As I noted when petitions were first starting to circulate a few weeks ago, I believe you succeed in politics and in life when you are prepared. With recent political retirements and shakeups, and rumors circulating that Secretary White’s alderman was circulating petitions for the office, I wanted to be ready in case his intention to run for re-election changed.
* In case you missed it, here’s background from September…
“I don’t intend to run against Jesse White, I’ll tell you that right now,” [Hastings] said, adding that he’s only circulating petitions because he’s heard the same rumors we talked about yesterday, that secretary of state petitions are being circulated for Ald. Walter Burnett, who is Secretary White’s guy, and that White would drop out late in the game and Burnett would be ready to go. Secretary White’s office flatly denied those rumors.
I’m told that Sen. Hastings will wait and see what happens the rest of today and through next week before deciding what to do with his petitions.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Sen. Hastings sent me a new statement…
As I noted when petitions were first starting to circulate a few weeks ago, I believe you succeed in politics and in life when you are prepared.
With recent political retirements and shakeups, and rumors circulating that Secretary White may not run for re-election, I wanted to be ready in case his intention to run for re-election changed.
I have great respect for Secretary White and the years of service he has provided this great state. During his tenure, the Secretary has transformed the Office into an efficient and well-regarded Office.
If Secretary White does indeed decide to retire, I am ready to step-up and continue his great work.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Won’t rule it out? Hoo, boy…
Just caught up with Sen Mike @HastingsforIL at the petition filing line. He won't rule out a primary challenge vs SOS White just yet. Says there's room to improve the office. Waiting to see if anyone else files, says he'll talk to White next week.
Jesse left Hastings a voicemail this morning to clearly state that Jesse’s running for re-election. He did not get a return call. As always, Jesse will be running on his record of accomplishments and plans for the future.
* The tallest statewide official and the shortest statewide official filed their nominating petitions today. I did not crop this photo, which was posted on Twitter this afternoon…
* Related…
* Politico Power List: Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza already scored a serious victory after beating Gov. Bruce Rauner’s hand-picked — and handsomely financed — incumbent opponent last year. But winning that election turned out to be the easy part. Mendoza left a position as Chicago’s City Clerk and stepped into a statewide office — and into the morass of one of the longest-running budget battles in the nation’s history.
* From the end of the governor’s press conference this morning…
Reporter: Governor, how long will you continue to blame Mike Madigan for the state’s problems?
Gov. Rauner: ‘Til he’s gone. I mean, I mean, he’s been in charge for 35 years. The guy’s become a millionaire off of high property taxes in this state. It’s not a coincidence that we have the worst property taxes in America. He’s become a millionaire by making them high, and having a tax appeals law firm on the side. And he holds businesses in Chicago hostage to use his law firm. The system is broken.
He controls, he’s rigged his primary. He has rigged his Democratic primary. He has rigged it, ladies and gentlemen. If you guys won’t report it, shame on you. He has rigged the system, he controls it. It’s a Mafia protection racket. And until he’s gone, we aren’t going to fix Illinois and we aren’t going to have a good future.
Reporter: So, who do you think his candidate for governor is?
Rauner: [Laughs] Oh, c’mon. You know what? If you guys are asking that question you’re playing games and you’re not reporting the truth to the people of Illinois. You’d better answer that question yourself. You’ve been around, you know the answer to that question.
Reporter: So, if he’s been in charge for the last 35 years, have you been in charge for the last three?
Rauner: I wish I had. We would have our problems fixed. Illinois would be on a great future. We’d have 200,000 more jobs in this state. We’d have lower property taxes in this state. We would have term limits in this state if I was in charge. I am not in charge. I’m trying to get to be in charge.
[Last question!]
Reporter: How can you say you’re not in charge? You’re the governor of Illinois.
Rauner: The General Assembly can block the major things. What I control, union contracts, we’re incredible, Medicaid reform, incredible, criminal justice reform, incredible. The things that I can control, we’re transforming the state. And I’ve been able to recruit 120,000 net new jobs despite our regulations being bad. If, if I could get the General Assembly to support term limits, property tax relief, red tape reduction on businesses, rolling back that income tax hike, we will kick tails, we will be one of the strongest states in America.
While Rauner has executed new collective bargaining agreements with more than a dozen trade unions, he has been unable to reach agreement with the state’s largest public employee union and was barred earlier this year from attempting to impose his own contract terms on the workers.
Rauner’s overhaul of the state’s Medicaid program has been criticized by Democrats as moving too fast and at too great of an expense to the state. And while Rauner has indeed presided over several significant changes to the criminal justice system over the nearly three years he’s been in office, much of that work was made possible by lawmakers who sent bills to his desk for approval.
I will win the general election. I will win the general election. And if we don’t win the general election, nothing else matters. If we go back to being a one-party state that’s controlled by one person, we don’t have a future. We don’t have a future.
You know what will happen? We will get a massive income tax hike. The candidates controlled by Madigan, all of them have said, ‘The answer to our problems is a massive income tax hike.’ And they say ‘Let’s tax the rich. Let’s tax the rich.’ Well, first of all, you watch business owners flood out of this state when that happens, and our unemployment rate’s gonna go through the roof.
But also, there’s no such thing as a ‘just tax the rich’ plan. No such thing. Doesn’t happen. What happens is the middle class gets socked whenever you do an income tax hike. And if you want proof of that, and I need you guys to focus on the truth on this, look at the states that have done a graduated income tax. Ask New Jersey how it’s gone. New Jersey put in a big graduated income tax to try to tax the rich. You know what? Their middle class, you make $40,000. $40,000 is not a high income. It’s a middle class income. You make $40,000 in New Jersey, you pay six and a half percent. OK?
In New York, graduated income tax. They say ‘Let’s tax the rich.’ In New York, you have a middle class income, you make $40,000, you pay seven and a half percent.
And, you look at the numbers. Look at Massachusetts. Look at Minnesota. Some of the folks have said, ‘Minnesota. They’re Midwest. They’re a farm state.’ You know, look at them. They’ve got a, you make $40,000 a year in Minnesota, you pay seven percent income tax.
And they, and those, New Jersey can’t balance their budget. New York can’t balance their budget. California can’t balance the budget. You make $40,000 in California, you pay eight percent income tax. $40,000.
They will sock the middle class with a tax hike that Madigan and his puppets want and it will destroy Illinois.
We need to be a two-party state. We have to win the general election. And Republicans have to have a voice in the remap. There’s gonna be a remap drawn in 2020, and if it’s not a two-party map, we don’t have a future. Then Madigan will consolidate even more control under one person and we will not have a future, ladies and gentlemen. That’s what’s at stake in this election.
…Adding… Hmm…
Today @BruceRauner claimed: “You make $40,000 in New Jersey, you pay six and a half percent” in income taxes. That’s…not true.
For single filers, the NJ marginal income tax rate at $40,000 is 5.525%.
The Worst Republican Governor in America is now claiming he’s “not in charge” of the state he was elected to lead.
Bruce Rauner, the governor and chief executive of Illinois, made the baffling comments at a press conference earlier today. With a record of no accomplishments and countless crises, the failed governor seems intent on running a campaign of attack, blame, and divide while taking zero responsibility for the damage he’s done.
“The Worst Republican Governor in America is running for re-election on a bold strategy of claiming he hasn’t actually been in charge of the state he’s led for the past three years,” said Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh. “Rauner wants credit for imaginary successes, blames everyone else for his failures, and now readily admits he has done nothing to lead Illinois.”
* And Dan Proft tosses in his own two cents…
The buck stops somewhere else. I'll only shake up Springfield if Madigan lets me. Was that Rauner's value prop as a candidate? Feeble. https://t.co/OwSgaQLvMC
…Adding… Two guesses on who’s “in charge” of Rep. Ives’ Twitter account?…
I'll only shake up Springfield if Madigan lets me. Was that the promise? Gov's office is powerful, but a weak man is in it. #twill#ilgovhttps://t.co/LsIGIRWlhR
“Bruce Rauner’s reelection campaign is going in reverse and he’s getting desperate,” said DGA Illinois Communications Director Sam Salustro. “Rauner already faces the impossible task of defending his failed record of higher debt and lower job growth. Now facing a primary challenge, Rauner has accepted help from extreme right-wing ideologues and supported Washington Republicans’ tax plan while desperately deflecting blame for his own failures. Rauner started the week as the nation’s most vulnerable incumbent and it seems like it’s only getting worse for him.”
*** UPDATE 2 *** Kennedy campaign…
Bruce Rauner is kicking off his re-election campaign by dodging the blame for failing to raise the minimum wage in our state, maintaining an unfair property tax system that burdens working families, and overseeing a two-year budget impasse that cut off social services to more than 1 million people in our state. The people of Illinois can’t afford to suffer through another term. We need to radically change the status quo and not only bring opportunity back to our state — but bring accountability back to the governor’s office.
Anderson represented Illinois' 16th district, including Rockford, from 1961-1981, and ran as a independent in the 1980 presidential campaign, garnering 6.6% of the vote. #twill
Congressman Adam Kinzinger (IL-16) released the below statement after learning about the passing of Rockford native John B. Anderson, the former Congressman of the 16th Congressional District of Illinois:
“John Anderson dedicated his life to serving the Rockford community and this great nation – and he served us well.
“Before representing IL-16 in the House of Representatives, John Anderson answered the call to serve as a Staff Sergeant in the United States Army. He served through the end of World War II and was honored with four battle stars for his valor in combat. Upon returning home to Rockford, Anderson finished his law degree at the University of Illinois. He later became Winnebago County State’s Attorney, and then ran for Congress in 1960.
“His servant leadership and love of country led him to serve as Conference Chairman in House Leadership and eventually to run for President. He believed that his job was worth giving up in order to set a better example of realism in politics. We are better for his candor, his focus, and his honesty – and his pragmatic approach and self-awareness continues to inspire me on a daily basis.
“My thoughts and prayers are with John’s wife and the entire Anderson family. We mourn as a community, and as a nation, on the passing of this great American – The Honorable John B. Anderson.”
Rauner says of National Review article calling him worst Republican governor that "it's not journalism, it's a political hit piece." pic.twitter.com/4tIVGsEbvq
.@JeanneIves says she certainly will accept Dick Uihlein contributions. Wants to know about media asking Dems on $ and Al Franken, Conyers. pic.twitter.com/CwJLNN8v6c
"I will win the general election," Rauner says, Illinois can't go back to one-party control after indirectly calling Ives "fringe" candidate https://t.co/ZY3hbJH1jK
* He was facing yet another Republican primary race…
State Sen Sam McCann will not run for reelection. Just a few months ago, he was mulling a challenge to @GovRauner, even said he could beat him. McCann was facing his second Rauner-funded primary challenger in a row.
*** UPDATE 1 *** A commenter thinks this means that McCann may be setting up an independent bid for governor and adds…
Under the election code, if you file petitions for a partisan primary, or vote in an a primary, you legally cannot run as an independent.
Good point. Stay tuned.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Hmm…
Two sources speaking anonymously say Sam McCann DOES plan to challenge @GovRauner as an independent. Third party candidates can't circulate petitions until week after primary election is over in March 2018. McCann hasn't yet responded to request for comment. https://t.co/FUwcXXopti
Reporter: Governor, on your recent trip to Asia, it kind of stood out to me that there was not a strong message or push to talk about strong agriculture exports to Japan and China…
Gov. Rauner: Oh, no, that was part of our conversation…
Reporter: But you didn’t have any ag industry members on the trip, did you?
Gov. Rauner: Well, we had business development folks. And I’m, I’m a, there’s no better ag representative than me. And I’m talking about our agriculture sector wherever I go.
Reporter: But no grain deals signed, no business and farms…
Gov. Rauner: I’m sorry, no business and farms? I did not visit any farms in Japan or China.
Reporter: And buyers or [unintellible]…
Gov. Rauner: Nope. Nope. All government leaders and business leaders about investing in Illinois and me talking to them about how we can expand exports. Obviously, a lot of the export work is done at the federal level. I want to make sure we keep expanding our trade and make sure it’s a two-way benefit. And Japan and China are partners for the state of Illinois.
“Taxes are going to be the essential issue,” Gov. BRUCE RAUNER said during an appearance near Chicago [about the upcoming campaign].
More specifically, it sounds like he’s planning to focus on how bad a graduated state income tax will be for Illinois. The leading Democratic challengers have all embraced the idea of something other than the flat tax currently in force in Illinois.
Rauner wasn’t asked about state tax policy at the event, but he brought up the graduated income tax anyway. His assessment is that it is a “huge mistake.”
“Go to the states who have a graduated income tax. It’s a disaster,” Rauner said. “They can’t balance their budgets.”
He provided a handy checklist of states with a disastrous graduated income tax. They included New Jersey, California, New York and Connecticut. Rauner overlooked a couple of other states with graduated income taxes, like Iowa, Missouri and Wisconsin. And it seems like he’s had some pretty positive things to say about Wisconsin and the way it operates.
Rauner has, indeed, said nice things about Wisconsin. And, as you’ll recall, the governor of the state directly to the north with a graduated income tax recently said in a TV ad for Rauner that Wisconsin’s economy is “on fire.”
The governor of Missouri, which also has a graduated tax, said in the same ad that his state is “growing good jobs.”
So, on the one hand, Rauner spends big campaign money to tout two neighboring states with progressive income taxes as doing much better than Illinois. And on the other hand, he claims a progressive income tax hike is a “disaster.”
Six months after lawmakers hastily passed their first state budget in two years, transportation advocates are sounding the alarm on a little-noticed item that will take $300 million from road repairs to pay other expenses each year. […]
The result, transportation advocates say, is a fatal blow to the Illinois Department of Transportation’s construction schedule that was already struggling to keep up with deteriorating roads and bridges. After the budget passed, IDOT’s planned highway improvements went from 400 miles of work to 189, a fraction of the more than 3,500 miles of state roads currently in need of reconstruction across Illinois. […]
Most of the diverted money is paying for bonds that were used to make already-completed improvements to the Regional Transit Authority, which serves public transit in the Chicago area.
“The idea for this came from the Senate Republicans on behalf of the Rauner administration,” said John Patterson, spokesman for Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago.
A spokesman for Senate Minority Leader Bill Brady’s office responded in an email. “This was a proposal that Democrats adopted, put in their budget and passed mostly with Democrat votes in the Illinois Senate.”
A spokeswoman for Rauner said Brady’s proposal as the lead Republican budget negotiator included $180 million from the road fund to pay for RTA bond payments. “The Democrats’ enacted FY18 budget, which Gov. Rauner vetoed, increased this cost shift to approximately $300 million,” spokeswoman Elizabeth Tomev said.
* We talked about this a bit on Friday, but the Sun-Times adds some context…
Gov. Bruce Rauner is taking a blunt stance, telling a Downstate TV station that it would be a “mistake” to legalize marijuana in Illinois.
The Republican governor has, in the past, said he wants more studies on the “ramifications” in states that have legalized the drug. On Wednesday, he took it further.
“I do not support legalizing marijuana. I think that’s a mistake. You know there’s a massive, human experiment going on in Colorado, and California, other places. We should see how that’s impacted lives and addiction and hurt young people before we make any decision about it here,” Rauner said in an interview on WSIL in Marion. “I do not support legalizing marijuana.”
In April, the governor called recreational marijuana “a very, very difficult subject.” He said he wouldn’t support legalizing marijuana unless there’s a study of the “ramifications” in states that have legalized the drug.
* Press release…
The sponsors of legislation to legalize recreational cannabis for adults in Illinois pushed back against Gov. Bruce Rauner’s opposition based on a supposed lack of data to support legalization.
“The governor’s statement against legalizing recreational adult-use marijuana is shortsighted and uninformed,” Steans said. “States began legalizing recreational marijuana five years ago. That’s five years of data that show that teen use does not increase when it’s legalized.”
State Senator Heather Steans (D-Chicago) and State Representative Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago) introduced legislation earlier this year to allow adults in Illinois to possess of up to 28 grams of cannabis and allow facilities to sell cannabis products. The measure includes a number of public safety and public health measures, such as funding for alcohol, tobacco and cannabis abuse prevention programs.
“The mistake here is Governor Rauner not taking the time to familiarize himself with the incredible success states are having with this ‘experiment,’” Cassidy said. “The data indicate no increase in teen use, massive reductions in the criminal black market, and the kind of booming economic success he says he wants for Illinois. We are happy to sit down with the governor to discuss this legislation when he is ready to deal in facts, not scare tactics.”
According to Colorado’s health department’s report “Monitoring Health Concerns Related to Marijuana in Colorado: 2016,” past-month marijuana use among Colorado adolescents is nearly identical to the national average and has remained unchanged since legalization occurred.
“There are hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans who are already using marijuana recreationally,” Steans said. “We have an opportunity to regulate the product so that is safe and sold in stores rather than on the streets. It’s time for the governor to realize that this is a public health and public safety measure.”
The sponsors have held several subject matter hearings to gather more information about the potential effects of legalizing cannabis in Illinois and will continue to do so.
“I choose taxpaying Illinois families. Governor Rauner chose the political ruling class. That’s the difference. That’s the choice in this election… Benedict Rauner betrayed us at every turn.”
“We were promised a conservative reform governor. Instead, we got an Ivy League gender studies professor.” - @JeanneIves in announcing her primary challenge to @GovRauner last eve. She joins us at 7:07am. @MorningAnswer
Rep. Jeanne Ives of Wheaton says in remarks released early Monday by her campaign that she’ll side with “taxpaying Illinois families” instead of the “political ruling class.” She notes that she supported Rauner’s campaign in 2014, but says Illinois needs a new path.
* Ives on Rauner: ‘we got an Ivy League gender studies professor.’ “I supported and helped get Bruce Rauner elected governor in 2014. I believed his argument that his personal wealth would free him to do right by Illinois and lead the revolt against the political ruling class. I was wrong. The tough-talking dude on a Harley with no social agenda turned out to an empty Carhartt jacket. We were promised a conservative reform governor. Instead we got an Ivy League gender studies professor. Benedict Rauner betrayed us at every turn.”
State Board of Elections Chairman Bill Cadigan says candidates for the March 20 primary who are in line to file petitions at the end of the day Monday will be part of a lottery for the last ballot position if another person running for the same office is also queued up at that time.
But Cadigan, a Republican attorney from Wilmette, warns that those seeking the final spot need to be cautious.
Appearing on WGN-AM 720, Cadigan recounted the story of an unnamed Republican candidate who chartered a small plane to arrive with his petitions by the closing deadline, only to find the Springfield airport closed off by bad weather.
The candidate’s aide on the ground pleaded with air traffic controllers to allow the plane to fly over a field and drop the bundled petitions to the ground. The idea was nixed.
Still, weather conditions bettered and the candidate was able to make it to the State Board of Elections headquarters by 4:50 p.m. — with only 10 minutes to spare.
* Gutierrez’s departure opens up generational fault line in Chicago Latino politics: And Sol Flores, 43, the executive director of La Casa Norte community organization that helps homeless youth and families, will be looking to tap into the goodwill she has built up through that work. Flores is a first-time candidate who was part of Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s transition team in 2015. She said she’s out to bring a woman’s voice to the contest, and that her community activism “proves I can get stuff done.” Each is trying to gather enough signatures this weekend to meet Monday’s candidate filing deadline. They’re also each trying to open a new chapter in Chicago’s Latino political history after decades dominated by older players nursing old grudges.
* Candidates Scrambling to File Petitions Ahead of Deadline: Cook County board Commissioner Chuy Garcia, whom Gutierrez endorsed for the primary election, has endorsed 22nd Ward Ald. Ricardo Munoz to replace him on the board. A new development on Sunday perked up ears around the county, as Garcia’s Executive Assistant Alma Anaya will also be filing petitions for the spring election. Munoz dismissed the rumors of a potential showdown with Anaya in the election, calling the move “an insurance policy.” Munoz declined to elaborate on why Garcia would want two candidates that he would support filing for the same position.
* This $5,600 contribution is a pittance, a drop in the bucket, no big deal at all. So, why take these few dollars and be forever branded as a Koch-funded governor?…
Gov. Bruce Rauner is suffering a major conservative backlash — dissed by a leading magazine of the right this week and bracing for a potential Republican primary challenger next week.
But the first-term governor apparently hasn’t ruffled all the feathers of his party’s right wing.
Billionaire Charles Koch donated $5,600 to Rauner’s campaign fund this week. Koch and his brother David are the nation’s top conservative donors.
The left immediately blasted Rauner for accepting the support.
“This donation proves what many have long suspected: Bruce Rauner is the Koch Brothers’ favorite governor,” said Jake Lewis, campaign director for Illinois Working Together, a coalition of labor organizations.
…Adding… Pritzker campaign…
This week, Crisis Creatin’ Rauner introduces RAUNER TOP FIVE, a five-day series highlighting the lasting damage, misplaced priorities, and embarrassing stumbles that led Bruce Rauner to be crowned: ‘The Worst Republican Governor in America.’
To kick off the week, we turn to the two men behind it all: the Koch brothers. Late Friday, Rauner reported his first direct check from Charles Koch to fuel his special interest agenda and beleaguered re-election bid. While Rauner has been pushing Koch brothers’ priorities in Illinois for years, the donation makes it official and puts the Koch-Rauner agenda on full display.
“With few supporters left in his corner, ‘the Worst Republican Governor in America’ is clinging to the only two people he has never let down: Charles and David Koch,” said Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh. “After three years of pushing this state to the brink with a Koch brother agenda, this failed governor is counting on the support of these anti-union zealots to carry him to re-election.”
Last year, billionaire Democrat JB Pritzker derided Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump for not releasing detailed income tax filings.
“The question is who his investors are, and whether there are any in China or Russia that are affecting his personal income,” Pritzker said of Trump, adding that the future president was “obfuscating in order to avoid being discovered as a liar.”
And then last week, Pritzker released only the first two pages of his income tax returns going back three years. Pritzker told reporters for weeks that he hadn’t released the returns sooner because the task was so “complex.” Um, two pages ain’t “complex.”
Pritzker’s real income appears to come from various private trust funds. He disclosed last week that his trusts paid $25 million in state taxes and $129 million in federal taxes between 2014 and 2016. Pritzker’s personal income taxes were a tiny fraction of that amount. During the same time period, he revealed that he paid only $636,000 in state income taxes and $7.7 million in federal income taxes on his personal income.
He refused to divulge the tax returns for those trusts (which really would be “complex”) because, his campaign claimed, other members of his extended family also benefit from those trusts. OK, fine. But how about divulging the names of his trusts? Tracking down these trusts is a difficult business because they’re shrouded in such secrecy. Names would help.
When a politician refuses to divulge something, particularly after criticizing others for not doing so, you gotta wonder what that person is hiding.
The Pritzker family all but invented off-shore trusts. “No family in the U.S. can copy the Pritzkers in using offshore entities to gain tax advantages,” claimed Forbes magazine back in 2003.
In an attempt to pry Pritzker’s information loose, I reached out to Chris Kennedy’s gubernatorial campaign and asked if they would release the names of the trust funds Kennedy benefits from. They did.
George Skakel was Kennedy’s maternal grandfather. He was from Chicago and founded the fabulously successful Great Lakes Carbon Corporation.
But Kennedy’s a pauper when compared to Pritzker. As mentioned above, Pritzker’s paternal grandfather was a pioneer in using trusts to avoid taxation. Pritzker “took the family fortune from $250,000 in the 1920s to an estimated $2 billion at his death in 1986,” according to Forbes. But when he died in 1986, his heirs told the IRS that AN’s net worth was a mere $25,000. The feds didn’t buy it and the Pritzker family ended up paying the government $9.5 million plus interest nine years later, Forbes reported.
JB Pritzker’s sister Penny, who served as President Barack Obama’s Secretary of Commerce, is mentioned in the so-called “Paradise Papers,” a massive ongoing research project into the uber-wealthy and mega-corporations conducted by journalists all over the world. Ms. Pritzker transferred shares from two Bermuda companies to a company owned by trusts that benefit her children after she was confirmed for the Cabinet post. Her family’s myriad offshore trusts were a big issue during her confirmation hearing.
Alas, Kennedy’s decision to reveal his trust funds’ names did not move the Pritzker campaign one iota closer to disclosing the names of Pritzker’s trusts.
This ain’t over.
* Press release…
Today, Daniel Biss released a new video, “Trust,” in which J.B. Pritzker holds Donald Trump to a standard that he himself is unwilling to meet.
“The fact that Donald Trump has not released his tax returns…is an abomination. And we shouldn’t have candidates who don’t.”
“You shouldn’t have anybody on the ballot that’s running for governor, who doesn’t release their taxes,” declares Pritzker on camera.
Pritzker has been consistent in criticism of Donald Trump’s failure to release his taxes to the public. “The question is who his investors are,” said Pritzker in an Associated Press interview in July 2016. “He is obfuscating in order to avoid being discovered as a liar.”
“We have the same questions for Pritzker that he had for Trump,” says Biss spokesman Tom Elliott. “He hasn’t disclosed his income from his private trusts, or even their names, so we have no idea how much he’s making and who’s paying him. All we know is that he says he paid $125 million in taxes on his trust income. What could he be hiding?”
*** UPDATE *** Rauner campaign…
Pritzker continues to say one thing to Illinois voters while doing something completely different.
After seven months of delaying release of his tax returns, Pritzker finally released the first two pages containing information on his income.
Though he has often toted his ‘transparency,’ Pritzker refused to release even the names of the private trusts from which he draws the majority of his income.
Meanwhile, Bruce Rauner has fought for working families in Illinois. Governor Rauner is leading the fight against Madigan’s corrupt system with a reform plan that includes term limits, rolling back the Madigan income tax hike, and provide real and lasting property tax relief. Madigan has built a corrupt system over 40 years, and Governor Rauner is fighting to give power back to the people.
While Pritzker continues to deceive the people of Illinois, Governor Rauner works incessantly on their behalf.
After over 200 days of delay, J.B. Pritzker released a portion of his income tax returns, but his disclosed tax records raise more questions than answers.
Pritzker’s tax returns revealed that the vast majority of his income comes from inherited family trusts, not from salary income, business investments, or interest. Between 2014 and 2016, Pritzker paid $8.236 million in taxes on $29.6 million of declared personal income.
Those taxes pale in comparison to the income Pritzker derived from his inherited family trusts. During that same time period, Pritzker paid $128.97 million in federal taxes and $24.95 million in Illinois taxes on those trusts.
Unlike his opponent Chris Kennedy, why has Pritzker refused to answer questions on his family trusts?
Years of investigation and inquiry have revealed that the Pritzker family famously utilized trusts to protect their wealth from taxes and IRS scrutiny.
It’s clear - J.B. Pritzker is obfuscating on income derived from his inherited family trusts because he’s trying to hide the fact that he’s been avoiding taxes for years.
J.B. Pritzker’s campaign for governor is reaching the height of hypocrisy. Pritzker is advocating for yet another income tax hike on middle class families while cutting corrupt deals to slash his property taxes and using trusts to avoid taxes.
As Rich Miller said about J.B. Pritzker’s use of family trusts in his weekly column, “This ain’t over.”
* Related…
* Fact Check: Do Pritzker and Kennedy Have a Tax Transparency Gap?
Without a doubt, House Speaker Michael Madigan is not an easy person to work with if you happen to be the governor.
Former Gov. Jim Edgar jokingly blamed Madigan for the heart attack he suffered while in office. Former Gov. Pat Quinn often had a devil of a time trying to figure out how to work with Madigan, which may have contributed to his 2014 defeat.
Madigan cooperates when it’s in his interests to do so and doesn’t when it’s not. Figuring out what his interests are or what’s against his interests on any given proposal is often extremely complicated because the man almost never just comes right out and says: “Give me this and I’ll give you that.”
And if you’re not careful, he can take up residence inside your head.
If you have the stomach for it, go back and listen to some of the FBI surveillance audio of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich. It’s Madigan this and Madigan that. Madigan, Madigan, Madigan ruined everything he was trying to do in office. Blagojevich was thoroughly obsessed with the House speaker.
At one point, Blagojevich even publicly called out Madigan, chairman of the Democratic Party of Illinois, for being a “Republican.”
By the end, it was clear that there was something really wrong with Blagojevich’s mental state. It’s not too much of a stretch to say that he had allowed Madigan to drive him a bit mad.
Gov. Bruce Rauner cannot seem to go a day without blaming Madigan for one evil thing or another. And, yes, the governor has actually used the word “evil.”
This has been Rauner’s main talking point since pretty much day one. And it made political sense. Madigan is the most unpopular state-level politician in Illinois. You’re not going to make too many voters unhappy by going after him because so few love the guy.
And by pointing the finger at the wildly unpopular Madigan, Rauner has been able to excuse his own inability to get much of anything done. Madigan has been in charge of the state for 35 years, Rauner regularly says. Everyone else, including the governor, is just a victim helplessly sitting on the sidelines.
*** UPDATE *** Living rent-free in the governor’s head…
Reporter: "How long will you continue to blame Mike Madigan for the state's problems?" Rauner: "'Til he's gone." Agriculture leaders clap. https://t.co/LhDnHNFUs9
Reporter asks governor, "If Madigan has been in charge the last 35 years, have you been for the last three?" Rauner says "I wish I was." https://t.co/gadErC5mIU
Gov. Bruce Rauner joined other state and local government officials today as Canadian manufacturer Brandt Industries announced its plan to grow jobs at an existing plant Brandt is buying in Hudson.
Advanced manufacturing and agriculture are target industries for Illinois, and state and local economic development officials have been working with the Saskatchewan-based agricultural manufacturer for months. Brandt’s deal with Kongskilde is expected to close Dec. 15, and will be the firm’s first manufacturing venture outside of its native Canada.
“It is terrific news that the former Kongskilde facility near Bloomington-Normal will not become another dormant site,” Rauner said of the 200,000-square-foot plant where Kongskilde employees formerly made agricultural equipment. “Brandt is a well-run and exceptionally successful firm that will add hundreds of manufacturing jobs in the years ahead. We’re thrilled to work with and welcome them to Illinois.”
“We are very excited at the prospect of saving this plant from closure,” said Brandt President Shaun Semple. “This is a world-class manufacturing facility with a highly trained workforce, and we are delighted to have the opportunity to make a tangible contribution to the growth of the American economy.”
The governor met with Brandt Chairman Gavin Semple and Shaun Semple prior to a 10 a.m. press conference, where Bloomington-Normal Economic Development Council CEO Kyle Ham welcomed the governor, several Brandt officials, McLean County Board Chairman John McIntyre, McLean County Unit 5 School District Superintendent Mark Daniel and others.
Legislators in attendance included state Senate Republican Leader Bill Brady, R-Bloomington, state Sen. Jason Barickman, R-Bloomington, and state Rep. Dan Brady, R-Normal.
“The jobs being created as part of this project will have a positive impact on our economy both locally and throughout the state,” said Bill Brady.
DCEO Director Sean McCarthy said the company’s decision to establish its first U.S. facility in Illinois was “a testament to the workforce and assets of this great region.”
House lawmaker Brady also welcomed the manufacturer.
“I am pleased to have this project call the 105th Legislative District home, along with the jobs and revenue generation for our entire area and the investment Brandt has pledged to provide,” he said.
Bloomington-Normal EDC officials said Brandt’s selection speaks highly of the state and the central Illinois region.
“We’re extremely excited about the Brandt family of companies’ decision to make McLean County their base of operations in the U.S., establishing their first international manufacturing facility in the Bloomington-Normal area,” said Ham. “Our talented workforce, central location, and long history in agriculture make this the perfect match for Brandt.”
The Brandt Group of Companies include Brandt Agricultural Products, Brandt Engineered Products, Brandt Equipment Solutions, Brandt Road Rail, Brandt Developments and Brandt Tractor — the world’s largest privately held John Deere construction and forestry equipment dealer. Brandt has 50 locations in Canada and the U.S., with nearly 2,000 employees.
Between 300 and 500 new jobs are projected at the Hudson plant over the next 10 years.
“This is great news for central Illinois, and all of Illinois,” said Barickman. “We need to make sure we enact the type of business reforms necessary so that we can have more of these celebrations of job and business growth.”
* Press release…
Today, Gov. Bruce Rauner and leaders of the Illinois Bicentennial Commission officially kicked off the state’s yearlong 200th birthday celebration at Fifth Third Bank Winter WonderFest at Navy Pier. Illinois Bicentennial will pay tribute to the people, places, and things that are being BORN, BUILT & GROWN in the nation’s fifth most populous state.
“This is an opportunity to celebrate all that has been great in our first 200 years and lay the foundation for 200 more years of growth and prosperity,” Rauner said. “Illinois is home, and the Bicentennial gives us a chance to reflect on how we can continue to make it great for our children and grandchildren.”
“Today marks Illinois’ 199th birthday,” said Lori Healey, co-chairwoman of the commission and chief executive officer of the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority. “Illinois Bicentennial will be a yearlong celebration between Dec. 3, 2017, and Dec. 3, 2018, which will be our state’s 200th birthday.”
“The Bicentennial is a once-in-a-lifetime invitation to fall in love with Illinois all over again,” said Gloria Castillo, co-chairwoman of the commission and president and CEO of Chicago United. “Throughout the next 365 days, Illinois Bicentennial will pay tribute to the people, places, and things that are being BORN, BUILT & GROWN here every single day.”
The Navy Pier festivities mark the beginning of events and projects that the Commission has planned to kick off the celebration around the state. In addition to the Winter WonderFest ceremony, events today and Monday include:
“Raise the Curtain on Illinois Bicentennial,” where 100 winners of the commission’s 100 Day Countdown Video Contest will share the stage with the governor and the cast of “Hamilton” following this afternoon’s matinee performance.
The Illinois Bicentennial Exhibit will be previewed today at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum and Library in Springfield, with music provided by the Illinois Symphony.
A simultaneous Bicentennial flag-raising takes place at municipalities around the state at noon Monday, Dec. 4, to note the beginning of the state’s 200th year. The Illinois Municipal League and United Airlines partnered to provide complimentary flags to counties and municipalities statewide, and the Commission will also host a flag raising ceremony at McCormick Place at noon on Dec. 4.
During his kickoff address, the governor encouraged all citizens to participate in the celebration, to visit illinois200.com and to use the hashtag #IllinoisProud on their social media posts.
Fifth Third Bank hosted today’s festivities at Navy Pier, where the Bicentennial logo is featured on the Navy Pier Centennial Wheel and on signage throughout Winter WonderFest today. Guests can also purchase merchandise commemorating the state’s milestone and have pictures taken with “Big Lincoln,” near the Illinois Bicentennial and Office of Tourism booths.
Also in attendance at today’s press conference were Bicentennial Commission co-chair Randy Dunn, president of Southern Illinois University System; Illinois Municipal League Executive Director Brad Cole; United Airlines Vice President State and Local Government Affairs Dan Lynch; UPS Delivery Driver Don Bence; Navy Pier President and CEO Marilynn Gardner; and Fifth Third Bank Executive Leader of Civic Engagement and Strategic Partnerships Francia Harrington.
* Media advisory…
Governor to greet National Guard soldiers returning from Puerto Rico
What: Gov. Bruce Rauner along with Maj. Gen. Richard J. Hayes and IEMA Acting Director Joe Klinger will greet the Illinois Army National Guard Military Police who are returning from Puerto Rico after assisting with Hurricane Maria relief efforts.
Where: Illinois National Guard’s 182nd Airlift Wing
The Cook County sweetened beverage tax has officially been lifted. A few commissioners are literally raising glasses to celebrate. Jewel-Osco is even using the end of the tax as an irresponsible sales ploy. Drink up, everyone! Sugar is cheap. And so is your health.
Is this really the right message for children and families in a county and state suffering from obesity-related illnesses and the associated costs — both physical and financial?
The Illinois Alliance to Prevent Obesity (IAPO) is taking this opportunity to spread a healthier message.
IAPO and its partners are kicking off a weeklong campaign — #RethinkYourDrinkIL — calling on Illinois residents to reconsider the drink choices they make every day.
* From a couple of links that were included in the advisory…
Today represents nothing less than Independence Day for the taxpayers of Cook County. The pop tax is gone! pic.twitter.com/OgKeYP1mV1
There’s a delay until at least Tuesday in Cook County Chief Judge Tim Evans’ lawsuit against County Board President Toni Preckwinkle over layoffs in the new budget.
A Lake County judge on Friday agreed to delay arguments in the case until 11 a.m. Tuesday after Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s lawyers said they needed time to hire outside counsel because the office has a conflict of interest.
Attorneys declined to detail the conflict after the hearing at the Richard J. Daley Center, but Foxx spokesman Robert Foley later said the reason was because “the state’s attorney’s office represents the office of the chief judge in multiple cases pending litigation.” Lawyers for Attorney General Lisa Madigan, whose office is representing the chief judge, agreed to the delay.
In allowing the continuance, Lake County Judge Mitchell L. Hoffman urged both sides to engage in negotiations before Tuesday’s hearing, saying the Illinois Supreme Court has made it “very clear” in the past that it prefers not to see such lawsuits filed between separate branches of government – in this case the judiciary and legislative.
“This type of litigation should be a last resort,” said Hoffman, who was brought in from outside Cook County for the hearing.
Reporter: Yesterday, you applauded Congress on what appears to be a deal on a tax plan for America, and it looks like it might go through tonight in the Senate. In your view, in your estimation, assessment of this bill, it’s likely to change American practice for maybe 30 years – how we run our businesses and how we run our households. What parts of it are you good with and what parts of it are you not good with?
Gov. Rauner: Yeah, so let’s talk about taxes. This is an important point and if you listen to what I said, it’s a little different than what your question was premised on and what’s being spun. I have not commented on any specifics about the federal tax proposals. And I will not. And I believe it’s a long way from being done. I think it’s a long way from being baked. They got a long way to go, and I won’t comment on any specifics.
What I applauded, and do applaud, is them trying, trying to reduce the tax burden on our families and our businesses, that’s what they’re trying to do. They’re a long way to go. And I’m applauding them for trying and for keep trying. Whatever passes in one house or the other, it’s a long way from done. And I encourage them to keep trying.
Here’s what the goal should be – every effort in tax reform should focus on one thing: increasing the net take-home pay for middle-class families. That should be the goal of any and every tax reform. Increase the net take-home pay for working-class and middle-class families. That’s it. They’re a long way from that so far, so I don’t applaud, I don’t applaud the current result, what I applaud is the process. And this is an important distinction that I want you guys to understand.
[Crosstalk]
Reporter: So, in other words, you do agree with so many who have analyzed this, that they really haven’t done a good job yet at looking out for the middle class?
Gov. Rauner: They are not where they need to be. They are not there yet.
Reporter: And what do you think it’s going to take for that to occur?
Gov. Rauner: Well again, Ed, you know, for me, it’s not a good idea – it doesn’t help anybody by trying to negotiate through the media. So, I’m talking to members of the federal administration. I’m encouraging things. We need to increase the net-take-home pay for middle-class families, for working families. Most important thing. So, I’ve encouraged them to focus on the middle-class. I’ve encouraged them to help small-business, particularly. And we’ll see where it goes. It’s a long way from done. And I don’t to get want too much to get in the middle of it.
*** UPDATE *** From a DGA press release…
While speaking with reporters yesterday, Bruce Rauner came up with his third different answer to queries if he supports the proposed GOP tax changes in Washington. Independent analysts have shown the plan would raise costs and taxes on many middle-class families while the wealthiest would get a tax cut. On Wednesday, Rauner told a Southern Illinois radio station that he “applauded” Republicans’ efforts and said, “I hope they come through.” By that afternoon, his staff claimed Rauner had merely expressing “general” support.
On to Rauner’s newest answer to a simple question: [Part of transcript from above quoted…]
Rauner acknowledges the bill is not helping the middle-class, but he still will not use his position to demand changes and continues to applaud Washington Republicans’ efforts. Got it?
“Bruce Rauner has admitted Donald Trump’s tax plan hurts the middle-class but he still supports it,” said DGA Illinois Communications Director Sam Salustro. “Rauner continues to encourage and applaud Washington Republicans’ efforts to pass a tax bill, which currently benefits the wealthiest while raising taxes on middle-class families. It’s time for Rauner to take a stand and protect the people of Illinois, otherwise he’s culpable for the passage of the bill.”
Governor Rauner joined the DeKalb County Economic Development Corp. Thursday, helping them celebrate 30 years of growing jobs in DeKalb County. The governor gave the keynote speech at the celebration, and lauded the efforts of DCEDC while providing commonsense solutions to continue growing jobs in DeKalb County and throughout the state.
When the DeKalb County Economic Development Corp. celebrated its 30th anniversary, it was able to brag that DeKalb County is now on international radar, having doubled the number of international companies with locations in the county, as well as companies in other countries excited about the prospect of moving here.
Gov. Bruce Rauner gave the keynote speech at the State of the County banquet Thursday at Faranda’s Banquet Center in DeKalb.
…Rauner said that with a few small changes in Illinois, the state could be very competitive in attracting businesses from around the country and world.
“We gotta tweak a couple things, and if we tweak a couple things we’re going to bring them in on a massive scale,” he said. “We gotta reduce the regulatory burden, and we have to have tax relief. … It’s not rocket science, it’s not complicated.”
Rauner said many businesses told him while he was on recruiting tours of China, Japan and Israel that even if half of the reforms get done, they’ll move to Illinois.
…The county also doubled the number of international companies with a presence in it in 2017. Finnish company LEDiL, an LED light manufacturer, and Solotech, an audio visual company from Quebec, joined Nestle and Tate & Lyle as foreign companies with a presence here.
To increase the region’s competitiveness, Rauner said he wanted NIU and other Illinois colleges and universities to integrate more with businesses as they do on the West Coast and in Israel. To help universities recover from the two years of budget uncertainty and declining enrollments, he said he wanted to add $500 million into higher education funding.
“This is a labor of love. We love Illinois,” he said. “This is home.”
The following political leaders have visited Cairo since the public housing crisis in Illinois’ southernmost city came to a head:
• Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson • U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, both Democrats • U.S. Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro • Delta Regional Authority Federal Co-Chairman Chris Masingill • State Sen. Dale Fowler, R-Harrisburg • State Rep. Natalie Phelps Finnie, D-Elizabethtown • Former State Rep. Brandon Phelps, D-Eldorado • Former Illinois Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno, of Lemont • State Treasurer Mike Frerichs • Democratic gubernatorial candidates J.B. Pritzker, Chris Kennedy and Daniel Biss and former candidate Ameya Pawar
Meanwhile, one prominent Illinois political leader has not visited Cairo since HUD announced in April its decision to relocate about 400 people from two derelict public housing complexes that have been deemed beyond repair:
• Gov. Bruce Rauner
As you will see, that one stung him but good.
* A week later, Rauner was in the region for a hastily arranged press conference to announce a project that few knew was coming…
In 1993, the Sahara Coal Co. closed its doors and some 300 miners lost their jobs.
On Wednesday, Gov. Bruce Rauner visited that company’s reclaimed strip mine near Carrier Mills and announced that the state plans to develop a 26-mile off-highway vehicle trail system here, the first-of-its kind on state-owned land in Illinois.
Gov. Bruce Rauner made a cameo appearance Wednesday in Southern Illinois, appearing at a hastily-called, bizarre press availability at Sahara Woods State Fish and Wildlife Area near Carrier Mills. […]
Assembled media members fired questions at Rauner after the announcement. His response, or lack thereof, was reminiscent of an absentee father bringing elaborately wrapped gifts to his child’s birthday party, but having absolutely no idea what was inside the packages.
It wouldn’t have taken much thought to anticipate the first two questions — how many jobs will be created by this project and when will ground be broken. Yet, Rauner didn’t have these most basic answers. […]
The number of jobs will be determined when construction plans are finalized. And, no timetable for construction was announced, although Rauner did say he hopes it will open in the first half of 2019.
Yet, the governor assured us that the track would be an economic engine for the area.
Pardon us if we’re skeptical.
There are two similar commercial operations nearby — Little Egypt Off Road, located in Williamson County, and Williams Hill Pass, which is southeast of Harrisburg. While both contribute to the financial health of the region, calling the two entities economic engines would seem to be a stretch.
Opening a government-operated off-road vehicle trail that will compete with two privately owned trails seems a bit counter-productive, but whatever.
* Anyway, if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Rauner was back in the region this week…
Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner stressed the importance of economic growth and investing in education during a special luncheon Wednesday at Rend Lake College.
The event was held in honor of a delegation from the Japanese Consulate’s Chicago office which toured Jefferson County to learn more about the region’s economy. Rauner and Japanese Consulate Consul General Naoki Ito were featured guests at the luncheon.
Governor Bruce Rauner joined Japan’s Consul General to the Midwest at Rend Lake College for a workforce and education roundtable.
* But the governor also faced questions while he was down there about a project he launched over a year ago that hasn’t yet gotten off the ground…
The proposed re-purposing of the Illinois Youth Center facility in Murphysboro is taking longer than originally announced.
In October 2016, Governor Bruce Rauner said he wanted to re-open the center as a life skills and a re-entry facility. He expected it to open in about six months. But, 13 months later, the facility remains closed.
Rauner was asked about it during a visit to southern Illinois Wednesday. The governor said he doesn’t know when it will re-open, but as far as he’s concerned, the sooner the better.
“I don’t want to give you an exact date. But, I’m pushing this fast. I want it open yesterday. I’m going to push as much as I can.”
He said it’ll be an important economic engine for the region and help keep communities safer.
This facility — expected to open in six months — will house about 300 prisoners on the verge of re-entering the community and employ about 120 people, Rauner said. It will be managed under the Pinckneyville facility, which is managed by Warden Jacqueline Lashbrook, who was also at Friday’s news conference.
It was built in 1997 and closed in 2011.
“This facility should never have been closed,” Rauner said, to a spattering of applause from some of those assembled. “We’ve got budget trouble, but we have to make sure our facilities are run well.” […]
At the news conference, the governor did not specifically say where the money would come from to finance the project. Rauner’s press secretary said later that it would cost $800,000 to reopen and repurpose the facility.
I do not support legalizing marijuana. I think that’s a mistake. You know there’s a massive human experiment going on in Colorado and California and other places. We should see how that’s impacting lives and addiction and hurting young people before we make any decision about it here. I do not support legalizing marijuana.
It’s looking more likely Michigan will vote next year on whether to legalize recreational marijuana.
This week, the The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol submitted over 360,000 petition signatures to place the question on the 2018 ballot.
If the Michigan Bureau of Elections determines that at least 252,523 of those signatures are valid, the question will likely appear before voters next November. […]
“The revenue would be shared between schools, roads, and local governments (under the proposal),” says Roth. “And these are areas that people are constantly saying are in desperate need of money.”
Michigan could very well be the first Great Lakes state to legalize it.
Today, Daniel Biss’ campaign released a new video, “What Are They Hiding?” highlighting the financial interests JB Pritzker and Chris Kennedy have in major corporations that bring into question their progressive credentials, the sources of their income, and what business entanglements they may have.
“Candidates for governor must disclose personal investments with companies that do business in Illinois. This helps identify potential conflicts of interest,” says the narrator in the video. “JB Pritzker and Chris Kennedy just disclosed theirs. Here’s what we learned about where they make their money. These are just some of the companies that JB Pritzker and Chris Kennedy have profited from.”
Halliburton | Philip Morris | Exxon Mobil
Lockheed Martin | Energy Transfer Partners LP (Dakota Access Pipeline)
“This is what they’re forced to disclose - but we won’t know the rest of the story until they release their full tax returns. What are they hiding?”
“JB Pritzker’s and Chris Kennedy’s financial disclosures perfectly encapsulate why we should be skeptical of billionaire businessmen who say they’ll fight for us - and why we need to see full tax returns to better understand their financial interests,” says Biss campaign manager Abby Witt. “How can we trust someone invested in the Dakota Access Pipeline to stand against big oil once in office? Someone invested in the nation’s largest cigarette company to work to curb teen smoking? Someone invested in fracking to keep fracking out of our state? The revelations of these financial disclosure forms, a legally-required bare minimum standard of transparency, raise serious doubts in my mind—and make me wonder what they’re still hiding.”
Exxon Mobil, Philip Morris, the Dakota Access Pipeline, Halliburton. These are the investments JB Pritzker and Chris Kennedy were forced to tell us about. What else are they hiding? How can we trust them to put our interests first when their money is tied to the profits of these companies? Illinois needs a governor that puts the people and planet first, not big tobacco and big oil.
Posted by Daniel Biss on Thursday, November 30, 2017
In November, 2014, Republican Bruce Rauner beat then-Gov. Pat Quinn by some 142,000 votes following a campaign featuring “the incumbent Democrat is a failure” as a major theme.
Not surprisingly, a lot of folks — many of them union workers smarting from Quinn’s efforts to cut public employee retirement benefits — voted for Rauner simply because he was not Quinn.
As candidate filing this week officially kicked off campaign 2018, one might suspect that Rauner’s new mantra is, “Vote for me because I’m not Mike Madigan.” The focus on the long-serving House Speaker is politically expedient, of course, because Madigan may well be the most disliked political figure in the state, after the governor and his operatives have spent millions characterizing the Chicago Democrat as the Darth Vader-Lord Voldemort of Illinois.
But the governor’s Madigan fixation also may reflect that by many measures, Rauner’s three years in office have been worse for Illinois than the “failed” Quinn, leaving Rauner with little to crow about.
Democratic state lawmakers announced a plan Thursday to halt Illinois’ participation in a controversial multi-state voter registration database after efforts to persuade the State Board of Elections failed.
The legislation would remove Illinois from the Kansas-run Interstate Voter Registration Crosscheck Program, a free and voluntary program that helps states determine if voters are registered in more than one state.
However, advocacy groups in Illinois and elsewhere argue Crosscheck isn’t secure and could contribute to voter suppression. They’ve also raised questions about the partisan ties of Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach. He oversees Crosscheck and is a chairman of President Donald Trump’s election fraud commission, which is investigating unsubstantiated claims that millions voted illegally in 2016.
Advocacy groups including Indivisible Chicago and the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois pushed for a recent legislative hearing where an expert pointed to security flaws with emailed passwords and unsecured servers storing voters’ names and dates of birth. […]
Also, there isn’t yet bipartisan support. A message left for Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner’s spokeswoman wasn’t immediately returned Thursday. The State Board of Elections was split 4-4 on party lines to exit the program.
Crosscheck, which was pioneered by Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, is seen by many as nothing more than an attempt to keep minorities from voting.
Senator Raoul has made his opposition to the racially-biased program clear, calling for the state to cease using it at once.
“Crosscheck can be used to knock valid voters off the rolls, and it disproportionately impacts minority voters, who are more likely to share last names and be flagged by the system,” Raoul said. “That flies in the face of the voter protection policies we have embraced in Illinois.”
Earlier this month, a joint committee heard testimony from Shawn Davis, a faculty member at the Illinois Institute of Technology Center for Cyber Security and Forensics Education. Davis testified that the Crosscheck system has several security concerns that make private personal information easily accessible. While most websites handling sensitive information use secure file transmission networks called SFTPs, Crosscheck uses an unsecured network system.
Senator Cunningham says the state should address these concerns by leaving Crosscheck to protect voter information.
That’s one of the state’s two voter database systems used to identify voters who are registered in more than one state.
The other is the Electronic Registration Information Center, commonly called ERIC. […]
“When you look at the security between two of the systems, the ERIC system, and the Crosscheck system, it is evident that Crosscheck is a far inferior program that makes data susceptible to hackers,” Sen. Michael Hastings, D-Tinley Park, said. […]
Over half the states in the union currently use the International Crosscheck system and 16 states and Washington, D.C. use the ERIC system.
One of the arguments people employ on behalf of staying in Crosscheck is that ERIC only has a handful of participants and neighboring states don’t use it, perhaps because it costs money.
“I believe the legislature will pass a responsible budget in 2018,” [Sen. Michael Hastings, D-Tinley Park] said. “But will the governor sign it? The governor is a little erratic these days.”
Uncertainty over funding is hurting enrollments, but Governors State University in University Park saw its number of applications quadruple this year after passage of the first full-year state budget since 2014, Hastings said.
Funding cuts for higher education, public transportation and other areas, along with an income tax hike, were needed to restore balance to the state’s finances, said state Sen. Bill Cunningham, D-Chicago.
“We still have a rather large hole we have to climb out of,” Cunningham said. “I think next year’s budget will not be nearly as difficult as the last one … I don’t think the governor wants to be bogged down in Springfield when he’d rather be out campaigning.”
* Once again, Gov. Rauner is not having a great week. As Greg Hinz notes, he’s taking heat because one of his top contributors, Dick Uihlein, is backing Roy Moore in Alabama. He “seemed to waffle” on where he’s at on the DC tax bill. And the National Review called him the “worst Republican governor in America.” Not good…
It’s all got to be weighing on the Chicago private-equity mogul who thought he would save the state. It certainly is showing on his increasingly haggard face. […]
“Republicans understand that Gov. Rauner is unelectable,” [Rep. Jeanne Ives] declared in a statement. “He betrayed his party’s values. He broke promises. And lied about his intentions, most notably on a bill that forces taxpayer funding of abortion on demand.”
Ives is right about the latter. Rauner was for abortion rights, then against them, before he finally was for them again. The position irritated just about everybody on all sides of the volatile abortion issue and was only the latest sign a guy who couldn’t get his own way on taxes, workers compensation reform, spending or lots of other things couldn’t find a middle ground to get what he needed.
“He never understood the concept of 30 and 60,” quips Greg Baise, the veteran Republican who heads the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association, referring to the number of votes needed to pass a bill in the Democratic-controlled Senate and House, respectively.
To put it a little differently, it took Rauner three years to learn, if he really has learned, the difference between firing off orders as a private-equity chieftain and governing a mostly Democratic blue state.
* IWT rubs it in…
What horror will tomorrow bring for @BruceRauner? - Dartmouth Alumni Magazine calls Rauner a “disgrace to the Big Green” - Yachting Magazine rates Rauner “not shipshape” - Wall Street Journal calls him “Gov. Junk” (again)#ilgov
Massage Envy, the first and by far the largest chain of massage franchises in the country, is a billion-dollar business that promises trustworthy services at an affordable price. But BuzzFeed News found that more than 180 people have filed sexual assault lawsuits, police reports, and state board complaints against Massage Envy spas, their employees, and the national company. Like Susan Ingram, many say their claims were mishandled or ignored by employees and owners of individual Massage Envy spas, and by the national company itself.
It’s one of the most disgusting stories I’ve read in a long while.
Four women have filed lawsuits against Massage Envy franchises in Chicago and the suburbs claiming they were sexually assaulted by massage therapists, part of a growing list of women who say they were sexually assaulted by employees at the company’s franchises across the U.S. […]
An attorney for LCG Massage, owner of the Tinley Park Massage Envy franchise, denies the allegations of any sexual touching, according to court documents. The attorney also noted that law enforcement was notified of the woman’s complaint, but no charges were filed against the massage therapist, according to court documents.
The other three women have either settled or voluntarily dismissed their lawsuits, according to a review of court records in Will, Cook and DuPage counties.
In April, a Plainfield woman settled a 20-count lawsuit against Massage Envy, a massage therapist and the franchise manager regarding a May 2013 incident at the Massage Envy at 2775 Showplace Drive in Naperville. The lawsuit sought at least $1 million in damages and court costs. Court documents do not disclose the settlement amount.
* Press release…
Attorney General Lisa Madigan [on November 29] issued subpoenas to the Scottsdale, Ariz.-based franchisor Massage Envy and four of its Illinois-based franchisees as part of an investigation into claims the spa chain failed to handle sexual assault allegations by customers appropriately.
Madigan’s office is investigating Massage Envy and its Illinois franchisees at certain locations in Chicago, Elmhurst, Naperville and Tinley Park following public reports of women alleging they were sexually assaulted by male massage therapists. Through the subpoenas, Madigan is seeking information about the company’s policies, employee training, and handling of complaints related to sexual assault and sexually inappropriate behavior.
“I appreciate the women who have reported the sexual assaults they experienced during their massages,” Madigan said. “I issued subpoenas to Massage Envy because the public has a right to know what Massage Envy’s policies are and what steps the company takes to prevent and address sexual assaults.”
Madigan’s investigation into Massage Envy’s sexual assault policies comes as women around the country are coming forward to report instances of sexual harassment and sexual assault. Earlier this week, an investigation by Buzzfeed News found that more than 180 women throughout the country alleged that they were sexually assaulted during services at Massage Envy spas. Despite multiple lawsuits, police reports and complaints by women, Buzzfeed found that many claims were mishandled, and the company’s policies and procedures for reporting and addressing sexual assault allegations were vague or unclear.
According to its website, Massage Envy has more than 1,170 franchised locations in 49 states that employ approximately 25,000 massage therapists and estheticians that provide massage and skin care services to around 1.65 million members.
Tracking food deserts. The Department [of Public Health] shall provide an annual report to the General Assembly by December 31 of each year that identifies the locations of food deserts within the State and provides information about health issues associated with food deserts. If the annual report contains information from the federal government that identifies the locations of food deserts in the State and provides information on health issues associated with food deserts, then the requirements of this Section shall be satisfied. For the purposes of this Section, “food desert” means a location vapid of fresh fruit, vegetables, and other healthful whole foods, in part due to a lack of grocery stores, farmers’ markets, or healthy food providers.
Representative Sonya Harper, a Chicago Democrat who sponsored the legislation, says many communities in and out of Chicago have gone generations without the option of fresh food in their neighborhoods. As a result of this, she says, “…we have a lot of people dying in our communities simply from preventable, diet-related diseases. And I believe it’s because they lack access, it’s because fruits and vegetables are not something that’s easy to come by in their community.”
The information gathered could help bring food stores to neighborhoods where they are needed, and in turn help create jobs.
“And again—just trying to figure out ways—how do we bring in more sources for fresh food, and perhaps even jobs—at that right?” Harper says, “because there is an opportunity as well, for those food retailers to also spur some local economy and bring some more jobs.”
Over the last few years, residents in food deserts have responded by creating communal gardens and urban farms to teach each other how to grow their own food.
Is U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush going to be the second Chicago congressman in a week to hang it up? […]
As of [yesterday] morning, with filing due to close in just four days, on Dec. 3, neither Rush nor anyone else seems to be circulating petitions in his 1st District, which stretches from the South Side of the city past Joliet into Will County. And Rush’s office isn’t returning phone calls or emails asking what’s up.
In talking to insiders here and in Washington, I’ve picked up two theories. The first is that Rush is running, but is intentionally filing late this time, having almost been knocked off the ballot by a petition challenge two years ago. The second is that he really is retiring, and perhaps is trying to work out a way to hand off the seat to his son, Flynn Rush, who had been viewed as a likely candidate for the Illinois House seat being vacated by Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie, but hasn’t yet filed.
If petitions aren’t out circulating yet, it will be very, very difficult to get enough valid signatures just over the weekend.
Representative Bobby Rush is the only Illinois Congressman not to file his petitions for re-election, but this isn’t the first time that he’s put off filing.
In his re-election bid for the 2016 race, he waited until the very last day to file his petitions. If he chooses to do that again this year, Monday would be the last day that he can turn them in to be eligible for the March ballot.
Despite the delay in filing, those close to the congressman, including community activist Hal Baskin, say that “he’s in.” Even Rush’s Congressional colleagues have asked him if he is retiring and he has told them no.
Rush’s son Flynn Rush has not filed yet either, but he is circulating petitions for the first time to replace State Rep Barbara Flynn Currie, as she will not be seeking re-election. Some skeptics have insinuated that there could be a switch in plans for Rush, but those whispers remain rumors as the deadline date approaches.
Ending weeks of speculation, U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush tells Sneed exclusively he will file for his 14th term in office on Monday. […]
“We must go back and protect the legacy of President Barack Obama, in the area of jobs, health care, education and environment,” he said.
Rush, who has been in office for 25 years, also told Sneed that his son Flynn will also file his nominating petition on Monday to run for the seat of retiring state Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie, who is the majority whip of the Illinois Assembly representing the 25th District.
In response to the BGA investigation of a church owned by Rush, he told Sneed, “It’s all in the Lord’s hands, it’s always in God’s hands.”
Ald. Howard Brookins has decided at the last minute to circulate petitions for the March primary to run for Congress in Illinois’ 1st District, he told NBC 5 Friday.
That’s the seat held by longtime Congressman Bobby Rush.
While those close to Rush say he plans to file his petitions on the last day — Monday — Brookins told NBC 5 he began circulating petitions because “something doesn’t seem right.”
Rush is the only Illinois Congressman who has not yet filed his petitions for re-election, but this isn’t the first time that he’s put off filing.
“This guy hasn’t stopped campaigning since day one,” [Sen. Michael Hastings, D-Tinley Park] said. “I try to be quiet about these things but I can’t help it. My district is the heart and soul of organized labor in the entire state of Illinois.”
Large numbers of tradesmen, teachers, public safety and other government workers live in the area, Hastings said. He said Rauner once invited him to the Governor’s Mansion to talk issues over beer and cigars.
“He asked me, ‘How do you feel about organized labor?’” Hastings recalled. “‘How do you feel about unions in the state of Illinois?’ as if he didn’t do his research about the district I represent.”
“‘Would you be willing when the time came to take a vote and make Illinois a right-to-work state or diminish workers’ rights?’” Hastings said the governor asked. “It’s almost like getting a slap in the face, right there, when it’s one-on-one. I didn’t know whether to go off the chain or whether to be calm.
“But I’m thinking to myself, ‘These people are my neighbors, these people are my family members, these people put food on the table for their children, and I’m going to vote against that? You’ve got to be out of your mind.’ It’s an example of his lack of leadership, and knowing who you’re talking to.”
Asking Sen. Hastings, of all people, to consider voting for a “right to work” bill is a truly silly idea.
But the real quotable here is Hastings claiming “I try to be quiet about these things.” /s
