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This just in… Poshard to stay as SIU president *** Daley insulted by coverage ***

Thursday, Oct 11, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller

* 3:01 pm - Poshard will keep his job, rewrite paper…

A Southern Illinois University investigation into plagiarism allegations against President Glenn Poshard found that portions of his master’s and doctoral writings were lifted or improperly cited, and that they would not hold up to today’s academic standards.

Poshard, who will keep his job, should correct the errors using currently acceptable citation practices, according to the seven-member faculty committee that reviewed Poshard’s graduate work from the 1970s and 1980s.

The board of trustees, which has expressed its support for the beleaguered president, again said today that Poshard should continue as the leader of the state’s second-largest university. He had faced the possibility of disciplinary hearings or revocation of his graduate degrees.

“Even though the Review Committee says these mistakes were unintentional and inadvertent, they are my mistakes. And I take full responsibility for them,” Poshard said in a statement. “At no time in my life would I have ever intentionally brought harm to this University or its reputation, but even for those unintentional acts, I apologize to the University community.”

* 3:38 pm - Mayor Daley is insulted by press coverage of his budget plan. Whatever…

“All of the sudden, you blasted me the first day without ever hearing anything. I went there [to editorial boards] for maybe an hour and, all of the sudden, you decided that everything is bad. Everything is wrong. That I don’t understand struggling families. That’s an insult to me,” the mayor told reporters at an unrelated news conference at Davis Square Park, 4430 S. Marshfield.

“You’ve done a lot to me over the years. You try to put me in different images. And you have the power of the pen. You have all the ink you want. But, I hope you never say I don’t understand the people of Chicago. I’ve been mayor since 1989. I’ve lived in this city all my life. . Never try to say that the mayor doesn’t care about struggling people . I have worked very hard as a public official to understand the problems.” […]

“We’re talking about $100 at the most on a $250,000 [home]. One-hundred dollars at the most. And that’s the highest. That’s what we’re talking about. So, don’t infer that, some way, real estate taxes are just gonna be thrown away wasteful,” he said.

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Another poll in the 18th - And Versace’s bad reviews

Thursday, Oct 11, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Via Bill Dennis, Jim McConoughey is a Republican candidate in the race to replace retiring Republican Ray LaHood and has released a new poll…

As the race stands today, among those voters who have a definite opinion of whom they would support, Aaron Shock garners 23%, Jim McConoughey garners 6.6% and John Morris is at 2.6%. The key point is that 67.8% of likely Republican primary voters are not firmly committed to any one candidate.

The key driver in Schock’s early lead is simply name identification. Of likely voters in next year’s primary, 51% of voters have “heard of” and have a “formed opinion” of Schock, while McConoughey’s number stands at 19.6% and Morris is at 19.2%.

* After biographies were read to the respondents (no bios supplied yet) the poll shows these numbers…

McConoughey Bio – 37.8%
Aaron Schock Bio – 29.4%
John Morris Bio – 13.4%
Undecided – 17.2%
Refused – 2.2%

* Methodology….

The survey was conducted September 10-11, among 500 Illinois voters in the 18th Congressional District who indicated they were likely to cast a Republican ballot in the primary next February. The survey has a margin of error of +/- 4.4%

* Schock also polled this district back in late August, when incumbent Ray LaHood’s son was still considering the race. The trendlines, such as they are, are below, with the more recent McConoughey’s results listed first…

McConoughey – 6.6/3
Aaron Schock – 23/44
Darin LaHood - WD/22
John Morris – 2.6/3
Undecided – 67.8/30

* Make of this what you will, but if McConoughey releases a strong financial report this month then it will be much easier to make his case that getting his message out is what he needs to win.

There are very high expectations for Schock’s fundraising abilities, so McConoughey’s financial success, or lack thereof, is a crucial issue here. If he has no money - or if he’s buried by Schock’s cash - there will be no message.

* The most prominent Democratic candidate is, of course, Dick Versace, whose campaign kickoff event didn’t go over well with several people who covered it, including Bernie Schoenburg…

However, the idea that his life has taught Versace something he can pass on to voters was turned on its head at the end of the session. That’s when Versace, whose campaign manager recently moved in from Washington, D.C., refused to answer questions from reporters.

Well, if Versace has life experience, he probably has opinions on things like gun control and abortion and health care, not to mention how to get the U.S. out of a war he said he wants to end. He said he wants to hear from voters during a listening tour before giving his views on the issues, on the grounds that, if people knew he had views already, why would they want to talk to him?

How silly. People give their two cents’ worth to politicians all the time, on a wide range of issues they care about, hoping to reinforce or change policy decisions. The abrupt end to the event was clearly a gimmick to keep Versace from saying the wrong thing. The tactic also kept news outlets from providing a better picture of a first-time candidate who voters know nothing about except that he’s been big in basketball.

It’s bad enough when the governor plays games and walks away with mouth shut. It’s not smart for a new candidate seeking to introduce himself to do the same thing.

Basketball is a game. Representing people in Congress shouldn’t be.

* More here…

Versace tells audiences that he’s not a career politician. A experienced politician — such as Ray LaHood, for example, or two of the people running the GOP nomination — would not be so foolish as to enter a race not willing and able to discuss the issues on day one of the campaign.

* And here…

“If I answer questions on issues today, the people who I’m going to go visit would say, ‘What do you need to see us for? We already know where you stand,’” Versace told reporters during a contentious Springfield news conference formally launching his long-expected candidacy.

When pressed by reporters for some hint of his stance on issues, Versace responded: “I don’t want to debate this with you. I’ll tell you what: Your question deserves an answer, and I’m going to give you an answer. But it’s not going to be today. OK?”

Discuss.

21 Comments

Question of the day

Thursday, Oct 11, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The setup…

At issue is the change of a single word in existing law. The Silent Reflection and Student Prayer Act already says teachers “may” have their students observe a moment of silence as “an opportunity for silent prayer or for silent reflection on the anticipated activities of the day.” But Senate Bill 1463 replaces “may” with “shall.”

Earlier this year, the legislation passed the Senate, 58-1, and the House, 86-26. But Blagojevich saw it as raising the specter of enforced school prayer.

The Senate has already overridden the veto. The House is scheduled to vote on it this week.

* Eric Zorn…

“This isn’t about prayer and it’s not about punishing anyone,” [the House sponsor of the bill] said. “We’re just trying to encourage teachers to use this moment at the beginning of the day to get things off to a good start.” […]

Some schools, some classrooms and some students may benefit from the calming effects of a moment of silent thought-gathering as the school day begins. Sure. But others may not need it. They might benefit more from a moment of science, to paraphrase a bumper sticker I saw recently, or from singing a song, or from doing 100 jumping jacks or issuing a group primal scream as the tardy bell rings.

* And Illinois Review…

The fact is setting aside a moment to contemplate the day’s events, to take a deep breath, to repeat a favorite phrase or Scripture or yes, even, say a few words to one’s Best Friend and the King of the Universe, doesn’t threaten our freedoms at all. It gives us a chance to exercise our First Amendment rights.

Question: We had this debate several months ago, but take a look at the stories linked above and discuss what you think of this bill. Should the veto be overridden or not? Also, please explain your rationale.

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More on those parking spots…

Responding to the criticism, state officials cited “safety” as well as key state workers’ need for quick access to vehicles to “attend events to help promote the governor’s budget proposals” and to “drive to Springfield on short notice.”

Besides, says Hofer, why should state workers have to use mass transit to get to their various appointments when driving is quicker?

“It doesn’t make sense to take a train — and spend an hour and a half on the train — when you could drive there for 20 minutes,” says Hofer.

Oh, man, that’s gonna sting. At a time when so many legislators are screaming for more mass transit dollars, the governor’s office disses the CTA? Oof.

“This board has paid for itself a thousand times over by thoroughly reviewing the hundreds of state leases worth hundreds of millions of dollars,” says state Sen. Jeff Schoenberg (D-Evanston), who’s pushing for a Senate override. “This is yet another prime example of why we need to not only keep the board but strengthen its authority and give it more resources to watch our wallets.”

Agreed.

* Meanwhile, the House voted to uphold one of the governor’s other vetoes yesterday, giving Blagojevich a rare win in that chamber…

Truckers must still drive 55 mph after the Illinois House had second thoughts about raising the highway speed limit for semis to 65.

Prodded by Gov. Rod Blagojevich and safety experts, more than 30 state representatives ditched their previous support for the increase and sided with the governor that speed limits should stay where they are. After getting 90 votes in May, the plan for higher trucker speeds received just 57 on Wednesday.

Blagojevich issued a statement saying the Illinois House had done the “right thing.” Earlier Wednesday, he’d stood under an interstate overpass in Chicago and said lawmakers who supported the change would be ‘’voting to kill people.'’

Blagojevich spokeswoman Rebecca Rausch said the governor made personal phone calls to legislators on the issue but said he did not offer construction projects or other incentives in return.

There was definitely an all-out effort to convince the House to uphold that veto, which the Senate overwhelmingly overrode. I can’t help but wonder how some of those Senate Democrats who overrode the veto think about the governor’s remarks yesterday about how they had voted to “kill people,” however. Most likely, they just brushed it off as typical Rod Speak. But politics is a game of addition, and he may have subtracted a bit from his Senate base yesterday.

* More…

* IL House puts brakes on truck speed limit increase

* Blago fends off truck speed limit hike

* House denies truck speed limit increase

* Tribune Editorial: House votes to save lives

* Editorial: House rightfully keeps truckers in the slow lane

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A complete, utter disaster

Thursday, Oct 11, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Mark Brown takes a crack at writing about TIF district spending today, which he calls Chicago’s “hidden tax increase”…

Instead of flowing though the normal channels, where the [tax receipt] money would be split among the city, Board of Education, Park District, City Colleges and Cook County, the city gets to keep the TIF funds in a separate pile that can be spent at the mayor’s direction and without even showing up in the city’s budget.

The money goes for a variety of purposes, some undoubtedly worthwhile, some questionable. Much of the money goes toward subsidies for the developers within the ever-expanding TIF districts.

* And how much are we talking about?

“We’ve now TIFed 30 percent of the land area of the city,” he continues, pointing out that the $400 million in TIF spending exceeds the entire budget of the Department of Streets and Sanitation. […]

The $400 million is also more money than the oft-maligned Cook County government receives in total annually from property taxes.

Yikes. Go read the whole thing.

* And then there’s this tidbit…

An Associated Press analysis released on Tuesday shows that, on average, Illinoisans paid $9,336 in federal taxes in 2005 and got $6,328 back. That amounts to 68 cents on the dollar.

* Meanwhile, Mayor Daley’s tax hike plans aren’t going over too well. The Tribune editorializes today…

[Daley’s] proposed 2008 budget would increase city spending by 5.7 percent — a far bigger boost than most Chicago households and businesses can anticipate for their own spending next year.

The mayor seems to blame his workforce’s wage and benefits increases for those higher costs. As if the increases in personnel costs that he approved were imposed on him by some unseen dictator.

* And while Daley and Cook County Board President Todd Stroger talk about raising taxes, the General Assembly still has a full plate…

Senate President Emil Jones moved to boost the size of a key property tax break for Cook County homeowners Wednesday, putting in play new legislation aimed at settling the festering issue.

The movement came as Mayor Richard Daley unveiled a new city budget that would be balanced by a hefty increase in Chicago’s property taxes, placing even more pressure on lawmakers to keep the county break alive.

* And…

Democrats in the Illinois Senate are preparing to restore at least some of the money cut from the state budget by Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

However, senators said Wednesday it will not be anything close to the $424 million in restorations approved by the House last week.

Sen. Donne Trotter, D-Chicago, said Senate Democrats are working on reinstating about $50 million of the $463 million cut from the fiscal 2008 budget. A detailed list of what might be restored was not available Wednesday.

“There will be some restorations of some of the reductions,” Trotter said. “We are still looking at some of the things we need to do that were inadvertently done. There’s been some reassessments.”

* And…

As the General Assembly continued its fall veto session, Chicago area transit officials on Wednesday braced for the grim prospect of a continuing stalemate over transit funding.

Already burned by unfulfilled promises of long-term help from Springfield, CTA President Ron Huberman refused on Wednesday to slam the door on yet another bailout but warned that delays in approving new transit funding would result in service cuts and fare hikes in January that will “scare a lot of people.”

* More…

* Daley’s call for record property tax hike stuns aldermen

* Daley’s proposed tax hikes have residents worried

* Daley seeks big tax hike

* Local group hopes for veto overrides

* School districts sweat out wait about property taxes

* New CTA doomsday plan more grim

* Chicago Public Radio: CTA’s 2008 budget delayed

* CTA Tattler: The doomiest of Doomsdays

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Morning shorts

Thursday, Oct 11, 2007 - Posted by Paul Richardson

* McQueary: Peraica faces Southland challenge in GOP race for State’s Attorney

Cook County Board member Tony Peraica, a Riverside Republican, is running for state’s attorney. A second Republican, Ed Barron, of Orland Park, is preparing to run, as well. If you believe the conspiracy theorists, Barron is a shill for Ed Vrdolyak, running for the position simply to undermine Peraica in the Feb. 5 primary. Vrdolyak and Peraica have been foes for years. Despite Vrdolyak’s recent indictment by federal prosecutors, Peraica believes Fast Eddie still is attempting to jackknife his political career.

The conspiracy theorists even speculate Vrdolyak and Co. lured Peraica to a fake fundraiser last month co-hosted by a potentially damaging character just to trap him. Can you imagine? A state’s attorney candidate collecting checks at a fundraiser hosted by unsavory gentlemen? Talk about headlines.

* Accord reached on dispensing morning after pill

Illinois pharmacists who object to dispensing emergency birth control would be allowed to step aside while someone else filled the prescription, under a deal that could settle a lawsuit against the state.

That person — not required to be a pharmacist — would contact a pharmacist at a different location, then follow directions for dispensing the so-called morning-after pill.

The compromise means pharmacists would not have to offer a drug they oppose on moral grounds, but minors who need it (adults can obtain emergency contraceptives without a prescription) would not be turned away and have to find a different pharmacy.

* Union calls for good care of IL nursing home residents

* Editorial: IL mental health law a good start

Illinois took a step forward recently in providing a tool to combat the destructive, sometimes fatal, effects of mental illness. A new law that will take effect next June will make it somewhat easier for family members to commit a loved one for treatment.

While many mental health advocates heralded the signing of House Bill 234 into law, they certainly are not cheerleading for involuntary confinement of people in mental hospitals. Rather, they see hope in allowing families to step in before a mentally ill person hits rock bottom and thus provide treatment that will allow them to lead a happier, safer and more productive life.

* Anti-violence group, CeaseFire, aided with protest

* Legislators honor late Rosemont leader

* Landmarks IL honors work on capitol chambers

* Syverson predicts Cheap Trick vote for Thursday

* Mayor Daley’s $100,000 club

* Top cop can be insider, says Daley

* Daley says he OK with move to disband scandal-plagued police unit

* 5 protesters arrested at Chicago Board of Trade building

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s issue of Capitol Fax (Use all caps in password)

Thursday, Oct 11, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller

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This just in… Republican already attacking Halvorson *** Guv says veto opponents will kill people ***

Wednesday, Oct 10, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller

* 10:46 am - Mayor Daley just said during his budget address that if “Springfield” doesn’t pass the property tax assessment cap, it would be “difficult” to raise property taxes in Chicago. In other words, taxpayers are gonna get hit either way. Listen live at this link.

* 10:52 am - Governor ready to compromise on his formerly hardlie “Plan B” position?

Through a proposed new option, pharmacies would be allowed to work by phone or fax with an off-site pharmacist — one without moral objections to emergency contraception — to process a patient’s prescription. The settlement says a pharmacy technician or store manager would be allowed to sell the patient the medicine so she wouldn’t have to go elsewhere.

Pharmacies still would be required to fill prescriptions for emergency contraception, commonly sold under the name Plan B, if the medicine is in stock.

But the settlement, filed this week in Springfield’s U.S. District Court, would give pharmacies another way to avoid fines or the loss of operating licenses even if they employ pharmacists who believe that Plan B is a form of abortion and would refuse to dispense the drug.

* 10:56 am - The Tribune has a brief bit on Mayor Daley’s budget address…

Daley said his budget avoids substantial layoffs or services. But, having exhausted other options, Daley said, “We must ask taxpayers for more.”

The mayor blamed state lawmakers for failing to enact funding reforms for education and mass transit, which he said further pressures city taxpayers. He also called on lawmakers to approve an extension of a property tax break for homeowners.

“For their inaction, Chicagoans pay the price,” Daley said.

* 11:00 am - Future Tribune Co. owner Sam Zell on the sale of the Chicago Cubs…

“I have no idea who is going to end up with the Cubs, but it ain’t gonna be me.”

Zell isn’t the standard button-down Tribune type. From the same article…

Zell’s colorful talk on the workings of mergers and acquisitions included several expletives and a joke involving a male body part.

* 11:59 am - The Reader reports that the Daily Southtown will no longer cover professional sports.

* 12:01 pm - The Senate is scheduled to convene at noon. Listen here. The House will attempt to convene at one o’clock. Listen here.

* 12:03 pm - From Crain’s, which promises to update this story later…

Blaming bad economic times and Springfield infighting, Mayor Richard M. Daley on Wednesday rolled out more than a quarter of a billion dollars in proposed tax hikes and fee increases to balance his 2008 operations budget.

Leading the list is a requested $108-million increase in the city’s property tax levy — an item that is already stirring stiff opposition among aldermen and may require all of Mayor Daley’s legendary political muscle to pass.

* 12:21 pm - New Lenox Mayor Tim Baldermann is definitely in the race to replace Congressman Jerry Weller. Both men are Republicans and Weller is with Baldermann. The Herald News has his campaign co-chair list..

Jack Partelow, chairman of the Will County Republican Party; Don Green, the mayor of Kankakee; Keith Cain, the mayor of Princeton; and Tom Templeton, the LaSalle County sheriff.

*** 12:52 pm *** Tim Baldermann is already on the attack. From his campaign kickoff press release…

“Debbie Halvorson has been the number two leader in the state Senate for the past four years and if anyone has followed the news to any degree at all, they know our state government is as badly managed as is conceivable,” said Baldermann. “Our federal government has problems, but the last thing we need is to have the proven dysfunction of Springfield infect Washington.”

* 1:33 pm - Interesting…

Among Baldermann’s biggest contributors were the campaign committees of William Beavers, a Democratic Cook County board member…

*** 1:38 pm *** The master of understatement strikes again. The guv wants lawmakers to uphold his veto of a bill that would allow trucks to drive 65 mph on the interstates…

Blagojevich says lawmakers who vote to overturn his veto will effectively be voting to kill people.

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Madigan, Jones to speak; Mulligan; Jeffries; Schock; Jefferson (Use all caps in password)

Wednesday, Oct 10, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Question of the day

Wednesday, Oct 10, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller

If you could ask each of these people a question during a press conference, what would it be?

* Gov. Blagojevich

* House Speaker Madigan

* Senate President Jones

* Mayor Daley

* Cook Co. Board President Stroger

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Taxes, taxes everywhere

Wednesday, Oct 10, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller

* This line was buried way down deep in today’s Sun-Times story on Mayor Daley’s new budget proposal, but it should have been the lede…

Chicago taxpayers almost always take it on the chin in the city budget that follows a mayoral election.

* Details…

Mayor Daley is expected today to unveil a 2008 city budget balanced with nearly $200 million in higher taxes and fees. They include a $40.8 million water and sewer rate increase and the largest property tax increase in Chicago history to build and maintain libraries. […]

Chicagoans will pay more for everything from gasoline, liquor, parking, restaurant meals and telephone service to bottled and tap water, city stickers and Taste of Chicago tickets. The mayor even wants us to pay more for renting movies and leasing vehicles.

* As we’ve discussed before, the race is on between the city, the county, mass transit and the state to see who can raise taxes first. Daley’s hand will be played today.

Cook County Board President Todd Stroger’s tax hike route was apparently detoured again…

This week, it’s a backlash by frustrated commissioners who said they were working with Stroger to find an acceptable tax plan when they learned from the Sun-Times that Stroger had hired the girlfriend of his ally, Commissioner William Beavers — and then reversed himself when the paper began questioning it.

“At this point, we’re in a total war,” said Commissioner Larry Suffredin, calling the hiring of Patty Young “a real slap in the face” that makes some commissioners “unsure [Stroger] deserves any more revenues.”

Stroger’s plan to raise the sales tax was on life support a week ago and, on Tuesday, Suffredin delivered what could be the death knell.

* Daley, meanwhile, is planning yet another trip abroad when he ought to be here helping negotiate a deal with the state, county, etc…

Sneed hears Daley is heading to China and Korea at the end of the month.

So, no leadership from Daley, bolloxed leadership from Stroger and we all know what’s happening with the Statehouse crew. It’s a perfect storm of incompetence.

More budget stuff, compiled by Paul…

* Budget deadlock grips numerous key issues

* Editorial: Want to bet on this plan

* Professor: Gambling not the best way to raise money

* Editorial: Capital program critical to the state

* Tax cap dispute threatens schools’ funding

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No leadership, but what else is new?

Wednesday, Oct 10, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Gov. Blagojevich’s trial balloon on mass transit funding went over like a lead balloon yesterday…

Among the options aired before a legislative panel in Chicago were proposals to levy a tax on commercial parking spaces […]

The alternative tax proposals, however, elicited no apparent support from lawmakers or civic groups at the hearing. No sooner was the parking-space tax proposal raised than it drew withering fire from civic groups and organizations representing retail merchants and manufacturers, who labeled it a levy on jobs and an extension of the property tax.

Skeptical lawmakers also raised numerous questions, such as who should pay the tax — owners or users of property — and how it would be collected. The questions remained unanswered, largely because such a tax has never been enacted elsewhere, officials said.

Needless to say, it’s way past time that the governor propose a solid alternative to the agreement worked out by mass transit unions, officials and legisltors. So far, all he’s officially offered up are veto threats. His failure to lead speaks volumes and his goofy parking tax proposal shows that he’s not serious about getting into this game.

* Meanwhile, the RTA says it won’t accept another short-term bailout offer…

Transit officials postponed “Doomsday One” fare hikes, service cuts and layoffs last month, when Gov. Blagojevich let them borrow against next year’s state aid. Top transit executives now say that only worsened their financial crisis, increasing the odds that the cuts will take place next month.

The region’s top transit executive delivered a harsh message that a short-term bailout is not an option, meaning service cuts and fare increases may become a reality soon.

“We will not accept a short-term fix again,” said Regional Transit Authority Executive Director Steve Schlickman.

* And even some suburbs are worried…

Ridership on Pace buses significantly increased in Naperville after a summer ad campaign, but now looming service cuts have officials fearing the effort may have been in vain.

“Naperville would be hit real hard” unless the transit agency gets additional money from the Regional Transportation Authority, said Patrick Wilmot, a Pace spokesman.

Service could be cut as of Nov. 4, with an estimated 700 or more commuters left without a bus to ride, officials fear. […]

There is a two-year waiting list for a parking permit at the Illinois Highway 59 Metra station, a five-year waiting list for a permit at the Kroehler lot near downtown Naperville and an eight-year waiting list for a permit to park at the downtown station.

Those numbers played a role in Naperville launching its $35,000 ad campaign to persuade more people to ride the bus.

* But at least one suburban legislator says she’s not convinced that the promised “doomsdays” are real…

A leading suburban Republican, though, suggested that budgetary doomsday might actually be good for the CTA.

“We should see what doomsday looks like. And I’m not sure that the populace in general is totally convinced that our transit system is as efficient as it could be,” State Sen. Christine Radogno (R-Lemont) said.

Radogno does make a good point, which is too often missed by people who prefer to complain about the lack of “state funding” for mass transit. The negotiated agreement on the transit bailout is a pretty good bill, and it’s probably the best we’re gonna see, but Radogno is right that it doesn’t do enough to force the transit systems to prioritize their spending and improve service.

Discuss.

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Job numbers, tax receipts look bad

Wednesday, Oct 10, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller

* I wrote about this development in this morning’s Capitol Fax, but now I see that the Tribune blog also covered it, so here it is…

It’s not usually a good sign when the words “disturbing” and “unemployment” are linked together in a report about Illinois, but there they are in a legislative commission’s review of the state’s economy.

“Particularly disturbing is the sharp deterioration in Illinois’ unemployment situation in recent months,” according to the state’s bipartisan Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability. “After recording a lower unemployment rate than that of the nation during the second half of 2006, Illinois’ unemployment rate has jumped up and now well exceeds the national rate.”

Citing a U.S. Department of Labor report released last month, the commission notes nine states registered “significant” unemployment rate increases from a year earlier. The largest of these occurred in Illinois, where unemployment rose from 4.4 percent in August 2006 to 5.4 percent last August. The national rate stayed basically the same, dropping from 4.7 percent to 4.6 percent during the same time frame.

The report says if the employment trends in Illinois continue, that’s not a good sign for the state’s treasury. At least that’s the drift from the commission’s viewpoint; or in economist speak, the state’s sales and income tax revenues will be “undoubtedly negatively” affected.

There’s more to be concerned about in that report than just the unemployment numbers. You can download the entire report by clicking here.

* Meanwhile, we linked to Bernie’s Sunday column yesterday, but it deserves another visit in light of the above report. It’s a bit confusing, but Bernie appears to be saying that the Blagojevich administration is vastly overinflating both the number of jobs that the capital projects bill will create and the quality of those jobs. Here are a few excerpts, with all emphasis added…

(E)conomists who use multipliers for job estimates say it’s better to talk about supporting jobs, not creating them, because some people who will work on those projects already have jobs. And job totals can’t be limited to a single state, because materials bought for projects can come from other states or countries. The governor also talked about “good-paying” jobs, but economists said low-wage spin-off jobs are included in their estimates. […]

On Chicago radio station WBBM-AM’s “At Issue” show Sept. 30, Blagojevich described the proposal as a “public works program that will create 700,000 good-paying jobs. …” Later in the show, taking a shot at House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, Blagojevich said, “I can’t imagine why he would oppose a publicly owned Chicago casino that would do all of these things, like build schools and create 700,000 jobs.”

Even I don’t think the governor meant to say one casino would do all that. But he was saying the casino expansion plan would do that, and he shouldn’t be using the term “create.”

The casino plan projects road spending of $15.625 billion, and the multiplier of that gets to 625,000 jobs.

Expect the Blagojevich administration to spin the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability’s jobs report to his advantage. He’ll be right that Illinois certainly needs the employment (the actual number of jobs created in the past year has not grown at all), but if the recent and distant past are any guides, he’ll likely greatly overdo the rhetoric.

* And on a somewhat related front…

A Republican state senator Tuesday accused Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich of holding up health-care projects in Illinois because he hasn’t appointed members to an oversight board.

Sen. Bill Brady, R-Bloomington, said the Health Facilities Planning Board has been unable to meet because two seats are vacant and one member has been ill. The result is that dozens of potential medical construction projects and equipment purchases have been unable to move forward.

The five-member board is appointed by the governor. Three members must be present for it to conduct business.

“He’s neglected to deal with a system that would have allowed tens of millions of dollars to be invested in health-care facilities throughout the state by not filling the vacancies on the planning board,” said Brady, considered a possible candidate for governor in 2010. […]

But because of the lack of a quorum, the board hasn’t been able to meet since late July. Spokeswoman Melaney Arnold said 60 projects are awaiting action.

16 Comments

Morning shorts

Wednesday, Oct 10, 2007 - Posted by Paul Richardson

* Pennsylvania governor backs IL power plant

* John Kass: Public’s trust hinges on two big appeals

In the separate cases of two convicted and corrupt politicians, Republican George Ryan and Democrat Robert Sorich, the federal judges on the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals have to decide where they stand.

Do they throw out the convictions and stand with the boss hogs that run the bipartisan Illinois political combine, the same combine that brags publicly that it put some of the justices on the federal bench?

Or do they uphold the convictions, and stand with you, the taxpayers of Illinois, the folks who work hard and make sacrifices, only to get hammered, year after year with tax increase after tax increase, as the combine and its soldiers feed from the public trough?

* Mark Brown: “Free poker” vets at odds with state

In an effort to stay within the bounds of Illinois’ gambling laws, organizers of the poker league charge no fee to play in their tournaments, ban wagering and offer only nominal prizes to the winners such as gift certificates from the host establishment.

And that’s why Signore can’t understand why the Illinois Liquor Control Commission has effectively shut down the “free poker” league by cracking down on liquor licenseholders that host the games.

“We should have a right to play as long as we’re not gambling,” says an angry Signore, who lives in West Beverly and owns a catering business.

State officials don’t quite see it that way.

* Tribune Editorial: Fast trucks, stop right there

Maybe some legislators bought that argument. But safety experts sure don’t. “There’s no way you can argue that letting large trucks go faster makes the roads safer,” said Russ Rader of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. “Study after study shows that, in general, when you increase travel speeds, you increase deaths on those roads.”

Illinois last year logged the lowest fatality rate on its roads since 1924. That’s impressive.

So why would anyone want to put that success at risk?

Why would the House vote to kill people?

* Editorial: Big rigs should drive 55

* Tax day is every day in Chicago

“This is a growing list,” said Laurence Msall, president of the Civic Federation, a tax watchdog group. “The city and some of the other units of government in northeastern Illinois have sought out new sources of revenue. Those are appropriate use taxes if you are able to make the case you are providing services related to the tax. In the case of the tire tax, the cost of recycling or servicing local roads can be connected.

“[But] I don’t think most Chicagoans are cognizant of who is responsible for which of the government services they receive, and there is little opportunity for citizens to get a comprehensive list” of what they pay.

* 19 new Chicago public schools wanted in next two years

These are part of Renaissance 2010, a plan to create 100 new schools by 2010. About 55 have opened so far. Fifteen of the 19 schools hope to open next fall if approved by the Chicago Board of Education Oct. 24.

The proposed Chicago High School for the Arts would put Chicago on par with New York, Los Angeles and most other large cities that have public performing arts high schools.

* Some Chicago teachers file unfair labor charge

* City fire unions battle over leadership

* Russ Stewart: 2008 U.S. Senate race analysis

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