* Gov. Pat Quinn responded to Dan Hynes’ proposed graduated income tax with a claim that many have made about the governor. Hynes, Quinn said, has flip-flopped…
“In 2004, [Dan Hynes] opposed a graduated income tax,” Quinn said. “Maybe he’s flipped and he’s flopped over to our side, and I’m glad he has. In 2004, he wasn’t there to help us.”
I’ve asked the Quinn campaign for Hynes’ quotes from 2004, but they haven’t gotten back to me yet.
Quinn also blasted Hynes for proposing to fumigate half of Blagojevich’s appointees…
Quinn bristled at Hynes’ suggestion that he should fire half of the appointees made by Blagojevich who are making $70,000 a year, saying it was “un-American” to fire people based solely on who hired them. He said he has gotten rid of “a lot of bum apples,” but believed in evaluating “each person individually, based on their character, their record, their work performance.”
Quinn wasn’t as harsh when Speaker Madigan expressed his desire to fumigate all Blagojevich hires, but he still expressed reservations about it back in May.
Quinn also criticized Hynes’ proposal to allow more casinos in order to balance the state budget, saying he doesn’t want Illinois to become the “Las Vegas of the Midwest.”
Quinn also accused Hynes of being absent during this year’s budget battle, saying Hynes “went fishing” while he negotiated with the legislature. He also accused Hynes of failing to work with him and other constitutional officers on a variety of legislative issues this year, “but Dan Hynes, he didn’t want to work. From Day 1 he didn’t want to cooperate, he just wanted to play politics. I’m disappointed in him, I thought he wouldn’t be so much of a professional naysayer.”
* Meanwhile, Republican response to Hynes’ announcement has been somewhat slow. I’ve seen two so far. Sen. Kirk Dillard sent out a press release…
No state has ever taxed and borrowed its way into prosperity- the same way no family has ever spent their way out of a financial bind. It’s more of the Blagojevich, Hynes, Quinn Chicago “dem-economics” that got us into this problem.
When are Illinois Democrat leaders, who control every statewide office and both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly, going to learn? Just like Illinois families and small businesses, we as a state must learn to live within our means.
These plans do not represent leadership. Instead, they represent more of the tried and failed. Others are proposing more borrowing- another failed economic concept to bring about growth and prosperity.
Hynes only problem w/ Quinn tax increase is was not big enough. Job-killing, malaise-inducing grad tax is horrible idea
* UPDATE - From Pat Brady, the new state GOP chairman…
“The Democratic field for Governor is shaping up to be a choice between a Blagojevich Democrat who wants to raise taxes and a Blagojevich Democrat who wants to raise taxes, which is clearly not the kind of change the people of Illinois seek nor the kind of change Republicans are ready to bring to our state.”
* UPDATE - From Sen. Bill Brady…
“The first words we hear from candidate Hynes is a proposal to dig deeper into the pockets of Illinois’ citizens and businesses. This is just another Chicago area politician looking to tax our vulnerable families and businesses, without realizing Illinois already is pushing jobs and people out of the state due to the high cost of living and working here.”
“As Illinois already ranks 48th in economic performance, we cannot afford to increase taxes on anyone, and we can’t continue to look to expanding gambling as any kind of solution to the state’s spending problems,” said Brady, a Bloomington Republican and business owner.”
* Congressman Mike Quigley (D-Chicago) was elected earlier this year as the reform candidate. Both city papers touted his reformer credentials over and over on their editorial pages. Well, those often over-the-top editorial boards would do well to pay attention to Quigley’s remarks yesterday when touting his endorsement of Rep. John Fritchey for Forrest Claypool’s county board seat. Watch it…
You can’t fight everything and everyone on every single topic and demand total victory or nothing and then expect to win anything.
* According to the Tribune, the new International Olympic Committee report on all the proposed 2016 sites appears to be a draw. The Tribune headline this morning is: “No clear favorite emerges from IOC report”…
An International Olympic Committee document assessing the bids of the four cities vying for the 2016 Summer Olympics this morning noted several problems with Chicago’s bid. But problems also were found with Rio de Janeiro, considered by some the emotional favorite to win the Games.
The committee also had concerns about the other two cities, Madrid and Tokyo. It cited organizational problems in Madrid’s bid, and the low level of public support in Tokyo.
Rio Janeiro and Chicago’s chances of hosting the 2016 Olympic Games received a boost on Wednesday after they appeared to edge ahead in the technical evaluation of the four candidates.
The Lausanne-based International Olympic Committee’s evaluation report still identified key shortcomings in the Brazilian and US cities, notably on transportation and some of the planned venues.
However, the report released Wednesday used blunt language to fault Madrid and Tokyo, even though all the potential hosts were regarded as being of “an extremely high level” and presenting both “risks and opportunities.”
Then again…
Sources close to the IOC told AFP earlier this month that Rio de Janeiro’s bid to become the first South American city to host the Olympics has been gaining momentum, while Chicago has been losing ground.
Perhaps the biggest red flag for Chicago in the 90-plus page report: the questions raised about Metra’s ability to handle an expected doubling in demand during the Olympics.
The commuter rail line is key because it’s expected it would handle two-thirds of the “overall Olympic traffic” and that would “more than double peak commuter traffic demands,” according to the IOC report.
And while the IOC praises the compactness of Chicago’s proposed Olympic Village and 22-venue plan, and even lauds the Chicago 2016 bid committee’s work to ensure that no white elephants — buildings that no longer serve any purpose — are left standing after the Games, the report questions whether plans for re-calibrating existing facilities, for example, might ultimately prove to be costlier.
The report calls the city’s proposed budget achievable.
Rio — seeking to take the Olympics to South America for the first time — may have gained the most, receiving the fewest direct criticisms in the report summary.
The 98-page report also cited low public support in Tokyo and a lack of understanding of different roles in Madrid.
Rio bid leaders said they believed they received the best review.
Political newcomer Kip Kirkpatrick, the co-founder of a private health-care equity firm, is expected to pull the plug on his bid for the Democratic nomination for state treasurer, sources familiar with the campaign said today.
That leaves just one Democrat running in the primary, Robin Kelly. JB Pritzker, who ran for Congress unsuccessfully several years ago and has since focused on his business, might run, although that seems somewhat in doubt. But it is within reason to assume that Democrats will look at Kelly’s current free pass and somebody will decide to jump in.
* 10:19 am - Comptroller Dan Hynes has just called for a “progressive” income tax, a dollar increase in the cigarette tax, two to three additional casinos, luxury services and other revenue ideas and budget cuts. You can watch it live by clicking here.
“I think it’s wrong to tax families during a recession,” said the Democratic gubernatorial candidate.
Hynes called for a “Fair and progressive tax system that will not raise taxes for 97 percent of our citizens… It will increase taxes only on those making over $200,000 per year…. Even then, the incremental increases will be staggered.” Top rate of 7.5 percent at $1 million a year.
The constitution would have to be amended to pass this proposal, of course.
* Gov. Pat Quinn, by the way, initially had no events on his schedule today. He then added two events, including one at 10:30 (just 8 minutes from now), where he will answer questions. [Update: The afternoon event is no longer on the schedule.]
* Hynes: “Our budget deficit is the product of our leadership deficit.”
* Hynes has ended his speech and is now taking questions from reporters.
Hynes said he wants the General Assembly to pass a resolution to put the constitutional amendment question before voters next year.
“Pat Quinn’s plan is regressive and unfair… Now he might have changed it, probably did.” Ouch.
“The hard, cold fact is this: We can’t cut our way out of this.”
No increase in corporate income tax.
Pushing, again, to merge comptroller and treasurer’s office.
* Hynes wants to cut back government operation lines to 2005 levels,
* 10:35 am - End of presser. I’ll be posting some docs in a few. Patterson has more.
* From the Hynes campaign…
“The general idea…is straightforward: before turning to taxes, we have to cut unnecessary government spending. If we don’t, we’ll place an unfair tax burden on people… We won’t have addressed the problem in the same common sense way that they would. A budget, whether at home or in Springfield, should require budgeting.”
To reduce the 2010 Budget shortfall, Hynes proposed taking immediate action to:
o Cut unnecessary government spending with a strategic process;
o Fire half of the Blagojevich political appointees making $70,000 a year or more;
o Reduce exorbitant state contracts by 20 percent;
o Bring state government operations back to 2005 levels, using best practices and directing agencies to work with front-line workers to identify cost-saving measures and efficiencies (Through a similar process, Hynes’ Comptroller’s Office is operating at 2001 levels.);
o End unfair tax exemptions, loopholes and discounts.
“The goal of this plan is simply to make our state better,” Hynes concluded. “But to do that we have to lead with clarity and consistency.”
* AP: Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes has formally announced his campaign for governor by introducing his plan to solve the state’s budget crisis.
* NBC5: Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes formally entered the Illinois governor’s race this morning, and during his announcement he laid out a reform agenda aimed directly at the establishment.
CBS2 and ABC7 are both using AP stories at the moment.
* Sun-Times: Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes formally announced his candidacy for governor today, proposing to change the state’s income tax from a flat 3 percent tax to a “progressive” tax that would top out at 7.5 percent for millionaires.
* Tribune: State Comptroller Dan Hynes today said he could dig the state out of its budget hole if he were governor–outlining more than half a dozen initiatives ranging from a graduated income tax and new casinos to cutting state workers and reducing state contracts.
* Daily Herald: Illinois voters would decide whether those making more than $200,000 a year would have their taxes raised at the same time pick a governor next year, under the plan put forward by Democratic hopeful Dan Hynes.
* 11:44 am - Illinois Federation of Teachers…
“We want to take a closer look at it before commenting further
* Just in time for Dan Hynes’ formal campaign announcement kickoff today, Gov. Pat Quinn’s campaign has a new poll of 751 likely Democratic primary voters out that shows Hynes has a long row to hoe…
Quinn: 54%
Hynes: 26%
Undecided: 20%
The pollster claims that Quinn leads in “every demographic and geographic subgroup. More…
• Almost three-quarters of voters (73%) agree that, “Pat Quinn is honest and trustworthy.” Two-thirds (68%) agree that, “Pat Quinn has restored integrity to the governor’s office.” And 60% agree that, “Pat Quinn fights for people like [them].”
• While 62% say that, “Pat Quinn has shown that he deserves a chance to serve a full term as Governor,” just 29% say, “Pat Quinn helped get past the scandals of Rod Blagojevich, but he isn’t up to the job of Governor.”
Name ID, favorability and job approval…
• Pat Quinn (88% name identification) and Dan Hynes (67% name identification) both start out with good name identification. But Quinn’s favorable rating (72%) is 16 points higher than Hynes’s (56% favorable). Quinn’s job rating as governor (68% positive) is 7 points higher than Hynes’s job rating as Comptroller (61% positive).
I’ll have more on this poll later.
* Meanwhile, Mark Brown doesn’t think much of a new advertising campaign by the Illinois Coalition of Immigrant and Refugee Rights which attacks Mark Kirk. The print and online ads feature a photo of Kirk and a condom: “Congressman Mark Kirk: Condoms are not an immigration solution!” The radio ad begins with an announcer saying: “I wonder what goes on inside the mind of a congressman when he states that the solution for immigration is to send condoms to Mexico.”
Actually, Kirk never said anything about condoms, nor did he specifically use the words “birth control,” although I think the latter at least is a fair inference to draw from what he actually did say.
Kirk was speaking on the House floor in June 2007 in favor of U.S. financial support for international family planning agencies when he made these comments:
“A slower rate of growth of Mexico’s population would improve the economy of Mexico,” Kirk said. “It would also reduce the environmental pressure on Mexico’s ecosystem. But a slower rate of growth would also reduce the long-term illegal immigration pressure on America’s borders.”
While that doesn’t strike me as particularly objectionable, I’m told I would feel differently if I were of Mexican descent.
* Our political quote of the day goes to Congressman Danny Davis, who was asked about the failure yesterday of the Cook County Board to roll back part of the sales tax hike…
Another politician eyeing Stroger’s job, Congressman Danny Davis, says he doesn’t know enough about the county’s finances to take a position because he’s not on the board.
DAVIS: So how I can I take a position when I don’t know the issues?
Wow. That’s a pretty serious admission of ignorance.
A spokesman said there is no significant purpose for the addition, which first began appearing in news releases Monday.
“There’s no reason or why,” spokesman Bob Kettlewell said. […]
Kettlewell was asked if Jackson had begun using her maiden name because of prior female senators who used three names - Carol Moseley Braun of Illinois and Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, by way of Illinois and Arkansas.
“Absolutely not,” Kettlewell said.
Could the Jackson name be polling badly? They’re not saying.
* Chicago Treasurer Stephanie Neely is definitely not running for US Senate, I’m told. It would’ve been pretty late to jump in anyway.
And that his victory, even in the face of terrible Cook County unemployment, high foreclosures, and consumer flight to collar counties with lower sales taxes, is something to sit back and study.
Especially if you are Mayor Richard M. Daley and his brother, County Commissioner John Daley.
An override of Stroger’s veto of the roll back required 14 of 17 commissioners. Sims was to be the 14th.
Sims changed course, she says, because it’s not clear yet how a loss in tax revenue might impact county services. Keeping all the county health clinics open is her top priority.
We don’t want to close clinics, either. That’s why we were glad to hear that the Cook County Health and Hospitals System proposed budget — released Tuesday, just in time for the vote — didn’t call for closings.
That budget isn’t set in stone, and Stroger’s office said a roll back would have required deeper cuts to the health system budget.
* I received some really good news via e-mail early this afternoon from Randi Belisomo Hernandez, who is Carlos Hernandez Gomez’s wife…
Rich,
Wanted to let you know your blog post on Capitol Fax was the best thing that’s happened for Carlos in a long time, other than his cancer being removed!!!!!
Just read him all the messages and it made him feel so good.
We expect to be out of intensive care tomorrow, and in the hospital another 10-12 days or so. The doctors say he’s doing great, except for all the questions he keeps asking everyone!!
He never stops.
Thanks so much for being such a friend,
Randi
The power of positive thought never ceases to amaze me.
I replied that I’d like her permission to post her e-mail on the blog and she got back to me a few minutes ago, along with this…
Carlos is in a room now….though they told us they expected him to be in ICU thru tomorrow!
He’s doing so great though they moved the process along ahead of schedule…..but I believe a gang war in Milwaukee aided that.
Shooting victims needed the ICU space……rough crowd around here!
Randi
Heh.
* If you would like to send Carlos a card, check out Judie Garcia’s post on Carlos’ FaceBook page…
Carlos is out of ICU — 3 North Tower, Bed 7 [Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital, 9200 W Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53226-3596]
His family is with him but Carlitos still cannot have outside visitors but he’s doing well.
Cook County’s controversial sales-tax hike will remain in place.
An effort to roll back half of the year-old penny-on-the-dollar sales-tax increase fell short in a vote today of the Cook County Board, with Cmsr. Deborah Sims jumping ship and backing Cook County Board President Todd Stroger’s earlier veto of the rollback.
Commissioner Deborah Sims (D-Chicago), who had been part of the tenuous coalition supporting a roll back, chose today to support Stroger and sustain the veto. In July, Sims had voted to roll back the sales tax increase, but today she switched positions and voted in favor of keeping the tax hike. (You can read about the board’s July vote to cut the sales tax by clicking here.
Sims said it’s too early in the 2010 budget process to determine whether the entire increase will be needed next year. “I hope that we will not rush to do anything here today,” she said.
“I want to make an intelligent vote here,” she added. “That’s what the people elected us to do, and we can’t do that if we don’t have all the information.”
“Shame on those commissioners who upheld Stroger’s veto - - especially Commissioner Sims, who flipped her position to become the deciding vote in support of this tax. With portions of our county having the highest tax rate in the country, it’s no wonder that our local economy is suffering so badly. Who in his or her right mind would want to make the situation worse?”
* Legislative Democrats are scared to death about the impact of this Stroger tax issue on next year’s suburban campaigns, and they should be. Commissioner Sims may think she made the right vote for the county’s budget (and that’s debatable), but her party is gonna suffer because of that flip-flop.
* I thought about trying to come up with a comparison of this video to Illinois politics or a specific Illinois politician, but I think I’ll just leave it up to you instead…
* The Question: Who (or what) does that bumbling karate chopper most remind you of in Illinois politics? Explain.
The state official in charge of payroll has no plans to start writing bigger paychecks for lawmakers even though a plan changing how raises occur was vetoed by the governor.
“Absent a court order or specific appropriation, nothing changes,” said Alan Henry, spokesman for Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes, whose office processes payroll.
Quinn changed the bill to kill off future automatic cost of living raises. The GA has not yet acted on the AV, but Hynes is taking the populist road. He’s also about to formally announce his candidacy. From a press release…
Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes will formally enter the race for the Democratic nomination for Governor Wednesday by introducing a major policy proposal that will be a hallmark of his campaign.
* Republican gubernatorial candidate Dan Proft outlines a few campaign promises in his latest press release…
1. Cut income and corporate tax rates 50%.
2. Institute statutory spending caps on the General Assembly to ensure that state spending cannot outpace the rate of population growth plus inflation year-over-year.
3. Reduce fees and consumption taxes.
4. Eliminate the estate tax.
Halving the personal and corporate income tax rate would cost about $5 billion. Eliminating the estate tax would dry up almost $300 million in revenues. “Consumption taxes” amount to well over $9 billion, depending on how they’re counted.
* I really don’t get this logic from Tribune columnist Dennis Byrne. Byrne blasts Gov. Pat Quinn for using his amendatory veto powers to add a provision to a bill which allows citizens the right to pass binding referenda to create new local ethics laws that can’t be repealed for at least four years…
Suppose that the legislature — miraculously — was of the same mind-set, and passed the amendment? Perhaps it would fire up some grass-roots anger in a few burgs, like Bolingbrook, where Mayor Roger Claar has allegedly lived high on the hog from political contributions from people and firms that do business with the suburb.
But Chicago is an entirely different hog. Chicago voters have shown themselves to be too lazy, inept, apathetic, pliable or unconcerned to organize the kind of grass-roots campaign it would take to impose ethics on the rogues they continually elect.
Excuse me? The citizens of Bolingbrook are so angry about Mayor Roger Claar that nobody filed to run against him this year. Somebody did run as a write-in, and scored a not too shabby 25 percent, but it was still just 25 percent.
Meanwhile, in Chicago, special election voters this year ignored the “Machine” candidates and elected noted reformer Mike Quigley to Congress.
I usually just ignore Byrne. But that comparison was just bizarre, man.
* Speaking of Quigley, he’s expectedly endorsed Rep. John Fritchey for the county board. From a press release…
In a significant political announcement, State Rep. John Fritchey stated that he will not seek re-election to the General Assembly seat that he has held since 1996, opting to run to fill the vacancy created by Cook County Commissioner Forrest Claypool, who has announced he will not be running for another term. Congressman Mike Quigley and Commissioner Claypool joined Rep. Fritchey at his announcement and pledged their full support of Fritchey’s bid, citing the need for the County Board to have a proven reformer who can hit the ground running.
* The Sun-Times whacks Speaker Madigan on his law firm’s apparent conflict of interest…
Madigan is right when he says he has broken no laws by doing property tax work for companies that do state business, but he is wrong when he says there is no potential conflict of interest.
We see two ways to resolve the problem:
• • Madigan’s law firm, Madigan & Getzendanner, could disclose the names of every client who even remotely does business with the state. We’re skeptical of Madigan’s claim, made Monday in response to the Sun-Times story, that the canon of ethics for lawyers prohibits him from doing so. Ald. Ed Burke routinely lists all his law clients who do city business on his ethics statements.
• • Madigan’s law firm could stop doing legal work of any kind for anybody who does business with the state.
* Now that Bobby Rush has endorsed Cheryle Jackson, could a Pat Quinn endorsement be far behind? [/snark]. From a press release…
U.S. Senate candidate Cheryle Robinson Jackson today received key endorsements from U.S. Representative Bobby Rush, State Senator Rev. James Meeks and the Cook County Democratic Women Organization for her bid to fill the Illinois seat once held by President Barack Obama. These early endorsements signal strong support from the community.
“Cheryle is exactly who Illinois needs in the U.S. Senate,” said Rush. “Like many of us, she worked her way up to become a force for change and progress for everyday people. She understands from personal experience how important quality health care, education, and access to good jobs and opportunities are to Illinois families. She’ll take that fight to Washington.”
In his own way, Rush is one of the most powerful forces in Illinois politics. He’s made Gov. Quinn back away from more positions than just about anyone else.
GOP U.S. Senate hopeful Mark Kirk spotted dining on a BLT sandwich with Thousand Island dressing, accompanied by 13 others, at Little Ricky’s eatery in Winnetka Sunday night following his North Shore fund-raising bash starring former GOP presidential hopeful John McCain
Or not.
* Related…
* Quinn set to visit Quincy: Gov. Pat Quinn is headed to west central Illinois to dedicate a $295 million highway project.
* Can someone please explain this Jim Thome deal to me?
The 39-year-old Thome is hitting .252 with 23 home runs and 74 RBI in 106 games this season. He has 564 career home runs.
The five-time All-Star is owed $2,415,301 from his $13 million salary, and is eligible to become a free agent after the World Series.
The White Sox get minor league infielder Justin Fuller and will send cash to the Dodgers. It was not immediately known how much Chicago was sending to the Dodgers.
Look, I know Thome isn’t the player he used to be. I never expected him to be around at the start of next season, either.
But we get an “A Adv” League infielder hitting .231andpay the Dodgers to take Thome? Even though Thome becomes a free agent after this season? Sure, we wouldn’t get anything for Thome at that point, but I hardly see the reasoning here. It’s almost insulting.
The only explanation is that the Sox are dumping payroll because ownership believes the team is tanking hard - which it is - and fans won’t show up to games this month - and they probably won’t. But gross insults like this may make the fan situation worse.
* I am no fan at all of Jose Contreras. In fact, I can’t stand the guy. But at least we got some cash for him…
The Colorado Rockies acquired right-hander Jose Contreras from the Chicago White Sox on Monday night for cash and minor leaguer Brandon Hynick. […]
The 37-year-old Contreras is 5-13 with a 5.42 ERA and 89 strikeouts in 21 starts this season. He’s pitched in seven major league seasons with the Yankees and White Sox and is 70-63 with a 4.66 ERA.
The 24-year-old Hynick is 10-9 with a 3.83 ERA and two complete games in 26 starts this season with Triple-A Colorado Springs.
* Obviously, the Sox are planning some much-needed rebuilding. If Ozzie Guillen stays on board, then they need to get back to “small ball” players, who seem to work better with Guillen’s coaching style. General Manager Kenny Williams appeared to lose his grasp of that concept after the 2005 World Series win. If anybody in management ought to go, it should be him. At least, that’s my opinion. What’s yours?
* Quite a few people, including more than a couple of pundits, have claimed since Rod Blagojevich’s arrest that the governor had the goods on a lot of people and would eventually spill his guts. But Blagojevich has instead proved his insanity…
I’ve just closed the cover on Blagojevich’s 264-page blame-all, and I’ve got to admit that parts of it are kind of interesting, especially for the insights into his troubled mind. Those who have variously labeled our former governor a narcissist and sociopath will find nothing to dissuade them.
He seems to now imagine himself a Christ-like figure who is being crucified for the collective political sins of others.
Much of Blagojevich’s anger in the book is directed at the Madigans, though the conspiracies and deals he contends they were behind never panned out.
He even has trouble getting simple references right…
He invokes Daedalus and Icarus, but Blago gets the ancient myth wrong and insists Icarus fell to the ground after flying too near the sun rather than into the sea.
“I am not writing myself off,” Blago says, “with respect to a future in public service.”
* There are a couple of “tell-all” tales in the book, but the media hasn’t really picked up on them yet. Most everyone is focusing on the alleged attempt to auction off the US Senate seat, which will likely end up being a small part of his case. But this is from the Sun-Times’ Blago Blog…
Blagojevich claims he had a 2006 meeting with Madigan and his daughter, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, where the two allegedly hit him up for $400,000 in campaign contributions. [..]
“It was designed by the Madigans as a subtle threat. While dear old dad is literally and figuratively putting the arm on me from my left side, she is subtly holding a gun to my head from the right. Their message was easily interpreted. If I didn’t fork over (2 1/2) percent of my campaign fund … then they were both going to make trouble for me,” Blagojevich wrote. “It was subtle and but purposeful. And that’s what they intended and that’s what they did. And it made me feel like I was being shaken down.”
Blagojevich attacked Lisa Madigan — the same person he says later in the book he was to appoint to the vacant U.S. Senate seat — for being “unethical.” A year prior, Lisa Madigan had subpoenaed campaign fundraising records: “from the very office she was now sitting in.”
Blagojevich said he wouldn’t kick in. Michael Madigan’s payback, Blago says, was blocking his healthcare initiative. Lisa Madigan’s? Not endorsing Blago’s reelection bid.
The payback aspect is most likely just his delusion. But the allegation he makes about AG Madigan being at the campaign fund meeting after issuing subpoenas to his campaign fund is a good point. The AG has not directly answered questions about the book.
* In the end, though, this cartoon probably sums up the book best.
A contract covering 6,000 workers at 30 downtown hotels expired at midnight Monday, and labor and management remain far apart, according to Unite-Here Local 1.
The appointment was critical, as today’s meeting is the County Board’s only chance to override President Stroger’s veto of a July measure to roll back the 1 percent increase in the county sales tax imposed earlier this year.
Just in time to vote down a sales-tax hike, Northwest Side Democratic committeemen chose Illinois State Trooper Edwin Reyes today to replace Cook County Commissioner Roberto Maldonado.[…]
County Board Finance Committee Chairman John Daley said that with Reyes’ appointment, there are 14 votes, including his, to override Stroger on Tuesday.
Several make six figures, with highest paid at $300K […]
Mayor Daley’s chief of staff got a whopping 41 percent pay raise — to $250,000 a year — when she jumped off the City Hall merry-go-round to become president of Chicago’s 2016 Olympic bid.
Even with that $72,784-a-year pay raise, former chief of staff Lori Healey is not the bid team’s highest-paid executive, according to Chicago 2016’s “Stewardship Report” of $48.3 million in Olympic spending.
• • Translation: Sneed is told city budget chief Gene Saffold may tell cops and firemen to park it!
• • Further translation: Word is the city plans to stop the personal use of municipal cars by the Chicago Police and Fire departments.
• • Stop shop: “For many years, both departments have been permitted to take their assigned vehicles home,” said a top city source. “The use of such cars will now be strictly administered . . . and not treated like a perk.”
• • $$$$$: Is it true the approximately 400 city municipal vehicles cost the taxpayers millions yearly? Stay tuned.
An estimated 50,000 felons have been released from Illinois prisons or county probation without submitting DNA samples as required by law, leaving a gaping hole in the 7-year-old program designed to link known criminals to unsolved crimes.
The Illinois Department of Corrections released nearly 10,000 felons without gathering their DNA since the law was enacted. And Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan’s office estimates that county probation departments did not secure samples from 40,000 additional felons, mostly in Cook County, due to delays in implementing the law.
The $40 million project, aided by $17 million in federal tax credits, has recovered the architectural glory of the old power plant, especially in a soaring turbine room with glistening white brick walls and tall, arched windows.
