* Gov. Bruce Rauner on Sen. Mark Kirk’s hot mic gaffe…
“I heard about Sen. Kirk’s comments. Inappropriate. My understanding is he has apologized. That is the right thing to do. And that’s all I’m going to say about it,” Rauner said at a stop in Vernon Hills to talk about his pro-business, anti-union agenda that’s part of a Springfield stalemate.
Duckworth called a statement from Kirk’s office last week a non-apology.
“I just don’t think it’s an appropriate way for a United States senator to speak,” Duckworth said. “What about to all the women he referred to as ho’s, which I assume refers to all women. … I think as a United States senator, step up, and apologize. It’s that simple. … I think it’s a continued demeaning of women and our roles. It’s really derogatory.”
* From a press release…
During the keynote address at an EMILY’S List 30th Anniversary event today in downtown Chicago, Congresswoman and Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate Tammy Duckworth made the following statement regarding the controversy surrounding her opponent, Senator Mark Kirk:
As a woman, a wife and the mother of a baby girl, I am personally offended. I think every woman in Illinois needs to hear an apology from Senator Kirk personally, something that he has so far refused to do.
But Senator Kirk’s so-called joke was not only demeaning to women, it was horribly offensive to the African-American community as well. This is not the first time Senator Kirk has made callous, racially insensitive remarks, and he owes a personal apology not just to South Siders, but to everyone who is offended by racial stereotypes.
It’s Day 5, Senator, and it’s time to come out of hiding and say you are sincerely and personally sorry.
Unfortunately, as bad as Senator Kirk’s remarks were, his voting record is pretty offensive to women as well. He has repeatedly voted against equal pay, and he’s voted against affordable child care. These are not just women’s issues — they’re family issues. They’re economic issues.
Last week, Kirk was caught on a hot mic referring to Senator Lindsey Graham as a ‘bro with no ho,’ which he further qualified as something “we’d say on the South Side.” A Kirk staffer issued a statement saying Kirk was sorry “to anyone offended,” which has been called, among other things, a “bogus” “nonapology” and a “weasel-worded faux apology” by Illinois observers. It was also reported that Kirk apologized personally to Lindsey Graham.
The Duckworth campaign also passed along some other links.
I think Kirk can get past the remark if he makes a heartfelt apology. Instead, a staffer issued a weasel-worded faux apology: “Senator Kirk was joking with his colleague and immediately apologized to anyone offended by his remark, spokeswoman Danielle Varallo said in an email to The Associated Press,” CBS St. Louis reported. Which means to me that if anyone was not offended by his remark, Kirk doesn’t have to apologize to them. Bogus.
Kirk was hoping to make a private joke, riffing off of Graham’s also awkward comment about a “rotating first lady” should he win the White House. But it would be too easy to let Kirk off the hook with the classic “boys will be boys.” This was a committee room in the U.S. Capitol, not a locker room. Regardless, we would expect more from a senator from Illinois, especially while making light of the plight of historically unprivileged Americans. […]
(T)here’s something particularly unsightly about a group of powerful white men making cracks at populations who’ve spent generations clawing for equality. Kirk’s “bro with no ho” gaffe is more than a privileged white guy making a cultural reference that’s clearly beyond his comprehension.
In four short words, Kirk minimized decades of oppression and suffering. And he did it while seated comfortably within the halls of power.
Is this all about political correctness, as Kirk’s apologists are saying?
No. In 1915 it might have been, but not in 2015.
Thoughtful people just don’t make Polish jokes anymore, or Helen Keller jokes, and they don’t say what Kirk said Thursday. They are above that. Their thinking is above that.
History has shown you never know what might come out of U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk’s mouth. It could be a falsehood, a stretch of the truth or a really bad attempt at humor.
Lately, odds are it may be something insensitive. Not good for a Republican who is up for re-election in 2016 and is considered one of the nation’s most vulnerable senators.
House to Hold Committee of the Whole on Rauner’s DCEO Proposal
WOODSTOCK, Ill. – State Rep. Jack Franks, D-Marengo, will chair a House Committee of the Whole hearing on Tuesday to examine Gov. Bruce Rauner’s plan to restructure the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO).
“The governor has proposed a significant change to the makeup of DCEO and how millions of taxpayer dollars are spent,” said Franks, who chairs the House State Government Administration Committee. “It’s important that we study other states’ experiences with public-private partnerships and get details about the governor’s plan before we act so that we don’t trade one unfair, unaccountable system for another and to ensure there are safeguards in place for the use of taxpayer dollars.”
In April, Governor Rauner proposed the partial privatization of DCEO, Illinois’ executive branch agency tasked with attracting new employers and advancing the commercial interests of Illinois businesses. Under the governor’s proposal, a new entity called the Illinois Business and Economic Development Corporation would form a public-private partnership with DCEO and make taxpayer-funded grants to assist with job creation and economic growth.
Franks, a longtime advocate of reforming DCEO’s system of awarding taxpayer-funded grants, sought the Committee of the Whole to provide legislators an opportunity to learn more about how Governor Rauner’s proposed corporation would be set up and operated and ask what plans are being made to ensure that taxpayer dollars would not be misused, as has happened in other states with similar public-private economic partnerships. Franks has previously proposed eliminating DCEO entirely and returning the cost savings to Illinois employers through a reduction in the corporate income tax rate.
“Based on other states’ experiences, many people, including myself, have concerns that state funds could be misused without strong, built-in transparency measures and significant oversight,” Franks added. “I look forward to an informative hearing and the opportunity to work together to develop meaningful reforms that will help improve Illinois’ economy and create jobs.”
The House Committee of the Whole hearing on DCEO reform will be held on Tuesday, June 16 at 2 p.m.
The HDems have repeated pointed to Wisconsin’s failed experiment as a reason to be skeptical of the governor’s plan. The Rauner folks point to oversight within their proposed bill that would’ve prevented those problems.
Sources who would know have since confirmed the report and say the ad will target only Madigan and not Senate President John Cullerton, also a Democrat.
Cullerton indeed can be somewhat more conciliatory than the speaker. But I have real doubts whether the obvious divide-and-conquer tactic will work. More likely, what is expected to be a quite personal attack will juice up what already is a highly polarized environment in Springfield over the fiscal 2016 budget, Rauner’s “turnaround” agenda and related matters, probably assuring a summer full of all-out political nastiness. […]
“I think (Rauner) is dead wrong,” [House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie] said. “I don’t know that it’s a particularly useful tactic if you want to get a budget settlement . . . What is he thinking?”
Rauner may be going after just Madigan now and not Cullerton, but, “Maybe it will be all about John next week,” Currie said. “Who knows? . . . It doesn’t set a very pleasant table for negotiations—or work when you come to (the 2016) elections.”
Rauner spokesman Lance Trover said the cuts were “preparations for the out-of-balance Madigan-Cullerton budget.”
Democrats observed that the list identifies programs that are already at risk of losing funding, since state government runs out of spending authority at the end of this month.
“Without a budget, none of that stuff’s getting funding anyway,” said Sen. Heather Steans, D-Chicago.
Steans is right.
* Also, as with his previous freeze of LIHEAP spending, he can’t use almost any of that money being “saved” by this latest round of “cuts” for anything else until he receives permission from the General Assembly or the federal government. For instance…
Suspend funding for agricultural extension and 4-H clubs for premiums at agricultural shows.
Ding the kids all you want, but you can’t spend that premium money on anything else. The same goes for the Tobacco Quitline suspension, etc., etc..
People on the outside of this slow-motion train wreck in Springfield, who nonetheless are paying attention, may have noticed the almost schizophrenic aura surrounding the thing.
Take last Tuesday. House Speaker MICHAEL MADIGAN and Senate President JOHN CULLERTON, both Chicago Democrats, met with Republican Gov. BRUCE RAUNER. At a news conference later in the day, Madigan said the meeting was cordial and productive.
But between the meetings and Madigan’s news conference, Rauner held his own availability, at which he accused Madigan and Cullerton of making millions in their private law practices off of high property taxes. It was very close to calling both men crooks.
Madigan called his news conference to rebut Rauner, to explain that his law practice deals with property assessment errors, and to make clear that there is a firewall between his law practice and his position as a public official. He said that during his meeting with Rauner, the governor made no mention of his problems with Madigan’s law practice. […]
It just seems like the opposite of the way people usually operate. Normally, they say nice things in public and save the vitriol for private discussions. In this case, the governor apparently is very pleasant and cordial in private meetings before holding a public news conference to label the top two Democrats in the legislature as corrupt insiders.
Rather than sitting down and hashing out some kind of deal with the General Assembly, Gov. Bruce Rauner last week first accused the Democratic leaders of breaking state ethics laws and then, during a stop in Decatur, cast them as part of the “Chicago machine.”
I’m no expert on negotiation tactics, but that doesn’t seem like a recipe for success when it comes to finding common ground and solving problems.
The governor visited a handful of Downstate and suburban communities last week to promote what he calls his “turnaround agenda” and vilified Madigan and Cullerton as driving the “Chicago machine” and questioned whether local Democratic lawmakers were wedded more to Chicago and their leaders’ political interests than to their own voters. […]
Rauner’s initial efforts to tour Downstate also reflect the regionalized nature of rural Democrats, who tend to be much more socially conservative than their city counterparts. Notably, Rauner’s targeting of Downstate lawmakers validates concerns some Democrats voiced during a May 31 closed-door meeting of senators following what was supposed to be the last day of session.
Fearing an onslaught of millions of dollars in negative TV ads funded by Rauner and his allies, several Downstate Democrats complained to Cullerton that they were being left politically vulnerable and without a way to answer the attacks, according to two senators at the meeting who were not authorized to speak publicly about it. […]
Republicans attempting to tarnish Downstate and suburban Democratic lawmakers with the “Chicago machine” label is nothing new in Illinois politics. But the next election is a year away, and Rauner himself has been an integral part of Chicago city politics as a top adviser and close friend to Emanuel.
Governor Rauner has to negotiate with Democratic leadership. He’s calling out House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton for personally benefitting from their positions of power.
They’re both also Chicago attorneys for separate law firms.
When asked, Rauner wouldn’t say specifically if there was a grant, contract, project, bill, or overall policy that Madigan or Cullerton have personally profited from. Instead - Rauner spoke generally - saying they’re part of the Chicago political machine.
“It’s built on a large government insiders’ dominance,” Rauner said.
Tammy Duckworth’s time under disgraced Governor Blagojevich is coming back to haunt her. Duckworth needs to answer questions about her involvement in retaliating against whistleblowers.
With the trial date set and Duckworth avoiding questions, it makes you wonder what more she has to hide.
A trial date has been set in a whistle-blower lawsuit involving U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth.
In a case dating to her tenure as a member of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s administration, the Democrat from Hoffman Estates is alleged to have retaliated against two employees of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs.
After six years of legal wrangling, a Union County judge on June 2 scheduled a bench trial for April 4, 2016. A pre-trial hearing is set for Aug. 4 at the courthouse in Jonesboro. […]
Allegations outlined in a September 2009 amended complaint say Duckworth, who headed the agency from December 2006 to 2009, violated state ethics rules and inflicted emotional distress on two employees of the Anna Veterans’ Home.
* From the Illinois Republican Party…
On June 2nd, a Union County Judge set the trial date for Rep. Duckworth who is facing charges filed by employees of the Anna Veteran’s Home in Union County for state ethics violations stemming from Duckworth’s attempts to silence reports of wrongdoing and abuse of veterans by caretakers.
According to the suit and documents filed in Union County Court, after firing one of the whistleblowers, Duckworth told the other whistleblower:
“If you do your job and keep your mouth shut and concentrate on job duties, you will keep your job”
The lawsuit, which was filed in 2009, alleges that Duckworth wrongfully terminated one employee and threatened and intimidated another employee for bringing reports of abuse and misconduct of veterans when she was head of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs.
“The brave women who tried to call attention to problems within the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs should have been commended for their actions. Instead, Tammy Duckworth intimidated them, ordered one woman to ‘keep her mouth shut’ and attempted to fire another. These allegations of outrageous misconduct against Congresswoman Duckworth are extremely troubling. It is time for the Congresswoman to explain her actions and send a clear message that acts of retribution against whistleblowers in government will not be tolerated,” said Nick Klitzing, Executive Director of the Illinois Republican Party.
The Republican Party taking the side of state bureaucrats is pretty rich. And the initial “whistleblowing” was about some yelling and a few accusations from a supervisor who made it clear she wanted to get rid of one of the plaintiffs before the plaintiffs actually blew the whistle. Go read the complaint yourself, with the link helpfully supplied by the ILGOP.
Either way, the headlines probably ain’t gonna be good for Duckworth’s US Senate campaign.
*** UPDATE *** It is, however, a bit odd that Duckworth denied the existence of this suit in her 2012 race against Joe Walsh…
Transcript…
Well, first and foremost that’s not true and you continue to say things repeatedly that are not true and you think if you say them over and over again thinking they would be true and they’re not. This is what Mr. Walsh does he tries to distract people from the issue at hand
The electricity meeting dominated the statehouse activity on Thursday and kept Jones and Madigan away from a meeting Gov. Rod Blagojevich had called with Cook County Assessor Jim Houlihan over how best to renew a property tax relief plan. Jones and Madigan, both Chicago Democrats, have passed different versions of a plan.
The governor halted the meeting after the two legislative leaders sent deputies instead, leading to the latest round of personal rancor that has marked interactions between the governor and his fellow Democrats since they pushed the legislative session into overtime.
Madigan sent Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie (D-Chicago) to the meeting. Madigan spokesman Steve Brown said “it appears to be a sexist thing” that the governor would not recognize Currie as Madigan’s proxy.
Deputy Gov. Sheila Nix vigorously disputed Brown’s assertion, saying “there was nothing sexist about” the governor’s decision. She called Brown’s remarks a “smoke screen” for Madigan’s absence.
Currie called Blagojevich’s actions “very bizarre behavior.”
We recently had a “sexist smear campaign” allegation, but by this date in 2007, things were far worse than they are today.
The contracts for more than 40,000 Illinois state workers will expire at the end of the month, and their unions and Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner’s negotiating team apparently aren’t close to agreeing on new ones. […]
Without a contract in place, many unionized state workers would be allowed to vote to strike and walk off their jobs, though Lindall said that hasn’t happened in Illinois history. That includes caseworkers at the Department of Children and Family Services and home health care workers, among others. State agencies like the Department of Human Services and secretary of state’s office could shut down.
Without a contract, Rauner would also be able to lock out workers from their jobs. […]
“The administration is not going to lock out employees, and our team will continue to negotiate in good faith,” [Rauner spokeswoman Catherine Kelly] said. “If AFSCME members decide to strike, it will show they are placing their personal interests above the people they serve.”
“My donors are basically taxpayers. My donors are taxpayers. And the reality is, I have not taken money from folks who do business with the state, who make money from the government and by the government spending more money. Frankly, it’s illegal for businesses or individuals who contract or do business with the state to do business with politicians. That’s a good restriction. I haven’t taken any money from any of those folks. My donors are taxpayers, pure and simple.”
The head of a company that has done more than $50,000 in business with the state in each of the past four years donated $2 million to Gov. Bruce Rauner’s campaign fund in December in apparent conflict with state campaign finance laws.
Richard Uihlein of Lake Forest is CEO of Uline, a packaging supply company now based in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin. In December, he gave Citizens for Rauner a $2 million contribution. Uihlein’s wife, Elizabeth, is president of the firm, and she donated $25,000 to Rauner in October. […]
A state law that took effect in 2010 state, “Any business entity whose contracts with State agencies, in the aggregate, annually total more than $50,000 … are prohibited from making any contributions to any political committee established to promote the candidacy of (i) the officeholder responsible for awarding the contracts or (ii) any other declared candidate for that office.” Vendors whose business exceeds the threshold are supposed to register with the State Board of Elections.
Uihlein’s company did not register with the Board of Elections.
Yikes.
* The matter is now under investigation by the state’s chief procurement officer. Other candidates who’ve found themselves in violation have had to give the money to the state’s General Revenue Fund…
As for whether that means Citizens for Rauner, the governor’s campaign fund, will have to give more than $2 million to the state treasury because of Uline’s state business, [the state’s chief procurement officer, Matt Brown] said he didn’t want to go that far.
“We want to conduct that analysis before I give you any idea what the outcome could be,” he said.
…Adding… This specific Uihlein topic was first mentioned by a commenter ten days ago.
* Meanwhile, let’s go back to this Tom Kacich story about how the governor is attempting to recruit candidates with the promise of spending $1 million each on 20 legislative candidates next year…
Gov. Bruce Rauner says he wants Meister to consider running for Senate, and is willing to bankroll his campaign to the tune of about a million dollars.
“He told me very specifically that he has 20 million dollars and that he’s working to do a million for 20 races that he thinks are the most winnable,” said Meister, the 32-year-old owner of Minneci’s Ristorante in southwest Champaign, and an unsuccessful candidate for state representative in 2012.
* I told subscribers about the questionable legality of this effort last week and included it in my newspaper column this week. The Sun-Times followed up…
“Whoever it is who is doing the recruiting and contributing would have to be set up as something other than the independent expenditure committee,” said Ken Menzel, general counsel to the Illinois State Board of Elections. […]
“When you say you’re going to encourage someone to run and you’ll help them raise so much money, that doesn’t mean you’re going to hand them a check for that amount,” Menzel said, but instead could mean: “’I can put you in touch with other groups from my donor base’ . . . the national campaigns kind of end up working that way, too.”
The attention that the practice is getting has set off alarms in the world of campaign finance, though, and word is campaign finance attorneys are looking into the legality of Rauner’s overture to Meister.
“The governor is not above the law,” said Jerry Morrison, assistant to the president of the SEIU Local 1 union. “If you’re going to present yourself to the public as a reformer and you’re going to shake up Springfield, you certainly should be following the law.
Gov. Bruce Rauner gave rip-roaring speeches in several Democratic legislative districts last week denouncing the state’s Democratic leadership. All of his visits were accompanied by Illinois Republican Party press releases bashing area Democratic legislators for being in the back pockets of House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton.
Some are warning that this tour is only making it more difficult to cut a budget deal before the government shuts down. By belittling legislators in front of their constituents, those lawmakers are going to get their backs up and switch to a campaign war footing just like Rauner appears to be doing. When that happens, they won’t want to cooperate.
But if you look at the numbers, Rauner did quite well in all of those districts.
The governor won 15 of the current 39 Democratic Senate districts last year, some by quite a lot. Despite what you may read, many of the Democratic-drawn districts are not prohibitively partisan.
Add in all the Republican Senate districts he won, and Rauner took 35 Senate districts to then-Gov. Pat Quinn’s 23, and came very close to tying Quinn in one other (Sen. Linda Holmes). I used Scott Kennedy’s indispensable IllinoisElectionData.com website to compile these numbers.
The governor was in Democratic Sen. Gary Forby’s district last week. Rauner stomped Gov. Pat Quinn in Forby’s deep southern Illinois turf 62-31.
That same day, Gov. Rauner appeared in the Metro East, an area represented by Democratic Sens. Bill Haine and James Clayborne. Rauner won both of those districts as well, 56-38 and 48-47.5, respectively.
Rauner also stopped in Democratic Rep. Mike Smiddy’s Quad Cities area district, which he won last year 55-41.
The Rauner folks are most likely looking at these results and thinking that their guy can help take out some of those Democrats next year.
Yet, all of those Democrats have withstood Republican victories at the top of the ticket in past years. Sen. Forby, who was first elected to the House 14 years ago, is a prime example. The House and Senate Republicans have spent millions of dollars attempting to unseat him because they’ve long recognized that his district isn’t nearly as Democratic as his winning margins would suggest.
Partisanship is only one consideration when drawing district maps. Most are drawn because the incumbents or certain types of candidates can win them. Forby is a wildly pro-coal social conservative and NRA poster boy and, simply put, his people love him. There’s a good reason why Rauner used a recording of Forby (without Forby’s permission, of course) attacking Quinn in a campaign robocall.
Presidential years are also quite different than “off” years, when governors run. Next year will be tougher to defeat these legislators because Democrats tend to vote in much higher numbers during presidential elections.
Even so, the Democrats do know that next year will be unlike any other because Rauner’s pledge to spend $20 million during the campaign targeting 20 Democrats for defeat means they will not have a financial advantage for the first time in decades.
Rauner’s $20 million pledge was first reported by Champaign News-Gazette reporter Tom Kacich. A prospective Republican candidate told Kacich that Rauner let him in on the secret while asking him to run.
If the governor follows through, though, he might want to rethink using his recently created independent expenditure PAC “Turnaround Illinois.”
Why? Well, state law prohibits coordination between independent expenditure committees and candidates. Promising to spend a million bucks each on 20 people to lure candidates into the race may very well be deemed coordination.
There are ways around all of this, of course. Money always finds a way.
Candidates could bust the state’s contribution caps on their own by contributing at least $100,000 to their campaign funds (perhaps even by taking out loans from certain wealthy individuals), which would then allow Gov. Rauner and his pals to give as much money to the candidates as they desired. Gov. Rauner could also funnel money through the state party, which could then spend on behalf of the candidates. Or he could funnel his cash through a “dark money” committee.
Whatever the case, the House Democrats recently distributed a guide to some of their members about how to deal with Republican “trackers” – people who are paid to follow politicians around with video cameras and catch them in awkward positions.
Democrats are being advised to stick strictly to their “middle class” talking points and avoid any sort of conflict, among other things.
The Democrats say they feel fairly confident about their odds, but they’re obviously worried about what’s about to hit them.
NBC Chicago has learned Turnaround Illinois, the independent expenditure committee formed in April to “support state legislative candidates who support Gov. Rauner’s bold and needed reforms and to oppose those who stand in the way,” is on the cusp of making its first ad buy in the Chicago television market reportedly for an estimated $450,000.
When asked about this, the governor’s office had no comment. But according to sources who track such transactions, the ad buy is currently set to run from June 16 through June 22.
Local television stations were told Friday to expect orders to arrive Monday morning for commercials to begin airing on Tuesday.
Administration Initiates Additional Management Steps to Prepare for Madigan-Cullerton Budget
Steps to Save Additional $420 Million
Cancel Funding for Legislative Earmarks
Freeze Non-Transportation Capital Projects
House Speaker Mike Madigan, Senate President John Cullerton and their caucuses two weeks ago finished passing a budget with a $4 billion hole.
Since that time, Speaker Madigan and President Cullerton have refused to pass real, compromise reforms that will grow the economy, pay down the debt and end the era of wasteful spending and broken budgets while implementing parliamentary maneuvers to keep the governor from acting on the budget bills.
In preparation for the possibility of having no budget on July 1, or a budget with a $4 billion hole, the Administration is initiating its second round of steps to responsibly manage the state’s finances. However, the options available to the Administration remain limited because the Madigan-Cullerton budget includes no reforms.
“Governor Rauner has compromised repeatedly, but Speaker Madigan and the politicians he controls continue to block any real reform,” Rauner spokesman Lance Trover said. “It’s deeply troubling to see that Speaker Madigan remains committed to sacrificing the middle class in order to protect the political class.”
More steps will be announced as they are finalized.
Statewide
Action Initiated
· Notify all State of Illinois vendors to prepare for the potential of a longer delay in receiving payments for goods and services provided to the State.
Effective July 1, 2015
· Suspend capital projects, including construction at state facilities, schools and colleges.
· Suspend all capital grants for legislators’ earmarks and non-bonded or “pay as you go” capital projects.
· This freeze does not include road and other Department of Transportation projects.
· Significantly reduce use of outside legal counsel by eliminating and/or reducing legal contracts.
Department of Healthcare and Family Services
Action Initiated
· Reinstate timely re-determinations of Medicaid eligibility.
· Roll back rates for ambulance services and renal care services to SMART-Act levels.
· Reduce managed care capitation rates.
· Discontinue special Medicaid payments to some hospitals.
· Increase eligibility threshold (Determination of Need Score) to a level more consistent with national eligibility levels.
· Achieve cost savings using new procurement strategy for purchasing durable medical equipment.
Department of Natural Resources
Effective September 1, 2015
· Suspend operations at the World Shooting Recreational Complex (WSRC) near Sparta. The site will become closed to the public and not available for events.
o All events scheduled through August 2015, including the Grand American, will not be impacted by this action.
Department of Agriculture
Effective July 1, 2015
· Suspend funding to county fairs for premiums and fairground rehabilitation projects.
· Suspend funding for agricultural extension and 4-H clubs for premiums at agricultural shows.
· Suspend funding for premiums for Agricultural Education Fairs.
· Suspend funding for the University of Illinois Cooperative Extension Service.
· Suspend funding to the Soil and Water Conservation Districts.
Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority
Effective July 1, 2015
· Suspend funding to Choose Chicago for tourism promotion.
Department of State Police
Effective July 1, 2015
· Suspend FY16 initiative to purchase new forensic equipment.
Office of State Fire Marshal
Effective July 1, 2015
· Suspend funding for the Chicago Fire Department training program.
· Suspend reimbursements for fire department training to other local governments.
· Suspend funding for small fire-fighting and ambulance equipment grants.
Criminal Justice Information Authority
Effective July 1, 2015
· Suspend the following legislative earmarks:
o YouthBuild grants;
o Bullying Prevention grants;
o Franklin County Methamphetamine Pilot Program; and
o South Suburban Major Crimes Taskforce.
· Suspend statewide funding for Operation CeaseFire.
· Suspend funding for Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention grants.
Department of Human Services
Effective July 1, 2015
Suspend funding for Community Services for juvenile delinquency program serving youth and young adults administered by the Chicago Area Project.
Suspend funding for Immigrant Integration Services. Access to the Department’s programs will continue through local offices.
Suspend funding for Welcoming Centers. Access to the Department’s programs will continue through local offices.
Suspend funding for the Youth Employment legislative earmark.
Department of Public Health
Effective July 1, 2015
Suspend funding for Brothers and Sisters United Against HIV.
Suspend funding to the Tobacco Quitline.
Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
Effective July 1, 2015
Reduce funding for state-funded job training programs and suspend funding to legislative earmarks for job training. This does not impact the Department’s federal job training funds.
Suspend funding for all coal programs at the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, including discontinuing subsidies to coal companies.
Suspend funding for the Renewable Energy Program. This does not impact the Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standards program.
Suspend funding for the Energy Efficiency Program.
Department of Transportation
Effective July 1, 2015
· Reduce funding for Amtrak.
· Suspend state add-on payment to PACE.
· Suspend state subsidy for Regional Transportation Authority Reduced Fares grant.
Department of Revenue
Effective July 1, 2015
· Reduce funding for the following housing programs administered by the Illinois Housing Development Authority:
o Multifamily Finance Program;
o Reduce Homebuyer Acquisition Rehabilitation Program; and
o Reduce Homeowner Emergency Repair Program.
Department of Veteran’s Affairs
Effective July 1, 2015
· Delay opening of Chicago Veterans’ Home.
…Adding… That vendor notification mentioned above…
June 12, 2015
Please be advised that for the new state fiscal year beginning July 1, 2015, payment of bills by the State of Illinois may be delayed beyond current timeframes as a result of the budget bills passed by the General Assembly, which are $4 billion out of balance, in violation of the State’s Constitutional requirement for a balanced budget. Furthermore, these budget bills have not been sent by the General Assembly to the Governor for him to act upon.
Due to the General Assembly’s irresponsible actions, it is also possible state government will start the new fiscal year on July 1, 2015 without a budget in place, which would also lead to increased payment delays. As a result of these current scenarios and without the enactment of a balanced budget, vendors providing goods and services to Illinois should expect longer payment delays.
Anyone who knew the late Judy Baar Topinka knows that she was an inveterate estate sale and garage sale freak. When you heard stories about Topinka’s habit of haunting such sales through the years, you may have wondered just what she picked up and brought home.
Well, wonder no longer. Beginning today (actually it began at 10 a.m. on Thursday) there’s an estate sale at the former Illinois comptroller’s Riverside home at 380 Herrick Road. The announcement we found online describes it as “massive.”
SALE DESCRIPTION: many area rugs -runners-mats-machine made and one hand made oriental, collection of artwork - over 60 pieces- oil paintings - etchings - posters and many more, collection of outdoor banners - Northwester - Marines - Army - Illinois - Village of Riverside and more, collection of over 1000 pieces of clothing-many new with tags-excellent condition-Small-medium-large - EVENING GOWNS, dozens of scarves & purses-evening bags and also lots of ladies hats, shoes & boots-many new in box-size 9-10 W-casual-heels-sandals-winter boots and LOTS of CROCS-KEDS-ENZO ANGIOLINI-NATURALIZER-CARESSA-HIGHLIGHTS-many new in box, sweaters, sweatshirts, tee-shirts, dresses, belts, blouses, designer clothing by; St. Johns -Ralph Lauren, Ann Klein, Mita, Dana Buchman Alfred Dunner, Louis Ferand, Damask, Lauren Lein, J.S.S., Vicki Wayne, Karen Scott and many more designer names, 3 pieces set-1940’s mahogany leather end tables & matching coffee table, porcelain German - Austrian plates, set of china, CANDLES,collection of music & trinket boxes, cups & saucers, lots of kitchen items - mixers - blenders - toasters - coffee pots - makers - utensils - warmers - baking/roasting items - cast iron frying pans - pots - pans - LOTS & LOTS of KITCHEN STUFF, lots of wall shelves, decorative platters, busts of different historical figures, mirrors, lots of frames, collection of animals - pigs, Scotty dogs - Lions - elephant - giraffes - dogs and many more, collection of German beer steins, collection of small figurines - - serving pieces and more, collection of crystal - vases - serving pieces - candlesticks and more, LOTS & LOTS (hundreds) of small collectibles, bedding - blankets - comforters - quilts - pillow cases - some new all others dry cleaned and more, toiletries, 100’s of VHS tapes, CD’S, DVD’S, AND SO MUCH MORE.
THERE IS SO MUCH IN THIS HOUSE, THE GARAGE AND THE BASEMENT. IT IS STUFFED AND THEN SOME!
Here’s how loopy Illinois’ energy markets have become.
On average, downstate Illinoisans will pay at least $130 more for electricity over the next year, and the extra cash they’re shelling out in their utility bills will go in part to reduce rates in neighboring Missouri. […]
“It clearly shows there is something deeply wrong with the structure MISO is using for the auction,” said David Kolata, executive director of the Citizens Utility Board, a Chicago-based consumer watchdog. “You have the direct transfer of wealth from Illinois consumers to Missouri consumers in the same utility family.”
Asked whether MISO (pronounced MY-SOH, short for Midcontinent Independent System Operator) thought it appropriate for downstate Illinoisans to be charged more only to have their higher payments used to reduce Missouri rates, a spokesman for the grid operator said that question should be put to Ameren. “Each utility has its own rules to determine how credits are distributed to customers, and MISO does not play a role in that utility-customer relationship,” spokesman Jay Hermacinski wrote in an email.
MISO’s reticence was odd in light of Ameren’s statement that it had no choice but to bid capacity from its Illinois plants into MISO’s zonal auction for downstate Illinois—a fact MISO confirmed.
Hollywood actress Olivia Munn is urging Gov. Bruce Rauner to veto a bill that would create a bobcat hunting season in Illinois.
The legislation passed the Illinois House on May 31 and headed to the governor’s desk, where it awaits action from Rauner. A similar measure passed in 2014 but, Gov. Pat Quinn, a Democrat, vetoed it on his last day in office.
The Humane Society released a statement from Munn, a noted animal rights activist who has worked with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, in which she called on the Republican governor to veto the bill.
* From Liz Mair, who is repping congressional candidate Mike Flynn (yes, that Liz Mair)…
Good evening:
I wanted to flag this for you… it appears that Darin LaHood was one of just two senators to give a thumbs-up to bigger, more intrusive government in this little-noticed recent vote.
Please consider this response from Mike Flynn, LaHood’s primary opponent:
“It’s votes like this where a legislator shows his true colors: Is he for more big, intrusive government or freeing innovative, early-stage and smaller businesses from stifling regulation that prevents them from hiring more Illinoisans and growing our economy? LaHood has shown his big government stripes with this vote, and voters in the 18th district should beware putting another big government-happy Republican into the House of Representatives.”
Legislation approved by the House this week would allow breweries to operate up to three brew pubs and tap houses while producing much more beer than is currently legally allowed. The proposal is awaiting the governor’s signature.
Currently, a brewery that also runs a brew pub or tap room can produce up to 30,000 barrels of beer annually. This new legislation would bump that number up to 120,000 barrels. […]
The legislation passed the Illinois Senate two weeks ago 46-2, with state Sen. Darin LaHood, R-Dunlap, casting one of those unfavorable votes.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone whacked over a craft beer vote before.
Also, I saw Liz on TV not long ago and thought she did a pretty darned good job.
* And speaking of Flynn…
Paul Caprio, Director of Family-Pac Federal, Illinois’ leading pro-family political action committee, issued the following statement regarding the positions of Michael Flynn, GOP candidate for Congress in the 18th District. Flynn is a candidate in the July 7th GOP Primary Election to fill the seat of recently resigned Republican Aaron Schock.
Said Caprio, “We react today to troubling and reckless statements made by Mr. Flynn regarding marriage, the most fundamental and important institution in our society.”
On September 2, 2008 in a Reason.com article, Flynn criticized key social planks in the GOP national platform. Flynn stated:
“A lot to dislike (in the platform) e.g., protecting traditional marriage…”
In July 2012, in a Breitbart article, Mr. Flynn says the following:
“I’m rabidly agnostic on the issue of gay marriage. Marriage is just something I don’t think the government has much business mucking around in.”
Caprio continued, “Mr. Flynn’s position on gay marriage puts him far out of the mainstream of Illinois Republican voters.
“More fundamentally, however, Mr. Flynn’s radical libertarian position that government has no business “mucking” around in marriage is both reckless and ignorant.
“A fundamental purpose of marriage is to legally attach children to parents for the purpose of support and nurturing. If this duty is not clearly established by the State of Illinois, we would see more and more children without the benefit of parental upbringing and more and more need for the state and private charities to provide support and funding to protect these children. Conservatives want children raised by their parents, not raised by taxpayer supported big government programs.
“Mr. Flynn’s reckless comments reveal his ignorance of conservative family values and his unfitness to serve as a member of the U.S. Congress.”
Family-Pac Federal, along with every other statewide pro-life and traditional pro-family organization, has endorsed pro-life State Senator Darin LaHood in the July 7th GOP Primary Election.
* And from LaHood…
State Senator Darin LaHood announced that he has returned over $100,000 of his Senate Office’s allotted budget to the state during his time in office.
“I made it a priority to spend tax dollars responsibly during my time in Springfield,” said LaHood. “We all know that Washington has a spending problem, so I will lead by example and continue to abide by the same standards as I have in the past. As elected officials, it is our responsibility to ensure that the tax dollars sent to Washington by the families of Central and Western Illinois are being spent wisely to better serve them and meet their needs.”
Since assuming office in March of 2011, LaHood has returned on average of $21,995 or 26.5% of his Senate Office’s yearly allotted budget. LaHood consistently ranks among the top Senators on his office budget returns.
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Compounding the political problem triggered by the tasteless remark: All of Kirk’s major potential Democratic rivals are women. Former Chicago Urban League Chief Andrea Zopp is running, along with Rep. Tammy Duckworth D-Ill. Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Ill., is mulling a bid.
Zopp told me, “He may think it’s ‘just a joke among the boys,’ but Mark Kirk’s remark about Lindsey Graham having ‘no ho’ is just one more reason why Illinois needs new leadership in the U.S. Senate.
“No woman, let alone a woman like me, an African-American and mother of two daughters, who has prosecuted rapists and wife abusers and who has spent much of her career overcoming sexist and racist stereotypes would think his remark either appropriate or funny. Clueless or Reckless? Either way it’s time for a change — which is why I’m running to replace him,” Zopp said.
Kaitlin Fahey, who is Duckworth’s campaign manager said, “Illinois women already know Mark Kirk isn’t on their side by his votes against equal pay and affordable child care for working families. Now we also know he’s humor-challenged. Senator Kirk’s ‘joke’ is as offensive as it is unfunny, and he should apologize, personally and immediately.”
By early evening, Duckworth was using Kirk’s bro/ho comment in an e-mail fundraising appeal in which Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., wrote, “this kind of sexist language has no place in the U.S. Senate. Contribute to Tammy Duckworth’s campaign now to replace Mark Kirk with a senator who will champion women. “
The Tribune plastered its story all over the front page.
* Kass believes Kirk will tank the entire GOP ticket unless he resigns…
He hasn’t had much of a filter on what he says in recent years. Whether that has anything to do with the stroke he suffered in 2012, I don’t know. It seems he was once more cautious. Now words just pop out of there. […]
And now he’s hip-deep in Ho-Gate, with no way out except one:
Discreetly step down and let Illinois Republican bosses pick a replacement candidate to run for election in 2016.
“But who’s going to tell him?” said a GOP insider. “I don’t want to do it.”
Kirk and Kass are on opposite sides of the GOP, so I’m not so sure I trust that analysis.
[Senate Republican Leader Frank Watson]: “I just don’t know for sure whether the governor really truly wants to get out of here… If he did, we’d be focusing on the budget, we’d be talking about the issues of revenue and spending.”
Watson: [The governor is not] getting message that GRT is dead. He talked about it “several times” today.
Substitute “GRT” with “anti-union stuff” and it could be June 12, 2015.
On another level, the carefully organized protest last week [against Gov. Rauner], complete with its slick, professional signs, was actually a good sign for Illinois. It means that Madigan and Cullterton are running scared that Rauner is going to disrupt their status quo. The politicians understand that Rauner has the momentum, and that the balance of power in Illinois may be on the verge of shifting from the special interests to the overall public good.
I don’t mean to single out the BN-D because I talk to a whole lot of people every day and I often hear this same sort of thing from both sides.
People are seeing exactly what they want to see. They’ve made their enemies into one-dimensional cartoon characters and placed their heroes on white horses. No way can they lose. Victory is assured. Can’t you see the signs? It’s in the bag!
I have practiced in the field of Workers’ Compensation in Illinois for 35 years both as a defense (respondent) and plaintiff (petitioner) attorney.
A day or so ago someone claimed the cost for carpal tunnel syndrome surgery was $2,000.00. I threw out a bunch or real numbers. No one seemed to want to talk about them.
Some issued raised in this posting need more clarification:
Causation: Exists under the Act, in spite of some opinions to the contrary. The same causation standard exists in Illinois as in Indiana. A Petitioner who fails to prove causation at the Commission loses his case and gets nothing. A Respondent who fails to rebut a causation opinion loses their case and pays off an award.
Demanding primary cause or principle cause for compensation purposes will probably create a cottage industry of physicians who would be willing to testify to their “opinion” mirroring the new statutory requirements. Respondents still have a industry of physicians who hardly ever find causation or pretend temporary causation for a few weeks based on a 15 minute examination. I predict an increase in litigation as a result. Since reasonable doctors can differ in their opinions and diagnosis, the odds of a fraud prosecution here would be extremely rate. For a system at the Commission that relies upon a nearly 90% settlement rate, it would cost business more money to add additional Arbitrators and Court Reporters. Why? Because business through a portion of their premiums pay for the lions share of costs of running the Illinois Workers’ Compensation system.
Apportioning fault in repetitive trauma cases is an interesting concept, but I don’t see too many cases like that happening that actually could apportion fault within a three year statute of limitations. Current statute of limitations on repetitive trauma cases (such as carpal tunnel syndrome) start the clock when a reasonable person would understand they are suffering from this problem and seek a diagnosis, or upon diagnosis. Other than filling Arbitration hearing rooms with lawyers, little will be accomplished by these provisions as I have seen them in legislative form.
The traveling employee hysterics are similar to those approximately 15 years ago when a handful of employees were injured at company picnics/outings and sought compensation. The proposal then was to use a sledgehammer towards a tiny handful of cases while allowing major problems to continue to fester. This diversion tactic seems to be in full bloom with traveling employees this year. Savings? Practically non-existent.
Comparing total payouts for 100% loss of arms on a state by state basis using maximum rates for injured workers making high wages is not a true comparison. Use what a nurse’s aid makes and the numbers tighten up considerably. A small percentage of workers in Illinois seeking Workers Compensation receive maximum rates. Using extreme situations will not solve any problems.
The insurance premium savings is an issue worthy of additional study. The NCCI benchmarks are a start, but the strange math used to claim a billion dollars in savings is being pocketed was displayed in front of Rep. Hoffman when he chaired the Committee as a Whole of the House recently.
Want to save money in this field without hurting the injured workers right to compensation?
Return to 2005 PPD standards by repealing the 7.5% increase passed by the House and Senate and signed by Blagojevich. We went from 23rd in costs among all the states to 2nd within 2 years after that stunt.
Under Section 8(e) specific loss cases, employers receive credit towards older cases a petitioner is compensated for under the Act. Under Section 8(d)2 where most back injuries and now shoulder injuries receive compensation, no credits for prior injuries occur.
Create new categories under Section 8(e) for lumbar, thoracic and cervical spine injuries, add hips and shoulders, and allow credits for prior injuries. Now an employee can sprain/strain his back 10 times over 20 years, receive awards for 2% man as a whole (10 weeks at his PPD rate) for each. For knee cases, if the employee under Section 8(e) receives 2% leg, and later reinjures that knee, if it becomes a 3% case, he gets paid 1% and the employer gets credit for 2%.
Fix the medical fee schedule. Some medical providers receive 85-90% of their bills in comp, others barely 55-60%. Other states make it more uniform using Medicare rates as a baseline and adding a surcharge that is the same across the board.
Fix Section 10 of the Act, which concerns calculation of the average weekly wage. The current form is convoluted and at times creates a windfall for an injured worker, and other times screws him. The average weekly wage is used to calculate lost time and permanency benefits, and is important. Other states have more fairer, streamlined calculations.
Remove all the hotheads who “testify” before uninformed legislators who have no idea what is going on in Workers’ Comp. in Illinois. Every time they use “fair” in their testimony, I cringe. Both sides have redefined “fair.” Bring in some individuals with technical expertise who can figure out how to reduce costs while maintaining benefits.
The system was originally designed to be “simple and summary in nature” as a tradeoff against going to circuit court and getting bogged down in rules. Over the years, the Act has become bulkier and less simple and summary. And the complaints about the system and Act as a result are getting louder.
“The critical thing is we get a balanced budget not a phony budget and what I do not support is a month-to-month unbalanced phony budget, so all we’re doing is breaking a phony budget up into 12 one-month pieces and going month-to-month,” [Gov. Rauner] said. “That’s not the right way to go.”
Rauner also said they have plans to keep state services afloat if the budget doesn’t pass before July 1st.
If he’s gonna make promises like that, he’d better be prepared to keep ‘em.
Absent an agreement on a budget by July 1, payments from the state to most groups — social service agencies, the needy, Medicaid providers — will grind to an abrupt halt, state Comptroller Leslie Munger warned Thursday.
“There will be very real consequences for taxpayers and organizations in every part of our state, and sadly the situation will be hardest on those who are most vulnerable in our state, those who can least afford to go without help from the state,” she said during a visit to Peoria’s City Hall to urge legislative leaders to reach an agreement with Gov. Bruce Rauner on a spending plan.
The new fiscal year is supposed to begin July 1. But without legal authority under a budget to spend money, Munger’s hands are effectively tied.
In addition to holding off on funds for not-for-profits, the impoverished and others, expedited payments to service providers will be halted. Once July 15 rolls around, state employees will miss payroll but still be expected to show up to work.
The Governor may reduce or veto any item of appropriations in a bill presented to him. Portions of a bill not reduced or vetoed shall become law.
So, he could reduce or line item veto some specific appropriations in all the bills. That would allow him to spend all the other un-vetoed lines in the bills and spend the reduced lines up to his veto point.
But he keeps saying he won’t tolerate a “phony” unbalanced budget, meaning he’ll have to find as much as $4 billion in cuts to make his rhetoric match his action.
* There are several things that can’t be touched, like pension, bond and local government payments, which all have continuing resolutions. They are also very big-ticket items.
Rauner has pledged to never cut K-12 education spending, which is one of the biggest tickets of the big tickets. The feds aren’t going to let the state get away with massive Medicaid cuts, which is another huge spending driver. There are judicial consent decrees about programs at DCFS and other court cases involving the Department of Corrections, two more expensive state tasks.
So, what’s left? Social service grants take up a big chunk, but many are extremely important. He’ll have no choice but to cut them, even though, in my opinion, they fall under the purview of “state services” that he promised yesterday to keep “afloat.”
State parks, universities, community colleges, state police, environmental protection, the myriad number of agriculture programs, and on and on and on and on would have to be on the chopping block. But those are all state services, right?
* So, maybe he does a 20-30 percent across the board cut or something. But there’s only so much of that you can do without having to shut down lots and lots of services.
All I gotta say is, I wouldn’t want to be Tim Nuding right now.
