* The Illinois Democratic County Chairmen’s Association has changed its name…
In a sense, the Illinois Democratic County Chairmen’s Association no longer exists. The statewide grassroots coalition today announced a name change to better reflect the composition of their membership. The organization is now the Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association.
“The reference to ‘men’ in our name is a leftover of the past that inaccurately reflects who we are,” said Doug House, president of the IDCCA. “The Democratic Party has long engaged in the battles for equality, fairness and justice for all people – regardless of their gender. In Illinois women have served as chairs of county Democratic Party organizations for decades and, as simple as it may appear to some, our outdated name is in conflict with these facts.”
The new name requires adjustments to association material such as logo branding, websites and other social media. Additionally, legal documentation with state and federal election authorities must be adjusted. More than any other consideration, the effort is a modernization reflecting the women who currently serve as chairs of county Democratic party organizations and are members of the association. In total, 21 women serve as chairs of Illinois county Democratic Party organizations.
State law is also outdated, according to Senator Melinda Bush (D-Grayslake) who serves on the IDCCA’s recently-established Sexual Harassment Task Force. Bush is introducing legislation this year to change state statutes regarding political party references of ‘men’ to gender-neutral terminology.
“The Trump presidency and the candidacy of people like Roy Moore have propelled scores of women to get active in politics at all levels,” said Bush. “If women are elected to represent the Democratic Party in their local precinct, Illinois law still references their role as a precinct committeeman. Changing these references to committee person is as logical as ensuring equal pay for equal work.”
In 2017, IDCCA formed a Sexual Harassment Policy Task Force to address how the Association should approach training and responses to incidences of harassment. The group’s name change aims to be a meaningful symbolic reinforcement of the values of County Democratic Parties throughout Illinois.
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker: Our economy’s on fire.
Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens: We’re growing good jobs.
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb: And we’re growing union jobs faster than Illinois.
* Politifact looked into Gov. Holcomb’s claim last November…
The Rauner campaign said Holcomb’s claim is based on a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report from January 2017 on union employment and membership.
The report shows that from 2015 to 2016 — the first two years Rauner was in office — workers represented by unions in Indiana grew from 319,000 to 335,000, an increase of 5 percent. During that same time, workers represented by unions in Illinois fell by 4 percent, from 892,000 to 856,000. […]
Illinois added 15,000 union members in 2017 while its five bordering states lost 104,000 union members.
New Bureau of Labor Statistics data released last Friday show that Illinois’ unionization rate increased by 0.5 percentage point in 2017. The number of union members in Illinois also increased over the year, from 812,000 to 827,000. At 15.0%, Illinois’ union membership rate now towers over each bordering state. The unionization rate in neighboring states ranges from 7.0% in Iowa to 9.6% in Kentucky.
The data also reveal that Illinois added more union members in 2017 than every bordering state. While the number of union members increased by 15,000 in Illinois, Indiana lost 38,000 members in 2017. Iowa lost 25,000 union members, Kentucky lost 16,000 union members, and Missouri lost 36,000 union members. Wisconsin was Illinois’ only neighbor to see an increase in union members with a gain of just 11,000 members.
Overall, the five states that border Illinois saw a net loss of 104,000 union members in 2017. While Illinois’ unionization rate increased by 0.5 percentage point, the neighboring states’ aggregate unionization rate fell by 1.0 percentage point. The decrease in unionization was largest in Iowa, which experienced a 1.8 percentage-point drop.
Illinois’ unionization rate went up for two reasons: 1) 15,000 new union members were added; 2) The total number of employed dropped from 5.587 million in 2016 to 5.516 million in 2017. So, not totally wonderful news.
Among full-time wage and salary workers, union members had median usual weekly
earnings of $1,041 in 2017, while those who were not union members had median
weekly earnings of $829. In addition to coverage by a collective bargaining agreement,
this earnings difference reflects a variety of influences, including variations in
the distributions of union members and nonunion employees by occupation, industry,
age, firm size, or geographic region.
* Related…
* How the Right’s War on Unions Is Killing the Democratic Party: In a new study that will soon be released as a National Bureau of Economic Research working paper, James Feigenbaum of Boston University, Alexander Hertel-Fernandez of Columbia, and Vanessa Williamson of the Brookings Institution examined the long-term political consequences of anti-union legislation by comparing counties straddling a state line where one state is right-to-work and another is not. Their findings should strike terror into the hearts of Democratic Party strategists: Right-to-work laws decreased Democratic presidential vote share by 3.5 percent.
The women of Chicago came out in force once again, with an estimated crowd of 300,000 rallying for equal rights – and against the Trump administration – at the second Women’s March Chicago on Saturday.
“The energy we saw throughout the year and continuing through today demonstrates once and for all that we are experiencing a resurgence in the women’s movement,” said organizer Jessica Scheller. “Only time will tell how much we can accomplish through it.”
Last year’s event unexpectedly shut down parts of the Loop with what organizers said was a quarter-million participants flooding Grant Park the day after President Donald Trump’s inauguration. While some wondered if momentum might wane over time, many marchers said cultural movements like the #MeToo and Time’s Up campaigns against sexual misconduct – as well as Trump’s policies – only increased their fervor this year.
For Jennifer Michaels, not hitting the streets of Carbondale for the 2018 Women’s March was never an option — she was going to be there no matter the elements or her personal welfare.
She definitely wasn’t alone Saturday. She was joined by hundreds of women, men, children and a few furry animals. Among several chants throughout the mile-long walk were “power to the People, power to the polls,” and “this is what democracy looks like.” […]
This year’s march’s was dubbed “March to the Polls,” encouraging all women and their allies to get involved in the 2018 primary and general elections. The march was also a celebration of the 2017 Women’s March, which also drew hundreds of people in downtown Carbondale and hundreds of thousands across the country.
Adriana McBride of Davenport liked the atmosphere of people with different voices coming together in one setting for a purpose.
She was not alone Saturday as more than 300 people, mostly women, gathered at Schwiebert Riverfront Park in Rock Island for the 2018 Quad-Cities Women’s March.
The Women’s March, which began when President Donald Trump was inaugurated last year, returned to the streets of America and the world on Saturday, and it was estimated about 5 million participants took part in various locations, including the Kankakee County Courthouse in downtown Kankakee.
There, about 200 marchers gathered and circled the property. One of the common chants heard during the rally was, “Build bridges, not walls,'’ an apparent protest of Trump’s plans to build a wall on the U.S. southern border.
Chanting and marching to the beat of drums, an estimated 1,500 people took to the streets of Rockford on Saturday to protest and take a stand for women’s rights.
This was the second march in Rockford, which began last year in response to Donald Trump’s inauguration as the country’s 45th president. This year’s march, organizers said, was meant to be more inclusive of men, harnessing the power of solidarity in protecting and advancing women’s rights. It appeared that more men and families turned out.
“I want my daughter to see, and model for her, what men in her life should do and be,” said Scott Zibell, 34, of Roscoe, who attended the march carrying a sign that read: “I look up to my wife.”
* Let’s go to the substance of Chris Kennedy’s property tax press conference today. I originally had this Crain’s story in another post, but I moved it here…
In the case of Hyatt Center, for tax purposes the building is valued at $160 million by Berrios, but it has a mortgage of $385 million––a solid indication in Kennedy’s view that the building is underassessed, shifting costs to homeowners “in the bungalow belt, and, as a result people are losing their homes.”
Kennedy said his solution bases assessments strictly on property sales, rather than on the “income” basis Berrios uses.
Berrios had no immediate response, but in the past he has suggested that the law requires him to base assessments on how much money a building makes rather than how much it last sold for, which can vary wildly at any point in time depending on market conditions.
Kennedy did not specify whether he would propose legislation to change the system, but said Democrats who long have controlled the General Assembly “did nothing to fix this system.”
Kennedy’s idea may not be as desirable as it sounds. Real estate values tend to be extremely volatile in the commercial market, and taxing bodies such as schools and City Hall need stable sources of finances.
* Kennedy was asked today if he knew why properties are assessed primarily on the income they generate rather than on sales prices and mortgage costs…
I would say that it’s not surprising that occurs around the city. Joe Berrios ignores that data. He says the property’s sales value shouldn’t inform the valuation. He says that the mortgages shouldn’t inform valuation. The fact is every mortgage on anything big is recorded at the Cook County Recorder of Deeds’ office. The information is already in the hands of the county. Why we’re not using it to properly assess our buildings is a question best asked of Joe Berrios.
* From the Cook County Assessor’s office…
Mr. Kennedy demonstrates a woeful lack of knowledge about the assessment process in general, and Illinois law in particular, for commercial buildings – including buildings his family either controlled for decades or still controls.
Because commercial buildings exist solely to generate income, current income is the primary factor in the value of such buildings – as Illinois courts have stated for some 70 years. Sale prices are not primarily driven by a building’s current value. Transaction prices in these buildings are highly speculative and based on future income expected by buyers investing in buildings. They often include significant non-real estate components.
A mortgage for such a building can be based on that speculation and a discounted cash flow analysis but the Assessor, by law, cannot speculate on future income or non-real estate factors.
Mr. Kennedy was quite happy with the current-income-approach-to-value before, during and after his sale of the Merchandise Mart. The prohibition on speculative price valuation in property assessment has been bedrock of Illinois law for 160 years. He should actually become informed on the laws of this state.
To base individual assessment on a sale price is known as “sales chasing.” Sales chasing is prohibited by decisions of both the United States Supreme Court and Illinois Supreme Court as violations of equal protection under the law and the Article IX Illinois Command of uniformity in assessments.
*** UPDATE *** Oh, man, this is so bad for Kennedy. From the assessor’s office…
The Cook County Assessor’s Office assumed Mr. Kennedy would not have the temerity to state a false number, but he did. His claim is wildly inaccurate. The Hyatt Center at 71 S. Wacker is actually valued at approximately $382 million, not the $160M Kennedy falsely stated.
It is not uncommon for large commercial buildings to have multiple Property Identification Numbers (PINs). Evidently, Kennedy checked only two PINs. There are, in fact, seven PINs totaling $382M for the property at 71 S. Wacker (Hyatt Center). Clearly, he does not know how to even calculate a current, accurate assessed value.
By the way, the $382M is the Cook County Board of Review’s figure, reduced from the original, higher Assessor’s Office figure of $396M.
In addition to his failure to properly calculate value, Kennedy demonstrates a woeful lack of knowledge about the assessment process in general, and Illinois law in particular, for commercial buildings. That includes buildings his family either controlled for decades or still controls.
Because commercial buildings exist solely to generate income, current income is the primary factor in the value of such buildings – as Illinois courts have stated for some 70 years. Sale prices are not primarily driven by a building’s current value. Transaction prices in these buildings are highly speculative and based on future income expected by buyers investing in buildings. They often include significant non-real estate components.
A mortgage for such a building can be based on that speculation and a discounted cash flow analysis but the Assessor, by law, cannot speculate on future income or non-real estate factors.
Kennedy was quite happy with the current-income-approach-to-value before, during and after his sale of the Merchandise Mart. The prohibition on speculative price valuation in property assessment has been bedrock of Illinois law for 160 years. He should actually become informed on the laws of this state.
To base individual assessment on a sale price is known as “sales chasing.” Sales chasing is prohibited by decisions of both the United States Supreme Court and Illinois Supreme Court as violations of equal protection under the law and the Article IX Illinois Command of uniformity in assessments.
* From what I’ve been able to determine, this was a legit poll and the question was asked just in case Dan Proft’s Liberty Principles PAC jumps into the GOP primary race for Jonas Petty…
JONAS PETTY of Pittsfield had raised less than $600 in his primary race against state Rep. C.D. DAVIDSMEYER, R-Jacksonville, as of Dec. 31, but survey calls going into the district have been accusing Petty of getting outside money from a questionable source.
Petty says he is being bullied with “blatantly false accusations.”
And Davidsmeyer, who had more than $146,000 in his campaign fund as of Dec. 31, is offended by the tactic as well.
“I have nothing to do with this,” Davidsmeyer told me. “It legitimately hurts us both.” Some people, Davidsmeyer added, “are going to think that I’m behind it, and that’s not my character.”
Petty led me to some people who received “survey” calls late last week. NIKI ARCHER of Pittsfield, an accountant who supports Petty, said the caller from “Victory Processing” asked some basic questions about her intent to vote, but moved to a line of questioning that seemed to be positive toward Davidsmeyer and attacked Petty as “receiving funding from Chicago.” That funder, she was told, had also supported a “child molester.”
This sounds as if somebody might think that Petty is being supported by Liberty Principles Political Action Committee, a group that has gotten millions of dollars from Lake Forest businessman RICHARD UIHLEIN. But there’s no indication that Petty is getting such support.
You’ll recall that the HGOP is using the very same hit against House Republican Leader Jim Durkin’s primary opponent, Mickey Straub. Mike Z is running that campaign and he uses Victory’s polling, a company run by his old friend and fellow Rauner campaign vet Mike Schrimpf.
* Meanwhile, the pressures of a primary campaign, even one that hasn’t yet amounted to much, may be getting to Rep. Davidsmeyer…
Mark later tweeted that Rep. Davidsmeyer wants to confine his cuts to kicking undocumented kids off the program in order to save the state $38 million. But, of course, somebody would end up paying when those kids go to the emergency room.
* Related…
* The trouble with Medicaid work requirements: Kicking people off is one way to save money on Medicaid. But under a 1986 law signed by President Ronald Reagan, hospitals are obligated to provide patients with emergency care regardless of their ability to pay. If Medicaid doesn’t cover these bills, hospitals and taxpayers will.
* Doug Finke talked to Rep. Robert Martwick (D-Chicago) about possible pension bills this year. Martwick chairs the House Personnel and Pensions Committee…
Martwick wants to pursue a bill designed to encourage people to give up the 3 percent raises and opt for the smaller annual raises that are awarded to people in the Tier 2 plan. That plan awards annual raises of 3 percent or half the rate of inflation, whichever is less.
Martwick’s idea is to have pension systems compute how much those annual raises would amount to cover the estimated life span of a retiree. A rough estimate would then be made for the same person if they were in the Tier 2 plan and getting smaller annual increases. The person would then be offered a portion of the difference as an up-front cash payment if the person agreed to give up the Tier 1 annual increase and accept the Tier 2 version. […]
Another idea that will at least get some discussion is a massive bond issue that would be applied to the state’s pension debt. The idea is the money could be borrowed at a lower interest rate than the state is essentially paying on its $129 billion pension debt. […]
The idea is being pushed by the State Universities Annuitants Association. A fact sheet from the association says that $107 billion in bonds would be sold and repaid over 27 years. It contends the state would save $103 billion by 2045 over the payment plan currently in effect.
Martwick acknowledged “this would be the largest bond sale in the history of the world” and said additional hearings would have to be scheduled with bond experts to see if such a sale is feasible. But he also said the idea is worth exploring.
I don’t know that the state has to physically sell bonds. A buddy of mine contends that it might be able to just hand the pension systems a promissory note.
* I’ve tried to find the audio of Speaker Madigan’s Q&A with reporters in Ottawa over the weekend, but I haven’t been successful…
When Madigan arrived at the Knights of Columbus, he had his picture taken with well-wishers. Then, he spoke to three local reporters for a few minutes.
Madigan, who has not formally endorsed any candidate for governor, declined to answer Democratic candidate Chris Kennedy’s attacks on him. “He speaks for himself,” Madigan said. […]
Madigan said all the Democratic candidates, including Kennedy, supported a progressive income tax, which the speaker said was a big improvement over Rauner’s agenda. […]
As for his long tenure, Madigan said he enjoys his job, adding that if someone can work with people, they can get things done.
Prior to his speech, Madigan briefly took questions from reporters.
Madigan rebuffed the idea he controls the state.
“The people are in control of the state,” Madigan said. “Every two years, there’s an election of the legislature.”
Madigan credited his lengthy tenure in the state house of representatives to liking his job.
“I enjoy what I do,” Madigan said. […]
He said he was in favor of an equitable model that provided more money for schools with a larger population of low-income, English-learning or otherwise at-risk students.
Madigan called state money directed toward private schools a “price” for reform.
* Chris Kennedy talked to reporters about property taxes today, but he was also asked to address his Friday comments about Gov. Rauner…
Rick Pearson: Why should any Democrat be lauding Bruce Rauner? I mean, you said that he speaks truth to power. What exactly are you talking about as far as ‘the power’ [unintelligible]
Chris Kennedy: I think that, that Bruce Rauner was critical of Mike Madigan and the pay to play culture that’s present in our state. And when you, you see, when you see JB Pritzker, when you listen to that tape of him talking to Blagojevich, and this notion that big money is coming in to buy an outcome, buy an outcome maybe for him to become treasurer of the state or some other appointed position. I think that’s the culture that we need to get rid of in Illinois. We cannot have a pay to play system if we’re gonna end up with a great economy and an expanding, uh, economy that works for everyone because we’re underfunding the very institutions that lead to those good outcomes.
Greg Hinz: Do you have any regrets over saying what you said the other day?…
Kennedy: I mean, I’m running against Bruce Rauner. I campaigned against him all over the state while he was running. I’ve been an absolute critic of his behavior. I think he’s reprehensible for, for throwing a million people out of government programs. His silence against Donald Trump is beyond belief. His willingness to put Dreamers at risk is inhuman. And, and yet, and yet, and yet he’s, he’s taking on this pay to play culture that needs to be criticized.
*** UPDATE 1 *** I asked the Pritzker and Biss campaigns to respond to the fact that Kennedy didn’t say he had any regrets when pressed. Here’s the Pritzker campaign’s Galia Slayen…
Bruce Rauner has done unconscionable damage to this state, stripping over 1 million Illinoisans of critical services and creating crisis after crisis. The fact that Chris Kennedy can’t stop praising Rauner tells Illinoisans all they need to know about Chris and his failed campaign.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Biss spokesman Tom Elliott…
“Chris Kennedy wants to be governor so bad he’s unapologetically copying Bruce Rauner’s playbook. Kennedy blames Democrats for maintaining the broken system he and J.B. Pritzker use to enrich themselves, and he ‘applauds’ the worst Republican governor in the country who’s made life harder for middle-class families in Illinois.
“When Kennedy applauds Rauner for speaking truth to power, does he agree the budget impasse between Rauner and Madigan was worth the lasting damage it caused to our state and working families?
“When Kennedy applauds Rauner for calling out a pay-to-play culture, is he forgetting about the politically-connected lawyers he hired to get massive tax breaks on his properties?
“And now, with the Rauner-Kennedy plan to ban lawmakers from being property tax appeals lawyers, they both fail to understand that the problem is larger than any one elected official.
“Instead of casting blame, we need a leader who will offer real solutions and work toward meaningful reforms to finally make our state work for the rest of us. Not someone who uses a crisis to score political points.
“That’s the choice we have in this election. We could have Bruce Rauner — or a copy of Bruce Rauner — for four more years. Or we can elect Daniel Biss, who knows how middle-class families like his own are struggling to make ends meet, while Rauner, Kennedy and Pritzker all take advantage of a broken system to enrich themselves and avoid paying their fair share.”
[ *** End Of Updates *** ]
* From the Pritzker campaign…
Today, Chris Kennedy held a press conference where he provided more property tax rhetoric that is at odds with his record, refused to say if he regretted “applauding” Bruce Rauner on Friday, and said “I don’t know the answer” to basic questions about his own plan.
Most notably, the basis of Kennedy’s “plan” is the idea that the building he was standing in front of was assessed for a fraction of what a bank valued the same building. However, Chris Kennedy’s Merchandise Mart benefitted from this same practice during his tenure.
THE FACTS – In 2007, while Chris Kennedy was President of the Merchandise Mart:
* The Merchandise Mart was appraised at $917 million in documents used to obtain a loan.
* That same year, the Assessor and Board of Review assessed the Merchandise Mart at $436,068,830, less than half of its appraised value.
* The Cook County Assessor at the time, James Houlihan, is now a major donor and fundraiser for Chris Kennedy’s campaign.
“Chris Kennedy held a press conference to attack himself, railing against the same practice he exploited to get millions in property tax breaks at the Merchandise Mart,” said Pritzker communications director Galia Slayen. “For Chris Kennedy, it is do as I say not as I’ve done for millions of dollars in property tax breaks.”
* From Daniel Biss’ spokesman…
When you post about Kennedy’s presser, maybe include this video and transcript?
“We can let these two guys complain about whose tax scam was the worst until Bruce Rauner gets reelected. Or we can elect someone who’s not participated in a tax scam, we can elect someone who lives a normal, middle-class life, oh and by the way, elect someone whose property tax burden is a legitimately significant part of his income, because I pay more than ten percent of my income in property taxes. I’m sure neither one of you does. I don’t think it’s important to get into JB Pritzker’s head and figure out exactly what he was thinking at the moment that the toilet got removed, what I know is what happened in your two mansions is not what fifty thousand residents do a year, and what I know Chris, is that you hired the most politically-connected people on a repeated basis to get massive property tax breaks. And now you guys are both running for governor and you say that you want to fix the system. Who is actually going to fix it? Come on.”
Better Government Association President and Chief Executive Officer Andy Shaw will be stepping down from his day-to-day responsibilities at the nonpartisan, nonprofit civic watchdog organization later this year.
Shaw, 69, has led the BGA since 2009 after spending 37 years as a print and television journalist in Chicago.
Under his leadership, the BGA has grown from a staff of three people and a budget of $300,000 to a full-service statewide organization with 30 full, part-time, freelance and contract employees and an annual budget of more than $3.5 million.
“Andy has done a phenomenal job elevating the scope and impact of this vitally important watchdog organization,” said BGA Board Chairman Mark Rust. “He has made a lasting contribution to the fight for government that is more honest, efficient, transparent and accountable.”
Once his successor is chosen, Shaw will remain active in supporting the BGA’s fund-raising, journalistic and civic engagement efforts.
In addition to his BGA leadership duties, Shaw is a columnist and regular contributor to radio and TV stations in Chicago and Springfield. He is also a frequent guest speaker at business and civic events.
“There’s still a lot of work ahead of us if we’re ever going to have the good government we’re entitled to in exchange for our hard-earned tax dollars,” Shaw said. “I plan to support our board and new leadership team in whatever ways I can to keep the BGA in the forefront of this critically important mission.”
The BGA has won dozens of national, state and local awards for journalistic excellence and civic contributions, including last year’s national Society of Professional Journalists’ First Amendment Award for unearthing the Chicago mayor’s private emails, which prompted major changes in the city’s private email policies.
The BGA will celebrate its 95th anniversary this year. The organization was founded in 1923 by a group of Chicago business, civic and religious leaders who were sick of corruption at City Hall and mobster Al Capone’s influence on local politics and government.
The search for Shaw’s replacement is being directed by BGA board member Clark Bell, former Journalism Program Director of the Robert R. McCormick Foundation. Internal and external candidates will be considered. Those interested in applying should email a cover letter and resume to Ernest Crowder, the BGA’s VP of Operations (ecrowder@bettergov.org).
He’s been one heck of a fundraiser and has lately restored the group’s investigative chops.
…Adding… Andy also sent out a personal message about his decision. Click here to read it.
Assistant Illinois Senate Majority Leader Donne Trotter (D-Chicago) has retired after almost 30 years in the General Assembly.
Sen. Trotter has been talking about retiring for years, but he has repeatedly been persuaded to stick around awhile longer. This time, the entreaties fell on deaf ears. He’s done and he told me he wants to enjoy his retirement while he’s still able.
It’s safe to say that Leader Trotter has created dozens of invaluable state programs on health care and social services over the decades.
He was the Senate Democrats’ top point person on appropriations for years, and that “budgeteer” status gave him the access and the power to help shape the government in incremental measures with every new state budget. His contributions cannot be minimized. From KidCare, to things like clean needle exchanges, mental health programs, HIV programs – pretty much anything whatsoever to do with improving the health of people in Illinois – Trotter (who has a master’s degree in Health Policy of Jurisprudence from Loyola Law School and was an administrator at Cook County Hospital) has been part of it.
Trotter is also well known for his mentorship of young African Americans. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched him stop a conversation among older people to make sure a young black person’s voice was heard.
Rep. Elgie Sims (D-Chicago) is probably one of his most successful mentorships. Sims served on the Senate appropriations staff under Trotter, then became the caucus’ budget director and, after law school, became a state representative who is now chairman of the House Judiciary Criminal Law Committee.
Sen. Trotter got his political start with Congressman Ralph Metcalfe’s 1974 campaign. Later, Trotter helped register tens of thousands of voters for Harold Washington’s 1983 mayoral campaign. The late Chicago political expert Paul Green used to tell the story about how Mayor Washington was duly impressed when only two voters in Trotter’s assigned precinct cast their ballots for one of the other mayoral candidates.
Trotter thought his big move to the Illinois General Assembly would happen in 1986, when then-Rep. Carol Moseley-Braun decided to run for lieutenant governor. He backed out of the race when the future U.S. senator decided not to run statewide. Instead, Trotter wound up being elected to the House in 1988, after Moseley-Braun was elected Cook County recorder of deeds.
The new legislative district map in 1991 forced him to run for the Senate the following year, where he has served ever since. Trotter turned out to be far more suited to the Senate (he often chafed under House Speaker Michael Madigan’s rule) and quickly became an indispensable member of Senate Democratic Leader Emil Jones’ team. When Jones was elected Senate president, Trotter’s power increased exponentially.
It’s no secret that Sen. Trotter and I are longtime friends. I first met him in 1990, not long after I started writing about Illinois politics.
I don’t have a lot of “real” friends in this business because it can cause too many problems. Politicians inevitably do stupid things, so being their friend can put you in the middle of sticky situations.
I’ve made an exception for Trotter because, frankly, he’s one of the most interesting people I’ve ever known in my life. Yeah, he’s made his share of mistakes, some bigger than others. But he’s owned up to all of them and, to my mind, that’s what really matters.
He has a biting sense of humor powerful enough to slay a man. He’s well read with a broad knowledge and appreciation of music and he loves the experience of travel. Except for the whole politician thing, he’s the type of person I like to hang with. He’s also helped me broaden my own horizons by showing me places on Chicago’s South and West sides that I wouldn’t usually just stroll into as a white guy from Kankakee.
The man is always trying to learn something new, which is something I try to do on a daily basis, so I greatly appreciate that about him.
I thought it was a little weird when Trotter took control of the legislative talks on state craft beer regulations, but he mastered the subject matter and ably led the meetings. He wanted to try tackling a topic outside of his usual wheelhouse and he succeeded.
To me, good legislators (and good people) are always trying to learn new things and move outside their comfort zones. Sen. Trotter has been a darned good legislator and I think he’s a good person. I’m going to miss him.
On Friday, Gov. Bruce Rauner issued an Executive Order banning state legislators from representing clients before the Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board. State Representative Jeanne Ives released the following statement in response:
“Governor Rauner’s order doesn’t ban legislators from doing property tax appeals work. It only prohibits them from representing clients at the state level. Speaker Madigan, Senate President Cullerton, and their cohorts make their money at the local level, in Cook County. Not the state level. This E.O. solves nothing other than Rauner’s need for a little good publicity in an election year.
“Lawmakers working to profit off of a property tax appeals system they control has hurt families and businesses for decades. Truly bold legislation would prohibit legislators from doing property tax appeals work at the state and local levels, the latter being the most important. Additionally, an Executive Order requiring legislators to disclose their property tax appeals clients and the fees they derive from those clients, just as legislators have to disclose sources of income over $5,000 and other investments, would better serve taxpayers than a watered-down Executive Order.
“Property taxes were one of the state’s most urgent problems when Governor Rauner took office in 2014. They were at confiscatory levels in Cook County’s Near Western and Southern Suburbs, Lake and McHenry County then. Now, they are even worse.
“From 2007 to 2017, families in Country Club Hills saw their effective property tax rates double from 2.30% to 4.44%. In Dolton, property owners saw their rates increase from 2.09% to 8.62%. Harvey sustained increases that took rates from 1.70% to 9.72%. In Riverdale, homeowners were punished with increases that took their property tax rate from 2.16% to 12.10%. Governor Rauner’s E.O does nothing to address the rising cost of owning property in Illinois.
“When he took office, Governor Rauner proposed a property tax freeze, which would only serve to maintain the status quo by locking in Illlinois’ ‘highest in the nation’ property tax rates. But even for that he wasn’t willing to fight.
“Illinois has had phony limitations for thirty years, which is why we have the highest property taxes in the nation. The state needs what I am proposing: a hard 1% cap on property taxes, like Indiana has.
“A property tax cap will force us to reconsider the way we fund schools and make the state pay the majority of the freight. Our goal is to return home equity and home value to Illinois homeowners, so they can get a real return on their investment.
“While Governor Rauner issues pandering, ineffective Executive Orders, Illinois families are struggling under the very real effects of his inaction.”
* It’s possible that the federal shutdown could end soon, but this is still useful information…
Hi Rich,
With the U.S. government closed for business for the 19th time since 1976 and a lot of blame going back and forth, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on the States Most & Least Affected by the 2018 Government Shutdown to add some hard data to all the rhetoric.
WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia in terms of six key metrics, ranging from each state’s share of federal jobs and contracts to the percentage of kids covered by CHIP. You can check out some of the main findings below.
Impact of the Government Shutdown on Illinois (1=Most Affected, 25=Avg.):
40th - Share of Federal Jobs
35th - Federal Contract Dollars Per Capita
39th - Small Business Lending Per Capita
27th - Real Estate as a Percentage of GSP
49th - Access to National Parks
23rd - % of Children under CHIP
The full report is here. Illinois ranked 44th overall. Indiana was 49th, Michigan was 50th and Minnesota was 51st.
Sen. Kwame Raoul joined Chicago Teachers Union officials today, who formally announced that their 24,000-strong union is endorsing Raoul in his candidacy to serve as the next Attorney General of Illinois.
“Our members know how critical it is to support candidates who are principled, trustworthy and committed to the greater public good – not just by the words they speak but by the record of public service they bring to the table,” said CTU Vice President Jesse Sharkey.”We can count on Kwame to put the people’s business and the people’s needs front and center as Attorney General, something we simply could not expect from some of the other candidates vying for this office. We know he’ll support fair taxes, adequately and fairly funded schools, the health and safety of Illinois residents, and honest, open, accountable government. We’re proud to support him.”
For more than 75 years, the Chicago Teachers Union has been in the forefront of education advocacy and public school reform in Chicago. The CTU represents the teachers and educational support personnel working in the Chicago Public Schools and, by extension, the students and families they serve.
Sen. Raoul has been a strong champion of teachers during his 13-year legislative career, and believes that protecting and investing in public education is a critical element in mitigating the violence that plagues Chicago’s streets.
“A quality education is a civil right that must be afforded to all the children of Illinois,” Raoul said. “Unfortunately, we live in a state with a separate and unequal public education system that teeters on the brink of educational apartheid – one for the students of affluent districts and parents, and another for low-income students in districts like Chicago. I’m proud to stand with the CTU in its efforts to ensure that public education is governed and funded with equity, here in Chicago and across the state. I appreciate the CTU’s endorsement immensely, and I look forward to serving the best interests of public school students from across the state as Illinois Attorney General.”
In the legislature, Raoul has voted to increase education funding, fought for more equity in the State’s school funding formula, and is sponsoring legislation to bring an elected school board to Chicago.
“Kwame has consistently demonstrated his belief in democracy and voting rights,” said high school teacher Ben Coyle, who chairs the union’s legislative committee. “He is committed to protecting both the families who depend on public education and the union educators, clinicians, and paraprofessionals who are the backbone of our school communities, and after a vigorous review of all the candidates for AG, we are proud to endorse him.
CTU President Karen Lewis, who has been ill, also sent a statement declaring her support for Raoul.
“Kwame believes in fairness – for our children, our families, our public workers and all of Illinois’ residents,” she wrote. “He cares deeply about the rights and needs of Black students across the city, and as the child of immigrant parents, he’s also committed to the needs of immigrant students and families. As Illinois’ highest ranking legal advocate, he’ll protect the rights and dignity of our schools’ children and their parents, and he’ll advocate for fair treatment for the city’s Black educators, who have seen their numbers decimated by school closures and so-called ‘turn-arounds’. He’s the candidate we need in the age of Trump and Rauner’s attacks on moderate-income and poor families, and for all of our state’s school-children.”
The CTU is an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT), as well as the third largest teachers union local in the country and the largest local union in Illinois. Chicago Teachers Union affiliations also include the Chicago Federation of Labor (CFL), the Illinois State Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (ISFL-CIO) and the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO). The union represents nearly 25,000 teachers and educational support personnel working in Chicago public schools, and by extension advocates for nearly 400,000 public school students and their families.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Democratic attorney general candidate Jesse Ruiz…
For months now, Kwame Raoul has been trying to curry favor with the teachers’ unions by claiming that he strongly supports an elected school board in Chicago. But in a March 15 meeting behind closed doors in his Senate office, he bragged to me and to others that he was actually working to delay a pending bill that would enable election of Chicago school board members. That bill still has not moved in the Senate.
Kwame Raoul is the ultimate Springfield insider: He says one thing behind closed doors and something completely different in public. Teachers in Illinois can’t trust Kwame Raoul to fight for them and for our children’s futures.
In December, I called on the Illinois General Assembly to pass new legislation giving voters control of the Chicago Board of Education. I am sorry that the Chicago Teachers Union has been deceived by Kwame Raoul’s empty rhetoric. Illinois voters don’t need a duplicitous, ethically-challenged attorney general.
There was no way on Earth that the CTU would’ve ever endorsed Ruiz because he was vice president of the Chicago school board when it unanimously voted to close 50 schools.
Anyway, I’ve asked the Raoul campaign for comment and will post an update if they respond.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Raoul campaign…
No one can testify to the harm and havoc that Jesse Ruiz wreaked on Chicago’s school children and our neighborhoods more than CTU. Mr. Ruiz voted to close 50 schools, borrowed $1 billion just to cover budget gaps created by his board’s mismanagement and had multiple ethics scandals take place on his watch. Meanwhile, as a legislator Kwame has voted to increase education funding, fought for more equity in the State’s school funding formula, and passed legislation out of the Senate to bring an elected school board to Chicago.
Kwame is on the right side of history and he’s happy to have Chicago’s teachers on his side during this campaign.
That didn’t address the claim at all.
*** UPDATE 3 *** Jesse Ruiz…
“I have been honest and candid throughout my career - as I proved when I publicly stood up to CPS leadership as they tried to sweep an ethics scandal under the rug. People may not agree with every decision I’ve made throughout my decades in public service, but the voters of Illinois can count on my word.
In Kwame’s response to my statement, he attacked me but didn’t deny what he knows to be true: Kwame Raoul told me and others - to my face- that he didn’t support Chicago Teachers in their efforts to have an elected school board. Then he turned around and told the CTU the opposite, in a bald-faced attempt to get their support.
Unfortunately for the people of Illinois, Kwame Raoul frequently finds himself on the wrong side of the truth. The voters deserve better.”
[ *** End Of Updates *** ]
* Press release…
Today, National Nurses United (NNU) and Reclaim Chicago announced their endorsements of Daniel Biss for Illinois Governor. The first union to endorse Bernie Sanders for President and first national labor union to endorse a candidate in the Illinois governor’s race, NNU is the nation’s largest and fastest growing union of registered nurses with more than 150,000 RNs across the country, including 6,500 in Illinois.
Reclaim Chicago is known for its ability to mobilize grassroots volunteers to talk with voters about how our lives and communities could be transformed by electing people who will prioritize Medicare for All, fully funded public education and social services, world-class infrastructure and other investments in the common good. They gave 9,000 hours of volunteer field-work over five months in the 2015 Chicago municipal elections and more than 5,000 hours over 10 weeks to the campaigns of Kim Foxx, Bernie Sanders and many down ballot races in 2016.
Together, these organizations represent national and local progressive communities and will be a dominant force in this election by mobilizing grassroots support for Daniel Biss and sharing his vision of a state government that puts people first.
“Nurses are proud to endorse Daniel Biss because he shares nurses’ values of caring, compassion and community,” said Martese Chism, RN, a member of the Board of Directors of National Nurses Organizing Committee, NNU’s Illinois affiliate. “Under Governor Rauner, our communities are in jeopardy. Daniel Biss shares our vision for an Illinois where every resident receives quality healthcare through a single payer/Medicare for All healthcare system. He rejects the notion that cuts to social services are necessary or inevitable and is committed to raising the progressive revenue that we need to fully fund and expand the services that our communities need.”
National Nurses United cited Biss’ support and co-sponsorship for SB 1970, the LaSalle Street Tax, which would create a tax on the nearly $900 trillion of financial transactions that occur yearly at the Chicago Mercantile and the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE). While working families pay sales tax for their purchases, LaSalle Street traders pay no sales tax on trades.
“It’s an honor to receive the endorsement of National Nurses United,” said Daniel Biss. “I’m running for governor because our system is broken: for too long, the wealthy and well-connected have gotten further ahead while working families have fallen further behind. In this election, and in elections like this one across the country, we need to decide whether we will compromise within a system that’s failed us, or chart a new path. As the national leader in the fight for Medicare-for-all, National Nurses United understands the stakes in this election. I’m especially proud to have their support as we fight for an Illinois where healthcare is a right, not an option — and where working families are a priority, not an afterthought.”
“Daniel is not a billionaire. He worries about balancing the cost of living with saving for his children’s college education, and he understands that the necessities of life are out of reach for far too many families,” said Amanda Weaver, Reclaim Chicago’s Executive Director. “Daniel knows first hand what a difference it would make in our lives to fully fund public education, to make public universities tuition-free, and to have a Medicare for All system that would free us from the financial crisis that almost always accompanies a health crisis. Daniel is already leading the fight to close corporate tax loopholes and make the very rich pay their fair share so that Illinois can afford to make these investments.”
“I’m incredibly excited to receive the endorsement of Reclaim Chicago,” said Daniel Biss. “By mobilizing middle-class and working people to fearlessly take on incumbents, machine politicians, and the ultra-rich, Reclaim Chicago is changing what’s possible in Illinois.
“It’s humbling and inspiring to join a group of Reclaim-backed leaders including Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, State Senator Omar Aquino, State Representatives Will Guzzardi and Theresa Mah, and so many other progressive champions. Our grassroots movement is proving that that no race is a done deal—that we can reject a mode of politics that has failed our families, and build a state that works for us.”
Reclaim Chicago’s members conduct a rigorous endorsement process. Unlike traditional political parties who close up shop after each election, Reclaim Chicago builds power in between election cycles by organizing grassroots support for public policies that increase investment in our communities and reduce income, racial and gender inequality.
Comptroller Susana A. Mendoza today released the state’s January Debt Transparency Report. The report, for the first time, provides a detailed monthly snapshot of the state’s bill backlog by compelling state agencies to comprehensively disclose liabilities they are holding, including late payment interest penalties, bills at the agency level and unappropriated liabilities and obligations.
Eighty out of the 84 state agencies and universities required to report responded for the reporting period ending Dec. 31, 2017. The four agencies that failed to submit and remain in non-compliance with the state statute are the Department of Children and Family Services, the Council on Developmental Disabilities, the Human Rights Commission, and the Sex Offender Management Board.
The Debt Transparency Report confirms the Comptroller’s estimate that as of Dec. 31, 2017, the state had incurred more than $1 billion in late payment interest penalties.
The agencies with the largest late payment interest liabilities accrued thus far include the Department of Central Management Services with $434 million and the Department of Healthcare and Family Services with $236 million. Agency totals ($741 million) combined with interest payments already made in 2017 ($143 million) and pending payments at the Comptroller’s office ($116 million), show that the state incurred $1.03 billion in late payment interest penalties in 2017, primarily caused by the record two-year budget impasse that ended in July of last year.
“This report will be an effective cash-management tool for my office and provides a much greater level of transparency for taxpayers and policymakers,” Comptroller Mendoza said. “Now we can all see a clearer picture of what Illinois owes to small businesses, universities, community colleges, social service providers and others. The Debt Transparency Report takes the politics out of the numbers to provide meaningful data.”
The fiscal information submitted by state agencies to the Comptroller’s office demonstrates the need for the Debt Transparency Act, which became law in November when Republican and Democratic lawmakers came together to overwhelmingly override Governor Bruce Rauner’s veto of Comptroller Mendoza’s legislation.
Other key findings from the report, which compiles and aggregates data from state agencies as of Dec. 31, 2017:
The state’s general funds bill backlog stood at $9.246 billion on Dec. 31 with $2.476 billion of that total at state agencies.
The report also confirms that there are $2.3 billion in unappropriated liabilities held at state agencies. The agencies with the largest unappropriated liabilities include the Department of Corrections, which has $420 million in unappropriated liabilities, and the Department of Human Services, which has $118 million in unappropriated liabilities. The Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) has a $443 million shortage in General Revenue Funds transfers to be deposited in the Healthcare Provider Relief Fund for medical programs administered by HFS.
Until appropriations for these liabilities are approved by the legislature and become law, these bills cannot be submitted to the Comptroller’s office for payment. They will remain at the agencies, and many of them will continue to accrue late payment interest penalties.
“The bipartisan Debt Transparency Act is already providing the people of Illinois with valuable financial information,” Republican Rep. David McSweeney, a chief co-sponsor of the act, said. “Governor Rauner needs to immediately tell us what his detailed plan is for addressing the over $2 billion of unpaid bills that have not been appropriated.”
Today, the state’s bill backlog stands at an estimated $8.835 billion. That number is down from a record high of $16.675 billion. The bulk of that reduction came through a debt restructuring program pushed for by Comptroller Mendoza. With the proceeds of a $6 billion bond sale, she brought in $2.2 billion in federal matching funds and saved taxpayers billions of dollars by stopping the clock on more than $8 billion worth of bills that were accruing late payment interest penalties.
The January Debt Transparency Report accentuates the challenges facing policymakers as they work to pass a budget for the next fiscal year.
“It is incumbent upon the Governor to meet his responsibilities and present a balanced budget plan,” Comptroller Mendoza said. “When Governor Rauner took office, he inherited, through no fault of his own, a bill backlog of $5 billion. Through a debt refinancing plan, our office recently paid down more than $8 billion worth of bills, covering what he inherited and then some. There is no disputing that the Rauner administration owns the remaining $8.835 billion backlog, which is a product of deficit spending and failing to budget for the state’s true liabilities during his tenure. As part of his budget address, he needs to present taxpayers with a detailed proposal for paying off the operating debt and interest penalties his administration ran up.”
The Illinois Toll Highway Authority on Friday withdrew a proposal to pay almost $9 million to a consulting firm to finish work on a technology upgrade after the plan was questioned by the state comptroller.
But Tollway officials said the decision was not the result of Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza’s complaint, but rather because of discussions with the state’s independent chief procurement officer on the best way to finish the job.
The Tollway had already agreed to spend $7.9 million for a contract with Deloitte Consulting to implement the State’s Enterprise Resource Program, a technology project to help manage state finances. The Tollway had asked for the additional $9 million to finish the work, and it was on the agenda for an upcoming committee meeting. The agenda item had referred to the amendment as a “tollway emergency.”
Mendoza, who manages the state’s checkbook, on Thursday called for a review of the proposal by independent procurement officials, saying in a news release that “failing to properly estimate cost and overspending is not an emergency — it’s poor project management.”
Illinois Democrat candidate for governor and heir to the Hyatt hotel fortune J.B. Pritzker continued to face damaging headlines this weekend over his longtime ties to convicted ex-governor Rod Blagojevich. During an editorial board meeting at the Chicago Tribune, Pritzker received intense questions from moderators and attacks from fellow Democrats over his conduct on the FBI tapes.
The Chicago Tribune summed up the forum well, noting that Pritzker “found himself at the center of an attack-filled forum Friday as Democratic governor rivals accused him of being an insider who benefited from property tax breaks and questioned his relationship with former Gov. Rod Blagojevich.”
In a statement that is sure to cause heartburn for Pritzker, the Hyatt heir claimed that he did not do “anything wrong” during his conversation with Blagojevich, despite clearly engaging the kind of pay-to-play politics with Blagojevich that has bankrupted Illinois.
J.B. Pritzker: “I have not been accused of any wrongdoing. I have not done anything wrong.” Watch here.
CBS Chicago reported that Pritzker was “under fire” at the forum over the Blagojevich tapes, while ABC Chicago said that Pritzker continues to be “haunted by wiretapped conversation with Blagojevich.”
J.B. Pritzker’s decision to defend his conduct with Blagojevich, which was caught on tape just days before Blagojevich was arrested, continues to show that Pritzker lacks the judgement needed to hold elected office.
The governor and other Republicans have been making a lot about Pritzker’s “I have not been accused of any wrongdoing” response to the Blagojevich story. But here’s a Rauner spokesman back in 2013 fending off claims that there was something hinky going on with Stu Levine…
“Bruce has never been accused of wrongdoing.”
It’s a standard line.
But, whatevs. Politics gotta be politics. Have at it.
* Meanwhile, I think the best line on Friday was delivered by Sen. Daniel Biss…
The biggest tussle was over the FBI tapes — recordings that show J.B. Pritzker angling with then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich for an appointment as state treasurer. The conversation is featured in an ad put out by Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner’s re-election campaign.
“I’m just a little baffled as to why were you talking to this guy about these kinds of things,” editorial page editor John McCormick told Pritkzer.
“I was simply seeking the opportunity to do public service,” the candidate responded.
Primary opponent Daniel Biss chimed in: “If that phone call was your definition of public service, you’re doing it wrong.”
* House Speaker Michael Madigan spoke at the 2018 Labor Summit in Ottawa on Saturday…
Shortly after Gov. Bruce Rauner took office in 2015, he met with House Speaker Michael Madigan about cutting a budget deal. […]
The governor, Madigan said, wanted the Democrats to enact a right-to-work law, repeal or dramatically change prevailing wage rules, and end collective bargaining for public employees.
“He told me that this was what his turnaround agenda would be,” said the speaker, whom those in attendance greeted with a standing ovation. “He said, ‘I want you to cooperate with me, and if you cooperate, you tell me what you want.’ It was the proposal for the usual government deal.”
Madigan refused the offer.
“He told me in the meeting that if I didn’t cooperate, he would go on a major assault against me. He told me this on the front end. That didn’t change my judgment or decision,” Madigan said. “My service in Illinois government has always been on behalf of working people.” […]
“If you listen to Rauner or see his ads, every problem in the state of Illinois is caused by Mike Madigan,” said the speaker, who also heads the state Democratic Party. “That’s his strategy. That’s his publicity policy, and to a certain extent, it worked.”
An important aspect of these women’s marches – something that crosses party lines – is the push to get more women into elected office.
Illinois has a lousy record. Only nine women, according to the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University, have held Illinois statewide elected office since Illinois became a state in 1818. I’ll add to that the two females elected to the U.S. Senate.
* I’ve already told subscribers what I think of Chris Kennedy’s comments about Bruce Rauner on Friday (click here if you missed the action), so I’ll just leave it at that.
But here’s Mark Brown’s take…
It’s obviously been very helpful to Chris Kennedy’s underfunded campaign for governor that Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner is sinking millions of dollars into campaign commercials slamming Kennedy’s chief Democratic rival, billionaire J.B. Pritzker.
But does Kennedy have to sound so appreciative?
That was the question Friday after Kennedy set off a firestorm of intra-party criticism for opining that Rauner “should be applauded” for running attack ads against Pritzker before the Democratic primary.
If that was all Kennedy said, he might not have caused such a big fuss. But he also praised Rauner for “trying to do what he thinks is best for the state of Illinois” and for being “willing to speak truth to power.”
Ahem. Bruce Rauner? The guy who is almost physically incapable of saying Donald Trump’s name aloud let alone criticize him? Speaking truth to power?
Only when what Rauner is saying serves his own political interests. […]
I made the comment earlier in the week that no matter what they think of each other, the major Democratic candidates must certainly find each other preferable to re-electing Rauner.
Now, I’m not so sure.
* And Eric Zorn focuses his take on Chris Kennedy’s response to JB Pritzker, who said yet again that he wouldn’t call out individual Democrats (like Joe Berrios) “for their failures” because it wouldn’t be “productive”…
Businessman Chris Kennedy jumped in with his take: “That’s why we have a divided government,” he said. “For gosh sakes, if we’re not going to call out other parts of government — if you don’t see your role as governor to call out a mayor who’s not representing the people of a certain city, if you’re not willing to call out an assessor who’s violating the 1964 Civil Rights Act — if you don’t think that’s the proper role of government, you should go read the Constitution …
“We want elected officials to call each other out to provide better service, and to stop dooming the next generation to a life of economic servitude, which is exactly what these insiders are doing when they underfund our schools by (lowering) property taxes for big buildings downtown.”
Well, yes, I’m all for calling politicians to account — pointing out their failings and demanding they do better. And while I understand that constructive criticism and attempts at engagement and compromise aren’t politically fashionable, I don’t think Kennedy set the table for long-term success, should he be elected, with his over-the-top accusation earlier this month that Mayor Rahm Emanuel is leading a “strategic gentrification plan” to drive African-Americans and other minorities out of the city.
Like the casual flinging about of the accusation “corrupt,” such rhetoric generates more heat than light and is the enemy of progress.
Zorn also pointed out that lowering property taxes for downtown buildings shifts the burden to others and doesn’t directly “underfund” schools as Kennedy claims.
Today, Citizen Action/Illinois voted to endorse JB Pritzker for Governor. Citizen Action is led by Lynda DeLaForgue and William McNary, and is the state’s largest public interest coalition, fighting social and economic justice campaigns and holding elected officials accountable at the state and national levels. Citizen Action has led progressive, grassroots campaigns to create a fair tax system, expand affordable and high-quality healthcare, reform our insurance and campaign finance system, and create stronger environmental protections. Citizen Action joins Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, the Illinois AFL-CIO, and over 30 individual unions in support of JB Pritzker for governor.
“I’m honored to have the endorsement of Citizen Action/Illinois and the independent, progressive voices they represent,” said JB Pritzker. “For over a decade, Citizen Action has been leading grassroots, progressive campaigns to fight for critical policies that help Illinoisans build better lives. Together, I know we will be able to put Springfield back on the side of working families by expanding healthcare, raising wages, and investing in quality education for every Illinoisan, no matter their zip code. I’m proud to have Citizen Action standing with me as we bring Democrats together and build a statewide, grassroots campaign ready to take on Bruce Rauner in November.”
* Also from yesterday…
The Democratic Party of Evanston voted to endorse Daniel Biss at its endorsement meeting for the March 20 primary election. Biss overwhelmingly won the support of his hometown party, earning the support of 85 percent of the vote.
“Tonight, Evanston Democrats voted to endorse someone we’ve seen up close and personal as our Representative and Senator and who we know will make a great, progressive Governor,” said Evanston Township Democratic Committeeman Eamon Kelly. “Our grassroots members are fired up and ready to put in the work to nominate him on March 20.”
In addition to Biss, DPOE members voted to endorse Kelly Cassidy for re-election to the State House, Toni Preckwinkle for re-election as Cook County Board President, Larry Suffredin for re-election as Cook County Commissioner, and Debra Shore and Kari Steele for re-election to the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District.
In the eight-way race for Attorney General, the top vote getter was Nancy Rotering with 30 percent followed by Kwame Raoul with 23 percent. No candidate secured the 66 percent of the vote needed to earn the organization’s endorsement.
* And…
Advisory: Chris Kennedy to Release Statewide Plan to Reform the Property Tax System
Chris Kennedy will be releasing his statewide plan to reform the property tax system, protect taxpayers, and ultimately bring fairness to funding Illinois public schools.
Chris will be joined by Alderman Anthony Beale and Alderman Rick Muñoz. Ald. Muñoz recently filed a proposal that would require the city to challenge assessments on the largest commercial buildings in or near the Loop.
WHO: Democratic Candidate for Governor Chris Kennedy and his running mate, Ra Joy, along with Alderman Rick Muñoz and Alderman Anthony Beale […]
Gov. Bruce Rauner today issued an executive order declaring it impermissible for state legislators to represent clients before the Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board, which hears appeals of assessment decisions made in the state’s 102 counties.
Calling the practice a “clear conflict of interest that must end,” Rauner said the order, which is effective immediately, is a key step toward restoring public trust and motivating lawmakers to tackle meaningful property-tax reform.
“We have a deeply flawed and overly complicated property-tax system that recent investigations have shown results in inequitable, disproportionately high property-tax burdens on low-income residents — not to mention our property taxes overall are simply too high,” Rauner said. “For any legislator to profit from this system undercuts the public’s faith that they are in office to do what’s best for their constituents.
“Legislators who make money representing clients who are appealing their property-tax assessments have little incentive to do what’s right when it comes to property-tax reform,” Rauner continued. “Frankly, they have everything to gain from the status quo. The action I’m taking today marks the beginning of the end of a dubious era.”
The order:
Directs members of the Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board to prohibit state legislators from participating in appeals coming before them.
Directs the board to prohibit legislators from receiving any fee or compensation, directly or indirectly, through any interest in a partnership, limited liability corporation or other business entity representing clients before it.
Notes a State of Illinois Code of Personal Conduct requirement that government be conducted in a transparent, ethical, accountable and motivated manner.
Points out that state officials and employees “may not engage in outside employment or activities, including seeking or negotiating for employment, that conflict with their official state duties and responsibilities,” according to the conduct code.
Directs the board to amend its rules and procedures to reflect the executive order.
The Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board hears about 30,000 appeals a year, approximately three-fourths of them from Cook County.
“Conflicts of interest clearly arise where legislators and regulators receive financial benefits by charging Illinois citizens and businesses through a morass of red tape those same officials created by passing complicated rules and establishing confusing and bureaucratic processes,” the executive order states.
Crippling taxes overall and an onerous property-tax system are eroding the state’s ability to thrive and driving homeowners and small businesses toward insolvency — and increasingly, toward the border.
While property taxes are cited frequently as a top reason for leaving Illinois, the state is duty-bound to take concrete steps to correct the system, Rauner said. He noted the state’s population declined by an estimated 33,700 in 2017, the greatest numeric population loss of any state, and the fourth year in a row that Illinois’ population dropped.
“Illinoisans are tired of a rigged system that allows lawmakers to profit at their expense,” Rauner said. “I’m here to fight on their behalf.”
* The gubernatorial candidates were asked today what rates they’d like to see on a progressive income tax. JB Pritzker dodged the question. Chris Kennedy answered…
I think that people are entitled to understand what the brackets might look like. I think we need to make it clear that Governor Rauner’s leadership and lack thereof make it very difficult to predict will we have a budget this year or will we not. Will he rack up more unpaid bills and how do we fund that? I don’t think the high end of the range of a progressive income tax should go above a number that starts with a five. That’s what I’d say. I think it has to be somewhere between five and six percent at the high end of the range.
But this is all for naught. I mean, truthfully, we’ll never move to a progressive income tax unless we ban elected officials from being property tax appeals lawyers.
I don’t know how you make that work. How do you provide real tax relief for some while still being able to balance the budget at a top rate of less than 6 percent?
But, hey, maybe he’ll explain it later.
Also, I’m not quite clear on how passing a progressive income tax will first require banning legislators from being property tax lawyers (or how that’s even legal), but that’s his schtick, so whatevs.
* Background is here. Chris Kennedy claims that his remarks at the Tribune editorial board today were taken out of context…
First, set aside the claim that Bruce Rauner publicly released those Blagojevich FBI surveillance tapes. The Chicago Tribune released them. Rauner just put the tapes into TV ads.
Craig Wall: Somebody said, he put it this way, that Bruce Rauner is almost becoming like a super PAC for you as he’s trying to undermine JB Pritzker.
Chris Kennedy: I think Bruce Rauner is trying to do what he thinks is best for the state of Illinois. Now we may disagree on what that is, but his willingness to speak truth to power, to take on the powers that have been strangling our economy for decades in this state is something that I think he should be applauded for.
* As noted below, Daniel Biss and the JB Pritzker campaign have both taken Kennedy to task. Biss tweeted that Rauner “should not be ‘applauded’ for the lasting damage and harm that he’s done to the state” and the Pritzker campaign released this statement…
“The Worst Republican Governor in America unleashed devastation across this state and is standing in silence as the lives of immigrant families and healthcare for children hang in the balance, but don’t worry, because according to Chris Kennedy, Bruce Rauner is just speaking ‘truth to power,’” said Pritzker communications director Galia Slayen. “Throwing bombs and creating crisis is not speaking truth to power, but it’s clear that Chris Kennedy has failed to understand that throughout this campaign.”
…Adding… Another Kennedy campaign statement…
I’ve always been honest about Bruce Rauner’s broken leadership in our state. Under Bruce Rauner’s administration, our state amassed $15 billion in unpaid bills. Under Bruce Rauner’s administration, our state went two years without a budget — the longest budget impasse in U.S. history. Under Bruce Rauner’s administration, 1 million people were cut off of social services.
I’m running because Bruce Rauner has left our state in shambles. He’s a failed governor and our state is desperate for radical change.
Taking my remarks out of context is a weak attempt from JB Pritzker to deflect from the pressure he’s under. JB is the poster child of play to pay politics in Illinois and the FBI wiretaps that feature him begging Rod Blagojevich for political favors prove it. He’s everything the Republicans want to run against.
I believe voters have a right to know what’s on those tapes and I agree that they should’ve been released.
* The Question: Fair hits or not? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
“It’s important to recognize that if people who voted for Rod Blagojevich had known that he was engaging in the activities that he was, nobody would have voted for him, nobody would be supporting, nobody would have spoken with him, and hundreds of people did at the time,” Pritzker said.
“And I’ve not been accused of any wrongdoing. I have not done anything wrong. And I’ve been proud of the work I’ve done in public service for many, many years,” Pritzker added.
That prompted Biss to reply: “If that phone call is your definition of public service, you’re doing it wrong.”
After the forum, Kennedy backed Rauner’s ads highlighting the Pritkzer-Blagojevich recordings.
“I think Bruce Rauner is trying to do what he thinks is best for the state of Illinois,” he said. “And we may disagree on what that is, but his willingness to speak truth to power, to take on the powers that have been strangling our economy for decades in this state is something that I think he should be applauded for.”
They’ve officially merged.
* From the Rauner campaign…
During today’s Chicago Tribune editorial board meeting with Democratic candidates for governor, JB Pritzker claimed that he has “not done anything wrong” regarding his conversations with Blagojevich.
The wiretaps tell a different story, as Pritzker was caught making shady deals with Blagojevich, and even called just 6 days before Blagojevich’s ultimate arrest.
You be the judge as to whether JB Pritzker did anything wrong in his conversations with Blagojevich. The full wiretaps are available HERE.
Pritzker lobbied Blagojevich to be appointed to the Treasurer’s seat
Pritzker advised Blagojevich to engage in a ‘morally repugnant’ quid pro quo with Mike Madigan
Pritzker does not “rebuff” Blagojevich’s suggestion of an appointment to Attorney General
Despite claiming that “nobody knew the FBI was investigating the man” just last week, Pritzker acknowledges Blagojevich needing to “get the legal thing behind” him.
Governor Rauner summed it up best yesterday: “Anyone who would use an excuse and say, ‘Well, I did something immoral, unethical, disgusting and self-dealing but I didn’t go to jail, so it’s OK.’ Are you kidding me?”
* Text from a pal…
Team Rauner laser-focused on becoming Kennedy’s super PAC effectively. Anti-Rahm, Blago tape and MJM prop tax lawyer stuff
…Adding… Some Twitter react…
*** UPDATE 1 *** Kennedy campaign…
Chris has been calling out Rauner for ever. Chris thinks JB is the poster child for what is wrong in Illinois. He’s the poster child for everything Rauner wants to run again. And when he agrees with someone, he says it. He agrees that these tapes should be out. He agrees that voters should know how JB Pritzker really operates.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Pritzker campaign…
Did Chris Kennedy Just Endorse Bruce Rauner?
Following the Chicago Tribune Editorial board session Chris Kennedy said: “I think Bruce Rauner is trying to do what he thinks is best for the state of Illinois. And we may disagree on what that is, but his willingness to speak truth to power, to take on the powers that have been strangling our economy for decades in this state is something that I think he should be applauded for.”
As governor, Bruce Rauner is responsible for nearly 1 million people losing access to social services, vetoing a historic equitable school funding formula, holding funding for children and families hostage to his far-right, Koch brother funded agenda, standing by while Donald Trump attacks immigrant families in Illinois and health insurance for children and families, and just this week failing to call former KKK Grand Wizard David Duke a racist… or as Chris Kennedy sees it, speaking “truth to power.”
“The Worst Republican Governor in America unleashed devastation across this state and is standing in silence as the lives of immigrant families and healthcare for children hang in the balance, but don’t worry, because according to Chris Kennedy, Bruce Rauner is just speaking ‘truth to power,’” said Pritzker communications director Galia Slayen. “Throwing bombs and creating crisis is not speaking truth to power, but it’s clear that Chris Kennedy has failed to understand that throughout this campaign.”
* I told subscribers about this earlier today. I assume the press releases will start rolling in soon. The first is from Senate Republican Leader Bill Brady…
“While an aisle may have separated us politically, Sen. Donne Trotter and I shared a passion to serve the people of Illinois, and to make our state a better place. Throughout his tenure, Donne was always a voice of reason, which was befitting the stature of the august chamber that is the Illinois Senate. Now, as he closes this chapter on his Senate career, he will no doubt begin writing another that will undoubtedly make a difference in the lives of those he comes into contact with on a daily basis.”
I’ll update as necessary.
…Adding… Senate President John Cullerton…
Donne Trotter is a unique individual and he will be missed in the Illinois Senate.
I will miss his leadership, his counsel, his wisdom, his calm, his experience and to top it all, his fantastic sense of fashion. I wish him nothing but the best, and am honored to have worked with him and to consider him my friend.
* Mayor Rahm Emanuel…
“Senator Trotter’s vibrant personality and commitment to our state’s most pressing issues are matched only by his compassion for those he serves. Throughout his three decade career he has been a tireless advocate for the people of Chicago and the state of Illinois. From fighting to make quality care affordable and accessible to reforming a disproportionate and discriminatory state education funding formula, Senator Trotter has been voice for the vulnerable and a champion for hardworking families. His service in Springfield created a stronger city and state. I wish him the best in his well-deserved retirement.”
* Sen. Kwame Raoul…
“I was lucky enough to call Senator Trotter not just my colleague, but also my mentor, my roommate and my friend. He supported me in replacing Barack Obama in the Senate when it was not popular in Springfield to do so, and I have benefited from his advice and support ever since. His intelligence, dedication and compassion will be sorely missed in the Senate.”
Senate Assistant Majority Leader Donne E. Trotter (D-Chicago) released the following statement today:
“It was truly a pleasure to serve my constituents in Springfield over the last 25 years in the Senate and four years in the House.”
“I cannot say when the best time is, but I feel this is the right time to go forward and search out different opportunities, and to more importantly give others the chance to serve.”
“Throughout my career, I have tried to pass along the wisdom I’ve gained over my years of service. My own career was never my only focus; I also wanted to ensure the success of those who I knew would follow in my footsteps someday.”
“I’m comfortable with the people who are still serving in the Senate. They have the knowledge and the work ethic to lead our state in the right direction, and I’m not standing in their way.”
“I’m proud of being a strong voice on health care, education and budget issues, which are all of great importance to people of the 17th District.”
“It’s a very diverse district, including urban and rural areas. We haven’t been able to accomplish everything, but we’ve certainly made a measurable difference in our communities and statewide.”
“I had the great privilege of being able to sit at the table during all policy negotiations, especially the budget. I’m thankful for the voices back home who helped me to articulate the needs of our district and the state at large.”
Trotter has held his Senate seat since 1993. The district encompasses parts of the City of Chicago, Will County and Kankakee County.
Trotter has also served as assistant majority leader since 2013. His resignation is effective immediately. […]
Members of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus released the following statement regarding Senator Donne Trotter’s resignation from the Illinois State Senate:
“Senator Donne Trotter has been the consummate example of dedication to not only the citizens of the 17th District, but to the great people of this entire state. His 30 years as a member of the General Assembly, and specifically his 25 years as a member of the Illinois Senate have shown the Senator’s passion for public service.
“The Caucus will miss the Senator’s wealth of institutional knowledge and dedication to ensuring all Illinois residents have access to quality health care, education and general life wellness.
“Senator Trotter has stood fair and firm throughout his illustrious career. The Illinois Legislative Black Caucus thanks him for his three decades of service, and wishes him nothing but the best during his retirement.”
Members of the caucus released individual statements below:
Senator Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood): “It has a been an incredible journey working alongside my dear friend and colleague Leader Trotter for 20 of his 30 years of service. He was the seasoned appropriations chairman and public health enthusiast when I arrived and always showed me leadership, expertise and commitment. I will truly miss him, his support and his passion for serving people. He helped to lay the foundation for the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus and his legacy will continue on for generations to come.”
Senator Toi Hutchinson (D- Chicago Heights): “It is not easy to sum up a career in public service in just a few words. But my knowledge of the budget and revenue process was sharpened in a way that could have only happened with a teacher like Donne Trotter. From his impact on the National Conference of State Legislatures and the National Black Caucus of State Legislators to our statehouse, he challenged us to be better. And that means we as legislators are better for his service.”
Senator James F. Clayborne (D- Belleville): “Senator Trotter has been a public servant and champion of his community for his whole life. His knowledge of complex issues and ability to work across the aisle will be sorely missed.”
Senator Mattie Hunter (D- Chicago): “I knew Senator Trotter long before I became a legislator. When I worked for the Human Resources Development Institute he was our go-to guy for legislation and funding purposes. When I later became a colleague, Sen. Trotter and I worked together on many issues to address behavioral health and other social services. He was a great advisor and his institutional knowledge will be greatly missed.”
Senator Kwame Raoul (D- Chicago): “I was lucky enough to call Senator Trotter not just my colleague, but also my mentor, my roommate and my friend. He supported me in replacing Barack Obama in the Senate when it was not popular in Springfield to do so, and I have benefited from his advice and support ever since. His intelligence, dedication and compassion will be sorely missed in the Senate.”
Senator Jacqueline Y. Collins (D-Chicago): “I have had the honor and privilege of serving with Senator Trotter over the last 13 years. He’s a true gem and gentleman in the Illinois General Assembly. Donne is well-read, knowledgeable and a powerful advocate and voice for the children and families of the state. No one ever has to wonder what he’s thinking because his remarks can be both brilliant and biting. Sometimes a jester but always a drum major for justice. He’s a public servant with heart, who embodies character, courage, and compassion. Donne is a dapper man of distinction, dignity, and decency, and I will truly miss my colleague and friend.”
The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced today that the unemployment rate decreased by 0.1 percentage point to 4.8 percent in December and nonfarm payrolls increased by +1,500 jobs over-the-month, based on preliminary data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and released by IDES. November jobs were revised up to show a slight gain (+3,100 jobs) rather than a slight loss as initially reported (-1,100 jobs).
December’s monthly payroll gain kept over-the-year job growth well below the national average. While Illinois job growth has had its ups and downs since the beginning of the year, the 3-month trend shows average gains of +4,700 jobs per month from October to December. This reflects an improvement over the 3-month average gain of +1,500 from September to November.
“The unemployment rate dropped in December, even as the labor force increased in the final quarter of the year.” said IDES Director Jeff Mays. “Payrolls overall have now increased by about a half-percent over the year to date, which is an additional 29,600 jobs.”
“The fourth quarter trend is certainly promising,” said Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Director Sean McCarthy. “Illinois is beginning to see results from investments made in securing businesses by this administration.
In December, the three industry sectors with the largest gains in employment were: Government (+4,100); Other Services (+2,600); and Construction (+2,200). The three industry sectors with the largest payroll declines were: Professional and Business Services (-3,100); Financial Activities (-2,600) and Education and Health Services (-2,300).
Over-the-year, nonfarm payroll employment increased by +29,600 jobs with the largest gains in these industry sectors in December: Financial Activities (+8,700); Manufacturing (+7,700); and Education and Health Services (+6,600). The industry sectors with the largest over-the-year declines include: Government (-4,100); Trade, Transportation and Utilities (-2,900); Leisure and Hospitality (-1,400). Illinois nonfarm payrolls were up +0.5 percent over-the-year in sharp contrast to the nation’s +1.4 percent over-the-year gain in December.
The state’s unemployment rate is +0.7 percentage points higher than the national unemployment rate reported for December 2017, which held at 4.1 percent. The Illinois unemployment rate is down -0.9 percentage points from a year ago when it was 5.7 percent. The Illinois jobless rate last stood at 4.8 percent in July.
* Here’s a new Liberty Principles PAC ad on behalf of Mickey Straub, the GOP primary opponent of House Republican Leader Jim Durkin…
* ILGOP responds…
“Mickey Straub isn’t a ‘proud Republican’ as he says. He’s a phony Republican who makes Mike Madigan proud. After missing three consecutive Republican primaries, Straub is teaming up with Mike Madigan’s union allies in an attempt to hijack the Republican Party and keep Madigan in power. Madigan Mickey doesn’t share our Republican values and can’t be trusted.” - Illinois Republican Party Spokesman Aaron DeGroot
Mickey Straub says he’s “proud to be Republican,” but it’s all a ruse designed to trick voters and keep Mike Madigan in power.
This morning, Politico Illinois Playbook reported that Straub hasn’t voted in a single Republican primary since 2010 - not even one. There’ve been two consequential presidential primaries and a critical gubernatorial primary, yet “proud Republican” Mickey Straub was AWOL.
Now, an outside group backing Mickey Straub is running an ad featuring testimonials from “neighbors,” but their Republican credentials are just as spotty as Straub’s:
Jorie Peirce - voted in 2016 GOP primary, no other recent primary elections
Peter Smolka - voted in 2016 GOP primary, no other recent primary elections
Gail Demory - voted in 2012 GOP primary, no other recent primary elections (Liberty Principles PAC misspelled her name - Gail De Mory)
Keith Lutz - Chicago resident and voter (can’t vote for Straub); voted in 2010 and 2012 Dem primaries, 2014 and 2016 GOP primaries
That’s why it’s no surprise phony Republican Mickey Straub is teaming up with Mike Madigan’s union allies in an attempt to hijack the Republican Party. It’s all a coordinated effort to keep Madigan in power.
It’s clear - Madigan Mickey doesn’t share our Republican values and can’t be trusted.
A suburban community is taking on the Illinois Republican Party and state House Republican Leader Jim Durkin.
Campaign pieces on behalf of Durkin have been hitting mailboxes in Burr Ridge and other parts of the 82nd state House District, claiming that Burr Ridge has enacted “four unbalanced budgets,” “hiked property taxes 16 percent” and “raised fees to funnel money for a Chicago bailout.”
Burr Ridge has written a letter to the party and Durkin insisting that they “cease and desist from any further distribution of false information pertaining to the village of Burr Ridge and that you immediately provide a written correction and apology for false information.”
The village’s mayor, Mickey Straub, is challenging Durkin of Western Springs in the spring Republican Primary for his state House seat.
The mailers have linked House Speaker Michael Madigan, a Democrat, with Straub. The pieces have even pegged Straub as Mini-Me, the clone of Dr. Evil, Austin Powers’ nemesis, in the “Austin Powers” movies. Madigan is depicted as Dr. Evil in the mailers.
“I got sick over it,” Straub told the Chronicle, regarding the mailings that have been hitting southwest suburban homes for the past two months. “The lies about the village and me could not be further from the truth.”
* I asked the ILGOP for a response and this is from Aaron DeGroot…
Hi Rich,
Unfortunately the Cook County Chronicle did not reach out to the state party for comment. Contrary to what Mickey Straub told the reporter, a written and dated response was sent via email from the ILGOP’s general counsel to the Village of Burr Ridge this past Friday [letter attached], sufficiently rebutting the claims made in the Burr Ridge letter, which was written by taxpayer-funded village officials.
Sadly, but not surprisingly, the Burr Ridge letter is yet another example of Madigan Mickey using public resources for political purposes. Mickey Straub should not be authorizing the use of taxpayer resources to prosecute his own personal political grudges.
This isn’t the first time Mickey Straub has misused taxpayer resources. As you know, Village records show Straub previously used taxpayer funds to attend political events. You reached out to him three times on that topic. Has he ever gotten back to you? My guess is he hasn’t.
It’s clear that “Madigan Mickey” Straub is just another politician playing the ultimate Madigan insiders game.
…Kennedy basically said he’s not dropping out because he expects to win. That his polling shows when people are “fully informed,” they choose Kennedy far above his opponents. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that “fully informed” isn’t on the table. “Fully informed,” like “perfect vacuum,” is a physical impossibility, an ideal dreamworld that doesn’t apply here. He’d do better polling people who are completely uninformed, because that’s basically who’ll find their way to the voting booths in March.
A lawsuit against Illinois’ Department of Healthcare and Family Services claims the state illegally withholds medically necessary services from children with severe mental health disorders. The case was settled in federal court this week.
Federal Medicaid law requires intensive home- or community-based services for children who need it. A class action lawsuit filed in 2011 claims Illinois violates that law.
Robert Farley, Jr., is the attorney on the suit. He says some Illinois families are so desperate to get treatment for their children, they bring them to a psychiatric hospital — and never come back for them.
“DCFS will then take custody of the child and then basically place the child residentially,” Farley said. “So you get residential services, but then you’ve given up custody of your child, which is, you know, barbaric. You have to give up your child to get something necessary.”
Data from the state shows some 18,000 children in Illinois have severe emotional or behavioral disorders. But only about 200 receive intensive treatment.
Farley estimates the changes could cost the state upwards of $400 million.
* Collins-Mandeville at the Illinois Collaboration on Youth explains…
The settlement requires the State “to design and implement a systemic approach through which Class Members will be provided with reasonable promptness the Medicaid-authorized, medically necessary intensive home- and community-based services, including residential services, that are needed to correct or ameliorate their mental health or behavior disorders.”
Even though the state had to pay court-ordered Medicaid services during the impasse, this new consent decree will actually require revamping the children’s behavioral health system and building up much needed service capacity, not just maintaining the status quo of Medicaid service delivery. As we all know, maintaining the status quo today compared to a status quo of two years ago will already be more expensive since the impasse toppled the community-based service system infrastructure.
The N.B. class is much larger than a variety of other consent decrees. It covers all Medicaid-eligible children under the age of 21 in the State of Illinois:
(1) who have been diagnosed with a mental health or behavioral disorder; and
(2) for whom a licensed practitioner of the healing arts has recommended intensive home- and community-based services to correct or ameliorate their disorders.
This settlement also comes on the heels of the Feds issuing a letter about pending and future 1115 waiver requests — something the Administration was counting on to draw down federal funds for services like those needed under the new consent decree.
Additionally, it should be noted that:
The federal court has increased oversight in the DCFS case (B.H. v. Walker), which now requires monthly status updates. Class counsel also filed a motion to enforce that consent decree alleging DCFS’ noncompliance (with clear cut, convincing evidence).
In October, the plaintiffs in Rash v. Baldwin (DOC consent decree) filed a motion to enforce their settlement agreement for timely and consistent mental health services. (The Administration agreed to that agreement and the court approved it in May 2016.)
Today, the JB Pritzker campaign released a new ad responding to desperate attempts by failed governor Bruce Rauner to meddle in the Democratic primary.
The ad highlights the growing list of blunders, missteps and failures that the Worst Republican Governor in America struggles to address as he launches an attack strategy that was recently called “prematurely desperate.” Just this week, Rauner created school funding uncertainly, thousands of Illinoisans saw their healthcare disrupted, an auto plant chose to break ground in Alabama instead of Illinois, and Rauner was forced to distance himself from embattled Missouri Governor Eric Greitens and couldn’t answer a simple question about former KKK Grand Wizard David Duke being racist.
“After coming up short on accomplishments and creating constant crisis, it’s clear that Bruce Rauner now believes inserting himself in the Democratic primary is his only chance to win re-election,” said Pritzker campaign communications director Galia Slayen. “Rauner has reached a new low in his attempt to distract from the countless failures of his governorship, but Illinoisans won’t forget the damage they’ve been forced to live through for the past three years.”
WHY DOES BRUCE RAUNER CONTINUE TO ATTACK JB PRITZKER IN THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY?
“Some schools now facing funding uncertainly after Governor Bruce Rauner vetoed a school funding bill.”
“Mental healthcare providers say a state computer glitch is disrupting care for thousands of patients.”
“A Toyota Mazda plant that several communities here in our area were vying for is headed to Alabama.”
“Bruce Rauner may be trying to distance himself from Greitens. Governor Bruce Rauner was asked if David Duke was a racist. The governor did not answer directly, so Duke thanked the governor.”
* From the Illinois Policy Institute’s news service…
Gov. Bruce Rauner was joined by homeowners in south suburban Chicago Thursday as he took steps to end a property tax system he called immoral, unethical and something that should be illegal.
At the news conference, Rauner announced he signed an executive barring lawmakers from arguing cases in front of the Illinois State Tax Appeals Board. […]
In order to fight high property taxes under the current system, Rauner said homeowners have to hire politically connected law firms, like the one where longtime House Speaker Michael Madigan works.
“No one who sets tax policy, no one who has an influence to increase taxes on one hand should be in a position where they financially benefit from fighting about property taxes and try to get them reduced on the other hand,” Rauner said. […]
Rauner said the system to dispute high property taxes is rigged. In addition to signing the executive order barring lawmakers from arguing cases in front of the Illinois State Tax Appeals Board, he proposes a law to ban lawmakers from making money from property tax appeals.
“We also don’t let legislators argue cases in the Court of Claims. We should do the same thing for property tax appeals,” Rauner said. “It’s a conflict of interest. It’s unethical. It’s immoral. We should also make it illegal.”
OK, first of all, he didn’t sign an EO yesterday. He said he plans to sign one in the next few days. Secondly, not many regular homeowners are hiring politically connected property tax appeals attorneys. Thirdly, legislators have to specifically vote to appropriate money to fund Court of Claims rulings, so that would definitely be a direct conflict of interest. I’m not sure such a direct conflict exists with the state property tax appeals board.
The Property Tax Appeal Board shall consist of 5 members appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall designate one of the members as Chairman. The Property Tax Appeal Board shall be totally independent of the Department [of Revenue].
That makes an EO pretty iffy.
* Meanwhile, the governor was asked yesterday about this recent analysis by the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform which suggests that the Department of Revenue has some unused powers over Cook County, but he didn’t have an answer…
In Illinois, the Department of Revenue (DOR) only contributes to the final calculation of property values through an equalization assessment, and does not serve in an oversight role, as in other states. Illinois state law gives the Department of Revenue the authority to provide more oversight to county assessors, but this practice is not currently in place. Specifically, the DOR does not conduct the same equity studies that occur in Florida and Arizona, or audits similar to those in California. […]
Conduct COD (Coefficient of Dispersion) studies on assessments, used to measure equity and uniformity, and publish summary reports for each tax cycle
Perform audits of county assessment procedures every three years, and publish reports of recommended changes
Take a more proactive role in requiring assessors to produce evidence of internal controls and fair assessment practices when reviewing tax rolls
The goal of these recommendations is to ensure a more transparent and accountable assessment process across the state, and encourage oversight for this important responsibility.
* Gov. Bruce Rauner and Mayor Rahm Emanuel talked about Chicago making the Amazon list yesterday…
Rauner referenced taxes and the perception of “a corrupt system” in the state. Speaking at an event in Country Club Hills to highlight property taxes in the south suburbs, Rauner said “The CEO of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, knows how bad taxes are, and … the state of Washington, where they’re coming from, does not have an income tax.”
“So what I think, we’ll have a better case to make to Amazon if we show that we’re disciplined about our own taxes, that we work to keep our taxes low and help bring our taxes down,” Rauner later added. “If we make progress on this, this will send a great message to Amazon that Illinois is not always just raising taxes with a corrupt system, that when they grow here and they bring their employees here and grow our economy. So I hope we can make these changes. It’ll help us bring Amazon here.” […]
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, told of the governor’s Amazon comments while speaking at a separate event Thursday, suggested “it would be helpful if the state was pulling with us.”
“The governor has some challenges, he has a campaign, he has a budget coming up,” Emanuel said. “But we have incredible strengths, and as I said, four years in a row the city of Chicago has been number one in both corporate relocations and direct foreign investment. And the only thing I would say to the governor is, we’ve done that in the face of pretty bad dysfunction in Springfield. Imagine if Springfield got its stuff together, how good it would be.”
Washington doesn’t have a state income tax, but it does have a corporate gross receipts tax.
The governor also pointed to Chicago’s “great universities,” and “great education system.” He just about decimated the state’s higher education system during the impasse and he once compared Chicago’s public schools to “crumbling prisons.”
Just hours after the city and state received the good news that Chicago has made the cut of 20 cities still in the running for its prized HQ2, sniping broke out between Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Gov. Bruce Rauner that can only imperil the city’s prospects. […]
Emanuel and Rauner had, until now, avoided just that kind of infighting, which a couple of years ago appeared to have been a factor in Chicago losing its bid to house the headquarters of GE. Their collective staffs were working well together, with World Business Chicago and Intersect Illinois in regular communication.
But today’s exchange may underline what outside experts have said is the weak point in Chicago’s bid: the perception that government here is more about quarreling and scoring points than getting things done.
In an email, Rauner communication director Patty Schuh rejected the mayor’s criticism.
“It’s BS,” she said. “It took bipartisan cooperation to make the bid. It will take bipartisan cooperation to get Amazon.”
Emanuel has known privately for weeks — through back-channel communication with Amazon — that Chicago would make the cut. What the mayor didn’t know was that Chicago would have so much company on that list.
“The range of cities in terms of where they are, what they are and their airport, transportation and higher ed capabilities, their cost of living, the size and depth of their workforce, their diversity is still so varied that it is hard to read too much into this list,” a mayoral confidant, who asked to remain anonymous, wrote in a text message to the Sun-Times.
“No city on the list is that surprising to see and nobody missing that you thought you were in real competition with,” the person continued. “They received over 200 applications. Had to spend time on all of them. The hard work begins now.”
Despite the heavy competition, Chicago “makes a ton of sense” for Amazon, Google, Apple or “any other fast-growing company looking for scale. … We will compete hard and show well. We are very strong when you dig deep into the data and analyze it,” the Emanuel confidant said.
…Adding… From the governor’s office…
Rich,
There was a lot more to what the Governor said yesterday. He specifically said that Illinois has a very compelling case to make that’s not purely about tax incentives. He talked about how we’ve got hardworking people here, a good location and transportation network, a great education system and other assets that make Illinois’ bid attractive.
But there’s a time and a place for everything. And this is not the first time Rauner has soiled a corporate location pitch with a simultaneous counterargument.
It happened a couple of years ago, when talks with GE about moving its headquarters here failed in part because the governor couldn’t stop himself from about talking about the need for changes in Springfield that he would be unable to deliver. And it happened just last year, when the governor plugged the state’s shortcomings even as Illinois was trying to land a big, next-generation Toyota-Mazda plant.
If Rauner had a new plan to get some of his agenda through Springfield, I might cut him a break. But if he has, he sure has kept it secret.
If Rauner had limited his comments to something along the lines of “Illinois has a great bid and I’m working hard to make it better,” I might let it pass.
Instead, though, he appears to have shot off his mouth, impatient that Speaker Mike Madigan has not rolled over and given him his heart’s desire. Or, worse, he’s decided his path to re-election is to make Illinois truly a basket case by sabotaging the Amazon bid.
The pity is, at the staff level, the mayor’s people and the governor’s people appear to be working well together on this one. If there’s any friction, they’ve kept it quiet. Too bad their bosses can’t do the same.
Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner is stepping up his efforts to influence the Democratic governor campaign, purchasing statewide TV time to air a 15-minute ad featuring secretly recorded FBI conversations between then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich and businessman J.B. Pritzker, who is now a leading Democratic governor candidate.
Despite the much-hyped nature of Rauner’s move, his campaign is spending only about $11,900 to run it on six TV stations this weekend, said a media analyst who was not authorized to speak publicly about political ad buys. That’s a pittance compared to the $1 million a week Rauner and Pritzker each have spent at times to run political commercials across Illinois.
Rauner, however, is getting plenty of bang for his buck through the media coverage his unorthodox strategy is attracting. It’s unusual in Illinois for a candidate in one party to go to such lengths to try to steer the direction of the other political party’s primary campaign, and it’s rare to air a 15-minute ad. But Rauner, a wealthy former private equity investor from Winnetka, has the money to do so.
Except during major sporting events or stuff like that, weekend TV ads are pretty cheap.
In response to the new ad, Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Galia Slayen said: “Hundreds of people spoke to the governor at the time and whether Bruce Rauner chooses to buy a 60-second or even a 14-minute negative ad, the fact is JB Pritzker was accused of no wrongdoing. Bruce Rauner is desperately trying to interfere in the Democratic primary because he can’t defend his failed record and because he doesn’t want to face JB Pritzker in November.”
Though it had been known that Pritzker was one of the people Blagojevich considered for the Senate vacancy, the wiretaps showed Pritzker asked Blagojevich to appoint him as state treasurer instead.
“What you will not hear,” the latest ad intones, “is Pritzker rule out an appointment.”
The recordings had been obtained by the Chicago Tribune, which didn’t say how it obtained them.
* From the RGA…
Illinois Democrat candidate for governor and heir to the Hyatt hotel fortune J.B. Pritzker is facing embarrassing coverage over his weak response to his conduct on FBI wiretaps of conversations between himself and disgraced ex-Governor Rod Blagojevich.
Pritzker was pressed hard by local media yesterday on his refusal to explain or even apologize for his actions on the tapes.
ABC 7 Chicago, Illinois’ most-watched television station, showed Pritzker’s weak response on camera last night, during which Pritzker would say that “Governor Blagojevich spoke with hundreds of people at that time, and bottom line is I was never accused of any wrongdoing.”
Governor Bruce Rauner blasted Pritzker’s response, “That shows how pathetic our system is, how broken. Anyone who would use an excuse, and say, well, I did something immoral, unethical, disgusting and self-dealing, but I didn’t go to jail. So it’s okay. Are you kidding me?”
Even fellow Democrats slammed Pritzker over the tapes. State Senator Daniel Biss called him a “flawed” candidate and declared that nominating him would be a “risk” for the Democrats. Chris Kennedy went further, saying that Pritzker is “the poster child for everything Republicans say is wrong about Democratic politicians.”
That J.B. Pritzker doesn’t seem to understand why engaging in pay-to-pay politics with the convicted Rod Blagojevich demonstrates exactly why he lacks the character and integrity to hold elected office.
* The Channel 7 piece was really rough. Here’s the video. Watch it all…
* ILGOP…
J.B. Pritzker is facing brutal press following yesterday’s Chicago Sun-Times editorial board forum after refusing to call for Mike Madigan’s resignation or show remorse for his conduct on the Blagojevich FBI wiretaps. Pritzker was given multiple opportunities to distance himself from both controversial politicians. Instead, he chose to dodge and hedge in a transparent attempt to avoid casting blame on his longtime political allies and take responsibility for his actions.
Following the forum, NBC Chicago reported that Pritzker “will not speak critically of Madigan or Cook County Assessor Joe Berrios.” Watch here.
Meanwhile, the Chicago Sun-Times write-up of the forum focused on Pritzker’s ties to disgraced Governor Rod Blaogjevich.
“Pritzker, a billionaire entrepreneur and philanthropist, has been hit hard as of late by Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner’s campaign over FBI wiretaps of Pritzker’s conversations with now imprisoned former Gov. Rod Blagojevich.”
Pritzker was asked at the forum whether he had “close ties” to Blagojevich. Pritzker dodged that question, instead only saying that he regretted “the tone of portions of that conversation.” Chicago Sun-Times columnist Mark Brown labeled Pritzker’s response a “limited” and “fuzzy defense,” calling the FBI tapes a “significant problem for Pritzker.”
“To the extent Pritzker ‘rebuffed’ Blagojevich, he did so rather gently, leading to the particularly unbecoming ‘I’d do it’ segment being used in the Rauner television commercials.”
J.B. Pritzker’s ties to Mike Madigan and Rod Blagojevich represent an existential threat to his candidacy.
…Adding… Rauner campaign…
Yesterday, Citizens for Rauner launched an extended television ad featuring the full, unedited FBI wiretap capturing the quid pro quo discussion between JB Pritzker and Rod Blagojevich. State and national media reported on the ad, describing it as “full throttle,” “taking off the gloves,” and “unprecedented.”
ABC 7: “Governor Bruce Rauner taking off the gloves in his attacks on chief Democratic rival, JB Pritzker. In fact, this weekend, the governor will be begin airing a 14-minute long commercial of a conversation between Pritzker and convicted former governor Rod Blagojevich.”
Chicago Sun-Times: “The latest ad — 14 minutes long — features what it says is the entire 11-minute chat Pritzker and Blagojevich had. This ad’s introduction notes that after the earlier commercial, ‘Pritzker didn’t deny the conversation — he complained what was released wasn’t the full conversation.’ In the latest volley, the campaign now is promising the ‘full, unedited, original wiretap recordings.’”
NBC 5: “This lengthy, unprecedented ad will play the FBI tapes of the phone call between JB Pritzker and disgraced former governor Rod Blagojevich. … Governor Rauner defends the ad as a chance for the voters to hear the unedited version for themselves.”
Politico: “Gov. Bruce Rauner’s campaign is dipping deep into the campaign warchest for this one. After billionaire Democratic gubernatorial candidate J.B. Pritzker complained that a new TV ad featured a “selectively edited” recording of a 2008 conversation between Pritzker and Rod Blagojevich, Rauner’s campaign decided to go full throttle. This weekend, the Rauner campaign bought airtime to play all 11 minutes of the FBI wiretap conversation between Pritzker and Blagojevich. The ad will appear in all major media markets in the state on Saturday and Sunday, according to the campaign.”
Associated Press: “Rauner’s campaign says the move is a response to Pritzker’s statements that an ad released last week was selectively edited. That ad included a portion of audio captured on FBI wiretaps in which Blagojevich and Pritzker discuss the possibility of Blagojevich appointing Pritzker attorney general. Pritzker is heard saying, ‘That’s a deal I would take.’ … ‘J.B. Pritzker is part of the corruption and cronyism that has plagued Illinois for decades,’ the Rauner campaign said in a statement. ‘The people of Illinois deserve better.’”
National Journal: “What to do with $55.6 million in the bank for your reelection bid? If you’re Illinois Governor @BruceRauner, you air a 14-MINUTE TV AD showing your likely Democratic opponent on an FBI wiretap with Blago.”
CBS 2: “Rauner, who seeks re-election and may face Pritzker in a general election, counters: ‘Anyone who would use an excuse and say, ‘Well, I did something immoral, unethical, disgusting and self-dealing but I didn’t go to jail, so it’s OK.’ Ae you kidding me?’ Pritzker tried to brush off the recorded wheeling and dealing.
‘At no time in that conversation did I do anything that is anything other than trying to do public service to make the state better,’ he says. Not so, say his Democratic opponents. ‘It just shows what a risk it would be for the Democratic Party to nominate a flawed candidate like J.B. Pritzker,’ Daniel Biss says. Chris Kennedy adds: ‘Who’s going to want to turn out, who’s going to want to work, who’s going to want to do the extra things needed to vote for somebody who’s playing footsie with Rod Blagojevich?’”
“Rauner’s campaign is dipping deep into the campaign warchest for this one.” Right. I think Rauner’s campaign is gonna pay a price for encouraging some reporters to write or convey such nonsense.
Access to quality, affordable health care is the most fundamental basis for quality of life. Chris Kennedy, Democratic candidate for governor, and his running mate, Ra Joy, released their health care plan today to put Illinois on a path to accessible, affordable health care.
“Illinois can play a major role in ensuring that every resident has access to health care and quality healthcare experiences at all stages of life,” Kennedy said. “No individual or family should suffer for lack of access to care, and no individual or family should suffer because they cannot afford health care.
“Our state thrives when our residents are healthy and able to contribute fully to society. We envision a state where high-quality health care is easily accessible, affordable, and delivered with compassion.”
The campaign’s plan highlights women’s healthcare. Protecting a woman’s right to chose, providing broader access to birth control, and standardizing the state’s sex education curriculum to be inclusive of women’s needs is imperative.
The standardization of the state’s sex education will include information about birth control, Plan B, abortion, sexual harassment, domestic violence, rape, and tools for survivors. The increase in information is vital to future of our state.
The campaign’s plan is inclusive and includes a path to a single-payer system that starts by creating a state-backed public option of large-scale, Illinois-based employers and pre-existing municipal insurance pools to allow them to aggregate together as one negotiating entity to drive down costs. This will reduce our reliance on costly, profit-driven insurance companies and provide modern, accessible, and just coverage to all.
The employer-backed option will be made available to anyone in the state—including undocumented immigrants—which will further drive down costs for plan holders and the overall healthcare market in Illinois.
The campaign’s healthcare plan also proposes a $15 minimum wage bill that will be a required base minimum pay for all caregivers and healthcare workers. License-exempt caregivers who are caring for our children—often the children of low-income families—should not be earning less than minimum wage. Some license-exempt providers are earning as little as $16.22 per day.
“This is unacceptable. No one who works a full-time job should be forced to live in poverty,” Kennedy said.
The plan also includes works a program to treat addiction. The opioid crisis is claiming lives across our state: in big cities like Chicago, which have long suffered from government indifference to issues of addiction—particularly in predominantly minority communities—and in rural areas, where addiction to opioids has exploded in recent years. A Kennedy/Joy administration will follow Vermont’s innovative lead by adopting a Hub and Spoke model to treat addiction.
On the Path to Single-Payer: A State-Backed Public Option
A Kennedy/Joy administration will put Illinois on a path to a single-payer system. We will start by creating a state-backed public option of large-scale, Illinois-based employers and pre-existing municipal insurance pools to allow them to aggregate together as one negotiating entity to drive down costs. This will reduce our reliance on costly, profit-driven insurance companies and provide modern, accessible, and just coverage to all.
These aggregated insurance pools will emerge as an economic and political force in the state with clout, leverage, and contacts to overcome the insurance lobby. By allowing the largest employers in the state to work together to negotiate the cost of health coverage and drug prices, existing insurance companies will become nothing more than benefits managers.
Once established, with a solid foundation of committed members and employers, the employer-backed option will be made available to anyone in the state—including undocumented immigrants—which will further drive down costs for plan holders and the overall health care market in Illinois. […]
Medicaid Buy-In Program
Every person in our state should have access to affordable, quality health insurance. However, for a family of four in Illinois, the federal government will only subsidize the cost of monthly premiums if that family’s net income is $98,400 or less. As premiums rise due to decisions by the republicans in Washington, but income levels stay the same, there will be a gap in coverage, a so-called “donut” of people, who do not qualify for Medicaid but whose premiums are too high to be affordable.
A Kennedy/Joy administration will create a Medicaid Buy-In Program to allow those families who cannot afford a plan on the Health Care Exchange but who also don’t qualify for Medicaid to pay a less expensive premium, based on their income, in order to receive Medicaid coverage.
The Governor’s Office is starting a new PolicyPOV blog intended to deliver points of view (POV) on policies, programs, issues and events of concern to Illinoisans. The first post addresses how the new federal tax reform act impacts Illinois families and businesses. The blog is being hosted at the governor’s website.
The inaugural post is pretty darned complimentary of the new federal tax law. Click here.
