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Bleak forecast
Wednesday, Jul 26, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller More bad budget news. Early retirement programs have helped shrink the Illinois government payroll, but those savings will be lost and a deficit created in the long run due to a delay in pension contributions, according to a recent report. [Emphasis added] It’s good to see the smaller papers taking on complicated budget issues. First it was the Rockford Register Star’s excellent piece on the state’s deficit, and now the Quincy Herald Whig looks at pension deficits. Read the whole thing. More like this, please.
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Franks won’t endorse Blagojevich
Wednesday, Jul 26, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller This was not unexpected. A Democratic member of the Illinois House who has been harshly critical of the administration of Gov. Rod Blagojevich said Tuesday he does not back the governor for re-election.
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SurveyUSA: 45-34-17-5
Wednesday, Jul 26, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller SurveyUSA has the same point spread as Rasmussen. In an election for Governor of Illinois today, 7/25/06, incumbent Democratic Rod Blagojevich defeats Republican challenger Judy Baar Topinka, according to a SurveyUSA poll conducted exclusively for KSDK-TV St. Louis. Blagojevich gets 45% today. Topinka gets 34%. 17% would vote for some other candidate. 5% are undecided. Since an identical SurveyUSA KSDK-TV poll 9 weeks ago, Blagojevich has gained 2 points and Topinka has lost 3 points. Blagojevich had led by 6, now leads by 11. Among male voters, Blagojevich had been down 4, now up 8, a 12-point swing in his favor. Crosstabs are here. Notice the high percentage for “other.” That breaks down to 18% Republicans; 14% Democrats; 22% independents. For other poll results, go here. UPDATE: I should also point out that SurveyUSA, Rasmussen and Topinka all have Blagojevich at 45 or 44, while the governor’s poll had him closer to 50 percent, at 47. Any time an incumbent is below 50, even if he or she is ahead, that’s bad news. Yes, he has a strong lead, which gives him legitimate reason for optimism. But he hasn’t proved yet that he can close the deal and the persistent thunder from the US Attorney’s office ain’t helping.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Push-Polling; Flider; Lobsters; Numbers; Karpiel; Target News Feed (use all CAPS in password)
Wednesday, Jul 26, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Question of the day
Wednesday, Jul 26, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller I really don’t like Alderman Burton Natarus. I lived in his ward for over four years and I found him to be a worthless joke. But I partly agree with this position. Calling it dangerous, disgusting and downright unsanitary, downtown Ald. Burton F. Natarus (42nd) on Tuesday declared his opposition to allowing dogs to accompany their owners to Chicago’s sidewalk cafes. I love dogs. I hate most dog owners. Unless dog owners can certify that they’re competent and respectful, I say keep those dogs away from the cafes. Anyway, the question today is not “Is Burt Natarus a raging doofus?” because that pretty much answers itself. The question is: What do you think of the proposed Chicago ordinance which would allow dogs in outdoor cafes? PS: Burt, you’re gonna have a very hot primary race. Maybe it would be best not to insult your fellow aldermen. “Just because Schulter says it’s a good idea and Walter Burnett [27th] says it’s a good idea doesn’t mean it is. I know more about animals than they do,” Natarus said.
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Campaign update
Wednesday, Jul 26, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller · The governor’s preschool plan seems like a pretty decent program on its face. But the program has restrictions on how the slots are doled out, giving priority to children who are at risk of failing in school. After at-risk children are placed, working families meeting certain income guidelines are next in line for openings. Then any open slots would go to other families who applied. However, like all of Gov. Blagojevich’s much-hyped planS, I’m just waiting to be disappointed by depressing revelations in the near future about how the whole thing is screwed up. By the way, we’re all very aware that some people don’t like mandatory pre-school, but this isn’t mandatory. So, please, try to stay away from the black helicopters in comments. · Topinka was in Rockford yesterday. “Out of all 50 states, Illinois ranks last in net assets and second to last in government funds. Boy, are we limping. … We are drowning in red ink, and that means we lack in the ability to invest in our future, especially in critical improvements to our state’s roads and bridges and other transportation needs,†Topinka said. […] The thing about Topinka is her quotes jump right off the page. The governor’s sometimes do, too, but it’s mostly what he says, not how he says it.
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United gets promise of fuel tax break
Wednesday, Jul 26, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller This story may get some traction. Gov. Rod Blagojevich has promised to provide some relief from high fuel prices, but not for the millions of motorists facing stiff prices at the pump. I hope the company got that promise in writing.
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Morning shorts
Wednesday, Jul 26, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller · “Illinois could have an advantage over Texas in the sweepstakes to land a $1 billion, nearly pollution-free power plant, the chief of the state’s coal association said Tuesday.” · “A nonprofit organization locked in a nearly two-month strike by workers at Illinois’ only prison for drug-addicted inmates is urging its drug counselors at two other state prisons to reject joining a labor union.” · Metro East gas tanks won’t run dry · Editorial: “Gov. Rod Blagojevich loves to brag about Illinois being first with this program or that entitlement. Now, in part because of all his spending, he can brag about our state being the worst off financially.” · Editorial: Governor’s dishonesty is never good policy · `Big-box’ vote a nail-biter · Daley urged not to bulldoze cemetery · Wind farm delays pit Durbin, Obama against FAA · Marin: Living wage would help poor and benefit Chicago · Attorney general wants lower water rates · Guv will be grand marshal of India Independence Day parade · “A wire service reported Tuesday that former Gov. Jim Edgar is a candidate for federal transportation secretary, but Edgar told the Tribune he was ’surprised’ to hear it.”
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Apparently, we were one bureaucratic level short of an answer
Tuesday, Jul 25, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller
Gov. Rod Blagojevich can’t explain his administration’s shifting accounts of when he implemented a hiring process that ruled out possible political considerations. Abby couldn’t provide any answers, either. UPDATE: Listen to the governor’s response here. [mp3 file] “My story’s always been the same,” the guv said. His original story was that they were hiring for coded civil service jobs without regard to who was applying for them. That story was disproved weeks ago. UPDATE 2: From the AP: Still, Blagojevich said he’s not worried about questions surrounding their activities. “Absolutely no wrongdoing has been leveled at anybody who is close to me,” he said in an interview with Chicago’s WGN-TV. UPDATE: People, that’s a shadow on his face.
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Big biz wrong on Big Box predictions?
Tuesday, Jul 25, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller Zorn wonders if the giant retailers may be most worried that Chicago’s “big box ordinance” will work as planners intend - no current or prospective jobs lost and better lives for those who work at the stores. The proposed ordinance would kick the minimum wage up to $10 an hour with $3 in benefits by 2010. Zorn offers these reasons: A similar though broader “living wage” ordinance took effect in Santa Fe, N.M., New Mexico, in 2004, and a follow-up study by the University of New Mexico found that private sector employment growth proceeded to outpace the overall growth in New Mexico, gross retail receipts grew faster than inflation and employment levels rose. UPDATE: Were rally attendees tricked? Meanwhile, residents at the Harold Ickes Homes on the city’s South Side said organizers opposing the ordinance tricked them last week into attending a rally of about 1,200 people, heavily covered by the media, by saying that jobs at Wal-Mart awaited them there. [Hat tip: IlDemNet]
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Serious cash to be spent in Bean, Duckworth races
Tuesday, Jul 25, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller Animal Farm has been MIA recently, but they were back today with this: The Associated Press reported last week that the national Democrats reserved $30 million worth of TV ad time in targeted congressional races this fall.
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More on Dunkin
Tuesday, Jul 25, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller An item in today’s Morning Shorts is getting a lot of play today - “A highly touted music festival in Chicago Saturday and Sunday drew an estimated 2,000 fans. The cost to Illinois taxpayers: About $100 for each person who attended the inaugural Move! Chicago International House Music Festival.†A commenter pointed to this article in New City Chicago which sheds more light. “This thing is going to bring so much money into this town it’s not even funny!” shouts State Representative Ken Dunkin emphatically into his cell phone. I can hear the rush-hour traffic outside his car as he evangelizes the inaugural MOVE! House Music Festival. “We’re going to see at least 60,000 people come in for this–at a minimum!” […] Apparently, Randy Crumpton is Rep. Dunkin’s campaign manager and attorney. It also appears from state records that Crumpton was Dunkin’s former campaign treasurer. Dunkin requested the state grant as part of last year’s budget negotiations. At the time, he refused to release the names of the people who received the state cash.
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Peraica ahead, JBT poll confirmation
Tuesday, Jul 25, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller No crosstabs yet, but the Tarrance Group - a Republican pollster working for Peraica - has a poll that claims Tony Peraica is leading Todd Stroger 42-38 with 20 percent undecided. One very important point to remember: Lots of non-machine people have run lots of polls in the past where they were leading or right in the game and then BOOM! the machine kicks in late and they get clobbered. Also, we don’t have any crosstabs so we don’t know how the African-American vote is breaking (black voters tend to break very late). They posted a couple of other answers in the executive summary (doc file): · Just 27% of voters say Cook County is going in the right direction, and a 52% say things are off on the wrong track. And they add this: Currently, just 29% of voters say they will vote for Judy Baar Topinka, while Blagojevich receives fully 60%, with just 10% undecided. The fact that voters have largely made up their mind in the Gubernatorial race, means greater attention will be paid to down ticket races like the Cook County Board President sooner. Those Peraica numbers for Topinka are very close to Topinka’s own poll, which had her down 60-30 in Cook. The methodology is in the exec summary, but the MoE was 4.9 percent, with 407 registered, likely voters surveyed. Breakdown was 24 percent Republicans and 65 percent Democrats. UPDATE: Also, Peraica supporters, remember this: The machine don’t play beanbag. This will be a brutal, brutal race.
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Question of the day
Tuesday, Jul 25, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller Posting will be light until early afternoon, so chew on this for a while: You’ve probably read about this Arizona idea. If Arizona’s voters approved, one lucky voter would win a million bucks, financed by unclaimed prize money from the state’s existing lottery. Citizens would qualify by voting in the primary or general election; vote in both and they’d be entered twice. Osterloh’s slogan: “Who wants to be a millionaire? Vote.” How do you feel about this? Should Illinois follow suit? Do we want people who are solely chasing dream money at the ballot boxes, or are they no better or worse than the usual voters.
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Topinka slams guv
Tuesday, Jul 25, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller This is the classic way of keeping a story alive. You mention a news outlet’s work in your press release. Then the news outlet makes that a story. AP: Gov. Rod Blagojevich should “come clean” about how his administration hires people for state jobs, state Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka said Monday. Except when disclosing those secret investigations helps them, of course.
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Morning shorts
Tuesday, Jul 25, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller · Legislators file FOIA to find out what’s in budget. Meanwhile, the AP follows up on Chambers’ piece with “Illinois deficit largest in U.S.” · “A highly touted music festival in Chicago Saturday and Sunday drew an estimated 2,000 fans. The cost to Illinois taxpayers: About $100 for each person who attended the inaugural Move! Chicago International House Music Festival.” · Wine legislation signed into law · ‘Big Box’ ordinance debate heats up · “Chicago aldermen have cracked down on foie gras, public smoking, noisy street musicians and drivers yakking on cell phones. Now they want to microchip Fido.” They also want a big raise. · It’s now Adeline Geo-Karis Illinois Beach State Park · UAL to post first profit since 2000 · “A former high-ranking state official and childhood pal of Gov. Rod Blagojevich was sentenced Monday to 15 weekends in the McHenry County jail after pleading guilty to a 2005 charge of drunken driving.” · Sen. Garrett must be making the editorial board circuit these days. · Fun link of the day: How fast can you type?
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Topinka interview posted
Monday, Jul 24, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller The Southern Illinoisan has posted its Q&A from a recent interview with Judy Baar Topinka. It ends this way: SI: If Illinois residents asked collectively, ‘why should I vote for Judy Barr Topinka?’ How would you respond? She really needs some better lines.
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Um, Stu?
Monday, Jul 24, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller Alleged Republican attorney general candidate Stu Umholtz has filed his campaign finance report for the first six months of 2006. Funds available at the beginning of the reporting period $3,517.71 I’m kinda speechless. State Rep. Raymond Poe (R-Springfield) raised a third more than that during the same time period. I really think it’s time to put Stu’s photo on a milk carton. Can any PhotoShop pros out there lend a hand?
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - “Push poll” claim in House race (use all CAPS in password)
Monday, Jul 24, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Smith; Targets News Feed (use all CAPS in password)
Monday, Jul 24, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Question of the day
Monday, Jul 24, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller As I write this in the early morning hours, my weekly newspaper column is not yet posted, but you can find it here soon. Rod Blagojevich and Judy Baar Topinka don’t agree on much, but their campaigns concurred last week that Gov. Blagojevich is leading in the polls. Rasmussen, you’ll recall, has the race at 45-34, about right in the middle of where both candidates’ polls show. Meanwhile, SurveyUSA’s latest monthly tracker has the governor’s job approval about the same as last month. 44 percent approve, 51 percent disapprove. QUESTION: Can Topinka still pull this out? Can the governor keep her numbers down enough even when she starts running her own TV ads? Or will only some seriously high-level indictments stop him now? UPDATE: Hardcore national Democratic blogger Kos throws in his two cents: Blago’s administration is corrupt, he’s got a terrible relationship with the Democratic legislature, and people don’t like him. There is one semi-popular Republican in the state, Judy Baar Topinka, yet she’ll have a hard time overcoming her state’s heavy Blue leanings. Voters seem willing to keep her as state treasurer. As governor? Skepticism abounds
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Can’t anyone over there tell the truth?
Monday, Jul 24, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller Let’s see... First, they said they had a totally blind hiring system. Then, when we found out they didn’t, they blamed George Ryan. Then they said they fixed it. Then when that turned out not to be true, they said they fixed everything by the end of 2003. Turns out, that wasn’t true, either. Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s office was approving candidates by name for state jobs as late as autumn 2004, nearly 18 months after aides said a “blind” hiring system was created, documents show. And then there’s this. Nearly all the forms were sent to Lon Monk, Blagojevich’s chief of staff who now runs his re-election campaign, whose initials appear on most forms. Most were created by Joe Cini, the man in Blagojevich’s office in charge of hiring for the few thousand jobs the governor does control.
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React
Monday, Jul 24, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller The governor’s move to skim $5 million from the budget and use it for stem cell research didn’t exactly go over well with the editorial writers at the Belleville News-Democrat. Is Rod Blagojevich running for re- election as governor of Illinois, or as dictator? His heavy- handedness last week makes us think dictator. That’s gotta be the harshest editorial lede I’ve ever seen about this governor. Doug Finke at the SJ-R was much more mild. It’s not whether you think Blagojevich did the right thing in providing money for stem cell research. The issue is credibility: saying there is no money in the budget for stem cell research and then padding a state agency budget so there will be money for it. Bernie Schoenburg let Rep. Gary Hannig, the House Dems’ budgeteer, do the talking. “You hate to have that kind of distrust exist between the executive branch and the legislative branch,” Hannig said. “Do we have to call a lawyer every time we talk to each other and put everything on a piece of paper? You would hope that when you talk to people that they would … either agree or disagree with you, but that they would at least be honest.” And John Patterson spares little. In his first term in office, Blagojevich has been branded a liar — which the governor chalked up to a simple misunderstanding — compared to a used car salesman and been forced to put financial promises in writing, all by his fellow Democrats.
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Heartbreaker
Monday, Jul 24, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller Usually when we see stories about the state’s huge Medicaid payment backlog, they’re written like this one. The state’s problem reimbursing hospitals, pharmacies and nursing homes is causing concern in the medical community. But Jim Muir gives us a different kind of Medicaid story. The decision by Illinois lawmakers to forgo paying billions of dollars in Medicaid payments has turned into a harsh reality for a Marion couple, who this week were denied medical care for their daughter because of those unpaid bills. Go read the whole thing. Shame on this state.
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Morning shorts
Monday, Jul 24, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller · McQueary on Topinka: It’s substance that is missing. Fire in the belly. Organization. Message. · Analysis: Illinois has worst fiscal health in nation · Leasing highways is gaining traction around nation · “In this city that once winked at Prohibition, members of the city council are cracking down on behaviors they deem unhealthy, dangerous or just plain annoying. They’ve taken aim at everything from noisy street musicians to captive elephants to fatty foods like fried chicken and french fries.” · Aldermen give us a chance to pity Wal-Mart · Women’s Health Initiative Grants Get Nearly $400K · Residents continue mopping up · Yet another horse put down at Arlington Park · Call to limit cases amuses public defenders · Candidates zooming in on veterans · Fair’s demolition derby not just for men
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READER COMMENTS CLOSED FOR THE WEEKEND
Friday, Jul 21, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller See you Monday. In the meantime, head to Illinoize.
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Roskam dodges WSJ
Friday, Jul 21, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller The Wall Street Journal tried to reach state Sen. Peter Roskam for two days to talk to him about stem cell research, but no can do. While Ms. Duckworth jumps on the issue, Mr. Roskam dodges it. “There are bigger issues going on in this campaign.” says spokesman Ryan McLaughlin, declining to make the candidate available despite several requests over two days. That’s strange. Just last month, Roskam had this to say to the Daily Herald: “We cannot leave our moral obligations at the laboratory door and take one human life and cast it aside for the benefit of another.” He even talked to the now defunct Illinois Leader when asked about Comptroller Dan Hynes’ attempt to pass a $1 billion stem cell research proposal. “His proposal’s not going anywhere,” State Senator Peter Roskam, who led the opposition to stem cell research on the Senate floor last week, said Wednesday. He also had this to say in a June 13 press release, which responded to a Tammy Duckworth press conference on stem cell research: In matters such as these, we cannot leave our moral obligations at the laboratory door. According to the Wall Street Journal article, Roskam had this to say in 2004: “We are asked to pit one life against another.” He even talked to the WSJ earlier this year. In an interview with the Journal earlier this year, Mr. Roskam called his views “well within the mainstream” of the district. Those voters who do disagree with him, he added, support him because they share his views on keeping taxes low and other issues. So, why not now? Is the issue polling that badly? Meanwhile, the dodging and weaving from the Roskam camp displeased conservative activist Fran Eaton, who wrote today: Senator Roskam, I implore you to pick up the standard you’ve been proudly waving for so long and energize weakening troops back to the front. Don’t retreat, or allow your campaign manager to evade the issue as he is quoted as doing in the WSJ today.
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Question of the day (what’s left of it, anyway)
Friday, Jul 21, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller Sorry for the late blogging. My back is killing me. Seen any good blogs lately? Use this as an opportunity to point us in that direction. New bloggers, tell us about your blogs. Established bloggers, tell us what you’ve been up to lately. UPDATE: Um, y’all haven’t seen any blogs lately? What’s up with the response?
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Release the records, Governor
Friday, Jul 21, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller Attorney General Lisa Madigan ought to force the governor’s office to release all of this information. Gov. Blagojevich’s administration has been hit with new subpoenas in a federal probe of its hiring practices but is concealing them from its own department heads and voters as election season heats up. I wrote a column about this topic a few weeks ago, but without the Lisa Madigan stuff. So, let me say this now: Lisa, it’s time to step in to this mess and let the public know what’s going on!
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Talk already
Friday, Jul 21, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller They could solve these problems if they just talked to each other, but I don’t think they’re much interested in talking. The candidates for Illinois governor both say they want to debate a dozen times. Now they just have to agree on when and where. Until the campaigns sit down and talk, none of this means anything. UPDATE: Looks like they did talk some. So far, the two campaigns said they have agreed to three debates sponsored by WTTW-TV in Chicago, the Southern Illinoisan/WSIU-TV and the Rockford Register-Star/WREX-TV. The camps also agreed to a radio forum sponsored by the Illinois Radio Network and a debate hosted by the Associated Press.
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Mid-morning shorts
Friday, Jul 21, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller · Editorial: This drumroll of cases, convictions and allegations hasn’t yet reached a thunderous intensity. But our hunch is that it’s coming. Even on the days when the bass drums fall silent, you still hear the powerful cadence of the snares. · Obama plan to visit Iowa steps up White House buzz · Post Office Comments Create Backlash For Natarus · Tollway lease foes urge state to reconsider · Background checks find 1,000 felons living at state nursing homes · Law protects health insurance for veterans · CTA: Brown Line rehab a mess · Suit: Halting work on house is political payback · Editorial: Cooked County · Kass: A tortuous path to not blaming Daley · Congressional Democrats plan $30 million-plus ad buy in fall, including in Illinois
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