined in unpaid Medicaid and state employee health insurance. Smaller groups, such as Franklin Hospital in Benton, Illinois, say they’re now owed more than $2 million. Hospital leaders say, while bigger groups may be able to weather the political storm from the budget impasse, the situation for their small, critical access hospital is very serious.
Inside Franklin Hospital, Jeanne Bierman does her best to make sure there are enough supplies to fill any and every patient demand. But, without the $2 million owed by the state, supply vendors often go unpaid. Lately, it’s left the supply stock running slim in some spots.
“We usually have a backup of eight cases of normal saline. We were down to one bag of saline. Fortunately, we were able to get an emergency supply from our pharmacy,” Bierman said. The hospital says it will always find a way to provide supplies for patients, but many leaders worry their current supply vendors will cut them off unless they can catch up on payments.
“I mean, I probably get one demand letter a week from my vendors saying they’re going to cut us off if we don’t pay out or get caught up to a certain degree,” said Franklin Hospital CEO and CFO Jim Johnson. He said the financial experts often have to prioritize payments, making sure payroll is met while vendors may wait for payments.
The nearest hospital is 20 miles away.
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* Letter to the editor…
Dear Editor:
As the General Assembly gathers in Springfield later this month to attempt to pass a state budget, there may be proposals to muddle through with yet another “stopgap” budget. We strongly oppose such a move.
First, a stopgap budget – which provides limited funding for a few “essential” government services – will not end our state’s financial tailspin. Despite previous stopgap measures, ratings agencies have downgraded Illinois’ financial status to near “junk-bond” levels, causing taxpayers to pay much higher interest rates for any necessary borrowing. Another stopgap bill will undoubtedly drop us into junk territory, while doing little to stop our growing budget deficit and backlog of bills from reaching record levels.
Second, a stopgap bill will fail to address the inadequate level of dependable funding that has put many of our state’s vital services at risk. It will not stop more social service agencies from closing or from curtailing their provision of state services in areas from childcare to mental health and anti-addiction programs. It will not allay growing concerns from job-creators that Illinois continues to be unstable, which negatively affects economic growth. Our state universities will continue to lay off faculty and staff while more students leave the state or for those who need assistance, will be forced to forgo a higher education. And school districts across Illinois will struggle to open their doors when the new school year starts in a few months, which is why nearly 300 district superintendents are opposed to a stopgap budget.
The only answer to this crisis is for the General Assembly to pass – and the Governor to sign – a balanced, full-year budget that fully funds our vital services, adopts important reforms, and puts state finances back on track. The Senate has passed a budget plan with spending cuts, revenues and reforms. Recently, Senate and House Republicans have put forward their own budget proposal, which also embraces spending cuts, the revenue increases included in the Senate bill and reforms.
The answer to the budget impasse is not another stopgap budget, which merely puts off the hard decisions while state finances continue to collapse. The answer is to forge a compromise that balances, reforms, and ultimately moves Illinois forward. Anything less, including yet another stopgap measure, is a recipe for continued financial chaos and the human misery that results.
Signed,
Sen. Toi Hutchinson, Sen. Andy Manar, Sen. Heather Steans, Sen. Donne Trotter, Sen. Pam Althoff, Sen. Dale Righter and Rep. Kelly Cassidy
Althoff and Righter are both Republicans. The rest are Democrats. All are involved in the budget-making process.
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The life of a perpetual target
Tuesday, Jun 20, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Gatehouse…
[Rep. Sue Scherer, D-Decatur] also complained about the “huge tax hike” that would be part of either side’s plan.
“I’m all about doing a budget, but I’m not about doing it on the backs of the hard-working families in my district,” she said.
Instead of a general tax hike, Scherer said she wants more revenue to come from closing business tax breaks and enacting a surcharge on incomes above $1 million.
Hillary Clinton won Scherer’s district by less than two points. Bruce Rauner won it by 6.
So, she ain’t voting for no general tax hike this year.
* But that isn’t stopping the Republicans. Finke…
Just before Republicans laid out their plan and Rauner called the special session, the Illinois Republican Party sent mailers into Democratic districts blasting the Democratic lawmakers for supporting “their plan.”
Among the criticisms was that “their plan” included a massive income tax hike and no property tax relief. Really? The only plan that’s out there, which passed the Senate, has a 2-year property tax freeze that got the votes of a few Senate Republicans. It’s true, it is a 2-year rather than a 4-year freeze, but it is relief. Sen. Sue Rezin, R-Morris, used that term when she voted for it.
And the massive income tax increase? Presumably that is the tax increase approved by the Senate that both Rauner and several Republican lawmakers now say they might support if certain conditions are met. […]
By the way, one of those mailers went into the district of Rep. Sue Scherer of Decatur.
She’s a Democrat, so it fits the Republican narrative that all Democrats are in Madigan’s pocket. The thing is, though, Scherer doesn’t support the tax hike. Or as she put it, she doesn’t support a revenue plan to balance the budget if it means “doing it on the backs of the hardworking people of my district.”
So the mailer is accusing Scherer of supporting a tax hike she doesn’t support.
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Question of the day
Tuesday, Jun 20, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Senate President John Cullerton attended a Sun-Times editorial board meeting today. Click here to watch the whole thing. Cullerton was asked about the governor’s televised “unity” speech tonight. “Do you think there could be unity after two and a half years of a budget impasse?”…
Not by him giving a speech. You have a meeting. You exchange information. You talk about policy. They don’t do that. They, I’m sure, have polls before they walk into a meeting. It’s that frustrating, and believe me there’s frustration on the Republican side. Tremendous frustration.
* He was then asked if he was hopeful that the state will have a budget by the end of June 30th…
You don’t have to watch the play ‘Hamilton’ to know that there’s a separation of powers. I’m only in charge of what I can do in the Senate. I can’t go over and vote in the House. I can’t sign bills.
* The Question: Are you hopeful that the state will have a real budget by this coming June 30th? Click here to take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
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Roundup of the Gutierrez Pritzker endorsement
Tuesday, Jun 20, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* CBS 2…
At Lincoln United Methodist Church on the South Side, J.B. Pritzker gladly received the endorsement of Congressman Luis Gutierrez.
Gutierrez is one of the most outspoken champions of immigrants’ rights and he vowed to keep up that fight, both locally and nationally.
“When I’m governor, I am going to take a page right out Luis Gutierrez’s playbook and be a thorn in Donald Trump’s side every move he makes,” said Pritzker.
img 3496 Illinois Governors Race Heats Up With Strong Endorsements
* NBC 5…
“It seems to me that we need to find defenders and protectors of our children and our families,” the Democratic congressman from Chicago said at an announcement event. “JB was very, very clear in the beginning that the policies of Donald Trump are discriminatory, are biased, are prejudiced and racist policies,” he continued. “He stood up with our community and he called it for what it is, and those are the kinds of men and women that we need in elected office.”
* ABC 7…
“Am I a fighter for immigrant rights? Yes. The fact that Luis Gutierrez has stood up to endorse me is an indicator to the people who care about these issues that I will be a champion for them,” Pritzker said.
With months to go before the primary, Pritzker has already lined up endorsements in key voting blocks. Several democrats believe he is the only candidate with the financial resources to compete and beat Governor Bruce Rauner.
“I think that is a very positive thing. I’m happy he doesn’t have to have one fundraiser after fundraiser after another with people,” Gutierrez said.
* Tribune…
“‘Make America Great Again,’ our president says. ‘Make America Great Again?’ An America in which women are in the kitchen, gay people are in the closet, black people are on the back of the bus and Latinos and immigrants were just silent and quiet? That’s the America he wants to take us back to,” said Gutierrez, a 24-year member of Congress.
“If we’re going to be triumphant, you want to win, you want to beat Rauner, who is nothing but a sidekick of Trump,” the congressman said. Later, Gutierrez, a member of the House Judiciary Committee, told reporters that the panel should begin impeachment proceedings against the president for obstruction of justice in the probe of alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia in the 2016 election.
Pritzker said he was “proud” to accept the endorsement of Gutierrez, whom he called “one of the fiercest fighters of the nation … to beat Donald Trump, to beat Bruce Rauner.”
Rauner and Trump “have the same agenda and the same governing style: attack, blame, deny and divide,” Pritzker said. “I’m running for governor to unite Illinois and to get things done for this state.”
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* From a letter sent by Comptroller Susana Mendoza to Gov. Rauner, the four legislative leaders and all state legislators…
As Illinois’ Chief Fiscal and Accountability Officer, my Office is responsible for managing the state’s financial accounts as well as providing the public and the state’s elected leadership with objective and timely data concerning the state’s difficult fiscal condition. As you are quite aware, I have been very vocal regarding these issues and the budgetary impasse since assuming office six months ago; however we are now reaching a new phase of crisis.
Accordingly, I must communicate to you at this time the full extent of our dire fiscal straits and the potential disruptions that we face in addressing even our most critical core responsibilities going forward into the new fiscal year. My Office has very serious concerns that, in the coming weeks, the State of Illinois will no longer be able to guarantee timely and predictable payments in a number of areas that we have to date managed (albeit with extreme difficulty) despite an unpaid bill backlog in excess of $15 billion and growing rapidly.
We are effectively hemorrhaging money as the state’s spending obligations have exceeded receipts by an average of over $600 million per month over the past year.
My cause for alarm is rooted in the increasing deficit spending combined with new and ongoing cash management demands stemming from decisions from state and federal courts, the latest being the class action lawsuit filed by advocates representing the Medicaid service population served by the state’s Managed Care Organizations (MCOs). As of June 15, the MCOs, and their provider networks, are owed a total of more than $2.8 billion in overdue bills at the Comptroller’s Office. There is no question that these obligations should be paid in a more timely manner and that the payment delays caused by the state’s financial condition negatively impact the state’s healthcare infrastructure. We are currently in court directed discussions to reach a workable and responsive payment schedule going forward, but any acceleration of the timing of those payments under the current circumstances will almost certainly affect the scheduling of other payments, regardless of other competing court orders and Illinois statutory mandates.
For the record, however, and as a message to the financial markets, please know that debt service payments will not be delayed or diminished going forward and I will use every statutory avenue or available resource to meet that commitment. It is a necessary pledge in order to attempt to avoid further damage to our already stressed credit ratings and to make possible the additional debt financing that we all know will be required to achieve some measure of stability going forward.
Ultimately it is the only way that we can preserve what remains of our ability to provide vital services to our state’s most at risk populations.
Currently, more than 90 percent of Illinois’ monthly spending is directed toward core functions of state government mandated by court orders, consent decrees, or state law including continuing appropriations. These include certain Medicaid programs, debt service, payroll, K-12 General State Aid and state pension contributions. With the inevitable cash management impact related to the outcome of the MCO lawsuit, this Office will soon be facing the prospect of deciding which court order or statutory mandate the state can accommodate. I hope we can all agree that this is more than an unprecedented situation; it is simply unacceptable.
Even absent pressure from additional court orders, we still foresee unmanageable financial strains, beginning in July, that will severely limit any payments in core areas not under court mandate or consent decree that provide essential services to the state’s most vulnerable individuals, including but not limited to, long-term care, hospice, and community care and supportive living centers serving the senior community, and ambulatory and other critical medical supplies for the poor and disabled.
In large part, through careful cash management and effective stewardship of the state’s General Revenue Fund, our Office has made every effort to triage this crisis in a way that has prioritized and enabled some hardship payments to the state’s most vulnerable citizens and the programs that serve them while still meeting core obligations. That ability will eventually cease.
It is critical that the state’s fiscal situation be addressed immediately before the cash shortages this summer cause further deterioration. I am available to discuss this situation, and possible remedies, with you personally, as a group in a leaders meeting or individually at your earliest convenience.
In the meantime, I will be meeting and communicating with other public stakeholder groups to share these same warnings.
My closing message is simple: The state can no longer function without a responsible and complete budget without severely impacting our core obligations and decimating services to the state’s most in need citizens. We must put our fiscal house in order. It is already too late. Action is needed now.
I eagerly await your response as to next steps for furthering this discussion.
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Everything old is new again
Tuesday, Jun 20, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Illinois Public Radio…
As Illinois legislators prepare to return to Springfield this week, Democrats are being attacked in a new TV ad campaign from Governor Bruce Rauner.
The commercial says (quote) “Madigan’s puppets blocked the budget” (unquote).
The ad does NOT mention that Rauner himself blocked Senate attempts at a bipartisan “grand bargain.”
* Some guy named Rich Miller, two years ago today during Rauner’s first post-session TV advertising blitz…
On June 16, Rauner launched a nearly $1 million TV advertising blitz slamming Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan for blocking his reforms.
Then again, here’s a question almost nobody is asking: “Did Rauner miscalculate?”
We’ll know more when the real pain hits and everything goes to hell, but I wouldn’t yet bet too much on a massive Democratic cave-in.
In July 2013, Gov. Pat Quinn vetoed lawmakers’ salaries and stipends out of the state budget. He “hit them in the wallet,” he said, to spur action on pension reform.
Instead, all legislative progress suddenly and completely stopped on pension reform for a few months until a court finally ruled that the governor’s veto was unconstitutional. No way were legislators going to let Quinn push them around.
I could very well be wrong, but if legislators wouldn’t cave to protect their own pocketbooks, what makes anyone think they’ll cry “Uncle!” over somebody else’s problems?
Plus, legislators surely know, as they did with Quinn, that they can’t allow a precedent like this to be set: getting Rauner’s approval on the budget by giving in on his legislative agenda. If Democrats capitulate now, then the governor will just do it all over again when next year’s budget negotiations begin. […]
Yes, we’ve never seen a governor like Bruce Rauner before. Yes, the ads he’s running and the budget crisis he apparently is willing to create to obtain his goals are unprecedented.
But if past is prologue, I sure hope the governor has a Plan B in mind.
He didn’t.
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Hocus pocus, dominocus
Tuesday, Jun 20, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Say what you want about Rep. Scott Drury (D-Highwood) - and you can say a lot - he’s right about this assertion…
[Drury] says the state party, which Madigan leads, is about winning at any cost. This, in his opinion, is why his party did not vote to raise the minimum wage when it controlled the governor’s office and had super-majorities in the House and Senate.
“Year after year we say - we plead to a base and say, ‘We’re going to take of you. We’re going to take care of you.’ And then we don’t do anything for them,” Drury said.
Instead of passing a minimum wage increase back when it would’ve been signed into law, Madigan put a non-binding question on the ballot to gin up votes for his party. But then Madigan did nothing after the election during the lame duck session even though he would’ve been justified in passing it because 67 percent of voters approved of the language.
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* Press release…
Today, Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Daniel Biss unveiled his HOME plan for property tax fairness and relief, a comprehensive approach to fix Illinois’ broken property tax valuation, assessment, and appeals system.
“Our property tax system is completely broken, but perfectly reflects the fundamental problem with Illinois right now – the middle class pays more than they should, and we still can’t meet our obligations or fund our priorities because the very rich game the system to pay less than their fair share,” said Biss.
The Biss HOME plan will make property tax valuation in Illinois fairer, end the property tax appeals racket that lines the pockets of attorneys and politicians at the expense of ordinary homeowners, and ultimately provide property tax relief for working and middle-class families.
“For too long the millionaires and machine politicians have been able to manipulate the corrupt property tax system to benefit themselves, leaving ordinary homeowners to pay more. It’s time for a property tax system that’s fair to the rest of us,” Biss added as he laid out his plan before the Melrose Park home of Barbara Garner. Mrs. Garner was recently featured in the Tribune’s bombshell report exposing how the valuation system set up by the Cook County Assessor’s office “harmed the poor and helped the rich.”
“You’ll hear a lot in this campaign decrying our broken property tax system. What you won’t hear are admissions from millionaires and billionaires that they used their wealth and connections to secure six-figure pay days from a system they now decry as candidates. What you also won’t hear are solutions. We need to be honest about our problems. But, the people of Illinois know what’s wrong with Illinois. What they also deserve are honest solutions.”
Biss also announced that he will introduce the Honesty, Openness, Modernization, and Ethics (HOME) in Assessments Act in the state senate along with Sen. Jacqueline Collins later this week.
The Biss HOME Property Tax Fairness and Relief Plan includes:
Honesty and Openness
End the secret and confusing valuation process by requiring county assessors to make it clear to homeowners how they determine our tax bills and prevent assessors from keeping their actions secret.
• Require assessors to publicly disclose the models they use to estimate and validate the value of homes and business.
• Require state oversight and reporting on local officials, conduct audits, provide data, and remove authority from officials who repeatedly fail to do their jobs.
Modernization
• Require assessors to modernize their broken valuation systems, which unfairly make low and middle-income homeowners pay more and rich ones pay less, and fairly value our homes.
• Require detailed statistical analysis by the Department of Revenue to reveal whether properties are being assessed properly, uniformly, and equitably. With modern and fair valuation methods, wealthier residents will pay their fair share, and our over-reliance on property tax appeals to provide relief for low and middle-income homeowners will be reduced.
Ethics
End the racket that lines the pockets of machine politicians and property tax lawyers at the expense of ordinary homeowners.
• Subject property tax lawyers to pay-for-play rules that curb conflicts of interest. Limit contributions from property tax lawyers to assessors, candidates for assessor, and others involved in processing appeals to $750 a year. Any contributions above that cap would result in prohibiting the violating property tax attorney from practicing law.
Nothing too over the top radical there, which is one reason why Chris Kennedy is currently dominating this particular lane with his own “radical” proposals.
* Biss also went after JB Pritzker this week on a different issue, closing the carried interest loophole. Click here for the video. A related story is here.
*** UPDATE 1 *** From the Chris Kennedy campaign…
We’re pleased to see that Chris Kennedy’s push to reform our broken property tax system is gaining interest. All the other Democratic primary candidates should take this issue further by letting voters know if they would embrace the reforms that Chris Kennedy laid out weeks back. We need a leader who is going to restore voters’ faith in our government and our property tax system.
*** UPDATE 2 *** From Abby Witt on Sen. Daniel Biss’ campaign…
“Decrying how broken our property tax system is for ordinary people after landing a six-figure payday for yourself with the help of Mike Madigan isn’t radical, it’s ridiculous. Daniel is doing what other politicians aren’t doing: stating the problem, clearly defining a real, immediate solution that addresses the actual problem, and advocating for the passage of bills to help everyday Illinoisans. If the last two and a half years have taught us anything, it’s that the ultra-wealthy think government service is about hearing themselves talk rather than rolling up their sleeves to get the job done.”
*** UPDATE 3 *** From Jacob Kaplan of the Joe Berrios campaign committee…
“Assessor Berrios strictly follows all campaign finance laws; indeed, all laws. Were a law or laws to change, he would follow any new regulations.”
*** UPDATE 4 *** From the assessor’s office…
The Cook County Assessor’s Office stands by its previous statements that it assesses property fairly and accurately.
We remind Candidate Biss of this basic fact: an Assessor does not set property tax rates or levies. School districts, municipalities and other taxing bodies do that. The Assessor does not decide the dollar amount of property tax bills.
Property assessment is completely separate from local revenue determinations made to meet local budgets. In fact, budgets for schools, police, fire protection and other community needs are forecast a year in advance and are set long before properties are even assessed.
There is equity in assessment in Cook County because Assessor Joseph Berrios and his staff long ago adapted -and always adhere to- the high Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP). These USPAP standards are practiced across the nation. We are no different.
Part of Candidate Biss’ proposal would usurp the rightful authority of every county assessor in the state. This makes no sense and reflects his lack of knowledge of how property assessment works.
Because this office does not engage in political discussions, we referred your inquiry’s facet about political contributions to the Cook County Democratic Party.
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* From a new Illinois Economic Policy Institute publication called “IDOT Shut-Down: Understanding the Economic and Transportation Consequences”…
This report utilizes the industry standard IMPLAN economic analysis software to identify the potential impact of the Illinois Department of Transportation’s (IDOT) recent announcement that it will be unable to continue paying its contractors and will cease all construction work throughout the state on June 30, 2017. While this is expected to impact all IDOT projects, including transit and rail, this report focuses on the $2.2 billion in planned road and bridge improvements in fiscal year (FY) 2018. Assuming a shutdown lasting the entire year, we forecast the following impacts:
* A Shrinking Economy: The loss of $2.2 billion in state infrastructure investment would reduce overall economic activity in the state by $1.77 billion in FY 2018.
* Job Losses: A protracted IDOT shutdown will cause a loss of 23,000 jobs. While middle class construction employment will be most affected, the losses will extend beyond construction related industries and will touch all economic sectors.
* Added Strain on Public Budgets: The loss of jobs and economic activity would reduce state and local tax revenues by $115 million, while increasing demand for taxpayer-funded unemployment insurance by as much as $155 million.
* More Congestion and Transportation Safety Problems: With infrastructure projects designed to alleviate congestion, address safety issues, and complete important maintenance needs, the IDOT shutdown would likely lead to increased travel times and could subject the public to unsafe travel conditions.
Because IDOT projects are fully funded by federal aid, fuel taxes, vehicle fees, and local sources— funding that is protected by a state constitutional amendment passed by Illinois voters in 2016— there is no reason for IDOT funding to be held hostage as part of the ongoing state budget stalemate. An IDOT shutdown is easily prevented through appropriation of already available funds, as was done for FY 2017.
True, but the Rauner administration staunchly opposed legislation during the spring session that would’ve appropriated existing funds sitting idle in state bank accounts for higher education and social services. That money is still accumulating and collecting dust, by the way. But the GA shouldn’t appropriate that idle cash, the governor and Republicans argued, because it would take “pressure” off of legislators to end the impasse.
Unlike higher ed and social services, however, IDOT is threatening a total shutdown. Those transportation folks know how to play the bureaucratic game.
* From the SJ-R…
Even the threat of a statewide transportation-construction shutdown on July 1 — including Illinois’ $1.9 billion high-speed rail program — has begun to cost jobs and put projects behind schedule, according to the industry.
The Illinois Department of Transportation advised contractors last week to prepare for the shutdown if lawmakers are unable to approve a budget by the end of the state fiscal year on June 30. More than a dozen road projects totaling $284 million in the Springfield area alone would be affected, including four partly funded by the city of Springfield. Work on the Third Street rail corridor in Springfield also is part of the high-speed rail project between St. Louis and Chicago.
[I need more coffee, apparently. This was an IEPI publication, not an IDOT publication. Changes have been made.]
*** UPDATE *** Press release…
Democratic Chairmen’s Association Statement Regarding Potential Road Construction Shutdown
Rauner’s inability to compromise will create a public safety crisis and will
affect 23,000 Middle Class jobs
Springfield, IL – Last week the Illinois Department of Transportation issued a dire statement that the agency plans to suspend all construction projects on June 30th if a State Budget is not enacted. With the release of the Illinois Economic Policy Institute’s study on this suspension, Illinois Democratic County Chairmen’s Association President Doug House issued the following statement:
“Every citizen in our state will be affected by the suspension of these projects and it sickens me that Governor Rauner doesn’t care about the job losses and public safety challenges this stalemate guarantees. Whether it is improvements to decade’s old bridges, state highways that are crumbling or the ongoing improvements to our rail corridors, repairing our infrastructure is crucial keeping people safe and keeping our economy growing.”
House also added:
“Social service agencies and higher education institutions have already been burned by Bruce Rauner’s refusal to compromise. We cannot let public safety and our transportation efforts be the next victim.”
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* Sun-Times…
“We need a governor who will listen to our pain, to our cries and not just listen, but roll up their sleeves and do something about it. That’s why I believe in Chris Kennedy,” Rush said.
“When he speaks to the problem of violence . . . he don’t just speak from talking points, he speaks from his own family experience,” Rush said.
A reporter at Monday’s event reminded Kennedy that he’s downplayed the importance of endorsements in the past.
“What you see today is one of the great leaders of the civil rights movement speaking to the people he represents, saying that we need to come together and support a candidate who will look after all of us,” Kennedy said. “That’s different than the insiders, the establishment, the party leadership cramming down a choice on everybody else.”
* Tribune…
“I know Chris Kennedy,” Rush said. “I know the DNA that makes up a Kennedy. As he indicated, I served with four Kennedys in the Congress, and one thing you can say about all of them — they have the same character and they have the same consciousness. They believe and they work for those who are left out, those who are denied access to the American dream.”
Rush said when Kennedy speaks about gun violence and “the problem of the pain of families that violence has visited upon (them), he doesn’t just speak from talking points. He speaks from his own family experience.” Chris Kennedy is the son of the late U.S. Sen. Robert Kennedy and nephew of President John F. Kennedy, both of whom were slain by assassins. […]
“I will not be a party to, nor support, the shenanigans of the Democratic establishment here in Illinois. They want to package with ribbons (and) deliver a gift of the nomination to their choice,” Rush said. “My message to them is that you can’t gift-wrap the gubernatorial nomination because it’s not yours to give. It belongs to the citizens of the … state of Illinois.”
Rush has had a history of being an outspoken critic of power. He defeated a young Barack Obama in 2000 to win re-election to Congress, endorsed an Obama rival for U.S. Senate in Illinois in 2004 and has never been close to the now former president.
* CBS 2…
“The money talks, but money doesn’t listen. And we need a governor who will listen to our pain; to our cries,” Rush said.
* ABC 7…
And, Rush represents a big district. But, which endorsement carries more weight for the governor’s race?
“I would say Gutierrez has more clout because he’s got a higher profile because he has a very large base among the immigrant community. And he’s very popular,” ABC7 political analyst Laura Washington said.
Rush is popular too among his constituency, although, his base is not as big. To win the Democratic primary, a candidate will need a significant portion of the African American and Latino vote.
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React to that bankruptcy story
Tuesday, Jun 20, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Drudge hyped a silly story the other day about the possibility of Illinois filing for bankruptcy, even though there is no way a state can file for bankruptcy and nobody in our congressional delegation (or anyone else’s, as far as I can tell) is pushing to change the law or the US Constitution to allow it. But, Drudge be Drudge, so some reporters followed up. Here’s WICS…
“You would have to have Congress pass and the president sign an amendment to the federal bankruptcy law allowing states to declare bankruptcy,” said Kent Redfield, a political science professor emeritus at the University of Springfield.
U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Illinois, said instead of this, he’d like to see lawmakers work together toward a compromise.
“Come up with a solution because that’s what I think we are going to try and do for our problems in Washington D.C.,” Davis said. “That’s a message I’m sending in Washington, and a message I continue to send to our leaders in Springfield and I hope they can come up with that compromise.”
Bankruptcy could also potentially be unconstitutional.
“There is a provision in the U.S. Constitution, Article 1, Section 10, that prohibits states from impairing contracts,” Redfield said. “And then you’d probably get into a long court battle about exactly does that specifically apply to things like pensions, like bonds.”
Yep.
* Fox News…
“Nobody here in Illinois is considering bankruptcy—first of all, it’s not allowed,” Steve Brown, press secretary for Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. “Second of all, it would damage the reputation of the state and it’s just not necessary.”
U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, both Democrats from Illinois, declined to respond to Fox News’ request for comment on whether they would consider getting involved in introducing a measure to push for legality of state bankruptcy.
“Illinois is the fiscal model of what not to do,” Rep. Peter Roskam, R-Ill., told Fox News, while not commenting on the bankruptcy question. “This avoidance in behavior toward dealing with our challenges is what leads to the devastating impacts we are seeing today.”
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Blaming the victim
Tuesday, Jun 20, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Sun-Times…
The Chicago Public Schools will pay 6.39 percent — an extraordinary interest rate by short-term lending standards — to borrow $275 million it needs to make a mandatory payment for retiree pensions before a June 30 deadline.
That’s more than four times the interest rate a typical government would pay on the same borrowing deal, financial experts say.
It’s yet another sign of the dire financial condition of the nation’s third-largest public school system, which for months has had a “junk” credit rating from Wall Street financial institutions.
CPS officials secured the $275 million on Monday from J.P. Morgan. It’s the final chunk of cash needed to make the $721 million payment for teacher pensions that’s due at the end of the month, senior vice president of finance Ron DeNard said in a statement. […]
After fielding three competing bids, CPS chose J.P. Morgan to provide the so-called “grant anticipation notes,” which will be backed by state block grant money CPS is entitled to — but has yet to receive — in the ongoing budget stalemate. The interest rate will fluctuate monthly.
* Tribune…
“We are saddened that the Chicago Public School district is trading its future financial health for another short term easy fix,” Rauner’s spokeswoman wrote in a statement issued Monday night. “It has no one to blame high interest rates on other than the decades of mismanagement that created this crisis.”
* Huh? Let’s flash back to May…
But CPS lacks enough cash to make the full $716 million pension payment because state grants are delayed. CPS says it’s owed $467 million by the state.
That’s what the loan is all about — covering delayed state payments, Brown said.
The loan, called a Grant Anticipation Loan, is not particularly risky because it is short term and is backed by a dedicated revenue source — the state money. The expectation is that the state will eventually make good on what it owes Chicago.
So, CPS has to borrow money because the state is a deadbeat and can’t pay the almost half a billion dollars it owes. And the interest rate is high not only because of CPS’ credit problems, but because the state is teetering on junk bond status and can’t be trusted to pay its obligations.
Yet, the Rauner administration blames CPS.
* From Rep. Christian Mitchell (D-Chicago)…
Governor Rauner’s cruelty is, once again, costing poor kids in Chicago tens of millions of dollars that should be going into the classroom.
Last year, Bruce Rauner – a former finance “guru” - floated bankruptcy for CPS right before the district sought a bond issue, jeopardizing the ability of the district to continue operations. Rauner knew the consequences, and did it purposefully to hurt poor kids. Now Rauner plans to veto a school funding plan that helps every poor child in the state simply because it doesn’t do enough to hurt Chicago, whose poor children are overwhelmingly black and brown. And let’s not forget that Rauner’s budget ended funding for violence prevention, despite the tears he claims to shed for gunshot victims.
Whenever the question is “This will help poor children, should we…?” Bruce Rauner’s answer is: “Let them eat cake.” His unmitigated cruelty toward people of color is why his cabinet looks like a Trump family photo, and is part of why he’s a failed governor.
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Medicaid providers talks extended to June 28th
Tuesday, Jun 20, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tribune…
A deal in a federal case over how quickly the state has to pay down its about $2 billion in Medicaid bills was expected Tuesday.
But Medicaid patients who sued Illinois and state officials are still talking. Now, they’re set to appear before federal Judge Joan Lefkow on June 28.
Whatever the two sides decide is likely to force Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza to cut back on payments for other expenses, which could put her crosswise with state law and state courts and further delay other state payments at a time when Illinois is already sitting on $15.1 billion in unpaid bills.
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[Bumped up to Tuesday for visibility.]
* Press release…
Governor Delivers Live Address
On eve of special session, speech to highlight need for unity on compromise balanced budget plan
SPRINGFIELD – Governor Rauner will deliver a live address to the people of Illinois tomorrow night from the Old State Capitol in Springfield. The address will focus on unity and passing a balanced budget to put Illinois on a path to a brighter future.
“Illinois deserves real change, and the time to act has never been more urgent,” Rauner spokeswoman Eleni Demertzis said. “As we approach one of the most important legislative sessions in Illinois history, the Governor wants to reiterate his desire to work with all members of the General Assembly to improve the quality of life for the people of Illinois. Governor Rauner supports the compromise budget proposal lawmakers introduced last week, which delivers a truly balanced budget, spending caps, real property tax relief, term limits and other job-creating changes to the system.”
Last week, Governor Rauner announced he was calling lawmakers back to Springfield for a 10-day special session from Wednesday, June 21 to Friday, June 30, which is the fiscal year deadline. In calling the special session, the Governor encouraged the General Assembly to consider legislation that will reach a balanced budget and implement other structural changes. The Governor will cancel any remaining special session days if the General Assembly enacts the compromise balanced budget plan prior to June 30th.
Logistics:
Hit time: 6:03:00 p.m.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Pritzker campaign…
JB Pritzker Statement on Bruce Rauner’s Sham “Unity” Address
Chicago, IL — In response to Bruce Rauner’s sham “unity” address scheduled for tomorrow evening, JB Pritzker released the following statement:
“720 days into a manufactured budget crisis of his own creating, Bruce Rauner either doesn’t have the slightest clue what unity is or just doesn’t care,” said JB Pritzker. “Unity is not introducing a ‘compromise’ budget produced in secret by Republicans and entirely lacking in any actual compromise. Unity is not Bruce Rauner planning to veto school funding reform legislation that he 90% agrees with. Unity and leadership are more than words. Bruce Rauner can’t just say the word ‘unity’ when every single action he has taken as governor has only served his own self-interest and devastated Illinois families along the way. Leadership is having the courage and ability to bring people together, compromise and negotiate, and get results. Rauner has proven time and again that he is not a leader and tomorrow’s speech will do nothing to change that.”
*** UPDATE 2 *** Greg Hinz…
Indeed, even before word of the speech officially was released, Madigan spokesman Steve Brown was deriding it in so many words as a political stunt.
“Is he counter-programming the attack ads, mail, door-to-door (flyers), fake news radio?” Brown asked in an email, referring to a new round of attacks on Democrats that Rauner’s campaign committee has launched in recent days. “Apparently taxpayers foot (the) bill for this part of the campaign.” […]
Rauner’s speech tonight is effective theater in one sense, though: It tightens the screws a bit more on Madigan to finally put his own spending plan on the table.
The speaker has not indicated when, or if, that will occur.
*** UPDATE 3 *** ILGOP…
Pritzker and Madigan Sync Up Talking Points
Attack Governor Rauner for Detailing Budget Plan
In a shocking display of partisanship amid crisis, Billionaire J.B. Pritzker and his political patron Mike Madigan synced up their talking points this week – attacking Governor Rauner for detailing a compromise budget plan.
Last week, Governor Rauner and Republicans in both the House and Senate laid out a compromise plan to balance the budget, grow jobs, and reform state government. The plan incorporated ideas from Democrats as well as concessions Republicans had already discussed with the other side.
But Madigan’s office wasted no time criticizing compromise. As the News-Gazette Editorial Board notes, “the words were hardly out of the governor’s mouth before” Madigan started “casting aspersions” on a compromise budget and reform deal.
And just yesterday, J.B. Pritzker issued a press release criticizing a speech he had yet to even listen to, attacking Governor Rauner.
Here’s the funny thing about J.B. Pritker’s attempt to criticize a detailed Republican plan to end the budget impasse, balance the budget, grow jobs, and reform state government – Pritzker has yet to propose any meaningful ideas of his own except a massive tax increase.
Just take a look at Pritzker’s “vision” website full of vague spending increases.
What’s missing? Term limits, a property tax freeze, pension reform, spending caps, fair maps, or a plan to balance the budget.
That’s because Pritzker is already on record opposing reforms, just like Mike Madigan.
Until J.B. Pritzker proposes a plan to fix Illinois, and until Mike Madigan’s House passes a balanced budget, neither politician has any leg to stand on.
“In a shocking display of partisanship amid crisis”? Hilarious.
*** UPDATE 4 *** JB Pritzker’s Communications Director Galia Slayen…
“In a shocking display of partisanship amid the crisis Bruce Rauner created, the Illinois GOP is once again spewing their tired talking points. While thousands of people suffer, Bruce Rauner and the GOP refuse to let go of their special interest agenda that has nothing to do with passing a budget. 720 days into this crisis Bruce Rauner finally decides he wants to call for unity, but it’s clear he has never stopped campaigning. The Illinois GOP should focus on helping their failed governor clean up his mess, but they’re too busy attacking JB because they know he’s the best candidate to take on their failed leader.”
*** UPDATE 5 *** ILGOP…
“Billionaire Pritzker wants massive tax hikes but thinks term limits, fair maps, a property tax freeze, pension reform, spending caps, and job growth is a special interest agenda? Governor Rauner’s interest is the people of Illinois. J.B. Pritzker’s interest is Mike Madigan.”
*** UPDATE 6 *** JB Pritzker’s Communications Director Galia Slayen…
“Governor Rauner’s interest is the people of Illinois? How about the Illinois children, families, seniors, people with disabilities, domestic and sexual violence survivors and public school teachers who are little more than pawns in his crusade to strip working families of the tools they need to build better lives? This is a sham unity speech from a sham governor who has failed our state.”
*** UPDATE 7 *** Tribune…
“I find it tragically comedic that a governor who has done more to divide this state than probably any other governor in history is going to give a unity address,” said Rep. Christian Mitchell, D-Chicago.
*** UPDATE 8 *** Mayor Emanuel…
“Tonight we’ll hear yet another speech about a state budget from the Governor, the fourth like it he’s given. Since he’s taken office all he’s done is give speeches and run TV ads — and he’s passed zero budgets. Under Governor Rauner today Illinois is dead last in education funding, Illinois has the worst credit rating of any state in the history of the country, and for three years running Illinois is the only state without a budget. Talk is cheap. Actions matter.”
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