Speakers announced for Topinka memorial
Monday, Dec 15, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* An interesting lineup…
SCHEDULE FOR WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2014:
WHAT: TOPINKA MEMORIAL SERVICE
WHEN: 9:30 a.m.
WHERE: Local 150
6200 Joliet Rd., Countryside
SPEAKERS INCLUDE:
Illinois Governor Pat Quinn
Illinois Governor James R. Thompson
Illinois Governor Elect Bruce Rauner
Illinois Auditor General William Holland
Capitol Fax Publisher Rich Miller
TV & Radio Personality Roe Conn
Topinka Chief of Staff Nancy Kimme
Joseph Baar Topinka
This does not affect my City Club speech. We’re gonna start that on schedule.
* Also, if you’re coming to the City Club thing, make sure to bring a toy. We’re collecting toys for Lutheran Social Services of Illinois’ children’s programs. From Tweed Thornton at the City Club…
Like last year, Lutheran Social Services of Illinois will be on hand before and after the luncheon with Rich Miller to collect wrapped toys for children. The toys should target ages 3-5 and/or individuals can donate gift cards from places where children’s toys are sold.
Lutheran Social Services of Illinois early childhood programs have been in existence for more than 40 years, providing high quality, diverse and culturally sensitive services for children and families in some of Chicago’s most economically disadvantages neighborhoods. LSSI’s mission is to create a stimulating learning environment that promotes social competency and school readiness for preschool age children who are academically and economically at risk.
Please consider donating to them on Wednesday. We look forward to seeing you soon.
More info is here.
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* Pantagraph…
In a sign that replacing Judy Baar Topinka could become an even bigger political battle, Republican Bruce Rauner says he plans to appoint a replacement who will serve the entire four years of the deceased comptroller’s next term.
Just hours after Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan said voters should get a say in selecting a replacement for the late comptroller, Rauner issued a statement saying he believes he’s got the Illinois Constitution on his side when it comes to appointing someone to the post.
“The constitution requires that Bruce appoint a comptroller to a four-year term and that is how we plan to proceed,” Rauner spokesman Mike Schrimpf said
That statement sets up a potential showdown between Democrats who control the House and Senate and the newly elected Republican from Winnetka over how to handle the vacancy created when Topinka died unexpectedly Wednesday.
* The full Rauner spokesman quote…
The imminent legal issue on this matter is settled – there are two appointments to fill the Comptroller vacancy. Our further legal analysis finds that the timing for elections of Constitutional officers is established by the Constitution, not by a statute, so a special election would be problematic. The Constitution requires that Bruce appoint a Comptroller to a four-year term and that is how we plan to proceed.
* However, I think supporters of the special election idea would point to this phrase in the “Vacancies” section…
The appointee shall hold office until the elected officer qualifies or until a successor is elected and qualified as may be provided by law
That certainly leaves open the possibility of a special election if the GA decides to hold one. Con-Con delegates discussed this as well (see page six of the pdf).
* However, the Pantagraph story also contains this passage…
[Attorney General Madigan’s] analysis prompted Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, to begin reviewing dates for when lawmakers could be brought back to town. One date under consideration is Jan. 8.
Um, OK. So, how’s Cullerton gonna do that on his own? I checked in again with the House Speaker’s office this afternoon and received the same reply about a special session that they provided last week. The Speaker wants the executive branch to work this problem out.
In other words, all this talk of a special session to “do something” is for naught unless everyone - first Quinn and Rauner, and then Cullerton, Speaker Madigan and the two GOP leaders - are on board.
A horse can’t walk on two legs, and neither can this special session idea. It’s gonna take more than Quinn and Cullerton to make it happen.
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Today’s number: 132,500
Monday, Dec 15, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Dave Dahl…
Despite a new report painting Illinois as a job-loser – particularly in terms of the number of jobs it has lost to China in recent years – a state business leader chooses to look ahead.
“The manufacturing sector, beginning in the year 2000, had roughly 900,000 jobs. Today we’re at roughly 600,000,” says Mark Denzler, vice president and chief operating officer of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. “Since the year 2010, Illinois has seen a small rebound in manufacturing jobs; we’ve gained about 17,000.”
The Economic Policy Institute says Illinois ranks fourth in the nation in number of jobs lost to China – 132,500 – this century. Denzler says one reason is that Illinois and the states above it – California, Texas, and New York – are among the most populous states in the nation.
* The study is here.
According to the report, Illinois’ 6th Congressional District, represented by Peter Roskam, was one of the hardest hit in the country, with computers and electronic parts accounting for 75.5 percent of the jobs lost.
The 8th CD ranked 56th on the list, with the 10th closely behind at 58th.
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Succession jockeying
Monday, Dec 15, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tackiest Facebook page of the week…
People posted links to that page and their own supportive commentary on Grogan’s personal Facebook page, but Grogan apparently deleted them early this afternoon.
* Meanwhile, Laura Washington…
No smoke-filled rooms. No gin martinis. Instead, the politicos and journalists sipped paprika-infused vodka and munched venison tartare last week at the ASGK holiday soiree.
At the prominent political consulting firm’s reception, the buzz was about backroom politics: Who will Gov. Pat Quinn appoint to replace the late, great Illinois comptroller, Judy Baar Topinka? The most intriguing answer I heard: Whoever can help make him a senator.
That is so Machiavellian. And so possible. […]
It’s the most valuable card the lame duck governor has to play. If you want to run for the U.S. Senate, having a statewide office holder in your pocket comes in handy.
I really wish the governor would rise above all this and go out with some class for a change. But I’m not confident that my wish will be fulfilled.
…Adding… ABC 7…
Lieutenant Governor Sheila Simon would like to be named State Comptroller, ABC7 Eyewitness News has learned.
Simon has called Governor Pat Quinn asking to be named to replace Judy Baar Topinka, who died of a stroke Wednesday.
She should save her breath.
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More adventures in misgovernance
Monday, Dec 15, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Oy…
A critical new report says Gov. Pat Quinn’s 2013 closure of Dwight Correctional Center did not improve conditions for the state’s female prisoners.
In a 40-page investigation expected to be formally released Monday, the John Howard Association said moving more than 1,000 female inmates into a former all-male facility in Lincoln hasn’t lived up to assurances Quinn and his staff offered when the cost-cutting plan was revealed in 2012. […]
the Chicago-based organization found there are 1,985 inmates residing in a facility built to house 1,106.
At times, dozens of inmates must bunk in a gymnasium with access to only two bathrooms. The report also noted a shortage of medical staff and not enough beds for mentally ill prisoners.
As an example, the report noted that 646 prisoners were classified as having serious mental illnesses. But, during a November visit by the group, there were fewer than 160 potential beds to treat them.
* From the report’s “Key Observations”…
In 2013, the Quinn administration closed several correctional facilities in the face of severe prison overcrowding, consolidating the majority of its female prison population in Logan, a male medium security prison, without adequate resources to do so or a viable plan to reduce the prison population.
While the Quinn administration argued repurposing Logan would reduce costs and create a more efficient and rehabilitative environment for the state’s female prison population, it has exacerbated overcrowded conditions, damaged IDOC’s capacity to address the needs of female inmates, and failed to generate meaningful cost savings.
Class action federal litigation has challenged the constitutional adequacy of mental health treatment within IDOC. Recent suicides at Logan expose the need to address the lack of mental health resources for the state’s female prison population.
Without significant reductions in Illinois’ female prisoner population, the best that IDOC’s staff and administration can do with Logan is to try to sustain a precarious, ineffective, and expensive status quo.
Ugh.
* The group documented two suicides in 30 days. More on that topic…
Administrators stated during the November 2013 visit that they did not have enough crisis cells, while the facility averaged 13 watches of varying lengths a week. The average length of time on watch was eight days. On the date of the November 2013 visit, there were six women on crisis watch, with four on suicide watch. At that time, there had been 39 instances of suicide watch the month prior, and 192 suicide watches and 20 instances of self-injurious behavior since Logan became a female facility in March 2013. During the July 2014 visit, administrators stated that they started the day with two women in 10-minute watches and three in 15-minute watches. Crisis cells were located on the Mental Health Unit and Healthcare Unit. During the July 2014 visit, we were told that a newly created caged off portion of a R&C X-house wing could also be used for crisis watch. IDOC stated placement would be based on room availability and only in emergent situations with authorization and reported there are currently 11 crisis beds. […]
Mental health staff commented that they house several women who are “cutters,” and when questioned about why certain inmates in mental health housing reported to JHA that they had experienced periods of months without yard, staff stated that this may be because of self-harming behavior where the inmate might but be able to be safe on yard, given a history of banging her head on the walls or cutting. We were also told that there was not electricity in the cells because the women will stick things in sockets. Staff mentioned that one woman had recently swallowed a battery and that several were on “finger foods” meaning they were restricted from using utensils. JHA appreciates the challenges of managing inmates with serious mental illness, but recommends that Logan take steps to ensure that women can be appropriately supervised and not restricted from yard time unnecessarily. As of August 2014, 213 women in various statuses at Logan had yard restrictions of varying lengths.
…Adding… From IDOC…
The Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) agrees with the John Howard Association (JHA) that the ability to provide programs and services is made difficult by the number of inmates and budget constraints. We share JHA’s goals of fewer inmates and more resources in all prisons. The challenges at Logan Correctional Center are numerous, and IDOC has met many of them; we agree that more must be done. We also point out the following:
Logan Correctional Center is crowded but not overcrowded. It has approximately 1,985 inmates in operational space designed for 2,019. The “built to house” number is obsolete, calculated when prisons assigned one inmate per cell. Illinois, like all states, has for decades housed two inmates in most cells. This and added facilities at Logan CC increased its operational capacity to 2,019.
Safety and security record at Logan is consistently outstanding. IDOC tabulates for fiscal years. The numbers total -1- serious staff assault in 19 months of Logan as an all-female facility and -2- serious inmate-on-inmate assaults in the same long period.
Housing inmates in gym space converted to housing last held “dozens of inmates” for only six weeks this summer. Since mid-August, that number has been between zero and 16 (8/10ths of 1% of Logan’s capacity). Though IDOC’s gym housing is safe and secure, we agree with JHA that gym use is not preferable; it is thus not a significant component of housing at Logan.
IDOC was already moving to dramatically increase care to the seriously mentally ill. $8M in Capital Development Board funs have been released for reconstruction and added facilities at Logan. The increased capacity will be rolled out starting in 2015.
Meaningful cost savings absolutely have occurred as a result of closing Dwight. The numbers for FY13, FY14 and FY15 (with six months projected) back up that statement.
Gross reductions from Dwight: $90,940,787
Maintenance of Dwight: -756,000
Added costs at Logan: -42,000,000
Approximate total savings: $48,184,787
This does not factor in the cost of upgrading the aging Dwight facility, had it remained open.
Regarding inmate suicides, the two were committed by seriously mentally ill inmates at Logan this fall and were sad and unfortunate. However, as mental health professionals know, suicide is not completely avoidable among the seriously mentally ill. IDOC doesn’t hesitate to put inmates on suicide watch; these inmates did not present symptoms of risk or ideations of suicide at that time.
Importantly, there had not been a suicide at Logan CC in five years, including the first 1.5 years of its transition to a women’s prison, the most challenging time in such a transition. IDOC’s overall suicide rate is among the lowest in U.S. prison systems (4-6 in each of recent complete calendar years) and its death rate from all causes is 1.61 per 1,000 people—lower than every other comparable-size correctional system in the country, according to federal statistics. The general U.S. population death rate is 8.01 per 1,000 people.
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Question of the day
Monday, Dec 15, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Judy Baar’s passing knocked the annual awards out of the picture for a while. We’re now way behind schedule, so we need to get back on track.
Comptroller Topinka was runner-up last year for the Best Statewide Officeholder Golden Horseshoe, so I’d ask for acclamation on giving her the award this year and naming it after her going forward. Hearing no objections, it is so ordered.
* OK, we have two other awards to give today. Voting was close last week, but the 2014 Golden Horseshoe for Best Democratic Illinois State Senator goes to Andy Manar…
Sen. Andy Manar for the Senate not for his commendable work on school funding but for navigating through a tricky district incredibly well, so well that he doesn’t get credit. Conservatives I know love the guy despite knowing many votes he has taken that drive them crazy. Liberals I know love the guy too despite a few votes he has taken. Even his political enemies respect him. He manages complex policy issues well and he manages the politics of a conservative district well which is why he was easily re-elected. Not too many members of the Senate represent districts as difficult as Sen. Manar.
* The 2014 Golden Horseshoe for Best Democratic Illinois State Representative goes to Mike Zalewski…
He’s shepherded some huge issues through the State House and been a key negotiator on others. He has the respect of everyone in the chamber and has the ability to reach across political and geographic barriers. His future is exceptionally bright.
* Today’s categories, with last year’s winners in parentheses…
* Best Illinois State Senator - Republican (Senate GOP Leader Christine Radogno)
* Best Illinois State Representative - Republican (Rep. Ed Sullivan)
* As always, please do your very best to nominate in both categories and make sure to explain your nominations or they won’t count. Thanks.
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* From an Attorney General Lisa Madigan press release…
The State now faces two issues relating to the Office of the Comptroller. First, the Office of the Comptroller is vacant due to the passing of the sitting officeholder. Second, because Comptroller Topinka was also the Comptroller-elect, her passing leaves the State without a Comptroller-elect who can begin serving as Comptroller when the new term begins January 12, 2015.
The legal analysis of these issues is based on a review of the Illinois Constitution and statutes, as well as the official documents related to the adoption of the Constitution. These documents include the official information distributed to the voters, the explanation provided by the committees that drafted the provisions, and the comments of the Constitutional Convention’s delegates.
The language of the Constitution and the official documents related to its adoption address both of the issues.
Article V, section 7 states:
If the Attorney General, Secretary of State, Comptroller or Treasurer fails to qualify or if his office becomes vacant, the Governor shall fill the office by appointment. The appointee shall hold office until the elected officer qualifies or until a successor is elected and qualified as may be provided by law and shall not be subject to removal by the Governor.
As this language makes clear, the Constitution details two distinct scenarios in which the Governor is authorized to fill the Office of Comptroller with an appointee – when the Comptroller-elect “fails to qualify” and when the Comptroller’s “office becomes vacant.” An officer-elect, such as the Comptroller-elect, “fails to qualify” to begin serving in office when, for example, he or she is unable to take the oath of office.
In addition to the language of section 7 of the Constitution, it is clear from the report of the committee drafting this section and the debates of the delegates that they considered a failure to qualify for an office to be separate and apart from a vacancy in office. The committee report and debates establish that the drafters specifically anticipated and directly addressed the unfortunate situation the state faces with the passing of the incumbent Comptroller who is also the Comptroller-elect by adding the phrase “fails to qualify” to section 7 and, as a result, authorizing the Governor to make an appointment.
Based on the language in the Constitution and the discussion during the drafting, it is my conclusion that a vacancy takes place when an officer is serving in the office and can no longer continue to do so, such as here, where the Comptroller has passed away while in office. A failure to qualify, on the other hand, will not occur until an officer-elect cannot be sworn in and thus qualify to begin serving.
Thus, the death of Comptroller Topinka creates a vacancy that the Constitution authorizes Governor Quinn to fill.
Because Judy Baar Topinka was also the Comptroller-elect, she will not be able to take the oath of office on January 12, 2015. As a result, on that date she will fail to qualify to serve as Comptroller. At that time, the sitting Governor – current Governor-elect Rauner – will be authorized by the Constitution to appoint a successor to hold the office.
Although the current vacancy in the Comptroller’s office and the anticipated failure of the Comptroller-elect to qualify to begin serving in office on January 12, 2015, are both the result of the passing of Judy Baar Topinka, the Constitution treats them as separate events – one occurring immediately in the passing of the current Comptroller and the other occurring when the Comptroller-elect will be unable to be sworn into office and qualify to begin serving the term that starts on January 12, 2015. In each case, the sitting Governor has the authority to make an appointment to fill the Office of Comptroller. In this situation, Governor Quinn has the authority to fill the current vacancy and Governor-elect Rauner, once he is sworn into office, will have the authority to make an appointment to fill the Comptroller’s office due to the failure of the Comptroller-elect to qualify.
Further, while the current law allows an unelected Comptroller to serve in office for four years without the approval of Illinois voters, it is a fundamental principle in a democracy that the people should elect the officers who represent them. Although the drafters of the 1970 Constitution provided that the Governor should fill the office of Comptroller with an appointee in certain circumstances, they also recognized and ensured that the General Assembly could choose to provide by law for a special election when an appreciable time remains in an uncompleted term.
The State is now facing the undemocratic circumstance in which an appointee could serve the Comptroller’s full four-year term, notwithstanding that there is a statewide election in 2016 that could provide the voters with the opportunity to elect a successor to serve half of the term.
I urge Governor Quinn, Governor-Elect Rauner, the legislative leaders and the members of the General Assembly to support and move forward with a new law allowing the people of Illinois to vote, at the next regularly scheduled statewide election in 2016, to determine who will serve as Comptroller until the 2018 election.
* One of the arguments AG Madigan makes is that the old state constitution was changed to address this very issue. Click here and read pages 6-8 and 13 (Wayne Whalen’s commentary at the bottom of that page) for more info.
*** UPDATE 1 *** I asked Gov. Pat Quinn’s office for a response. It ain’t much, but here it is…
The Governor appreciates the Attorney General’s counsel and is reviewing it.
*** UPDATE 2 *** From Gov.-elect Bruce Rauner…
“It is unfortunate we are even having this discussion less than a week following Judy’s death - now is a time we should be honoring her legacy.”
“I appreciate Attorney General Madigan’s thoughtful and thorough review of this matter. There is now clear bi-partisan agreement that the legal question is settled: there are two appointments – one to fulfill the remainder of Comptroller Topinka’s term and another to fulfill the term to which Judy was elected on November 4th.”
“With less than a month remaining in the current term, I continue to believe the best course of action for the people of Illinois is to maintain continuity in the office and respect the wishes of the Topinka family.”
*** UPDATE 3 *** From House Republican Leader Jim Durkin…
“We are pleased that the Attorney General’s legal analysis is in line with what Governor-Elect Rauner and I’ve been saying over the past several days that there must be two appointments for comptroller. Thanks to the quick response by Attorney General Lisa Madigan. We can now put this question behind us and instead honor the achievements and extraordinary life of Judy Baar Topinka.”
*** UPDATE 4 *** From Senate President John Cullerton…
Illinois suffered a terrible loss with the passing of Judy Baar Topinka. In the wake of this tragedy, we face unprecedented challenges regarding the fiscal future of the state and the leadership of the comptroller’s office. Even as we continue to mourn, we are compelled to consider the appropriate action to fill the vacancy she left.
There is a clear legal dispute with many unresolved questions about the appointment authority of Governor Quinn and Governor-elect Rauner. This will undoubtedly be litigated. That reality, shouldn’t stop us from recognizing the fact that voters should be allowed to elect a comptroller of their choosing in 2016. We need a special session to immediately consider legislation for a special election.
Legislative action can ensure that under certain circumstances the people of this state have the opportunity to elect constitutional officers of their choosing in a no cost manner that is consistent with special elections for Illinois senators. I trust that the legislature can honor Comptroller Topinka’s memory and the will of the voters as we approach these constitutional questions in a very sensitive time.
*** UPDATE 5 *** Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno…
“The Attorney General’s legal analysis should be the definitive end to any debate. Two appointments are necessary to fulfill the unexpired term and the upcoming term of our beloved Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka. This confirms the internal review we conducted last week. Governor Quinn has the authority and responsibility to choose a successor for the current unexpired term. Governor-elect Rauner, upon taking office on January 12, has the authority and responsibility to name the Comptroller for the complete four-year term.”
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Honoring and remembering JBT
Monday, Dec 15, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* My Crain’s Chicago Business column…
When the shock finally wore off after learning that Illinois Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka had died, I started wondering what she’d want to happen next.
Who would she want to replace her? How would she want this transition handled? How would she want to be remembered?
I figured she’d probably want Rep. Tom Cross, R-Oswego, to take her place. Topinka helped persuade Cross to run for state treasurer.
And that’s when it hit me. I’m not sure why I was so dense. Blame it on the grief.
Go read the rest before commenting, please. Thanks.
* My syndicated newspaper column…
Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka had a stroke the morning of Dec. 9, but that’s not what killed her. In fact, by that afternoon, she announced she was going to walk to the restroom. Her chief of staff Nancy Kimme told her not to try because she was paralyzed on her left side. In mocking defiance, Topinka started kicking her no longer paralyzed leg.
By early evening, medical staff told Topinka that she’d be out of the hospital in a few days and would then need three weeks of rehabilitation. The indestructible Topinka appeared to have won again, just like she did after she fell and broke her hip and badly injured her back after giving a speech in 2012. The accident slowed her down, but it never stopped her, never silenced her, never broke her spirit, never stopped her from running for re-election.
What finally felled Topinka was completely unexpected. Hours after her speedy recovery, Topinka fell asleep. A massive blood clot somehow withstood her blood-thinning medication and got around a clot trap installed beneath her rib cage and entered her lung.
The end came quickly.
In a matter of seconds, we lost not only one of our state’s strongest voices for financial prudence, its most consistently successful female statewide elected official, its most pro-union, pro-gay rights Republican, but also its most human politician.
My brother Doug met Topinka when he was with me at an event. Doug posted this on his Facebook page the day she died: “She was the first statewide elected official I ever met that I thought ‘Hey, she’s just a regular person like the rest of us.’”
Judy only talked down to dunderheads. Everyone else was treated like an old friend, and she just had that way about her that you knew she meant it.
I once had lunch with Judy in her west suburban state Senate district. She took me to a local Bohemian place and I barely got to talk to her. She knew, by name, just about everyone at that restaurant. People literally lined up to shake her hand and chat with her the entire time we were there. She’d hug them, ask about their children, their aunts, their cousins, mostly by name. She never lost that smile, even while she was eating.
She often told stories about when she served in the Illinois House of Representatives during the height of the Equal Rights Amendment debate. Ultraconservative women, she’d humorously recall, would often grab her arm, fall to their knees and pray for her.
What did you do? I asked.
“I let them pray!” the ERA supporter hooted. She thanked them for their prayers and continued on her merry way.
Topinka was elected to the Illinois Senate in 1984, after first building a House constituent services program unlike almost anywhere else. Her phone number was always public, and she would get calls at her home at all hours, once from a constituent during the middle of the night with a cat up a tree. She served not only her own constituents, but also those who lived in the neighboring district represented by former Democratic Senate President Phil Rock, who was often too busy with the affairs of state to handle mundane constituent requests.
Born to immigrant parents, Topinka graduated from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. She went on to write a column called “Let’s Talk” for the Berwyn-Cicero Life newspaper. Former state Rep. Jack Kubik, who once represented half of Judy’s Senate district, said it was the most-read column in his family’s newspaper. It was all about political stuff that nobody else was writing about. The two of us were a natural fit.
I first encountered Judy not long after I was hired as Hannah Information’s Statehouse columnist in 1990. She was fascinated by the company’s “new wave” technology and my “alternative” form of journalism. Her Senate office quickly became my second home.
Few would talk to me back then because I wasn’t anybody. We were both “nobody what nobody sent” and we reveled in it. Topinka was elected to her first House term over the opposition of the local party bosses. I started writing about Statehouse politics for a little technology startup.
Judy helped teach me how to be successful in this crazy business. She also taught me to treat strangers and acquaintances like old friends, because one day they could be.
I loved that woman.
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More appointment drama
Friday, Dec 12, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Bruce Rauner’s lawyers sat down with Gov. Pat Quinn’s lawyers the other day…
Rauner’s attorneys met with the general counsel of the governor’s office and an ethics officer. According to a Rauner spokesman, they made three points, including asking that Quinn appoint Topinka top aide Nancy Kimme for the term expiring January 12.
Rauner attorneys also “made comprehensive legal analysis of our position, which is that there are two vacancies and Bruce can fill the second,” spokesman Mike Schrimpf wrote. “Asked if they had any conflicting legal authority to point to, they were unable to do so.”
Actually, what I heard from both sides was that the Quinn lawyers merely listened to the reasoning, thanked them for providing it and departed.
Everybody just needs to chill out a bit here.
* Meanwhile…
Lame-duck Illinois governors would be prohibited from duplicating the political power play that Pat Quinn used to muscle his former campaign manager into the job of executive director of the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority, under a crackdown proposed Thursday.
State Sen. Julie Morrison, a freshman who represents the north suburbs, was so offended by the 4-to-3 vote that installed 30-year-old Lou Bertuca in the $160,000-a-year job, she wants to do the legislative equivalent of blocking the plate.
“The executive director of the Illinois Sports Finance Authority is among the highest-paid state employees. A governor who’s leaving office shouldn’t be able to use the position as a cushy landing spot,” Morrison was quoted as saying in a news release.
Morrison’s bill would prohibit the state agency that built and manages U.S. Cellular Field and rebuilt Soldier Field from appointing a new executive director during the 60-day period after an election and before a lame-duck governor leaves office.
As I said yesterday, Quinn has unintentionally framed this Topinka replacement debate by pulling that power play at the Sports Facilities Authority. Lou’s a good guy, but, c’mon, man. When Tier One targets from your own party start introducing press release bills to clean up after your messes, you can be pretty sure you’re on the wrong track.
* It’s difficult to argue with this Tribune editorial...
If the old Pat Quinn were around, he would be booking a hotel conference room for a Sunday morning press conference to scream about the shenanigans of a lame-duck governor.
That Quinn would roast the lame-duck governor for sliding his former campaign manager into a $175,000-a-year job with a two-year contract. That Quinn would complain about the lame-duck governor cutting a questionable Lottery contract settlement on his way out the door.
If only that Pat Quinn were around to raise hell.
Instead, it’s Gov. Pat Quinn whose administration is behaving like its plucking all the B and R keys off the computer keyboards right before Bruce Rauner moves into the mansion in Springfield.
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Sebastian’s restaurant to close December 20th
Friday, Dec 12, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I was just at lunch with an old pal at the Lake Pointe Grill when one of the owners approached and said they were closing their popular downtown restaurant Sebastian’s on the 20th of this month.
Bummer. I liked the place. It won our Golden Horseshoe Award last year.
Maybe we should toast its demise Friday the 19th after work? Maybe our own little Springfield holiday party? Your thoughts?
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Today’s number: $400K
Friday, Dec 12, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* If anyone still has doubts about whether US Sen. Mark Kirk is running for reelection, they should take a look at this from his campaign…
Rich-
I wanted to let you know first that Senator Kirk held a record setting fundraiser this week with pro–Israel supporters in NYC that raised over $400k in a single event. He will have over $2mill cash on hand now.
The event invitation is here. It was hosted by some pretty major heavy hitters, including the Managing Director of Goldman Sachs, the Managing Partner at Clarion Capital, etc.
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Caption contest!
Friday, Dec 12, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Let’s lighten things up a bit. The Illinois Third House is a sort of trade organization for Illinois lobbyists. They elect a “Speaker” every year, complete with gavel. The group held its annual holiday party yesterday and announced the new Speaker, Keith Sias of the Illinois Credit Union League. I’ve known Keith forever and have always been amazed at how much he works.
Anyway, here’s Keith with the longest serving Speaker of the Third House, Dick Lockhart. Dick also lobbies for the ICUL. Lockhart is flying to Belgium today to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge, during which he was taken prisoner by the Germans…
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Question of the day
Friday, Dec 12, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tribune…
Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn can fill the vacancy created by Topinka’s death. But Quinn leaves office in a month, and Republican Bruce Rauner will take over as governor. The question: Would a Quinn appointee serve as comptroller only until Jan. 12, when a new term begins and Rauner would get to choose a comptroller, or would Quinn’s selection get to serve the new term as well?
The state constitution speaks to the succession for comptroller in a couple of places. The succession clause states that “the appointee shall hold office until the elected officer qualifies or until a successor is elected and qualified.”
But another section limits the terms of statewide officeholders to four years “until their successors are qualified.” […]
Ann Lousin, an expert on the state constitution at Chicago’s John Marshall Law School, said neither the charter nor state law lays out a clear contingency for replacing Topinka so close to the start of her next term.
“The scenario that would be the least likely to lead to litigation would be for Quinn to appoint someone to serve just to Jan. 12, or even just let Topinka’s deputy fill the post until then, and then let Rauner appoint somebody for four years on Jan. 12,” Lousin said.
* The Constitution…
If the Attorney General, Secretary of State, Comptroller or Treasurer fails to qualify or if his office becomes vacant, the Governor shall fill the office by appointment. The appointee shall hold office until the elected officer qualifies or until a successor is elected and qualified as may be provided by law and shall not be subject to removal by the Governor.
* The difference of opinion here is whether there is one vacancy (JBT’s death) or two (JBT’s death and inauguration day). One vacancy means Quinn’s appointment would serve until January of 2019, two vacancies would mean Rauner would appoint a new comptroller next month.
We’ve had lots of discussions about this issue, so let’s vote on it.
* The Question: One vacancy or two? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
polls
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* AP…
The Illinois Commerce Commission has approved rate increases for the state’s two main electric utilities.
The commission this week authorized an 11 percent overall raise for ComEd and 17.4 percent overall raise for Ameren Illinois… The amount customers will pay depends on different factors, including their location and how much electricity they use, commission officials said. The increases will affect delivery charges or how much consumers pay to have electricity delivered. […]
The commission approved the increases after reviewing the utilities’ expenditures over the last year, officials said. The new rates were set using a formula created by a state law that allows utilities to recover costs for specific investments in infrastructure, such as smart meter and smart grid technology.
* The Citizens Utility Board, which is in general support of the smart grid, was shocked at the amount…
“Today, ComEd and Ameren received a total of about $382 million in rate hikes (reportedly $245 million for ComEd and about $137 million for Ameren). CUB is disappointed in these increases, especially as they will hit consumers in the heart of what could be another expensive winter. Illinois’ new way of setting electric rates—by formula—limits how much consumer advocates and regulators can reduce proposed increases. CUB does plan to file petitions for rehearing to lower the increases as much as possible. However, our focus is also on holding ComEd and Ameren accountable and pushing them to live up to their promise of building a better power grid that maximizes consumer benefits. Illinois consumers deserve to see results.”
Background:
• These rate hikes take effect in January 2015. CUB is still crunching numbers to determine how this will impact individual bills. The increases affect delivery charges—what customers pay to have the electricity delivered to their homes. Those charges take up about a third to a half of the bill. The rest of the bill is taken up by the cost of the electricity itself. That supply rate is determined through a power-buying process managed by the Illinois Power Agency (IPA), a state agency, or by an alternative supplier, if a customer is with one.
• Since this increase involves delivery rates, all customers will pay the higher rates—even those with an alternative supplier.
• The delivery increases are in accordance with passage of the 2011 “Energy Infrastructure and Modernization Act,” or the “smart-grid bill.” The new law uses a formula to determine ComEd and Ameren rates annually for the next several years to pay for about $3.2 billion in system upgrades.
• ComEd’s initial rate-hike request was about $275 million and Ameren’s was about $206 million. Both companies filed the requests last April.
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Topinka memorial service announced
Friday, Dec 12, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From a press release…
A public Memorial Service honoring longtime state leader Judy Baar Topinka will be held at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, December 17 at the Local 150, 6200 Joliet Rd., Countryside.
Fellow state leaders, colleagues and family will share stories and celebrate the life of Comptroller Topinka, who was the first woman in Illinois history to be elected to two Constitutional Offices and the first state Treasurer to be elected to three consecutive terms. Between her time in the General Assembly and in statewide office, Topinka served Illinois for more than three decades.
SCHEDULE FOR WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2014:
WHAT: TOPINKA MEMORIAL SERVICE
WHEN: 9:30 a.m.
WHERE: Local 150 - 6200 Joliet Rd., Countryside
* I stopped by JBT’s annual staff holiday party in Springfield last night. As you might imagine, her people are devastated. I felt so bad for them, but they tried like heck to smile through their tears because they knew their boss would’ve wanted it that way.
Judy’s only son Joe also attended and continued his mom’s tradition of visiting with every person at every table in the room.
I’ve defended Gov. Pat Quinn’s unfettered right to appoint Topinka’s replacement, at least until January 12th. Beyond that, the lawyers are gonna have to figure it out. But I sure hope he takes Topinka’s staff into account when he makes his decision. Many of them volunteered for their employer’s campaign. They worked their tails off, decisively won the election and now they’re staring at the abyss.
* Meanwhile…
The clock is ticking as state leaders face a dilemma in how to replace Illinois Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka in her current and future terms. […]
Comptroller’s office spokesman Brad Hahn says the office is still processing checks to schools and state agencies that the Riverside Republican approved before her death. But he says operations can continue only for “several” days. A new comptroller must be named to approve future payments.
As I told subscribers today, I was told last night that an appointment could be held off until after Wednesday’s memorial service. There’s no need to rush here.
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Good morning!
Friday, Dec 12, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* You’re in for a real treat this morning with Keller & The Keels. Wake up…
I like your biscuits in my gravy, ma’am
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Rauner announces general counsel, DC director
Thursday, Dec 11, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From a press release…
Governor-elect Bruce Rauner announced today that Jason Barclay will join the administration as general counsel while Kathy Lydon will serve as its D.C. director.
“Jason and Kathy will both bring invaluable experience and expertise to the governor’s office,” Gov.-elect Rauner said. “Jason has a top flight legal and strategic mind and brings a deep understanding of how one the country’s most successful governor’s offices operated. Kathy already has relationships with our Congressional delegation and knows how to navigate the federal government as well as anyone in Illinois. Most importantly, both are committed to transforming Illinois and making it the most compassionate and competitive state in the nation.”
About Jason Barclay
Jason Barclay is currently a partner at the law firm Barnes & Thornburg where he focuses on some of the firm’s most challenging litigation cases and is widely regarded as one of Indiana’s top trial attorneys. Prior to joining the firm, Jason served as legal counsel in the office of Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels. In state government, Jason had a particularly sharp focus on public ethics, helping guide one of the nation’s most comprehensive and highly regarded integrity and compliance programs. He also played a key role in executing the legal strategies necessary to implement Governor Daniels’ agenda.
Jason earned his undergraduate degree from Duke University and his juris doctorate from the University of Virginia School of Law. He and his wife, Sarah, are the proud parents of three children, Annie, Will and Beau.
About Kathy Lydon
Kathy Lydon most recently served as chief of staff to U.S. Representative Judy Biggert, a position she held for 14 years. As chief of staff, Kathy oversaw all aspects of Rep. Biggert’s office, including legislative and policy initiatives. Kathy has also served in the office of the U.S. Trade Representative, U.S. State Department and for U.S. Senator Charles H. Percy.
Kathy graduated from Georgetown University and earned an M.B.A from the University of Chicago.
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Madigan: Work it out amongst yourselves
Thursday, Dec 11, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Speaker Madigan’s spokesman Steve Brown just called to say that he spoke with the Speaker today and Madigan believes the debate over the successor for the late Judy Baar Topinka is “an executive department” decision. Madigan, Brown said, hopes that Gov. Quinn and Gov.-elect Rauner can cooperate on a solution.
Asked if that meant Madigan wanted no part of a special session to enact other possible solutions, like a special election, Brown eventually said the Speaker didn’t currently see a legislative role here.
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Today’s number: $5.3 million
Thursday, Dec 11, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Greg Hinz…
In a blow to the local economy, a technology center that was supposed to come to the Chicago area with Archer Daniels Midland’s headquarters instead has gone to suburban Cincinnati, at least in part because the company received economic incentives there it couldn’t get here.
In a statement, ADM said its new information technology and support center will open next year in Erlanger, Ky., just over the Ohio river from Cincinnati, with about 100 newly created jobs, eventually doubling to 200.
A company spokeswoman confirmed that the tech center is the same operation that the company originally intended to open here in conjunction with moving its headquarters from Decatur to downtown Chicago. But company efforts to get a state subsidy of more than $24 million ran into a roadblock in Springfield, and the firm ended up moving only about 65 to 70 headquarters positions here, putting the tech center on hold.
The Kentucky incentives are valued at up to $5.3 million, ADM said.
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Was this really necessary?
Thursday, Dec 11, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Marcel Pacatte spews bile in Crain’s…
But [Judy Baar Topinka] also was a disaster to the state party she ran at perhaps its most critical moment, in the aftermath of George Ryan. What he wrecked, she smothered. She was not to blame for the mess—she didn’t give us the Jim Ryans or the Jack Ryans or the Rich Williamsons. But she was hapless at a time when the party needed vision and direction. Instead, she gave us the laughingstock candidacy of Alan Keyes in the U.S. Senate race won by a guy named Barack Obama.
And in her own race for governor, while she may have spoken for many when she famously dismissed her primary opponents as morons, there she was, a clown, in a relentless polka across television screens with felon George Ryan in her race against a guy under federal investigation during the campaign, Rod Blagojevich.
Perhaps her most unfortunate moment was when she tried, as state treasurer, to get the state to forgive $30 million in loans to Bill Cellini, which Attorney General Jim Ryan blocked as a bad deal for the taxpayers but which Topinka defended as better than nothing.
1) Topinka didn’t “give” us Alan Keyes. She fought tooth and nail against that idiotic appointment. She had her own candidate, an African-American woman, but Sen. Dave Syverson pushed hard for Keyes and “won” that battle.
2) She was “a clown”? What a needlessly gratuitous shot.
3) When the dust finally settled on the hotel deal, Topinka rightly pointed out that if her deal had been allowed to go through the state would’ve made more money.
I don’t ever recall meeting Pacatte, even though he claims he “covered Judy Baar Topinka in Springfield.” That doesn’t mean he’s lying, it’s just that he wasn’t someone of any particular significance.
* His conclusion…
Those lionizing her or making more of her than she was would do well to remember that. For her part, she likely would meet the exaggerated praise with a healthy eye roll and a cutting and self-deprecating aside, and then gracelessly ask the governor to pull some strings to get her son a job at Southern.
Another needlessly gratuitous shot at a woman who’s barely been dead for two days.
* However, I do agree that she’d be rolling her eyes at the exaggerated praise. She was indeed a self-deprecating politician.
Those who praise her bipartisanship are absolutely right to do so, but she also considered herself to be a Republican through and through. Yeah, she was pro-union, pro-choice, pro gay marriage and favored a minimum wage increase, but she backed Bruce Rauner for governor and worked closely with him after the election ended.
She was a very kind, sweet and considerate human, but she could also be tough and even ruthless. At one point, she stopped speaking to me for two years over something I’d written. I never held it against her, but, man, she had a temper.
* So, I’m not saying here that criticism is out of bounds, I’m saying that gratuitous, false insults of the recently departed violate common decency standards.
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* Tribune…
Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Wednesday decried the appointment of Gov. Pat Quinn’s former campaign manager as head of the agency that oversees U.S. Cellular Field, saying the post should be filled with someone who has greater financial expertise.
Quinn, who appoints four of the seven Illinois Sports Facilities Authority board members, engineered the approval of 30-year-old Lou Bertuca as executive director of the agency this week.
On Wednesday, Emanuel said the post should be filled by someone with deep financial expertise and that Republican Gov.-elect Bruce Rauner should get to pick his own leader, in cooperation with the mayor, after he is sworn in Jan. 12. […]
Emanuel indicated he opposed the appointment of Bertuca, against whom the mayor’s three appointees voted, with Quinn’s members carrying the vote. It’s not the first time he and Quinn disagreed on the person in charge.
Two years ago, Kelly Kraft, whose contract expired last month, was picked 4-3 amid questions about whether she was unqualified. The former TV reporter and Quinn communications director became the first permanent agency chief in about 18 months and edged out Diana Ferguson, the mayor’s choice. Ferguson was chief financial officer at Sara Lee Corp. and Chicago Public Schools.
* Sun-Times…
The mayor’s comments were an instant replay of the arguments he made two years ago, when Quinn used a similar maneuver to install deputy state budget director and former TV reporter-turned-Quinn spokeswoman Kelly Kraft as Bertuca’s predecessor.
“I don’t think it should be played for politics. . . . God forbid something happened financially or in the fiscal management and stewardship. Chicago taxpayers are on the hook. This should not be just for anybody. It should be for people who . . . take the responsibilities seriously and have a good background and knowledge as it relates to this authority,” Emanuel said Wednesday.
“If you look at the appointments I’ve made [to the stadium authority board] and the quality of the individuals, they have . . . a financial background that I think is essential because they are the thin line protecting Chicago taxpayers. I do not think this should be used in any other way but with the seriousness attached to the responsibility.”
Emanuel stressed that he has “nothing against Lou” Bertuca. But he thinks “political respect” and etiquette alone demanded that the job be left vacant until a new governor takes over.
* This is just one reason why Gov. Quinn ought to tread very carefully during the replacement process for Comptroller Topinka. The Bertuca appointment clearly shows how desperate he is to protect his campaign people and it will now frame whatever he does on this JBT vacancy as well. While Quinn could wind up appointing a comptroller for four or two years (if there’s a special election), the governor could ruin that person’s future if he acts with imprudence and pettiness.
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Perhaps her finest moment
Thursday, Dec 11, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Rest in peace, JBT…
…Adding… From Oswego Willy in comments…
If I couldn’t tell someone about Judy Baar Topinka, and I could only be able to show a video to demonstrate all that made her special, can’t think of a better one;
She spoke from the heart.
She gave credit to others, deflecting her own role.
She talked and praised cooperation.
She reminded us all it’s about accomplishing something.
She talked about doing the right thing.
She used humor.
She was brutally honest about failings.
She laughed. She was a cheerleader. She was reflective.
She was also concise.
Judy Baar Topinka, in less than 4 minutes, gave us everything that made her so special, so unique, so precious.
This video of Judy Baar Topinka crystallized her persona in one special moment.
I was choked up watching it. This was arguably Judy Baar Topinka’s finest hour, and arguably the best enduring image of who Judy Baar Topinka was, and how lucky, how incredibly lucky, we were to have her working to make Illinois better.
I’m going to miss her something awful.
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