* ABC7 has a report from the racially charged press conference today…
“If there were any African-Americans considering voting for Dan Hynes as a result of this ad, I think they are going to be turning away from him and turn to Pat Quinn as a result of this ad,” said U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush, (D) Chicago & South Suburbs.
Rush and his colleagues also noted that Hynes’ father, former county assessor and state senator Tom Hynes, was one of Washington’s most bitter political enemies who abandoned the democratic party in 1987 to run against the city’s first black mayor. “I was 18 years old when my father ran for mayor. But he is running against me, not my father,” said Hynes.
“Are you trying to suggest that there is no link between Dan Hynes today and who his daddy was?” said Gutierrez.
The congressmen demanded that Hynes the remove the ad. As of Friday afternoon it was still running on all the Chicago television stations.
Congressman Rush warned of what he called a blacklash in which wised-up African-American voters would turn against Hynes.
Although he would not say that he felt betrayed by the mayor, Quinn said: “When I was appointed, the mayor said, ‘Remember, Quinn, no one speaks for Harold Washington but Harold Washington. You have got to clean this place up, and don’t let any of these political things interfere.’ ”
Quinn said, “People would come to me, so-called friends of the administration, asking, ‘Can you do this or that?’ and I would send them on their way firmly but politely.”
Quinn said he was made aware of possible problems by Alton Miller, Washington’s press secretary, in a conversation Wednesday night.
“I had been at the park with my kids, and as I was pushing them on the swing, I thought to myself that I had better start looking for health insurance because I might not be with the program Friday,” he said. “I know the job I did at the board of appeals and also here and when I go home at night, my conscience won’t kick me in the shins.”
“It’s almost kind of paternal disappointment,” said Alton Millter, speechwriter and press secretary for the late mayor, to the Chicago Current. “Harold Washington thought he had another team player … and became alarmed when he noticed that Quinn was talking to the media without … sufficient coordination from the mayor’s standpoint.”
All this is so much clutter when Washington, himself, is on tape speaking so forcefully against Pat Quinn. As I wrote in the Sun-Times today, “Who are you gonna believe, me or your lying eyes?”
* We’re all expecting Tribune poll numbers soon, but GOP gubernatorial candidate Andy McKenna is releasing his own results ahead of time. This is from McKenna’s pollsters, John McLaughlin and Stuart Polk dated today…
With 2-weeks to go, the survey results from last night clearly illustrate that Andy McKenna has been building momentum and is making a charge at the end to win the Republican primary for Governor. It is evident that Andy McKenna has used his resources effectively to communicate a strong message and put him in a position to win. With the right amount of resources, Andy McKenna can continue his momentum and win the Republican primary for Governor.
Half (49%) of the Republican primary electorate recalls seeing a television ad about Andy McKenna within the past couple of weeks. Those voters who have seen the McKenna TV ads are significantly more favorable to him and more likely to vote for him.
Since October, Andy McKenna has made the biggest gains among all of the candidates and is now tied for first place. Jim Ryan’s numbers have actually started to erode while Andy McKenna’s efforts have made him a top contender with traction in this crowded primary field. He is maintaining momentum with his effective media campaign and voter outreach. Among those who have seen his television ad, he is the frontrunner.
More from the poll…
Which candidate for Governor is best described by the following statement… “will cut spending and will not raise taxes”?
* Meanwhile, Jim Ryan has a new video of the Bob Schillerstrom endorsement. Have a look…
* Also, SEIU has made a belated endorsement of Toni Preckwinkle for county board president. SEIU has concentrated most of its resources on Gov. Quinn’s campaign - kicking in well more than $1 million since July of last year.
* Quinn’s presser blasting Hynes for the Harold Washington ad is now on YouTube. It’s in four parts. Have a look…
* Thanks to a commenter, I checked the latest campaign finance report from Gov. Quinn and saw this…
At exactly the same time that the governor is trying to restart “Council Wars” with his counter-attacks on Tom and Dan Hynes and worshipful words about Harold Washington, Quinn’s taking $100,000 from one of the war’s chief architects, Ald. Ed Burke.
I love political irony, and this one is rich on all sides.
* From a press release…
WHO: U.S. Rep. Danny Davis
U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky
U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez
Jacky Grimshaw, former top aide to Mayor Harold Washington
WHAT: NEWS CONFERENCE TO DENOUNCE CYNICAL HYNES AD
* Toni Preckwinkle leads the race for Cook County Board President, according to a new Tribune poll. The poll has it 36 for Preckwinkle (up from 20), 24 percent for Dorothy Brown (down from 29), 16 percent for Terry O’Brien (up from 11) and 11 for Todd Stroger (down from 14). 14 percent are still undecided. Keep in mind that polling Democratic primary races in Cook County is very difficult. More…
Democratic voters with a favorable impression of Preckwinkle have doubled from 23 percent last month to 45 percent now. Her favorable impression among white voters also doubled to 54 percent. Those factors help explain why she has the support of 46 percent of white voters in the contest.
O’Brien, the lone white candidate, has the backing of 25 percent of white voters.
Among black voters, Brown scored 36 percent support, Preckwinkle had 24 percent, Stroger had 23 percent and O’Brien 4 percent. […]
The poll showed Brown losing support among suburban county voters as her opponents in recent weeks publicly questioned her practice of accepting gifts, including cash, from employees.
Her office promises a “full accounting” of money is spent from the program that allows circuit court clerk employees to pay $2 or $3 to wear jeans in the office.
For years, employees have complained about the practice.
Brown recently told the Tribune that all the money collected either goes to charities or into a fund that pays for an annual employee appreciation awards ceremony.
“It’s a voluntary thing,” said Brown, noting the jeans practice is not held every Friday. “If they want to do it, fine, because blue jeans is not our attire, and you have to have on a tag saying I’m wearing blue jeans because…But they want to wear blue jeans and not pay — is that what it is?”
Friday, Jan 22, 2010 - Posted by Capitol Fax Blog Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Since when is heavy traffic a good thing? When it means your campaign is getting more visits thanks to the engaged voters at eVoter.com.
With several thousand visitors each day, and increasing exponentially as Election Day approaches, eVoter.com has had visits from more than 45,000 Illinois voters to date.
That’s more daily traffic than even top ballot statewide candidates!
As a primary candidate in Illinois, you are already being viewed on eVoter.com where thousands of people are creating sample ballots, viewing polling locations – and searching your profile.
Early voting is underway. Is your eVoter profile getting your message out?
Reach a lot of voters – for a lot less – Right Now!
Head to eVoter.com to learn how your enhanced profile can boost traffic to your campaign website and reach interested voters.
Maximize your online advantage at eVoter.com and become a fan of eVoter Facebook & eVoter Illinois.
* Pat Quinn and Dan Hynes debated again last night, but it doesn’t appear that much new ground was broken…
“We need someone who can’t be tied to Rod Blagojevich,” Hynes said during the debate, which was moderated by Jak Tichenor of WSIU-TV and featured questioning by David Yepsen, director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute and Jennifer Fuller of WSIU Public Radio.
But Quinn said he’s made more budget cuts than any governor in state history and that the comptroller presented him with a budget plan that was unbalanced by about $4.5 billion.
Hynes said though SIUC will be receiving financial help soon, the governor lacks a plan to help SIUC and other state universities achieve financial stability.
“It’s not a real solution. We need a comprehensive plan to address the budget crisis,” he said.
One of my interns, Barton Lorimor, was at the event and videotaped the after-debate pressers. The Quinn video isn’t available right now, but here’s Dan Hynes…
Quinn said he took particular offense to Hynes’ use of Washington, Chicago’s first black mayor. Calling Washington a friend, Quinn said Hynes and his father, Tom, a veteran of Chicago politics, fought against Washington “every step of the way.”
“It’s downright sacrilegious for two hypocrites who never supported him (Washington) to invoke him,” he said.
Quinn left the revenue department in June 1987. Washington says Quinn was “dismissed” for refusing to do what he was told and for using the department to further his own agenda.
But Quinn said Thursday that he resigned because he insisted on handling his duties ethically despite pressure to cut corners from others in Washington’s administration.
To tamp down the ad’s possible damage, Quinn’s campaign reached out to Chicago media outlets with large black audiences and dispatched former Washington political advisor Jacky Grimshaw, a Quinn campaign supporter who also headed Washington’s Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. Grimshaw said despite the harsh rhetoric, the two remained friends.
“Harold could be angry with you in public and still be friends with you behind closed doors. As far as I know, that was definitely the case with Quinn,” said Grimshaw, a Quinn appointee to the CTA board.
But Washington’s former press secretary, Alton Miller, who has not endorsed either Hynes or Quinn, predicted the ad could carry a catastrophic effect against the governor in the black community.
“This is truly what Harold Washington felt. I’m sorry to say, it’s absolutely the Harold Washington I remember, and it’s the mood and the level of disappointment I remember,” said Miller, who likewise noted the irony of the son of a Washington enemy invoking the late mayor in a campaign ad.
At the same time, Miller said, “I don’t know how in the hell you rebut it. I honestly don’t. If I’m Quinn’s people, I better have a strategy that doesn’t depend on a strong vigorous turnout from the black community. If Hynes has the money to get this out, and I’m sure he does, it’s going to be absolutely devastating.”
“Who are you gonna believe, me, or your lying eyes?”
Richard Pryor coined that phrase, but it has become Gov. Quinn’s stock reaction to his opponent’s campaign ads.
After being hammered by Comptroller Dan Hynes for secretly releasing hundreds of dangerous felons from prison early, Quinn ran a response TV ad claiming that Hynes had “grossly” distorted his record.
The “truth,” Quinn’s ad claimed, was that Quinn wanted to move nonviolent offenders into halfway homes — as if the widely condemned early release program never even existed.
“Who are you gonna believe, me or your lying eyes?”
You may not have seen Hynes’ latest TV ad, but you will. It will soon be the most talked-about spot of the entire campaign.
The ad features an interview with the late Mayor Harold Washington talking about why he fired Pat Quinn as his revenue director.
“I was nuts to do it,” Washington says about hiring Quinn. “I must have been blind or staggering, I would never appoint Pat Quinn to do anything.”
It gets better.
“Pat Quinn is a totally and completely undisciplined individual,” Washington says.
That’s gotta sting.
Washington complains in the video that Quinn wouldn’t do what he was supposed to do. Instead, Quinn used the office as a public relations “plantation.”
“He was dismissed. He should’ve been dismissed. My only regret is that we hired him and kept him too long. That was perhaps my greatest mistake in government.”
While those look like supreme- ly harsh words on paper, watching Washington actually say them on video is truly striking. The ad practically reaches out of your TV screen and grabs you by the throat. I’ve never seen anything quite like it.
The same basic principle was behind running an ad featuring the already dead Paul Simon endorsing Barack Obama for the U.S. Senate. A beloved figure, sainted in the political culture, Simon advised us how to vote from beyond the grave.
Twenty-two years after his death, Harold Washington is still revered in Chicago, particularly by white liberals and African Americans.
Using him is a no-brainer, particularly after softening Quinn up with millions of dollars of TV ads questioning the governor’s competency.
The Quinn people say there’s no way that Washington would want to help out a member of the Hynes family. Dan Hynes’ father ran against Washington in 1987, when the future state comptroller was still in high school.
They have a point about the father, but the Quinn folks can yell all they want and it won’t do much good because we can’t ask a dead man what he thinks now about the grown-up Dan Hynes. We know, thanks to this videotape, what Harold Washington thought of Pat Quinn.
The Quinn campaign is pushing back so hard not because Hynes has somehow defiled Washington’s hallowed memory (although they’d love to somehow create a backlash), but because the late mayor’s comments could’ve been uttered last week.
They are an eerily perfect prelude to Quinn’s meltdown as governor and Hynes’ effective campaign to point out the governor’s mismanagement and administrative incompetence. Washington’s long-ago words match Hynes’ current message — and the image that more and more voters now have of their governor.
True to form, Quinn denied Thursday that he was ever fired by the late mayor. “That didn’t happen,” Quinn said. “I resigned.”
On the one hand, we’ve got Washington saying on videotape Quinn was “dismissed” for good reason.
On the other, Quinn says he resigned and always supported his dear friend Harold.
“Who are you gonna believe, me or your lying eyes?”
* Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Schillerstrom will announce at 11 o’clock today that he’s dropping out of the race and is endorsing Jim Ryan.
Discuss.
I’ll be updating this post with more on the GOP candidates in a bit.
*** UPDATE *** From a press release…
Statement from McKenna for Illinois Spokesman Lance Trover on the Tax and Spenders Teaming Up:
“This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone since Jim Ryan and Bob Schillerstrom teamed with Kirk Dillard to raise taxes on suburban families – it appears now they want to team up and take their tax and spend ways from the suburbs to all Illinois families.”
On the Republican side, McKenna is far ahead of the six other primary candidates in fundraising, thanks in part to putting up $1.6 million of his own wealth… McKenna also raised more than $2 million from individuals, companies and groups, giving him a $3.6 million war chest.
State Sen. Kirk Dillard has raised about $800,000 in his bid. The veteran Hinsdale lawmaker also took more than $600,000 in loans.
DuPage County Board Chairman Bob Schillerstrom has raised just more than $700,000, including a $100,000 personal loan to his campaign. Former Illinois Attorney General Jim Ryan has raised just over half a million dollars.
Downstate candidate state Sen. Bill Brady of Bloomington also has raised just over half a million dollars since June. Chicago conservative commentator Dan Proft has raised about a quarter of a million dollars in cash and donated goods and services.
Added campaign cash could be flowing into contested area congressional primaries in a matter of days, thanks to Thursday’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling, Illinois political observers predicted.
“I would imagine, based on the ruling today, you may see some corporate play within a week and a half,” said state Rep. Jim Durkin, a Westchester Republican, and a former candidate for U.S. Senate. “Clearly this is going to have a major impact on midterm elections next November. I can’t even fathom how much money is going to go into these elections.”
I wrote “maybe” because, at least with the unions, they’re so committed right now to funding the Democratic governor’s race that they won’t have the cash to get too involved with federal races. As for corporations, well, that could be a different story, although many companies are having tough times these days. Things will change by the fall campaign, however.
But it doesn’t appear that there will be any impact on Illinois’ state races…
The court’s ruling is predicted to similarly end corporate and union restrictions in 24 states. However, Illinois has no existing restrictions. Limits on such spending also were not part of a campaign finance overhaul that legislative Democrats and Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn approved last year.
Those laws, which begin with the 2012 campaign season, for the first time here limit how much individuals and businesses can give to candidates, but don’t restrict how much a company or union can spend on its own to support candidates.
Alexi Giannoulias on the ruling via press release…
“I profoundly disagree with today’s Supreme Court ruling. The very corporate special interests that got us into this economic mess should be given less power to influence elections, not more. I am proud to be the first U.S. Senate candidate in Illinois history to refuse money from corporate PACs and federal lobbyists because I believe that to get our economy back on track and create the next generation of good-paying jobs, we have to break the grip of corporate interests in Washington.
“My likely Republican opponent Mark Kirk doesn’t believe there is a problem. In his decade in Washington, he has taken more corporate PAC money than just about any other politician. He then voted their way on one reckless Bush economic policy after another. That is why he refused to disclose how he would have voted on the confirmation of Justice Sotomayor and that’s why he still won’t speak about it even today. He cannot be trusted to be an advocate for working families or the middle class.”
“According to state and federal records, Alexi Giannoulias took $504,700 from corporate and union Political Action Committeesas state treasurer and already accepted another $63,500 from special interest, business and union PACs in his bid for Senate,” Kirk spokesman Eric Elk said. “In the wake of Rod Blagojevich and Roland Burris, Illinois voters deserve better.”
* Illinois Dem. Senate Debate Shaped by Massachusetts
* Scott Brown makes rounds in Senate: Moments before Brown walked into McCain’s second floor Russell office, Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) — the GOP front-runner for President Barack Obama’s old Senate seat — came through the crowd of reporters booming, “Illinois is next!” and entered the Arizona senator’s reception room.
* Poll: Blunt leading Carnahan as Demo candidates sink: In Illinois, Sabato said, Democrats would have had a better chance in November had state Attorney General Lisa Madigan chosen to run. As for the GOP’s likely candidate, Rep. Mark Kirk, “He’s the perfect profile of a Republican who can win in a good year,” Sabato said.
* Finally, the long-awaited cemetery attack ad from Pat Quinn. Rate it…
Quinn is obviously trying to staunch the bleeding of his support in the African-American community lately, so Hynes fires back using Harold Washington’s own words. Effective? You tell me…
Oof. As someone just told me, that ad will work for everybody, not just black people. He’s right. It’s all about the theme that Quinn is incompetent.
There is obviously some chutzpah here since Hynes’ father ran against Washington. I didn’t remember this, but the Quinn people tell me an 18-year-old Dan Hynes appears in one of his dad’s ads. Wanna bet we’ll see that footage?
I have a couple of more ads, but I wanted to get these up since everything is so delayed today. Check back in a few.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Apparently, Gov. Quinn didn’t know that Hynes was using actual video of Harold Washington, because the governor today denied he was fired by the late mayor…
Quinn denies Washington fired him.
“That didn’t happen — I resigned. I supported Harold Washington in every election. He told me sometime Quinn, someday we’ll have a drink together.”
He resigned? That’s not what Washington said. Oops. Pretty stupid prevarication by Quinn.
Quinn’s campaign shot back that the ad is in poor taste coming from Hynes, alleging that the comptroller’s father, 19th Ward power broker Tom Hynes undermined Washington. The elder Hynes ran as a third-party candidate against Washington in his 1987 re-election campaign at a time when racial tensions ran high in Chicago politics
“Harold Washington is spinning in his grave,” said Quinn spokeswoman Elizabeth Austin. “Dan Hynes was featured in ads for his father against Harold Washington.”
I asked the Hynes campaign about that last point, and they said the then 18-year-old appeared in a positive ad for his dad.
*** UPDATE 2 *** The IFT and the IEA are running a new radio ad for Hynes. Listen.
* Speech ran long and I am running late for the funeral, so here’s a big list of campaign stories. I’ll do something with some of this when I get back, but have at it for now campers…
* Ill. Senate candidate alleging anti-gay discrimination in debate fight
Businessman Bob Dold looked next door after a rival candidate in the Feb. 2 primary locked up endorsements from the Illinois Republicans he hopes to join in Congress.
Dold — who’s going after the seat being vacated by Rep. Mark Kirk — announced the endorsement of Indiana Sen. Richard Lugar.
* I have to give a speech this morning, so there isn’t much time to post until around 10 o’clock. After that, I am going to the Carlos Hernandez Gomez funeral. I hope to get a couple of posts up in between.
In his rise to the pinnacle of Illinois politics, House Speaker Michael J. Madigan built a reputation for wielding control over every bill, every budget line and every Democratic representative elected to oversee them.
Away from the public eye, the state’s ultimate power player enjoyed a similar rise in his private career: rainmaker for one of Chicago’s most successful property tax law firms.
In a first-of-its-kind examination, the Tribune found these two careers repeatedly intersect, and in some cases Madigan took public actions that benefited his private clients.
As a public official, he got a private road behind a shopping mall repaved, helped secure state funding for an expanded tollway interchange and intervened for a developer looking for state cash. In each case, Madigan was a private lawyer for businesspeople who stood to benefit.
His list of clients multiplied as Madigan consolidated political muscle over the last two decades. Now, many of his decisions as speaker have the potential to affect someone who has hired Madigan & Getzendanner in hopes of having a tax bill lowered. The Chicago firm represents banks the state regulates, investment houses that have overseen billions of dollars in public pensions, developers who want roads — all subject to decisions made by a state House in the firm control of their tax lawyer.
In 2005, while serving as the executive director of the Illinois Teachers’ Retirement System, Jon Bauman says he was surprised one day when his secretary announced a call from the speaker of the House.
“He talked about these gentlemen from a Chicago-focused fund who were trying to start something,” Bauman said of Madigan. “He understood minority-owned and/or Illinois-based funds may be of special interest to us, and he asked that we give the guy and his fund a look.
“I told him he was correct, we were working with particular emphasis on those kinds of funds and I appreciated his call and would be in touch,” Bauman said. Records show pension fund managers did have a meeting with the broker, John Cooke, who represented the Arches at Oakwood Shores, a low-income housing project developed by Granite Development Corp. and The Community Builders. Both firms have been tax clients of Madigan & Getzendanner. […]
Bauman cooperated with federal agents building a corruption case against members of the Blagojevich administration for, among other things, corrupting pension contracts. After Blagojevich’s indictment and impeachment last year, Madigan introduced legislation to fire Bauman, saying he cooperated only to save himself.
Bauman said he now wonders whether his ouster was retaliation for not hiring Madigan’s client. He said Madigan did not disclose his professional relationship with the developers and he did not know about it.
Madigan press secretary Steve Brown responds…
For about 11 months, a team of at least four Chicago Tribune reporters have been pouring over documents, conducting interviews and studying files. In many instances their question was “tell us how Mike Madigan used his public office to enrich his law practice.”
The following document speaks for itself. It was provided to the Tribune reporters in response to their questions and revised based on additional conversations.
The mass at Chicago’s St. John Cantius Catholic Church, 825 North Carpenter St., is set for 11 a.m. and will be in Latin. A priest will assist with CLTV’s coverage.
The core problem is money. Most CTA subsidies come from taxes on retail sales and real-estate transfers, and the worst recession in many decades has knocked that take way, way down.
The agency has agreed to borrow more than $100 million to close the funding gap, but had to pay a big price. To sign the needed legislation, Gov. Pat Quinn demanded a two-year freeze on fares — not even a little hike, not even on well-heeled Loop office workers who might prefer to pay an extra quarter rather than wait an extra quarter-hour in the cold for a bus.
If something isn’t worked out by Feb. 7, the CTA plans to cut 9 express bus routes, cut hours on 41 bus routes, and reduce service on 119 bus and 7 rail lines. The agency also plans to lay off 1,067 workers.
The transportation board is sending questionnaires to the Illinois and Indiana communities affected by Canadian National’s acquisition of the 198-mile rail line, which runs in an arc around Chicago from Waukegan to Joliet to Gary.
Next month, Mrs. Obama officially launches her anti-obesity initiative, and during a speech before the U.S. Conference of Mayors, she told them, “We’re looking to you to be leaders on the front lines of this effort across the country.”
Unspent money stays in an alderman’s account for future use — but is certain to become campaign fodder for challengers charging the ward’s needs aren’t being met.
Chicago area suburbs saw a 47 percent spike in the number of poor, and the nation’s suburbs were home to the largest and fastest-growing poor population in the country from 2000 to 2008.
Take Northwestern University, with building after building lining the lakefront in Evanston. A world class institution with a world class endowment, or investments of nearly $6 billion.
Or the University of Chicago which stretches for blocks on both sides of the Midway in fashionable Hyde Park. Its endowment: also $6 billion.
But like all not-for-profit schools, hospitals and churches, they pay no property taxes.
According to the Cook County Assessor, all this costs the rest of us anywhere from $200 to $400 milliofn.
People like Refund Anticipation Loans, or RALs, because it lets them get their expected tax refunds a couple of days after filing. Lenders like them because the fees in Illinois alone total $114 million a year.
* Athletic department waiting to hear about furloughs
Illini coaches could take after similar behavior this semester, when the University implements furloughs to help combat the institution’s rising financial problems.
Superintendent Rick Schmitt told the school board this week that the district should have been paid $4,534,862 by the state by now, but the district has only received $3,565,615.
* Unit 5, terminated contractor reach agreement for work on junior high school
The January issue of Discover magazine, which focuses on “science, technology and the future,” listed science’s Top 100 Stories of 2009, ranking FutureGen as No. 9.
But Rolling Stone magazine also mentioned FutureGen in its January magazine when it called FutureGen lobbyist Dick Gephardt one of the 17 “polluters and deniers who are derailing efforts to curb global warming.”
* Legislator’s book to outline how Southern Illinois can help the green economy
State Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Collinsville, will join Southern Illinois University President Glenn Poshard and John Mead, director of the SIUC Coal Research Center, for an announcement about the release of the book, “Hope for the Heartland.”
[Mike] Schafer and entrepreneurs like him advocate aggressive fishing of Asian carp as a way to make money and save the Great Lakes, where environmentalists fear the voracious fish would starve native species by consuming their food. But several of them say such efforts can’t get going without government help, and that’s been in short supply as states face budget problems.
[City Clerk Cecilia] Tumulty told aldermen this week she didn’t want to present a budget based on the assumption that unions would accept contractual concessions of 12 unpaid days off or smaller pay increases, as Mayor Tim Davlin has proposed.
Springfield Police Chief Rob Williams is counting on personal connections and word of mouth — what he calls “informal recruiting” — to help the mostly white department diversify, a goal that has been elusive for more than a decade.
* Some support for Decatur parking plan, but it’s not unanimous
The proposed plan calls for instituting employee parking permits at the 10-hour parking meters that line the outlying streets downtown, setting all city parking garages at equal pricing, and putting in place measures to allow the city to boot and tow cars and suspend the driver’s licenses of those with high amounts of unpaid parking tickets.
* Mattoon officials defend use of TIF districts, approve two grants
* Back in the day, lots of politicians had what was called a “flower fund.” Their government employees kicked into the fund every payday and were told their cash would be used to buy flowers for funerals, weddings, retirements, etc. But, of course, not all the money was used for those purposes. Dorothy Brown has apparently put a modern twist on the concept. Fox Chicago’s Dane Placko has the story…
It’s called “Jeans Day” – when employees of Cook County Clerk Dorothy Brown pay for the privilege of wearing jeans at work. […]
“Jeans Day” has turned into nearly a year-round fundraising operation within the massive clerk’s office.
Yet, we’ve been able to find little accountability as to where the cash goes.
Employees are allowed to wear jeans if they pay $3 a day — or $10 per week– cash only.
The money is collected by managers, stuffed into brown manila envelopes.
Employees are told it goes for charity and employee functions like picnics and parties.
But our repeated Freedom of Information requests for more details about the program– written guidelines, how much money is raised, who’s getting it — have been rebuffed, as were our requests for a sit-down interview with Brown.
Placko will have more tonight. Don’t miss it.
Brown had a big lead in the last Tribune poll. I’m hearing that the Trib is in the field again. So far, none of the negative stories on Brown have really been burned in, so she may still be ahead. Somebody better go negative soon, because she could be a disaster in November, even against Roger Keats.
A review of the governor’s campaign and official public schedules shows his handlers scheduled blatantly political events on the political docket - avoiding the use of taxpayer dollars for campaign purposes.
But it also shows far fewer events on the campaign side so far this year, despite an increasingly intense primary campaign that has dominated the headlines.
For all five workdays last week, Quinn had not one public campaign event. But he had eight public government events. […]
In all, there were six days in the last 18 that lacked any public event on taxpayer time compared to 11 days void of events on campaign time.
• To wit: Sneed is told [Rep. Art Turner] spoke at the recent funeral of his former chief of staff Bea Smith — and intoned if Smith were here today she would tell you to vote for Art Turner [for lt. governor].
• Upshot: “Everyone in the church was a gasp, without a doubt,” said a Sneed source who was there. “You just don’t do that — self promotion at a funeral.”
• The response: “I was in campaign mode,” Turner tells Sneed. “If I offended anyone I apologize. Bea was a friend of mine and a neighbor. I worked with her for more than 15 years. And her family has been strong supporters.”
* In other campaign news, Democratic comptroller candidate state Rep. David Miller has a new TV ad. It’s quite good. Watch it…
* Republican US Senate candidate Mark Kirk has a new radio ad featuring Jim Edgar. Listen.
One of Kirk’s primary opponents, Patrick Hughes, has a new TV ad. Rate it…
* WSIL TV analyzes the gubernatorial ads, and actually has somebody on air saying that Hynes’ early release ad isn’t resonating. Oops. Have a look…
* And here’s your gigantic campaign roundup, courtesy of my two new interns, Dan Weber and Barton Lorimor. Dan is from UIUC and Barton is from SIUC…
* Gun Owners of America endorse Hughes for U.S. Senate
* The pontificating over the impact of the Massachusetts Senate race on Illinois has begun in earnest. This statement was released by the Illinois GOP chairman before the contest was even called by the AP…
“Today, the citizens of Massachusetts repudiated the first year of President Obama’s term by electing their first Republican Senator since 1972. Republicans, Independents and even a substantial segment of Democrat voters turned out to soundly reject the Obama Administration’s uncontrolled spending and attempt to nationalize healthcare. Tonight’s victory for Republicans reflects a trend that started last November in New Jersey and Virginia. Republicans won Governor’s races in these two states, which were won by President Obama in 2008. Since the Democrats took control of Washington last January, Republicans have won 27 of 36 special elections, including gaining a majority of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.”
“Illinois is next. Like Massachusetts, Illinois is under control of the single-party rule Democrats who have had unbridled control of the State of Illinois for the last eight years and have brought us to the brink of financial collapse. The eyes of the nation will be upon Illinois as we seek to regain the United States Senate seat formerly held by President Obama and retake the Governor’s mansion.”
Those independents who yearned in 2008 to throw out George Bush and elect Barack Obama may now be yearning to send a message to the Democrats by giving Illinois’ Senate seat to the GOP.
That is what Illinois House Republican leader Tom Cross, a moderate, argues is going to happen in the Illinois Senate race.
“Republican voters are more energized, coupled with independents who were with the Democrats in 2008 but coming back to us in 2010.”
* The Question: What do you think the impact will be, if any? Explain fully, please, and, as always, don’t use regurgitated DC talking points. They’re boring and worthless and I hate them. Thanks.
* The Dan Hynes campaign has released a new polling memo which shows they’ve done some major damage to Quinn’s fortunes and made this a real horse race - with a major assist from Republican Andy McKenna’s campaign, which is whacking the guv like crazy on the tax issue. In essence, Quinn has been hit with a two-track assault for weeks without much of a response.
The seven-point spread in Hynes’ poll is about the same as a poll I told subscribers about yesterday. That other poll, taken by the Alexi Giannoulias campaign, had it at 49-43, sources outside the campaign now confirm.
Anyway, on to the Hynes polling memo. All emphasis in original…
With two weeks to go in the primary campaign for Governor of Illinois, Dan Hynes is surging – according to a recent poll of 500 likely Democratic primary voters conducted January 17 – 18, 2009 by Global Strategy Group. Key findings include:
* Dan Hynes is now within just seven points and Quinn is polling well below 50%. Today, Pat Quinn leads with just 44% of the vote to Dan Hynes at 37% and 19% undecided. That is a remarkable change versus our November poll (where Quinn led by 17 points) and the Chicago Tribune’s December poll (where Quinn led by 26 points). It is clear that the most recent advertising blitz is causing voters to tune into this campaign and that voters are moving towards Hynes as they see competing advertisements from both sides.
* Pat Quinn’s ratings are in a total free-fall. Quinn’s negative job approval rating is now at 60% – up ten points since November. Remarkably, only 36% of primary voters approve of the job Quinn is doing.
* Pat Quinn is unelectable in a general election. Pat Quinn has a 60% negative job rating (and just a 36% positive job rating) among primary voters – a group that should be his strongest in a general election. Such a low rating with primary voters means that Quinn’s ratings must be even worse with a general election electorate that includes Republicans and Independents. In this political environment, Quinn simply cannot win in November.
* Voters view Dan Hynes as by far the better choice on the key economic issues facing Illinois. Voters think Hynes will do a better job “handling the state’s budget and finances” (Hynes 43%/Quinn 29%), and “cutting waste from state government” (Hynes 39%/Quinn 27%). In addition, by a stunning 54% to 9% voters believe it is Pat Quinn who will raise their taxes.
The bottom line is this: Now that voters are paying attention to this campaign – and seeing competing advertisements from both campaigns – Dan Hynes is surging and Pat Quinn is in a total free-fall. Hynes is within single digits and Quinn is well below 50% in an environment where undecideds will likely break against the better known incumbent Governor. With two weeks to go, Hynes is in a great position to win this campaign.
Those are awful numbers for Quinn. Just awful. A disapproval of 60? Oof. And that 54-9 on how Quinn will be the one to raise their taxes? Hynes ought to send McKenna a big box of roses for that one.
* Meanwhile, Hynes has a new, hard-hitting 15-second ad on the botched early release program. It was ripped from live TV, so there is a little bleed-over from other stuff at the beginning and end. Sorry about that. Anyway, rate it…
* I was asked by people connected to both Democratic gubernatorial campaigns last night what I thought about the debate. After ripping the League of Women Voters’ ridiculous format - which encouraged the candidates to just repeat their sound byte attacks on each other for an hour - I said that since few would actually watch the debate, if the governor’s botched prisoner release plan makes the lede in all the coverage and is fleshed out in the stories, then Hynes probably won. After looking at the coverage, it seems to be a draw, with the governor scoring points early in every story with a media-ready quote. Sun-Times…
They shook hands at the end and said they’d still be friends, but for an hour, Gov. Quinn and challenger Dan Hynes accused each other of incompetence, deception, and/or “cover-ups.”
“He smiles in your face and stabs you in the back and that’s what he’s done since Day One,” Quinn said of state Comptroller Hynes, who is challenging Quinn in the Feb. 2 Democratic primary for governor.
The governor’s harsh attacks belied his criticism of Hynes. The comptroller never really called Quinn names, so this was more about political projection than reality - a tactic rarely acknowledged by the media. Quinn also used an inappropriate ethnic slur…
Quinn also raised a few eyebrows by twice referring to taxpayers getting “gypped,” a reference to a derogatory stereotype that people of the Roma ethnicity, often referred to as “gypsies,” are swindlers and thieves. Afterward, Quinn, who was battling a cold, said the term applied to the situation.
I saw close up how the Roma were treated in central Europe several years ago. It’s horrible. In Kosovo, back in 1999, they were essentially herded into make-shift concentration camps “for their protection.”
But it was last year’s headline-grabbing scandal at the Burr Oak Cemetery in Alsip that Quinn kept revisiting to attack Hynes.
Quinn said Hynes had responsibility as comptroller to oversee the cemetery but didn’t discover the scandal that was uncovered by the Cook County sheriff’s office.
On the defensive for much of the debate, Quinn tried to counter the early-release issue by hitting back with allegations that the comptroller’s office ignored its regulatory role in the Burr Oak Cemetery scandal. Quinn accused Hynes of engaging in a “cover-up” on that scandal, mirroring the phrase Hynes accused Quinn of on the prisoner program.
And in what appeared to be an appeal to African-American voters, Quinn said Hynes was employing against him the same attack-focused style he used against Barack Obama in the 2004 Democratic U.S. Senate campaign. Obama defeated Hynes in that contest and went on to become a U.S. senator that fall.
We may see more about both of those subjects soon. Sun-Times…
Quinn also launched a new line of attack against Hynes, saying Hynes was using the same criticism against him that he used against Barack Obama when Hynes ran for the Senate seat Obama won in 2004.
“He said, ‘You voted for George Ryan’s taxes and fees in order to get your piece of the pork pie.’ That’s what he said to our now-president,” Quinn said. “You know, when I listen to the rhetoric in this whole campaign, it’s remarkably similar to that: Run down your opponent.”
“That’s silly,” Hynes said. “Barack and I, when we ran, we were friendly before, during and after that. You can read it in his book.”
Hynes said Quinn was on the defensive Tuesday: “The governor seemed agitated … because the polls show the race tightening. He’s losing his lead. He’s losing his grip on reality.”
“Taxing the middle class” served as Hynes’ go-to rip, while Quinn called his challenger’s budget plans “fantasy.”
It was an often-used blast, but the early release vs. cemetery scandal was a far more prominent exchange.
ABC7 also covered the press conference afterwards…
“The governor seemed agitated and almost angry tonight, and maybe it’s because polls are tightening and the race is getting much closer,” Hynes said.
The governor explained why he thought Hynes bombed.
“I was disappointed that my a opponent didn’t say one word about jobs. He wanted to talk a lot about me, but I don’t’ think that’s what the people want to hear,” said Quinn.
By the way, I’m told that the Better Government Association was so disgusted with the LWV’s debate format that the group will refuse to participate in any more events such as these unless the format is radically altered. Good for them. And shame on the League.
Wednesday, Jan 20, 2010 - Posted by Capitol Fax Blog Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Is your campaign seeking effortless exposure with the potential to reach engaged voters, recruit volunteers, and capture online donations – all in one location, at one low cost?
At eVoter.com, the go-to-site for empowered voters, candidates can MAXIMIZE CAMPAIGN FUNDS through affordable, multi-functioning profiles.
At the same time, voters take full advantage of DEMOCRATIC EMPOWERMENT, getting polling information and directly connecting to campaigns!
What is your campaign waiting for? February 3rd?
With your eVoter profile, you can:
· Unlock the secrets to easy online fundraising
· Maximize your public relations by posting press releases, news articles, and multimedia
· Share your campaign message directly to voters
· Recruit and manage volunteers
· List endorsements
· And more!
The mayor said he’s proud that the kerosene stink of aviation fuel is long gone from a several-mile stretch of the lakefront. His midnight bulldozer raid that closed Meigs Field provoked a huge uproar from users of private airplanes.
Officials long have defended the closing of schools because of poor performance, saying they believe it gives students a shot at a better education. But recent research shows that just 6 percent of displaced students were moved to top schools and gained academically. The majority did no better because they landed at schools about as bad as the ones they’d left.
The rest of the lawsuit, still unaddressed by the court, calls for the reopening of a nearly century-old lawsuit about Chicago’s diversion of water from Lake Michigan and permanent closure of the locks.
The Corps says researchers combing the Calumet Harbor near Lake Michigan for the presence of Asian carp have found two DNA samples that seem to indicate the invasive fish has already breached the lake near Chicago.
One sample was in Calumet Harbor a half-mile north of the Calumet River; the other was in the Calumet River north of the O’Brien Lock. Both samples were collected Dec. 8. The agency said that two earlier tests in the area didn’t show carp DNA.
Several states are suing Illinois to shut down the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal amid concerns over invasive Asian carp species — a shutdown that would be burdensome to an important commercial corridor, U.S. Rep. Judy Biggert said on Jan. 8 in Lockport.
Radium is a naturally occurring radioactive element abundant in deep-water wells in northern Illinois and throughout the Midwest. Cities such as Joliet that rely on these deep wells spend millions of dollars each year to remove radium from their drinking water. Some communities pay to dump radium in a landfill, but Joliet and others use a cheaper alternative, mixing it with waste material that is sold to farmers as fertilizer.
About 21,000 tons of Joliet’s radium-enriched fertilizer has been dumped on area farms since 2005 The city is petitioning the state EPA to allow it to dispose of more than twice the level of radium that’s currently allowed.
The convention business nationally was down about 3.1% in 2008 from a year earlier, according to an index put out by Mr. Ducate’s research group, and likely was off in the double digits for 2009, he said. In Chicago, revenue for the fiscal year ending June 30 is expected to be off about 18% from the previous year.
Two supporters of banning video gambling, Ald. Patrick Curran, R-2, and Ald. Frank Beach, R-10, said in talking to their colleagues they expect the measure to fail.
The discussion came during the city council’s first debate of Davlin’s proposed spending plan for the fiscal year that begins March 1. The $105 million budget calls for the elimination of 55 positions — including 15 immediate layoffs — 12 furlough days and smaller pay raises for the entire city workforce.
* O’Fallon council may go it alone on TIF district proposal
* ‘Outrageous’: Cahokia trustee shocked by $1,046 fee to see mayor’s records
The bill was for $1,046.50 and stated at the bottom, “The above items will be released when the invoice is paid in full.” That’s a rate of 50 cents a page for about 2,000 copies.
A shocked [Phyllis] Pearson, who is also a member of the village board finance committee, said there is no way she’ll pay to see records that state law guarantees is her right to review as an elected official.
Brinker, whose promise to her sister, Susan Komen, launched the Race for the Cure to fight against breast cancer, received the medal last year for her dedication to the cause.
McLean County Board member Tari Renner made it official Tuesday: He is resigning from his board seat effective Feb. 28 because he is moving out of District 8.
Mayor Brad Cole abstained from all three votes, saying he chose to do so because of “various thoughts by certain folks.”
Cole received a $5,000 donation under Short Enterprises, Inc., for his mayoral campaign in 2007, according to the Illinois State Board of Elections. He received another $5,000 donation from the Shorts for his lieutenant governor campaign in June of 2009, according to Cole’s Team Brad Web site.
Davis, a native of Anna, assumed the prison’s top position as warden days after the Dec. 14 incident that saw an inmate, 37-year-old Alonje Walton, take a hostage before being shot and killed.
