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Illinois Issues goes bloggy
Wednesday, Apr 26, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller
Use this post to report new blogs you’ve found, or a new blog you’ve started. UPDATE: Bethany has an update on how the budget negotiations went. There’s likely an agreement on the governor’s college tuition tax credit, but there’s no telling whether a slew of pet projects will prevent the overall budget from being ready next week.
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This just in… Ryan lawyers can’t question jurors
Wednesday, Apr 26, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller AP: A federal judge today rejected a request by lawyers for former Gov. George Ryan to interview two women who were tossed from the jury. UPDATE: AP: federal judge barred prosecutors Wednesday from making criminal background checks of prospective jurors in the upcoming trial of Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley’s onetime patronage chief and three other former city officials.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Toddcast; Impeachment; Absentees; Deficit; Welch (use all CAPS in password)
Wednesday, Apr 26, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Question of the day
Wednesday, Apr 26, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller The House voted yesterday to reject a 10 percent pay raise for themselves and constitutional officers that was recommended by the Compensation Review Board. If the Senate also rejects it, the pay hike is killed. If the Senate does nothing, the raises will happen. Do you think there will be significant political fallout if the pay raises happen? Let’s try to avoid over-the-top attacks on politicians here. Nobody cares about wild ravings on blogs, so try to confine yourselves to the question at hand. Thanks.
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Meeks, the governor and the tollway system
Wednesday, Apr 26, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller I had a story about this in Capitol Fax this morning. Kristen McQueary was on the same panel with myself and Sen. Meeks and she filed this story. Could the Illinois tollway keep state Sen. James Meeks out of the governor’s race? Do you think this will work? UPDATE: He’s looking more like a candidate every day. From an AFSCME press release: Prospective gubernatorial candidate and state Senator James Meeks will visit an Illinois Department of Human Services field office on Chicago’s South Side tomorrow (Thursday, April 27). Meeks will meet with caseworkers and other frontline employees whose ability to provide essential services and benefits has been reduced by sharp cuts to the agency’s budget and staff. UPDATE: The above event has been postponed. Hmmm. UPDATE: I’m told it will be rescheduled for next week. More info here (pdf file)
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“Petri dish for corruption”
Wednesday, Apr 26, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller State prosecutors from around the country are told how bad things are in Illinois. A convicted former governor and scandals at Chicago City Hall earned Illinois the dubious distinction of “petri dish for corruption” at a national meeting of state prosecutors Tuesday. Meanwhile, Comptroller Hynes was in Rockford yesterday talking about ethics. State Comptroller Dan Hynes barnstormed the state Tuesday, stopping in Rockford to urge legislators to support his three-pronged bill that he says will end “pay to play†politics in Illinois.
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CMS audit finds lots of problems
Wednesday, Apr 26, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller Another negative audit of the Blagojevich administration. State auditors said Tuesday the Illinois Department of Central Management Services remains rife with waste and mismanagement a year after they first uncovered major problems at the agency. The AP story is here. A brief list of findings is here. The full audit can be found here.
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Morning open thread
Wednesday, Apr 26, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller · Daily Herald: More than a month after winning the Republican governor nomination, Judy Baar Topinka has hired a campaign manager. · House OKs bill to ban funeral protests · Respublica blog has a good post about voter fraud. · Editorial: Bobby Rush’s donation explanation has phony ring · Editorial: Gas dollars better off in taxpayers’ pockets · Local expert predicts gas prices will hit $4 a gallon this summer · Madigan On Lookout For Gas Price Gouging · Exelon loses money, trust in tritium spills · ISBE study: State needs more math, science and special ed teachers · School board gets earful on black studies · Common Eco-Myth: Wind Turbines Kill Birds · Beardstown plant to close Monday for immigration rallies · Prosecutors fight juror interviews · Trib: Betty is bored.
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Strange reactions
Tuesday, Apr 25, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller · Watch this CBS2 video of the governor’s strange reaction when asked what the state can do about high gasoline prices. · After you’re finished with that, head over to Jim Leach’s blog for this weird back and forth with Judy Baar Topinka about whether she thinks President Bush is taking the nation in the “right direction.”
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Ethics; Robocalls; Rockford
Tuesday, Apr 25, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Question of the day
Tuesday, Apr 25, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller First, the setup: One bumper sticker handed out in 2000 by a group critical of then-Gov. George Ryan may have best summed up the public’s often cynical view of Illinois politics: “Our governor is a bigger crook than your governor.” Do you think Illinois is the most corrupt state in the nation? Why or why not? And what should be done about it?
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Congressional stuff
Tuesday, Apr 25, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller Rush blasted: An Englewood community center founded by Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), a key player on telecommunications legislation, received a $1 million grant from the charitable arm of SBC/AT&T, one of the nation’s largest phone companies. · McSweeney may have goofed: Republican 8th Congressional District candidate Dave McSweeney put himself in an unusual political position this week. Newly-nominated congressional candidates tend to play it safe politically, staying above the fray in internecine conflicts. Not McSweeney. He waded into the battle over who’d become the next Lake County Republican Party chairman. McSweeney backed Tom Gooch, the Cuba Township highway commissioner, over Dan Venturi, the Lake Villa Township supervisor. McSweeney’s guy lost, and McSweeney loses a bit of face as a result. With even House Speaker Dennis Hastert admitting it’ll be an uphill climb against Democratic U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean this fall, McSweeney needs every Republican vote he can get. Risking the ire of Venturi backers definitely did not follow the political playbook. I asked McSweeney Friday to explain the unorthodox move. He said he “made some phone calls for†Gooch. Loyalty, it seems, was the reason. “It’s not a question of looking weak, Eric. Tom was one of my original supporters,†McSweeney said. “He was there Day One for me.â€
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Guv: “Stay tuned” on tollway leasing
Tuesday, Apr 25, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller Is the guv really thinking about leasing the tollways? Gov. Rod Blagojevich said Monday he’s waiting to see how Indiana’s experiment of leasing its toll road fares before deciding whether to act on a suggestion to do the same for the suburban tollway. What do you think of this idea?
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Morning open thread
Tuesday, Apr 25, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller · State awards $10 million for stem cells. More here and here. · Topinka pumps plan to cap state sales tax on gasoline. More here. · I hope he wins this case so we can finally open up this process, but I’m not sure why he’s bringing it: Parole officer sues to get report criticizing how he got his job · They’d have more money if they stopped raiding the Road Fund: The escalation in oil prices is affecting virtually all aspects of how Illinois road-building companies bid for and carry out construction jobs, and the likely upshot for motorists is a delay in some much-needed projects because money will run out, experts say. · Remember Mongo? His owners were so mad at how they were treated (the guv called their daughter a cheater) that they’ve taken their case to the appellate court and won: Mongo the steer wins on appeal · Editorial: Prison plan shouldn’t be hard cell · Brown: 11th Ward election high jinks have John Daley crying foul · Sneed: No names · Your turn
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Madigan responds to impeachment resolution
Monday, Apr 24, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller Many of you have pointed out in comments that Rep. Karen Yarbrough (D-Maywood) has sponsored an impeachment resolution of President Bush. The Sun-Times covered it this morning. I’ve been trying to get a comment from House Speaker Madigan’s office since late last week, and it finally arrived in my e-mail inbox a few minutes ago. This is from Madigan’s PR guy Steve Brown: The Speaker said the resolution cleary reflects the groundswell of growing discontent with Bush Administration policies and programs. I wouldn’t bet on this moving too far, but one never knows with Springfield. UPDATE: Senate President Emil Jones has a long-standing policy of not commenting on House proposals unless and until they reach the Senate. There have been a few exceptions, but this one is no exception. No comment.
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Lane Evans open thread
Monday, Apr 24, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller From the Passing Parade blog: 17th District Committeeman Don Johnson, who with committeewoman Mary Boland, is steering a path through the unknowns in a never-before-used nominating process, said he hopes the vote can be held shortly after the third forum. [Hat tip: Inside Dope] What else have you heard about this race?
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Dueling press releases
Monday, Apr 24, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller Topinka: State Treasurer and GOP nominee for Governor Judy Baar Topinka today called on Governor Rod Blagojevich to get to work on easing motorists’ burden from escalating gas prices. While Blagojevich has had time to shoot campaign commercials and host lavish fundraisers, he hasn’t lifted a finger to help motorists. Blagojevich: Topinka Rhetoric: She “supports stem cell researchâ€.
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Rasmussen: Topinka by 6
Monday, Apr 24, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller This makes four post-primary polls in a row with a lead for JBT. In the race for Illinois Governor, Republican State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka now leads Democratic Governor Rod R. Blagojevich 44% to 38%. In March, Topinka led 43% to 41%. Discuss.
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Open thread
Monday, Apr 24, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller On this light blogging day, use this space to talk about whatever you want, post links to stories, talk about what you’ve been doing on your own blog (or introduce us to new blogs) but try to limit all of it to Illinois government and politics, please. Thanks. UPDATE: Speaking of new blogs, Republican PR spokestype Dan Curry has joined the great Internet discussion universe with “Reverse Spin.” UPDATE 2: Dan’s latest post turns out to be off base, however. It wasn’t Becky.
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Long, link-filled question of the day
Monday, Apr 24, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller Expect light blogging today. I’m speaking at the Union League Club tomorrow morning and I have a lot to do before I leave today. I’ll post some stories later this morning. I’ve decided to cover up this lack of blogging with a somewhat long question about WalMart. As this Washington Post story shows, the company and the opposition are hiring consultants right and left (lilterally) and girding for a major battle in DC, the states and all the way down to the store level. Unions and others have geared up in a big way to oppose the giant retailer. The UFCW won’t endorse any candidate who accepts campaign contributions from the company, for instance. WalMart has responded in kind. Under fire, Wal-Mart turned to Reagan adviser Michael Deaver, Bush-Cheney political director Terry Nelson and several Democrats, among them civil rights leader Andrew Young and campaign strategist Leslie Dach. But it has also changed some of its practices. After Maryland’s legislature passed a labor-backed bill requiring companies — Wal-Mart in particular — to spend more on workers’ health insurance, the Arkansas company came out with improvements in its health care coverage. Where do you stand on all of this? Should politicians avoid contact with WalMart, or is this just an overblown issue? Is WalMart a bad company, a good company or somewhere in between? Should local governments stop WalMart from expanding in their areas? Should Illinois require WalMart to pay more for its health insurance plan so that workers can avoid going on Medicaid? Should government just get the heck out of the way and maybe even praise the company for hiring and training workers that few other companies may want? Should both candidates for governor be asked about this topic as well? Let’s try to avoid sloganeering, bumper sticker logic and the like in comments today. Tell us what you really believe in your own words, without all the goofy borrowed phrases from blogs, talk radio, etc. Also, try to note in your comments whether you shop at WalMart or not.
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Monday Ryan roundup
Monday, Apr 24, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller UPDATE: The Beachwood Reporter has a good roundup here. · My syndicated column on the verdict. · Transcripts · Sun-Times: Plenty of turmoil — but no mistrial ’silver bullet’ · Fornek interviews Dan Walker: When a governor goes to jail · AP: Experts hold out hope that Illinois can shed corrupt image · Belleville News-Democrat editorial: No, everyone isn’t corrupt · Tribune: The U.S. Department of Justice will not discuss whether it is investigating one of its officials who testified in the trial of former Gov. George Ryan. · Tribune: Jury leader faced grilling · Ousted juror arrested on ‘96 warrant · Tense trial had bits of unintentional comedy · Finke: Cleanup may not follow conviction · Copley: Former secretary didn’t want to testify against Ryan · Brown: Did defense set stage for Ryan jury turmoil?
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