I’m getting 10-12 text messages today about various Chicago races, but no phone calls. I wonder if there are real people behind these text messages or if it is bots.
The thoughts Mendoza is putting towards policy (not necessarily spending since it’s not a call to slow spending but smartly spend) will be an interesting contrast to Pritzker, and I write that solely because “is this a real contrast to policy and budgetary measures or merely a discussion to the monies?”
Rich wondered aloud yesterday to what this could be, Mendoza’s thoughts, and how they will play moving on.
I wonder that too, and I wonder how far Mendoza wants to go, or is it merely a marker and *she*moves on as others make more of the words.
A budget is a weight and measure of priorities and policies with dollars.
The budget’s balance is the monetary science to balance.
Given the rainy day fund’s existence, it appears, on its face, that a constitutionally balanced budget can be achieved as it has been done.
- Stuck in Celliniland - Wednesday, Feb 15, 23 @ 8:18 am:
Could Mendoza be to Pritzker’s 2nd term as Hynes was to the entire Blago experience?
- Friendly Bob Adams - Wednesday, Feb 15, 23 @ 8:56 am:
Just Me- not a Chicago voter, but in the November election period I received dozens of texts and not one phone call. Seems to be standard procedure these days.
Are they bots? Probably.
- Joe Bidenopolous - Wednesday, Feb 15, 23 @ 8:59 am:
Illinois forgot how to play defense last night. Not looking great for this squad
With the governor focusing on education and increasing spending, I would like him to fully fund transportation funding. It would be the first time that has happened in more than a decade going back to the Quinn years. This funding is meaningful to rural districts.
Wisconsin Democratic Governor and progressive hero proposes the state funding 300 million in Brewers stadium repairs in exchange for a 13 year extension of the lease through 2043
Totally embarrassing our elected leaders don’t understand how important this is to civic pride to have a world class venue for sporting events
JS Mill, Tangentially related but I have noticed in visiting my vac home in smalltown Iowa that everyone is getting older and people no longer have the social capital to easily get rides from friends to the clinic or grocery. I’d like to see “mass” transportation in general get to less populated areas. Either leveraging the school buses during non school hours or (more likely) running vans between popular spots (grocery, clinic, hospital).
===Totally embarrassing our elected leaders don’t understand how important this is to civic pride===
Says the person who spends ALL DAY EVERY DAY running down this state.
You’re a real piece of work.
- Stuck in Celliniland - Wednesday, Feb 15, 23 @ 10:02 am:
Any chance the budget can include increased state agency personnel funds so all State Employees could get similar percentage raises to what the GA and constitutionals got for themselves earlier this year? Perhaps the unions could bring that up in their new contract talks later this year?
There is no point in robocalling because people have just stopped answering the phone from unknown callers. Blocking unknown text messages is the next step.
Essentially every form of communication eventually introduced advertising and spam, and the populace has always reacted by tuning it out, and moving on to a different form of communication. (or ad blockers, Tivo to skip ads, throwing out junk mail reflexively without looking at it, email spam filters, etc)
The reason the Cubs have the “Marquee Network”, or the Yankees the shared “YES Network” is revenues.
See, - LP - is wholly dishonest when - LP - “isn’t”
Why just a few short days ago - LP - stated clearly a new Bears building was about maximizing revenues… maximizing…
So, while MLB has “large markets”, “small markets”, the NFL has complete television revenue *sharing*. That’s far different than the Brewers, a “small market” ball club in MLB, competing with the Yankees, Dodgers, even the Cubs.
Oh, let’s look at the Brewers deal versus what the Cubs *did*, due in large part to, you guessed it, “enhanced revenue streams” that the Cubs gained by wholly owning their building.
In short, the dishonesty that is “Lucky Pierre’s” signature is comparing an MLB situation to the Bears, and ignoring the Cubs situation where different clubs in MLB see how a building and financing can work.
The Bears are valued at (roughly) $5.7 Billion (with a B) give or take… $100 million… whew.
The Bears are at 2% debt, will receive, roughly $330 million in revenues, give or take $10 million… in March.
The salary cap for the next fiscal year, the guaranteed revenues by far meet the cap, and each and every franchise will find financial stability.
The Bears, owning the property in Arlington Heights, with only 2% debt, and backing from the NFL, they could, easily secure a $1-1.5 billion (with a B) to build the building… while selling naming rights at a $100 million clip… with PSL (personal seat licenses), “corporate partners abd sponsors”, the parking revenue, the concessions revenue… the skybox revenue, which is *outside* the PSL, (ask the Indianapolis Colts about this deal, lol)
What the Gillespie Bears Bailout Bill does is in 40 years (for a building likely needing wholesale renovations in 20-25 years, btw) is purposely hurt Arlington Heights for, what - LP - admits freely… enhanced revenues… “profits”
Gillespie deciding to choose the Bears over her district is horrific to a member not likely to be a member of the GA… 40 years from now.
Finally, there’s no worst cheerleader for Illinois than - Lucky Pierre-
At every available opportunity - LP - runs down Illinois, chooses to make the case that “Illinois is the worst”
Now - LP - is concerned with “civic pride”
Physician, heal thy self…
Pathetic.
Not one nickel. Not *ONE*
- Stuck in Celliniland - Wednesday, Feb 15, 23 @ 10:10 am:
== have a world class venue for sporting events=
The Bears don’t deserve a world class venue unless they start playing like a world class team. As in start winning continually and making frequent Super Bowl appearances and victories. And becoming the new “America’s Team.” Then maybe, just maybe I might be OK with the Bears getting a “world-class venue.” Not now for sure, definitely not with state money and not with the McCaskeys and their unwillingness to win still running the show.
The proposed repairs to American Family Field in Milwaukee amount to almost 75% of its original construction costs. Inflation must be the explanation. The stadium has only been open since 2001.
Soldier Field is far older and has it own unique problems. The comparison is not fair.
- thisjustinagain - Wednesday, Feb 15, 23 @ 10:25 am:
How about ‘civic pride’ in safe drinking water systems, equitably-funded schools, and pothole-free streets? Maybe adequately funding public safety? Oh, but we’ve got money for billionaires?
==Soldier Field is far older and has it own unique problems. The comparison is not fair.==
I mean, I’m not saying the nfl and mlb are valid comparisons, but Soldier Field was completely gutted and rebuilt in 2002. So much so that its status as an historic landmark was revoked. The comparisons between the actually structures are fair. The funding resources of each ownership group, probably not so much.
Willy, I think you missed my point. I’m agreeing with you. The age and condition of the structures are comparable, but the financial position of a mlb and nfl team are not comparable. Nfl values and revenues are a completely different level of money. But oddly enough, mlb teams daily impact on jobs and usage of their stadiums might be more interest to the local area. 81 diffeeent days of home games in mlb vs 8 or 9 in the nfl (excluding preseason and playoffs). So the team with possibly the bigger impact on local economies (just look at St. Louis as an example) is the team that probably has the better argument for need of assistance in stadium issues.
The Halas/McCaskey family has owned and profited from the Bears franchise for over a century now. It would be a welcome change if the owners paid for their own facility after so many years.
I have often pondered how the Bears ownership has failed to produce more winning teams on a consistent basis. The Bears have owned the Chicago market since the crosstown Cardinals packed their bags and moved to St. Louis after finishing the 1959 season.
Two titles in six decades (1963 and 1986) seems pretty pathetic.
The team receives tons of free media every year, but the owners operate the business as if it were a struggling independent corner grocery store.
- Henry - Wednesday, Feb 15, 23 @ 7:58 am:
There is wisdom in the words of the Illinois Comptroller on new spending.
- Just Me 2 - Wednesday, Feb 15, 23 @ 8:05 am:
I’m getting 10-12 text messages today about various Chicago races, but no phone calls. I wonder if there are real people behind these text messages or if it is bots.
- Confused - Wednesday, Feb 15, 23 @ 8:09 am:
How are we going to pay for all of this?
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Feb 15, 23 @ 8:09 am:
The thoughts Mendoza is putting towards policy (not necessarily spending since it’s not a call to slow spending but smartly spend) will be an interesting contrast to Pritzker, and I write that solely because “is this a real contrast to policy and budgetary measures or merely a discussion to the monies?”
Rich wondered aloud yesterday to what this could be, Mendoza’s thoughts, and how they will play moving on.
I wonder that too, and I wonder how far Mendoza wants to go, or is it merely a marker and *she*moves on as others make more of the words.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Feb 15, 23 @ 8:14 am:
===How are we going to pay for all of this?===
A budget is a weight and measure of priorities and policies with dollars.
The budget’s balance is the monetary science to balance.
Given the rainy day fund’s existence, it appears, on its face, that a constitutionally balanced budget can be achieved as it has been done.
- Stuck in Celliniland - Wednesday, Feb 15, 23 @ 8:18 am:
Could Mendoza be to Pritzker’s 2nd term as Hynes was to the entire Blago experience?
- Friendly Bob Adams - Wednesday, Feb 15, 23 @ 8:56 am:
Just Me- not a Chicago voter, but in the November election period I received dozens of texts and not one phone call. Seems to be standard procedure these days.
Are they bots? Probably.
- Joe Bidenopolous - Wednesday, Feb 15, 23 @ 8:59 am:
Illinois forgot how to play defense last night. Not looking great for this squad
- JS Mill - Wednesday, Feb 15, 23 @ 9:08 am:
With the governor focusing on education and increasing spending, I would like him to fully fund transportation funding. It would be the first time that has happened in more than a decade going back to the Quinn years. This funding is meaningful to rural districts.
- Lucky Pierre - Wednesday, Feb 15, 23 @ 9:13 am:
Wisconsin Democratic Governor and progressive hero proposes the state funding 300 million in Brewers stadium repairs in exchange for a 13 year extension of the lease through 2043
Totally embarrassing our elected leaders don’t understand how important this is to civic pride to have a world class venue for sporting events
https://apnews.com/article/mlb-sports-wisconsin-badgers-tony-evers-baseball-116c100d9b1fcfd2693f679cda990260
- cermak_rd - Wednesday, Feb 15, 23 @ 9:26 am:
JS Mill, Tangentially related but I have noticed in visiting my vac home in smalltown Iowa that everyone is getting older and people no longer have the social capital to easily get rides from friends to the clinic or grocery. I’d like to see “mass” transportation in general get to less populated areas. Either leveraging the school buses during non school hours or (more likely) running vans between popular spots (grocery, clinic, hospital).
- Gravitas - Wednesday, Feb 15, 23 @ 9:45 am:
“Illinois forgot how to play defense last night. Not looking great for this squad.”
Northwestern is the team to watch this March.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Feb 15, 23 @ 9:49 am:
===Totally embarrassing our elected leaders don’t understand how important this is to civic pride===
Says the person who spends ALL DAY EVERY DAY running down this state.
You’re a real piece of work.
- Stuck in Celliniland - Wednesday, Feb 15, 23 @ 10:02 am:
Any chance the budget can include increased state agency personnel funds so all State Employees could get similar percentage raises to what the GA and constitutionals got for themselves earlier this year? Perhaps the unions could bring that up in their new contract talks later this year?
- Homebody - Wednesday, Feb 15, 23 @ 10:06 am:
There is no point in robocalling because people have just stopped answering the phone from unknown callers. Blocking unknown text messages is the next step.
Essentially every form of communication eventually introduced advertising and spam, and the populace has always reacted by tuning it out, and moving on to a different form of communication. (or ad blockers, Tivo to skip ads, throwing out junk mail reflexively without looking at it, email spam filters, etc)
It is an ongoing war.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Feb 15, 23 @ 10:08 am:
Let’s “Fact Check” … “Lucky Pierre”
First, - LP - is taking about baseball.
Why is this important?
Revenue sharing.
The reason the Cubs have the “Marquee Network”, or the Yankees the shared “YES Network” is revenues.
See, - LP - is wholly dishonest when - LP - “isn’t”
Why just a few short days ago - LP - stated clearly a new Bears building was about maximizing revenues… maximizing…
So, while MLB has “large markets”, “small markets”, the NFL has complete television revenue *sharing*. That’s far different than the Brewers, a “small market” ball club in MLB, competing with the Yankees, Dodgers, even the Cubs.
Oh, let’s look at the Brewers deal versus what the Cubs *did*, due in large part to, you guessed it, “enhanced revenue streams” that the Cubs gained by wholly owning their building.
In short, the dishonesty that is “Lucky Pierre’s” signature is comparing an MLB situation to the Bears, and ignoring the Cubs situation where different clubs in MLB see how a building and financing can work.
The Bears are valued at (roughly) $5.7 Billion (with a B) give or take… $100 million… whew.
The Bears are at 2% debt, will receive, roughly $330 million in revenues, give or take $10 million… in March.
The salary cap for the next fiscal year, the guaranteed revenues by far meet the cap, and each and every franchise will find financial stability.
The Bears, owning the property in Arlington Heights, with only 2% debt, and backing from the NFL, they could, easily secure a $1-1.5 billion (with a B) to build the building… while selling naming rights at a $100 million clip… with PSL (personal seat licenses), “corporate partners abd sponsors”, the parking revenue, the concessions revenue… the skybox revenue, which is *outside* the PSL, (ask the Indianapolis Colts about this deal, lol)
What the Gillespie Bears Bailout Bill does is in 40 years (for a building likely needing wholesale renovations in 20-25 years, btw) is purposely hurt Arlington Heights for, what - LP - admits freely… enhanced revenues… “profits”
Gillespie deciding to choose the Bears over her district is horrific to a member not likely to be a member of the GA… 40 years from now.
Finally, there’s no worst cheerleader for Illinois than - Lucky Pierre-
At every available opportunity - LP - runs down Illinois, chooses to make the case that “Illinois is the worst”
Now - LP - is concerned with “civic pride”
Physician, heal thy self…
Pathetic.
Not one nickel. Not *ONE*
- Stuck in Celliniland - Wednesday, Feb 15, 23 @ 10:10 am:
== have a world class venue for sporting events=
The Bears don’t deserve a world class venue unless they start playing like a world class team. As in start winning continually and making frequent Super Bowl appearances and victories. And becoming the new “America’s Team.” Then maybe, just maybe I might be OK with the Bears getting a “world-class venue.” Not now for sure, definitely not with state money and not with the McCaskeys and their unwillingness to win still running the show.
- Gravitas - Wednesday, Feb 15, 23 @ 10:10 am:
The proposed repairs to American Family Field in Milwaukee amount to almost 75% of its original construction costs. Inflation must be the explanation. The stadium has only been open since 2001.
Soldier Field is far older and has it own unique problems. The comparison is not fair.
- thisjustinagain - Wednesday, Feb 15, 23 @ 10:25 am:
How about ‘civic pride’ in safe drinking water systems, equitably-funded schools, and pothole-free streets? Maybe adequately funding public safety? Oh, but we’ve got money for billionaires?
- fs - Wednesday, Feb 15, 23 @ 10:29 am:
==Soldier Field is far older and has it own unique problems. The comparison is not fair.==
I mean, I’m not saying the nfl and mlb are valid comparisons, but Soldier Field was completely gutted and rebuilt in 2002. So much so that its status as an historic landmark was revoked. The comparisons between the actually structures are fair. The funding resources of each ownership group, probably not so much.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Feb 15, 23 @ 10:32 am:
===unless they start playing like a world class team===
The adult conversation is about financing, revenues, costs, and outcomes.
The childish discussion to “play better” is on AM radio talk.
Goodwill? Sure.
But here’s the sitch… keep up… the Bears as bad as they are are still worth ~ $5.7 Billion, and they can afford a building.
Winning only makes affordability “easier”… and the Cowboys showed winning has little to do with team value.
- Wingnut - Wednesday, Feb 15, 23 @ 10:33 am:
I did not see any talk about fully funding the Guidehouse Study. To help the disabled population of the state.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Feb 15, 23 @ 10:34 am:
===I did not see any talk===
Wait for it
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Feb 15, 23 @ 10:36 am:
===The comparisons between the actually structures are fair.===
Are they? Revenues to how each league exists changes the value of even “rented facilities”
===The funding resources of each ownership group, probably not so much.===
Tell that to MLB “small market” clubs… like the White Sox… versus the Cubs.
The NFL shared market clubs (Jets/Giants, Chargers/Rams) have equality in the majority revenues, equating to viability no “small market” revenues.
Ask a Sox fan or Sox ownership if that equity exists in MLB
- JS Mill - Wednesday, Feb 15, 23 @ 10:40 am:
=You’re a real piece of work.=
He is a banned word.
- fs - Wednesday, Feb 15, 23 @ 10:43 am:
Willy, I think you missed my point. I’m agreeing with you. The age and condition of the structures are comparable, but the financial position of a mlb and nfl team are not comparable. Nfl values and revenues are a completely different level of money. But oddly enough, mlb teams daily impact on jobs and usage of their stadiums might be more interest to the local area. 81 diffeeent days of home games in mlb vs 8 or 9 in the nfl (excluding preseason and playoffs). So the team with possibly the bigger impact on local economies (just look at St. Louis as an example) is the team that probably has the better argument for need of assistance in stadium issues.
- Suburban Mom - Wednesday, Feb 15, 23 @ 11:57 am:
I am ready for more dunking on Paul Vallas
- Dotnonymous - Wednesday, Feb 15, 23 @ 11:58 am:
Some people seek negative attention…especially those they can’t get it any other way.
- Gravitas - Wednesday, Feb 15, 23 @ 12:55 pm:
The Halas/McCaskey family has owned and profited from the Bears franchise for over a century now. It would be a welcome change if the owners paid for their own facility after so many years.
- Gravitas - Wednesday, Feb 15, 23 @ 1:20 pm:
@StuckinCelliniland:
I have often pondered how the Bears ownership has failed to produce more winning teams on a consistent basis. The Bears have owned the Chicago market since the crosstown Cardinals packed their bags and moved to St. Louis after finishing the 1959 season.
Two titles in six decades (1963 and 1986) seems pretty pathetic.
The team receives tons of free media every year, but the owners operate the business as if it were a struggling independent corner grocery store.
It is embarrassing to watch most Sundays.
- Conusone - Wednesday, Feb 15, 23 @ 5:24 pm:
So gratifying this is not Facebook.