Caption contest!
Friday, Oct 18, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* AFSCME Council 31 Executive Director Henry Bayer has been reelected…
Henry is often ascerbic, but he’s unapologetically and unabashedly pro-union and has built one of the most impressive public employee organizations in the country.
* Let’s congratulate Henry on his reelection with a little caption contest, shall we?…
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Fun with numbers
Friday, Oct 18, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* This would be very troubling if true…
State Sen. Dave Luechtefeld (R-Okawville), is voicing concern over increasing violence in the state’s Department of Corrections, noting the number of inmate-on-staff assaults are up more than 20 percent in the most recent fiscal year that ended June 30.
“530 officers and other frontline staff were assaulted during Fiscal Year 2013, that number is a sharp increase from the previous 428. By looking at the Department’s figures we also see that this is the highest number of hits since FY 2004,” Luechtefeld said. “Our primary concern is for the staff at these institutions and we will remain steadfast in our support of their safety and ensuring that our correctional centers do not revert back to a more turbulent and violent time.”
Using the Illinois Department of Correction’s (IDOC) own numbers, Luechtefeld found the number of inmate-on-staff assaults at the state’s correctional centers is at the highest rate of assaults in 10 years.
* There are big problems with this analysis, however. According to Corrections, they count assaults differently today than they did in FY2004. Back then, minor things like spitting on a guard were not listed as assaults. Now they are. IDOC also has two classifications of assaults, regular and “serious.” The “serious” assaults are similar to what they counted as assaults ten years ago. Also, there are more inmates now than back then.
* IDOC’s full response…
Serious assaults on staff in Illinois prisons were down in FY13 and serious assaults of all types were down 35 percent in the same period. As for the FY13 overall assault total being “…highest since FY04,” please keep in mind we now have 10.5 percent more inmates than 10 years ago.
Most important, unlike FY04, IDOC now chooses to classify even very minor physical occurrences such as spitting, throwing food or an I.D. as an assault if they so much as touch a guard’s shoe. Also, when guards break up inmate fights, that could be an assault on staff. All of this inflates assault numbers.
Why do we practice these classifications? Because it increases safety and security by creating an atmosphere of zero tolerance. Inmates know that even the slightest behavior issue will hurt their earned time. Calling them out on small matters keeps them in line, which is why overall serious assaults are down 35 percent. By the way, inmate-on-inmate serious assaults were down 51 percent from FY12 to FY13.
Regarding Pontiac Correctional Center, only 21 percent of assaults there (75 of 345) over the past three calendar years were serious. As for former Tamms inmates, it will take some time to individually check each of those 345 mostly minor incidents, but according to the Warden, an Assistant Warden and numerous staff at Pontiac, former Tamms inmates are no more involved in assaults than are other inmates. In fact, early indications show they are less involved.
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Websites behaving badly
Friday, Oct 18, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I’m not the only one with site problems today. Steve Rhodes…
The Sun-Times website has been driving me crazy for weeks now, as it frequently does, by freezing my browser as it loads . . . and loads . . . and loads. I don’t know if they’re running some hellacious script over there, but I’m not going back for awhile.
The Tribune and the Sun-Times websites were both crashing my browsers today. Insane.
* Also, Gatehouse’s awful pop-under which displays their “Up to the Minute” page has got to be revamped. It causes a huge memory leak that inevitably crashes my browser if I don’t close it right away. I cannot tell you how many incomplete blog posts I’ve lost because of that stupid page.
A week or two ago, I woke up in the morning to find that everything on my computer was unbelievably slow. I finally realized that one of those moronic “Up to the Minute” pages had been left open all night. I have a Mac. It takes a lot to stop a Mac. But Gatehouse (SJ-R, PJStar, RRStar, etc.) routinely does so. Enough, already.
Hey, if I want to see a site’s latest posts, I’ll just refresh my browser, OK? Stop causing harm.
* And while I’m at it, my paid Crain’s subscription works fine on my home computer, but their site won’t let me access their subscriber content on my laptop. Ugh!
* Are there any particularly nasty website problems out there that you’d like to talk about?
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* Back in 2011, the governor and all four legislative leaders signed on to a bill pushed by the Illinois Retail Merchants Association. The idea was to protect physical retailers from being undercut by online retailers who don’t charge sales taxes. It flew out of both chambers and was quickly signed into law.
Here’s a basic summary of the law from an Illinois Supreme Court ruling today which struck the statute down…
(O)ut-of-state internet retailers and servicemen are required to collect state use tax if they have a contract with a person in Illinois who displays a link on his or her website that connects an Internet user to that remote retailer or serviceman’s website. There is no requirement under the Act that sales be made to Illinois residents to subject the out-of-state retailer or serviceman to Illinois use tax obligations, and there is no requirement that the computer server hosting the Illinois affiliate’s website be located in Illinois. Both new definitions are limited, however, to referral contracts that generate over $10,000 per year.
As a result, Amazon immediately announced that it was ending its Illinois affiliate program and many of those larger affiliates fled to other states.
* All for naught, however. The Court’s conclusion…
The parties’ joint stipulation of facts states that an Internet affiliate does not receive or transmit customer orders, process customer payments, deliver purchased products, or provide presale or postsale customer services. Further, an Internet affiliate displaying a link on its website does not know the identity of Internet users who click on the link, and after a user connects to the retailer’s website, the affiliate has no further involvement with the user.
It is clear, therefore, that there is no interaction between an affiliate and a customer, and no “active” solicitation occurs on the part of the Internet affiliate. The click-through link makes it easier for the customer to reach the out-of-state retailer, but the link is not different in kind from advertising using promotional codes that appear, for example, in Illinois newspapers or Illinois radio broadcasts.
In short, under the Act, performance marketing over the Internet provides the basis for imposing a use tax collection obligation on an out-of-state retailer when a threshold of $10,000 in sales through the clickable link is reached.
However, national, or international, performance marketing by an out-of-state retailer which appears in print or on over-the-air broadcasting in Illinois, and which reach same dollar threshold, will not trigger an Illinois use tax collection obligation. The relevant provisions of the Act therefore impose a discriminatory tax on electronic commerce within the meaning of the [federal Internet Tax Freedom Act].
The federal law referenced in the opinion expressly prohibits “discriminatory taxes on electronic commerce.”
*** UPDATE *** From IRMA…
“It’s disappointing that the Illinois Supreme Court did not address the constitutionality of the issue, but rather erred in its conclusion that the act violated the Internet Tax Freedom act.
“We haven’t given up. There are other avenues for appeal we hope the state will take.
“This underscores the need for action in Washington to quickly pass the Marketplace Fairness Act.
“Working with a hodgepodge of laws around the country is intolerable, and brick and mortar retailers continue to be at a substantial disadvantage to their online competitors.”
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* Daily Herald…
A new conservative group will meet Saturday in Lake County to talk to potential primary challengers to Republican state Rep. Ed Sullivan of Mundelein, one of three Illinois Republicans who have pledged to vote for same-sex marriage.
The meeting is being arranged by Illinois Families First, a Chicago-based political action committee led by conservative Paul Caprio, who on Wednesday called Sullivan a “Cadillac representative of everything that is wrong with this state.”
Caprio said the group will be prepared to spend a lot of money to defeat Sullivan in a Republican primary but won’t coordinate with the potential candidate, possibly setting up a high-profile battle over same-sex marriage in the suburbs. […]
“I’m willing to lose my job over this issue,” Sullivan said Wednesday. “But it won’t be without a fight.”
Rep. Sullivan says on his Facebook page that the candidate will likely be Bob Bednar of Mundelein. Bednar won a primary last year for Lake County Recorder of Deeds, but got stomped 59-41 in the general.
If you have some time, go to Sullivan’s FB page and check out the flame war in his comments. Wow.
* In other Sullivan-related news, Caprio’s Illinois Families First has been spending cash against Rep. Sullivan. From the Twitters…
* I told subscribers about this earlier in the week…
State Sen. Kirk Dillard of Hinsdale says there’s no relation between a $12,300 donation his campaign for governor made to the conservative Family PAC and an effort by the group’s director, Paul Caprio, to find a primary election opponent for Republican state Rep. Ed Sullivan of Mundelein.
Caprio has vowed to work against Sullivan, who supports same-sex marriage.
The late-September donation from Dillard is labeled as “marriage telemarketing/grassroots” in campaign records. Dillard spokesman Wes Bleed says the money was to be used to help the campaign network with Family PAC supporters and not to work against Republican candidates.
That’s not the explanation that Caprio gave me, but whatever.
Dillard raises almost no money, yet he still finds a way to give $12,300 to Caprio’s group. Priorities, priorities.
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Quinn again shuts off UNO money
Friday, Oct 18, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Sun-Times…
For the second time this year, Gov. Pat Quinn has suspended state funding to the scandal-scarred United Neighborhood Organization, the biggest charter-school operator in Illinois.
A Quinn spokeswoman said Thursday the state has frozen the final $15 million of a $98 million state school-construction grant that the Illinois Legislature promised UNO in 2009 to help build a network of charter schools.
“As a result of our own internal review conducted earlier this year, we have not approved any new projects, and we have suspended future capital projects,” spokeswoman Sandra M. Jones said. […]
Quinn restored the state funding in early June, saying he was confident UNO had implemented reforms, including the appointment of a new board chairman. Longtime UNO boss Juan Rangel stepped down as board chairman but has remained as the charter operator’s $250,000-a-year chief executive. Rangel served as Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s 2011 campaign co-chairman.
Less than three weeks after the state restored funding, Quinn’s Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity — which oversees the grant — got a letter from the SEC requesting documents about UNO.
* Quinn had cited the appointment of Martin Cabrera Jr. as the reason why he restored funding. Cabrera is a close ally and business partner of powerful Chicago Ald. Ed Burke, who personally asked Quinn to restore UNO’s funding. Burke was a major contributor to Quinn’s 2010 campaign.
But Cabrera Capital Markets, which Martin Cabrera founded and runs, was one of two underwriters for a $37.5 million 2011 UNO bond issue. And when the SEC came calling, Cabrera beat a retreat and abruptly resigned as UNO’s chairman.
Cabrera Capital Markets has become a major national player. The company has nine office locations, including NYC and LA, and it was one of Facebook’s underwriters for the social network’s 2012 IPO.
* Needless to say, an SEC investigation into a bond deal for a charter school outfit which has gazillions of political ties to every major Democratic political player in this state could turn out to be very enlightening indeed.
However, allow me once again to complain about the federal government’s priorities here. We get an SEC investigation into a relatively minor bond deal, while the banksters who shoved the world’s economy off a cliff are still walking free. And while the US Attorney for southern Illinois uses the Sherman Antitrust Act to shut down and prosecute a Metro East tax sales ring, the Justice Department refuses to even consider the possibility of prison for the eager, knowing and willing participants in the greatest financial scam the planet has ever seen.
I’m not complaining about the local investigations one bit. I just wonder why it’s always the little fish who are targeted, while the monster fish swim away.
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Davis’ lead grows over Harold
Friday, Oct 18, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Harold could destroy her political future if she winds up getting thumped this badly next March…
A recent poll of Republican voters in the 13th Congressional District gives incumbent Rep. Rodney Davis a 4-to-1 lead over his Republican challenger, Urbana attorney Erika Harold.
The poll of 859 Republicans, taken Oct. 10, showed that Davis was the choice of 63.15 percent of the likely Republican voters, to 15.95 percent for Harold. About 21 percent of those polled were undecided. The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.34 percent.
A poll taken exactly four months earlier, on June 10, by the same Springfield polling firm, We Ask America, found that Republicans favored Davis, 53.55 percent to 16.38 percent.
“This is going to be a very tough road for a challenger in a Republican primary,” said Gregg Durham, the CEO of We Ask America. “Republicans seem to be favoring the incumbent, and for a challenger with limited means who is not willing to throw bombs — I think she’s more or less said she’s going to run a positive campaign — absent a major scandal, it’s hard to find a path to success for her.” […]
“I wouldn’t suggest right now that these will be the final numbers,” he said of the poll, “but I would suggest that I’ve never seen someone with these type of numbers win, absent a major scandal.”
Durham is spot on.
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Illiana approved
Friday, Oct 18, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Daily Herald…
Amid a split among suburban leaders, the controversial Illiana Expressway received a shot in the arm Thursday when a planning board endorsed the road, marking a significant political victory for Gov. Pat Quinn.
The Illiana is a proposed tollway linking I-55 in the south suburbs with I-65 in Indiana that would be built as a public-private partnership. While Quinn and the Illinois Department of Transportation are backing it as a vital piece of infrastructure, the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning warns it will cost taxpayers up to $1.1 billion.
CMAP’s powerful Metropolitan Planning Organization policy committee voted 11 to 8 in favor of putting the roadway on the GO TO 2040 plan, which now makes it eligible for federal funding. The MPO includes county board chairman, transit agencies and transportation industry representatives.
* Tribune…
The toll road through Will County would connect Interstate 55 at Wilmington, I-57 near Peotone and I-65 near Lowell, Ind. Supporters said it would create 9,000 short-term jobs and generate thousands more over the next three decades.
In a separate vote, the Policy Committee also gave IDOT the authority to spend more than $80 million for more engineering and land acquisition. IDOT has already spent about $40 million in planning work on the project. […]
Voting in favor of the Illiana were the county chairmen or their representatives from Will, DuPage, Kane, Kendall and Lake counties, along with officials from the Illinois Tollway, Metra and Pace.
Opponents included representatives from Cook and McHenry counties, the city of Chicago and the CTA and the Regional Transportation Authority.
The RTA has, as a matter of routine, dissed the south suburbs for years on transit projects. Now its hostility has extended to privately backed toll roads. Sheesh.
* What’s next…
Now, the project is set to go out to bid in early November, according to Illinois Transportation Secretary Anne Schneider, who chairs the policy committee. The state is looking for proposals from investment firms that are partnered with engineering and contracting companies.
Schneider said the Federal Highway Administration also needs to approve environmental studies before construction begins on the highway, which she hopes will happen by the end of 2014 or early in 2015.
* However, litigation is almost guaranteed…
Chicago’s Environmental Law and Policy Center, an Illiana foe, is “reviewing all of our legal options,” according to deputy executive director Kevin Brubaker.
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Question of the day
Friday, Oct 18, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* SJ-R…
Proponents of a gay marriage bill said Wednesday they want to see the legislation addressed during the General Assembly’s veto session that begins next week.
However, they would not discuss specifics of how many votes they believe there are for the bill in the Illinois House after a summer-long effort to build support.
“We don’t comment publicly on roll call,” John Kohlhelpp, campaign manager for Illinois Unites for Marriage, told The State Journal-Register editorial board. “We take that from our sponsor (Rep. Greg Harris, D-Chicago). He says we are within striking distance.” […]
[Rep. Kelly Cassidy, D-Chicago] said it is imperative that Illinois legalize gay marriage “to address the harm that’s been done since we failed to pass in the spring and the world changed when the (federal) defense of marriage act was struck down.”
* The Question: Should the sponsors bring the gay marriage bill to the House floor for a 3rd Reading vote even if they’re not sure if they have enough votes to pass it? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
survey hosting
And if the poll gets freeped like the last one on this topic, I’ll just shut it down and we’ll rely solely on commenters.
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And we’re back
Friday, Oct 18, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* According to my web hosting guys, my server became corrupted last night. They’re not sure how yet, but this being Illinois I’m guessing corruption is everywhere and the possibilities are almost infinite.
Anyway, here’s an #OscarThePuppy video to tide you over while I get a post together. Oscar isn’t supposed to play with newspapers because he shreds them, but they’re one of his favorite things. He usually does really well with the “Drop it” command when it comes to his toys, but not so much with newspapers, as you’ll see…
…Adding… A recent aftermath of Oscar’s love for newspapers and magazines…
Heh.
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* One of the more over the top fundraising appeals I’ve ever seen. From the Illinois Family Institute. Emphasis added…
As a father of six children, I often wonder what Illinois will be like in twenty years. What will it be like for your children and grandchildren?
We cannot know for sure. We can’t predict the future. Only God knows for certain.
I do know, however, that things are sure to be worse, much worse for our children, if we don’t do something now to stop the moral collapse, which will be hastened if our lawmakers undermine marriage by legalizing same-sex “marriage.”
I am doing everything in my power to prevent that from happening. I’ve put tens of thousands of miles on my car and logged weeks away from my family to fight this evil agenda in 2013, and I need your help today.
I’m not alone in making sacrifices. Many courageous people are stepping up and doing their part, including the staff and a dozen or so dedicated volunteers at IFI. I need you to do your part today.
The Chicago Sun Times admitted this week that Leftists are still “shy” of the votes they need to pass homosexual “marriage.” And that is because you have refused to stay silent. Now we must finish what we started earlier this year. We must show up in Springfield again. The politicians need to know how strongly you feel about this attack on common sense, reason, and decency. They have to understand that marriage redefinition isn’t as popular as some politicians and media pundits want you to believe it is.
And our politicians need to know that we aren’t going to allow them to ignore the best interests and rights of children and individual religious liberties without a fight. I can do no less for my children. It is my duty. It is our duty.
A friend told me about a group of WWII veterans from Iowa that drove all the way to Washington D.C. this week. They risked arrest by passing through the barricades set up by the president to keep veterans from viewing their monuments. We should be inspired to defend marriage with the same courage, conviction, tenacity, and sacrifice that the greatest generation fought to defend American principles and to honor their fallen. If we don’t stop the enemy from achieving his goal of destroying the family, there won’t be any monuments to visit. America will collapse. It is only a matter of time. Read Genesis 19.
I need your help today to continue the fight against this anti-family agenda. It takes a lot of money to pay staff, keep the bills paid, maintain our full-time office, host Pastors’ Breakfasts, travel to every part of the state, run ads, send out mailings, produce a timely and relevant website, and organize a huge Lobby Day(s). In just one week the October 23rd Lobby Day will be over. The bills won’t wait for next week.
And the truth is, the bills are mounting, and they must be paid.
We don’t get any money from the government or from the mega-rich like our adversaries do. We rely on the Holy Spirit moving in the hearts of his people: moms and dads, grandmothers, and grandfathers from all across the state.
Would you show your support for this cause and our work. Would you take a couple of minutes to make an online contribution?
Maybe you cannot be in Springfield next Wednesday.
You can make a donation.
I don’t hesitate in asking for your financial support. I am not ashamed. I’d beg you for your support if that would help. This cause is that important to me, and the Illinois Family Institute is that effective.
I know it is important to you as well. Please help your Illinois Family Institute remain strong in this fight.
Thanks for not delaying in making your contribution.
God be with you and with the great state of Illinois.
David E. Smith, Executive Director
Illinois Family Institute
* Meanwhile, back on Planet Earth, a new Fako & Associates poll has been released in Demcratic Rep. John D’Amico’s Northwest Side district. D’Amico tells Mark Brown he’s still undecided…
A new poll commissioned by Illinois Unites for Marriage Equality indicates D’Amico’s constituents — at least those likely to vote in a Democratic primary — strongly support legalizing same-sex marriage with 66 percent in favor compared to only 24 percent against.
The poll of 351 likely Democratic voters, conducted by Lisle-based Fako & Associates, has a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points.
You always have to consider the source with any poll, although D’Amico conceded this one appears legitimate.
Still, D’Amico did not sound persuaded by the results, especially with the poll’s concentration on Democratic voters.
D’Amico said he’s “got a whole district to represent,” not just those who take a Democratic ballot.
“I’ve seen a lot of numbers thrown at me,” he said. “I’m trying to feel it out for myself.”
D’Amico said he expects to rely more on “my own unscientific poll, talking to people.”
D’Amico is Mayor Emanuel’s floor leader, so he’s under extreme pressure to vote for the bill.
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Big vote today on Illiana Expressway
Thursday, Oct 17, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Mayor Rahm Emanuel talks about his opposition to the privately financed Illiana Expressway…
Emanuel said he doesn’t consider the project a benefit. “I don’t see Illiana as in the self-interest of the city of Chicago, from a competitive standpoint,” he said last week. Emanuel did not elaborate, but experts point to the importance of the thriving and competitive freight industry in Chicago and the surrounding region.
Not to mention O’Hare and Midway because of the proposed expressway’s proximity to Peotone. Chicago mayors have always guarded O’Hare, but keep in mind that Emanuel is attempting to privatize Midway, and that’ll probably be more difficult if a third airport is a likely prospect.
* A key vote is expected later today…
The final decision will come this evening. That’s when a little-known but powerful panel, the Policy Committee of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, is scheduled to vote on whether to endorse the proposed Illiana Expressway, moving it to the top of the region’s transportation priorities, or to place the south suburban road in a lower category, something that would make it ineligible for federal funding and likely kill it.
At this point, neither side appears to have a win sewn up. As of last night, one well-placed observer had it eight votes in favor, eight against and three undecided. In other words, a dead heat, depending on who actually shows up.
* Sen. Mark Kirk recently penned an op-ed in favor of the expressway…
Public-private partnership procurements are complicated. They take time to put together, with significant input from private industry regarding their structure and terms. Halting the Illiana Expressway’s progress now eliminates this option.
It may be that the market determines that the highway is not a good investment. If that is the case and the project does not make financial sense, then it should not move forward. To be sure, managing financial risk to the taxpayer should be the No. 1 priority for any public-private partnership.
But expecting a ready-made deal before a project is allowed to pursue private investment is a recipe for failure and hamstrings the very innovation that public-private partnerships promise.
Our infrastructure in Illinois is aging, and we don’t have the resources to keep up with demand. The Illiana Expressway is an opportunity to explore a new way to address how we invest in transportation, and one that I am excited to see move forward.
* My buddy Greg Hinz is an ardent Illiana foe and had this to say to Kirk…
Mr. Kirk really does run the risk of badly tarnishing his green shield. Building roads to nowhere to suck jobs and people out of the central area is antithetical to everything good urban planning ought to be about.
And throwing around money we don’t have — hey, Senator, remember all those speeches you made about how Illinois is bankrupt? — won’t impress any true fiscal conservative.
I seriously doubt that if the investors take a pass that the road will be built. But investor interest is reportedly quite strong, so I’m not too worried about costs. And this is a toll road, remember.
* Greg and I have shared e-mails back and forth about the Illiana, and this was a main contention of his that he also wrote about in his blog…
Above and beyond that is the fact that not only CMAP’s integrity but also the core future of the Chicago area is at stake in this decision. For once, the area has an agency that is trying to prioritize spending decisions so that the most needed projects get the money. But if Mr. Quinn gets his way on this one, the message will go out loud and clear that the bad old days are back, that dividing up the government pie is a free-for-all without rules in which every side just leans on their favorite pol to get their way.
You gotta admit, Mark Kirk and Pat Quinn make an odd couple. Even in Illinois. Just what are you up to, Senator?
…Adding… An insider with some knowledge of the roll call says he believes the pro-Illiana forces have lined up 11 votes. Ten are needed to win. Stay tuned.
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Question of the day
Thursday, Oct 17, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The DuPage Convention & Visitors Bureau is running a sweepstakes…
Just 20 miles west of Chicago, DuPage County is less than a day’s drive from more than half the nation’s population—making it an ideal destination for a weekend road trip.
DuPage County can be beautiful in fall and winter, and we offer lots of seasonal activities, unique events, value-added hotel packages, and special discounts and deals to make your trip especially enjoyable.
Come and discover a road trip that’s just your style in DuPage County, Chicago’s western suburbs!
DuPage Weekend Road Trip Sweepstakes
Enter to win a DuPage County weekend sponsored by the DuPage Convention & Visitors Bureau and its partners:
* A $500 BP gas card
* A “car care” basket full of goodies
* An overnight stay, breakfast and spa credits at the luxurious Hotel Arista in Naperville, Illinois
One lucky winner will be selected from all entrants after our sweepstakes ends on March 31, 2014.
* The fine print…
Prizes have no cash value. No transportation provided. Prizes to be awarded by the DuPage Convention & Visitors Bureau (DCVB) and its partners. The DCVB may substitute a prize of equal or greater value, solely at its discretion. Any taxes, duty or extra fees are the responsibility of the winner. Prize package must be used by March 31, 2015, unless otherwise specified by awarding business.
* The Question: What would you do in DuPage County if you were the “one lucky winner”?
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Shutdown wrap-up
Thursday, Oct 17, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I’ve read quite a bit of coverage about the deal to end the government shutdown and avoid hitting the debt ceiling. Lots of stories focused on the possiblity that this could happen again next February. I highly doubt it. From Government Executive…
The measure also extends the nation’s ability to borrow—which the administration said would be exhausted Thursday—through Feb. 7. The Treasury Department will be permitted to use extraordinary measures to borrow after that date, if it needs to, which could extend the deadline. There’s also a mechanism for Congress to vote in favor of a “motion to disapprove” any increase the president announces, but Obama can veto that and force an override effort.
No way will both chambers pass a motion to disapprove.
At least on the borrowing limit aspect, this was a complete defeat of the tea party Republicans.
* Illinois may actually get some jobs out of the bill…
Buried in the Senate bill to end the partial government shutdown and raise the debt ceiling is a provision to nearly quadruple funding for an Ohio River dam project, an allocation slammed as “disgraceful” by Republican Sen. John McCain.
The dam project, which was approved in 1988, has drastically soared over its original budget of $775 million, and the new bill will raise its funding to nearly $3 billion.
Supporters of the project, called the Olmsted Locks and Dam, say it is necessary to reduce bottlenecking at the crossing of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. Despite being approved over 20 years ago, the project is still described as “under construction between Illinois and Kentucky” on the Army Corps of Engineers’ website.
Nothing like a little pork for the Senate Minority Leader to grease the wheels of government.
Heh.
* While most House Republicans voted against the compromise bill, just one Illinois Republican voted “No”…
Rep. Randy Hultgren, an Illinois Republican backed by the tea party, said Wednesday that the confrontation leading to a partial government shutdown had left him with “disappointment and frustration” because Congress could have acted to tame the national debt “and the reality is, we didn’t do anything.”
Hultgren, 47, a Republican from DuPage County, spoke with the Tribune before casting the only “no” vote in the Illinois delegation on a bipartisan deal to reopen the government and avert default.
“Overall, I had no desire to see the government shut down, no desire to see our debts not paid, but I am very concerned about the larger picture: $17 trillion in debt and significant increases in new entitlement programs and debt that will only increase taxes on my constituents,” the second-term congressman said. […]
State Sen. Jim Oberweis, an investment manager and dairy magnate from Sugar Grove, is the GOP state central committeeman for the 14th District. He said Hultgren had “done a good job,” and he would be surprised if a Republican challenged the two-term congressman in 2014.
There are lots of rumors that Joe Walsh has switched gears and was thinking about challenging the lackluster fundraiser Hultgren in the GOP primary. We’ll see how this vote impacts the future there.
* Freshman Republican Congressman Rodney Davis voted for the bill…
Republican Rep. Rodney Davis said that while he opposes the president’s health care law, the shutdown that furloughed as many as 800,000 workers was “absolutely unacceptable.”
He said a default would have had “disastrous effects on an already-fragile economy.”
* And that could mean trouble if tea party groups like FreedomWorks follow through on their threats…
The President and CEO of the tea party group Freedomworks predicted that House Republicans who vote in favor of the latest plan to avert a debt default and re-open the federal government, will face primary challengers.
“Absolutely,” Freedomworks CEO and President Matt Kibbe said on CNN when asked if House Republicans would pay a “political price” for voting for the plan. “You’re seeing that and a repopulation of the republican party.”
There have been some reports that FreedomWorks has money troubles, but that’s not a unanimous consensus by any means.
If there is cash available, that could be the best news to come Erika Harold’s way since she launched her primary campaign against Davis earlier this year. She can’t raise money on her own, but maybe an outside group will ride to her rescue.
* Related…
* Treasurer Rutherford: Federal default threat a wash for Illinois finances: But with the federal default looming, Rutherford said his office moved about $1.2 billion out of treasury bills and into other investments such as repurchase agreements, money market accounts and commercial paper. Rutherford said there were concerns about how quickly the state could get the money back in the event of a default. “We looked at other instruments to still draw interest, but which were secure,” he said. “The other instruments were actually up in the market, so it allowed us the opportunity to at least equal, if not to the penny, very close to the penny equal the U.S. treasuries.”
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A solution needs to be found
Thursday, Oct 17, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* University of California at Berkeley professor Franklin Zimring’s Sun-Times op-ed denouncing the University of Chicago’s Crime Lab analysis of the mandatory minimum sentencing proposal for illegal gun possession has been getting quite a bit of play. Several readers have asked why I haven’t posted the piece.
I simply thought it was too emotional, too focused on a personal attack and lacking in specific reasons why the Crime Lab analysis was wrong. Go read it yourself.
* Jens Ludwig at the Crime Lab has penned a response. Read it in full for a point by point rebuttal of Zimring’s attacks. I found this to be most interesting…
Among all cases where there was a conviction for an aggravated UUW charge in Chicago from 2003 through 2012, on average 43% were sentenced to probation and another 10% were sentenced to boot camp, community service, or “other.” Put differently, fewer than half are sentenced to jail or prison over this time period.
The data do show that the share of aggravated UUW cases receiving probation, boot camp, community service or “other” declined from 2003 to 2012. But it’s still the case that as of 2012, one-third (33%) of aggravated UUW cases receive a sentence of something other than time in jail or prison.
Analysis by the Illinois Sentencing Policy Advisory Council claims that the average length of stay in the Illinois Department of Corrections (DOC) for aggravated UUW cases that do get sent to prison is one-third of a year for people convicted of their first aggravated UUW offense, and 1.15 years for those convicted for at least the second time.
We can debate all day about first time offenders. Set them aside for now.
* But there is no doubt that 1.15 years for repeat offenders is ridiculously low. I mean, you get convicted for Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon and then busted and convicted again and serve a year?
Prosecutors are to blame for this, as are judges, as are laws. A fix is in order.
* Ludwig’s conclusion…
Mandatory minimums may or may not be the best way to overcome the natural human tendency to focus on the after-the-fact outcome of some risky behavior, rather than on the risky behavior itself. But everyone concerned about the massive social costs that gun violence imposes on the most disadvantaged neighborhoods in Illinois should be in agreement that we need to figure out some way to increase the certainty of some sort of sanction for the very high-risk behavior of illegal gun carrying.
Agreed.
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These guys are everywhere
Thursday, Oct 17, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* So, I’ve been listening to the Joe Walsh interview of Bruce Rauner while I was looking for other stories to post and heard something quite interesting. Walsh’s show is sponsored by the Illinois Policy Institute.
They have their own columnist, their own news service, their own “think tank,” tons of Statehouse lobbyists and now they’re sponsoring Joe Walsh’s radio program. “Ubiquitous” is a word that comes to mind.
…Adding… From Joe Walsh…
RIch,
clarification: the Illinois Policy Institute is not a sponsor of the Joe Walsh show.
They are only sponsoring the October Governor Candidate Townhall Series.
thanks,
Joe
* In reality, though, Walsh’s interview was by far the best, most comprehensive I’ve ever heard of Bruce Rauner. He’s actually quite good at this. I’m now a fan. No joke. Listen to the show yourself…
* More Rauner info from the Walsh interview…
* “I’m going to prosecute corruption wherever possible,” Rauner pledged. “I’m going to try and create an office of a special prosecutor purely to go after self-dealing and conflicts of interest in state government. They will be very busy in that role.”
* Former state Sen. James Meeks, a prominent African-American minister, is “helping” Rauner and “advising” him, the candidate claimed.
* Rauner said he would veto a gay marriage bill unless voters approve it during a referendum. He refused to say where he stood on the issue, saying he thought the people should decide.
* Rauner said he will address the crime problem in three ways: “Creating a boom economy in Illinois,” improving schools with charters and vouchers, and transforming the budgets at the state local levels. “We’ve got to take on the government union bosses that are bankrupting our governments and making them spend too much so we can afford to hire more police officers.”
At least he stays on message. Later, though, he said he wanted a “special deal” for police officers to spare them from pension cuts.
* The candidate pledged to reverse Rod Blagojevich’s executive order establishing “card check” union elections.
* He said he opposes legalizing marijuana, calling it a “slippery slope” to drug addiction.
* On abortion: “I do support a woman’s ability to decide early in pregnancy, but I would also support ways to make abortion safe and rare. I support parental notification, late term restricts, I would certainly advocate for adoption as a far, far better alternative.”
* On his Republican primary opponents: “I am fundamentally a different person. They are all career politicians who’ve been in Springfield for decades, every one of them. They all take government union money. They all are in the pension system. I don’t know how many of your listeners have seen what the legislators get in their pensions. It’s outrageous. It’s overly generous. It’s unfair. Nobody should be in that system, it should be a 401(k) system. None of them have been leaders. I’ve been a leader in everything I’ve ever done. I drive results. I’m financially independent, I can stand up to the corrupt interests in Springfield and I’m the only one who can get it done.”
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The best? Really?
Thursday, Oct 17, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Frankly, you could’ve knocked me over with a feather when I read the Crain’s story about how AT&T had been rated the best mobile phone carrier in Chicago…
For the first time, AT&T finished first in calls, web surfing and text messaging on wireless phones, according to Root Metrics, which routinely tests networks in cities nationwide. AT&T dethroned Verizon Wireless, which previously had the best overall score.
AT&T’s edge is network speed more than quality. AT&T and Verizon were virtually tied in reliability.
Root Metrics, based in Bellevue, Wash., said AT&T’s download speed is 19.1 megabits per second, compared with 13.5 megabits for runner-up Verizon. […]
AT&T tied for the lowest rate of dropped calls, at 0.2 percent. […]
For AT&T, the study helps validate the billions the Dallas-based company spent in Illinois in recent years. It spent $2.6 billion on wired and wireless networks in Illinois between 2010 and 2012, followed by another $625 million in the first half of 2013. Although AT&T didn’t break out wireless spending, it has been adding infill networks aggressively in high-demand areas, such as Navy Pier, to take loads off the overall network.
* From the actual study…
With T-Mobile’s recent LTE launch, all four major carriers now offer LTE service
in Chicago.
AT&T’s average download speed increased from 17.8 Mbps to 19.1 Mbps since May testing, and its average
upload speed rose from 8.4 Mbps to 9.5 Mbps.
AT&T won the Combined and Data RootScore Awards outright for
the first time in Chicago. AT&T also won the Text RootScore Award.
Sprint’s average download speed decreased from 8.0 Mbps to 5.3 Mbps since May, and its
average upload speed fell from 5.1 Mbps to 4.0 Mbps.
T-Mobile’s average download speed increased from 8.6 Mbps to 9.6 Mbps, and its average upload speed jumped from 1.8 Mbps to 3.9 Mbps.
Verizon’s average download speed decreased from 14.8 Mbps to 13.5 Mbps, and its average upload speed fell from 9.3 Mbps to 6.6 Mbps.
Your thoughts?
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SEC probing UNO
Thursday, Oct 17, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Uh-Oh.
Sun-Times…
Federal authorities are investigating possible securities violations involving the state’s largest charter-school operator, the scandal-scarred United Neighborhood Organization.
The federal Securities and Exchange Commission requested documents last month from the clout-heavy Chicago group, according to a letter obtained Wednesday by the Chicago Sun-Times. […]
A top UNO executive, Miguel d’Escoto, resigned in February, days after the Sun-Times reported the group gave $8.5 million of business to companies owned by two of d’Escoto’s brothers with money from $98 million in state school-construction grant funding.
The SEC is looking at how UNO raised more than $37.5 million on Wall Street in 2011 through state-approved bonds, the letter shows. […]
Quinn’s move to restore funding allowed UNO to finish construction of the state-funded UNO Soccer Academy High School on the Southwest Side.
Ald. Edward M. Burke (14th), a major Quinn campaign fund-raiser, had urged the governor to restore the funding, believed to be the largest government subsidy nationwide for a charter operator.
So far, the state has given UNO $83 million of the promised $98 million.
UNO also gets tens of millions of dollars a year from the Chicago Public Schools, which it relies on to run its schools and repay money it has borrowed.
* Tribune…
The SEC sent a June 26 letter to the state’s economic development agency asking for documents, meeting summaries and other communications related to the grants. The Tribune obtained that letter through an open records request.
Rangel, a co-chairman of Emanuel’s 2011 campaign, took some responsibility in May for the financial troubles at UNO as he stepped down as board chairman. He said he had failed to exercise the proper oversight during a time UNO experienced rapid growth. Rangel, however, remains the organization’s CEO, a $275,000-a-year job.
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Rauner pledges to “go after” Madigan’s allies
Thursday, Oct 17, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Bruce Rauner had this to say on Joe Walsh’s radio show about how he would deal with Speaker Madigan if elected governor…
I can do things no career politician would think about doing. I can run the government like a business, challenge the government unions and their power, transform their deal through contract negotiations, and stand up to Madigan, because I know where his special interest groups are, and I can go after them. [Emphasis added.]
Discuss.
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