Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Thursday, Nov 13, 2008 - Posted by Rich Miller

* 12:27 PM - Wow…

Illinois faces an unprecedented backlog of bills–totaling nearly $4 billion now–that could hit $5 billion early next year, state Comptroller Dan Hynes said today.

Hynes sounded the warning to Gov. Rod Blagojevich and legislative leaders in a letter that called the backlog of unpaid bills the largest in state history.

* More…

That [state payment] delay could rise to 20 weeks by spring, [Hynes] warned.

Schools could wait several months for more than a billion dollars in payments, food suppliers might end deliveries to state prisons and mental facilities and state police could be turned away from fueling up their vehicles. Nursing homes, colleges and universities and doctors also could face major cutbacks if something isn’t done soon, Hynes cautioned.

“To call this as an imminent crisis is an understatement,” Hynes said in a statement.

He wants lawmakers and the governor to change state law to make it easier for state government to borrow money in the short-term to pay overdue bills and let the state create a revolving line of credit to help the state deal with ongoing borrowing situations.

94 Comments

Question of the day

Thursday, Nov 13, 2008 - Posted by Rich Miller

* I told subscribers about this earlier today…

Jockeying over the state Senate’s next Democratic leader intensified Wednesday as Mayor Daley insisted he had no horse in the race but signaled behind the scenes he wants retiring Senate President Emil Jones’ successor to be from Cook County. […]

Leading up to the closed-door session, Daley dispatched some of his Springfield emissaries to spread word that his preference is someone from the Chicago area, Senate sources said.

But the mayor publicly denied having any role in that maneuver, which was first tipped Wednesday in the Capitol Fax political newsletter published by Chicago Sun-Times columnist Rich Miller.

“I haven’t said that at all. I don’t know who you’re talking to. Who’s Capitol Fax anyway?” Daley said after Wednesday’s City Council meeting.

The above Sun-Times story was entitled: “Daley wants Jones’ successor to be from Cook County.” I, of course, stand behind my original story. And, as I told subscribers today, Daley’s top staff has subscribed to the Capitol Fax for years.

* The Question: Who’s Capitol Fax anyway?

I’ll make sure to forward a copy of your comments to hizzoner.

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Money battles are everywhere

Thursday, Nov 13, 2008 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The Senate is growing more restive now that Senate President Emil Jones is on the way out…

State Sen. Donne Trotter, the Senate’s lead budget negotiator, said he believes the [governor’s] doomsday predictions for the state budget are overstated. He also said the governor’s decision to shut down parks and historic sites on Nov. 30 is “arbitrary.”

“They said they had enough money to keep them going at least until January or February,” Trotter said Wednesday.

* But this is from a reader…

If Rod is bluffing on closing [state] parks he is going out of his way to appear not to be. CMS sent out certified letters informing targeted employees that they have been laid off as of Dec 1st.

* As we told you yesterday, the Blagojevich administration had apparently stopped paying FamilyCare claims for 500,000 recipients after a judge ordered it to stop paying claims for 25,000 recipients related to an illegal end-run of the General Assembly. The resulting chaos may have played a role in yesterday’s IL Supreme Court decision to stay the lower court ruling for now…

A state-subsidized health care program got a reprieve Wednesday when the Illinois Supreme Court temporarily put on hold a judge’s order to shut it down and the Blagojevich administration said it would pay providers.

It was not immediately clear when the state would resume paying health care providers for services under the FamilyCare program, something it had stopped doing - exacerbating already delayed reimbursements. […]

The stay is in place until the Supreme Court either agrees to hear the case or doesn’t, Hecht said.

* But nobody knows yet when that backlog will be processed…

While the state would pay providers because of Wednesday’s Illinois Supreme Court ruling, the time line for that was unclear, said Annie Thompson, spokeswoman for Blagojevich’s Department of Healthcare and Family Services.

* The governor’s statement…

“This is good news for the families who are struggling in this economy and cannot afford the high cost of private insurance.”

* Meanwhile, on another front, AFSCME has filed a third lawsuit over the Pontiac prison closure…

The union that represents workers at a central Illinois prison filed another lawsuit Wednesday trying to stop the state from closing the facility until safety concerns are addressed.

The lawsuit is the third filed by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees against the Illinois Department of Corrections over the agency’s plan to close the Pontiac Correctional Center by the end of the year. […]

Earlier Wednesday, Livingston County Judge Robert Travers said he’ll wait until Nov. 21 to decide whether to block the state from laying off employees at the Pontiac prison. Pontiac is the Livingston County seat.

That order is being sought by the union as part of one of the other lawsuits. The union claims in that suit that the state did not meet a legal obligation to bargain with the union before it began notifying workers of layoffs.

A third lawsuit, also filed in Livingston County by AFSCME, argues that Blagojevich can’t use money the General Assembly appropriated for the Pontiac prison at other facilities.

* And the union is gearing up for a big legislative battle…

At a Thompson Center rally planned for noon tomorrow (Thursday, Nov. 13), 150 frontline employees of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) will be joined by leading children’s advocates to call on Governor Rod Blagojevich to rescind looming layoffs and budget cuts to DCFS that threaten to undermine child abuse prevention and put kids at risk.

Instead, the governor should act immediately to sign Senate Bill 1103, legislation that includes additional funding for the state’s child welfare safety net, among other essential services.

* Somewhat related…

* CEOs warn Daley that ‘huge layoffs’ are coming to Chicago

* Economy, smoking ban snuff casino profits

* State could pick three casino finalists Friday

* Mental health centers say budget cuts mean crime, higher costs

* Blagojevich’s top money man to head finance agency

* Press release: Governor Blagojevich announces John Filan as the New Executive Director of the Illinois Finance Authority

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The replacements *** UPDATED x5 *** Claypool backs out *** Schulter says he’s in *** Obama out on Sunday ***

Thursday, Nov 13, 2008 - Posted by Rich Miller

*** UPDATE *** Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. has been lining up newspaper endorsements for Obama’s Senate seat, he took a poll to bolster his campaign, he’s been sending reporters so many press releases (from his government account, no less) touting himself for the appointment that his own wife called him a “beast” this week, and now he has a FaceBook group: Appoint Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. to the United States Senate. The group has 247 members and was created by Kenny Johnson, who was backed by Jackson when he ran a losing race for the Illinois House last February against a former Obama staffer, Will Burns.

It’s all getting to be a bit much.

*** UPDATE 2 *** OneMan has created a new FaceBook page: CapFax Commenter ‘Bill’ To Replace Senator Obama

Let’s all join!

*** UPDATE 3 *** Claypool backs down…

Cook County Board Commissioner Forrest Claypool said today he will not run for the congressional seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Rahm Emanuel, who has been tapped as President-elect Barack Obama’s chief of staff.

“I’m not going to Washington,” Claypool added, responding to speculation that he would take a post in Obama’s administration. “I’ll be staying local.”

Claypool is a former chief of staff to Mayor Richard Daley and has been in the political consulting business with David Axelrod, Obama’s top political advisor.

Claypool’s decision comes as his ally on the County Board, Commissioner Mike Quigley (D-Chicago) is “seriously considering” a run for Emanuel’s 5th Congressional District seat.

*** UPDATE 4 *** Schulter says he’s in…

Forty-seventh Ward Alderman Gene Schulter said he is definitely running for Rahm Emanuel’s seat in the 5th Congressional District.

*** UPDATE 5 *** Obama resigns Sunday…

President-elect Barack Obama said today he will step down from his Senate seat effective this Sunday.

[ *** End of updates *** ]

* Valerie Jarrett says she doesn’t want Obama’s Senate seat, ending days of speculation…

Valerie Jarrett, a close friend and adviser to President-elect Barack Obama, today took herself out of the running to replace him in the U.S. Senate.

“I am not interested in the Senate seat,” Jarrett told the Tribune in an e-mail this afternoon.

* Senate President Emil Jones was evasive when asked about whether he had personally lobbied for the seat…

“It would be a great honor, you know” Jones said. “It would be a great honor.”

Pressed about his chances of getting appointed by Blagojevich, a longtime ally, Jones said: “I don’t know.”

Jones brushed aside questions about whether he had talked to Blagojevich, saying, “You think I should?… Since you asked the question, maybe I should.”

* Sen. Dick Durbin has asked for a meeting with Blagojevich, but that hasn’t happened yet…

Durbin—at IWU today to speak to a class on elections – said Obama should be replaced by someone “who understands there are 102 counties in this state.”

Durbin says he’s got some good candidates for the U.S. Senate, but the choice isn’t his…

Durbin told News 25, “There’s only one vote in this election—it’s Governor Blagojevich, and I don’t have a close personal relationship with him, but I’ve asked to meet with him and talk about this because the person he’s going to choose is someone I’ll be serving with in Washington”.

Durbin has complained before about not getting his calls returned by the governor, so we’ll see if he gets his meeting.

* Join the club, Dick…

Durbin says he hopes to give some recommendations to the governor soon, but he has “no idea” who really has Blagojevich’s ear.

* More Durbin…

“I want a colleague in the Senate who understands that there are 102 counties in this state, and all of them need help,” the Springfield Democrat said.

* Tammy Duckworth is on Durbin’s list…

“I have several names and certainly Tammy would be on that list,” said Durbin, visiting an Illinois Wesleyan University class Wednesday.

* But others want Duckworth in a different job…

A grassroots effort is underway for Barack Obama to appoint Tammy Duckworth, a veteran of the Iraq War and onetime congressional candidate, as Secretary of Veterans’ Affairs in his incoming administration.

Democratic-leaning veterans groups are pushing the appointment among activists and reporters, even launching a petition drive to get Duckworth into the administration.

“If Tammy was offered the Secretary of the VA, she’d excel at it,” said Jon Soltz, the head of the veterans group VoteVets.org and one of the leading advocates for a Duckworth appointment. “She uniquely understands the issues facing not just older generations of veterans, but our newest veterans as well.”

Indeed, Duckworth would be well situated to take on the post. Not just because she has served in Iraq (where she lost both her legs) and currently heads the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs, but also because she has strong ties to Obama’s inner circle.

* Congressman Danny Davis recently expressed his interest…

“Yes, I am interested. Yes, there are people who have suggested to me that they would be supportive and that they are supportive of an effort to convince the governor to appoint me to fill that vacancy,” Davis said.

“I couldn’t think of any reason I wouldn’t be interested.”

* And in a different contest, this maneuver would be far, far tougher to do now than back in the “old” days…

Meanwhile, there’s an intriguing wrinkle in the race for Mr. Emanuel’s seat: talk that he really only wants to serve as chief of staff for two years, and wants a mere seat-warmer who would give the job back when Rahm so requests.

Mr. Emanuel’s spokeswoman terms that talk “false and ridiculous.” But at least one source, who claims to have discussed the possibility with Rahmbo personally, says he really was reluctant to give up the seat and really would like to keep his options open to reclaim it down the road.

If that talk is true, look for municipal finance banker John Borovicka, Mr. Emanuel’s chief of staff, to run for the House and for Mr. Emanuel to cut lots of Chicago-style deals to get it for him. (Mr. Borovicka, who also has never run for anything, says he’s thinking about running but has “no plans” to seek it.)

Mayor Daley helped put Emanuel in Congress, but his organization ain’t what it used to be since the Sorich patronage office prosecutions. Rahm might have talked about a place-holder, but pulling it off will be tough, especially considering all the people who are lining up to take the seat.

* Somewhat related…

* Illinois won’t get extra inauguration tickets

* Treasurer proposes Obama resolution

* Giannoulias pushes plan to recognize Obama

* Illinois senators remember Obama in their midst

64 Comments

Morning shorts

Thursday, Nov 13, 2008 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Top Blagojevich budget adviser stepping down

* Senate OKs hearsay evidence

The state Senate unanimously voted Wednesday to give Will County prosecutors a powerful new tool to probe the murder of one of Drew Peterson’s wives and the disappearance of another.

The Senate OKd legislation to allow as evidence hearsay statements from murdered witnesses.

* Naperville home to public hearing on governor’s carpooling scheme

* CPS scores up, but kids aren’t ready for college

* CPS gives kids a voice in cutting dropout rate

* Adults-only housing makes sense for schools

* Illinoize: State & Local Governments Have Bailout Fever

* Lock out Great Lakes’ invaders: study

Waterways engineered more than a century ago to connect the Great Lakes and Mississippi River watersheds should be altered to stop the exchange of invasive species that can cause irreversible damage, an environmental advocacy group says.

* Will there be newspapers to tell us what we need to know?

Problem is, those three theses proceed from the flawed assumption that readership (as differentiated from circulation) is down. But actually, thanks to the Internet, more people are reading these words now than could have ever read them 20 years ago. So the problem isn’t readership. It is, rather, finding a way to translate readership into revenue; newspapers were slow to understand the implications of the technology revolution. They have yet to figure out a business model for the Internet era that enables them to support themselves as they did back when print was king.

* Lake County Pro Second Amendment Resolution

* DuPage Co. board sets $12 mil for capital improvements

* Illinois Senate president contenders open to death penalty fund overhaul

* Stark County receives $25,000 state grant

* U.S. rep: ‘I hope this was not a case of racial profiling’

* Suburbs better at minding budgets

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Thursday, Nov 13, 2008 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Thursday, Nov 13, 2008 - Posted by Rich Miller

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