* As we’ve already discussed, Gov. Rauner spoke with reporters today. I thought he handled himself well about the holiday “controversy” over his not answering questions about his whereabouts. As I said before, though, this is becoming a pattern. He needs to realize it.
He also said that he wouldn’t demand that all of his proposals from his local government consolidation be included in one bill. That’s encouraging.
The Equality Illinois Political Action Committee (EQIL PAC) will host a reception with former Illinois Governor Pat Quinn on January 14 to support the EQIL PAC’s mission of electing pro-LGBT equality candidates to state and local offices.
“Gov. Quinn is a great friend of the LGBT community and, among many other achievements, was instrumental in passing and implementing marriage equality,” said Nicole Bashor, Chair of the EQIL PAC.
“He also recognizes that advancing equal rights and ensuring lived equality in Illinois requires identifying, supporting, and electing pro-equality people to public office,” Bashor said.
The reception with Gov. Quinn will take place at Hubbard Inn, 100 W. Hubbard Street, Chicago, on the evening of Thursday, January 14. Details and tickets are available at www.EQILPAC.eventbrite.com.
Gov. Quinn is a steadfast advocate for the equal rights of LGBT Illinoisans. He not only advocated for and signed the marriage equality law in 2013, but he also approved strong anti-bullying protections and the civil unions law and led an administration that was welcoming and affirming for LGBT Illinoisans.
Through candidate questionnaires, endorsements, campaign contributions, and field support, the EQIL PAC works to secure and defend the equal rights of LGBT people in Illinois. The EQIL PAC is the only political action committee in Illinois that is dedicated to electing individuals to public office who will fight for the equal rights of LGBT Illinoisans.
The EQIL PAC is engaging in the 2016 primary and general elections in Illinois. This effort involves evaluating candidates based on their support of policies and proposals that advance LGBT equality. More information about the EQIL PAC is available at www.EQILPAC.org.
It’ll be interesting to see which candidates actually show up for this shindig.
We may be enjoying an unusually mild winter, but you can still blame Illinois’ harsh climate for again sending older residents permanently scurrying for warmer parts of the country.
Two recent surveys — one published by the U.S. Census Bureau and another by movers United Van Lines — both put Illinois among the top three states losing residents to the rest of the U.S. in 2015.
A continuing trend for retiring baby boomers to move South and West is partly to blame for the numbers.
Only New York saw more residents leave for other states, according to the Census Bureau, while only New York and New Jersey had a higher proportion of movers ditching their states than Illinois, according to United Van Lines.
I have a feeling that some folks are gonna disagree with the weather aspect, but it does make some sense. I know plenty of Illinois retirees who’ve sought to live in better weather.
Weeks after resigning from his role as a consultant for the College of DuPage, Chris Robling has re-emerged in another political dispute — aiding the son of late Illinois comptroller Judy Baar Topinka in a lawsuit against her former chief of staff over unused campaign funds.
Robling lives a few blocks from Topinka’s former Riverside home and says he has a local connection to Joseph Baar Topinka, now of Texas, and the attorney who represents him. Robling says he’s doing the work largely pro bono and that he has accepted about $750 for work over the last year.
The suit, filed Tuesday in Cook County circuit court, claims Nancy Kimme converted $89,000 from Topinka’s nearly $1 million campaign fund for personal use after Topinka’s death. Kimme says the money went to pay campaign staff and memorial expenses, and that the allegations are a smoke screen for Topinka’s son to claim a portion of the fund. State election law says money received before 1998 – roughly $341,000 — may be returned to Topinka’s estate.
Kimme is represented by Mike Kasper, the Illinois Democratic Party’s top election attorney and a former Madigan aide. “Nobody’s better at election law in Illinois,” Kimme says.
The lawsuit alleges that the $68,807 check was made out to “Cash” and endorsed by Kimme on Aug. 7. A hard-to-read copy of a handwritten check was filed with the lawsuit.
Kimme later provided The State Journal-Register with an image of a printed cashiers check for the same amount on the same day, and “Citizens for Judy Baar Topinka” was listed twice – as the remitter and the recipient.
Kimme calls the allegation that she got the $63,807 and used it personally “an outright lie” and “pathetic.”
“I think it speaks to the quality of this lawsuit and this attorney,” she said.
The attorney in question is former Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica.
* That aside, the big question for me is whether Joe even has legal standing to file this suit. He’s the executor of the Topinka estate, but is that really Topinka’s personal property - even though JBT had the option of cashing part of it out, and even though she didn’t apparently have any plans to use campaign cash for personal expenses?…
Kimme said it has appeared to her that Joseph Topinka wanted to personally have the more than $300,000, adding she wouldn’t comment on if that is proper, “other than to say she (Judy Baar Topinka) never planned to take it.”
The courts will have to figure it out, I suppose.
* Nancy probably should’ve dumped that campaign cash a while ago, but she says she didn’t for a good reason…
She said Tuesday that after receiving correspondence about the fund from Peraica several months ago, she consulted with another lawyer “who recommended that we not shut it down and we just hold tight through the process.”
That’s sound advice.
Here’s some more sound advice: Watch yourselves in comments. We’ve apparently got a litigious person on our hands here.
As of Jan. 1, a new state law, the Authorized Electronic Monitoring in Long-Term Care Facilities Act allows video or audio recording devices to be placed in Illinois nursing home rooms to monitor treatment. […]
It’s a new option worth spotlighting and, under the law, all nursing home residents and their guardians must be informed about it within 48 hours of admission to an Illinois nursing home or skilled care rehab facility.
The move seems prudent given that Illinois racked up an average score of F in the 2014 Nursing Home Report Card handed out by Families for Better Care, a nursing home watchdog group. Illinois is expected to draw another F in the next report card, due out soon, watchdog officials say.
Brian Lee, executive director of Families for Better Care, contends any “senior cam” will merely record the “abuse and neglect” that’s been going on in Illinois for years and “beg the question — what’s next?”
The real culprit, Lee says, is the state’s staffing ratio. Illinois’ worst 2014 report card scores came in its “abysmal” number of direct care staffing hours per resident, Lee said.
If Illinois “senior cams” memorialize the need to improve that nursing home staffing ratio – and galvanize even more legislative action to address it — that would be yet another step forward.
So, in other words, we’re going to have to wait for a gruesome video to emerge before anybody will do anything about staffing problems.
In the wake of another police shooting, Mayor Rahm Emanuel called for an immediate review of how the Chicago Police Department trains officers to respond to calls involving people in crisis or with mental health problems.
But advocates for what’s known as crisis intervention team training say Chicago’s program has been “starved” of resources, with only about 15 percent of officers completing the 40-hour course. Advocates say they tried to get meetings with Emanuel early in his first term to stress the importance of the training and ask the city to invest more in it, but were ignored. Illinois’ budget crisis also created a lapse, not just in Chicago but elsewhere. There’s been no money for new training classes since last summer, but now some funds are available and Chicago Police plan to train 910 more officers in 2016, starting next month. […]
In Miami-Dade, Florida, by contrast 75 percent of police have been trained. They now take the mentally ill to treatment, which is a big reason James said that Miami-Dade’s jail population fell from 7,800 to 5,600.
By contrast, Cook County Jail remains the State of Illinois’ largest mental health care facility.
This is not expensive training, but it’s invaluable.
Mayor Emanuel jetted home from his ten-day vacation in Cuba on Tuesday to announce that police have to do a better job of responding to “mental health crises.” […]
But you know, I think the mayor ought to be a little reluctant to ever mention the words “mental” and “health” in the same sentence, given his rather shameful policies on this issue.
I am, of course, referring to his unilateral decision back in 2011 to close six of the city’s 12 mental health clinics, most of which served high-crime, low-income black and Hispanic communities that need such help the most.
Closings the mayor conveniently managed not to mention at today’s press conference, where he tried to enumerate all the people to blame for the recent spate of police shootings without, of course, mentioning himself.
I might mention that the clinic closings were part of his first budget package, which the City Council unanimously passed out of fear that the mayor would avenge a no vote by unfavorably redrawing their wards in the upcoming redistricting.
Families that lie to get their children into Chicago’s elite selective-enrollment schools seldom face serious consequences, leaving parents to assume there is “little to be lost by committing fraud to get into these highly competitive schools,” the district’s inspector general says in an annual report released Monday.
Inspector General Nicholas Schuler’s office found numerous instances of suburban families using fake addresses to get their children into the city’s best high schools. And families in the city were found to have provided false addresses to give their kids a leg up in an admissions process that takes into consideration a student’s socioeconomic background.
While admissions fraud is nothing new in Chicago Public Schools, Schuler said not enough is being done to stop it. He recommended students with false admission records be kicked out of school and their families be required to reimburse CPS for tuition. Because of a lack of clear policies, students guilty of admissions fraud were able to quickly re-enroll at the same school or transfer to another attractive CPS school, the report says. District officials sometimes allow students with fraudulent admissions to stay in schools and graduate.
There should obviously be greater penalties for this fraud, but this also points to the dire need for more high quality public schools. Why are there so few selective enrollment schools in this state? I get that “selective enrollment” means limited numbers, but there is obviously a huge demand than the educational institutions in the city and suburbs are not meeting.
“It is widely known that the selective-enrollment application process is highly stressful for students and families, and that it causes no small amount of tears, anxiety and lost sleep,” states the report. “Indeed, some families decided to remain in Chicago, rather than move to the suburbs because of the chance their children might be accepted at a selective-enrollment high school. Those upstanding and hard-working families who follow the rules bear the brunt of the damage caused by enrollment fraud.”
The report highlights two types of residency fraud: families who live in the suburbs but claim to live in the city; and families who live in the city but claim to live in a poorer neighborhood to boost their chances of getting into a top school. As part of the selection process, CPS considers the socio-economic level of the neighborhood where a student lives.
In one case, a student was admitted to Whitney Young Magnet High School based on an application form that said she lived in Bronzeville, when she in fact lived in North Center. When the inspector general’s office told CPS, the girl was kicked out of Whitney Young at the end of her freshman year. The student attended another school, before re-enrolling a semester later at Whitney Young, according to the report.
The Flash Index fell to 105.5 in December from its 106.1 level in November. This is not only the lowest reading all year, but the lowest reading since March 2013. The Illinois economy is still growing, as the reading is above 100, the dividing line between growth and decline. However, this reading suggests that the state’s economy slowed considerably in the last part of 2015.
The Flash Index began 2015 strong in the high 106, low 107 range, and then hovered steadily around 106.5 all summer. In the fall and winter, the index dipped, indicating a slow down. “This suggests that the long, slow recovery from the 2007-2009 recession continues to be disappointing,” said J. Fred Giertz, who compiles the index for the Institute of Government and Public Affairs.
Another possible factor contributing the slow down: the political showdown over the budget. “While the decline of the index this month cannot be definitively attributed to the state’s ongoing budget stalemate, it is likely that it is beginning to have an impact,” Giertz said.
State unemployment ticked upward by 0.3 percentage points to 5.7 percent, falling further behind the national 5.0 percent rate. Nevertheless, the Illinois unemployment rate is still below the 6.2 percent rate of a year ago. National GDP grew at a modest 2.0 percent rate during the third quarter.
After adjustments for the new individual and corporate tax rates, corporate and sales tax receipts were down moderately while individual income tax revenues were up in real terms from the same month last year. The slight decline in real sales tax revenues suggests modest holiday sales.
The Flash Index is a weighted average of Illinois growth rates in corporate earnings, consumer spending and personal income. Tax receipts from corporate income, personal income and retail sales are adjusted for inflation before growth rates are calculated. The growth rate for each component is then calculated for the 12-month period using data through December 31, 2015.
* Bernie reported over the break that the Illinois Policy Institute’s news arm is buying the Illinois Radio Network…
“We are thrilled to have Illinois Radio Network becoming a part of INN,” said John Tillman, CEO of the Illinois Policy Institute, in a news release. “Both organizations have a history of promoting transparency and accountability in government. And we look forward to continuing that fine tradition.” […]
Mike Lawrence, a longtime Statehouse reporter who became former GOP Gov. Jim Edgar’s press secretary and is retired from being director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University, called the sale an “unfortunate development.”
“The Illinois Policy Institute … is a group that has a very definite ideological agenda, and I would be surprised if it did anything else other than to advance that agenda through its newly acquired operation,” Lawrence said. […]
“We’ve done our due diligence,” [Charlie Ferguson, vice president and general manager of Capitol Radio Group] said in an interview, “and we are very confident that INN will maintain and operate the Illinois Radio Network as a separate news organization. … It’s my belief that the reporters for the Illinois Radio Network will continue to deliver an unbiased news product. I think to presume otherwise is just somebody wanting to bend it their way.”
But, as Bernie later reported, IRN was once owned by former Democratic US Senate candidate Alex Seith. And it seemed to function OK back then.
You may also recall that the Chicago Federation of Labor once owned WCFL Radio.
Radio is a really conservative beast these days anyway. I don’t think it’s time to declare the end of the world.
* But this is what I’ll be watching at least for a while…
INN’s website says it operates independently of the policy institute in editorial decisions, but both House and Senate staffs have denied INN reporters floor press box credentials because of INN’s tie to the policy group. For instance, Gov. BRUCE RAUNER’s family foundation gave at least $625,000 to the institute since 2009.
The Policy Institute took the House and Senate to court over the denial of press credentials to the INN, but failed to prevail in its lawsuit.
Rikeesha Phelon, spokeswoman for Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, said earlier this week that Illinois Radio Network applications for press credentials would be re-evaluated, “given their new affiliation with the Illinois Policy Institute.”
A published report says campaign funds controlled by House Speaker Michael Madigan collected over $7 million in 2015. Including nearly $3 million in December alone.
The Chicago Tribune reports it’s roughly $2.3 million more than Madigan took in during the same pre-election time frame two years ago.
Experts say the increase comes in response to Gov. Bruce Rauner’s fundraising, who had nearly $20 million in his campaign fund at October’s start.
A Tribune review showed more than 53 percent of the speaker’s yearly total has come from organized labor and 15 percent has come from law firms and lawyers.
Kent Redfield, a negotiator on the campaign reform legislation, said the ability of political leaders to control multiple funds was a “weakness” in the law. Redfield said Democrats argued that campaign donation limits were to offset the appearance of corruption, but political parties should be exempt because they couldn’t be corrupted.
“This was the first time we got limits (on campaign donations in Illinois), and so there was a sense in which this (law) was viewed as the first step. Then it turned out to be the last step. But clearly, that was all we could get,” said Redfield, a campaign finance expert and professor emeritus of political studies at the University of Illinois at Springfield.
Still, even with the fundraising blitz, Madigan trails Rauner. The governor had more than $19.6 million in his campaign fund at the start of October. Turnaround Illinois, which supports Rauner’s agenda, had another $2.6 million available. Additionally, a group aimed at pushing Rauner’s issues among Democrats, Illinois Growth and Opportunity, had nearly $9 million.
* The Question: Should Illinois eliminate its campaign contribution caps? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
Consider that with fiscal 2016 pretty much on autopilot and lacking both adequate cuts and revenue enhancements, Illinois is spending roughly $33 million a day more than it takes in, according to the Civic Federation. Every penny of it is an IOU, piled on top of billions and billions of already-crushing debt.
* Here’s the official explanation about the poison pills from a press release…
“Part of reforming and turning around Illinois includes empowering local communities. This report shows the efficiencies and inefficiencies within local governments and provides concepts on how to give the people of Illinois more control over their future and their tax dollars,” Governor Rauner said. “I thank the Lt. Governor and the Local Government Consolidation and Unfunded Mandates Task Force for their hard work and dedication to the people of Illinois.”
* And he repeated that there will be no help for Chicago until the mayor flips on the unions…
Today the Noland for Congress campaign announced that the Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois (AFFI) has endorsed their campaign for Congress. The AFFI represents over 15,000 professional firefighters throughout Illinois.
“Mike Noland has always stood up for firefighters, and we know he will be a great advocate in Congress,” said AFFI President Pat Devaney. “I’ve worked with Senator Noland in the State Senate, he understands the issues and difficult realities faced by first responders on a daily basis. We look forward to him fighting for us in Washington.”
“When I think for a minute about what firefighters do, I am amazed at their courage and their tenacity. To save the lives, the homes, and property of other people, they put themselves in harm’s way. They go into burning buildings at the exact time the rest of us retreat. They are heroes living quietly and, often, without acknowledgement in our communities and in our neighborhoods and I am proud to call them friends and supporters of our campaign,” said Noland. Their endorsement means a lot to me and I will go to Congress and fight every day with everything I’ve got to make sure we honor their work.”
The AFFI is the latest member of organized labor to endorse Noland’s campaign. They join the APWU Local 3140’s executive board, Bricklayers Administrative District Council of Illinois, Sheet Metal Workers State Council, SMART Transportation Division (formerly United Transportation Union), Fox Valley Building Trades, Elgin Trades Council, IFT Local 1211 (Northwest Suburban Teachers Union), Operating Engineers Local 399, Painters District Council 14 & 30, and Teamsters Joint Council 25. Noland’s campaign has also announced that over 75 elected officials have endorsed his campaign including Senate President John J. Cullerton and former Senate President Emil Jones Jr.
Noland is leading in the polls. A recent poll conducted by one of Noland’s opponents showed him with a seven-point lead over his nearest opponent. After voters are provided more information about the candidates, Noland’s lead expands even more.
Noland is a 30-year plus resident of Elgin, a veteran of the US Navy and was elected to the Illinois Senate in 2006. While serving in the Senate he has been one of its most progressive members and has been a strong advocate for working families throughout his time in the Illinois General Assembly.
Because of their work schedules, firefighters can walk more precincts than others. And they’re probably lots more popular with the public than other union members.
* Noland is being out-raised by the guy whom most assumed would be the frontrunner, but Noland’s labor backing is by far the most solid…
The International Association of Ironworkers and its Local 63 union in the Chicago area endorsed Raja Krishnamoorthi today in his bid for Congress in the 8th District of Illinois that includes the northwest suburbs of Chicago.
The backing from the Ironworkers follows endorsements of Raja from other unions and their leaders such as the Illinois State Council of Machinists, the International Union of Elevator Constructors Local 2, the Air Line Pilots Association, the Office and Professional Employees’ Union Local 45 and Illinois Letter Carriers’ President Ken Christy.
Yeah, that’ll help get a budget, even if he did add that the bill likely wouldn’t apply to Emanuel (which the sponsor disputes, by the way)
Whatever the case, the governor has taken the focus off of his “secret” European vacation for now. So he has that going for him.
* Meanwhile, the inestimable James Warren takes a look at some recent national media stories about the mayor…
For sure, Emanuel’s heavy-handed ways and ego leave him with precious few public defenders. There’s also a collective blame to be shared in Chicago that’s missed by hyperbolic, cartoonish analyses that fit a facile national media caricature.
* Until this morning, disgraced former Congresman Aaron Schock has not tweeted since May 1st, when he criticized the media. He did it again a few minutes ago…
More press not doing hmwrk:office painted before election,LaHood hired 2 Schock staff.Sorry facts don't=story #truthhttps://t.co/Cf9OaR9L3n
The ruby red paint is gone, as is the red sofa and ottoman, the vase filled with pheasant feathers and other showy adornments.
Aaron Schock’s old congressional office, roundly criticized earlier this year for its “Downton Abbey”-style decor, is now painted in a buttery shade of beige. That suits its new occupant, Darin LaHood, just fine.
The 47-year-old Republican took Schock’s House seat after a special election in September and replaced Schock’s frippery with college pennants, a football helmet and a ball cap touting a nuclear sub, the USS Illinois — the kind of stuff people stash in basements.
A former prosecutor and state senator, LaHood has signaled in both style and substance that he is taking a different course than did Schock, a highflying congressman whose questionable use of tax dollars and campaign cash has made him the target of a federal grand jury probe.
Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner has arrived in southern Illinois to assess flood damage for himself. […]
Rauner says Illinois can do little but offer encouragement to businesses and residents most affected by the floods. The state has minimal funds to help with damage, due to state deficits and the budget impasse, Rauner said.
“Right now we don’t believe that the lack of a budget is affecting services and support for people affected by the flood,” Governor Rauner said. “We’re going to do everything we can to make sure the communities get the support they need.”
Rauner said he is working with the Department of Commerce to free up available funding, but added the majority of the help will hopefully come from federal relief.
* Buried in the middle of yet another story on the lack of Illinois pension reform progress was this nugget…
Standard & Poor’s removed Illinois’s A- rating from negative watch on Wednesday, a designation that usually signals a downgrade is imminent. In doing so, the New York-based company kept Illinois one step higher than Moody’s and Fitch Ratings. Fitch dropped Illinois in October to BBB+, the third lowest investment grade, and Moody’s cut its rank to the equivalent Baa1 later that month.
“What’s the root cause of why we’re in the problem we’re in?” [Richard Ciccarone, Chicago-based chief executive officer of Merritt Research Services] said. “It’s down to the pensions.”
Illinois is like a patient in the emergency room, said Paul Mansour at Conning, which oversees $11 billion of munis, including Illinois securities. The budget stalemate is the crisis at hand, and the unfunded pension liabilities is the chronic disease that’s only getting worse. The budget standoff is hurting future negotiations on pension changes, he said.
“It’s not an atmosphere of conciliation and compromise,” said Mansour. “It’s an atmosphere of conflicts.”
* There are two basic ways (with many variations within them) of controlling health care costs: 1) Cut the money paid to medical providers; or 2) increase costs/reduce services/access for patients. The health care aspects of Illinois’ 2011 workers’ compensation reforms focused a lot on providers, which is why the House Republicans (historically staunch allies of the Illinois Medical Society) were so opposed to it while the Senate Republicans (not staunch Med Society allies) were for it. The Illinois Policy Institute takes a look at how that’s working…
30% reduction in fee schedules
In most states, the fees that a medical provider can charge through workers’ compensation are capped by a state-mandated fee schedule. A study by the nonprofit Workers’ Compensation Research Institute, or WCRI, found that prior to the reforms, the fees awarded in Illinois were among the highest in the nation. The 2011 reforms reduced those fees by 30 percent, although actual prices fell by only 24 percent, in part because some providers had already negotiated fees below those set by the state. Savings were also partially offset by doctors billing for more complex office visits, although the effect appears to be small.
While changes to the fee schedule did reduce costs, in many instances Illinois’ costs exceeded those in other states by significantly more than 30 percent, and as such remain higher post-reform. This is not true of all fees: Prior to reform, visiting a doctor’s office cost 14 percent more in Illinois than the average of a representative sample of states. Since the reforms came into effect, those costs are now lower than in surrounding states with an as-yet undetermined effect on quality of care. For other procedures, however, Illinois prior to its 2011 reform was substantially more expensive than other states. According to WCRI, the price paid for major surgeries in Illinois in 2010 exceeded the price in Minnesota by 200 percent and in Michigan by 340 percent.
While it is likely that there would be some variation in costs across states, the magnitude of the difference implies further potential for cost savings. WCRI found that costs for many treatments under workers’ compensation were 200 to 300 percent higher than the cost of the same procedure under Medicare in Illinois, adding weight to the case for further potential cost savings.
Within the workers’ compensation system, doctors are permitted to resell drugs directly to patients – commonly at mark-ups of 60 to 300 percent – and pass the cost on to employers. To limit this practice, the General Assembly imposed price controls that linked the maximum fee to the average wholesale price. Despite this measure, doctors have been able to circumvent the rules by prescribing existing drugs in slightly modified doses. Patients get the same drug, but doctors can call it a new drug and assign a new average wholesale price with the same mark-ups as before.
* Some in the media have made a big deal out of the unknown location of Gov. Rauner during the holiday. From the AP on December 24th…
Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner left the country for the holidays, but his staff won’t say where he went or even why they don’t want to disclose his whereabouts. […]
David Melton, executive director of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, called it “a little odd” for a chief executive who’s away for an extended period.
“I don’t think he’s reconciled himself to the fact he’s a public figure at this point, with all the downsides that may come with that,” Melton said.
There may be valid reasons for not releasing information, whether it’s security concerns or family members’ privacy, Melton said.
It’s also possible Rauner and his staff are concerned about the optics of the governor — who owns multiple homes, though all are in the U.S. — vacationing in a foreign country when Illinois is in the midst of a budget crisis that has hit the state’s poorest residents particularly hard.
Nothing like a little subjective editorializing from the AP. They even used the “optics” word like pros and everything.
* But we now have some more info about why his office was so tight-lipped. First, his general location…
(T)he governor was in fact in Europe with his family on vacation over winter break. He paid for the trip himself and flew commercially… [and] returned early from a planned two-week vacation to respond to deadly flooding in southern Illinois.
The governor says the reason for the secrecy is that two of his kids are currently living overseas.
“And we wanted to spend some of the Christmas holiday time with them. When they return, and they’ll be back soon, we’ll discuss where they are,” Rauner said. “Our children are private — they are not public officials — and their safety and their privacy is important to my wife and me. So while they’re there, we’re not discussing where they are; when they come back, I’ll talk about it.”
Maybe the governor’s office should’ve talked privately with reporters last month before this story kinda blew up on them.
*** UPDATE 1 *** I’m told the Rauner press shop did speak to at least three reporters off the record about what was really going on. If true, then some reporters were apparently dishonest about what they wrote.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Not sure what this means, but if the prize winner was told about the reasons for keeping the secret then the prize winner lied in her story…
Yes. @capitolfax zings AP Pulitzer winner for using the word "optics," while thumping his own chest for copy & paste https://t.co/rYGR0cQnnr
This from a person who sends a copied and pasted e-mail to me every morning. Again, not sure what this is supposed to mean, except that she was beating the drum loudly almost every day about the governor’s whereabouts, and I really didn’t care all that much. We don’t have to always agree.
*** UPDATE 3 *** The last time I checked, the Sahara was not in Europe…
.@GovRauner discloses he and kids rode camels in #Sahara over holiday break. "You would be amazed with what we ate."
* But, look, he’s not the president. He’s not our daddy. He’s not even our big brother. I don’t think this is a huge deal, but he certainly has made a troubling habit of secrecy since pledging transparency during the campaign…
The Illinois attorney general has ruled that Gov. Bruce Rauner’s office has withheld too much information on his daily appointment calendars from taxpayers.
The state’s public access counselor issued an opinion in response to an appeal under the Freedom of Information Act by The Associated Press. Public access attorney Joshua Jones says the AP correctly argues that Rauner’s staff improperly used exemptions under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act to keep his whereabouts and activities secret.
Rauner spokeswoman Catherine Kelly did not comment because the issue is in court. The Illinois Times filed a lawsuit over the Rauner calendar in September.
Jones dismissed the Rauner administration argument that the calendars are not even public records.
* According to the governor’s office, there are “sufficient dedicated revenues to cover the payments” on this borrowing…
Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration plans to borrow $480 million this month to pay for construction projects.
The state plans to conduct the general obligation bond sale on Jan. 14, Rauner spokeswoman Catherine Kelly said Sunday. The money would be used for road and transit projects and to pay related costs, she said.
“Road construction and transit improvements are key factors in growing the Illinois economy, which is why Illinois is planning a bond sale in January,” Kelly said in a statement.
She noted that despite the impasse that’s left Illinois without a complete budget since July 1, the three major credit rating agencies have not lowered the state’s general bond rating. First-term Republican Rauner wants pro-business, union-weakening legislation opposed by Democrats, who are allied with trial lawyers and organized labor.
No word yet on where the money will be spent, which ought to be pretty interesting.
* That’s gonna be it for me. I haven’t had a break since my little medical issue, so I’m outta here for a couple of weeks.
I hope everyone has a great holiday. Get some rest, have some fun and try to disconnect from politics for a while. It’ll still be there when you get back.
* We do have some business to take care of before we shut down. Previous winner Oswego Willy summed it up best, I think, in the nominations for The 2015 Wordslinger Golden Horseshoe Award for Best CapitolFax.com Commenter…
What has been really great about Capitol Fax having a long history is that even the commenters have a history too. I know I’ve seen commenters evolve, grow, and find a stride from their first appearances on the scene and now where we all find ourselves. Sometimes circumstances and talent meet and things align for a commenter to shine, and show their versatility, as well as knowledge and passion, and still can make us laugh with a witty insightfulness that just stands out.
I nominate for Wordslinger Golden Horseshoe Award for Best CapitolFax.com Commenter VanillaMan.
His song parodies are in tune with what’s happening and his choices of tunes add variety and nostalgia while being wrapped in a snark and playfulness that you can’t help but enjoy.
Song parodies are one thing, adding to the discussion with substance and thoughtfulness is another. This year, VanillaMan has often added unmatchable framing to a Post, and his comments have made the Posts stronger because his comment hit home what we should take from the posting.
In the years of VanillaMan’s commenting, this, by far, has been his strongest… in parody and fact… making VanillaMan’s complete package the best found around this blog in 2015.
I have always read what VanillaMan has had to say, I’ve sung along with all the parodies, smiled at his snark, pondered his thoughts to think about my own takes too. This year, VanillaMan has found a stride, with all the pistons firing, VanillaMan this year is more than worthy, and definitely deserving of the 2015 Wordslinger Golden Horseshoe Award for Best CapitolFax.com Commenter.
I couldn’t agree more. The man has been on fire.
* Second place is a tie. “Walker,” a former legislator who has insights based on personal experiences that others don’t have….
It’s hard to pick among the prominent commenters. I like them all,but I think walker deserves the award. I appreciate his brevity, insight and good will to all, even those he disagrees with.
And the always helpful RNUG…
In the year of pension and budget discussions, most of us waited patiently for RNUG to read and attempt to translate the obtuse language used by our beloved government.
Yep.
* Honorable mention goes to MrJM…
He’s succinct, on point, and often amusingly caustic. Nobody says more while saying less.
* And Honeybear gets our Rookie of the Year Award, which I just made up…
I like Honeybear, too, for the aforementioned passion and for bringing a viewpoint that is uniquely both “inside” and “outside” of politics.
Of course, without the namesake for this award, the comment section wouldn’t be nearly as smart. So, many, many thanks to Wordslinger.
* As is our tradition, we close out the year with three songs from long ago. Hardrock, Coco and Joe…
* I usually run my weekly syndicated newspaper column on Monday, but I won’t be around Monday and Crain’s already has it posted, so…
One of the realities of Illinois legislative politics is that our state’s system tends to discourage competition.
Byzantine ballot access laws, a highly partisan legislative district map-drawing process, heavily concentrated populations of partisan voters in Chicago (Democrats) and in the collar counties and Downstate (Republicans) along with often tireless work by incumbents and political parties at the state and local levels to “discourage” opposition all combine to help tamp down the number of competitive races.
The net result is that Illinois has some of the fewest numbers of challenged state legislative races in the country - just 39 percent in 2014, which put us in the bottom fifth of the nation. By contrast, nearby Michigan saw a 100 percent challenge rate in the 2014 general election, and the rates in both California and Minnesota were above 90 percent.
That’s simply unheard of here.
The state’s 2014 rate may be higher next year. Gov. Bruce Rauner’s vast personal cash reserves and his access to his many wealthy friends means the Republican Party can widen the playing field. The Democrats are also looking at doing the same thing, fielding candidates in districts that they have previously avoided (GOP Rep. Bill Mitchell, for instance, has a pretty decent general election opponent for the first time in a long while).
While that’s good for politics, is it good for government?
It almost assuredly is a good thing in the long run. Far too many people think they own their districts. Competition is good.
But in the here and now, these campaigns are just one more headache to deal with in the ongoing governmental impasse. Legislators who aren’t accustomed to challenges may not be all that willing to take the tough votes necessary if the leaders ever come to a deal.
Indeed, we could see a tail wagging the dog scenario. For instance, as a member of House Democratic leadership, Rep. John Bradley (D-Marion) has taken a ton of votes that his conservative southern Illinois constituents probably wouldn’t love, including a vote for the 2011 income tax hike.
But Bradley is now a Tier One target. And unless we see a massive political truce with pledges to not use tough votes against incumbents (as we did in the old days under Republican governors Jim Thompson, Jim Edgar and George Ryan) it’s probably safe to assume that Bradley and many, many others aren’t going to want to be a part of any tax hike solution.
The Illinois Republican Party compounded the problem the other day by blasting Bradley and Rep. Brandon Phelps (D-Harrisburg) for standing with Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan (whom the Republicans now refer to as “#TaxHikeMike”) against taxpayers.
The Republican Party accuses Madigan, and by extension Bradley and Phelps and others, of publicly favoring a return to the 5 percent state income tax. They conveniently “forget” that Gov. Bruce Rauner has said he will raise taxes once he gets his “Turnaround Agenda” passed.
And it’s not just the general election that’s complicating matters. Look at what happened not long ago when conservative activist Dan Proft examined GOP Rep. David Harris’ nominating petitions to see if he could kick the Arlington Heights legislator off the ballot. Proft pointed out that Harris had “previously voiced support for tax increases.”
Harris, in turn, noted Gov. Rauner’s support for hiking taxes to balance the budget, but the message was clear: Proft controls a big pot of campaign money and Republicans need to beware of crossing him.
The ILGOP’s “#TaxHikeMike” assault could even play out in Speaker Madigan’s own legislative district.
Madigan’s Democratic primary opponent Jason Gonzales has a campaign message that appears specifically designed to attract money from wealthy people who are fed up with the Speaker’s longtime dominance. Some Democrats (and Republicans) are speculating that forces allied with Gov. Rauner could spend millions of dollars on that one race alone.
Blanketed network TV ads with a solid message can move voters, especially with that kind of money behind them.
Madigan is a notoriously cautious politician. So, whether or not his enemies pull the trigger on a massive campaign assault, he’ll deploy enough foot soldiers to cover his district many times over.
Chicago and Cook County voters (and Madigan represents both kinds) are already up in arms about property and sales tax increases, so we can also probably expect Madigan to be at least reluctant to raise taxes before the March 15th primary.
What I’m saying here is that if you think a solution to this impasse has looked next to impossible for the past several months, the situation may have gotten substantially worse since the candidate filing period ended.
I’m Dreaming of a Functional Government - Irving Berlin, humbly enhanced by VanillaMan
Our government is frozen, it’s the worst we’ve seen
The Governor believes Turnaround is not extreme
Thanks to judges, civil servants get pay
Thanks to judges, we survive another day
He says he’s a petulant rascal and soon
We will happily sing his pro-business tune
But it’s December the 24th
And our state is irreversibly off course …
I’m dreaming of a functioning government,
just like the ones we used to know
When a governor listened, infrastructures christened
and we weren’t hostages in this show
I’m dreaming of a functioning government,
Without the bullying and threats
May we all stop this dysfunctioning regrets
Before we all face injunctioning requests
I’m dreaming of a competent governor,
just like those Old Jims long ago
When they worked with the Assembly
and compromised so reasonably
And everyone went along with the flow
I’m dreaming of a compromising Speaker,
just like back home in Chicago
When he kept our state together
while governors perp walked whether
They were a Ryan or Blago
I’m dreaming of a bright future,
for our glorious and prosperous state
May it once again be merry and bright,
and survive all this political hate.
I’m dreaming of state reimbursements,
that makes Moody’s and Fitch glow
May our leaders remove their heads out from below,
Hug one another and eat crow.
VMan has been so on it this year.
* And this one is from a reader via e-mail…
What State is This? (sung to “What Child is This”)
What state is this?
In such mean distress
With Bruce the omnipotent leading?
With bills unpaid
And with nerves all frayed
He won’t stop
Until Madigan’s pleading.
CHORUS
This, this is Bruce our king,
Whom AFSCME loathes and Goldberg sings.
This, this is Illinois,
The state, the kingdom of Rauner.
No budget ’til my agenda’s passed
The short term pain I’m not feeling.
Poor people suffer
And businesses shutter
But it’s Madigan’s fault that you’re
reeling.
With a mere flick of a couple certain special wrists, the Democrats can be $20 million behind yet again.
Either way, this money stockpiling is all quite something to watch, so thanks to our good friend Scott Kennedy for putting these numbers together.
* Also, of course he’s not involving himself directly in Democratic primaries. One contribution from Rauner would destroy his favored candidate in any Dem primary. He’s got Illinois GO for that task…
Rauner says he's staying out of Democratic primaries (including Madigan's) and wouldn't use his PAC for that
A veterans facility on Oak Park Avenue that will house veterans suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and dementia is scheduled to open in January 2017, at least six months later than originally planned after being caught in the budget crossfire between Rauner and the Democrats who control the General Assembly.
At Casa Central in the Humboldt Park neighborhood, Amanda McMillen, deputy director of children and youth services, said she hasn’t stopped smiling since learning that the social service agency was one of 23 area charities picked to receive proceeds from [basketball legend Michael Jordan’s] settlement with the Jewel-Osco and Dominick’s grocery chains. […]
Understandably, that’s all an afterthought to the busy staff at Casa Central, where some programs have been shuttered since Gov. Bruce Rauner imposed budget cuts last spring. Its early learning academy had to stop accepting new children under 5 because of cuts. A computer lab for low-income children and adults in the community has been closed except for use by students in the after-school program.
Jordan’s donation won’t resurrect those programs. That’s still on the state of Illinois, as it should be. But his money will go a long way to boosting kids’ programs at Casa Central, where administrators are still determining how to allocate the funds. There were two conditions to the donation, La Luz said in response to questions about it. The amount must remain confidential and the money must be earmarked for kids.
There is no shortage of kids’ programs among Casa Central’s seven buildings, including three that take up nearly a city block on North California Avenue. La Luz said the center is one of the largest Hispanic social-service agencies in the Midwest and serves 19,000 to 20,000 children and adult residents a year.
It provides transitional apartment-style housing and social services for homeless families, offers vocational training for entry-level jobs and houses a senior-care center visited daily by 80 to 90 older adults. But staff members pride themselves in providing a second a home to neighborhood kids, administrators said.
Friday, Dec 18, 2015 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Illinois credit unions and their employees place a special focus on giving back to the communities they serve. GCS Credit Union, with its main branch in Granite City and seven additional branches in the metro east, encourages employee participation in its community outreach activities throughout the year. In an ongoing effort to support the local community, GCS employees may wear jeans on Fridays and Saturdays in exchange for a donation of $15 or more. Each branch location then selects a charity with special meaning to their employees to benefit from the donations. This holiday season, GCS employees donated to seven local charities with the proceeds from Jeans Day:
Granite City: Good Samaritan House
O’Fallon: O’Fallon Food Pantry
Lee Avenue: Catholic Children’s Home
Collinsville: Collinsville Meals on Wheels
Edwardsville: Chosen to Shine
Pontoon: Granite City School District
Madison: Community Care Center
As you can imagine, these donations are particularly appreciated during the holiday season.
Founded in 1941, GCS Credit Union now serves over 42,000 members at eight conveniently located branches across Southwestern Illinois. The credit union difference means giving back to member shareholders…and the communities they serve.
Happy Holidays from GCS Credit Union and the Illinois Credit Union League!
* The 2015 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Illinois Congresscritter goes to Rodney Davis…
(H)e has been able to win 2 straight times with the DCCC targeting him and in 14 it was not even close. He is a moderate Republican who votes his district and works his district. Without JBT around, he also was the first (and I believe only so far) Republican to criticize the Governor’s attack on public sector unions.
* And the 2015 Mike McClain Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Statehouse Insider goes to John Lowder…
John is most knowledgeable of the process and inner dealing of statehouse policy and Budget development and strategy. He is always willing to share his insights. Has made the transformation from staff to contract lobbying with ease with great respect for the actors on both sides of the aisle as well as the press. He’ll be around for a long time.
Congrats to both!
* Today’s category is our last…
* The 2015 Wordslinger Golden Horseshoe Award for Best CapitolFax.com Commenter
For too long, unions have dictated public policy in this state. They’ve told politicians what to approve or reject. No questions asked.
Lincolnshire asked questions. It is offering employees an option. A choice. Unions are free to make their case to workers that they should join the union. Why is that so scary?
“Our goal is not to bust unions,” Lincolnshire Mayor Elizabeth Brandt says. “Want to join? No problem. Want to pay dues? No problem. But this (right-to-work zone) says, if you don’t want to, you don’t have to. That empowers the worker.”
It’s fascinating how unions talk about empowering workers, but don’t want them to have the power to join or not.
The unions? They like mandates.
Lincolnshire likes freedom.
I wonder how the Tribune owners would react if the government ordered the company to provide free advertising to anyone who wanted it.
* What these folks either fail to understand or don’t want to admit is that unions are required by federal law to represent every employee in their bargaining units, whether the employees pay union dues or not.
So, people can withhold dues and then legally demand all sorts of union services, like grievance procedures. The freeloaders are entitled to be provided the same wages, benefits and working condition protections earned for them by the very unions that they refuse to help pay for.
And if you’re OK with the government ordering that sort of thing, you’re not a small government person. That’s some Big Brother stuff right there, man.
* Somewhat related…
* Labor board upholds ruling to dismiss AFSCME’s unfair labor charge against Rauner administration: “I find insufficient evidence that CMS made a threat of reprisal,” she wrote. “The available evidence is that the ‘answer’ set forth in the FAQ’s regarding health insurance for employees on strike was accurately reflective of a long standing policy. An employer stating the potential negative impact to pay and benefits (including health insurance) that accompany a strike is not, in and of itself, evidence of coercive conduct.”
* The only “news” to come out of yesterday’s leaders’ meeting was that House Speaker Michael Madigan was a no-show…
Republican leaders Sen. Christine Radogno and Rep. Jim Durkin described Thursday’s meeting as productive but took turns noting Madigan’s absence.
“I thought it was a good conversation. But the fact is we’re not going to move this along unless we all are fully participating and actively involved in these negotiations,” Durkin said. He said he didn’t get an explanation of what Madigan’s scheduling conflict was.
“We covered quite a bit in there, despite having the speaker not be at the meeting,” Radogno said. […]
Brown defended Madigan’s absence, saying the speaker has been “fully involved” in budget discussions. He said the governor was notified in advance that Madigan would not be able to attend the meeting, but Brown couldn’t say when the notification occurred.
* The Illinois Policy Institute’s news service also focused on the absence…
Rep. Ron Sandack, R-Downers Grove, said he doesn’t believe Madigan’s absence on Thursday was intended as disrespect for the governor or the other leaders.
“I’ve been told by others that this time of year is typically when the speaker goes out of town, and it’s familial and not unusual for him to be away at this time,” said Sandack, who leads the Republicans in debate on the House floor. “Obviously, I wish he was there, and I’d prefer a full meeting of the leaders.”
It’s also quite possible that MJM missed the meeting because his daughter Tiffy had a baby the day before. Those Madigan guys are a pretty sealed-lip bunch when it comes to the boss’ private life, so either he was in Palm Springs or with his daughter and new grandson Theodore Maxwell Madigan Matyas.
It’s not like they were going to solve the world’s problems yesterday, but no matter why he missed the meeting the Speaker yet again managed to make himself the story - and not in a good way.
Radogno and Durkin said the day’s topics included the governor’s requests for legislative action on term limits and redistricting, changes to the workers compensation system, funding the state’s pension systems and, to some degree, the school aid formula.
Cullerton’s spokeswoman late Thursday afternoon released a statement saying, “The senate president was encouraged by the addition of school funding reform to the meeting agenda.”
Durkin called the discussion on Thursday “robust” and he said the discussion of the five reforms was “healthy.”
Radogno too said the leaders are getting more clarity about the issues in their meetings.
“Staffs are getting together, which I always think is a good thing to try to actually put pen to paper and refine the issues. I would say there’s progress on some of those issues,” Radogno said.
The governor may take questions after his 9 o’clock event this morning at the DeVry University Advantage Academy High School in Chicago.
*** UPDATE *** The governor comments…
Rauner "disappointed" Madigan missed Thurs, says Speaker's not a fan of all leader meetings, didn't want them before pic.twitter.com/1E64ulu2wq
In his speech last week before the City Club of Chicago, House Speaker Michael Madigan offered what I consider the strongest hint to date of the depth of philosophical differences driving the budget impasse. Invoking Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Madigan explained that he sees government’s role as to “work always to create jobs, to raise wages, to raise the standard of living.” He has stated often that he believes Rauner’s efforts to reform workers’ compensation and remove prevailing wage requirements will do the opposite for middle-class families.
Madigan offers no acknowledgement that policies put in place over the 12 years preceding Rauner’s arrival might have had anything to do with creating today’s fiscal mess — or that today’s fiscal mess might hurt the middle class by driving jobs away.
Rauner, meanwhile, takes the opposite view on government’s role in the economy. It’s government’s interference that hobbles entrepreneurs, drives up taxes and drives factories to states that don’t value unions over job creators. In Rauner’s view, if government keeps its hands off the private sector, jobs will proliferate, taxes will go down and the middle class will be better off.
Rauner, however, offers no acknowledgment that he governs a state that elected both him and super-majorities of Democrats in its House and Senate. He has not mentioned the fact that far more voters statewide supported a tax on millionaires and an immediate increase in the minimum wage than voted for him.
Three of Speaker Michael Madigan’s campaign funds on Thursday reported collecting $445,400 in campaign contributions.
Nearly all of the money came from labor unions or trial lawyers that historically have backed Madigan and Democrats against Republicans and business interests.
All told, four Madigan campaign funds have reported taking in more than $5.87 million since Jan. 1.
