* Thanks to a commenter, here’s a video of Democratic state House candidate Stephanie Kifowit who was approached by a person identified on his/her YouTube account as “JT Lee.”
Kifowit was asked what she thought about the state income tax hike, and she quickly backed away, mumbling something about how the event was private, or something. She didn’t actually answer the question, but she didn’t look great, either. The video has gone viral, with over 10,000 views as of post time. Watch…
* This one may not go viral, but Republican congressional candidate Jason Plummer’s DCCC video tracker posted a series of videos from the DuQuoin State Fair parade. At about two and a half minutes in, a Plummer person begins to politely and jovially mess with the guy. At one point, though, a person is heard to say “Well, you get scum everywhere, ya know,” and then another person says to the tracker, “They don’t pay you enough.” Have a look…
* Near the end of Part 5 (of 6), the tracker can be heard saying “Good job today, Mr. Plummer. I’m out of here.” He’s then asked by a campaign volunteer if he wants a ride. He politely declines…
Heh.
All of the DCCC’s Plummer tracker videos can be found here. Let me know if you find anything. I have a life and can’t watch any more of them today.
In the spirit of election season, the National Motorists Association (NMA) has conducted its own public polling to identify the worst speed trap locations across the United States and Canada.
Speed traps typically combine arbitrarily low speed limits with heavy traffic enforcement designed to generate ticket revenue. While the intent may be to modify driver behavior long-term, that is rarely the result. Speed traps keep springing up in the same locations, the issuance of tickets flows unabated, and there is no material effect on traffic safety. That is why the NMA advocates for increased speed limits in chronic speed trap areas supported by traffic studies and proven engineering principles.
The Methodology
The NMA analyzed the most recent five years of data from its website The National Speed Trap Exchange, which lists tens of thousands of chronic speed traps in the United States and Canada and includes descriptive commentary about each listing. Since postings are generated by the public, and users vote on which locations qualify as speed traps, the rankings reflect the consensus of thousands of drivers throughout North America.
To develop the rankings, the NMA calculated the total number of affirmative votes across speed traps in a given community and then indexed the total to the community’s population size. A preliminary screening process ensured that only speed traps with high levels of consensus were factored into the rankings.
The state’s highest ranking Democrat didn’t show up for Democrat Day at the Du Quoin State Fair on Saturday.
State Representative John Bradley tells WSIL-TV he’s not surprised that Governor Quinn didn’t come. He says Quinn has been pushing several policy issues that are unpopular with downstate people. Those issues include gun bans, facility closures, and a pension proposal that could put more of a financial burden on southern school districts.
It’s the second day of the fair and Governor Pat Quinn has yet to make an appearance. Officials at his tent say they’re not sure whether he’ll be at the fair at all. Democratic State Representative John Bradley says he’s not surprised.
“When you engage in that kind of policies which many people feel are anti to southern Illinois I don’t expect coming down here and having a funnel cake would make any difference,” explained Democratic State Representative John Bradley.
A field organizer for state Sen. Gary Forby’s campaign was cited for driving under the influence early Friday morning; passengers in the car he was driving included Forby and state Rep. Brandon Phelps.
Mitchell J. Schaben, 24, was ticketed for DUI and speeding after he was pulled over by state police on Illinois 37 at Marcum Branch Road at 12:28 a.m. Friday.
Schaben was driving a 2009 red Cadillac, registration number 59SN, and had three passengers in the car including Forby, D-Benton, and Phelps, D-Harrisburg. The third passenger was not identified.
The four had been at dinner and meetings at the Rend Lake Resort. The gathering included out-of-town visitors in the area for the Du Quoin State Fair.
“It’s unfortunate,” Phelps said. “I didn’t think (Schaben) was impaired, and I know Mitch didn’t think so either or he wouldn’t have driven. He’s a great guy.”
I can’t remember the last time that I saw a DUI police report which included the names of the car’s occupants. Not sure that’s very cool. And not to diminish what Schaben did, but he blew a .09, which isn’t far above the legal limit of .08. Even so, Forby probably should’ve just well enough alone…
“He was only one-tenth of a .09. Probably if he’d done another test, it might have shown up he wasn’t, he didn’t have enough. So the boy, he was right there on the limit. He wasn’t really what I call drunk,” Forby explains. […]
Forby says, “Mitch drives for me all the time. You know, I’m 67 years old, it’s nice to have a young guy drive me around. I didn’t see a problem. I didn’t see a problem with Mitch. If I’d seen a problem, I would not have let him drive.”
With ten weeks left until the election, Forby recognizes Schaben’s DUI could affect his campaign. But his Republican challenger Mark Minor says he doesn’t want to get into it.
“I’m a pastor, a school board member, a counselor. I deal with a lot of issues in peoples’ lives. So I know it’s important to keep personal issues on a personal level. I want to keep this campaign clean,” says Minor.
“I exercised poor judgment and got behind the wheel of a car to drive despite consuming multiple alcoholic beverages unbeknownst to the passengers accompanying me in that automobile.
“Shortly thereafter, I was pulled over by the Illinois State Police on Illinois Highway 37 for a possible speeding violation. During that traffic stop, I was asked and agreed to participate in a breathalyzer test that would show that my blood alcohol level was above the legal limit for an individual operating a vehicle.
“Today, I am deeply sorry for this occurrence, not because I was caught but instead because of the potential danger I could have posed to the residents of the 59th Legislative District, the passengers of the vehicle and myself.
“I would like to apologize publicly to not only the Forby for Senate Campaign but to the constituents of the 59th Legislative District for any distraction this incident will provide from a robust debate on the issues important to them in the coming months. I’m fully prepared to be held accountable for my regrettable actions and any shame I may have brought to myself, my family, coworkers and peers.”
The president of the Illinois Senate, John Cullerton, said he would work to overturn Gov. Pat Quinn’s closure plan when the General Assembly meets in a veto session in November.
Cullerton, speaking Monday in Benton, also said he supported a bill from state Sen. Gary Forby, D-Benton, to limit the governor’s ability to close facilities against the recommendation of the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability.
“(Forby) sponsored a bill that would have said it’s up to the legislature to decide whether or not you can close these facilities,” Cullerton said. “Take it away from the governor’s hands, up to the legislature after you have those (COGFA) hearings. That bill failed by one vote.”
Cullerton’s support came on the same day Quinn’s office acknowledged it would not meet an Aug. 31 closure date for Tamms Correctional Center and other state facilities. The state and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union are in arbitration to resolve the closure issue after the union filed a lawsuit in Alexander County to stop closures.
“We made tough choices, and this is a cowardice act… And we’re going to start going after things the governor cares about. How about green grants? If he doesn’t think he’s got enough money to keep the prison systems open, then why are we giving him discretionary money for recycling programs? Let’s start going after that things he cares about and tell him that what he’s doing is killing our area.”
* During his own speech, Rep. Brandon Phelps claimed that the Department of Corrections transferred an inmate out of Tamms to Pontiac and then quickly transferred the prisoner back to Tamms.
Summing up, he said, “I think those debates are healthy, and I think America, certainly on immigration, on other issues, is changing its positions. On the issue of the marriage, though, that will be hammered out primarily in the states.”
Asked, then, if he opposed a federal marriage amendment, support for which was included in the draft party platform hammered out this past week, Schock replied, “No, I support that.”
When it was explained to him that a federal marriage amendment that would prohibit states from allowing same-sex couples to marry under their state’s law, he then hedged, saying, “I haven’t really thought too much about it.”
He then asked if the amendment had been voted on in Congress in the past four years. When told that it hadn’t and that he had not taken a position on it yet, he replied, laughing, “I’ll have to read it.”
* And for someone who has allowed his name to be floated for governor, he’s also apparently not keeping up on Illinois news about the topic…
Asked about ongoing lawsuits brought in Illinois by the American Civil Liberties Union and Lambda Legal seeking marriage equality in his state, Schock replied he was unaware of their existence, saying, “That’s all news to me.”
* Other congressional stuff…
* The Thomson prison standoff - A Virginia congressman’s grudge puts his Illinois colleagues on the spot: We’ve asked several Republican incumbents to explain to voters why Illinois ought to lower the price on its state-of-the art prison when the feds have agreed to buy it for $165 million. The question has elicited a lot of stammering. How does lowering the price overcome the need for Wolf’s signature? They don’t seem to know. Why don’t they lobby their stubborn Republican colleague instead of asking Quinn — and Illinois taxpayers — to give up another $100 million or so? They’re pretty sure Schilling already tried that. Have they seen the state budget lately? Did they notice that the General Assembly cut education spending by $210 million this year?
* I’m not sure yet whether I buy into Crain’s new online polling results or not, but the publication has a new online poll of Illinoisans which has some interesting results. For example, respondents were asked if corporations have the same free speech rights as individuals…
A whopping 79 percent of those surveyed agreed that businesses “have (the) same free speech rights as individuals.” Forty-one percent said they “strongly” hold that view. A total of 22 percent strongly or somewhat agreed.
Asked if owners of large businesses “should keep (their) political views private,” 64 percent indicated they should. Barely over a third, 35 percent, disagreed with that statement.
* And this overwhelmingly liberal response is somewhat surprising…
65 percent said employers should be required to offer employee benefits such as health care for unmarried domestic partners. Of the total sample, 2 percent said that should apply to same-sex partners only, and 8 percent would offer benefits to opposite-sex partners only.
Just over a quarter, 26 percent, said they oppose requiring corporate health insurance benefits for unmarried partners
* Methodology of the poll of 600 Illinois adults…
The Crain’s/Ipsos Illinois Poll is a representative survey of voting-age Illinois residents conducted over the Internet. Ipsos validates the sample against offline data sources such as telephone surveys to ensure the accuracy of its weighting. The overall survey has an accuracy rate of plus/minus 4.7 percent, with higher margins for geographic subgroups such as Chicago or the suburbs.
I’m still not quite sure how they actually “ensure the accuracy” of their weighting, so please beware these numbers. Also, take note that these respondents are just adults, not likely voters.
* The state’s delegates to the Republican National Convention may overwhelmingly favor Treasurer Dan Rutherford, but, heck, he put together the delegate slate. So, the We Ask America folks decided to do a poll of likely Republican voters to see who they favored.
The poll of 1,245 likely GOP primary voters was conducted yesterday and has a margin of error of ± 2.9 percent…
1. Which of the following possible candidates would you most like to see become the Republican challenger for governor?
Bill Brady 24.05%
Kirk Dillard 8.66%
Matt Murphy 3.79%
Christine Radogno 2.20%
Bruce Rauner 2.61%
Dan Rutherford 10.62%
Aaron Schock 7.35%
Other (Someone else) 4.40%
Uncertain 36.31%
Yeah, it’s early. Way early. But the folks down in Tampa are talking about 2014 like it’s right around the corner, so a poll was in order.
Name recognition from 2010 alone is almost definitely keeping Sen. Brady at the top of the heap. The same probably goes for Treasurer Rutherford and Sen. Dillard.
* Here are the xtabs by gender. Click the pic for a larger image…
Lots more undecided women than men. Dillard, kabillionaire Bruce Rauner, Rutherford and “Other” all do significantly better with men than women. But, again, it’s way early. We’re only running this poll because the Daily Herald decided to poll convention delegates and thereby created a minor stir down in Tampa.
* And by location. Again, click the pic for a larger image…
Brady does best Downstate, but he still has some significant residual impact in the suburbs, particularly in Cook. Dillard is essentially tied with Brady in the collars, which is probably residual from 2010 and the fact that he’s from DuPage. Rutherford does best against Brady in Chicago, where they’re tied, but slightly trails Congressman Aaron Schock for a distant third place in Downstate.
Governor Quinn Takes Bill Action
**Tuesday, August 28, 2012**
CHICAGO –August 28, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today took action on the following bill:
Bill No.: SB 1849
An Act Concerning: Gaming
Creates the Chicago Casino Development Authority and amends several other statutes to expand gaming in Illinois.
Action: Vetoed
An outright veto. No funny stuff with an AV rewrite. So, it’ll be a straight up or down override vote with no decisions about whether an amendatory veto was constitutional or not…
For months, Quinn has warned about what he views as shortcomings in the bill, saying the measure would not provide enough oversight of casino operators and other gambling interests. The Democratic governor also has said that any gambling expansion should set aside a proper amount of money for education.
The deadline to act on the proposal was today, or it would have become law automatically.
The bill lawmakers approved this spring calls for new casinos in Chicago, southern Cook County, Lake County, Rockford and Danville. It also would allow slot machines at horse racing tracks, which was a deal-breaker for the governor when lawmakers approved a similar measure last year. That bill never made it to Quinn’s desk after he threatened to veto it.
The deal breaker: After thoroughly reviewing the bill, which would have created five new casinos and permitted slot machines at horse-racing tracks, Quinn “was more convinced than ever the absence of a ban on campaign contributions from gaming licences and casino managers was a deal breaker,” a top source tells Sneed.
The source added: “With two governors in jail [George Ryan and Rod Blagojevich], ethics is something Gov. Quinn is not willing to risk.”
*** UPDATE 1 *** From a press release…
OFFICIAL STATMENT FROM THE ILLINOIS REVENUE AND JOBS ALLIANCE:
“We missed an opportunity today to add 20,000 new jobs and generate more than $1 billion in one-time licensing fees and more than $200 million in new annual revenue. Despite efforts that would have satisfied the Governor’s call for tighter restrictions and additional oversight, fiscal relief for the state has now been further delayed. Our leaders in Springfield are committed to getting us back onto steady financial footing and providing more economic opportunity to Illinois residents. We’re confident that they will do what is necessary so the state can benefit from sorely needed jobs and revenue.”
- Former State Representative Bill Black, Chairman, The Illinois Revenue and Jobs Alliance
*** UPDATE 2 *** A statement from Mayor Rahm Emanuel…
“A Chicago casino would create thousands of crucial jobs for Chicagoans and provide resources that would be used to rehabilitate neighborhood schools. Chicago loses $20 million a month and countless jobs to casinos in Indiana. Those jobs should be here in Chicago, supporting the families of our tradespeople and helping the entire city’s economic future. It is the responsibility of the Governor and all leaders in Illinois to stop this outflow of dollars and jobs.
“I spoke with the Governor this morning and we agreed, it cannot take another 20 years of discussion to draft and pass a bill that will be signed into law. I will continue to work relentlessly with all parties to pass a bill that will allow a Chicago casino to be built and implemented responsibly.”
*** UPDATE 3 *** Coverage roundup as of 1:30 this afternoon…
Illinois Senate President John Cullerton is urging Gov. Pat Quinn to change his decision about closing the Tamms Correctional Center; adding if he doesn’t, the legislature will attempt to override the governor’s decision during the veto session in November […].
The money for the Tamms facility, the state’s only super-maximum security facility, is in this year’s state budget, along with the money for other facilities Quinn is trying to close at the end of the week.
“That’s nonsense, it’s in the budget,” Cullerton said during a morning interview with members of The Southern Illinoisan newsroom. […]
Cullerton says he doesn’t see how the prisons will close in time and suggests Quinn should simply keep them open. If not, Cullerton said the legislature will attempt override his decision in November.
The Senate President is in southern Illinois today for a media event with state Sen. Gary Forby. The SDems will probably have to spend big bucks to protect Forby this fall, so this event is obviously designed to help the perpetually targeted incumbent.
…Adding… This is, of course, almost entirely for show. Quinn can close whatever facility he wants, regardless of a veto override.
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn has officially abandoned his hope of shutting down prisons by Friday.
A letter from the Corrections Department instructs employees at targeted prisons to keep reporting to work. In it, Director S.A. “Tony” Godinez announces a “temporary delay for the layoffs and closures” that were scheduled for Aug. 31.
The letter was obtained Monday by The Associated Press.
Quinn wanted to empty the Tamms supermax prison and the women’s prison at Dwight to save money.
* From IDOC…
The state remains committed to the closure plan, and is moving forward with an expedited arbitration with AFSCME to facilitate the closures. IDOC has agreed to continue the halt of inmate transfers associated with the closures. As we continue arbitration under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, the department has notified employees impacted by the closures to continue work in their current position and location while the arbitration proceeds, until further notice.
We look forward to resolving this matter as quickly as possible as we work to close outdated, half-full and expensive facilities in order to save Illinois taxpayers tens of millions of dollars annually.
Safety and security is of utmost importance and is always the department’s top priority. IDOC will implement the closures responsibly and in a way that prioritizes public safety and security while minimizing impact on staff and the inmate population.
* The Chicago police have a new study that shows almost a third of the guns seized by Chicago cops came from the suburbs, with another 13 percent coming from elsewhere in Illinois…
The research shows that some 29 percent of the guns recovered on Chicago’s streets between 2008 and the end of March were bought in the Cook County suburbs. Lake County, Ind., was the second largest source, accounting for six percent of the weapons, and other counties surrounding Chicago – including Lake County, Ill., and Will, DuPage and Kane counties – were also in the top 10 sources.
Two gun stores in suburban Lyons and Riverdale accounted for more than 10 percent of the guns recovered. […]
The study covers 17,230 guns the ATF successfully traced after they were recovered in Chicago. Many guns can’t be traced because of their age or other factors, said Seth Bour, the Crime Lab’s deputy director. […]
Ander said she was surprised by the percentage of guns that came from Illinois, rather than from neighboring states with comparatively relaxed gun laws. About 42 percent of the guns came from Illinois. Indiana ranked second, contributing 18 percent of the guns, and Wisconsin accounted for about 4 percent.
* And notice from this Sun-Times graphic that the vast majority - 88 percent - of all guns seized were handguns…
Military style assault rifles get a lot of publicity when people like Gov. Pat Quinn try to ban them. But they’re barely a blip in Chicago.
* The Illinois Republican Party is now selling “Fire Madigan” paraphernalia. From a press release…
After coverage of our FIRE MADIGAN signs at Republican Day at this year’s Illinois State Fair, we’ve had many people asking for FIRE MADIGAN materials so we’ve created this online FIRE MADIGAN store.
If you think after over 40 years in Springfield and Illinois being ranked as one of the worst states financially that it’s time to Fire Illinois House Speaker/Illinois Democratic Party Chairman/Father of the Illinois Attorney General Mike Madigan, you can have a little fun helping spread the word with any of these FIRE MADIGAN products, including t-shirts, hats, bumper stickers, buttons, and signs. Check back often as more designs and products will be added in the weeks ahead!
The Illinois Republican Party is selling these items at cost through CafePress.com to keep the costs at low as possible so that as many people as possible can help spread the word that Illinois needs to FIRE MADIGAN. There is no financial profit or loss on this merchandise by the Illinois Republican Party.
If you were expecting a kumbaya moment when Rep. Joe Walsh met with Muslims in Lombard on Friday, you bought tickets to the wrong movie.
Walsh antagonized many in the religion by claiming that radical Muslims have infiltrated the Chicago suburbs, and are trying to kill Americans.
At the town hall meeting, attendees who ranged from doctors to housewives challenged Walsh’s assertation that radicals are in places like Elk Grove, Addison and Elgin.
Walsh said that he was making a broader point that radicals are infiltrating small towns, and although the meeting became heated at times, Walsh didn’t back down from his original statements.
Ahmed said the meeting turned confrontational after a few in the crowd demanded an immediate apology from Walsh, which Ahmed said wasn’t the purpose of the meeting.
“Somehow, it turned out to be confrontational,” Ahmed said. “I don’t think that helps anything.”
He said it appeared some people were attacking Walsh and there was a lot of shouting, but some people did actually want to engage in discussion.
Ahmed said Walsh’s initial comments were controversial and incited some people, but Walsh was trying to make a point in last night’s meeting and he wasn’t allowed the opportunity.
“Our view is that a good opportunity was frankly lost in advancing the dialogue,” Ahmed said.
* Even so, Walsh was his usual bombastic self. There’s very little one can do to have a “dialogue” with him. For instance…
Walsh went so far as to blame the federal government for the Fort Hood Massacre nearly three years ago. He said the government was trying to be politically correct and not offend Muslims, so much so that an American Muslim in the Army allegedly killed 13 people.
* A lot of people are quite worried about the state employee rush to the exits in anticipation of pension reform. I’m not really so sure. Maybe it’s time for some new blood, anyway…
Whether it’s overseeing trail maintenance, knowing when to pump water from a lake or helping mow the lawns, the on-site superintendents of Illinois’ state parks play an important role in managing the state’s natural heritage, from Starved Rock along the Illinois River to tiny natural sites in every corner of the state.
But since late last year, almost a quarter of the park superintendents have retired, taking with them in many cases 30 or more years of experience that will be hard to replace in an agency hit hard by years of budget cuts and unsure whether it can replace them.
Riverbend Humane Society August
At least 23 park superintendents and another half-dozen assistant superintendents have left the state Department of Natural Resources since late 2011. Beyond eight openings the DNR has already filled or is trying to fill now, department officials say they don’t know when they would have the money to find substitutes.
The exits appear to be driven in most cases by concerns about potential changes in the state’s underfunded pension system. DNR says the retirements and earlier cuts and staff shifts have left it with 75 superintendents at its 126 parks, recreation areas and other outdoor destinations.
* Meanwhile, the state’s 2011 “Teacher of the Year” talks about her participation in a recent parade…
Brave said she walked in another parade recently behind Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn.
“People along the route booed and hissed him but cheered the teachers,” Brave said. “My thought was, ‘You wanted to destroy our pensions.’ He kept looking back at us to see what was going on.”
I’m pretty sure that was the State Fair kickoff parade. The crowd did cheer the teachers, and they most certainly booed Quinn.
When Gov. Pat Quinn came to Peoria last week to tout a piece of legislation expanding access to childhood immunizations, he sat at a table inside Kroger at 9219 N. Lindbergh Drive and signed his name on some official-looking papers.
In fact, it looked for all the world like he was signing the actual legislation, making it law during his stop here.
Not so much. In fact, he faked plenty of people out by conducting what we later discovered was a mock bill signing - what his press staff called a “ceremonial signing.”
We’re told that he does this routinely during flyarounds, when he hits multiple cities in a day to promote what his office determines is a major piece of legislation that they want to highlight.
“We do it with important bills,” spokeswoman Brooke Anderson said by phone Friday, noting that the legislation would make it easier for kids to get state-mandated shots to prevent illness prior to the start of the school year. It lets pharmacists administer the shots to kids middle school age where previously they could only give them to youngsters age 14 and up.
* The Question: Are “fake” bill signings acceptable politics or dishonest government? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
Citing name recognition and popularity, respondents to a Daily Herald survey of GOP delegates to the Republican National Convention overwhelmingly prefer state Treasurer Dan Rutherford to be the party’s gubernatorial nominee in 2014.
The survey was sent to the state’s 54 directly elected GOP delegates and 54 alternates, as well as the 12 delegates and 12 alternates elected at the state party’s convention in June. A total of 51 delegates responded to this survey question, asking them to select from among five choices — state Sen. Kirk Dillard, of Hinsdale; state Sen. Dan Duffy, of Lake Barrington; state Sen. Matt Murphy of Palatine; Rutherford; and Congressman Aaron Schock of Peoria. Respondents also were given the option to name someone else.
Of the responses, Rutherford, of Chenoa, received 73.1 percent of votes. State Sen. Kirk Dillard, of Hinsdale, was a distant second, with 9.6 percent. Schock received 5.8 percent of votes, Murphy 2 percent and Duffy no votes.
More than just those guys are looking at a bid. Kabillionaire Bruce Rauner has been eyeing a gubernatorial race for quite some time. Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno is also being mentioned as a possible candidate.
Republican party officials say the Republican Governors Association plans to call a meeting in Illinois after the Nov. 6 election, encouraging a smaller primary this time around. If Rutherford, Schock and Brady all join the fray, many veterans foresee a repeat of the crowded 2010 field, noting that their similar bases — all are located within a 100-mile radius downstate — could benefit suburban candidates like Dillard and Murphy, should they too squeeze into the picture.
The rule in 13-year-old Abby Goldberg’s house is no phone calls from boys at night. But on Saturday, her father made an exception when Gov. Pat Quinn called the Grayslake girl turned activist shortly after 9 p.m. to share some good news.
After her yearlong crusade and an online campaign dubbed “Don’t Let Big Plastic Bully Me,” the northwest suburban girl is celebrating Quinn’s decision to veto legislation that would have prevented cities and towns in Illinois from banning plastic bags and imposing fees on their use.
“I was so excited,” the giddy eighth-grader said Sunday. “I thanked him so many times.”
Concerned about the fate of animals that can eat or become fatally tangled in discarded plastic bags, Abby posted a petition on Change.org in June decrying “the devastation that millions of plastic bags have caused the environment and ocean life.” A month later, with more than 150,000 signatures in hand, she traveled to Springfield and urged Quinn to oppose the industry-backed bill. On Saturday, Quinn called Abby to tell her he had no intention of signing the plastic bag bill.
* No way could Quinn resist such an entreaty. And now Champaign may move forward with a ban or a tax…
Mayor Don Gerard on Sunday applauded Gov. Pat Quinn’s veto of a bill that would have prevented Champaign from dealing with plastic bags on its own terms. Gerard said local officials can now resume discussions about limiting the use of the bags at stores within its borders. […]
If the veto stands, Gerard said it could be time to continue the discussions in the Champaign City Building of banning or placing a per-bag fee on plastic bags at checkout lines.
“I suppose it is time for us now to continue those discussions,” Gerard said. “There was actually pretty substantial support to move forward with something, to do something.”
City officials earlier this year presented the program to city council members as a way to deal with plastic bag litter throughout the city. By forcing retailers to charge a fee — something like 5 cents per bag — or by banning the use of plastic bags altogether, they said residents would use fewer bags when they check out at stores.
The veto is a victory for Abby Goldberg, a 13-year-old from Grayslake, Ill., who had launched a petition drive against the bill. Goldberg wanted her community to ban plastic bags, and in July she personally delivered a petition with more than 150,000 signatures urging the veto.
On Aug. 26, Goldberg sent a message to her Twitter followers that the battle is not over.
“OK, thanks are done, time to role up our sleeves again!” she wrote to backers who were congratulating her on the victory. “Encourage [Illinois] legislators to not override veto!!!!!!” she wrote.
Manufacturers said they were disappointed in Quinn’s decision. Lawmakers could still vote to override Quinn’s veto.
Mark Denzler, vice president of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association, said in a statement that the law “represented an opportunity for Illinois to lead the nation in recycling plastic bags and plastic film that account for a major part of the waste stream.”
He said that without a statewide regulation manufacturers and retailers would face a “confusing and costly patchwork of regulations across the state.”
* The response from the Retail Merchants Association…
The most critical aspect of the bill-most often left out by opponents’-is the recycling requirement of both plastic bags and plastic film. Plastic film includes newspaper bags, dry-cleaning bags, shrink wrap, etc. Plastic bags constitute just 15% of plastic waste, whereas 85% comes from plastic film.
* Legislation would have diverted 426 tons/852,000 pounds of plastic from landfills at a minimum
* To put this in perspective, a Toyota Prius weighs 3,042 pounds. So, SB 3442 would have at a minimum diverted the equivalent of 280 Prius’ from landfills every year.
* Governor Quinn’s vetoallows home rule municipalities to take away choices from consumers who want to recycle plastic and now can tax their residents, or ban plastic bags entirely.
* SB 3442 was supported by a broad coalition of organizations such as the Illinois Retail Merchants Association (IRMA), Illinois Manufacturers’ Association (IMA), American Progressive Bag Alliance, Chemical Industry Council of Illinois (CICI), Illinois Food Retailers Association, Illinois Petroleum Marketers Association/IL Association of Convenience Stores, National Solid Wastes Management Association and Solid Waste Agency of Lake County (SWALCO)
“The legislation that passed the legislature with strong bi-partisan support would have established the first statewide recycling program in the nation,” said David Vite, President/CEO, Illinois Retail Merchants Association (IRMA). “Governor Quinn had the opportunity to lead the nation. Instead, his veto ensures Illinois continues to be a follower without a comprehensive plan.
Those of us who advocated for a first in the nation comprehensive plastic recycling program will be reviewing our options in the coming days.”
* From the governor’s press release…
Opponents to the bill and those urging a veto include the Illinois Municipal League, Northwest Municipal Conference, nearly 150 municipalities, Sierra Club, Illinois Environmental Council, Environment Illinois, Illinois Recycling Association, Chicago Recycling Coalition, Prairie River Network, Alliance for the Great Lakes, Center for Neighborhood Technology, Natural Resources Defense Council, Faith in Place, Protestants for the Common Good, Illinois Policy Institute, Surfrider Chicago, Center for Oceanic Awareness, the 175,000 signers of Abby Goldberg’s online petition and others.
* Democratic Cheri Bustos has a new TV ad running in the 17th District. Rate it…
* Republican incumbent Congressman Bobby Schilling’s campaign responded to the ad via press release this morning…
Like the PR executive she is, Bustos has remade herself to such an extent she appears virtually unrecognizable in this professionally shot, stage produced ad.
“Welcome to the race, Cheri Bustos,” Jon Schweppe, communications director for the Schilling campaign, said. “For far too many voters, this ad will be the first time they hear of Alderwoman Bustos. Our campaign got started twenty months ago, and voters have noticed Bobby Schilling out meeting the people, while Cheri Bustos has been missing in action. The Bustos campaign will have their work cut out for them, down double-digits with only 70 days remaining.”
Schweppe also responded to a couple of Bustos’ claims in her new ad.
Bustos: “I’m running for Congress because Washington’s got its priorities all wrong, putting the special interests ahead of the middle class.”
“It’s odd that Bustos wants to bite the hand that feeds her, given the fact that special interests have almost exclusively funded her campaign,” Schweppe said. “Bustos has received more than $100,000 from the radical pro-partial birth abortion PAC EMILY’s List, and she’s spent more time in Chicago and Washington, DC dining with wealthy limousine liberals than she has in-district meeting with the people.”
Bustos: “…it’s time to put Main Street ahead of Wall Street.”
“Cheri Bustos didn’t put Main Street first, she put Bustos Parkway first,” Schweppe said. “She has a record, and it certainly didn’t serve working families in East Moline. Bustos voted repeatedly for a barrage of tax increases and fee hikes, while she spent $625,000 of taxpayer money on an earmarked pet project to build a luxurious parkway right outside her home.”
* As I told you last week, I’m not a big fan of the national conventions. But at least the weather has given reporters something to write about down in Tampa…
As hotel workers tied down reclining chairs and other beach furniture ahead of the storm’s anticipated high winds, heavy rains and surging tide, some delegates recalled the Republican convention in St. Paul four years ago, when Hurricane Gustav also threatened a New Orleans that was still reeling from the damage of Hurricane Katrina.
Then, the first day of the convention was cut short and delegates immersed themselves in charitable acts to help hurricane victims to offset the negative image of President George W. Bush, who critics alleged did not do enough to avert the Katrina tragedy. With some storm-tracking forecasts showing Isaac heading toward New Orleans, questions about another Republican convention and Bush’s Katrina legacy were abundant.
“We’ve had practice (in Minnesota) from getting a curve ball thrown to you that you didn’t expect,” said state Rep. Dan Brady, R-Bloomington. “I mean, the perception is, we want Illinois to know we’re down here doing serious work when it comes to conventions. It’s not just a party.”
The situation has the potential to offer voters the contrast of a Republican celebration of Romney while Obama deals with hurricane relief. Rutherford said a potential storm striking Louisiana would “highlight the strength (Republican Gov.) Bobby Jindal has.”
* My brother Doug is at the convention as an alternate delegate. He’s Tweeting…
So humid here that I think I’ll go swimming in a lake to dry off.
* Rep. Ed Sullivan and lobbyist Jim Riemer are having a bit of fun with weather and convention video updates. Here’s the first update they sent on Sunday…
* Monday morning’s report was more sedate about the weather…
* And, what the heck, let’s do a ScribbleLive convention thingy as well. BlackBerry users click here, everyone else can just kick back and watch the coverage…
“We’ve got to activate the taxpayers of Illinois,” Gov. Pat Quinn told reporters after the Aug. 17 legislative special session failed to move any sort of pension reform forward.
Quinn pledged to lead a “grass-roots” effort to push legislators to pass a reform bill. But will the voters actually listen to him?
A recent poll conducted for Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle found that 54 percent of the county’s likely voters disapprove of Quinn’s handling of the public employee pension issue. Just 29 percent approved.
Keep in mind, this is Cook County we’re talking about. It leans strongly Democratic. Quinn’s job approval numbers are radically upside down throughout the state, but 54 percent of Cook County voters still approve of how he’s doing his job.
So if he’s getting this sort of pension-issue disapproval in Cook, of all places, it’s most likely a whole lot worse elsewhere.
The numbers were a tiny bit better for Quinn among Chicago voters, with 32 percent agreeing with his handling of the pension issue and 52 percent disagreeing. Among the county’s suburban voters, however, only 24 percent approve while 57 percent disapprove. Among black voters, 35 percent approve, 54 percent do not. But among white voters, just 25 percent approve while 55 percent do not.
Also, this poll of 600 likely voters was taken Aug. 1 through 6, which was before the special session debacle. Quinn did not emerge from that pension session looking competent in the least.
It was his special session. He called it. He ran the show. And he got nothing for his troubles except defeat.
And Quinn’s statements about attempting to activate a grass-roots movement merely play into the notion, pushed by Republicans, that the House vote to eliminate future General Assembly pensions and reform current pensions was nothing more than a political act.
It’s clear that the governor, at least, will be attempting to inject himself into campaigns to try to convince voters that Republicans who voted against the bill were acting in self-interest.
You might be wondering why Preckwinkle’s campaign shared those negative poll numbers about her party’s governor. After all, Preckwinkle told Crain’s Chicago Business in July that she planned to run for re-election and wouldn’t challenge Quinn in a Democratic primary.
But her thinking appears to be evolving. While the county board president still hopes that Quinn will get his act together, her campaign says, she’s not ruling out a primary bid. The polling shows the way forward.
Preckwinkle’s poll shows that her job approval ratings are stronger than even President Obama’s. She has an incredibly strong net 52 percent job approval rating (67 percent approval versus just 15 percent disapproval) in Cook County.
That compares with Obama’s 45 percent net approval (72 percent to 27 percent) and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s 43 percent net (69 percent to 26 percent). Quinn’s net approval? Only 9 percent.
Also, 84 percent said a very convincing reason to support Preckwinkle is that she is an “effective leader who says what she does and does what she says. When running for board president, she said she would repeal (an increase in the county sales tax). In her first six months of office, she did just that, saving taxpayers $440 million a year.”
The idea, reportedly, is to position Preckwinkle the same way against the state income tax. If she runs, she will vow to let it repeal itself in 2015, just as she vowed to repeal the county sales tax hike.
Her hesitancy in advocating a repeal of the state tax hike reportedly involves the thinking of people like House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago). If he strongly opposes repeal, then Preckwinkle may drop the whole primary challenge idea.
Quinn won the 2010 Democratic primary election over then-state Comptroller Dan Hynes with incredibly strong support in black precincts. Preckwinkle, who is black, would definitely erode that backing. Quinn has never polled well with women, and a Preckwinkle candidacy would make that situation even worse.
If Preckwinkle starts appearing a lot downstate and in the collar counties, we’ll probably have our answer regarding her political plans. Her latest appearance, in Champaign-Urbana, didn’t go well. She said there should be a “special place in hell” reserved for President Ronald Reagan for his war against drugs and push for prison terms for minor drug offenses.
She had to quickly back off and apologize. Preckwinkle is discovering that there is a whole lot of Illinois outside Cook County, and not everybody thinks like she does.
* Related…
* Voters grilling Ill. candidates about pension fix: “Why can’t we put four or five or six options on the table and let (retirees) choose?” asked Minor, the Senate candidate from southern Illinois.
* Their pension fiasco, your income tax: The legislator — a hard worker who pursues centrist solutions — grew more dispirited as last week’s conversation lengthened. Bad enough that the Aug. 16 special session to address Illinois’ pension debacle had yielded only partisan rhetoric. Even worse, this lawmaker fumed: “The two parties intentionally failed — so that each now has the opportunity to blame the other.”
* VIDEO: Ralph Martire - Public Affairs - 2012-08-26
* VIDEO: Roger Eddy — Concerns About Shifting the Cost of Pensions
