Just a friendly reminder for all you fans and friends of our lately departed, blessed and beloved Raoul: the benefit and tribute happens at the Brewhaus this Sunday, Dec. 5, from 2 p.m. to midnight. Live music by many friends, plus food, giveaways, silent auctions and whatever else we can do to raise money to cover official costs of his passing.
It’s gonna be a blowout, baby. Make sure to attend if you can. Raoul was truly one of a kind and we want to send him off right.
During the ensuing 25 years in the Springfield scene he played guitar in several bands including Raoul & Company, Elvis Himselvis, the Cheezy Messiahs, Rock Quarry, Dr. Feelgood, Black Magic Johnson, Sarah Schneider Band, the Hired Hands, Springfield Shaky and for whoever would hire him for a night of music with drinks and pay included. While others worked jobs and played the weekends or refused to come out of the house except for a guaranteed price, Raoul made music because that is what he did and he did it no matter what he had to do to do it. He drove old vehicles, sometimes went hungry and often wondered if he’d make enough cash playing his guitar to pay the rent, but he never wavered in his way of living for the moment, for the music and for the majesty of life.
For the record, he had a broken hip his last few months and being poor with no insurance had some trouble getting decent medical attention. By the time Raoul made it to the hospital with assistance from his dear friend, my sister Sara, he was unable to walk. They found advanced cancer when testing for hip surgery. He received a six- to eight-months life sentence on Monday and was gone by Friday night. We sang songs to him in his last hours, watching for a bushy eyebrow to raise in acknowledgement of a welcome tune and familiar voice. He went peacefully and passed on out on Neil Young’s birthday, a nice touch by a beautiful person, well loved and universally respected not just as a heartfelt musician, but as a friend, mentor, party pal, father figure, brother-in-arms and blessed soul.
To the wise and wonderful, round mound of sound Raoul Brotherman: Long may you run.
It’s been a good month of Sunday’s
And a guitar ago
I had a tall drink of yesterday’s wine
Yeah, I left a long string of friends
Yeah, I left some sheets in the wind
And some satisfied women behind
Won’t you ride me down easy, Lord
Ride me on down
Leave word in the dust where I lay
Well, I’m easy come, and I’m easy go
And I’m easy to love when I stay
* The Illinois State Police is offering a significant pension sweetener to entice some senior officers into retirement. From an internal memo…
TO: ALL SWORN OFFICERS
DATE: DECEMBER 1, 2010
The Illinois State Police (ISP) has been granted the authority to offer a severance package, effective immediately, to any sworn officer retiring on or before December 31, 2010.
The retiring officer will receive the 6 percent cost of living raises, currently scheduled for the 2011 calendar year, on their last day of work.
In order to qualify for the severance package, the officer must be a minimum of fifty (50) years of age with twenty-five (25) years of service or fifty-five (55) years of age with twenty (20) years of service.
The officer may use accumulated time in order to satisfy the years of service requirement.
Jonathon E. Monken
ACTING DIRECTOR
That’s a nice little bump.
* From the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget…
Higher salaried Illinois State Police Officers are being offered the retirement severance package which was approved by the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget to reduce payroll costs to the state.
The severance package is not being offered to any other state agency.
Illinois State Police estimate 70-90 sworn officers will retire under this incentive.
There are currently 1,980 sworn officers at ISP.
The savings to ISP is dependent upon the level of participation and the salary level of those who chose to participate.
Once again, we’re moving high salaries into the pension fund to “save” money in the short-term. At least this is limited to just the State Police - for now.
“This will be a staggering blow to Chicago’s property taxes,” Daley said. “It would be the largest property tax increase in the history of the city of Chicago during an economic crisis, an economic crisis in every home and in every job in Chicago and in the state of Illinois.”
Daley said the city would owe at least an additional $550 million each year beginning in 2015.
Right now, the city puts two dollars in the pension system for every dollar contributed by employees. That’s the entire formula. There is no actuarial basis, which is a big reason why the fund is so out of whack. The new bill simply puts the system on a solid actuarial footing.
But there’s absolutely nothing in the bill whatsoever which “mandates” a tax hike.
Supporters of civil unions will see their votes “split between five or six candidates, while Sen. Meeks will get all the votes of those who are against it,” said Robert Gilligan, executive director of the Catholic Conference of Illinois, who praised Meeks for views that he said “conform to the beliefs of the majority of Chicagoans.”
Actually, according to an August Tribune poll, Sen. Meeks’ opposition to civil unions was not in the majority…
54 percent of suburban residents favor legalizing same-sex civil unions, compared with 33 percent who would oppose such a law. When city residents are included, the results remain nearly the same.
And I seriously doubt that everyone who opposes civil unions will be voting for Rev. Sen. Meeks. There are plenty of other issues in Chicago, and there are other prejudices involved here.
Yet another mayoral candidate has jumped into a debate on evolving ethics reform, with contender Miguel del Valle charging that plans offered by rivals Gery Chico and Rahm Emanuel have a big loophole.
At a press conference, Mr. Del Valle noted that while his competitors would turn down donations from lobbyists, both are open to taking campaign cash from city contractors — at least until after the election.
“They can talk ethics all they want,” Mr. Del Valle said, “but to me, that says they’ll have already been bought and sold just to make it to City Hall.”
Contractor contributions are capped at $1500. Small beans in a mayor’s race of this magnitude.
* I will never forget the press conference Gov. Rod Blagojevich held in Chicago early in his first term with several noted reformers, including Cindi Canary of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform and Dawn Clark Netsch. They all praised Blagojevich’s ethics plan. And they all lived to regret being used.
I couldn’t help but think of that event yesterday when David Hoffman held a press conference with Rahm Emanuel to praise Emanuel’s ethics reform package, which Hoffman helped draft…
Now, I don’t believe that Emanuel is a criminal, but Hoffman could live to regret that little dog and pony show. Also, Mayor Daley pushed through more ethics reforms than any mayor since William Dever, but Hoffman’s praises for hizzoner were few and far between.
Open letter to Gov. Pat Quinn from former Gov. Dan Walker
Dear Pat:
Dear Dan Walker,
Who cares what you think?
I don’t know Walker, but some people I trust, including Charlie Wheeler, who covered Walker for the Sun-Times, refer to him as a pathological liar. That’s good enough for me. Go away, man.
Our nation was founded, Mr. President, upon the principal that with the respect to our pursuit of happiness each of us are created equal one to another and the rights of everyone are diminished when the rights of any one of us are threatened.
This Nation was founded by men of many nations and backgrounds. It was founded on the principle that all men are created equal, and that the rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened.
Noland…
Today, we are engaged in the continuing struggle to defend the right of those in committed family relationships in respect of gender to receive equal services in place of public accommodation, such as hospital—-and places of employment without first having to produce proof of legal authorization under powers of attorney.
Kennedy…
Today, we are committed to a worldwide struggle to promote and protect the rights of all who wish to be free.
Noland…
So ultimately this is not even a legal legislative issue, that let alone can not change what is in our hearts. We are at long last confronted with a moral issue which essentially asks the question of whether all Illinois residents are to be afforded equal rights and equal opportunities. Whether we are going to treat our fellow citizens as we wish to be treated.
Kennedy…
This is not even a legal or legislative issue alone. It is better to settle these matters in the courts than on the streets, and new laws are needed at every level, but law alone cannot make men see right. We are confronted primarily with a moral issue. It is as old as the Scriptures and is as clear as the American Constitution.
Noland…
Again, legislation can not solve this problem on discrimination, it must be solved in the homes and in the hearts of every citizen and every community across this great state.
Kennedy…
But legislation, I repeat, cannot solve this problem alone. It must be solved in the homes of every American in every community across our country.
Noland…
We send young people from Illinois to fight for freedom throughout the world and we teach our children here at home that all men are created equal but are we to say to the world that much more importantly to each other if not our children that this is state where all are created equal except for those that are born with different gender different affiliation. That we have no second class citizens except the gay or lesbian.
That we have no discrimination or gender bias except for the respect for the gay or lesbian; we have previously voted to uphold that principal such discrimination is not allowed in the conduct of housing and employment law in Illinois now comes the time for the state to complete their promise.
Kennedy…
We preach freedom around the world, and we mean it, and we cherish our freedom here at home, but are we to say to the world, and much more importantly, to each other that this is the land of the free except for the Negroes; that we have no second-class citizens except Negroes; that we have no class or caste system, no ghettoes, no master race except with respect to Negroes?
Now the time has come for this Nation to fulfill its promise.
Noland…
We owe them and owe ourselves and our children a better state than that.
Kennedy…
I think we owe them and we owe ourselves a better country than that.
Noland…
That is all the vast majority of the people our state are asking. It is a question of fairness, nothing more nothing less. And in answering it I ask the support of my fellow colleagues in this chamber and all the good people of this great state.
Kennedy…
This is what we’re talking about and this is a matter which concerns this country and what it stands for, and in meeting it I ask the support of all our citizens.
* Vote against gay unions sets Meeks apart in race: Supporters of civil unions will see their votes “split between five or six candidates, while Sen. Meeks will get all the votes of those who are against it,” said Robert Gilligan, executive director of the Catholic Conference of Illinois, who praised Meeks for views that he said “conform to the beliefs of the majority of Chicagoans.”
* As I’ve already told you, House Speaker Michael Madigan raised some eyebrows earlier this year when he convinced the out of state education reform group Stand for Children to contribute big bucks to several of his targeted members. Both major teachers unions boycotted Madigan and many of his members this election season after the Speaker pushed a pension reform bill through the General Assembly. Here’s what I wrote several weeks ago…
However, if Speaker Madigan retains the majority and the group continues to, um, “stand” with his candidates and the unions refuse to step up, it’s possible that we could see a significant education reform push next year. Stay tuned.
From Speaker Madigan’s office…
Dear Mr. Clerk:
Please be advised that today I am creating a new bipartisan Special House committee for the 96th General Assembly. The Special Committee on Education Reform will have 8 members (4 majority members, one of which will serve as co-chair and 4 minority members, one of which will serve as co-chair).
The majority appointments to this committee are as follows:
Special Committee on Education Reform
Representative Linda Chapa La Via, Co-Chair
Representative Keith Farnham
Representative Jehan Gordon
Representative Karen Yarbrough
No word yet from the House Republicans, who will have co-equal representation on the committee. But apparently, we could be heading for a bit of payback. Stay tuned.
Among items on the agenda, according to Ms. LaVilla: requiring teacher performance to be a factor in compensation, simplifying the teacher dismissal process and linking tenure to teacher performance. Te first meeting is set for Dec. 15.
That’s pretty much Stand for Children’s entire legislative agenda. The only thing missing is making it more difficult to strike.
* I was raised a Chicago Cubs fan and Ron Santo was one of my childhood heroes from that 1969 team. Santo passed away yesterday. Bruce Levine at ESPN says it best…
As I was growing up in Chicago, Ron Santo was a hero to me before he was a friend. Like many Little Leaguers in the early ‘60s, I latched onto Santo as “my guy.” In my mind, I knew I’d be the guy to replace him when his baseball career was over.
But things often don’t turn out the way you envision. One thing stayed constant, though, Santo was always my guy. Especially after we became friends in the late ‘80s.
Ron Santo had the gift of making strangers feel like friends instantly. I watched him meet and greet thousands over the years, having the same impact on every person he met. Each person walked away feeling like they made a new friend.
I knew Ron Santo for over 30 years, and never once did I hear him complain about being sick or having diabetes or losing the bottom of both legs. Never once.
Playing for the Chicago Cubs from 1960 to 1973, then for a final season with the Chicago White Sox, Santo hit 342 career home runs, won five Gold Glove awards for fielding and was named an All-Star nine times.
He was a key figure on the 1969 Cubs team that was leading the Mets by 13 games in August before collapsing. That team gained a particularly agonizing niche in the star-crossed history of the Cubs, who have not won a pennant since 1945. But Santo endeared himself to the Bleacher Bums in their hard hats at Wrigley Field that summer by clicking his heels with joy after victories.
That Santo was on a major league field, let alone starring alongside the future Hall of Famers Ernie Banks, Billy Williams and Ferguson Jenkins, seemed remarkable.
When he took a routine physical in 1959, on the brink of making his Cubs debut, Santo was found to have juvenile diabetes. He began taking insulin within two years, but kept his diabetes a secret from the Cubs until being named to his first All-Star team in 1963, fearing that management’s knowledge of his illness might have damaged his career. He did not allow the public to know of his diabetes until his final years with the Cubs.
But here’s the thing: No matter what method you use, Santo was the dominant third baseman of his era — or at the very least in the top two. His contemporaries will tell you that. And so will the numbers. In the decade of the 1960s (admittedly an arbitrary period), he hit more homers, drove in more runs, drew more walks and had a higher slugging percentage than any other third baseman — including Hall-of-Famers Eddie Mathews and Brooks Robinson.
In fact, when you look at career OPS+, which adjusts for the differences in eras and ballparks, Santo ranks seventh all-time among third basemen (min. 5,000 plate appearances) — and of the six players ahead of him, five (Mike Schmidt, Mathews, George Brett, Home Run Baker and Wade Boggs) are already in the Hall of Fame, and the sixth (Chipper Jones) will be eventually.
And of those third basemen, only Mathews had a career that overlapped significantly with Santo (who was also the superior defensive player) — which means Santo was either the premier third baseman of his era, or a very close second. And in my estimation, that makes him a Hall-of-Famer.
Former Cubs President John McDonough compared Santo to Harry Caray, the broadcasting legend who called games for both Chicago teams, noting neither had a filter, broadcast with unvarnished emotion and were enormously entertaining.
Santo mangled names, sometimes lost track of what was going on in a game and occasionally didn’t realize a player had been on the roster for months, but none of that mattered because people loved it, McDonough said. “We almost thought he was doing it on purpose,” he said. “It added so much entertainment value.”
One of the rare times he saw Santo visibly upset, McDonough recalled, was after Frank Sinatra Jr. sang during the seventh-inning stretch years ago. As Sinatra left the booth, he turned to Santo and told him he thought Santo was one of the best pitchers he had ever seen. “Ronny lost it,” McDonough said.
Santo was the quintessential Cubs fan and made no apologies for his on-air cheerleading or his utter frustration over a bad play.
On many occasions, when Santo was upset with the way things were going for the team, a simple grunt or moan sufficed.
* As most of you know by now, Rep. Rich Myers passed away last night. Here are the arrangements…
The Myers family will receive friends at a visitation for State Representative Rich Myers from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, December 4 at the Scotland Trinity Presbyterian Church, 14950 North 900th Road in Macomb.
A Memorial Service will be held Sunday at 2 p.m. at the University Union Grand Ballroom on the Campus of Western Illinois University.
Burial will follow at Mt. Auburn Cemetery in Colchester. Mt. Auburn Cemetery is located in the north side of Colchester on the west side of the road to Argyle Lake.
Memorials can be made to Scotland Trinity Presbyterian Church, the McDonough District Hospital, and the Representative Rich Myers Agricultural Scholarship at Western Illinois University.
Those wishing to send flowers should have them delivered to the Scotland Trinity Presbyterian Church.
Rep. Myers’ obituary is here. Gov. Pat Quinn’s comments are here.
* The House wasn’t in session today, but Sen. John Sullivan delivered a heartfelt eulogy for Rep. Myers on the Senate floor…
* Like the headline says, Thursday was an emotional, sad day in the Senate. Sen. Mike Jacobs also rose to memorialize the late Joel Brunsvold…
* Sens. Willie Delgado and Mattie Hunter spoke about Rep. Myers, former Rep. Brunsvold and their own recent losses and gave thanks to their colleagues for their support during difficult times…
Gary Dahl abruptly resigned his seat in the Illinois Senate on Thursday.
The Granville Republican, who turns 70 on Sunday, leaves a two-year unexpired term that will be filled by appointment.
“I’m at a stage of my life where I’m thinking it’s time to spend more time with family and my business (Double D Express),” Dahl said. “After six years of serving in the state Senate (I was hoping) things would change down there but nothing has. I just feel it’s time to move on.”
Dahl said he’d contemplated resignation for some time but limited the discussion to family and staff. None of his peers were apprised of the decision prior to Thursday’s announcement. The decision, he said, was reinforced recently with the news that several lawmakers had passed away.
* Whether or not you agree with the civil unions bill that passed this week, you have to agree that Illinois will finally be known for something other than Rod Blagojevich - at least for a while. For that, I’m grateful.
But we still have this little $13 billion budget deficit problem to work out.
* I’m no fan of the idea that the General Assembly should focus solely on the budget and not bother with anything else at all until that problem is solved. Coming up with solutions will take time and there is plenty of other work to do. So, while I don’t necessarily agree with the sentiment behind Sen. John O. Jones’ remarks during the civil unions debate yesterday, he made a good point about how the governor was contacting members on behalf of civil unions, but hadn’t called anybody about the budget or the economy. Watch…
* During yesterday’s post-civil unions passage press conference, I asked Gov. Pat Quinn when he was going to start working on passing his income tax hike. Watch…
Yeah, I wasn’t thrilled with his answers, either, but one can only ask so many questions during a brief avail.
* You may or may not be a proponent of gaming expansion, but the governor didn’t seem to be all that interested in the proposal passed by the Senate yesterday…
A planned $3.5 billion clean-coal technology plant for Taylorville hit another snag Wednesday that will delay a vote on the plant until January.
A Senate committee was scheduled Wednesday to hold a hearing on a bill authorizing the plant that was approved in the House a day earlier. However, just as the hearing was about to begin, an announcement was made that the committee would not hold the hearing on the bill after all.
“I was told we didn’t have enough votes to get (the bill) out of committee,” said Sen. Deanna Demuzio, D-Carlinville. “I was told it would be best to hold it.”
The two advertisers on this blog have vastly different opinions about what that bill would do. But we’re talking a bunch of jobs and investment, so perhaps the governor could inject himself and help find an acceptable compromise.
* As you all know by now, a Statehouse legend is retiring later this month. Yesterday, the Illinois House paid tribute to Rep. Bill Black (R-Danville)…
House members gave Black, one of the senior members of the chamber, an extraordinarily warm and lengthy tribute. More than 30 of his colleagues, Republicans and Democrats, spoke and offered praise and thanks to the lawmaker known for his sometimes-bombastic, sometimes-eloquent speeches and for his playfulness.
“I hope you know how much I love this place, how much I love the process,” Black said in a 23-minute-long response to all the accolades from his colleagues . “Look around here. Look where you work. There are few people who ever get this privilege. This ain’t exactly a 6-foot by 6-foot cubicle. This is a phenomenally beautiful, historic building that has been well-maintained. And you should always consider it an honor and a privilege to sit in this chamber.” […]
Rep. Suzana Mendoza, D-Chicago, said she once heard a tape of Black tearing into another House member during floor debate.
“It was just horrifying. I couldn’t even make out the words because it was all screaming and yelling,” she said. “I thought, oh my God, people actually comport themselves in this chamber that way. I’m so scared of who that guy is.
“And then I met you. And how can you be so scared of Bill Black? I mean, you’re so awesomely cute.”
* The Question: What’s your favorite memory of Bill Black?
Also, I know I don’t have to say this, but let’s all be kind, please.
Springfield Catholic Bishop Thomas Paprocki on Wednesday challenged Gov. Pat Quinn’s support for legalization of civil unions. Quinn said Tuesday that his faith – Quinn was raised a Catholic — had inspired him to support civil unions.
“He did not say what religious faith that would be, but it certainly is not the Catholic faith,” Paprocki said in a statement. “If the governor wishes to pursue a secular agenda for political purposes, that is his prerogative for which he is accountable to the voters. But if he wishes to speak as a Catholic, then he is accountable to Catholic authority, and the Catholic Church does not support civil unions or other measures that are contrary to the natural moral law.”
Asked about the bishop’s statement, Quinn said, “I follow my conscience. My conscience is not kicking me in the shins today.”
David E. Smith, executive director of the Illinois Family Institute, said he’s talking to lawyers and “exploring options” to see if a lawsuit is possible. None is planned immediately, he said. “There’s no recourse that we can see,” Smith said.
* The one Senate Republican “Yes” vote was Sen. Dan Rutherford. Here’s his quietly eloquent floor speech…
* 10:43 am - A revised “fumigation” plan just passed the Senate unanimously.
HB 5057 would require the governor to submit names to the Senate for hundreds of agency directors, executive directors, their top aides and board and commission members whose terms have expired. If the governor doesn’t submit replacements, or doesn’t resubmit current occupants for confirmation, they’ll be automatically terminated.
* From Senate President Cullerton’s office…
The Illinois Senate today passed legislation that would push Governor Pat Quinn to start his first full term with a clean slate of new appointees. HB 5057 would cut off nearly 700 holdovers and vacancies 30 days after the law takes effect and require new nominations be forwarded to the Senate for public confirmation hearings.
“This bill isn’t about penalizing any individual public servant, it’s about preserving the checks and balances mandated by our state constitution,” said President Cullerton. “The beginning of a new General Assembly and Governor Quinn’s first full term can be a fresh start. It’s the right time to restore institutional practices that have fallen apart in Illinois over the last 10 years.”
The Senate confirmation process is one of the rare opportunities for the Senate and the public to review the work performance of top officials. However, hundreds of government appointees have continued in their state posts even though their terms long ago expired. A list supplied by President Cullerton’s office includes names of top officials from the Blagojevich and Ryan administrations that have remained in their positions for years without confirmation hearings.
Following the Senate President’s introduction of this bill, Governor Quinn reiterated his call for his cabinet members to resign as part of a reorganization of the administration. Nothing in the legislation prohibits those officials from being re-appointed for the jobs they’ve held. However, they would not be able to continue in their positions after 30 days if a new nomination is not sent to the Senate.
* Illinois paid a pretty high price for its tobacco bond sale yesterday…
Illinois drew robust investor interest for a $1.51 billion tobacco bond, but at a price: it offered a yield above 6% for its longest maturing debt, more than a full percentage point over other recent muni offerings.
The state agency selling the bond increased the size by about $50 million and shaved the yield 0.15 percentage point from its original starting point Tuesday, as the deal’s hefty return and conservative structure offset worries about Illinois’ finances and falling cigarette sales. Citigroup was the senior manager on the sale; Barclays Capital was the co-manager.
Most of that $1.3 billion the state will get up front will be used to pay off overdue state bills, which means we’re exchanging soft debt for hard, Wall Street debt. That’s risky business, but the state is so freaking broke it basically has no choice. We’re borrowing long-term for current operations. Scary stuff.
Some of the money, $47 million, will go to continue subsidizing the 26,000 jobs created by the formerly federally financed Put Illinois to Work Program. The federal subsidy expired during the campaign and the governor unilaterally extended the program with state money, but didn’t have a specific revenue source. So, now the state will be spending borrowed money to pay for this program.
The governor really needs to find a “real” revenue stream if he wants to keep this program alive. Ralph Martire makes a good point…
But not everyone thinks the sale of the bonds was a wise decision. Ralph Martire is executive director at the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability.
He said if the state is going to sell the bond, they should use the money to pay down the deficit.
“I think a pretty solid argument could be made that every penny of that $1.2 billion ought to be used to expend towards reducing the state’s current deficit,” he said.
“And frankly to spend that over $6 billion in past due bills we owe to providers that have to make their payroll and/or fire people and they’ve already delivered services. So there’s jobs on the line there, too.”
It shouldn’t have to be “either, or,” but there ought to be revenues out of existing funds to pay for this program.
* The price the state paid for the bonds wasn’t all the state’s fault, however…
Tobacco bonds are under particular scrutiny because Standard & Poor’s downgraded about $22 billion of them to junk status this month, citing a decline in cigarette sales, among other reasons. In August, a prominent analyst, Dick Larkin of Herbert J. Sims & Co., warned of possible tobacco-bond defaults by 2030, saying that assumptions about future tobacco sales were overly optimistic.
The state agency selling the bonds—Railsplitter Tobacco Settlement Authority—addressed such concerns with conservative revenue assumptions. Bondholders will still get paid even if cigarette consumption falls as much as 10% each year, compared with an average annual decline closer to 3% in the past decade, Mr. Sinsheimer said.
The state is pledging roughly twice the amount of cash flow needed to pay off the bonds over the next 17 years, which means cigarette consumption can decline 10% a year before cash flow gets close to the amount needed for debt service. While smoking declined 9.3% last year, the average decline has been 4% a year since 1998, according to Mr. Larkin.
If smoking declines by 4% a year over the next 17 years, the state will receive a total of about $4.9 billion in tobacco settlement payments and need about $2.2 billion for debt service, according to the prospectus for the bonds. The state will keep whatever amount is left each year after making payments on the bonds. […]
Essentially, the deal gives the state about $1.3 billion upfront after expenses and reserves, while shifting the risk that smoking will decline from the state to bondholders, with a very healthy cushion to minimize that risk.
“If smoking declines greater than 10%, then Illinois made a very smart move,” Mr. Larkin said. “It’s possible, but unlikely. I’m a smoker myself and I know how hard it is to quit.”
*** UPDATE 1 *** From Senate GOP Leader Christine Radogno…
– Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno (R-Lemont) is asking Gov. Pat Quinn to provide lawmakers with more information on the recent extension of his taxpayer-subsidized “Put Illinois to Work” program. Radogno is questioning the $47 million extension at a time when Illinois owes approximately $9 billion in overdue bills and faces a massive deficit, some estimate at roughly $15 billion.
“I don’t doubt the program’s intentions, but when the state is facing a $15 billion deficit and owes billions more in bonding and pension debt, we have an obligation to ask, ‘Is this program the most effective way to create the good-paying, permanent jobs that Illinois needs,” Radogno said.
“Not only is it a waste of taxpayer dollars to expand the program piece-by-piece without any plan or requirement that participants will ultimately see permanent employment, it’s cruel to the men and women who believe they’re working towards a long-term position.”
Radogno found it particularly troublesome that Quinn intends to use funds drawn from a recent tobacco settlement to cover the cost of the expansion. She noted that the Governor’s plan to use the recent bond sale proceeds to extend the program maybe be a violation of both the letter and intent of the law enacted authorizing the securitization of tobacco settlement funds to reduce the state’s bill backlog. Radogno also noted that the six-week extension will cost taxpayers for the next 18 years, at a ratio of more than 145 days of debt for every one day of the program.
In a letter sent to Thursday to Gov. Quinn, Radogno asked for information on the following:
• Of the 26,000 program participants, how many have transitioned to permanent, non-taxpayer-subsidized jobs with their “Put Illinois to Work” employers;
• How many participating employers have committed to offer permanent employment to these workers when the program concludes;
• What, if any, system of means testing has been implement to assure participating employers do not have the ability to pay employees’ wages, and are not using the program to increase profits, inflate stock values, reduce costs or delay hiring permanent workers; and
• What legal authority does the Governor have to use these bond proceeds to expand a new program, contrary to the purpose of the borrowing stated in the authorizing legislation.
“The answers to these questions are necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of the program, but I also consider Governor Quinn’s response to be an indicator of his ability to address the overarching fiscal challenges facing Illinois,” Radogno said.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Budget director Dave Vaught talks about the tobacco bond sale…
* Related…
* Tax-Exempt Securities Extend Rally as Investors Seek Safety:
* No surprise. The Cubs’ Wrigley Field proposal is dead, at least for now…
The Cubs’ plan to use 35 years’ worth of amusement-tax growth to finance a $200 million renovation of Wrigley Field — and back-stop the bonds with a 2 percent hotel tax — is dead, sources said Wednesday.
The setback for a plan the Cubs had hoped to ram through the state Legislature’s fall veto session has sent team officials back to the drawing board to search for alternatives that might include creating a tax-increment-financing (TIF) district around Wrigley.
Another possibility is to broaden the boundaries of a 1 percent tax on downtown restaurant meals used to finance McCormick Place. That tax currently extends as far north as Diversey. […]
John Patterson, a spokesman for Senate President John Cullerton (D-Chicago), added, ‘’Bond counsel has had technical issues with the financing of the backup plan. … If that issue can be resolved in the coming weeks, it could be called in January. If not, it will be revisited as we head into the new session.'’ […]
Another source said legislative leaders have told the Cubs to ‘’come back with a plan with a different backup that does not include the hotel tax. … It may involve a combination of things,'’ including a historic preservation tax credit.
* Things just haven’t been going well for the Ricketts family these days. Operating Engineers Local 150 set up a picket line recently to bring attention to the team’s use of non-union labor…
* Remember this comment by Sen. Rickey Hendon during the campaign?…
“I’ve never served with such an idiotic, racist, sexist, homophobic person in my life,” Hendon said before introducing Gov. Quinn. “If you think that the minimum wage needs to be three dollars an hour, vote for Bill Brady. If you think that women have no rights whatsoever, except to have his children, vote for Bill Brady. If you think gay and lesbian people need to be locked up and shot in the head, vote for Bill Brady.”
* Well, during the debate on the civil unions bill yesterday, Hendon claimed that he had attempted to apologize to Sen. Brady and was rebuffed. Watch…
“He just said I want to apologize, and I said, ‘Rickey, you know, you can’t apologize for that,’ ” Brady said. “That’s not something you apologize your way out of.”
Classless or justified?
* Sen. Hendon’s full floor speech on the civil unions bill is getting mad hits on YouTube. Watch…
We’ll have more videos a bit later.
* Brady, by the way, has not shied away from criticizing Gov. Pat Quinn. From Medill Reports…
Quinn “talks about cutting spending, but we have yet to see him do it,” Brady said in an interview in his Bloomington office. “His tax increases, I think, are going to further erode the economic job environment. He’s got some policies that aren’t going to help Illinois’s economy.”
Brady, who was sharply critical of Quinn’s leadership abilities during the campaign, said he doubts that Quinn has the muscle or moxie to manage tense relations with Senate President John Cullerton (D) and House Speaker Michael Madigan (D).
“The infighting has put our state in a bad position the past couple years,” Brady said. “Governor Quinn has yet proven to have the skill to… lead. So it will be interesting to see.” […]
Three weeks after the election, Brady and Quinn met for lunch at Manny’s Deli in the South Loop.
Among the topics, Brady said, was “the backlog of unpaid bills. The governor’s got to lead on fiscal discipline. He can’t let legislature do it and talk about making Illinois’ business climate conducive for job growth.”
Brady also said he would run for reelection in two years, then consider another bid for governor. He also admitted that Scott Lee Cohen may have cost him the election by taking protest votes away from him.
* Related…
* Hendon pledges to tone down after hypertension diagnosis
* 11:57 am - Sen. James Meeks said this morning that he intends to vote “No” on the civil unions bill when it comes up for a vote today.
This isn’t much of a surprise since Meeks’ record hasn’t exactly been pro-gay. But there had been some speculation that he might change his mind now that he’s running for mayor of Chicago. But Meeks said if he voted for the bill he’d be deemed a flip-flopper who was pandering for votes ahead of the mayoral election and he planned to stick to his principles.
Of course, the other side is it could be darned tough getting elected in Chicago with that “No” vote on his record.
* You can use this post to discuss the Senate’s civil unions debate, which ought to be soon. Watch or listen here.
• UPDATE: GOP Sen Dan Rutherford just announced that he would vote for the bill. Rutherford was just elected state treasurer.
• UPDATE: The bill passed 32-24 with Sen Ira Silverstein voting Present.
• UPDATE: Sen. Rutherford was the only Republican to vote for the bill.
A notary public says her signature was forged on 400-plus nominating petition sheets filed by Chicago mayoral hopefuls Rob Halpin and James Meeks — a development that raises new questions for the supposedly rival candidates.
A signature and notary seal for Maricela Rodriguez appear on more than 25 percent of Halpin’s 1,185 petitions, including 266 circulated by a homeless sex offender, Arthur J. Hardy Jr.
Hardy also circulated 316 petitions for Meeks. Rodriguez isn’t listed as notarizing any of those sheets, but she does appear as the notary for 97 of the 4,691 petitions Meeks submitted to Chicago elections officials.
Despite that, Rodriguez, a district manager for a currency-exchange company, says she didn’t notarize any petitions for Halpin or Meeks.
So, to sum up, the implied allegation here is that Meeks and Halpin hired a homeless sex offender to gather petitions, who then allegedly forged a notary’s seal on the petitions he gathered for Halpin, but not for Meeks. However, somebody else allegedly forged that same notary’s seal on some other Meeks petitions.
Mr. Meeks says he believes the gatherer, Arthur Hardy Jr., effectively worked as a subcontractor for someone else whom his campaign had hired at the end of his petition drive to collect signatures on his nominating petitions.
Mr. Meeks says he does not know the name of that person but adds, “There was no coordination at all with Halpin. I don’t know him. I never met him.”
This may be the fault of the person who was hired by the campaign who also hired Hardy. It would be helpful if we knew who that was.
* As I’ve said before, Rahm Emanuel may or may not have a solid residency case, but this might all come down to the judge he draws…
‘Rahm Emanuel may be the 800-pound gorilla in the mayor’s race,” said a savvy politico who phoned the other day, “but remember that Ed Burke is the 800-pound gorilla when it comes who gets to be a judge in this town. Keep your eye on the Daley Center.” […]
What my politico caller was asking was whether a judge blessed by Burke would be brave enough to rule strictly on the merits of the case, wherever that ruling might go.
Everybody knows Burke cannot stand Rahm Emanuel and is instead backing former schools and City Colleges chairman Gery Chico.
But another politico I called, one equally well steeped in Chicago politics, laughed at the notion that a ruling on Rahm Emanuel’s residency might depend on whether a judge felt beholden.
“Once a judge gets to the bench,” he told me somewhat ruefully, “they forget everybody.” It wasn’t a compliment.
Despite the politics involved in picking our judges, there are some excellent people on the bench in Cook County.
Then again, there are some utterly incompetent ones as well.
* Related…
* Sandi Jackson runs for re-election as alderman, not city clerk
* Those who worry about lame ducks getting too far out of control should look at the medical marijuana bill, which came up way short yesterday afternoon in the House. The bill needed 60 votes, but when all was said and done it got 53…
After nearly two hours of sometimes passionate debate, the measure fell just a handful of votes short of the 60 needed to advance to the Senate, which must approve changes made in the House before it can go to Gov. Pat Quinn’s desk.
Under the legislation, certain patients could obtain medical-grade marijuana from state-regulated dealers for use in their homes.
Patients would have to receive permission from a physician to apply for a license. The Illinois Department of Public Health would then authorize the person to obtain three marijuana plants per month.
All of you know where I stand on this issue. I’m not sure this is the greatest bill in the world, however. Three plants per month seems a bit much. Not that I would know anything about that, of course.
* And then there was the death penalty abolition bill, which wasn’t called for a floor vote yesterday for lack of support…
A House committee [yesterday] morning voted to abolish the state’s death penalty, after a contentious debate, with critics alleging the bill was being rushed through the Legislature for political reasons.
The measure could come to a House floor vote as early as [yesterday] afternoon. “I’m still counting votes. [Monday] night we had 58,'’ said the sponsor, state Rep. Karen Yarbrough, D-Broadview. It needs 60 for House passage, and then would move to the Senate.
The House is losing some members today, so it’s fate, as they say, remains uncertain.
* Some other big stuff did pass, however. The Tenaska folks won the House round, but they have a tough fight ahead in the Senate…
The $3.5-billion “clean coal” power plant that has been the subject of a fierce lobbying war in Springfield between labor and business interests was approved on a second vote late Tuesday in the Illinois state House of Representatives.
The bill, which would require Illinois ratepayers and business users of electricity to purchase the Downstate Taylorville power plant’s output for 30 years, initially was narrowly defeated Tuesday and then was held, allowing Speaker Michael Madigan to call it for another vote later.
The Tenaska bill passed 63-50 on the second vote, after having lost by two votes the first time around.
Some lawmakers said on the floor that the second vote for the clean coal plant Downstate was a trade for the vote earlier in the day in favor of a $3-billion synthetic gas plant on Chicago’s South Side.
Subscribers know the rest of that interesting little story.
* And some sweeping changes were approved for police and firefighter pension funds in the House yesterday without much debate…
— Changes the standard retirement age for police and firefighters from age 50 to age 55. Police and firefighters could retire early starting at age 50, but would lose 6 percent for each year before 55.
– Reduces benefits to a surviving spouse from 100 percent to 67 percent of the deceased police officer’s or firefighter’s pension.
– Cost of living increases — the lesser of 3 percent or one-half of the urban consumer price index — would not kick in until a public safety employee or surviving spouse reach age 60.
– Starting in 2015, pension funds could petition the state comptroller to subtract funds from tax money owed to the cities by the state if a city does not make complete payments to the system.
* The bill received a whopping 95 votes, even though it was hotly opposed by Mayor Daley, who sent his chief legislative liaison to town yesterday…
The bill established a steep yearly payment schedule for Chicago to restore the city’s underfunded police and fire retirement funds to financial health, but Daley warned the extra $548 million the city will have to pump into city police and fire pension funds by 2015 could leave homeowners stuck with higher property taxes.
“You cannot place the financial problems on the back of every homeowner in Chicago. Besides that, every business in Chicago. That will make our city basically a city that will have a financial disaster,” Daley said.
* Roundup…
* Bill to abolish death penalty passes House committee
* Police, fire pension reforms pass Illinois House - Benefits for future hires would be reduced
* I covered the years-long debate here over whether to include sexual orientation in the state’s human rights code. There were plenty of predictions of doom and gloom back then if the bill passed. It did pass, and I cannot remember a single instance where this law has created undue controversy or hardship. People generally expect the worst when big changes happen, but that rarely ever turns out to be the case.
So, let’s all try to keep a cool head as the civil unions bill moves through the Senate today. I banned one of the bill’s opponents yesterday for some very weird, over the top comments. Some of the proponents got a bit too hot-headed as well, but I was too busy covering the event to monitor comments as closely as I should have. Let’s try not to let that happen again today, please. We can have a vigorous debate without resorting to needless insults, or breathless remarks or drive-by bumper-sticker slogans. Thanks.
Robert F. Gilligan, the Catholic Conference’s executive director, said he is disappointed that civil unions passed, but now is focused on lobbying senators to vote it down Wednesday. Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, is an avid supporter of the bill, and supporters have considered the House a tougher obstacle
Gilligan said he was particularly dismayed that the bill passed during a lame-duck session. The measure got a boost from as many as a dozen lawmakers who will not return because they are retiring or were defeated in the Nov. 2 election.
First, every lame duck member who voted for civil unions was either elected two years ago or (in one case) constitutionally appointed to the seat. Those legislators all serve until January under our Constitution. This is a legitimate vote.
Second, the Catholic Conference of Illinois is actively supporting SB 3539 during the veto session. That bill would abolish the death penalty. If it’s OK for lame ducks to abolish the death penalty, why isn’t it acceptable for those same legislators to establish civil unions?
During the House floor debate on civil unions, Harris told his colleagues that Illinois senior citizens as a whole would possibly benefit more than same sex couples from legalizing civil unions because under civil unions they could have the best of both worlds — maintain their federal Social Security benefits and still gain the right to jointly occupy nursing homes as well as determine their partner’s medical care.
Indeed, Rep. Harris’ comments may be a worse slam to the sanctity of marriage than allowing the state recognition of same sex couples. With the passage of civil unions for same sex and opposite sex couples, Harris’ comments suggested those widowed senior citizens that choose to traditionally marry a subsequent life partner of the opposite sex with the blessing of their church will foolishly give up federal and state financial resources.
Churches don’t issue marriage licenses, government does. So, why couldn’t two seniors decide to join in civil union and then ask their church to sanctify it with a wedding ceremony? The church wouldn’t have to do it, of course, but they could.
* It might be better if Gov. Pat Quinn would leave his religion out of this debate…
Cardinal Francis George and other Catholic leaders have fought civil unions, but Quinn, who is Catholic, said he has no reservations about supporting the measure.
“My religious faith animates me to support this bill. I think that people of good faith, maybe, can disagree and have different points of view,” Quinn said.
I completely concur that people of faith can disagree on this, but I’m not a Roman Catholic. If I was a Catholic, like Quinn, I’m not sure I could say that.
* Now, on to some videos. First up, the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Greg Harris…
GOVERNOR QUINN ANNOUNCES ILLINOIS INAUGURAL COMMITTEE 2011 AND SCHEDULE OF INAUGURAL EVENTS
CHICAGO - Today, Governor Pat Quinn announced the creation of the Illinois Inaugural Committee 2011. The Committee is a non-partisan, not-for-profit organization responsible for the planning of the 2011 Inaugural events, with the newly-elected constitutional officers serving as honorary co-chairs. The Inauguration is dedicated to the people of Illinois – showcasing their strength, spirit and character. All funds for the Inaugural events will be raised from private donors and any remaining funds will be contributed to the Illinois Military Family Relief Fund.
“The 2011 Inauguration marks the start of a new era in Illinois Government,” said Governor-Elect Pat Quinn. “This committee will work closely with all the Constitutional Officers to present Inaugural events that will bring Illinoisans together in a bipartisan way that will move our State forward.”
The Inauguration will be held in Springfield on Monday, Jan. 10. All events will be held in Springfield; schedule as follows:
Sunday, Jan. 9
* Gold Star Families Reception (military families only): 4 p.m. - 6 p.m. at the Executive Mansion. The Governor and his family will welcome Gold Star family members for a reception honoring their loved ones.
Monday, Jan. 10
* Inter-Faith Service: 9 a.m. - 10 a.m. (doors will open at 8:15 a.m.) at the First Presbyterian Church (321 South 7th Street). The Governor and his family will join the Constitutional Officers and their families for an interfaith service.
* Inaugural Ceremony: 11 a.m. -1 p.m. (doors will open at 8:00 a.m.) at the Prairie Convention Center. The Governor and the Constitutional Officers will take the Oath of Office and deliver their inaugural addresses.
* Executive Mansion Open House: 2:30p.m. – 4:30 p.m. at the Executive Mansion. Governor Pat Quinn will be joined by Lieutenant Governor-Elect Sheila Simon in greeting the public at the Executive Mansion.
* Inaugural Ball: 8 p.m. – Midnight at the Prairie Convention Center. The Governor and Constitutional Officers will take part in the traditional Inaugural Ball.
More information on the Illinois Inauguration 2011 can be found at http://www.IIC2011.com.
So far, the event’s website lists just two corporate sponsors, the Merchandise Mart and Chicago-Copywriter.com.
* The Question: Who else should sponsor the governor’s inauguration?
