Illinois communities may not be able to compete for millions of dollars in federal money to prevent disaster-related problems because of an error.
The exact nature of the goof is under debate, and becoming subject to finger-pointing between politicians. At issue is eligibility for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Pre-Disaster Mitigation program, which has $400 million of grant funding available this year.
Illinois has received more than $18 million in grants from the program since 2003.
Those funds have been used to help communities lay plans for what needs to be done locally to prevent potential disasters from being worse — from shoring up backup power for the water supply to enhancing flood walls, updating tornado sirens and crafting regional emergency communication plans.
When the state electronically submitted its application for pre-disaster mitigation grants available through the federal government’s 2018 fiscal year funding cycle, IEMA said it experienced a technical glitch in late January in an online portal days before a deadline, which led to Illinois missing out on a piece of the $400 million of federal money that was available.
However, the Federal Emergency Management Agency denies a technical error played a role in Illinois’ application.
IEMA says it was one of more than 20 states and tribes around the country that had trouble when applying for the grant dollars.
“Illinois was one of nearly two dozen states and tribes that experienced technical glitches or system errors with the FEMA online portal, which is why we are working diligently with our congressional delegation to ensure that the federal government considers these grant applications,” said Rebecca Clark, spokeswoman for the Illinois Emergency Management Agency. “A technical error with FEMA’s system shouldn’t prevent Illinois communities from having a fair shot at receiving these grant funds.”
Five downstate Republican congressmen are asking Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration to explain how and why the application did not get submitted, and how the state will avoid future issues.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, meanwhile, says the focus should be on appealing to FEMA to look past the red tape and not let the snafu prevent worthy projects from being considered.
We’d argue that the state does need to figure out what went wrong and how future messes could be avoided. But let’s hope the five GOP congressmen can put politics aside and join with Bustos in a bipartisan way to lobby FEMA for Illinois’ interests.
* The Pritzker administration claims FEMA told the Illinois Emergency Management Agency that 22 states experienced “technical glitches,” or “system error.” IEMA claims to have “independently learned” that the following states, tribes, etc. experienced problems…
I sent inquiries to all of those emergency management agencies except for DC’s. So far, I’ve received two replies.
* From the Utah Division of Emergency Management’s Joe Dougherty…
Utah did not experience anything in the system that kept us from making the PDM grant application deadline. We are expecting to hear back from FEMA around the beginning of May.
* From Gary Laing at the Delaware Emergency Management Agency…
After checking with our Natural Hazards section, I found that while we experienced a bit of a glitch, it did not prevent Delaware from being able to submit its paperwork completely and on time. While the system may have been backlogged for a period, our application went through.
*** UPDATE *** From IEMA…
As you reported, Illinois independently verified other states experienced similar technical glitches. This does not mean they were denied, but that they experienced similar problem with the submission process. To our knowledge, Illinois and DC are the only applicants that have been denied by FEMA; however, the attached spreadsheet outlines what we have learned from other states regarding the various technical glitches experienced with the FEMA eGrants program.
“I’m focused on sports betting. I said that in my budget speech, as you know,” the governor said. “It’s very important for us to be a leader in sports betting to make sure we get ahead of the other states that are trying to do it. That’s why I suggested in my speech that we, at a minimum, get sports betting passed. I know there are a lot of other ideas out there, a lot of people who want to get their idea included in a bill. But I’m laser-focused on making sure we get sports betting.” […]
One of [Rep. Mike Zalewski’s, D-Chicago] amendments would allow professional sports leagues to get a cut of sales from sports betting in Illinois. Zalewski acknowledged that this idea isn’t universally popular because not everyone thinks that leagues should share in the revenue. But, Zalewski pointed out that Illinois is the home to many pro teams. […]
All of Chicago’s major league sports teams, minus the Bears, have signed onto a proposal being pushed by the National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball and Professional Golfers’ Association of America that would distribute 25 cents of every $100 bet to pro sports leagues. But Pritzker has not yet committing to this revenue-sharing model.
“Well that hasn’t been done in any other state,” Pritzker said. “But I’m certainly willing to listen to anybody and I know that the legislature has heard from a number of those folks, so they’ll be considering it as well.”
* The Question: Should professional sports leagues get a cut of the Illinois sports betting handle? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please…
* Jim Oberweis, Allen Skillicorn and now… Ted Gradel? You may be hearing more about him because Republican political consultant Chip Englander is working with his campaign to unseat freshman Democrat Lauren Underwood.
Here’s Gradel’s fundraising pitch…
I want you to be one of the first to know I am running for U.S. Congress in Illinois’s 14th District.
I’m a political outsider who wants to go to D.C. in order to get things done, not become a career politician.
After playing football for Coach Lou Holtz and graduating from Notre Dame, I moved to the Chicago area with my high school sweetheart, Sarah. We’ve now been married for nearly 30 years and have raised three daughters in Naperville.
I have spent my career in the private sector. The more I take a deeper look at the state of our country the more I see that the free market system that rewards ingenuity and work ethic is under assault. I’m running for Congress to defend our freedom and speak out against the false promise of socialism and a “Big Government” agenda.
I’ll use over 30 years of experience in the private sector to make our community a better place and fight for the future of our great country.
Together with my family I made the decision to run for Congress to restore and protect our freedoms so that everyone has the opportunity that I had to achieve their own American Dream.
I don’t have any ties to Washington or special interests. That is a positive in my book. But that means I am going to have to work harder and smarter than anyone else.
Will you join my campaign on day one?
Let’s send a signal to Washington to get ready for a political outsider ready to get things done and defend our free market. Join me today with a contribution to my campaign.
I am already working 24/7 on building a campaign from the ground up. I can’t do it without your help. I look forward to hearing from you soon!
Gratefully,
Ted Gradel
* Tweet…
I’ve never run for office before, but when I see Democrats like @LaurenUnderwood trying to push the country toward policies that harm our individual freedom and threaten our strong economy, I know I can’t stay on the sidelines. Donate today-> #IL14#twillhttps://t.co/5SGjiMWDIw
* Senate Transportation Committee Chairman Martin Sandoval has been holding hearings across the state about a new capital bill. Sandoval has demanded input at every hearing about how local officials would like the state to pay for these projects. Somebody finally came prepared for yesterday’s Elgin hearing…
Sean Michels, board president of the Metro West Council of Governments, said there should be a variety of funding sources, such as increases to gas, alcohol and cigarette taxes; a portion of the recreational marijuana tax, if approved; and a tax on large warehouse distribution centers whose vehicles can damage roads the most, he said.
Those warehouse distribution centers generate tons of traffic, and many have cut tax-avoidance and incentive deals with local governments.
McHenry County is the sole subject of legislation giving its voters an option to dissolve township government. It is an effort by a state lawmaker to cut residents’ property taxes by eliminating what he calls “unnecessary” levels of government.
If the experiment goes well there, in the sixth most populous county in the state, Rep. David McSweeney said the next step would be to give the rest of Illinois the ability to get rid of township governments. […]
But the measure is contentious even in McHenry County, where some officials expressed frustration McSweeney did not ask if such a provision was needed. Others said they worry what the impacts would be if McSweeney’s bill becomes law — there has not been a recent study providing a clear analysis. […]
“There are hypocrites on the Republican side who support lower property taxes but not consolidation of unnecessary units of government. It’s a real eye-opener,” McSweeney said. “I’m glad to have bipartisan support, though.”
His Republican colleague, Rep. Steven Reick, disagreed with that assessment. From Woodstock, Reick is the only representative whose district falls completely within the boundaries of McHenry County. He voted against the legislation.
“If I’m a hypocrite, I don’t know where that’s coming from,” Reick said. “I believe in cutting property taxes, but the fact is, this bill does not do that.”
Facing criticism for selling tobacco to minors, Walgreens announced Tuesday that it will now sell tobacco products only to customers age 21 and older.
The new policy will go into effect Sept. 1 across the Deerfield-based chain’s more than 9,500 stores.
The announcement comes about two months after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Walgreens had the worst track record among all pharmacies when it comes to selling tobacco products to minors. About 22 percent of the more than 6,300 Walgreens stores the FDA inspected since 2010 had illegally sold the products to young people, the agency said at the time.
Is that smart device listening to your children? A measure advancing through the Illinois legislature would require companies to let consumers know.
Public Interest Research Group Director Abe Scarr said the Keep Internet Devices Safe Act that passed the Senate is simple: Parents and consumers need to know when their smart devices are listening.
“We know some level of this activity is happening and we think that families and parents deserve to know if they’re being listened to and that’s all that the bill does,” Scarr said.
Senate sponsor state Sen. Cristina Castro, D-Elgin, said there are a few things to hammer out with the tech companies opposed to the measure.
“We’re trying to kind of meet and trying to accomplish in making sure that consumers are aware in how their information is going to be used, but also make sure that the business community and the internet providers understand and it’s very clear,” Castro said.
Both Scarr and Castro shared a story about a professional basketball team using a smartphone application that turned individual cell phone microphones on to let the app know where at the stadium the user was.
“They may not even be listening to your conversation per se, they’re listening for signals in the department store or in the arena to know where you are so they can send you push notifications,” Scarr said. “There’s been some documented apps that are listening to what you are watching on your television so they can have a sense of where you are, your consumer demographic so they can better sell advertisements to you.”
I finally figured out how to turn off the notification from Walgreens that set off an alarm on my phone when I drove by one of their stores.
* I’m hearing there will be some legislation to tighten up vaccination mandates as well. Stay tuned for that. From a press release…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is taking steps to increase vaccination rates across the state, in response to Illinois’ seven measles cases and CDC reports of more than 600 cases across the country in 2019, 71 reported last week alone. These steps include increasing accessibility to vaccines, expanding outreach in communities with low vaccination rates, and educating the public on the importance of vaccines.
“We are taking the threat posed by a rise in measles cases very seriously and are committed to taking action to keep Illinoisans safe,” said Governor Pritzker. “Working across agencies and at all levels of government, we will be taking steps to increase vaccination rates and ensure all of our families are educated about the resources available to them. There is no more important responsibility of our state government than keeping Illinoisans healthy and safe, and addressing this threat is a top priority for my administration as we move forward.”
“IDPH is committed to taking action to keep our communities safe from measles and other preventable diseases,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. “Vaccination is our best tool to protect our families and while overall vaccination rates for the state are strong, some specific communities have lower rates and remain vulnerable to disease outbreaks. Through a multifaceted approach that will include breaking down barriers to vaccination, targeted outreach, and education, IDPH is committed to increasing vaccination rates in every corner of Illinois and minimizing the threat of measles in our state.”
Public health officials are working with schools, community organizations, religious groups, parent organizations, and other stakeholders to identify opportunities to provide vaccinations. Steps will include, but are not limited to:
• Mobile Units: IDPH will assist in providing mobile health units to neighborhoods with low vaccination rates to hold clinics and provide vaccinations.
• Targeted Events: IDPH will identify events with high parent and children attendance and support vaccination clinics at these events. These can include county fairs and neighborhood celebrations.
• Faith Outreach: IDPH will work with religious organizations to sponsor vaccination clinics after services, during vacation bible school, and near other religious gatherings.
• Community Coordination: IDPH will work with community health workers and parent educators to help set up appointment times for vaccinations, provide or arrange transportation, and assist parents in filling out the paperwork.
• Public Education: IDPH will work to combat misinformation about vaccines and increase education efforts through health events, marketing, and social media.
IDPH is also working with the Illinois State Board of Education to conduct a more in-depth data analysis that will inform additional actions. This qualitative and quantitative study will focus on schools at risk for outbreaks due to student vaccination rates of less than 95%. The study aims to understand why the school is experiencing a lower vaccination rate and identify who, specifically, is not being vaccinated. IDPH is currently working with local health departments across the state to meet and talk with school officials and health care providers in the community to learn about barriers that limit vaccination and identify additional opportunities to increase rates. Barriers already identified include:
• Transportation: Some parents do not have a way to get their children to clinics for vaccinations.
• Time: Health clinic hours may not fit with working parents’ schedule.
• Paperwork: Vaccination requires the consent forms to be filled by the parent. Some parents may be overwhelmed by the paperwork and not fully understand how to fill it out.
• Wait Times: While local health departments and providers may offer special vaccination clinics before the beginning of the school year, the wait times can sometimes be more than an hour.
IDPH continues to recruit and retain Vaccine for Children (VFC) health care providers. The federally funded VFC program provides vaccines at no cost to children who might otherwise not be vaccinated. IDPH is currently working across agencies and with the governor’s office to identify ways to help reduce the burden of the program on providers, and to help them be compliant.
Communities with low vaccination rates are at risk for disease outbreaks. If one person in a community is infected, the disease can spread to others who are not vaccinated. In communities where the overwhelming majority of people are vaccinated, there are fewer opportunities for the disease to spread, often called “herd immunity.”
Education and awareness are critical to increasing vaccination rates. There is extensive misinformation circulating about the safety of vaccines. It is important for the public to understand that we have the safest vaccine supply in U.S. history and that vaccines offer the best protection against illness from vaccine-preventable diseases. IDPH is working to increase knowledge about vaccines through social media, its website, informational brochures, health events around the state, and more.
Vaccination protects you from illness, and also protects the community around you, especially those who are unable to be vaccinated, such as babies and people with weakened immune systems. Vaccination is a shared responsibility that we must uphold or risk turning back the clock to a time when measles was widespread, and thousands died each year.
* Gov. JB Pritzker talked with several different reporters yesterday because today marks his 100th day in office. Some of the questions were just rehashed from previous interviews…
Biggest surprise: How often he’d have to console families. Pritzker has attended the funerals of state police troopers, National Guardsmen and women and families of victims of gun violence. “It’s one of the greatest honors, but it’s heartbreaking, too,” he said.
Juggling act: Pritzker’s wife and two teen children have remained in Chicago, which means Pritzker splits his time, usually spending three or four days each week in Springfield.
Opening up the mansion: Pritzker and his wife, M.K., entertain regularly. They’ve hosted dinner parties and cocktail hours for Democrats and Republicans alike. On Wednesdays, Pritzker is known to invite groups of lawmakers for an evening away from the statehouse.
* The governor has said in prior interviews that he doesn’t prefer to increase the Motor Fuel Tax to pay for a new capital bill, but he’s never completely shut the door and he didn’t yesterday, either…
Pritzker said he rules out a tax on vehicle miles driven. When asked about the possibility of an increased tax on gasoline, he noted that the Illinois Chamber of Commerce backs a plan including such an increase.
“So I think that’s worth noting,” Pritzker said.
While not being specific, Pritzker said, “What we are focusing on (are) near-term opportunities to find revenues so that we can have the bonds paid for that will be necessary for a major capital plan. … Those are ideas that are being brought forth by Republicans and Democrats. … Suffice it to say that there are many options on the table.”
Pritzker, who is a political newcomer, said he misses the time he’s losing with his family and close friends. But he understands the heavy duty of his responsibilities. The governor’s wake up time? Between 4 and 5 a.m. Pritzker works until his wife or kids wake up, then spends time with them until he has to head out to events or meetings.
“I guess the biggest thing that I miss is, there are time when you just want to go spend some time with your close friends, but you know, the duties of office take you away from that,” Pritzker said. “And certainly the time away from my family — my children and my wife — that’s lost time. But on the other hand, I’ve had the great, good fortune to be able to actually wake up every day and make a difference in people’s lives.”
“Certainly I continue to believe that maps should be drawn fairly,” Pritzker said, adding, “I would veto a map that I thought was an unfair one.” But he said there are “a lot of priorities that I’ve moved forward with. … Suffice to say drawing the map fairly in congressional and legislative races is important.”
He touts his major achievements thus far as signing the minimum wage increase, gun dealer licensing and Tobacco 21 bills, a well as introducing his “fair tax” amendment and his budget proposal. He dubbed the minimum wage law as having “the most widespread and most positive impact.”
As he seeks to turn that ship, Pritzker says he has regular meetings with the four legislative leaders, speaking with each – including House Speaker Michael Madigan – “on average … at least once a week.”
“I’m very proud of the fact that I’ve reached across the aisle,” he said.
Introducing something isn’t really an accomplishment, although introducing a precariously balanced budget that doesn’t include unrealistic cuts or just ignores gaping short-term holes is an improvement over the past four years. Same goes for hosting leaders meetings. Bruce Rauner set such a low bar that any improvement looks like significant progress.
“First of all, we are one Illinois and I have fought hard during the campaign and continuing as governor to bring together all parts of the state,” said Pritzker, who has a home in Chicago in addition to the Governor’s Mansion in Springfield. “There will be disagreements among some people in some counties with other people in other counties, but suffice to say that we always have brought Illinois together historically … the land of Lincoln, the land of Barack Obama. I think there’s a common understanding of who we are and our values, even if there are disagreements on some issues.”
The number of state troopers in Illinois has fallen by nearly 20 percent over the past two decades, leaving fewer officers to patrol the roadways, investigate shootings on highways and oversee the concealed carry program.
The decline has been long and steady, with spending cuts, a wave of retirements, new policing responsibilities and the recent state budget impasse all contributing. But the death of three troopers this year when other motorists crashed into them has raised the question: Are there enough officers out there to discourage reckless driving and keep the roads safe?
“This is a gradual deterioration that has occurred in both Democratic and Republican administrations,” said Brendan Kelly, acting director of Illinois State Police. “While that has happened, the responsibilities and duties set forth by the legislature have only grown.”
Now efforts to rebuild the department are underway in the hope of significantly boosting staffing. Gov. J.B. Pritzker has proposed allocating more than $7 million to train two new cadet classes at the state police academy. Agency leaders also are trying to think up creative ideas to entice more applicants, such as producing flashy recruitment videos and reconsidering educational requirements for the job.
Kelly said he is open to a proposal that would do away with a four-year degree requirement for recruits, instead requiring them to obtain an associate degree.
Former Marion, Illinois mayor, Bob Butler, passed away at 9:30 a.m. Monday, April 22, according to the City of Marion.
Emeritus Robert L. Butler, 92, was one of the longest-serving mayors in the United States. He retired from office on Wednesday, January 31, 2018 and Anthony Rinella succeeded him.
We talked to him in 2018 about his retirement. He said longevity brings consistency.
“I want to be remembered by one who did his best. I’ve tried to do the best I could at the greater interest of the people in Marion,” he said.
Former Mayor Anthony Rinella said the irony is that if he had served his whole term, Monday would have been his last day and Mike Absher would be sworn in.
In 2015, he was presented with the Lifetime of Service award from the Illinois Municipal League.
“He was a good friend of mine. I confided in him a lot, especially when I was mayor of Harrisburg,” said Sen. Dale Fowler, (R-Harrisburg). “I’m saddened but so respectful of his service.
Several southern Illinois legislators and community leaders reacted Monday to news of Butler’s death.
West Frankfort Mayor Tom Jordan told News 3, “He was the consummate mayor. If you looked up mayor in the dictionary, his picture would probably be there.”
Butler first took office in May of 1963. When he retired, he was the second-longest serving mayor in the United States. He was the longest serving mayor in the state of Illinois.
Butler’s death comes on the same day Mike Absher is to take the oath of office and be sworn in as the new Marion mayor. Absher won the April 2nd election, beating Anthony Rinella, who had served as Acting Mayor since Butler’s retirement.
Butler was the driving force behind the city’s west end development and Marion’s rebirth following the devastation of the 1982 tornado.
Butler said that once the city was back on firm ground financially, it was just a matter of enhancing an already good product. “I never dreamed of having a cultural and civic center like we have today or a top-notch recreational facility like the Hub or a gathering place like the Pavilion,” he said.
“In the back of my mind, I knew something good could happen here … as long as we didn’t stand in our own way.”
He was also a delegate to the state’s constitutional convention.
The Illinois Fair Maps Amendment has a supermajority of 36 of 59 senators signed on as sponsors, including 19 Republicans and 17 Democrats. It’s supported by minority groups, farmers, business and good government advocates around Illinois.
Is it right that there’s all that support, but Illinois Senate President John Cullerton hasn’t assigned it to a favorable committee to be debated and voted on? […]
Illinois politicians shouldn’t meddle in our elections any more than Russians should. We deserve elections we can trust. We deserve to know our votes mean something. Let’s try a citizen redistricting commission.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker predicts growth in wind-energy development after signing a law streamlining zoning rules.
The Democrat signed legislation Friday that allows only counties and municipalities to establish standards for developing wind farms. Townships will no longer have authority in the process.
Pritzker says the law will spur investment in rural areas, create jobs and pour tens of millions of dollars into the pockets of landowners and farmers and into government accounts in the form of property taxes.
In recent years, many Illinois consumers were socked with steep price increases when buying health insurance on the Obamacare exchange.
A bill that’s gaining traction in Springfield, however, could prevent that. The bill would give the Illinois Department of Insurance the power to say no to certain sky-high price increases proposed by insurance companies for plans sold to individuals and small businesses. The bill wouldn’t apply to plans offered by large employers.
It’s a change proponents say could help protect consumers, while opponents of the bill say it does nothing to address the rising prices of health care that can lead to higher insurance prices, and it could limit the types of plans insurers are able to offer.
The bill, introduced by Rep. Bob Morgan, D-Highwood, would allow the Department of Insurance to reject rate increase proposals, for individual and small group plans, that are “unreasonable,” meaning they’re excessive, unjustified or unfairly discriminatory, as defined by the federal government. Now, Illinois reviews rates and may try to negotiate with insurers to bring them down, but the state generally can’t reject or change rates that are actuarially sound.
Professional sports teams historically have taken an arm’s-length approach to gambling, but after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last year overturned a prohibition on state-sanctioned sports betting, the Cubs, White Sox, Bulls and Blackhawks are ready to embrace it — if their respective leagues get a piece of the action.
Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker is counting on $200 million in licensing revenue from sports betting to help fill an estimated $3.2 billion hole for the budget year that begins July 1. With a lengthy agenda awaiting them when they return to Springfield on April 30 from a two-week break, lawmakers are still wrangling over what legal sports betting would look like in Illinois.
All of Chicago’s major franchises — with the exception, so far, of the Bears — are backing a plan pushed by Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association and the PGA that would give professional leagues 25 cents of every $100 bet on their sports in the state. Among other arguments, the leagues say the fee would be fair compensation for the millions of dollars generated by wagering on their games.
But opponents, including the casinos and horse tracks that in early legislative proposals would be shelling out upward of $10 million for each sportsbook license, say the leagues should be left to negotiate with sportsbook operators if they want a cut.
Former Lt. Governor Evelyn Sanguinetti announced this morning in her hometown of Wheaton that she is running for Congress in Illinois’ 6th District to fight government overreach and the tax and spend policies that threaten our economy and continued prosperity.
“I am running for Congress to keep the American dream alive,” said Evelyn Sanguinetti. “Only in America can the child of teenage immigrants who grew up on food stamps ascend to college, law school, and become our country’s first Latina Lieutenant Governor. I want my children to have the chance to live their own American dream, which is only possible through liberty, access, and opportunity.”
“I really wanted to see Sean Casten be the voice this district needed when he won election last November,” said Evelyn Sanguinetti. “Unfortunately, all we have is another politician cozying up to progressives and socialists in support of increased taxes and expanded government - when he should be fighting for the district he was sent to represent.”
Following Sanguinetti’s announcement today, she will head to the northern part of the district to tour a manufacturing facility in Cary – where she will discuss policies to promote jobs and continued economic prosperity with local business owners. Later Monday, she will host a rally in Barrington with supporters to discuss why she is running for Congress and why she can unseat Sean Casten.
Over the last two weeks more than 90 elected officials and community leaders have endorsed Evelyn Sanguinetti for Congress - including Congressman John Shimkus (IL-15) and Congressman Rodney Davis (IL-13)
“Evelyn Sanguinetti is the best candidate who can win in this district and make sure Nancy Pelosi is removed as Speaker,’ said Congressman Rodney Davis (IL-13). “Evelyn understands Illinois and the issues that are important to our constituents. She’s a suburban mom who will fight for lower taxes and smaller government so all future generations have the opportunity to achieve the American Dream.”
Despite her opposition to abortion, she said in a January 2018 interview with the Tribune that throughout the re-election campaign, she and Rauner “were on the same plane” and “were in sync as far as messaging and the things that we believed in and what we wanted to deliver for the people of the state of Illinois.” […]
While now seeking a role in shaping federal policy, Sanguinetti displayed some questionable command when it came to foreign trade policy in a July 2018 interview with a Bloomington radio station.
Asked if she was supporting Trump trade policies and tariffs that were affecting Illinois farmers, Sanguinetti told WJBC-AM 1230: “Well, yeah, yeah. I do believe that at the end of the day, if people are paying less to be part of an organized agreement between nations, they should pay their fair share.”
Sanguinetti’s comments echoed those that Trump made in an appearance before NATO, the defense alliance with European nations, which has nothing to do with foreign trade. Trump had urged NATO member countries to increase payments to the group.
*** UPDATE *** DCCC…
Right out of the gate, newly announced candidate for Congress Evelyn Sanguinetti is lining up to back President Trump and his re-election – even if she doesn’t exactly want voters to know, as the Daily Herald reports:
In her Friday interview, Sanguinetti initially was evasive about whether she will back President Trump in 2020, but a campaign spokesman later said she supports his re-election.
Given President Trump’s disastrous record of hiking taxes and health care costs, it’s no surprise that Sanguinetti doesn’t want voters to know that she’s squarely behind President Trump. But, when push comes to shove, Sanguinetti would be another rubber stamp vote in Congress for Trump’s agenda of higher taxes for Illinois homeowners and higher health care costs for middle-class families.
“It took Evelyn Sanguinetti less than a day on the campaign trail, but she’s already admitted that she’s backing President Trump and his agenda of higher health care costs and tax hikes for middle-class families in Illinois,” said DCCC spokesperson Mike Gwin. “It may be tough for a Springfield politician like Evelyn Sanguinetti to give a straight answer, but at least voters now know that – when push comes to shove – Sanguinetti will be on President Trump’s side, not theirs.”
* The state of Washington has its own Eastern Bloc…
A Washington state lawmaker says it’s time for eastern Washington to break away and become a 51st state called Liberty in order to protect gun rights and avoid the “socialist values of downtown Seattle.”
In a fiery speech Friday, Republican Matt Shea of Spokane Valley promoted his “state of Liberty” proposal at a sparsely attended 51st state rally in the Capitol rotunda.
“I’m not going to sit in a state that is going to try to take away our firearms,” Shea told the crowd, some of whom were openly carrying firearms. “So if they try to do that, then the only solution left is a 51st state.”
As Shea spoke, an unidentified bodyguard watched his back and two men held a 51st state flag that featured an osprey and the words “Liberty, Founded in Truth.” Shea said splitting Washington into two states would protect people in eastern Washington from what he described as Seattle’s experiment with socialism. […]
A six-term member of the Washington House, Shea is a self-described “Constitutional conservative” and “pro-liberty” legislator. He’s also no stranger to controversy. Last August, in a speech at a pro-gun rally, he referred to the media as “dirty, godless, hateful people.” In 2016, Shea participated in what he called a “fact-finding mission” to the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge where he and other Northwest lawmakers met with the armed militants who had occupied the facility, as well as local officials and the FBI. In 2014, Shea traveled to Nevada to lend support to rancher Cliven Bundy, whose son led the Malheur occupation, during his fight with the Bureau of Land Management over grazing fees. […]
Shea has been trying to launch Liberty since at least 2015. This year, Shea and fellow Republican Bob McCaslin, also of Spokane Valley, introduced a bill to get Liberty up and running. The lawmakers have also introduced a House Joint Memorial petitioning Congress to create a new state in eastern Washington. So far neither have gotten a public hearing.
Our own Eastern Bloc uses similar rhetoric, but as you’ll see below it has so far been pretty tame by comparison, although ours appears larger.
* Things have clearly gotten out of hand in Washington…
A Washington state Republican politician took part in private discussions with rightwing figures about carrying out surveillance, “psyops” and even violent attacks on perceived political enemies, according to chat records obtained by the Guardian.
State representative Matt Shea, who represents Spokane Valley in the Washington state house, participated in the chats with three other men. All of the men used screen aliases – Shea’s was “Verum Bellator”, Latin for true warrior. The Guardian confirmed the identity of those in the chat by cross-checking phone numbers attached to the Signal accounts. […]
The chats on the messaging app Signal took place in the days leading up to a supposed “Antifa revolt” on 4 November 2017. Throughout late October, far-right media outlets had been stoking fears of political conflict on the basis of planned peaceful protests by a small leftist group.
The men proposed to confront leftists – whom they repeatedly refer to as “communists” and “Antifa” – with a suite of tactics, including violence.
* Related…
* Wilhour Endorses County Board Votes on State Separation, FOID Card Registration: “They continue to burden our industries with impossible regulations that have crippled our private sector and limited our ability to create high wage jobs. They have no respect for the traditional values that have made our area great, and they are constantly working to erode our Constitutional rights. This is a position that I have long resisted, but so long as Chicago continues to marginalize our rights, our values and our pathway to prosperity; I contend that we are in fact better off without them.”
* Sen. Brian Stewart: Do we have challenges? Absolutely we do! We’ve had challenges since our state became a state. We’ll have more. I don’t think our challenges are because downstate Illinois is a tugboat riding the global tsunami of “powerful economic forces.” And I don’t think decline is inevitable. We’re different. We have always been different. And there’s nothing wrong with that. That’s what folks like Krugman and Matthews are missing. They don’t get what makes us different. Maybe our differences mean we have a different economy that requires different solutions than big cities do. Maybe that’s the reason “one size fits all” doesn’t work for us, whether it’s a mandate or an economic development incentive. There’s a lot we can do. We can follow Professor James Ziliak’s advice, in his chapter for the Aspen Institute titled “Restoring Economic Opportunity for ‘The People Left Behind’: Employment Strategies for Rural America,” and invest in “rural broadband infrastructure; an ongoing program of expanded access to financial capital for entrepreneurs and other small-business development initiatives in rural areas; and … to rejuvenate rural infrastructure.”We can pass the common sense solutions I filed this session, like SB1925 and SB1926 that seek to expand tax credits to downstate cities and towns, while removing dangerously restrictive language for businesses applying for the economic development incentives under the Growing Economy Tax Credit Act. We can look to the Illinois Farm Bureau’s recommendations that include regulatory reform; a reasonable tax policy especially when it comes to capital gains taxes and “lower effective tax rates for small and family-owned farms and ranches”; and infrastructure investment, that I personally think also has to end the practice of taking tax dollars from downstate Illinois and spending it in Chicago.
Provides procedures for a riverboat to relocate to new a location. Removes provisions that describe the geographical locations certain riverboats shall be docked.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Terry Link (D-Vernon Hills), passed the Senate last week 44-5. Link has been pushing for a Waukegan casino pretty much ever since he was first elected.
The bill’s House sponsor is Rep. Marty Moylan (D-Des Plaines), who has the state’s most successful casino in his home town, where he used to be mayor.
The impetus for the bill was to allow Penn Gaming, the owner of the Hollywood Casino Aurora, to move its facility to another part of the city, said State Rep. Marty Moylan (D-Des Plaines). But Moylan, the bill’s House sponsor, told The Daily Line that he felt the same opportunity should be afforded to all casinos in the state, and not just for a potential move across town.
“It’s an opportunity for some town or developer to move an existing license to another town and make it prosper,” Moylan said. […]
If a town and the casino’s existing owner agreed to revenue sharing terms, the Illinois Gaming Board would ultimately approve or disapprove the move based on the criteria laid out in the bill. […]
While Moylan is a Democrat, he opposes legalizing marijuana, and last month found 60 fellow House members to sign onto a resolution that calls for “slow[ing] the process of legalizing recreational marijuana in Illinois.” […]
“The governor says if we don’t like his revenue sources, we should find places to cut,” Moylan said. “Why not take casinos that are not doing good or are on the verge of bankruptcy and move them to Rockford or Waukegan? It would create jobs and the state would realize millions in revenue.”
Even by the most conservative definition, there are 19 states with income taxes that do not apply higher rates to the earnings of the wealthy — nine flat tax states and 10 with graduated taxes with rates that top out at income below $25,000. Add in another eight states where top rates for married couples kick in somewhere between $31,000 and $104,000, and the Think Big claim becomes even more dubious.
That means far from “almost every” income-taxing state levies a higher rate on top earners, earning this claim a rating of Mostly False.
The ad also claims Kentucky has a graduated income tax. Its rate is a flat 5 percent with some income-reducing itemized deductions.
After losing six House seats in the 2018 general election, the House Republican Organization is reorganizing its leadership team and ramping up fundraising. […]
[Political Director Joe Woodward] is moving to the private sector, and HRO has hired Jayme Odom with the new title: executive director.
“We’re bringing in additional fundraisers and plan to be more aggressive with members on their own fundraising with the organization,” Durkin told POLITICO. The changes come after re-evaluating the 2018 losses. “When you have a multi-billionaire writing checks, it’s difficult,” Durkin said, referring, of course, to Gov. J.B. Pritzker‘s backing of so many Dem candidates. “We have to be more self-sufficient.” […]
Last week, the House GOP leader pulled [Rep. Dave McSweeney’s] communications aide after McSweeney spoke out against Rep. Steve Reick for a racially tinged comment about a bill requiring company boards to diversify. Reick later apologized. McSweeney paid to promote a tweet condemning Reick’s comment. In a statement to POLITICO, Durkin said: “This is an internal caucus matter. I will continue working to move the Republican Party and House Republican caucus forward in Illinois but will not tolerate public attacks on fellow members.”
Subscribers know more, including McSweeney’s response, which was quite something. Also, they didn’t remove his comms staffer for just the one instance.
From the looks of things, the fine print of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s most important legislative priorities should start becoming public not long after state legislators return from spring break on Tuesday April 30.
Legislators, the governor’s office and stakeholders have been negotiating the nuts and bolts of numerous items for weeks and they’re just about finished.
So, we’ll apparently start to see specific language pop out in public for things like the legalization of cannabis and sports betting.
The statutory language for the governor’s graduated income tax, which will set the various tax rates, will also likely be unveiled around that time.
We could maybe even see parts of the infrastructure bill by early May, and possibly some language for a new graduated tax on video gaming.
Those unveilings will all be followed by a couple of weeks of hearings in both chambers and then floor votes will commence.
There are actually five scheduled post-break session weeks ending on the final deadline of Friday, May 31, which is fortuitous for the Pritzker administration because they’re going to need every possible day they can get.
Everything has a long way to go before any of this is a done deal. Successful negotiations don’t automatically guarantee majorities in both chambers. And some negotiations are still not finished. Nobody yet knows for sure how the infrastructure bill will be funded, for example, which is pretty darned important. Infrastructure costs real money and that money has to come from somewhere.
Some legislators are pushing for more property tax relief from the governor’s income tax plan, which, if they’re successful, would mean less money for state programs or higher rates than the governor originally proposed, or both.
And, as I write this, big decisions still need to be made about cannabis and sports betting legalization, although proponents hope to circulate a draft of the cannabis bill to stakeholders sometime around April 22.
As you can clearly see, this is not a light load, particularly since the governor’s office, and not legislative staff, appears to be drafting the final versions of their bills and the governor’s staff is not exactly brimming with extra people just waiting around for assignments. I think Pritzker’s staff is probably the smallest one I’ve ever seen.
There’s also this thing called the budget that still must be worked out. Gov. Pritzker’s budget proposal seeks to plug some big fiscal holes by using revenues from cannabis, sports betting, the new tax on video gaming and a bunch of other things that aren’t easy to pass. And that’s just the revenue side. There will be disagreements over spending as well.
Amanda Kass, the associate director of the Government Finance Research Center at the University of Illinois at Chicago’s College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs, crunched the governor’s pension proposal numbers this month and didn’t have good news.
The governor has claimed he wants to put about $900 million a year less into the pension systems than state law requires, but Kass’ research turned up a significantly higher $1.1 billion projection for next fiscal year (and for six years after that), which is giving folks heartburn.
Not that Pritzker’s fellow Democrats (or the Republicans) have anything serious to counter the governor’s proposals with, except on the edges. There are no real competing ideas out there, so the task at hand is convincing members of his own party to just grit hard and vote for these bills.
The governor’s budget also proposes stuff like phasing out the private school tuition tax credit program, which has strong support among some Catholic, Jewish and other legislators.
He would also impose a tax on disposable plastic shopping bags, which has the potential to anger millions of Illinoisans every week for the grand revenue total of a mere $20 million a year. And he wants to pick yet another fight with the powerful Illinois Retail Merchants Association over how much sales tax money that retailers can keep as payment for collecting the sales tax.
Not to mention that the Senate may be combining some energy-related bills into an omnibus package. And the House is working on a massive ethics/sexual harassment proposal.
And don’t forget the hundreds and hundreds of bills that were passed during the first few months of the spring session and are now awaiting committee hearings and floor votes in the opposite chambers.
This could turn out to be the busiest and most consequential final month of session I’ve ever seen.
* Interesting that one of the proponents of the regulatory bill is a lobbyist for the developer…
Futuristic technology could give Illinoisans their own personal robots that follow wherever they go, and carry supplies like groceries.
In anticipation of a summer rollout of this technology, the Illinois General Assembly is moving a bill to regulate it. […]
His bill is primarily in response to a particular product, the personal robot gita, in development at Massachusetts-based Piaggio Fast Forward, an affiliate of the Italian company that makes Vespa scooters. […]
Aaron Winters, an Illinois lobbyist who represents Piaggio, said it’s expected to be available by this summer, which is “why it is important for the legislation to pass.”
But the product’s potential raises concerns about pedestrian safety and home rule powers, among other things.
An Illinois toddler died nine years ago after suffering third degree burns from bathwater. The Illinois House last week approved legislation to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
The measure would require all new water heaters be equipped with a safety valve.
It was introduced in honor of Mikayla King. Her mother, Jennifer King, recounted the event to lawmakers last month. […]
During the trial, King said, experts testified that 2,000 people suffer severe scald injuries each year, despite the fact that safety technology has been available for more than 30 years.
But the safety feature was only offered on their high-end water heater models.
During a routine 2008 traffic stop in Chicago, LaSheria’s life was permanently changed. After being stopped, she learned that her driver’s license was suspended for parking tickets received in 1999, and that the debt had grown to more than $2,500. After struggling for weeks to support her family without transportation to and from work, she filed bankruptcy, hoping to get her license back. But the bankruptcy plan did not clear her debt, which ballooned to nearly $8,000. Today, LaSheria is still making monthly payments to the City of Chicago because of parking violations made nearly 20 years ago.
Sadly, this is not an isolated case. There is a hidden crisis in Illinois: Each year, nearly 50,000 licenses are suspended because drivers cannot pay tickets, fines or fees, and for other reasons that have nothing to do with driving. These suspensions are not aimed at making our roads safer. Instead, they force people to choose between unemployment and the risk of going to jail for driving on a suspended license.
Eighty percent of Illinoisans drive to work, and many employers require a driver’s license. When a person’s license is suspended, they are at risk of losing their job — one study of drivers in New Jersey showed that happened more than 40 percent of the time. License suspensions also punish families, because people need to drive to get their kids to school, buy food and access health care. When a person must choose between meeting their family’s needs and paying a fine to the government, they prioritize their family. […]
This year, Illinois legislators have a chance to rectify this injustice. The License to Work Act, sponsored by state Rep. Carol Ammons of Urbana and state Sen. Omar Aquino of Chicago, would eliminate driver’s license suspensions as a penalty for unpaid tickets and most other non-moving violations. It is crucial that our representatives in Springfield pass this legislation as soon as possible.
* Other bills…
* Proposed law would require Illinois children to start school by age 5, threatening kindergarten redshirting: “This needs to be a parental choice, and the state should not be mandating it,” said Alexandra Eidenberg, founder of the Chicago women’s and children’s rights lobbying organization We Will, and the mother of four children, including 5-year-old twins who attend Romona Elementary School in Wilmette. Eidenberg said members of her group are “extremely” opposed to the bill, which, if passed, would go into effect in the 2020-2021 school year.
* Chicago Public Schools Withholding Millions From Charter Schools In Spending Standoff: At Wednesday’s Chicago Board of Education meeting, members will be asked to approve a resolution that will set out how the school district wants to fund its charter schools. CPS Chief Operating Officer Arnie Rivera said once charter schools agree to have state law changed to align with the resolution, “we will cut the rest of their check.”
* Is Illinois’ Gas Tax Running On Empty?: If Illinois had had a variable rate in place over the last ten years, the per-gallon charge would have increased by 8 cents without any action by the legislature. That’s according to Carl Davis, research director at ITEP.
* Lawmakers Approve Jet Fuel Tax Crackdown: After years of noncompliance, Illinois lawmakers are moving forward with legislation that would require local taxes on jet fuel go to aviation-related projects, not into local coffers.
* Wage-theft bill sparks debate about repeat offenders: The floor debate over House Bill 1653, which passed the chamber by a party-line vote of 69-43 earlier this month, put on display what it means for a party to be in a superminority, conservative lawmakers said.
On April 10th, the Illinois Power Agency held a lottery to award renewable energy credit contracts to community solar, large commercial and industrial projects. Community Solar is for the 75% of Illinoisans who can’t put solar on their roofs. Demand was exceptionally strong, but due to the limited program size, approximately 90% of permitted community solar projects failed to receive contracts. Now those projects and the $222 million in tax revenue they would have generated for their communities over the next two decades is in jeopardy.
* The Dispatch-Argus takes a deep dive into Western Illinois University enrollment, which has declined 35 percent over the past decade…
Ten years ago, WIU had just 515 Hispanic and 887 black undergraduates. In the current academic year, WIU has about 850 Hispanic undergrads and 1,400 black undergrads — an increase of more than 60% for each group. […]
But the diversification of campus has accompanied white flight. While black and Hispanic enrollment has climbed, white enrollment has done the opposite, falling about 50% since fall 2008. […]
A review of data from the 62 Illinois counties deemed “rural” by the federal government shows that rural enrollment at WIU has fallen by 48% over the last decade.
But the rate of rural decline is surpassed by the rate of suburban decline. A large part of WIU’s decrease comes from the five “collar counties” surrounding Chicago, including Kane County west of Chicago (down 51%), north suburban Lake County (down 59%), and Chicago’s western neighbor DuPage County (down 63%).
In 2008, the collar counties sent 2,725 students to WIU. In 2018, that number had dropped to 1,190.
While rural areas experienced a 15 percent decline in high school graduates between 2006 and 2016, the suburbs saw a 7 percent increase.
An Illinois-based public health organization is seeking public funds to battle against anti-vaccination rhetoric that it says has fueled a measles outbreak.
The Illinois Public Health Association is seeking a grant from the state to bring the fight to those who spread misinformation about vaccinations.
Executive Director Tom Hughes said the online presence of the anti-vaccination movement has resurrected the measles virus just as it was about to be officially eradicated from the country. […]
State data shows that most schools have immunization rates of more than 95 percent in Illinois, but only nine percent of the state’s private and public schools are at 100 percent. That means there are about 40,000 students enrolled in Illinois schools who have not been vaccinated, according to state data.
Keep in mind that a few of those kids are too sick to be vaccinated. That’s one very strong reason why everyone else needs to get their shots. Those vulnerable kids (and babies too young to be vaccinated) could die if they contract measles.
* I told subscribers about this fight earlier today, so I’ll just leave this here…
House Republican David McSweeney reacts to our story, “I think Jim Durkin should resign as a leader. He is a corrupt insider.” McSweeney voted for Durkin for leader but now calls him a “fake Republican,” “ineffective leader” and adds “I certainly would never vote for him again.” https://t.co/CRbgHTV3uv
Republican State Rep David McSweeney tells me, “It’s time for Durkin to resign. He’s not a real Republican. He is a fake Republican. I think the time is now for a woman to lead the party.” McSweeney says @McCombieforIlli, @AveryBourne and @RepMcDermed would all make good leaders. https://t.co/ya9xAopIBF
* The Illinois Municipal League continues its push for public safety pension fund consolidation…
Illinois has more than 650 separate downstate municipal public safety pension funds. According to the IML, the math adds up to more than 10 million residents paying the bill for 40,000 pension participants. […]
“We are trying to resolve the issue of poor returns, not-great management, and create a system that can sustain these funds.” [said Brad Cole, IML executive director.]
There are 1,298 municipalities in Illinois, Cole said. Those with populations of 5,000 and larger are required to have pension funds if they have police and fire departments. […]
Unfunded pension liabilities are an ongoing concern for many cities, including Moline. Cole said Moline’s fire pension fund is only 33% funded, and the police pension fund is 44% funded.
* Coincidentally, the Illinois Auditor General just released its audit of the Department of Insurance. Part of the probe looked at whether Insurance is complying with a state law to examine each of those same public safety pension funds every three years. The Auditor General went back to 2004, meaning that in the audit period, Insurance should have examined each of those funds four different times.
Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced a consent decree with a transportation company that requires it to end its practice of discriminating and harassing customers and their families. The consent decree resolves a lawsuit the Attorney General’s office filed in 2018 against Suburban Express, Inc. and owner Dennis Toeppen.
The consent decree was entered today by Judge Andrea Wood in the Northern District of Illinois to resolve allegations that Toeppen and Suburban Express discriminated against customers on the basis of race, national origin and religion; harassed customers with public shame and ridicule; and intentionally compromised customers’ personal information. Suburban Express is a company that provides bus services to students at colleges and universities in Illinois, Iowa and Indiana to the suburban Chicago area and Chicago airports.
The Attorney General’s office filed a lawsuit against Suburban Express and Dennis Toeppen alleging the defendants engaged in discrimination against customers, including a December 2017 mass-marketing email to customers that touted bus rides with, “Passengers like you. You won’t feel like you’re in China when you’re on our buses.” The lawsuit also alleged Suburban Express encouraged its employees to avoid certain students who appear not to speak English when distributing coupons for bus services. According to the lawsuit, Toeppen even posted an online video mocking Asian students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
A statement on the company’s Facebook page continued to dispute the claims of the lawsuit and said the terms of the consent decree imposed “some minor requirements” on the company.
“Madigan’s lawsuit contained numerous false, unproven, unproveable (sic) and legally inconsequential allegations,” the statement said. “Suburban Express felt that it was being extorted by the state, but chose a $100k payment to state rather than spending $250k-$500k defeating the lawsuit.” […]
Suburban Express’ statement also asserted that Raoul’s office mischaracterized the agreement and said it’s considering its own legal action against Raoul and a top deputy.
“Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s press release on the matter is false and defamatory in the extreme, in that it claims his office proved the various false and unproven allegations,” the statement said.
We speak English only. If you are not fluent in English, please have someone who is fluent in English assist you with your travel plans and purchase.
Suburban Express is required to display the below paragraph by a recent agreement with hypocritcal, extortionist Illinois politician Kwame Raoul. Thinking of opening a business in IL? Think again. High taxes and opportunistic, parasitic governement [sic] place a high burden on job creators in Illinois. Note that we have never engaged in any discriminatory conduct. Rather, this is a big show foisted upon us in order to ingratiate certain voters to elected officials.
Suburban Express and owner Dennis Toeppen have allegedly violated a consent decree reached last week with the Illinois attorney general.
According to a motion filed Wednesday morning by the AG seeking a $10,000 fine, Suburban Express posted defamatory webpages of customers and failed to post a nondiscrimination statement everywhere it was required to.
Toeppen has also brought back his notorious “Page of Shame,” which includes phone numbers, email addresses and home addresses of customers he says had dishonored payments, were “fare cheaters” or have been banned from Suburban Express.
“The Consent Decree requires Defendants ‘not to penalize customers based solely on online comments about any Defendant, including reviews,’” Assistant Attorney General Jeff VanDam wrote. “Defendants flouted this requirement immediately after entry of the Consent Decree by posting a defamatory web page that penalizes a customer through viciously attacking the customer solely for online comments about Suburban Express.”
The web page includes screenshots of that customer’s Yelp reviews of Suburban Express, links to the Google Maps page for what Toeppen says is her childhood home and links to her LinkedIn page. It also criticizes her mental health.
The company also allegedly attacked a person of “Asian origin” by labeling them an “insane … spoiled child” and saying the individual reminds them of a prominent Asian-American who advocates against discrimination, adding that readers should Google that activist “for a good laugh.” […]
Reached via email Thursday, Toeppen claimed he was on vacation in the days after the consent decree was signed and stated he believed he had 30 days to “cure any breach” of the agreement, “whether intentional or accidental.”
Toeppen also took issue with the “refunds” outlined in the decree, stating that term never appears in the agreement. Instead, he says his company internally is referring to payments resulting from the decree as “Vote Purchase Payments” and “Beer Money for Suburbanites.”
The term “refunds” isn’t in the agreement, but this is…
The time period for customers to seek payments under this Consent Decree shall commence on the Effective Date and shall end 180 days after the Effective Date.
The Illinois Tollway on Thursday named Jose Alvarez, the former COO of the Chicago Housing Authority, as its executive director, as Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration completed a full sweep of the tollway’s board.
Alvarez also served as deputy chief of staff for Chicago Public Schools and chief of staff for the state superintendent of education for Washington, D.C., schools.
Alvarez replaces interim director Kevin Artl, who previously served as chief operating officer. Artl led the agency after former Cook County Commissioner Liz Gorman, whom former Gov. Bruce Rauner appointed in 2018, left the board in mid-March.
“He’s been there and done it,” tollway Chairman Will Evans said. “He’s got experience running a large agency; the CHA is, I think, the second largest housing authority in the United States.
“You’ve got a large organization that he’s been used to managing, he made a lot of changes and it’s really a great team member that’s going to join us.”
Alvarez’s hiring comes with the backing of Gov. J.B. Pritzker, a Democrat, who on Feb. 28 replaced the entire tollway board in the wake of concerns about cronyism in hiring and contracts. Usually, governors let tollway directors finish out their terms.
Alvarez replaces former Cook County Commissioner Liz Gorman, an influential Republican, who was picked with support from former GOP Gov. Bruce Rauner in February 2018. Gorman exited March 15 this year.
Gov. JB Pritzker made two new appointments to the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) this week, naming Commissioner Carrie Zalewski chairman and adding Maria Bocanegra to the commission.
Both positions still require approval from the Senate. That said, outgoing ICC chairman Brien Sheahan has already congratulated Zalewski on her new position, which follows her recent, five-year term appointment to the ICC. By contrast, Bocanegra will serve only a four-year term.
Both women come to their positions from backgrounds as attorneys and in public service. […]
Zalewski has worked as a state regulator, on the Illinois Pollution Control Board and as Assistant Chief Counsel for the Illinois Department of Transportation, in addition to private practice work. She also received her education in-state, at Chicago-Kent Law School and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. […]
Bocanegra has served as an arbitrator at the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission, in the public seat on the Labor Advisory Board for the Illinois Department of Labor, in addition to her private practice work. She is a graduate of DePaul University College of Law and Quincy University.
Westlake Hospital in Melrose Park appears to be saved again, at least temporarily, after a series of back-and fourth court rulings over the future of the hospital.
Last week, a Cook County judge blocked the hospital’s owners, Pipeline Health, from moving forward with plans to close the facility. When the company allegedly violated that order, another judge ordered them to restore nearly all hospital services or face daily fines of $200,000.
On Thursday, an Illinois Appellate Court panel tossed out the first judge’s temporary restraining order against Pipeline Health, stating Melrose Park had no standing to seek the TRO.
Hours later, the Illinois Supreme Court put the restraining order back in place, giving Melrose Park an opportunity to file an appeal by Friday afternoon.
The decisions Thursday followed months of an escalating drama over the future of the 230-bed hospital, particularly in the last couple weeks as the sides have battled one another in court over whether the hospital should be allowed to cut services earlier than expected.
Pipeline Health bought Westlake, West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park and Louis A. Weiss Memorial Hospital in Chicago, for $70 million in January. Pipeline pledged at the time to save the hospitals. Just weeks after that purchase, Pipeline stunned community leaders, saying it would close Westlake by July because financial losses exceeded projections, threatening to drag down the other two hospitals.
Melrose Park sued Pipeline and its leaders, accusing them of lying about their intention to close Westlake, so they wouldn’t face opposition while seeking approval from a state review board to buy the hospitals.
Last week, Pipeline announced it would suspend many services at Westlake early, saying staffing had dropped to unsafe levels. Melrose Park sought and received a temporary restraining order to stop Pipeline from cutting services early, at least until after a state review board could consider Pipeline’s application to close the hospital. A Cook County Circuit Court judge found Pipeline in contempt of court for violating that order Tuesday and ordered Pipeline to restore most services at the hospital by Thursday morning.
On Wednesday, Pipeline offered to give the hospital to Melrose Park — a move that the village called a “stunt.”
Pipeline Health, the new owners of Westlake, had been held in contempt of court Tuesday for violating the restraining order. The company had until Thursday morning to restore service or run the risk of being fined $200,000 a day.
“We believe when the entire Illinois Supreme Court reviews the case, it will agree with today’s earlier decision: The Village of Melrose Park has no standing,” Pipeline CEO Jim Edwards said in a statement Thursday evening. […]
“Before Pipeline purchased the hospital, it promised — under penalty of perjury — to keep Westlake open and to continue providing charity care to the community,” Ari Scharg, the village’s attorney, said.
Last month, a lawsuit was filed by the village against Pipeline, accusing the California-based company of fraud. That case is still pending.
The Illinois State Health Facilities and Services Review Board is expected to make a decision about whether the hospital will stay open for good by April 30.
Since March 2014, 20 state-licensed skilled-care nursing homes have closed for financial reasons, while many of those continuing to serve the state’s neediest elderly populations face staffing shortages and operating deficits caused by diminishing state government investment. […]
“These facilities are closing, and I can tell you more are going to close,” said Pat Comstock, executive director of the Health Care Council of Illinois, a nursing home advocacy group. “It’s happening because we have a situation in Illinois where they can no longer financially survive.”
The pace of closures has quickened in recent years, with five skilled-care nursing facilities – those that house the sickest and most vulnerable – closing from 2014 to 2016, six closing in each of 2017 and 2018, and three already shutting their doors in 2019, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.
To fully quantify the issues facing the industry and their possible solutions, HCCI commissioned a study conducted by the business advisory firm Plante Moran, the Claude Pepper Center of Florida State University, and managed care Medicaid expert Meredith Duncan.
The 85-page report states Illinois’ Medicaid ranks 49th in the nation for Medicaid reimbursement rates, and nursing homes lose approximately $15,000 per year – or an average of $41 per day – for each Medicaid-funded patient. Those shortages create a $649 million single-year funding shortfall across the industry in Illinois.
