* Democratic congressional candidate Tammy Duckworth has released a poll showing her with a commanding 59-17 lead over her primary opponent, Raja Krishnamoorthi. From the pollster…
Duckworth enjoys 83% name identification with 67% of the electorate rating her favorably and just 7% evaluating her unfavorably. This glowing assessment is enviable for any candidate but for one in the expensive Chicago media market, it is literally worth millions.
She leads former Illinois Deputy treasurer Raja Krishnamoorthi 59% to 17%. She holds a three-to-one margin with key constituencies: voters who say the will “definitely vote,” voters who voted in at least two Democratic primaries out of the last four, voters age 50 and older, liberals and pro-choice voters.
In addition to her solid vote support, Duckworth is also the choice of 65% of likely voters when asked who has the best chance to beat Joe Walsh in November. Just 13% opt for Krishnamoorthi.
After positives messages from both candidates are simulated, Duckworth maintains her 59% support while Krishnamoorthi is able to climb to just 23%. So while we expect the race to tighten somewhat as Krishnamoorthi communicates his message to voters he neither gains significant traction among undecided voters nor is able to cut into Duckworth’s support. It should be noted that this informed vote is nearly identical to the informed vote from our July poll, which showed Duckworth ahead 60% to 21%.
As veteran strategist David Axelrod said, “I have never seen anyone overcome a 42-point deficit this late in the race.”
Normington Petts did the poll of 400 likely Democratic primary voters. The poll was conducted January 10-12 and has a margin of error of +/- 4.9 percentage points.
* Meanwhile, for whatever reason, the House Majority PAC either didn’t test or is not releasing head-to-head November matchups in the same congressional district against Republican Joe Walsh. Politico has a bit on the PAC’s latest polling…
32% say Rep. Joe Walsh deserves reelection, his approval rating sits at just 28 percent. While there are two Democrats in the race against Walsh, PPP tested a generic opponent. Walsh trails the generic Democrat 49 percent to 35 percent.
From the PAC’s press release…
In Illinois’ 8th Congressional District, only 32% of voters think Congressman Joe Walsh deserves to be reelected, while 57% think it’s time for someone new. Congressional Republicans have a 30/57 favorability rating and only 28% of voters approve of Walsh’s job performance while 44% disapprove. Walsh trails a generic Democratic opponent 49-35 and may be the most vulnerable Republican incumbent in the country. […]
Public Policy Polling conducted this survey on behalf of House Majority PAC between January 21st and 22nd. In IL-8 500 registered voters were interviewed with a margin of error of +/-4.4%.T
…Adding… Joe Walsh now has no Republican primary opponents…
U.S. Rep. Joe Walsh of McHenry no longer has to worry about the primary election March 20 after both of his Republican challengers were removed from the ballot by the Illinois Board of Elections Tuesday.
Each of the candidates, Richard Evans and Robert Canfield, was more than 100 petition signatures short of the minimum 600 valid signatures required to run in the 8th District Republican primary, the board ruled.
*** UPDATE *** From the Krishnamoorthi campaign…
“This campaign has barely begun. If polls two months out predicted elections, Hillary Clinton would be the President, and Rick Perry would be the Republican nominee. Leaders in our district have overwhelmingly endorsed Raja as their choice and I’m confident that when voters get the chance to hear from both candidates, they’ll make Raja their nominee. Raja is the only candidate in this race with the economic experience and a detailed plan to turn our economy around by helping to create jobs for the middle class.” – Mike Murray, Deputy Campaign Manager
Mike Murray, of course, is a former Capitol Fax intern. Just thought I’d remind you again. I won’t be doing that every time I post on this race because Mike knows he’s in for the normal treatment. Still, it never hurts to remind y’all every once in a while.
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Madigan: Capital plan underfunded
Wednesday, Jan 25, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Speaker Madigan states an obvious point that few are talking about…
Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan warned Tuesday that Illinois’ much-hyped public works program may run out of money before all of the promised construction projects can be completed.
Making a rare public speaking appearance Tuesday at Elmhurst College, Madigan said the main problem is the state has yet to launch video gambling at bars, restaurants and truck stops. That was a key funding source for the $31 billion building program Gov. Pat Quinn signed into law in 2009. […]
Spokeswoman Kelly Kraft said there is enough money to “continue the program into the foreseeable future” and added the administration has been careful to balance issuing bonds to pay for projects with available funds. […]
Madigan said he would support putting more money into the construction fund, but posed a familiar question amid the state’s ongoing budget woes: “Where do you find the money to pay for it?
The Gaming Board hates it when I say this, but they’ve dragged their feet on video gaming and that’s definitely had an impact on how much money the state can spend on capital projects. Illinois’ capital bill was by far the largest in the nation, but it’s not working as initially advertised because the video gaming law has not been put into action by the Gaming Board. Yes, there are some reasons for this. But, c’mon, guys, it’s the law of the land and it needs to be put into place.
* And speaking of gaming, Madigan was less than optimistic about the prospects for gaming expansion this spring…
Gov. Pat Quinn has voiced strong opposition to plans that would allow slot machines at Illinois racetracks, a key component to a gambling expansion plan that stalled in the legislature last year because of the governor’s opposition.
In addition, some lawmakers have questioned Chicago’s desire for a city-owned casino license.
“You’d have a two-tiered system,” Madigan said during a government forum at Elmhurst College. “You’d have the existing casinos and then you’d have a different arrangement for the Chicago casino, because it would be owned by the government. A real tough issue and I don’t know what the end of it will be. I just don’t know.”
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Madigan on governors, Lee Daniels
Wednesday, Jan 25, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The Sun-Times has a very good piece on Speaker Madigan’s speech regarding his dealings with former governors…
Madigan was most effusive in his praise for convicted former Gov. George Ryan, calling him “very flexible, very interested in just identifying problems and fashioning solutions.”
Ryan’s favorite approach was to gather all four legislative leaders in a room to work a deal, Madigan recalled. That would include Madigan; Daniels, who invited Madigan to speak and who fondly recalled the “two wonderful years” he wrested power from Madigan; former Senate President James “Pate” Philip, and former Senate Democratic leader Emil Jones.
“George would say, ‘We’ve got problems — what do we have to do to solve these problems?’ ” Madigan said. “A leader might want to evade the question, he might have a strategic plan they’re working and don’t want to answer today. And George would just pursue, persist, ‘I want an answer!’ ”
Recalling one meeting, Madigan said, “George Ryan wanted a capital program. There were going to be fee increases, tax increases. He started with me. I told him ‘I’m for it — I think you oughta make it bigger.’ He got to Pate Philip. There’s a favorite method in the Legislature with the legislative leaders. The leader doesn’t want to look at the governor and tell him ‘No.’ So they blame their caucus members: ‘Our caucus won’t agree to that.’ Pate used to refer to his caucus members as ‘gorillas.’ It’s true: ‘My gorillas don’t like that.’
“There was this pause. Ryan just looked at him and he said, ‘You said that to me after everything I’ve done for you?’ And then he took him out of the room, took him into a separate room, and closed the door. There was a lot of screaming and shouting. They both came back and sat down and George looked at Pate and Pate said, ‘Governor, there will be enough votes to pass your bill.’ That was George’s method — very effective.”
Madigan also talked about Gov. Pat Quinn a bit…
After being asked to describe the governors he’d worked with over the years, Madigan told the crowd that Quinn was “well-intentioned” and that they were working through their many differences. True to form, he didn’t outright say whether he thought Quinn was a good governor.
Instead, he called him a former political “gadfly” who became governor.
* And, by far, the most off the wall portion of Madigan’s speech was when he urged former House GOP Leader Lee Daniels to run for governor…
“Someone earlier today suggested that Lee Daniels is prepared to declare a candidacy for governor,” Madigan said. “He really would make a very good governor for the state of Illinois. Service as a governor of Illinois requires — No. 1 — that you know the operations of state government but especially the operations of the state budget, and that you be prepared to work with people when they make difficult decisions. So, Lee, give it some thought. Give it some thought.”
I could probably write ten thousand words about why I think Madigan said that, but instead I’ll turn it over to you.
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[House Speaker Michael Madigan spoke at Elmhurst College yesterday for more than an hour, then held a brief press conference afterward. He almost never does that, so this will be the first of a few posts on his speech.]
* An AP reporter was obviously quite disappointed in Speaker Madigan’s speech…
Madigan is arguably the most powerful man in Springfield, with the ability to make or break deals. But anyone hoping to find out specifically where he stands on some of the state’s most urgent issues wouldn’t have learned it from his address at Elmhurst College’s Annual Government Forum.
Changing future pension benefits for current state employees would make an interesting national debate and ultimately could be decided by the courts, he told a packed room. Illinois’ underfunded pension liability now exceeds $85 billion and lawmakers already have changed benefits for future employees to help reduce the costs.
But Madigan didn’t mention that he had introduced legislation along with House Minority Leader Tom Cross to create a three-tiered pension system for current employees, and wouldn’t address reporters’ questions afterward whether there are enough Republican and Democratic votes to bring the bill to the House floor.
School districts don’t pay into teachers’ pension systems like other employers do, leaving that obligation to the state - accounting for half of the $4 billion the state pays into five pension systems annually, he complained. He said later that it would be reasonable to ask them to pay, but would not say whether anyone was planning to introduce legislation to force them to do so.
With Madigan, however, you gotta read between the lines. For instance, here’s CBS Chicago’s take on the pension issue…
Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan says local school districts haven’t been paying into their teachers’ retirement systems, and he thinks it may be high time that they did. […]
“In the current budget, our payment is about $4 billion – $4 billion to those five (pension) systems. One half of the $3 billion is the TRS, the Teachers Retirement System,” Madigan said. […]
“I don’t think it’s out of line to ask the local districts ‘Why don’t you contribute to this cause? These are your employees,’” Madigan said.
And here’s WBEZ’s take on the same issue…
Pension costs that are draining Illinois’ budget could be shared by local school districts.
The idea seems to be gaining steam among top Democrats, including Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, who gave a rare, hour-long speech at Elmhurst College Tuesday morning to talk about the challenges facing Illinois. […]
“I never found anybody who could tell me why the state of Illinois stepped up one day and said, ‘OK, school districts, we’ll just pick up all your pension costs,’” he said.
If the state made schools pay for their retired teachers, it would likely shift the cost to property taxes. It’s an idea that Senate President John Cullerton and Governor Pat Quinn have talked about, too, which means it could become part of legislation this spring.
* I listened to the full audio of the event (subscribe to hear it) and came away believing that Madigan was leaning toward this idea.
*** UPDATE *** Somehow, I missed this relevant story from Illinois Statehouse News…
llinois’ 12 percent increase in higher education spending this year isn’t going to benefit students. Instead, the additional funding for fiscal 2012 is going into the State Universities Retirement System, or SURS, to address its underfunded pension program.
“These SURS appropriations do not go to individual institutions or agencies and are not available to be used for educational purposes,” according to the footnote in a study released Monday by Illinois State University, or ISU.
SURS, which is responsible for the pensions of the state’s university employees, is facing an unfunded liability — how much it owes in benefits compared with how much assets it has on hand — of $17.2 billion, according to its 2011 annual report.
[ *** End Of Update *** ]
* On the budget stuff, however, the AP reporter was spot on. From the Chicago News Cooperative…
“We’ve got huge budget problems in this state. Why? Well, there was overspending in the past and many people engaged in the overspending. It wasn’t just one or two people,” he said.
Madigan blamed the shortfalls in part on Republicans, even though Democrats have held majorities in the House and Senate and controlled the governor’s mansion since 2002. Most budget votes, including budgets that delayed or skipped pension payments, have been carried with Democratic support.
Asked whether he should bear greater blame, having served in Illinois government in an influential position for nearly 30 years, Madigan said it took more than “one person” to drive Illinois into a pattern of spending beyond its means.
* Sen. Dillard was rather diplomatic…
Madigan accepted some of the responsibility for the state’s financial woes. He said the legislature spent more than the state took in during many budget cycles, which led to the state owing millions of dollars in unpaid bills. Madigan has been House Speaker since 1983, with the exception of two years when Lee Daniels, an adjunct faculty member in Elmhurst College’s political science department, was speaker. As speaker, Madigan controls what bills come to the House floor, but said he was “one of many” who signed off on overspending.
“There are plenty of legislators from both parties who would rather spend than cut,” Madigan said following the event.
Sen. Kirk Dillard, a Hinsdale Republican, agreed with Madigan that there are numerous state lawmakers who share the blame for the state’s economic problems. He said he commends Madigan for shouldering some of the responsibility, but added that Madigan has been the one constant in the Illinois legislature throughout the economic decline.
Discuss.
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Question of the day
Wednesday, Jan 25, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From a recent op-ed by Dick Ingram, the executive director of the Teachers’ Retirement System of Illinois…
The facts are indisputable. Over the next 30 years, the state will owe retirees in excess of $140 billion, but Illinois has less than $54 billion in the bank right now to meet those long-term obligations. The “unfunded” portion of that liability creates tremendous pressure on state government because it essentially triples the annual cost of public pensions to taxpayers; money that could be spent on other services.
Despite what you may read elsewhere, the real problem here is not the actual cost of annual retirement benefits. It’s the amount the state owes to the future.
* The Question: Do you think the state should follow national norms and strive to have 90 percent of the next 30 years of pension payments on hand right now? Explain.
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*** UPDATED x1 *** Today’s Illinois charts
Wednesday, Jan 25, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Google has a great analytical tool that you can use to compare unemployment rates over the years. I’ve done screen caps to make them easier to load. Here is the US rate since 1950, for instance…
* And here’s the Illinois rate since 1990…
That last, big upward unemployment rate spike starts in April of 2011. You can’t see it so well here, but go to the site and check it yourself.
* Now, we overlay Illinois onto the US chart…
Notice how the Illinois rate spikes in 2011, while the US rate declines.
* So, I started comparing Illinois to other states. Here’s Indiana…
Indiana also has a 2011 upward spike, but it’s smaller than Illinois’ - at least, so far.
* Michigan…
Their rate heads down while ours goes up.
* Ohio…
* To make a long story slightly shorter, I went through every state last night and compared them to Illinois. Nowhere did I see the same sort of upward unemployment rate spike in 2011 that we saw in Illinois.
It’s not absolute proof that the January, 2011 income tax hike pushed up the unemployment rate here. The Illinois rate actually went down in December by two tenths of a point, which isn’t showing up on the above charts. And the unemployment rate can mean different things at different times (more people encouraged by the climate and returning to the job market, for instance). But it sure as heck is interesting.
* A commenter linked to this chart yesterday. It’s from the Illinois Department of Public Health and shows Illinois births to unmarried women over the years. Ratios are per 1,000 live births. So, the 2009 ratio of 407.6 is 40.76 percent of all live births…
|
Year
|
Total
Live Births |
Unmarried Women |
| Number |
Ratio |
|
2009
|
171,077
|
69,728
|
407.6
|
|
2008
|
176,634
|
71,836
|
406.7
|
|
2007
|
180,530
|
72,385
|
401.0
|
|
2006
|
180,503
|
69,912
|
387.3
|
|
2005
|
178,872
|
66,266
|
370.5
|
|
2004
|
180,665
|
65,507
|
362.6
|
|
2003
|
182,393
|
64,358
|
352.9
|
|
2002
|
180,555
|
62,860
|
348.1
|
|
2001
|
184,022
|
63,426
|
344.7
|
|
2000
|
185,003
|
63,823
|
345.0
|
|
1999
|
182,027
|
62,045
|
340.9
|
|
1998
|
182,503
|
62,163
|
340.6
|
|
1997
|
180,649
|
60,401
|
334.4
|
|
1996
|
183,079
|
61,706
|
337.0
|
|
1995
|
185,801
|
62,825
|
338.1
|
|
1994
|
189,182
|
64,887
|
343.0
|
|
1993
|
190,709
|
65,086
|
341.3
|
|
1992
|
190,923
|
63,863
|
334.5
|
|
1991
|
194,066
|
63,172
|
325.5
|
|
1990
|
195,499
|
62,052
|
317.4
|
|
1989
|
190,247
|
58,866
|
309.4
|
|
1988
|
184,708
|
54,381
|
294.4
|
|
1987
|
180,441
|
50,611
|
280.5
|
|
1986
|
176,567
|
47,817
|
270.8
|
|
1985
|
180,657
|
46,453
|
257.1
|
|
1984
|
179,216
|
44,796
|
250.0
|
|
1983
|
178,820
|
42,893
|
239.9
|
|
1982
|
183,564
|
42,638
|
232.3
|
|
1981
|
184,897
|
42,352
|
229.1
|
|
1980
|
189,941
|
42,749
|
225.1
|
|
1979
|
184,184
|
40,396
|
219.3
|
|
1978
|
174,397
|
36,161
|
207.3
|
|
1977
|
177,148
|
35,528
|
200.6
|
|
1976
|
170,181
|
33,075
|
194.4
|
|
1975
|
169,248
|
31,503
|
186.1
|
|
1974
|
168,991
|
28,970
|
171.4
|
|
1973
|
168,992
|
29,782
|
176.2
|
|
1972
|
177,848
|
29,971
|
168.5
|
|
1971
|
195,311
|
29,205
|
149.5
|
|
1970
|
205,203
|
27,655
|
134.8
|
|
1969
|
195,699
|
23,862
|
121.9
|
|
1968
|
193,261
|
21,735
|
112.5
|
|
1967
|
195,644
|
20,147
|
103.0
|
|
1966
|
201,284
|
19,140
|
95.1
|
|
1965
|
208,063
|
18,216
|
87.6
|
|
1964
|
222,259
|
16,881
|
76.0
|
|
1963
|
224,787
|
16,015
|
71.2
|
|
1962
|
230,484
|
15,678
|
68.0
|
|
1961
|
237,051
|
15,546
|
65.6
|
|
1960
|
238,760
|
14,385
|
60.2
|
|
1959
|
239,871
|
14,043
|
58.5
|
|
1958
|
234,712
|
12,626
|
53.8
|
|
1957
|
238,579
|
12,055
|
50.5
|
|
1956
|
229,571
|
11,312
|
49.3
|
|
1955
|
220,541
|
10,625
|
48.2
|
|
1954
|
217,229
|
9,809
|
45.2
|
|
1953
|
206,813
|
8,742
|
42.3
|
|
1952
|
205,438
|
7,916
|
38.5
|
|
1951
|
201,082
|
7,425
|
36.9
|
|
1950
|
189,640
|
6,836
|
36.0
|
Discuss.
*** UPDATE *** From the Sun-Times…
Abortions reported in Illinois reached a 37-year low in 2010, a drop that abortion opponents attributed to more women shying away from the procedure while abortion-rights supporters pointed to an uptick in use of contraceptives.
In 2010, there were 41,859 abortions in Illinois, according to recently published data from the state Department of Public Health .
That’s the lowest total since 1973, when Illinois recorded 32,760 abortions. That’s the year the procedure was legalized in the United States in the landmark Roe vs. Wade decision by the U.S. Supreme Court.
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This just in… Cellini won’t get new trial
Wednesday, Jan 25, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller
[Bumped up to Wednesday morning for visibility.]
* TUESDAY - 4:50 pm - A federal judge has decided there will be no new trial for Bill Cellini.
A bit of background for those who’ve been living under a rock…
Cellini was found guilty in November of attempting to extort money from a Hollywood producer for then governor Rod Blagojevich’s campaign.
After the trial, the Chicago Tribune discovered one of the jurors on his case didn’t disclose her felony record as required on juror questionnaires.
* 6:09 pm - And here’s why…
U.S. District Judge James Zagel offered a strong defense of Chiles in his remarks.
“While Chiles may have had contempt for defense counsel, what Chiles didn’t have was contempt for the law,” the judge said.
Regarding Chiles’ tumultuous testimony, Zagel said her “buttons were pushed” and she did not have the luxury of having been prepared to handle aggressive questioning by Cellini’s lawyer. He also noted her lack of sophistication and education.
Zagel found that Chiles did not lie on jury questionnaires she filled out and that her failure to disclose her criminal history under direct questioning from him during jury selection was not deliberate.
She showed no bias toward Cellini in any way, the judge ruled.
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Lots of react to the Sun-Times decision
Tuesday, Jan 24, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The Chicago Tribune editorialized today in response to the Sun-Times announcement that it would no longer be endorsing political candidates…
Newspapers have a unique role as public citizen. They did in 1860 and they do today. It would be an abdication to say what we think should be done on an array of issues every day — and then take a vow of silence about who is most likely to advance those goals. Readers get an independent judgment of the choices in each race, even (or perhaps especially) when none of the options is very good. That judgment is guided by certain principles. You can read our statement of those principles at chicagotribune.com/opinion.
Do our endorsements matter? We’re under no illusions about the extent of our influence. Plenty of candidates lose despite our seal of approval.
When it comes to major, high-profile offices, voters may need no help making up their minds. We try to provide guidance. But in less visible races, readers often lack crucial information. That’s why, if you stand in a polling station for very long, you’re bound to see someone taking a copy of the Tribune endorsements into the booth. In local judicial races, our preference has been shown to affect thousands of votes.
Does the policy of making endorsements make it easier for hostile politicians to depict us as partisan flunkies? Not really, because they’d do it anyway. CNN doesn’t make endorsements, but that didn’t stop Newt Gingrich from vilifying correspondent John King for asking him about his ex-wife’s accusations — saying it proved the “elite media” was supporting Barack Obama.
I think I agree with most of that. We’ll see how the Trib does this year, though. Back in 2010, the Tribune endorsed just one Democratic legislative incumbent with a truly serious Republican opponent (former Rep. Kevin McCarthy, who championed pension reform). An editorial board member traveled to Springfield to meet with Senate Republican candidates, but the Senate Democrats bitterly complained that they couldn’t get sitdowns with some of their own candidates in Chicago.
Then again, it’s a free country so they have a right to do whatever they want.
* A Dallas Morning News editorial writer blogged about the Sun-Times announcement…
But the logic behind the pronouncement strikes me as flawed. Endorsements don’t sway many voters is one explanation. The other: When you endorse, you risk corrupting the overall news mission by introducing a bias, or at least the perception of a bias.
I’ve seen newspaper endorsements make a difference and I’ve seen them ignored. That’s part of the process. I can even recognize that the power of editorial endorsements has greatly waned. But that doesn’t render it useless.
For one, assuming that all endorsements are essentially the same is misguided. On local races, where news coverage is very spotty, editorial boards can made a significant difference by vetting candidates. […]
If there is one thing you learn when you write opinion, it’s that people will impute all kinds of motives in your actions. To think that this is limited to matters political is naïve. Everything, at some level, can be construed as a political statement by those inclined to view the world that way.
I can’t disagree with that.
* Robert Feder makes a good point…
The challenge for the editorial board now will be to persuade candidates to continue to fill out detailed questionnaires and submit to lengthy interviews even though they won’t be vying for the newspaper’s coveted endorsement anymore. Without that seal of approval as a prize, some may figure, why bother?
* There is another little angle to the Sun-Times announcement, by the way. Bruce Rauner is one of the investors who bought up the Sun-Times last month. As you probably know, Rauner is gearing up for a Republican gubernatorial bid…
Rauner, 55, is senior principal and chairman of Chicago-based GTCR Golder Rauner LLC, a Chicago-based private equity firm.
He recently garnered attention as a prime mover of the education reform legislation that passed Springfield, smashing teachers’ right to strike and paving the way for longer school days in Chicago.
Rauner contributed $100,000 to the Illinois Republican Party and another $100K to the House Republicans in 2010.
* Other Sun-Times investors…
The buyers include Michael Ferro Jr., chairman of Merrick Ventures LLC, a private equity firm that deals with technology companies. Ferro, who will serve as chairman, is bringing in media executive Timothy Knight to run the company as chief executive and as an investor. […]
They include prominent investment bankers John Canning Jr., chairman of Madison Dearborn Partners LLC, and Michael Sacks, chief executive of Grosvenor Capital Management LP.
Chairman Ferro gave $50,000 to Andy McKenna’s 2010 gubernatorial campaign, as well as $20K to House GOP Leader Tom Cross.
Canning contributed $250,000 to Stand for Children’s Illinois PAC in 2010, and hundreds of thousands more to Republicans and Chicago Democratic powerhouses like Rahm Emanuel and Anne Burke.
On the other side is Michael Sacks, who is one of Personal PAC’s biggest contributors. But Sacks, like the other two, has been a big Daley and Emanuel supporter.
Might the political ties (and ambitions) of its wealthy investors have anything to do with the paper’s new endorsement policy?
Then again, maybe I should just keep my mouth shut…
[New Sun-Times chief executive Timothy Knight] said the company will buy other ventures or launch its own tech startups.
I wouldn’t exactly turn down a big offer.
Just sayin…
* But, whatever the case, the Sun-Times announcement seems to fly in the face of history, as this post by a State Journal-Register editorial writer makes clear…
In the days when newspapers were owned by individuals and families with strong political ideologies, it made perfect sense for their newspapers to advance those beliefs through editorials. In many cases, that’s why newspapers were founded. The Sun-Times was born this way, when Marshall Field wanted a voice against Col. Robert McCormick, who at the time was using his Chicago Tribune to hammer away at Franklin D. Roosevelt, who McCormick despised. On a personal note, the newspaper I worked for before joining The State Journal-Register, The Capital Times of Madison, Wis., was founded in 1917 by William T. Evjue for the specific purpose of opposing the rival Wisconsin State Journal’s editorial drumbeat in favor of entering World War I.
For much of its existence, The State Journal-Register was owned by James Copley, a staunch conservative, and, later, his family. Copley’s newspapers mirrored his political viewpoints because, well, he owned them.
Nowadays, though, newspapers by and large are owned by publicly held corporations. At the SJ-R, it’s GateHouse Media. Gannett, Tribune, Lee Enterprises and other publicly traded companies own hundreds of papers across the country. Which makes me wonder: If these newspapers are owned by shareholders, how and why should they articulate any particular political ideology?
Thoughts?
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Question of the day
Tuesday, Jan 24, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I’ve seen several comments like this one from longtime commenter Yellow Dog Democrat whenever the topic of closing the Jacksonville Developmental Facility has come up on the blog…
Morgan County voted overwhelmingly for Bill Brady, as did Orland Township where Tinley Park is located.
Apparently, residents there believe that Illinois can cut its way out of its budget problems.
So cut we shall.
Next up: agency field offices, universities and prisons.
I can’t wait to here the reaction from local Republican State Reps and Senators when Eastern Illinois University is shuttered.
* Jacksonville (which is in Morgan County) has been a hotbed of anti-government tea party organizing for the past two years. However, as one commenter pointed out last week, Jacksonville, population 19,214, has several state facilities…
Developmental Center, Illinois School for the Deaf, Illinois School for the Blind, Jacksonville Correctional Center, a local DHS Office, a local DCFS Office and a branch of LLCC.
Not to mention all those Jacksonville-area residents who drive to Springfield to work at state jobs. Gov. Pat Quinn administration’s economic impact study concluded that the facility could be closed with less community harm than closing other state facilities…
The administration conducted an Economic Impact Index examination of the areas surrounding all the Division of Developmental Disabilities and Division of Mental Health facilities in the state. The “index number” was derived by dividing the number of lost facility jobs by the size of the community local work force, multiplied by the unemployment rate of the SODC community. The results demonstrated that the impacts on the Jacksonville and Tinley Park communities would be among the lowest of those communities with state facilities.
* Jacksonville Mayor Andy Ezard actively supported Republican state Sen. Bill Brady in the 2010 gubernatorial campaign. Ezard has forcefully opposed the facility’s closure, but Brady wanted far deeper state budget cuts to avoid the need for a tax increase. Frankly, Sen. Brady’s proposal of a ten percent across the board slash wouldn’t have done the trick, so the cuts would’ve had to be far deeper than he let on during the campaign.
But, is this subject fair game? After all, we’re talking about human lives here. The people at JDC have real needs and the state has an obligation to serve them. So…
* The Question: Is bringing up Jacksonville’s tea party/conservative Republican tilt fair game in discussions about closing its state developmental center? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
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Pension distractions and scholarship attacks
Tuesday, Jan 24, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller
* If there’s any evidence of politicized actuarial assumptions at the pension systems, I think Rep. Brauer probably ought to be more specific. So far, this looks like a distraction to me…
State Rep. Rich Brauer, R-Springfield, is calling for the creation of a new constitutional office to get “partisan politics” out of Illinois’ five pension systems.
Modeling the new office after that of the auditor general, Brauer said the actuary general would do the calculations involved with figuring out how much the state owes to the pension systems.
While each of the five pension systems has its own actuary, Brauer said an outside agency examining the pensions would be free of political pressure.
“There’s political pressure you don’t see with those numbers,” Brauer said. When asked, Brauer said he could not name a particular incident in which he believes something has been hidden from the General Assembly and the public.
* Partially agree and partially puzzled…
Leaders in Illinois have said this is the year for pension reform.
Unit 5 Superintendent Gary Niehaus said he’s not so sure. He told WJBC that lawmakers may talk about it a lot this year, but doesn’t think they’ll act until there’s a lame duck session.
“It’s so hard to understand why we haven’t been able to take on this in a way that makes sense,” Niehaus said. “And, I think now that they’ve had more people involved, I think the governor is going to try and push this thing through this spring. I don’t know if he has enough coalition to pull that off.”
If pension reform was easy, it would’ve been done years ago. It ain’t.
But Gov. Pat Quinn hasn’t really said what he wants to do about pension reform, other than the bill has to be constitutional. And his pension reform commission isn’t given much chance of success. Quinn just doesn’t have a track record of getting things done on his own initiative. He’s shown he can kill things, but not pass them.
* In other news, the always controversial legislative scholarship program is showing up in legislative campaigns…
Avon Township Supervisor Sam Yingling has called on his Republican opponent in the 62nd House District, incumbent Sandy Cole of Grayslake, to not participate in the legislative scholarship program. Cole voted to eliminate the program last year, but has awarded the scholarships.
“With our state government in financial distress, I commend Reps Sullivan and Gaffney in their effort to save money. This is why I call on Rep. Cole to follow suit and suspend her participation in this program.” said Yingling, a Round Lake Beach Democrat.
From a Yingling press release…
“Leadership takes action and Cole needs to be held accountable,” explained Yingling, “for too long she has operated under the radar, saying one thing to our constituents and doing another in Springfield. This isn’t a stunt; it’s a way to ensure she does the right thing.”
Yingling’s website attacking Rep. Cole on the issue is here. The BGA has also launched an online petition to end the program.
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* Illinois Statehouse News had the scoop late yesterday afternoon about a new policy announcement by the Illinois Supreme Court. Cameras will be allowed into courtrooms on a pilot project basis…
On Tuesday, the state Supreme Court is expected to announce it will allow trial court proceedings to be filmed and tape recorded for the first time in the state’s 194-year history, Kilbride said.
Illinois is one of 14 states where cameras in trial courtrooms are either not allowed or not used, according to the Radio Television Digital News Association, a professional organization serving the electronic news profession and dedicated to setting standards for news gathering and reporting.
“The idea behind this is simple. We need to have the courts be more open. By having the public keeping an eye on what is going on in the courtroom, it can act as a check in the balance of power,” Kilbride said.
* From the Court’s press release…
The policy provides that the media, through a media coordinator, must request extended media coverage at least 14 days in advance of the time the proceeding is scheduled, although the time frame may be expanded or reduced by the judge. It allows for no more than two video cameras and no more than two still photographers. It encourages media pooling in all regards, and requires media pooling when there are more media requesting extended coverage than the number the judge allows.
In the case of a media member promising coverage of a proceeding from beginning to end, that member of the media shall receive priority consideration for placing its equipment in the courtroom. If the media cannot agree among themselves on the pooling arrangements, extended media coverage will be disallowed.
The policy allows for a witness or a party to object to a request for extended media coverage, but it is not intended that such objection, while in the discretion of the judge, will be automatically granted.
In prosecutions for sexual abuse, or when sexual abuse is an essential element, there will be no extended media coverage of the testimony of a victim unless the testifying victim consents. An objection to extended media coverage by a testifying victim in any other forcible felony prosecution, and by police informants, undercover agents and relocated witnesses shall be presumed valid.
The policy also prohibits media coverage in any juvenile, divorce, adoption, child custody, evidence suppression and trade secret cases, as well as in any court proceeding required under Illinois law to be held in private.
Extended media coverage of jury selection, the jury and individual jurors also is prohibited under the policy. Any decision by a chief judge or judge to deny, limit or terminate extended media coverage is not appealable.
* The policy itself includes live broadcasts. So, trials could be on TV if the judge and everybody else agrees. Still cameras “must be unobtrusive without distracting lighting or sound.” Media will have to pool equipment if there are several requests. Media insignias are also prohibited on clothing, and media members “must be properly attired” and maintain proper decorum, with the judge having discretion about what that means.
* I have one concern, however…
The new policy only allows for members of the “established” news media to photograph, film or tape record sessions. Residents and those working for non-traditional news organizations, such as Internet blogs, initially are being excluded from filming or recording court sessions.
But the high court may review the policy later regarding electronic coverage of courts by residents and non-traditional media.
Some blogs are “established” news media in their communities. Peoria Pundit is a prime example of this, as his HuffPo Chicago. The policy itself has a broader definition of “news media” than the article implies…
“News Media,” in general, means established news gathering and reporting agencies and their representatives whose function is to inform the public.
But since the judge will have total discretion, online media could easily be excluded by a luddite.
Discuss.
*** UPDATE *** From the Tribune…
Cook County’s chief judge is giving the thumbs up to a new policy that will allow cameras and recorders inside courts on an experimental basis. […]
Judge Timothy Evans,, head of the busiest court system in the state, says he’ll apply to participate in the pilot project.
Evans says greater media access will help address misconceptions about courtroom procedures fostered by popular TV shows.
Evans says he’ll appoint an advisory committee to recommend how to implement the policy. It’ll include judges, attorneys, reporters and members of the public.
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*** UPDATED x1 *** Today’s project
Tuesday, Jan 24, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I was talking to one of US Sen. Mark Kirk’s top staffers yesterday and he had this to say about his boss…
“He’s like all these guys, man. He’s addicted to that blog.”
Heh.
* Mark Kirk is a sport. I guess that’s the best way I can describe him. I’ve whacked him hard over the years, but he’s always taken it like a man and he’s never acted petty about it later. I’ve always admired that about him and I’m sorry that it took his stroke for me to say it.
This post will be printed and delivered to Sen. Kirk in his hospital room. So, let’s do our best to brighten his spirits and wish him a speedy recovery. Say something nice.
*** UPDATE - 12:04 pm *** Sen. Kirk’s physician is speaking live to the media. Click here to watch the live video stream. So far, there is no major news yet. It’s just an update on the Senator’s condition. He asked for his Blackberry this morning, he has slight paralysis on the left side of his face, he’ll be in ICU for 5-7 days, his speech is “slightly slurred.”
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