* PPP…
In Illinois’ 6th Congressional District, Republican incumbent Congressman Peter Roskam has an approval rating of 34%, and a majority (53%) of voters say they do not approve of the job he is doing. President Trump has an approval rating of 38% and a disapproval rating of 57% in Roskam’s district, while 8% of voters say they approve of the job Congress is doing and 85% say they disapprove. Speaker Paul Ryan is also unpopular with 25% of voters saying they approve of the job he is doing, and a majority (66%) responding that they disapprove.
These percentages, along with a hypothetical matchup between Roskam and a “Democratic opponent,” where Roskam has 41% of the vote and his Democratic opponent has 51%, indicate that Roskam is quite vulnerable in his upcoming re-election. The new tax plan is not popular in his district, and a majority of voters (54%) indicated they would be less likely to vote for Roskam if he voted in favor of the Republican tax plan.
PPP surveyed 599 IL-6 voters from November 9-10, 2017. The margin of error is +/- 4.0%. This poll was conducted by automated telephone interviews.
Hillary Clinton won Roskam’s district by 7 points last year, but Republican Sen. Mark Kirk won it by 6. Roskam won by 18.
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Somebody should read the actual law
Wednesday, Nov 15, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Sun-Times…
In a statement Wednesday, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions accused Illinois and other governments of adopting “the view that the protection of criminal aliens is more important than the protection of law-abiding citizens and of the rule of law.”
At risk is federal funding from the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant. That’s the same grant at the center of a legal fight Chicago is waging with Trump’s Justice Department. […]
The Illinois Trust Act would prohibit police in Illinois from detaining or arresting a person based on their immigration status or on federal immigration detainer. The Justice Department letter pointed to that language in its letter.
“The department is concerned that this appears to restrict the sending of information regarding immigration status,” it states. [Emphasis added]
Oh, for crying out loud. Maybe everybody needs to read the law, including the Sun-Times.
* Public Act 100-0463…
Section 15. Prohibition on enforcing federal civil immigration laws.
(a) A law enforcement agency or law enforcement official shall not detain or continue to detain any individual solely on the basis of any immigration detainer or non-judicial immigration warrant or otherwise comply with an immigration detainer or non-judicial immigration warrant.
(b) A law enforcement agency or law enforcement official shall not stop, arrest, search, detain, or continue to detain a person solely based on an individual’s citizenship or immigration status.
(c) This Section 15 does not apply if a law enforcement agency or law enforcement official is presented with a valid, enforceable federal warrant. Nothing in this Section 15 prohibits communication between federal agencies or officials and law enforcement agencies or officials.
(d) A law enforcement agency or law enforcement official acting in good faith in compliance with this Section who releases a person subject to an immigration detainer or non-judicial immigration warrant shall have immunity from any civil or criminal liability that might otherwise occur as a result of making the release, with the exception of willful or wanton misconduct. [Emphasis added.]
Aside from the preamble, definitions and some training language, that’s all the law says.
* But let’s look at the preamble, which is entitled “Legislative Purpose”…
Recognizing that State law does not currently grant State or local law enforcement the authority to enforce federal civil immigration laws, it is the intent of the General Assembly that nothing in this Act shall be construed to authorize any law enforcement agency or law enforcement official to enforce federal civil immigration law. This Act shall not be construed to prohibit or restrict any entity from sending to, or receiving from, the United States Department of Homeland Security or other federal, State, or local government entity information regarding the citizenship or immigration status of any individual under Sections 1373 and 1644 of Title 8 of the United States Code. Further, nothing in this Act shall prevent a law enforcement officer from contacting another law enforcement agency for the purposes of clarifying or confirming the nature and status of possible offenses in a record provided by the National Crime Information Center, or detaining someone based on a notification in the Law Enforcement Agencies Data Administrative System unless it is clear that request is based on a non-judicial immigration warrant. [Emphasis added.]
* And from Definitions…
“Non-judicial immigration warrant” means a Form I-200 or I-205 administrative warrant or any other immigration warrant or request that is not approved or ordered by a judge, including administrative warrants entered into the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Crime Information Center database.
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Because… Madigan!
Wednesday, Nov 15, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The governor has had a pretty consistent message during this week’s campaign tour, all held at smallish businesses. As we’ve already discussed, he is recycling his 2014 campaign promises on rolling back the income tax rate to 3 percent, freezing property taxes, etc. But his main focus in on one man. From his stop at Moline’s Parr Instrument Co.…
“This is exactly the type of company we want to help grow in the state of Illinois,” Gov. Rauner said. “Small business is the backbone of the Illinois economy. Most people work for small businesses like Parr. We want to keep the restrictions and regulations off you so you can grow. […]
Gov. Rauner asked voters to contact their local legislators and threaten not to re-elect them unless they promised not to make Mr. Madigan speaker again.
“If your representative is a Democrat, ask them, ‘Will you promise not to make Speaker Madigan the speaker again after 35 years?’ He becomes speaker by the legislators voting for him to be speaker,” Gov. Rauner said. “We need some fresh leadership. It doesn’t matter who they pick in the General Assembly, anybody would be better than the one we’ve had for 35 years.”
Gov. Rauner accused Speaker Madigan of corruption, alleging he has earned millions through his property tax appeal law firm. By keeping property taxes high, Speaker Madigan makes money when businesses hire his firm to lower their property taxes through an appeal process.
“It’s a very corrupt system. We need somebody who has more integrity in his leadership,” Gov. Rauner said. “Everything I’m fighting to do is bipartisan. Everybody wants property taxes down, everybody wants income taxes rolled back, and everybody wants more jobs in this state. Everybody, except Speaker Madigan. Get someone else to be speaker, and then we can change the system.”
* Rockford’s SupplyCore…
Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner stopped in Rockford Tuesday to campaign for re-election and took aim at House Speaker Michael Madigan, not challengers for the top state post.
“Speaker Madigan is really the core problem,” the Republican governor said of the Democrat. […]
Rauner said voters should ask legislative candidates this question: “Will they commit to not make Speaker Madigan (the) speaker again?” He said Madigan has created a culture of “self-dealing” and “patronage.”
“Thirty-five years, that is a long time,” Rauner said of Madigan’s tenure in the post. “We have folks in office for 20, 30, 40 years. … You should not stay in one place. You get corrupted. … I don’t think anybody should stay in power, maybe eight, 10 years at the most.”
* Peoria’s Philippi-Hagenbuch Inc...
Rauner also continues to villainize long-time House Speaker Mike Madigan. He’s calling on all voters to only support candidates who support term limits.
* Troy’s EJ Equipment…
He spoke about a lot of his familiar themes during his first term as governor, calling for a property tax freeze, limiting government, rolling back the recent income tax hike, which he tied directly to Speaker Mike Madigan, and calling for a balanced budget by making the state more pro-growth and pro-business. […]
“Small business is the backbone of the economy,” Rauner said. “A majority of the people of Illinois work for a small business. The success of small business is the key to the success of our state.”
* Decatur’s T/CCI…
As he has previously, Rauner continued to campaign against Madigan. He blamed the speaker for the income tax increase and high property taxes, as well as a range of other problems, and he told workers they ought to get Democratic lawmakers in the area to commit to abandon him in order to get their votes.
“He’s the one holding us back,” Rauner said. “So we must get him out.”
Steve Brown, a spokesman for the speaker, responded that many of the things that Rauner counts as successes, such as the school funding reform law — which the governor initially vetoed — got the speaker’s support, too. “If you look at his criticism, it is not based in real facts,” Brown said.
* Meanwhile, Comptroller Mendoza was recently in LaSalle County…
Rauner has spent millions of dollars seeking to tie Democrats to what he considers Madigan’s Chicago political machine.
“The governor has tried to make this all about Madigan,” Mendoza said. “That’s all he can say for having no accomplishments for the last two years. People will be surprised to see in the next election that this Madigan person is not on the ballot.” […]
Nearly all Republicans joined Democrats in opposing the governor’s veto. Despite the bipartisan backing, Rauner accused Mendoza of trying to micromanage the departments under his control.
“He said it was just me and Speaker Madigan. I don’t know the last time I said ‘hi’ to the speaker. Our paths don’t really collide,” Mendoza said.
I don’t even run into the guy.
OK.
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Question of the day
Wednesday, Nov 15, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From a Huffington Post story entitled “Congresswoman Says At Least 2 Members Of Congress Are Sexual Harassers”…
Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) said he was worried that an unfortunate consequence of the increased awareness around sexual harassment is that offices would avoid hiring female staffers so as not to get caught up in any scandals.
“I have a female-led staff, and I asked them their opinion,” he said during the hearing. “They were concerned … that an unintended consequence may be some offices just take a shortcut and not hire women as a way to avoid these issues. Obviously that’s not the right approach.”
We talked about this yesterday. The reporter initially tweeted: “Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL) says he’s worried congressional offices will hire fewer women to avoid issue of sexual harassment,” and that caused a general freakout on Twitter.
* Tom Kacich…
Davis’ chief of staff is Jennifer Daulby. His district director also is a woman, Helen Albert. And his spokesperson is also female.
But Emily’s List, which has endorsed Betsy Londrigan of Springfield in the March 2018 Democratic primary, cited Terkel’s original tweet and issued a statement that incorrectly called Davis’ statement a “suggestion.”
It said, “In response to Congressman Rodney Davis’ suggestion that congressional offices hire fewer women in order to avoid sexual harassment, Stephanie Schriock, president of EMILY’s List, released the following statement: ‘Or we can elect more women to replace backwards, out-of-touch Republican lawmakers like Congressman Rodney Davis, and hire more women in senior positions.’”
* EMILY’s List went beyond that statement. From the group’s president…
* And one of Davis’ would-be Democratic opponents prematurely piled on…
* Londrigan also retweeted some harsh stuff…
* Longridgan even paid for a Facebook ad…
* From Davis’ Communications Director Ashley Phelps…
“As someone who has a female-led office that provides female staffers with the same opportunities as male staffers, Congressman Davis is working to ensure the same applies in other congressional offices, which the Office of House Employment confirmed is not always the case,” Phelps said. “I would hope that everyone who has chosen to politicize this, would instead join Congressman Davis in wanting Congress to be a workplace grounded in respect and a place of opportunity for female professionals.
“As Congressman Davis said during the hearing, he asked his female staffers for our opinion and we all shared instances where either ourselves or another female we knew was not hired, promoted, or allowed to do the same job as a male simply because the office wanted to avoid any appearance of impropriety,” Phelps continued. “This is wrong. This is just one of the reasons we have chosen to work for Congressman Davis – we are not treated differently than our male counterparts and have plenty of opportunities for promotions and grow within our jobs.”
* The Question: Should Betsy Londrigan and EMILY’s List publicly apologize to Davis? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
survey hosting
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Madigan’s Ald. Quinn defends expenditures
Wednesday, Nov 15, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From a group with alleged ties to the Illinois Policy Institute…
Today, Project Six released a two-part investigation showing how Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s office stepped in to allow Alderman Marty Quinn (13th Ward) to illegally spend money from his aldermanic expense account. The investigation also shows how Quinn and Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan have advertised equipment purchased with city tax dollars as available for use outside of the ward and even city limits and then used city-owned equipment for political advertisements.
The first part of the investigation reveals how Emanuel’s office overrode the city’s rejection of a $25,000 expense request from Quinn to illegally purchase an industrial motor vehicle that violates the city’s aldermanic expense code.
In 2015, Quinn purchased an industrial multipurpose vehicle (Polaris brand Brutus HD PTO Deluxe) and submitted the expense to the city for payment out of his aldermanic expense account. A Brutus vehicle violates the city’s code that prohibits aldermen from purchasing any kind of motor vehicle with their expense accounts. The Chicago Department of Finance initially rejected the expense request for violating the city’s Municipal Code, but—despite having no official role in the voucher process—the Mayor’s Office overrode the city’s rejection, approved the voucher and allowed it to be paid.
The second part of the investigation shows how Quinn purchased a piece of equipment with city tax dollars and, along with Madigan, advertised it for use outside of Quinn’s ward and even outside of city limits and put political signs on the city-owned piece of equipment.
In 2013, Quinn’s office purchased a $52,513 graffiti blaster with his aldermanic expense account. Quinn and Madigan, who share a service office, then advertised it for constituent use in Madigan’s district, which goes outside of Quinn’s ward and even outside of the city limits of Chicago. Quinn and Madigan also put a political sign on the city-owned equipment, which is prohibited by law.
The investigation from Project Six, titled “How Alderman Marty Quinn is abusing his taxpayer-funded aldermanic expense account,” shows the questionable spending of Quinn’s expense account and the roles of the offices of Emanuel and Madigan in the abuses.
“What is troubling about this investigation is not just the illegal spending of tax dollars by the alderman, but the blatant disregard for the law by the Mayor’s Office and the cavalier regard for ethics rules by both Alderman Quinn and Speaker Madigan,” said Faisal Khan, CEO of Project Six. “When the law says an alderman cannot buy a vehicle with taxpayer dollars or put political signs on city property—regardless of their intent—they are required to follow the law. No one, including the mayor or his staff, has veto power over Chicago’s Municipal Code. Chicagoans frustratedly understand government waste and mismanagement, but illegal actions compounded with collaboration by high-ranking political officials is unacceptable. This case shows how far Chicago is from truthful and corruption-free governance.”
The full investigation, with both parts including legal analysis of Chicago’s Municipal Code and evidence showing the expense forms and illegal use, is available here: http://bit.ly/2zCt2zt
* Sun-Times…
But the alderman did not deny any of Khan’s findings. In fact, he defended the spending as a service to his constituents.
“Did I purchase a graffiti blaster when I first started, when it was taking upwards of three weeks to remove graffiti in the 13th Ward, to remove graffiti the same day? Yes — as a way to give that money back to my constituents,” said Quinn, who moonlights as a political consultant for Madigan.
“Did I buy a piece of machinery that has the ability to snowplow sidewalks for 400 of my senior citizens? Yes, I did. … Is that a good use of taxpayer dollars? Yes, it is. I’ve utilized taxpayer dollars to deal with constituent requests.”
Quinn did not respond directly when asked about Khan’s allegation that he used city equipment in a district that was not confined to his ward and that he and Madigan put their names on the equipment in, what amounted to “political advertising.”
“Bruce Rauner. Illinois Policy Institute. Enough said,” the alderman said.
“Utilizing taxpayer dollars to remove graffiti, utilizing taxpayer dollars to remove snow for seniors. Utilizing taxpayer dollars to do extra garbage carts? Yeah. That’s a real good use of taxpayer dollars. Everything else is politics.”
I’m surprised they didn’t mention the towable tree-trimming machine.
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You can’t change anything if you don’t win
Wednesday, Nov 15, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Neil Steinberg interviews Sen. Daniel Biss…
“This has become a national referendum on whether you can run for office as a normal person at all,” [Biss] said. “In the era of Trump we have to decide if you can run for office if you’re not a billionaire. If you can’t run unless you are financing yourself, that is terrifying for democracy.” […]
I thought of quibbling at Biss, with his Harvard degree and MIT doctorate, casting himself as a regular joe. But I guess on the Pritzker scale he is.
We do seem to be at a watershed moment when it comes to our nation’s long slide back into the Gilded Age, when the rich crowned themselves in laurel branches and ate banquets on horseback while the poor sold matches in the street. […]
“Does it really have to be this way?” Biss asked. “Are we going to be told by Democrats that the only path forward is to pick our own billionaire?”
Isn’t it?
“I present the public a credible alternative,” he said. “Otherwise, we’ll have 17 billionaires having a meeting every four years to decide who will be governor.”
It’s probably a good debate to have. So, have it.
But Biss can instantly make his campaign much more “credible” by securing endorsements from left-leaning groups like the Chicago Teachers Union, SEIU, etc. That’ll give him money and troops. So far, he’s mostly been endorsed by legislative colleagues.
In other words, this Steinberg interview comes off as a bit whiny to me. The reality is what the reality is, and you have to deal with reality in this business.
* Yes, Biss is running against a billionaire. But that billionaire has been endorsed by much of organized labor and three statewide officeholders. He’s not just relying on cash and ads.
And he’s spending his cash well. Pritzker has opened thirteen field offices (Biss, by contrast, has one field office in his hometown of Evanston and one in his running mate’s hometown of Rockford). Pritzker has spelled out positions on a wide range of policies (most of which are just as “progressive” as Biss’ and some of which are more progressive than Biss’ legislative voting record). In other words, Pritzker has been showing everyone for months that he is capable of running a real campaign against Gov. Rauner. Biss? Not yet.
And even if Pritzker wasn’t in the race, Biss would be up against a different sort of inherited wealth. Chris Kennedy’s family has put less money into the race than Biss’ family, but Kennedy’s last name is worth a fortune to his campaign. Would Biss be complaining about that, too, if Pritzker wasn’t around?
So, again, go ahead and push this debate, Daniel. It’s reasonable. But also show people that you are up to the task of defeating a Republican with an unlimited checkbook and can help down-ballot candidates do the same.
* Related…
* Daniel Biss speaks at Town Hall hosted by College Democrats and Political Union: “If we respond to a set of scandals that have arisen around sexual harassment in the capitol building by doing anything other than acknowledging the massive institutions of racism, sexism and privilege that infuses every single corner of American society, if we pretend that there’s some sort of iron-clad wall that separates the causes of sexual harassment from the causes of gender and pay discrimination, from the causes of a situation where women are promoted in workplaces less frequently, from the causes of a situation where no democratic candidate for governor is a woman, but in this moment of all moments, with Donald Trump as the president and a women’s protest movement changing the world, you’ve got a whole bunch of unbearable dudes running for governor on the democratic side. That’s not a coincidence.”
* Governor candidate Sen. Daniel Biss speaks at Western Illinois University: “In my opinion, this election should be about not just how to stop someone who’s horrible at being governor from being governor and then declare victory no matter what we’ve replaced him with. Instead it should be an understanding of how we got to where we were at the end of 2014 with an unfair tax system, universities that weren’t properly funded, schools that were unfairly funded, social service providers that were fraying,” he said.
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* Press release…
Today, Illinois State Treasurer Mike Frerichs endorsed JB Pritzker for governor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s Illini Union. This marks JB’s third endorsement by a statewide officeholder after Comptroller Susana Mendoza and Secretary of State Jesse White endorsed the campaign.
“There is no one standing taller for Illinois families than Treasurer Mike Frerichs,” said JB Pritzker. “Mike works hard every day to put his office on the side of working families. While Bruce Rauner racks up state debt, Mike is fighting for the investments that will help reduce the debt. And while Bruce Rauner lets businesses leave our state and wastes opportunities, Mike is finding ways to encourage investment in our economy and looking to the future. I think it’s time Mike had a partner in the governor’s office, fighting right beside him. Together, we’re going to make Illinois a place people respect and a place where innovation happens. When I’m governor, we’re going to help small businesses thrive.”
“As the state’s chief investment officer, I’m confident that JB Pritzker will restore fiscal responsibility in Illinois and I’m so proud to endorse his campaign today,” said Illinois State Treasurer Mike Frerichs. “I’ve seen firsthand how Bruce Rauner has wrecked our state finances, putting Illinois through a historic budget impasse and pushing colleges and universities to the brink. We must bring Illinois out of financial ruin and I know JB is ready to get our state back on track. JB has real plans to stand with our entrepreneurs and college students, grow our economy, and create jobs across the state. I look forward to standing with him to invest in our communities and chart a new path forward for Illinois.”
*** UPDATE *** ILGOP…
Mike Frerichs is “Standing Tall” for Mike Madigan’s Handpicked Candidate
With a record of standing in Madigan’s shadow, no surprise Frerichs has lined up with Pritzker
“With yet another Madigan ally lining up behind Pritzker, it is clear that the Madigan Machine will stop at nothing to secure the nomination for Pritzker. Mike Frerichs has repeatedly stood with Madigan to gerrymander legislative maps and hike taxes on Illinois families. Now, Frerichs plans to do the same with J.B. Pritzker, Mike Madigan’s handpicked candidate for governor.” - Illinois Republican Party Spokesman Aaron DeGroot
On Wednesday, Mike Madigan ally and tax-hike supporter Mike Frerichs endorsed J.B. Pritzker for Governor. The announcement comes as no surprise as Frerichs has a record of blocking reform to protect Madigan’s power.
During his time in the Illinois Senate, Frerichs voted in support of Madigan’s gerrymandering of legislative district maps.
Frerichs also voted for the 67% Quinn-Madigan tax hike that put an increased strain on Illinois families already grossly overtaxed by Democrats in Springfield.
Madigan’s Tax Hike Team is back at it, adding one more name to the growing list of Madigan cronies backing his handpicked candidate for governor, J.B. Pritzker.
[ *** End Of Update *** ]
* Press release…
Today, Daniel Biss announced the endorsement of Illinois State Representative Carol Ammons, who represents the 103rd District.
“After three years of working with Daniel on progressive legislation that prioritizes working families and the marginalized members of our state, I was filled with hope when he announced his run for governor,” said Representative Ammons. “Today, I am proud to endorse Daniel Biss for Governor of Illinois.
“The 2018 election will be a defining moment in Illinois’ history. We have the opportunity to change the landscape, direction, and priorities of Illinois politics all across the state by voting in our local elections all the way up to the governor’s race” said Representative Ammons.
“With his decade-long record of grassroots organizing and legislative accomplishments to make our state a better place for middle-class families like his own, Daniel is the progressive leader I trust to lead that change. I look forward to rallying our communities and our state around a hopeful 2018 election cycle.”
“Carol is a progressive champion and it’s an honor to welcome her to Team Biss,” said Daniel Biss. “This campaign is about building a grassroots movement to fight for middle-class and working families in this election cycle and beyond. Recognized in her own community, across our state, and even by Bernie Sanders as a tireless leader of the progressive movement, Carol is an invaluable member of our team. Her passion and dedication have been an inspiration in the legislature and progressive community, and I look forward to working together on the campaign trail and beyond.”
In endorsing Daniel Biss, Carol Ammons joins other progressive leaders and organizations including U.S. Congresswoman Robin Kelly, former Lieutenant Governor Sheila Simon, State Representatives Kelly Cassidy and Will Guzzardi, and many more. See the full list of endorsements here.
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* Using union contractors on private home construction isn’t exactly common. But I guess stuff like this happens when Rep. Michael McAullife, Chicago’s only Republican state legislator, who has past union support but then repeatedly voted against unions on a bill to ban the creation of local “right to work” zones in Illinois and then hired non-union workers for extensive renovation work on his house…
Operating Engineers Local 150’s truck and IBEW Local 134’s van are pictured above. It’s IBEW’s rat and I’m told the union has established an official picket line.
150 is upset about a non-union excavator operating within the city limits, but they’re just doing “bannering” - meaning its truck drives around.
As you already know, 150 took the lead on the right to work zone ban bill, which could not overcome a Gov. Rauner veto.
I’ve asked the House GOP for a response.
Fair or not?
*** UPDATE 1 *** From Rep. McAuliffe…
I respect that people have a difference of option and the right to peaceful protest. This is the core of our democracy and fabric of our freedom. However, protesting outside of my home and driving a van with disparaging content in front of my children’s school is completely unacceptable. My presumed opponent, Merry Marwig and certain union leaders have demonstrated a new low in politics and while I respect that fact that we have a difference of opinion I would hope that the line can be drawn when it comes to disrupting the lives of my family and our neighbors.
It appears from one of the photos that Marwig was in the crowd at his house.
*** UPDATE 2 *** From Merry Marwig…
Michael McAuliffe has taken millions of dollars from Bruce Rauner, and he continually votes with Rauner at the expense of union families from our neighborhood. Just last week, McAuliffe broke a promise when he thought we weren’t looking by refusing to stand up to Rauner’s extreme assault on workers’ rights. After 20 years of Michael McAuliffe pretending to be our buddy when he’s in our neighborhood and then turning his back and selling us out in Springfield, it’s no surprise that hardworking men and women are calling out McAuliffe’s dishonesty.
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Oppo dump!
Wednesday, Nov 15, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tribune…
Mickey Straub, the village president of Burr Ridge, says he’s challenging House Republican leader Jim Durkin of Western Springs in the March primary. And when you contemplate a primary bid against a sitting legislative leader, things you wrote in the past can quickly come bubbling back up.
Take Straub’s May 1997 letter to the editor in the suburban Daily Herald. At the time, then-Illinois Supreme Court Justice James Heiple stood accused of abusing his position to get out of traffic stops.
* Click here for the 20-year-old letter…
I may not have followed every detail in the Justice James Heiple case, but it sure looks to me like we’ve wasted a lot of time and money, our money, raking somebody over the coals for doing something we’re all probably guilty of to some extent. I just don’t get it. Surely there are more important events the high court can be dealing with, and the media reporting.
Here’s my point. We’ve all been guilty of expecting special treatment because of who or what we know at one time or another, or because of the “bennies” (benefits) of a particular position. I bet if you know the owner of a restaurant, you get better seats, or someone who sells tickets, you get better tickets. Whether you are in the dry cleaning, landscaping or automobile business, selling dishes or doughnuts, “influencing” goes on from cradle to grave.
I bet the owner of a doughnut shop gets the freshest doughnuts. Do you think if a police officer got pulled over for speeding, he/she wouldn’t flash the badge or drop hints for special treatment? Would you? Of course we would, and this is as it should be. To impeach someone because of it is to deny human nature, and the benefits of relationships.
OK, maybe he overdid it. A distorted view of our own self-importance should probably get us in trouble. But censuring, an impeachment hearing, losing your job? Isn’t this going a little bit too far? Let’s not waste our valuable time and money, and instead funnel our efforts into things that can make this world a better place to live.
Mickey Straub
Burr Ridge
* Why is this ancient letter important or relevant? Well, as I’ve been telling subscribers for quite a while now, Straub is gonna be a tougher candidate than the Republicans first expected…
Straub’s candidacy is getting some unlikely support from the political arm of International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150. Durkin’s camp is a aware of the union’s actions, a result of the House GOP leader keeping his caucus from backing an override of legislation vetoed by Gov. Rauner that would have banned municipalities from enacting local “right-to-work” ordinances.
Though many of Rauner’s vetoes were overridden amid Republican pique with the governor among the GOP’s rank-and-file, Rauner and Durkin had made upholding the “right-to-work” ban a priority.
Straub is being backed by the political operation of talk show host and failed 2010 GOP governor primary candidate Dan Proft.
Subscribers know much more about this.
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* You’ll recall this from yesterday…
The gubernatorial race in Illinois is entering a new phase as the presumed Democratic front-runner finds himself under attack, with comparisons to President Donald Trump.
The latest twist is in a new ad launched by Daniel Biss, who goes after billionaire JB Pritzker over his tax returns.
The video shows Trump responding to questions about releasing his tax returns by saying they are complex. It then shows Pritzker using the same reason for not having released his returns.
* Tribune…
“As J.B. has said, we’re preparing that information and will be releasing them, along with his financial disclosure form, by the end of the filing period,” said Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Galia Slayen.
She said the filing period she alluded to was the period for turning in petition signatures to get on the March ballot. It begins Nov. 27 and ends Dec. 4. When candidates file, they also must turn in a receipt that the candidate has filed a statement of economic interest with the secretary of state’s office, a largely generic form that provides little guidance to a candidate’s possible worth.
Chris Kennedy has also pledged to follow the same timetable. He’ll release them when he files his statement of economic interest with his petitions.
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A little context, please
Wednesday, Nov 15, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The governor was in Rockford yesterday…
Wearing a plaid shirt and sweater-like vest, Rauner said his re-election platform includes reducing the individual income tax rate back to 3 percent during a four-year period. Earlier this year, the Legislature increased the rate from 3.75 percent to 4.95 percent.
* For the life of me, I do not know why reporters in this state don’t remember this exact same proposal with the exact same vagueness from the 2014 campaign…
Speaking at Quality Float Works in Schaumburg, Rauner released a plan calling for eliminating over four years the 2011 state tax increase passed by Democrats shortly after Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn’s election. The 67 percent increase in the personal rate is scheduled to roll back in 2015.
It marked the first time that Rauner offered specifics in calling for a rollback of the income-tax increase while also promising to improve funding for education.
The scheduled 2015 rollback could cost the state $4 billion in annual revenue, according to projections. Rauner’s plan did not offer a schedule of how to reduce the rate over the next four years from 5 percent to 3 percent in the personal rate and 7 percent to 4.8 percent for the corporate rate.
Use the Google for crying out loud.
* Also, speaking of that “sweater-like vest”…
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Ives files D-1 to run for governor
Wednesday, Nov 15, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Rep. Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton) just filed paperwork to create a new campaign committee called “Ives for Illinois.” She has about $268K in the bank. Her campaign committee chairman is Chicago Republican Party Chairman Chris Cleveland.
* Meanwhile, Mark Maxwell tried to ask Ives last night about this comment…
Gays who seek to marry are “trying to weasel their way into acceptability so that they can then start to push their agenda down into the schools, because this gives them some sort of legitimacy,” she said, adding that a child being raised by a gay couple is “an object of desire.”
* Her response…
.
Rep. Ives: If you want to talk about the Illinois economy, I am happy to talk about the Illinois economy.
Reporter: I just did. We just talked about the Illinois economy.
Rep. Ives: Okay, great. What’s next?
Reporter: It’s important. You’re running for governor.
Rep. Ives: What about public corruption? Let’s talk about public corruption. Because it is an everyday event in the state of Illinois.
Reporter: Why did you just change the subject? This is a very important subject to thousands of people in Illinois.
Rep. Ives: What’s important?
Reporter: He said AIDS was God’s rightful judgment on the gay community.
Rep. Ives: I’m not going to comment on somebody else’s comment. It’s ridiculous.
Reporter: Okay, then what about your comments on this topic.
Rep. Ives: Why would we… You want to.. you’re like Bruce Rauner. The guy who didn’t have a social ended up only having a social agenda.
Reporter: Excuse me?
Rep. Ives: Well it seems like you’re entire topic is to talk about a social agenda.
Reporter: We just spent ten minutes talking about the economy.
Rep. Ives: And that’s what’s important to families in the state of Illinois.
Reporter: Are you refusing to answer a question to clarify your own comments in the past about the legitimacy of gay marriage?
Rep. Ives: No, I thought you were going to ask about somebody else’s comment.
Reporter: I was going to ask you about David Barton. But if you become governor, there is a large part of the population that cares deeply about this. They will want to know where you stand. Would you protect the rights given to the LGBT community?
Rep. Ives: Okay, so what specific rights do they have that are different than any other American? We all are governed by the same constitution. We all have the same rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,
Reporter: Does that include marriage?
Rep. Ives (continues): …free speech, second amendment, fourth amendment protections…
Reporter: To marriage?
Rep. Ives: There is nothing that I know of that are called rights that are not specific to any individual. The federal government has weighed in on marriage equality. That is federal law. I am a rule follower. So federal law, like I said when it comes to legal immigration, we are going to follow federal law in the state, regardless of what the law is. That’s my position.
* Also, I mentioned to subscribers yesterday that she may be endorsed by the Winfield Township Republicans tonight. That was an error. The group has already endorsed Gov. Rauner.
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