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This just in…
Wednesday, Jul 18, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller
* 2:11 pm - IlliniPundit has new poll results….
In general, do you APPROVE or DISAPPROVE of the job Gov.Blagojevich is doing right now?
* Approve: 25.57%
* Disapprove: 64.41%
* Unsure: 10.32%
Details of the AskIllinois poll…
Date of calls: July 12, 2007
Sample size: 2,568
Margin of Error: ±1.93%
Sample makeup: Likely voters
Poll type: Automated
Download it here.
* 2:23 pm - All the leaders except Senate President Emil Jones have arrived for the scheduled leaders meeting with the governor. Quite a few (perhaps 20 or so) rank and file legislators have also shown up, mostly House members.
* 2:25 pm - From the SJ-R…
The U.S. attorney’s office for the Central District of Illinois has created a public corruption unit and tip line.
Details of the task force are being announced at an afternoon news conference.
* 2:27 pm - Senate President Jones arrived at the leaders meeting, telling reporters, “I’m gonna tax all the lies you’ve been writing.” He’s such a kidder, that guy.
* 2:31 pm - ACLU press release…
…According to the report, of all traffic stops in Illinois during calendar year 2006, police officers asked a mere 0.68% of white drivers for “consent” to search their car once the stop was commenced, compared to 2.04% of all minority drivers. The report demonstrated that an African American driver was more than three times more likely to be the target of arequest for a search than a majority driver. […]
Responding to the report, the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois today called on Governor Rod Blagojevich and the members of the Illinois General Assembly to either prohibit consent searches altogether, or require that police have reasonable suspicion as a precondition to request a search.
“State police forces in California and New Jersey have ended the practice of conducting consent searches,” said Grossman. “The Illinois General Assembly should examine this data and move quickly to bar the practice in our state.”
* 2:35 pm - Does this mean Lauzen is doomed? Roeser’s candidates don’t usually do all that well…
Conservative Carpentersville businessman Jack Roeser is siding with state Rep. Chris Lauzen of Aurora over the man he backed last year for governor–if former House Speaker Dennis Hastert opts not to seek re-election to Congress.
In a missive from his Family Taxpayers Network, Roeser urged Aurora dairyman James D. Oberweis to sit out a GOP primary race for the House in the 14th Congressional District. That is the same Oberweis that Roeser helped bankroll with more than a half-million dollars in an unsuccessful race for the Republican primary nomination for governor last year.
* 3:02 pm - New Feature! Longtime Nadig Newspaper columnist Russ Stewart has asked that I post his weekly columns at the blog. Here’s the first one, entitled “Potential Foes Monitor Stroger’s Credibility.” I’ll also likely cross-post them at Illinoize.
* 3:15 pm - Apparently, state Rep. Tim Schmitz has decided not to run for Congress in Denny Hastert’s district…
Republican state Rep. Tim Schmitz of Batavia Wednesday announced his plans to seek re-election next year.
Schmitz is very close to Hastert, but I’m not sure yet what this means.
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Question of the day
Wednesday, Jul 18, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller
A House Republican-sponsored resolution was all the talk yesterday…
House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago) allowed his chamber to vote on a GOP-written resolution that calls on the governor to “reside in Springfield” during the duration of the Legislature’s overtime session or while lawmakers are in special sessions convened by Blagojevich. […]
An aide belittled Tuesday’s vote, insisting the governor had overnighted in Springfield with the exception of this past weekend since declaring the first of eight special sessions in early July.
“The governor’s been here, and it seems like there are more important issues facing the state of Illinois than this that the House could consider,” Blagojevich spokeswoman Rebecca Rausch said.
The Post-Dispatch has this analysis…
The resolution has no legal force, and was dismissed by Blagojevich’s defenders as a cheap attempt to embarrass him. But it’s telling as a measure of the frustration of lawmakers who have been kept at their Springfield desks well into the summer, not allowed to adjourn and powerless to break the budget impasse.
You can read more about it here and here.
Question: Now that the governor has agreed to stay in Springfield until the negotiations are completed (even though he’s taken a couple of trips back to Chicago for a press conference and then a Cubs game last weekend when the General Assembly wasn’t in town), was this a cheap shot that could undermine delicate budget negotiations? If not, explain why. And, please, try to put any knee-jerk hatreds aside.
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Buck a pack tax by the numbers
Wednesday, Jul 18, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The State Journal-Register has an editorial today that lists the benefits of a dollar a pack increase in the state’s cigarette tax. The numbers were provided by the American Lung Association…
* Cigarette pack sale decline in Illinois — 123.3 million.
* Number of current adult smokers in Illinois who would quit — 57,700.
* Increase in total number of kids alive today who will not become smokers — 130,800.
* Long-term health-care savings in Illinois from adult and youth smoking declines — $2.8 billion.
* The paper adds…
Illinois with its current 98-cents-per-pack tax raised about $634 million last year. That’s a significant revenue source, akin to the amount raised by the state lottery. A $1-per-pack increase is estimated to bring in about $412 million more annually. […]
While we sincerely doubt a $1-per-pack tax increase will gain the needed support, if legislators become serious about any significant increase in the cigarette tax, they should demand that some of the money raised be used to underwrite cessation efforts on the part of smokers. Yes, it might cut into the state’s take in the short run, but in the long run it makes both fiscal and moral sense.
* But Joe Calomino of Americans for Prosperity, Illinois, posted these numbers in comments yesterday…
The Effect of a $1/pack Cigarette Tax Hike on Illinois Retailers
* Tobacco Sales are Important to Illinois Retailers – Illinois stores sold 657 million packs of cigarettes in FY 2006, with a gross retail value of nearly $3.2 billion. Illinois merchants earned nearly $560 million in gross profits on these sales.
* Tobacco Sales Support Illinois Jobs - It is estimated that nearly 8,000 Illinois retailer and wholesaler jobs were supported by in-state tobacco sales (based on estimated gross profits). […]
* In spite of large recent tax increases of the Illinois, Cook County, and Chicago cigarette taxes, some are proposing an Illinois cigarette tax hike of $1/pack. This would raise the Illinois state tax to $1.98 per pack. Illinois residents outside of Cook County could save $18.10/carton in Missouri, $16.80 in Kentucky and $9.85 in Indiana. In Chicago the total state and local cigarette tax would be $4.66/pack. A Chicago resident could save over $44.90/carton in Missouri or over $36/carton in Indiana. A van-load of cigarettes from Missouri would have a profit potential of nearly $255,000. Such bootlegger incentives could create a situation reminiscent of the days of Al Capone.
* Loss in Cigarette Sales Volume – Cigarette volume is estimated to fall by nearly 25% on an annualized basis or by 164 million packs due to the proposed $1 tax hike in FY 2008.
* Loss in Sundry Product Sales - Sundry product sales, or products normally bought in conjunction with tobacco products, could fall by nearly $140 million due to the $1 tax hike.
* Loss in Illinois Gross Profits (value added) - Gross profits lost to Illinois retailers and wholesalers are estimated at approximately $116 million due the proposed $1 tax hike.
* Convenience Store Losses - Cigarette sales at C-stores would fall by 100 million packs due to the $1 tax hike. Gross profit losses could average about $15,000 per store
* Revenue Impact - It is estimated that Illinois will gain about $320 million from the $1 tax hike. […]
Taxes Per Pack In Chicago After a $1 IL Tax Hike and 61 cent Federal Tax Hike
Federal Tax/ Pack $1
State Tax/Pack $1.98
Cook County Tax/Pack $2.00
Chicago Tax/Pack .68
State, County, Local Sales Tax .77
Grand Total $6.43
Go here to read more. Joe said he’s working up a post for his Website and it will be up soon.
Thoughts?
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* The Daily Southtown urges a mushroom revolt…
Don’t sit back and let these three men’s childish antics hamstring this great state any further. Let them and your representatives and senators know how you feel. And those representatives and senators need to let the leaders know how they feel, too. We know there is discontent within the rank-and-file, but until the members rise up in unison and tell the leaders to get their acts together, those leaders will continue to treat those members like peons. The leaders need to be sent a message that if problems within the state are not addressed, their days of being leaders are numbered. But based on what’s happened in the past, we know the fearful rank-and-file members will barely utter a peep.
What an embarrassment the state government has become.
Illinois needs a fair, fiscally responsible budget passed now. Problems need to be dealt with through reasoned discussions and compromise — not locker-room antics or crybaby talk or another layer of makeup.
* And Phil Kadner is dubious of Senate President Emil Jones’ renewed emphasis on school funding reform and the whole issue in general…
Down in Springfield, some of the most useless elected officials in the country are holding hearings into education funding. […]
After 15 years of doing basically nothing to help education, after three blue-ribbon panels shouted, “You folks are destroying the public school system in this state,” the Illinois Senate (meeting in special session) is going to spend the entire week listening to education advocates explain it all again. […]
t’s truly amazing how much political juice the folks in Springfield have squeezed out of the education turnip.
Jones knows one thing for certain. If he passes a bill out of the Senate now, it will be dead on arrival in the House, where Madigan and Republicans can kill it. And even if it passes out of the House, the governor has vowed to veto the bill.
Calling these people “useless” may be too kind. They’ve done real harm to the children and taxpayers of this state.
* The Pantagraph notes that we’re heading for a new overtime record…
On July 24, which is less than a week away, the General Assembly and Gov. Rod Blagojevich will surpass their 2004 record for the amount of time the state has gone into a new fiscal year without an overall spending plan.
With little progress to report Tuesday, observers said the record is almost sure to be broken.
* …And checks the latest floor census…
Attendance by lawmakers picked up Tuesday after several days where dozens failed to show up to work. In the Senate, 36 of 59 members were on the floor when the session got under way. The roll call in the 118-member House roll topped 100 for the first time in a week.
* The Pennsylvania overtime session received a lot of national media, mainly because the state shut down government services. That hasn’t happened here yet, but as Mike Skarr notes…
Maybe since our budget crisis has lasted about nine times as long as the Pennsylvania budget woes, we, the taxpayers will get a result that is nine times as good, but probably not.
* Bethany Carson gives us a quick rundown…
The governor has been in town since Monday, but no official leaders’ meetings have convened. The legislature has broken up into small group meetings so far to discuss gaming, a capital plan, education, revenue, agency spending and the Illinois Department of Corrections. They’re closed to the public.
The governor also sent a letter to House Speaker Michael Madigan, House Minority Leader Tom Cross and Senate Minority Leader Frank Watson criticizing them for halting progress on a proposal to expand gaming, which would pay for the debt service on a capital plan and for education. “Negotiations broke down over your refusal to dedicate some portion of new gaming revenue to education,” the governor wrote. He also said, “A budget that invests in infrastructure without providing resources for education and health care is not an option. We must find a way to meet all of our obligations.”
* To which Madigan’s spokesman replied…
“We had $400 million in new education spending in the budget the House passed on May 30. We’ll remind him of that.”
* And state Sen. Terry Link says that gaming ain’t dead yet…
“This is not ‘The Sopranos’, this is more like a soap opera, and nothing is dead down here,” state Sen. Terry Link, D-Waukegan, asserted Tuesday. “It might have looked like it is dead, but it is very much alive.
Link conceded that consensus on the extent of expanded gaming and what the revenue will be used for is “elusive,” but he said there are plenty of incentives for legislators to keep hammering away at a compromise.
“I think you will see some negotiation and compromise before this winds down,” Link said, adding that letting the gaming issue die would amount to “the loss of a lot of revenue” without a tax increase “on any individual.”
* And Sen. Bill Peterson offers this observation…
[Peterson] said there appears to be progress in working out a compromise on electric rates, and added that school aid formula payments are due in August. If the aid formula payments are not made, a lot of districts would be negatively impacted and would have to borrow money, which would not reflect well on the Legislature. “There’s an Aug. 10 drop-dead date to get something done,” he said.
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The redesigned rollout begins
Wednesday, Jul 18, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller
* With the electric rate deal in sight, the push is on for the governor’s health insurance plan. It’s being reworked at the moment (some details are in today’s Capitol Fax), but Cindy Richards has details about a new poll…
llinois legislators like to say they aren’t jumping on the governor’s health care bandwagon because their constituents haven’t demanded they get on board.
Perhaps few of us are calling our legislators. But that doesn’t mean we aren’t worried about ever-rising health care premiums and co-pays. Or concerned the insurance we get from our employers today might be gone tomorrow. Or afraid a major medical expense will leave us bankrupt.
At least that’s what a poll of likely Illinois voters suggests. The poll, to be released today, says the rising cost of health care is the No. 1 concern of Illinois voters. […]
His plan would cap premium rates charged by private insurance companies. In return, the state would use taxpayer money — now likely to be gathered via an assessment on employers that don’t offer health insurance to their workers — to cap insurers’ costs for catastrophic medical claims. That means basic medical care would be paid by the insurance companies, but when your mom has a stroke and racks up $1 million in medical bills, private insurers would be on the hook only for a portion of that.
Sadly, the governor’s office has bungled the press and politics on this so badly that its future remains very much in doubt. […]
85 percent — Democrats, Republicans and Independents — said health care reform is the most important issue facing legislators in this never-ending session.
The pollster’s executive summary is below…
* Rising health care costs are now the top economic concern in Illinois. The
issue of rising health care costs (33%) trumps rising gas prices (17%), higher taxes (16%), and a secure retirement (10%). Rising health care costs are the biggest concern for Democrats (36%), Republicans (27%), and Independents (37%).
* Illinois voters rate health care reform as the most important issue facing the legislature during the extended session. Health care reform is rated as an important issue during the extended session by 85% of voters (48% Extremely important) – more than the 80% who rate Education as important (40% very important). Again, this extends across party lines.
* Voters support the Illinois Covered proposal by a margin better than 3-to-1. Illinois Covered is one of the most strongly supported plans we have ever tested, with 79% of voters initially in favor (52% strongly in favor) and only 13% opposed (6% strongly). This support holds even after batteries of supportive messages about benefits of the plan (such as decreased emergency room costs and future savings reaped from investments now) and opposition attacks (such as multi-billion dollar tax increases and an increase in illegal immigration). After messaging 75% support and 17% oppose.
* Voters in every region of the state support this reform. Support is strong in Northern Illinois (80%), Central Illinois (73%), Southern Illinois (72%), and especially strong in Chicago (88%) and suburban Cook County (84%).
* Illinois voters want their legislators not just to support, but to lead the fight for this reform. Fifty-five percent of voters say they would be more likely to re-elect their legislator (32% much more likely) if he or she supported Illinois Covered. Again, this holds in all regions, with voters in every region of the state more likely to re-elect their legislator by better than a 3-to-1 margin. The numbers look even better for legislators who take a leading role in advocating for Illinois Covered. Fifty-seven percent of voters would be more likely to re-elect their legislator (35% much more likely) if he or she led the fight for Illinois Covered.
The survey was conducted among 600 likely 2008 general election voters in Illinois, June 24-28, 2007. The margin of error is +/- 4.0%. The Celinda Lake poll was commissioned by America’s Agenda Health Care Fund, AARP, AFL-CIO, and the Campaign for Better Health Care. I hope to have more detailed results for subscribers later today.
* More…
* Mandated state health care: Pro vs. Con
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Morning Shorts
Wednesday, Jul 18, 2007 - Posted by Paul Richardson
* Editorial: One Blagojevich is enough
It would be unfair to accuse Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias of contracting an early-onset case of the disease that ails Blagojevich: government by public relations. Unfair, but tempting. In his first half-year, Giannoulias has made some smart moves, such as improving the state’s college savings plans. But his unveiling this week of a program that makes Illinois taxpayers subsidize the purchase of hybrid vehicles that already are popular strikes us as a classic case of nanny-statism, political opportunism, or both.
* Illinois plans to underwrite $1,000 on hybrid cars
* Alderman: Congestion fee DOA
* CTA Tattler: Huberman on other top transit systems
* Chicago Public Radio: Millions in taxes could cover school budget
* Carol Marin: Hard to trust Daley ‘reform’
* Daley: Midway needs fixing up before being put on the market
If Mayor Daley is so determined to privatize Midway Airport, why is he spending nearly $284 million this year to fix it up?
That was the question Tuesday after the mayor unveiled a $2 billion capital-improvement program for 2007 with a host of Midway projects.
* IL House OKs incentives to land FutureGen coal project; more here
* Legislators blast waiver for BP plant near lake; more here
* State law makes inquests optional in routine cases
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This just in…
Tuesday, Jul 17, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller
* 2:35 pm - I don’t believe there’s a leaders meeting today, but this is from a letter sent by the governor to Speaker Madigan and the two GOP leaders about the impasse over a new gaming bill…
We have an important task to complete in the coming days and weeks. The people of Illinois deserve a balanced budget that meets their needs. I understand your desire to pass a capital plan. But a budget that invests in infrastructure without providing resources for education and healthcare is not an option. We must find a way to meet all of our obligations.
Tomorrow at 2:00 p.m., I will convene a leaders meeting in my office to discuss viable options for funding education. Now that you have effectively taken gaming off the table, I am asking you to take time today to consult with your caucuses and identify potential revenue sources for education that you could support without raising taxes on people. I look forward to hearing your ideas and getting negotiations back on track tomorrow.
The entire letter can be downloaded here.
* 2:45 pm - Only 1,365 signatures? Judging from comments here and elsewhere on the Intertubes, I thought they’d get more. From a press release…
Citizens to Impeach Blagojevich delivered via email today the signatures of 1,365 Illinoisans on a petition calling for House Speaker Madigan to launch an impeachment investigation of Governor Blagojevich in accordance with Section 14, Article IV of the 1970 Illinois Constitution.
The ongoing budget crisis has clearly shown that Rod Blagojevich has become to Illinois what Gray Davis was to California. Unlike the Golden State, however, Illinois has no recall provision upon which the people can act. Therefore, a group Illinoisans launched a petition website (www.impeachblago.com) in an effort to give voice to their fellow citizens who have grown frustrated with the near criminal mismanagement of the state’s finances.
* 2:48 pm - I told subscribers in a password-protected post earlier today that House Speaker Madigan and Senate President Jones were meeting today to put final touches on the electric rate agreement. Here’s more…
The proposal would spread out the consumer breaks over four years, Clayborne said, adding that negotiators had “pretty much closed” a $50 million gap since last month, when lawmakers said the utilities had agreed to a $950 million package.
Among the issues still unresolved are whether credits should be given to consumers or checks should be mailed to them, said Clayborne, who chairs the Senate Committee on Environment and Energy.
Lawmakers need to work out what parts of the package need to be voted on in legislation and what parts should be in a memorandum of understanding worked out with utility interests, Clayborne said. He said he would like to vote on a deal this week.
* 3:31 pm - The folks at Chicago Tonight say they hope to post the video soon of House Speaker Madigan’s appearance last night. It may end up here. Check the main site as well. Here are some excerpts…
Madigan: What’s happened is that the governor is not getting what he wants. He wants a 7% increase in state spending [Madigan later corrected himself and noted it was a 30 percent increase that the governor wanted].
His proposals have failed before the legislature. He really doesn’t see anywhere to go to get what he wants and so he’s resorted to name calling. And i called upon him in the past and i will call upon him again, stop the name calling. Bring people together. Join together in good faith, and try to solve these problems. Adopt a budget for the state of illinois. Many people in Illinois are very dependent upon the government of the state of Illinois. Every school district in the state gets support from the government. Those that are developmentally disabled and residents of nursing homes all depend upon support from the government of the state of illinois. They deserve to have this budget impasse solved now. We should get to work and solve our problems, not with the divisive leadership but rather the leadership which was designed to bring people together, not divide them. […]
Carol Marin: …This would be, at this stage, a pretty much do nothing legislature being wouldn’t it?
Madigan: We are very hopeful that this week we will announce rate reductions on electric service that will amount to $1 billion statewide. This is an issue where the governor has been asked, but he’s declined to participate to bring down electric rates all across the state. As far back as last fall, during the veto session, i was calling for the advancement of legislation that would freeze the rates. I passed that bill on to the house. We passed it out of the house again at the beginning of the year. Never any support from the governor. It was the advancement of rate freeze legislation which brought the utilities to the table. We have negotiated with them over several weeks and we are now prepared to announce a rate reduction plan, which will cost in excess of $1 billion. That’s $1 billion in savings for the electric ratepayers all across state of illinois. […]
Carol Marin: Do you regret being Blagojevich’s [campaign] co-chair the last time?
Madigan: No, i’m not going to regret that. I supported the Democratic nominee for governor. I’m a Democrat. I wish the governor would understand that. 37 Years of service in the House of Representatives. Always elected as a Democrat. Over 20 years as the speaker. Always elected as a Democrat.
Carol Marin: Where is this going to go? I mean, by the time we get to july 24th this will be the longest special session in history and it will be under a complete super Democratic control. What does this say about the party?
Madigan: It says that the Democratic Party is a very different element. It’s not very easy to bring it together. We will work real hard to get the job done. We hope we will get it don’t before the end of the month but, again, people have to come together and recognize that there are differences differences within the democratic party. There are differences within the state of Illinois. We need to work real hard to reconcile those differences so that we can solve this budget problem and continue to provide support to local school districts and the mentally ill, the developmentally disabled and those in nursing homes. That’s why we are here. We should get to work and get the job done and let everybody in the state go about their business.
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Caption Contest!
Tuesday, Jul 17, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller
Everything’s so serious in comments today. Let’s lighten it up a bit…
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Congressional stuff *** Updated x1 ***
Tuesday, Jul 17, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I’ve been wondering about this for weeks, mentioned the theory in Capitol Fax and I think here as well…
But a source close to [Chicago Democratic Congressman Luiz Gutierrez] said it is not yet certain that the congressman would stick with his decision to retire. Gutierrez had flirted with the idea of challenging Mayor Richard Daley in the February election, before changing tack and giving the mayor his warm endorsement.
Now the source said Gutierrez is “giving some serious thought to running again” for his seat in the U.S. House. The recent failure of an immigration-reform plan in Washington is among the factors that could prompt a change of heart for Gutierrez, the source said.
Gutierrez did not return calls seeking comment Monday.
* Meanwhile…
State Sen. Chris Lauzen (R-Aurora), among several conservatives eyeing [Denny] Hastert’s seat, has raised about $9,000 for a potential run.
Democrat Mark Pera received more than $54,000 and lent his campaign $86,000 as he prepared a primary challenge to U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.), who raised almost $200,000, in the 3rd Congressional District on Chicago’s Southwest Side and suburbs.
* And…
• Illinois’ 8th District (Northwest Cook County — Schaumberg; parts of Lake and McHenry counties). Two-term Democratic Rep. Melissa Bean has raised more than $1 million in the first half of this year, after a second quarter in which she raised $552,000; most of the incumbent’s sum came from political action committees. Bean had $803,000 on hand on July 1 as she prepares for a 2008 campaign in which she may be opposed by Republican Steve Greenberg, who filed candidacy papers earlier this month.
• Illinois’ 10th District (North and northwest Chicago suburbs — Waukegan). This contest surely will be among the most expensive in the nation. Republican Rep. Mark Steven Kirk, a prominent GOP centrist in this politically competitive district, took in $617,000 in the second quarter, bringing his year-to-date take to $1.3 million — more than the $1 million that Kirk raised in the first six months of 2005 prior to his last contest. The Feb. 5 primary will include Dan Seals, a marketing executive who was Kirk’s 2006 Democratic opponent; he raised $251,000 in the second quarter and $264,000 since the beginning of this year. Seals does not have a clear field to a rematch, though. His primary opponent, lawyer Jay Footlik, raised $287,000 in the second quarter; Footlik served in the Clinton administration as a liaison to the American Jewish community, and his report includes donations by some former Clinton administration officials.
This is - yet another - 2008 congressional campaign open thread.
*** UPDATE *** If Congressman Gutierrez is running again, his fundraising this quarter doesn’t show it. Gutierrez raised just $10,500 this quarter and he had a bit more than $81,000 in cash on hand.
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Question of the day
Tuesday, Jul 17, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller
I broke this story in Monday’s Capitol Fax. There’s no mention of that, of course, but here’s the setup for our QOTD…
State leaders are quietly exploring the possibility of doubling Illinois’ cigarette tax to almost $2 a pack in an effort to fund Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s universal health care plan. […]
To pay for the plan, the administration is suggesting a 3 percent tax on businesses that don’t provide health insurance to their employees. But that and other business-tax proposals have hit stiff resistance in the Legislature, and the administration has continued looking around for other funding sources that might be more palatable to lawmakers. […]
“I’m not saying it was our idea, and I don’t know that we’re ready to take a position on it,” [Blagojevich spokesperson Rebecca Rausch] said.
But others close to the negotiations say the administration has specifically brought it up recently, including a mention from Blagojevich himself while talking with lawmakers in his office late last week.
“He said something to that effect while he was rattling off a few things” that could raise money, said state Rep. Gary Hannig, D-Litchfield, a key budget negotiator for the House Democratic majority.
It was, indeed, Blagojevich who mentioned the idea.
Question: Could you support a dollar a pack increase on cigarettes to help fund the governor’s health insurance program, as an alternative to the proposed 3 percent payroll tax on businesses that don’t currently provide coverage? Explain.
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* As I pointed out in today’s Capitol Fax, Sen. Barack Obama’s advice to the deadlocked Statehouse crowd looks very familiar…
“The problem, my sense is, is that everybody was trying to take too big a bite this year,” Obama said after marching with striking workers outside a downtown Chicago hotel. […]
“My advice would be to come together and recognize not everybody’s gonna get everything they want but it’s still possible to craft a budget that takes care of the basics - that transportation is adequately funded, that we are making some expansion of the health care system particularly when it comes to covering kids, that there … is an infusion of education dollars so that schools at least aren’t falling behind but are moving forward,” Obama said.
A former state senator from Chicago, Obama also questioned the wisdom of a major gambling expansion to fill budget gaps and pay for things that “we should be willing to pay for out of our tax dollars.
Obama’s observation that “everybody was trying to take too big a bite this year,” the modest compromises he suggests and the reticence to approve gaming expansion sure sounds more like Michael Madigan than Emil Jones, his self-described political mentor.
* Meanwhile, to illustrate my point, here’s the latest from the gaming talks…
House Speaker Michael Madigan said Monday that no gambling expansion will emerge from the General Assembly because of a disagreement over how the money should be used, a setback to lawmakers hoping gambling money would help resolve the budget impasse. […]
“Based on this meeting, there’s a lack of an agreement,” Madigan said. “That means there won’t be a gaming bill.” […]
The gambling meeting ended abruptly when Madigan, Cross and Senate Minority Leader Frank Watson (R-Greenville) made it clear that gambling revenues should be used only for capital projects, prompting Jones to say the meeting should be shut down if that restriction is put on the money, said Rep. Robert Molaro (D-Chicago).
* A few more session-related items, compiled by Paul…
* Illinois budget talks losing steam
* Duncan: CPS needs state funds
* Tax hike may be urged for Chicago schools
* Editorial: Governor in a different world
* Editorial: Let’s make money off state sideshow
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* This could cause quite a bit of hilarity next week…
More than 100 religious leaders from the Chicago area are threatening to take over the Illinois legislature if lawmakers fail to pass a state budget in the next week. The potential protestors say they will storm the capitol and occupy every seat in the Illinois House. […]
“We are prepared to take our complete delegation to the capital to take over,” said Rev. Ira Acree, Ministers Alliance.
The budget battle in Springfield escalated Monday as more than 100 activist ministers claiming to represent 500,000 parishioners threatened to take over the Illinois House in Springfield next Monday, sit in the lawmakers chairs and vote on a symbolic budget with more money for education, health care and mass transit if Governor Blagojevich and the other elected officials can’t agree on a real budget by then.
“Since we have elected officials down there fighting, we are going to say enough is enough. People are suffering, because folks want to play politics,” said Rev. Roosevelt Watkins, Ministers Alliance.
“You have seven days to get it together. Seven days,” said Rev. Steve Jones, Ministers Alliance.
* More…
Rev. Steve Jones, President of the Baptist Pastors Conference, says ministers by the bus-load will descend on Springfield next Monday if no budget is passed by then, and he says they’ll take over the House Chamber and try to pass their own budget:
* If you use the Google on all the names mentioned in the stories you’ll see that every one of the ministers endorsed Gov. Blagojevich’s health insurance proposal. Interesting, that. I can’t help but wonder whether the governor was behind this stunt. I also wonder how the House will react when the ministers show up next week. Should be fun.
In addition, Rev. Watkins co-founded the Ministerial Alliance Against the Digital Divide. The group’s name was apparently shortened in the story. MAADD, which never answered an e-mail or a phone message I left with it several weeks ago, has been shilling for AT&T’s effort to open up cable competition.
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Morning Shorts
Tuesday, Jul 17, 2007 - Posted by Paul Richardson
* Sun-Times Editorial: Let ‘green’ idea ripen
* Eric Zorn: Blago’s makeup bill just dandy
* Crystal Lake woman at center of governor’s makeup controversy
* Some state facilities in disrepair, documents show
While Illinois lawmakers and Gov. Rod Blagojevich haggle over a spending plan for the coming year, documents show some state facilities are literally falling apart.
From leaky roofs to broken air conditioning systems, state documents show that bureaucrats are spending millions of dollars to try and stay one step ahead of the deterioration.
* IlliniPundit: Illinois flash index increases
* Could Obama end centuries of corruption?
Dufendach says publicly funded election campaigns would end most of politicians’ questionable ethics. She strongly supports the nonpartisan Fair Elections Now Act co-sponsored by Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) to reform campaign financing.
Yes, it is a good start (especially when one observes how often Obama is forced to step off the campaign trail to attend fund-raisers). Obama’s ethics proposals are praiseworthy. But I guess I’ve lived in scandal-ridden Illinois for too long — I think there are some in Congress who don’t really have an appetite for righteousness. I guess I am what Obama calls a cynic, but I laud his efforts. If at first you don’t succeed…
* Ald. Flores ahead in campaign for cash
* Cheryl Reed: Progressive voice of reason and passion reflect city strength
* Daley endorses public assistance to newly merged exchange; more here
* City remains mum on police complaints; more here
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Caption contest!
Monday, Jul 16, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller
Oh, this is just too funny.
The back-story is here. Apparently, Seth Arkin of Turn DuPage Blue ran into the guv at a Cubs game.
No, I’m not giving him the “Loser” sign. I’m saying #1, as the Cubs had just won a great game.
Have fun, but let’s go easy on Seth, please. Thanks.
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Question of the day
Monday, Jul 16, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller
You’ve probably already heard about Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias’ idea to provide $1000 rebates to purchasers of hybrid vehicles…
Illinois officials hope a $2 million program announced Sunday will encourage use of fuel-efficient vehicles by giving hybrid car owners a $1,000 rebate.
Here’s how it will work…
To fund the program, officials said, state funds will be deposited at local banks and credit unions at a below-market interest rate. The money that those institutions save in interest is passed to consumers in the form of $1,000 rebates at the time of purchase, they said.
To get a rebate, buyers must secure a car loan from a participating bank or credit union for a new hybrid vehicle or an eligible electric or fuel cell vehicle. Purchasers can receive one rebate per vehicle, allowing municipalities or other entities to receive additional cash back when acquiring fuel-efficient fleets.
More…
Hybrids can get up as much as 60 miles to the gallon, while producing dramatically less pollutants and greenhouse gasses. The cars can cost $1,200 to $10,000 more than their traditional-fuel counterparts.
Giannoulias, a first-term treasurer, will travel the state in his own Ford Escape hybrid to promote the initiative.
Question: What do you think of this plan? I’m not just asking about the encouragement for hybrid cars, but also would like you to consider the funding mechanism for the rebates. Explain.
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Let’s look at the bright side
Monday, Jul 16, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller
* When the governor claimed that House Speaker Michael Madigan wasn’t upholding Democratic Party values, he set himself up for this hit piece…
Going before bright lights and television cameras to deliver his annual budget speech, Gov. Rod Blagojevich paid a professional makeup artist $600 to help him look good.
Records show the state paid Deborah Dee, a professional stylist from the Chicago-area town of Crystal Lake. Blagojevich spokeswoman Abby Ottenhoff said the $600 amount included payment for Dee’s travel and consultation on the lighting.
When asked Friday why state government paid for makeup, the administration said the billing was a mistake and produced documents showing that Blagojevich’s personal campaign fund paid Dee.
But the state paid her with tax money, too. Ottenhoff said Friday that Dee has sent a reimbursement check, but a spokeswoman for the comptroller’s office said the state hasn’t yet received it.
Now, six hundred bucks really isn’t a lot of money for lighting consulting and makeup, particularly since it included transportation costs from the Chicago suburbs. And if the governor’s office hadn’t paid the consultant with state funds, it probably wouldn’t even be a story.
But it sure is difficult to talk about Democratic Party values when you’re spending tax money on makeup. So, I prefer to look at the bright side. Perhaps this story will help keep the governor’s mouth in check.
* The leaders seemed to back away from the brink on Friday (Capitol Fax subscribers know at least one reason for this). Reporters tended to focus on the conflict in their weekend stories, but, in a helpful sign, the governor agreed to cancel Sunday’s special session and Speaker Madigan told reporters after the leaders meeting that the insults had subsided.
The governor also appears to be backing down a bit from his previous threats to take Madigan to court over the Speaker’s refusal to call special sessions at the times specified in the governor’s proclamations. This tidbit was buried in an otherwise entirely negative analysis…
[Blagojevich] also distanced himself from another unpopular move: threatening legal action because the Illinois House held a special session at 10 a.m. instead of 2 p.m. as his executive order specified. One lawmaker called him “insane” for making an issue over the time.
“That’s a lawyers’ thing. They’ll figure that out,” he said in the interview. Asked if his lawyers take their instructions from him, Blagojevich said, “Not really.”
* Senate President Jones even inserted a tiny ray of daylight between himself and the governor last week…
(A)fter Blagojevich announced his plan for a gross receipts tax on Illinois businesses, Jones said he would not call any 750-style bill for a vote on the Senate floor. They stood together, and 750 stalled in the House.
On Friday, Jones made clear that the governor’s health-care plan is not his priority.
“It is not falling by the wayside, but we’re not looking at any of the general revenue dollars in the budget for health care,” he said.
Jones spokeswoman Cindy Davidsmeyer added that he is now flexible regarding 750. “He said about a week ago that everything is on the table,” she said.
She said Jones and Blagojevich were bound by policy, not politics.
“If he departed on the issues,” she said of Blagojevich, “we would depart from him.”
* The change in attitude is coming none too early because Speaker Madigan was beginning to fire back at the governor last week…
“We’ve had failed leadership by the governor before the legislature,” Madigan [told WGN radio’s Spike O’Dell]. “What we try to do is bring people together, not divide. And Blagojevich’s style is deliberately designed to divide, to tear people apart. I disagree with that. That’s the disagreement. Do you want to bring people together or tear them apart?” […]
Asked on Fox if he was concerned whether the stalemate among Democrats who control state government could rejuvenate Republicans, Madigan said, “Yes I am.
“That’s why I said several times this morning, ‘Let’s end the rancor. Let’s come together.
Let’s recognize problems. Let’s work with people. Let’s not be tearing people apart,’” Madigan said. “If we continue on this path, a sufficient number of Illinois voters would simply say, ‘Enough with those Democrats. Let’s throw them out of the Capitol building.’”
* And my syndicated column this week tried to put the governor’s behavior into some perspective…
Despite what you may have read in some newspaper editorials or Statehouse news coverage lately, it is my considered opinion that Gov. Rod Blagojevich is not insane.
I can’t believe I had to actually write that sentence, but there seems to be a trend to claim that the governor is losing his marbles. The Peoria Journal-Star editorialized last week that Blagojevich was “going bonkers” and more than just implied that he is insane. A House Democrat went one step further and told reporters that Blagojevich was a “madman” and “insane.” House Speaker Michael Madigan’s spokesman cracked wise last week that the governor has Attention Deficit Disorder.
Yes, Blagojevich is a bit “different,” but we’ve all known that for a long time, haven’t we? He is who he is — a somewhat goofy enigmatic who tries so hard to see the bright side of whatever situation he finds himself in that some believe he may be slightly pathological. But that dogged optimism has helped him weather more storms than anyone can count, and he’s obviously relying on it to get him through the supreme mess that the legislative overtime situation has become.
The truth is that while he does love a fight, the governor’s recent over-the-top remarks about Democratic state party chairman and House Speaker Michael Madigan (”right-wing George W. Bush Republican”), his taunting, confrontational style with legislators (calling them in seven days a week for special sessions and then not showing up himself for all of them) and his refusal to offer up real compromises yet are all just part of his usual schtick. He’s been doing this for years.
* More special session reports, compiled by Paul…
* Short Saturday for IL lawmakers at over $12,000 cost
* It pays to be a lawmaker: Part time job that surpasses other states
* Bethany Carson: Governor says no gaming without health care
* Ralph Martire: It’s simple — state needs more revenue to pay its bills
* School officials: Lawmakers break promise
* Rep. Kosel: Voters should urge governor to pass budget, ’stop playing games’
Thoughts?
…Adding… Nobody seems to have noticed that the governor hasn’t filed a new special session proclamation since the middle of last week. That may be yet another hopeful sign.
…Adding more… This just came in from a pal…
I didn’t think about it last week, but another positive sign is that Emil’s focus this week (through the Education Committee) is on education, not health care.
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Congressional stuff *** Updated x1 ***
Monday, Jul 16, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller
* We’ll apparently know next month whether to expect a super-hot primary race in Denny Hastert’s district…
Over chicken and beans at a fundraiser here Friday, Rep. Dennis Hastert and local Republican leaders danced around the question of whether the former speaker of the U.S. House will seek a 12th term.
“As far as I’m concerned right now, I’m running,” Hastert said at the more than 500-people event at the Sandwich Fairgrounds. He said he plans to make a formal announcement next month on whether he will enter the 2008 race.
Three other Republicans — State Sen. Chris Lauzen of Aurora, Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns and Aurora dairy magnate Jim Oberweis — have formed committees to look into bids for the 14th District nomination if Hastert chooses not to seek it. […]
But former State Sen. Robert Mitchler, also active in the Republican Party, said he would prefer to see Hastert serve “at least one more term” than watch a divisive fight for the party nomination.
* Meanwhile, Alderman Manny Flores has turned in some impressive fundraising numbers, considering the district…
n the last election cycle, luis gutierrez raised $161,593 while spending $315,779 (a great deal of it contributing to other candidates). luis has told me in the past that it’s very difficult to raise money coming from his district, and i suspect he’s told others that, as well.
the message didn’t make it to manny flores. flores reports that he raised $478,029 in the second quarter, more than twice as much as the next leading candidate. roberto maldonado raised $182,857 in Q2. ricky munoz loaned his campaign $148,000 and took out another $49,000 in loans, which brought his fund-raising numbers up to $309,506.
flores ends the reporting period with the COH advantage ($436,117, $308,456 for munoz and $166,761 for maldonado). what is surprising is that flores’ numbers puts him above every other democratic challenger to date.
Go check the above link to see the breakdowns.
* Congressman Gutierrez hasn’t filed a campaign finance disclosure report yet.
* Was Footlik misquoted?
* Mark Pera gets an earful on health coverage. [Fixed link.]
* This is a 2008 congressional campaign open thread.
*** UPDATE *** Lynn Sweet reports that Hastert has just $75,673 in his campaign warchest.
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Morning Shorts
Monday, Jul 16, 2007 - Posted by Paul Richardson
* Independents still face hurdles getting on ballot
* Indiana’s claim on Lincoln
* Utility rate deal appears near
* Refusal of new Medicaid patients spurs antitrust suit
The antitrust lawsuit filed by Attorney General Lisa Madigan in June accuses the Carle Clinic Assn. and Christie Clinic, both in Champaign County, Ill., of collectively boycotting new Medicaid patients by adopting identical policies in 2003. The two groups employ more than 90% of physicians in the area.
* State offers assistance to fix housing for needy
* Revival of coal industry at stake in legislation
* State’s oil production strong but losing steam
* Editorial: How could Springfield lose the Simpson’s contest?
* Across the nation new sex offender laws take ‘Romeo’ into account
* Mary Mitchell: Obama’s call for end to violence lacks audience
* Editorial: Gap between prosecutors, defenders need to be closed
* How to win Olympic bid
* Chicago tops at the pump
* Ruling on schools spur talks
In light of a recent Supreme Court ruling striking down two school integration programs, Evanston-Skokie School District 65 officials are expected Monday to consider using a pupil’s socioeconomic background, rather than race, as a factor when determining magnet school admissions.
* Hints of reform — or more of the same in Cicero?
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