* The attorney general candidates met today at the Tribune…
Republican attorney general candidate Erika Harold acknowledged Tuesday that Democratic rival Kwame Raoul’s attack ads have turned the contest into a “referendum” over her views on same-sex marriage and abortion. […]
“The fact that this has become a referendum on views like that tells you why we’re not focusing on the issues where the attorney general can have some sort of discretion and some sort of impact,” said Harold, an Urbana attorney who used her winnings as the 2003 Miss America to pay her way through Harvard Law School.
“My views would absolutely not undermine my obligation, commitment to upholding the rule of law,” she said, contending that Raoul was attempting to stir “fear mongering among voters about trying to undermine their belief in my capacity and commitment to doing so.”
But Raoul, a supporter of abortion and gay rights, said laws can change, making the personal views of an attorney general “relevant.”
She said she considered those topics “settled law,” but, as Raoul noted, laws can always change and the US Supreme Court has lately made a habit of overturning some “settled laws.”
* Raoul campaign…
At a meeting of the Chicago Tribune editorial board today, Kwame Raoul, Democratic candidate for attorney general, focused on his plans to defend Ilinoisans’ rights as the state’s top lawyer. Meanwhile, Republican Erika Harold continued to dodge questions about whether she would use the discretion and the advocacy role of the attorney general to stand up for choice and equal rights, given her extreme views on those subjects.
“Now more than ever, state attorneys general stand as the last line of defense,” Raoul said. “From protecting a woman’s right to choose, to confronting health threats caused by pollution in our communities, to defending equal rights, I’m ready to step up on behalf of the people of Illinois.”
Raoul discussed his record of advocacy and his personal experiences as a prosecutor, policymaker, and father of two.
Harold engaged in misleading attacks while avoiding her own record of extreme beliefs:
* Harold wants voters to trust her to “enforce the law,” though she dodged direct questions that would reveal her positions.
FACT: Personal views absolutely matter, because the attorney general has broad discretion in which cases to pursue. Attorney General Lisa Madigan didn’t have to defend HB 40 against a legal challenge brought by State Rep. Peter Breen, an anti-choice crusader who recently held a fundraiser for Erika Harold. But she did. The people of Illinois also rely on the attorney general to serve as their advocate, working with the legislature to improve the law, in addition to enforcing existing law. Harold is against abortion, even in cases of rape and incest.
* When the editorial board asked Harold if she believes any Supreme Court cases were wrongly decided, Harold could not recall one.
FACT: Even though her recent statements make it clear that she opposes the outcome of Obergefell v. Hodges (marriage equality) and Roe v. Wade (a woman’s right to choose), Harold replied, “I’m not going to weigh in.” Raoul identified Citizens United v. FEC and earlier in the interview, Janus v. AFSCME.
* Harold says Raoul partnered with Madigan to raise property taxes.
FACT: Politifact already examined this claim and rated it “mostly false,” describing it as “cleverly misleading wordplay.” As he told the editorial board today, Raoul served in the Senate, not the House, and the part of the bill that would have allowed Chicago to raise taxes was never included in the Senate version of the legislation, nor did it become law. Rather, Raoul helped pass property tax reforms in 2007, and last year, he co-sponsored the HOME Act (SB 2219), which responded directly to problems identified in the Cook County Assessor’s Office by tamping down conflicts of interest, requiring assessors to publicly disclose their valuation models and establishing oversight of local assessments.
* Harold claimed she did not indicate on a questionnaire that she opposed a law protecting workers from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
FACT: In 2014, Harold answered a questionnaire from the Illinois Family Institute and, according to that organization’s publicly released candidate scorecard, she opposed federal legislation that would protect workers from being fired just because they’re gay. The IFI described the piece of legislation she opposed as follows: “Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) (S. 815) grants special rights based on ‘sexual orientation’ and ‘gender identity.’”
I haven’t yet received anything from the Harold campaign.
There are two sources… of revenue that are not a direct tax hike: gaming and recreational marijuana. Okay, lets talk about those two.
Gaming is the more straightforward one. I don’t gamble. I don’t like gambling. I wish it didn’t exist. It does. It’s here. We got gaming. A lot of people like it. We’re losing massive amounts of Illinois revenue to Indiana and Wisconsin and other states. That’s a mistake. If a community wants to have more gaming I support it and we should give them local control. And generate some significant new revenue. And I am supportive of that. That’s that category.
Legalizing marijuana I realize it is very popular, especially for voters under 40. Here’s the issue: it’s a massive human experiment. It’s a massive human experiment. And it has major negative consequences. And I have done my homework. My team is doing their homework. I’ve talked to the governors of the states that have legalized it, in particular Governor Hickenlooper in Colorado. And the recommendations have come back “go slow, watch and learn from what we are experiencing because it ain’t all a pretty picture.” A lot of negative consequences. […]
DUIs, absenteeism, THC in middle school kids, lack of productivity, expanded black markets. And the tax revenue not being nearly as high as they thought from it. And costs to their society and their health care system higher than they thought. So on balance. Net, net, net, you know? Not so clear. And now Colorado is a massive exporter to the black market of illegal drugs to other states. It has ramifications. To rush headlong into it and say “hey, we want tax revenue so let’s just let the…” I think it’s a mistake. And I do not support it today.
“Weed is the more straightforward one. I don’t smoke weed. I don’t like weed. I wish it didn’t exist. It does. It’s here. We got weed. A lot of people like it. We’re losing massive amounts of Illinois revenue to other states. That’s a mistake. If a community wants to have more weed I support it and we should give them local control. And generate some significant new revenue. And I am supportive of that.”
There. Fixed it for ‘ya.
…Adding… For a good debunking of what Rauner said about Colorado, click here. I’ve posted it before, but a commenter mentioned it below.
But Rauner’s list of things he wants to get done in a second term—“my last term,” he said—sounded very much like the things he pursued in his first term. Included: legislative term limits and a legislative reapportionment system that takes remap out of the hands of existing lawmakers; more extensive changes in the workers compensation system to help Illinois manufacturers in particular; “flexibility” for local school districts on things such as contracting and labor contracts; removing health care as a mandatory bargaining issue for state unions, allowing the state to impose terms unilaterally.
Rauner conceded that the current state budget has a structural deficit of an estimated $1 billion to $2 billion. And he said the state badly needs a new capital program to fund road, bridge, transit and other construction around the state, something that would have to be paid for.
How would he do that?
Rauner said he’d save $500 million a year in health insurance costs that state workers unions so far have resisted. He wants pension reform, but said the idea of amending the Illinois Constitution to reduce such benefits likely is a political and legal non-starter. Doing that would stimulate the state’s economy and boost revenues, he said.
The governor rejected the argument that the 3-year state budget standoff proved that fiscal stability even with a higher tax rate is better than stalemate. “Boiling slowly to death is still death,” he said. If Pritzker’s plans to adopt a graduated income tax is implemented, “A lot of your readers will say, ‘we’re gone.’”
He was asked “Isn’t there a value to fiscal stability?” And he answered with the boiling to death comment.
Also, big capital construction bills require bonding and that requires a funding source. And bonding at any sort of decent rate will probably require a specific revenue source, given the state’s credit rating.
* With that in mind, Rauner said this at a different venue…
"Better credit ratings will not solve all our problems…ask your friends in New York, New Jersey, in Connecticut. We won't make progress until we take on our structural problems."
Nobody ever said that better credit ratings would solve “all” our problems. Regardless of what he says, fiscal stability has to be a goal.
Also, solving “structural problems” to him has always been about “right to work,” eliminating the prevailing wage, etc. But this ain’t Scott Walker’s Wisconsin. Focus on the things you can fix or you won’t change anything. That should’ve been the most important lesson learned during the past four years.
For instance, instead of punting to the General Assembly about what AFSCME can and can’t negotiate in their contracts, just negotiate incremental changes yourself. He took the hardest of hardest lines and got absolutely nowhere. It’s the entire story of his term.
* He also complained to Crain’s about the media not understanding him. For a guy polling so poorly, he should focus on his own job and stop telling others how to do theirs.
Even now, Democratic House candidates accepting help from Madigan and his political operation — its voter databases, staff, advice and money — have to give up control of their campaigns. His staffers can follow candidates through a phone app to make sure they’re going door-to-door. One House Democratic candidate told me Madigan’s aides wanted to observe her through a live feed while she was door-knocking, just to make sure she was on message. They also are not supposed to talk to the press or engage with the public, aside from porch steps.
See? When those of us who write about campaigns obsessively report the amount of money Madigan gives candidates, we miss the full picture. They want to say they’re independent of him, but they wind up subservient to his control. No wonder he’s a shoo-in for speaker every term.
There certainly are stories about the Illinois Republican Party also being accused of aggressive control-freakery. But I haven’t heard nearly as many complaints from that side as I have during my 20 years of covering Madigan’s office.
So spare me the mea culpa, the “woke” moment, the grasping press releases. Democratic women running under Madigan’s political umbrella have become adept at looking the other way. Any other elected official and party leader would be long gone. Instead, Madigan continues to be re-elected as party chair and House speaker.
Actually valuing women, their policy contributions and their diversity, is not really the goal of the Madigan program. Putting up female candidates in the suburbs because they poll well and have increased Madigan’s voting majority — that is the Madigan program.
Last night, CBS Chicago found that JB Pritzker has saved millions by stashing his money offshore following yesterday’s Rauner campaign digital ad “JBahamas Bank.”
Pritzker has previously said “I don’t invest offshore… It’s not part of what I do.” But the Chicago Tribune found that to be untrue, reporting on shell companies in the Bahamas that are owned by Pritzker, some founded in the last 10 years.
Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner has charged that democratic challenger J.B. Pritzker trims his tax bill by hiding millions offshore. Now that claim is the subject of a new Rauner commercial.
CBS 2’s Political Reporter Derrick Blakley fact-checked if that statement is true.
“Hide your money in the Bahamas,” Bruce Rauner’s campaign commercial sings, claiming J.B. Pritzker has been doing so for years, stashing money offshore to avoid U.S. taxes.
In the ad, Pritzker’s the head of a bank that specializes in shorting Uncle Sam.
“We can help Illinois families like yours. We’ll hide your money offshore, far from the IRS, just like J.B. Pritzker did,” the ad states.
Is the charge true? “I’d say yes,” said CBS 2’s Derrick Blakley.
For the Pritzker’s, avoiding taxes has been a family affair. J.B.’s grandfather, A.N. Pritzker, established dozens of trusts. In 2008, the New York Times declared, “The Pritzker’s were pioneers in using tax loopholes to shelter their holdings from the internal revenue service.”
J.B. Pritzker, however, insists “those entities were not created by me.”
The Chicago Tribune discovered J.B. had interests in 11 Bahamas trusts created within the last ten years, with two created specifically to benefit him.
It is ironic, said CBS 2’s Derrick Blakley, since a major theme of Pritzker’s campaign has been “everyone should pay their fair share.”
The Rauner ad also claims, “Considering our man J.B.’s plan to raise taxes on every family in Illinois, there’s no better time to open an account than today.”
CBS 2’s Derrick Blakley says that claim is false. Pritzker has pledged to raise taxes on the rich, not on every Illinois family, although he has refused to provide specifics.
Speaker Madigan receives nearly $768K from the AFSCME Illinois Council 31 PAC, which had previously only contributed a total of $163K to the Chicago Democrat. #twillhttps://t.co/Kh2L43T7AL
That is the largest single contribution AFSCME has ever made, according to a search of the State Board of Elections’ website.
I’m so old I remember when AFSCME, the IFT and the IEA were boycotting Madigan’s campaign fund, which forced him to turn to Bruce Rauner and Stand for Children Illinois for fundraising help.
Gov. Bruce Rauner’s fundraising has shown a precipitous drop in big-dollar donations this month and in the current quarter compared to four years ago.
In his 2014 initial bid for governor, Rauner reported raising $10.5 million in contributions of $1,000 or more, not counting the $4.5 million he also gave himself, from July 1 to Sept. 21. For the comparable time period this quarter, state campaign finance reports show the GOP governor raising about $1.9 million.
Also this year, Rauner raised six-figure donations each week last month, including in two weeks in which he raised more than $400,000. But by September, the big-dollar checks had fallen to five-figures a week — $39,000 for the first week of September, $44,848 in the second week and $55,789 in the third. In contrast to Rauner’s $139,637 September total, Democratic challenger J.B. Pritzker has raised $542,991 — aimed at the Democrats’ “Blue Wave” operation to assist down-ballot contests.
* Rauner’s weekly fundraising totals since the quarter began July 1st…
* By the way, the latest JB Pritzker A-1 was heavy with California contributors, including Phil Hellmuth, a champion poker player and author. Pritzker has a brother out there and the dude’s house has its own Wikipedia page. These Pritzkers don’t mess around when it comes to their homes.
As of now (and this will change), @JBPritzker has media buys in place for $2 million between now and election. For @BruceRauner , it's $1.6 million. No outside groups with future buys currently in place.
* From a letter sent to ABC 7 news director Jennifer Graves…
I am State Senator Sam McCann, Conservative Party candidate for Governor. On Wednesday, October 3, ABC 7 Chicago will partner with the League of Women Voters of Illinois Education Fund and Univision Chicago for a debate of gubernatorial candidates. However, even though I am certified on the general election ballot as a candidate for governor, as it stands currently, I have been informed that I will not be allowed to participate in the debate. To that end, I respectfully request a reconsideration of this decision.
Recently, I took part in a gubernatorial debate hosted by NBC 5 Chicago and Telemundo. There, it was clear, both live on the debate stage and through the media coverage that followed, that my message is a voice for conservative voters and an integral part of the conversation regarding Illinois’ future.
Across the country, especially in Illinois, citizens are demanding more inclusiveness, transparency and fair play in our political process. Today most voters reject an outdated approach that recognizes only franchised, establishment candidates in the competition for votes. Furthermore, one of the tenets of the League of Women Voters of Illinois, a debate co-sponsor, is the notion that informed and active participation by citizen voters is essential to building and maintaining a productive, honest, and inclusive political environment.
At a time when the candidates of both major parties are pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into this race, the people of Illinois deserve an opportunity to hear from all the candidates for governor, not just the two who can afford to hijack the TV airways. Despite their obscene spending, the two major party candidates continue to be viewed net unfavorably according to recent public polls. I proudly speak for millions of Illinoisans who believe that two billionaire candidates do not represent the interests of working people and believe we should have elections – not auctions.
Excluding any bona fide candidates would be in direct contradiction of the LWV’s mission of encouraging an informed and active citizenry and ensuring equitable competition for candidates. Therefore, I respectfully request that ABC 7 Chicago reconsider its decision to exclude me from its October 3 debate; any decision otherwise is simply a disservice to the citizens of Illinois.
Sincerely,
Sen. Sam McCann Candidate for Governor
* The Question: Should McCann be allowed into the ABC 7 debate? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
* Gov. Rauner spoke to the Illinois Chamber the same day as his first debate with JB Pritzker and it received little to zero coverage. Rick Pearson went back and listened to the audio…
“I believe one of the reasons we have such vicious partisan disagreements and vitriol in America today is that the gerrymandering process has been carried out in most states in America to such a degree that each political party is more and more dominated by its most extreme elements,” Rauner said Thursday, hours before his first debate with Democratic rival J.B. Pritzker and two third-party candidates.
“And boy, it’s happening in Illinois. I’ve lived it through my two primaries I’ve had in my time in public service and I’ve seen it in both political parties in the state of Illinois. And for America to function effectively as a democracy, we can’t go to the most extreme elements of each of our political parties. It won’t work. It will not work well,” he said. […]
“And boy, I’ve got to tell you, holding the center, holding the center has been incredibly hard here as governor. Done my darnedest. Held it as firmly as I can. But holding the center in today’s American politics and in Illinois’ politics — tremendously difficult. But we’ll stay the course,” Rauner told the state chamber, which has backed his re-election.
“We’ll stay strong, stick to what I firmly believe is right and that’s fiscal discipline, pro-free enterprise, pro-growth, pro-taxpayer, pro-job creator and moderation in other regards, finding the center,” he said. “Moderation is the right answer and I will stay there. I believe that’s the way Illinois can be saved and we can create a better future.”
“We can’t let anybody stay home. And my offer to you is I will come to any city, any municipality, any county, anytime, any company in the state of Illinois, if you’d like to do (an) employee town hall, like to do a meeting with any of your executives, a meeting with your factory floor workers,” he said. “Anywhere, anytime.”
* A Chicago pal of mine took detailed notes a few days ago when she received a polling call. I thought you might like to see her raw notes for yourself…
Kalamata research
18 years of age registered to vote
Election for mayor, alderman, other city offices- how likely to vote?
Year you were born
How do you identify? SD, D, etc
Favorable/Non fav; very or somewhat:
· Susanna Mendoza
· Toni Preckwinkle
· Bill Daley
· Rahm Emanuel
· Jesus Chuy Garcia
· Toni Preckwinkle vs Vallas
· Toni Preckwinkle v Daley
· Toni v. McCarthy
· Susana vs McCarthy
· Toni vs. Mendoza
· Daley v Mendoza
POSITIVES:
· Toni is the current president of the board of commissioners, independent and progressive leadership. Standing up to the political machine for the people of Chicago. She worked with the board to implement major reform. Rebuilt credibility of government, cutting expenditures.
· Chuy is a leader who has spent his life working to improve the lives of all people. Took on Rahm. Experienced public servant, voice for working people
· Susannah Mendoza, first Hispanic woman comptroller, former clerk of city of Chicago, paid social service providers, passed debt transparency act so general assembly would know, Arguably most forceful combatant of Bruce Rauner, fiscal accountability
· Daley responsible for much of the growth in the city, commerce secretary, BO’s chief of staff
Head to head:
· Toni v Vallas
· Toni v Daley
· McCarthy v. Toni
· Mendoza v McCarthy
· Mendoza v Toni
· Mendoza v Daley
NEGATIVES:
· Vallas has a history of mismanaging city finances, city schools in philly were bad, $1.5 billion cover up from pension payments to pay for operation costs; Trib investigation found he didn’t stop sexual abuse in CPS
· Daley represents ward boss politics of the past, father and brother ruled Chicago for 44 years, made Chicago into the most segregated city, police torture, insider deals like sale of parking meters, hired truck, worked for giant bank, served on Rauners transition teams, Royal prince who thinks it’s his turn
· Toni- supported Berrios, raising property taxes on poor and middle class, promised to repeal sales tax but raised it, steamrolled county government into increasing soda tax, $200 million
· Susannah Mendoza does not look out for Chicago residents, illegally collected millions of dollars in ticket fines and fees, voted for red light cameras that charge large fines and impact minority communities, voted for bills and is responsible for causing state budget crisis that saddled us with pension debt
· Chuy is now a typical politician, raised his own pay, endorsed mike Madigan, hasn’t even been sworn in and is already looking to trade up, voted to raise property taxes by $100 million, gamed the property tax system to reduce his own taxes by taking an illegal exemption, tried to balance the cook county govt on the backs of the people
Head to head:
· Toni v Vallas
· Toni v Daley
· Toni v McCarthy
· Mendoza v McCarthy
· Mendoza v Preckwinkle
· Mendoza v Daley
Suburban women have been a critical factor in deciding special elections this year and, amid their dissatisfaction with President Donald Trump, Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner is reaching out in a new ad.
The ad features Anne Wedner, a former backer of President Barack Obama, who is founder of Kent Road Strategies, who has worked on Democratic and Republican campaigns with a focus on the North Shore.
Billing herself as a lifelong Democrat, Wedner touts her childhood support for the Equal Rights Amendment and her dissatisfaction with national politics — a distancing effort from Trump aimed at helping Rauner in the suburbs while he seeks Trump supporter backing Downstate. […]
“We have to fix our financial problems and Bruce Rauner is the only candidate with the courage to do it,” she adds.
OK, a simple search of the State Board of Elections found that the Rauner campaign has paid Wedner’s company $50,000 since October of last year for “Strategy consulting.”
I’m Anne Wedner, and I’m a lifelong Democrat. In 1972, I went door-to-door with my mom to support the Equal Rights Amendment. Today, I’m not happy about Washington, but I’m also heartbroken about Illinois. We have to fix our financial problems, and Bruce Rauner is the only candidate with the courage to do it. Yes, Rauner is a Republican and I’m a Democrat, but this isn’t about party politics. This is about saving our state.
…Adding… Sen. Sam McCann’s campaign…
Are we surprised that a North Shore liberal on his payroll is who he has “supporting” him in ads? As a failed limosene liberal governor, Rauner has shown money is the only thing that can buy him love. - link to Willie Wilson article.
Gov. Bruce Rauner’s campaign has a new commercial featuring a woman who says she is a “lifelong Democrat,” but Cook County records show she voted in GOP primaries in 2000, 2012, 2014 and 2018.
* We all know by now that JB Pritzker has refused to release any details whatsoever about his graduated income tax idea. Reporters have asked him over and over to say what his rates would be, or at what income level would require people to pay more than they are now.
It turns out, though, that Pritzker promised last year to issue his “full” tax plan “later in the Fall” when he was asked what his rates would be and how he would implement it during a question and answer session with voters.
