State budget figures put Illinois’ unfunded pension liabilities at roughly $130 billion earlier this year. That’s a massive deficit that wreaks havoc on the state’s long-term financial stability, and discourages employers from bringing jobs to Illinois. What should Illinois do to fix this problem? […]
Illinois has the second highest real estate property taxes in the country. Please lay out two ways that the state can provide a measure of relief to Illinois homeowners and citizens, and please be specific with your answer.
* Retiring Rep. Mark Batinick (R-Plainfield) has come up with a plan which addresses both of these topics. First, Batinick points out, the pension problem isn’t as bad going forward as the Tribune editorial board and others make it out to be…
I’ve identified three reasons why we’ve turned the corner on pensions. The first reason: Tier 2. There is no doubt the switch to Tier 2 roughly a decade ago is producing savings. We are near the point where 50% of employees in one of the five state systems are under the Tier 2 program.
The second reason is our payment schedule. Usually referred to as the “ramp,” which requires our pensions systems to be 90% funded by 2045. We are reaching the point of the schedule where we are no longer in a negative amortization situation where we continue to make larger payments while the unfunded liabilities continue to grow.
The third reason is inflation. This is the least recognized item that has helped reduce our pension liability in real dollars. Inflation is generally bad, but if you’re a debtor, it can actually help your financial situation.
If you reference Appendix R at this link, in Fiscal Year 2017, our pension payment peaked at 29.4% of our budget. It has been decreasing since, getting as low as 20% in FY21. There is a bump in the current budget (FY23) resulting from an additional pension payment that was made. Next year, it is scheduled to drop to 22.9%. It then continues to drop until 2045, where it will be 18.5% of the budget. Then the ramp ends and we reach the point where we only pay normal costs, which is about 5% of the budget.
My plan would designate that 25% of the general revenue fund budget toward the traditional pension payment and a new property tax relief component. If the pension payment in any given fiscal year is less than 25% (as it is projected to be) then the dollar difference would go directly to property tax relief. The result would be a flat percentage payment, which lawmakers have already grown accustomed to, that will target direct relief to property taxpayers. In short, as the pension payment drops, so would the overall property tax burden.
The savings would be distributed to local school districts on a per-pupil basis, which would then be used to reset the levy to account for the relief on a dollar for dollar basis. Plainly, this means that $1 in additional funding to a school district would, in turn, lower the base levy by $1. The additional money would add to what is referred to as “local capacity” (an ability to self-fund schools through property tax revenue under the current Evidence Based Funding (EBF) formula). The EBF formula would then be implemented on top of the new, lowered base levy in order to distribute the normal state funding for schools. In the end, areas with lower local capacity and high tax rates would win the most.
This plan would designate nearly $1 billion in property tax relief in the next fiscal year. Using the formula in my school district would roughly equate to a 4% reduction in Property Tax Year One. By 2046, we will be able to designate 20% of the budget to property tax relief. If we could do that now, that would equate to approximately $4,000 per student. Imagine how much that would lower property taxes! Obviously this would vary per district, but lower income areas should see the most relief.
I'm sorry, what is against the rules about that? Take it up with the Daily Herald. What's "hilarious" is how clueless you are about how the things you carry on about actually work. The Herald is a paid vendor. There is nothing improper. You may now return to howling at the moon.
But, you know, support local news media and all that.
* Speaking of supporting local news, Fox 32 has essentially helped candidate Bailey lay the groundwork to declare the election was stolen with its goofy clickbait push-poll stunt…
Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough on Tuesday issued a clarion call for military veterans to step back into service as poll workers this election year, as the region faces a “critical shortage” of the election judges they need to make the ballot-casting process run efficiently.
With seven weeks to go before Election Day, Yarbrough said her office has about 4,350 people lined up to work at suburban polling places on Nov. 8, but she needs at least 7,000 “to adequately cover” all of them.
That “potential crisis” is why the county is urging veterans to “step up one more time for democracy, because that’s what’s on the ballot,” Yarbrough said at her Loop office. […]
More than 130,000 poll workers have dropped out across the country since 2018, according to Vet the Vote, which says about two-thirds of election authorities that year reported trouble finding enough workers.
* Big bucks for Budzinski…
WOMEN VOTE! Invests $732K Supporting Nikki Budzinski in Illinois’ 13th Congressional District
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, EMILY’s List WOMEN VOTE! announced its first expenditure in support of Nikki Budzinski in her race to represent Illinois’ 13th Congressional District. The ads, “Control” and “Keeps,” will air for three weeks in the St. Louis media markets on broadcast and cable starting today. EMILY’s List President Laphonza Butler remarked on the importance of this investment with the following statement:
“Abortion is on the ballot, and pro-choice champion Nikki Budzinski is the only candidate in the race to represent Illinois’ 13th Congressional District committed to protecting our fundamental freedoms. Her extremist, anti-choice opponent, Regan Deering, celebrated the fall of Roe v. Wade. Voters will not stand for her out-of-touch attempts to ‘control’ their bodily autonomy and make their most personal medical decisions for them. EMILY’s List is proud to stand with Budzinski in this critical race as she endeavors to advance opportunity and justice for every member of her district.”
* Budzinksi’s opponent issued a press release on the 2020 Fair Tax failure…
As Gov. Pritzker’s senior advisor, Nikki Budzinski was instrumental in his flagship policy point - changing the Illinois Constitution to allow politicians to increase taxes on Illinois families and businesses with a new tax structure.
If adopted, the amendment would have changed the constitution to allow for a progressive income tax structure with brackets determined by Illinois statehouse politicians. Besides increasing taxes, the amendment language made it easier for politicians to also add new taxes such as service taxes or the retirement tax suggested by Treasurer Frerichs.
Despite spending $56 million of his personal wealth to advertise the tax increase to voters, the amendment was overwhelmingly rejected by Illinoisans. It was especially unpopular in the 13th Congressional District where it was shot down in Madison, St. Clair, Macoupin, Sangamon, Macon, and Piatt counties.
“The votes show that Nikki Budzinski is clearly out of touch with the needs of our district,” said Regan Deering, candidate for Illinois’ 13th Congressional District. “I am strongly opposed to increasing taxes, especially during the disastrous Biden Administration when Illinois families are feeling the effects of record inflation costing the average household $769 a month. In Congress, you can count on me to fight every day to keep more money in Americans’ pocketbooks.”
* Casten has a new video…
Today, U.S. Congressman Sean Casten (D-IL) released his second digital ad of the cycle. The ad highlights Keith Pekau’s extreme anti-choice stance on reproductive rights. The ad will run on Facebook, Google, and Hulu through Election Day as part of a six-figure digital buy.
The Board of Directors of Planned Parenthood Illinois Action (PPIA), the non-partisan political and advocacy arm of Planned Parenthood of Illinois, proudly announces its final endorsements for the November general election. Candidates were selected based on their reproductive health care policies and their commitment to protecting the health and rights of all Illinoisans. The full list of endorsements and more information is available at ppiaction.org.
“All freedoms are on the ballot this November. With a right-wing activist federal court in power, we are supporting these candidates who are champions of reproductive freedom and will protect people’s right to decide what is best for themselves and their families,” said Kelley Foxx, PPIA Board Chair. “As more and more legislatures strip away abortion rights in surrounding states, it is critical to vote for candidates who will uphold Illinois’ position as a haven state for abortion in the Midwest.”
All Democratic statewide officeholders were endorsed, including Sen. Tammy Duckworth, as well as the two Democrats running for the Illinois Supreme Court. The endorsed legislator list was long, so click here.
* ILGOP goes after MKO on crime…
Judge Mary Kay O’Brien’s deep ties to the Madigan Machine are well known. O’Brien was appointed as an Appellate Court Justice during her final year in the Illinois General Assembly after voting with Madigan 93.6% of the time. O’Brien also “Helped Madigan Regain The Speakership,” and received over $200,000 in political contributions from political groups led by Madigan over the course of her career. In addition to her ties to the indicted former party boss, O’Brien’s record on the bench is even more concerning.
As an Appellate Justice, O’Brien has overturned the convictions of some of Illinois’ most heinous and violent criminals and has a history of coddling criminals while turning her back on local law enforcement.
For example, in 2013, Jesus Zambrano was convicted of murder for his role in the Joliet murder where the “victim was shot in the head inside a third-floor apartment at the Larkin Village apartment complex during an apparent lover’s triangle”. Zambrano was arrested while attempting to flee to Mexico, and would later appeal his conviction on the grounds that he received “ineffective assistance of counsel”. In 2016 O’Brien’s court granted his appeal and ordered a retrial for Zambrano. He was later found not-guilty and released. In 2021, Zambrano was once again arrested, this time for shooting a man in the groin during an altercation.
All told, O’Brien has overturned many serious criminal convictions, including murder convictions and numerous robbery, drug, and sexual assault convictions.
“Madigan Machine Judge Mary K. O’Brien has a history of using the courtroom to coddle criminals. As Illinois grapples with the impending elimination of cash bail on January 1st, 2023, the last thing Illinois families need is a soft-on-crime judge on our state’s highest court. O’Brien might say nice things on television, but she has been a card-carrying member of the Madigan Machine who’s spent her judicial career putting criminals before crime victims and the safety of our communities,” said Illinois Republican Party Executive Director Shaun McCabe.
Click here to see a story on why Zambrano’s conviction was overturned. Click here for a news report on how Zambrano was found not guilty by a jury in his retrial.
* Supreme Court justice’s spouse co-chairs “bipartisan coalition of women” to boost said justice’s campaign…
Today, Citizens to Elect Justice Michael J Burke announced a bipartisan coalition of women who publicly support and endorse Justice Burke for election to the Illinois Supreme Court. The coalition is being led by Mary Ann Burke, the proud wife of Justice Burke, and State Senator Sue Rezin of Morris.
The coalition is made up of more than 200 notable women throughout the counties of DuPage, Will, LaSalle, Kankakee, Grundy, Bureau, and Iroquois. You can find a list of coalition members below. This group represents various backgrounds and walks of life across the 3rd Illinois Supreme Court district, from those in small business, education, law, elected office, and other fields.
This bipartisan women’s coalition is endorsing Justice Burke because he is a community leader who has a proven record of prioritizing public safety, upholding the rule of law, and promoting judicial independence.
* Dan Brady has a new online spot on organ and tissue donation…
Dan Brady today pledged to continue his lifelong passion to increase organ and tissue donation, and as the next Illinois Secretary of State has set a goal to make Illinois the top state in the nation for this lifesaving program.
“I am the only candidate who has worked to reduce the number of people who die every day waiting for a donation,” Brady said. “Since the Secretary of State’s office administers the organ and tissue donor program in Illinois, I will actively put this state on a path to save more lives than any other by enrolling more people as donors in the program.”
Friends of Dan Brady have released a new fifteen second online ad spotlighting Brady’s work with the Organ and Tissue Donation Registry. The video may be seen at https://youtu.be/ufpPv0Q5kA8 or on Brady’s website, VoteDanBrady.com
* Demmer again whacks Frerichs on retirement taxes…
A recent study from Wallethub places Illinois 45th out of 50 for best states to retire, and ranks Illinois dead last in their “taxpayer ranking”.
“The cost of living is high, so when you are living on a fixed income, that is not helpful,” Jill Gonzales of Wallethub explained to Center Square . “It is also not very friendly to taxpayers, specifically not friendly to retired taxpayers.”
Illinois State Representative and candidate for State Treasurer Tom Demmer said the statistics were disappointing but not surprising.
“Two years ago our Illinois State Treasurer Mike Frerichs publicly floated the idea of taxing Illinois retirement income, stripping retirees of one of the few tax benefits left in this state,” said Rep. Demmer. “That doesn’t just send a negative message to people entering their golden years, but it discourages people for all stages in life from planting their roots and growing their families in Illinois at all.”
The study also shows that out of 182 Cities across the U.S. measured for best places to retire, Illinois puts forth only two cities, Aurora at 171st and Chicago at 154th, while other surrounding states had better rankings.
“There are some midwestern cities that did all right on this list, Minneapolis ranked 12th, Madison ranked 22nd, Fargo ranked 25th,” Gonzales said. “So it is not like this is a midwestern problem.”
Demmer said he is running for Treasurer to be a fiscal watchdog for all Illinoisans and combat Treasurer Frerichs’ recurring attempts to raise taxes.
This year, he introduced H.R. 753, which petitions the Illinois General Assembly to reaffirm Illinois residents’ overwhelming rejection of Gov. Pritzker’s failed attempt to change the Illinois constitution to allow politicians to raise taxes indefinitely with a progressive tax, and, according to Frerichs, make it easier to begin taxing retirement income. Additionally, he has launched a new online petition for Illinosans to formally register their opposition to Frerichs’ tax on retirement income.
“We will continue to struggle to attract new families to our state until we elect fiscal leaders who will act as a check and balance in Springfield,” Demmer said. “That’s why I’m running for Treasurer, to be a fiscal watchdog who will fight for the future of our state.”
* Background is here if you need it. Press release from Terrell Barnes, Democratic Party of Dupage County Vice Chair of Outreach and Engagement…
A story was revealed on the Capitol Fax Political Blog 2 days ago that is disturbing. It was revealed that Illinois Republican candidate for State Representative District 48, Jennifer Sanalitro, attended the Capitol Insurrection on January 6, 2021. The main aim of this rally was to stop the certification of the 2020 US Presidential election.
Wyoming Congresswoman Lynne Cheney famously sums that day up best with the following: “President Trump summoned the mob, assembled the mob, and lit the flame of this attack.”
On this day, President Trump summoned now candidate Jennifer Sanalitro, assembled the mob around her and she struck a match and walked away, as she now claims she went back to her hotel room. She struck that match when she ignored court case after court case that clearly showed Trump lost the election. She got on that plane to DC anyway showing bad judgement.
Along with her fellow travelers, she propagated the big lie detailed in her picture holding the sign ‘Save America’ begging the question from what? This sentiment contributed to the violence that day.
She was proud of this day, posting it on her cover page for a social media account, until she wasn’t proud and deleted it. She was proud of a clear and present danger to our democracy until she wasn’t. Think about that.
Her explanation raises more questions than it answers. Our community has concerns. We have a candidate running for Illinois State Representative (48), the same legislative body Abraham Lincoln served in, who is a democracy denier.
This is unfortunately a dangerous trend. I call on Jennifer Sanalitro to affirm the results of the 2020 Presidential Election and state clearly Joe Biden got more total votes nationally than Donald Trump. I call on her to say Joe Biden got more electoral votes than Donald Trump and Donald Trump lost the 2020 Presidential Election.
Additionally I call on Evelyn Sanguinetti, Republican candidate for Dupage County Clerk, to do the same. In this important upcoming election our community needs to know a candidate running to administer our elections isn’t a democracy denier.
Our community needs answers and we need those answers in 48 hours. The silence on the issue of our very Democracy would speak volumes. The good news, Dupage County voters get to speak volumes on November 8, 2022.
The county party chair, Ken Mejia-Beal, called on Sanalitro to “step down as a candidate for Illinois State Representative.”
* Republican DuPage County Board chair candidate runs first cable TV ad…
Greg Hart, candidate for DuPage County Board Chairman, today released his first campaign ad in which he proposes “a different kind of politics in DuPage County.”
Hart’s ad rejects the pointless partisan bickering like the kind we see in Washington. Hart suggests this kind of politics has no place in DuPage County, and even goes so far as to say he’s “disgusted” with the partisanship that keeps us from getting down to the real issues.
“Our challenges can be solved by working together,” says Hart.
Hart, a sitting county board member who is known for being a strong and unifying leader, has already received a tremendous amount of support from the community, including from over 200 leaders across the county and state who have endorsed his campaign.
* Politics and Facebook: How local candidates are using social media ads to advance campaigns: The Regan4Congress campaign had five ads last month, sharing details on upcoming events and photos from previous meetings. In total, the campaign is estimated to have spent no more than $800 which secured approximately 153,000 impressions. Alternatively, Budzinski’s campaign has invested heavily in its Facebook presence – estimates between $30,000 and $37,000 on three ads this month. This strategy has netted the Democrat more impressions than voters in the newly formed congressional district.
* Waukegan officials blast Darren Bailey’s campaign for photo posted from non-political event; ‘I do not support … his radical ideas’: Shortly after learning she was pictured with Bailey on social media, she contacted his campaign and asked the picture be removed, writing, “The event was not a political event. The photo is posted on your website. I am requesting you remove it.” Shortly after sending the email, the picture was no longer posted on Bailey’s Facebook page with the words, “Sorry, this content isn’t available right now” and a graphic of a worker holding a wrench above the words.
People Who Play By The Rules PAC has launched a new ad, “Pritzker Must Go!” featuring retired Major in the U.S. Army, nurse, and lifelong Democrat Beverly Miles, who ran against Pritzker in the 2022 primary election for governor.
Miles claimed Pritzker tried to get her fired from her job as a nurse for daring to run against him saying she was told to quit her job or drop out of the campaign.
Miles said in a recent Joliet Patch article, “I’m tired of Black people dying and my community being a food desert. The West and South Sides remind me of a war zone and some days like a large psych facility with no walls. And it appears, JB is only concerned about checking the boxes to run for president, as opposed to the issues we’re dealing with in the state of Illinois.” […]
The new ad is available on YouTube, the PBR PAC Facebook Page and directly on a new website called www.PritzkerMustGo.com which just went live Wednesday.
Miles: “As retired military, the words ‘duty and honor’ mean everything to me. Those values mean nothing to Governor Pritzker, who tried to get me fired from my job as a nurse. People like me and you need to STAND UP to J.B. Pritzker’s mafia politics. I’m a lifelong Democrat. I believe in serving others. We are less safe in our neighborhoods. Our tax burdens are up. Our job opportunities are down. WE put Pritzker in office. HE FAILED US.”
Proft’s spokesperson says the ad is going up on TV. Miles is a nurse at Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital.
* I asked the governor’s campaign for a response to the claim that Pritzker tried to get his opponent fired. Here’s Natalie Edelstein…
The claims being asserted in Dan Proft’s latest ad are a lie. Full stop. Like nearly everything else his propaganda network produces, Proft relies on ill-informed smears to make whatever half-baked point he is pushing at the moment. Illinoisans shouldn’t trust him or anything that has his name near it
The ghost whispers informed me, Jay Robert took the three million dollars away from Chuy Garcia and allegedly he is no longer using black men/women in Chicago to further is campaign for Governor and his upcoming bid for president. We all know Jay Robert is not Governor’s material and no would he be a candidate for the presidency. I really feel sorry for those who fight hard against me to include putting a video in Jay Roberts hand to create a narrative to suite him. However, I combat crime from the street oppose to sitting beside a desk and or black biding his dirty work
Chuy Garcia and the Hispanic community and black leaders and the black community you all do not need Jay Robert Pritzker, Jay Robert needs you! Know your power when you stand together. It was also mentioned Jay Robert hired a team of Caucasian’s from another state to lead up his Governor’s campaign, that should tell each of you something…… “He does not trust you and he does not trust your abilities outside of doing grimy work. with this said, stop allowing him to use his money as leverage! He needs to black and Hispanic votes because white people are not thinking about him. All the evil things ya’ll did He did, still I rise in-spite of the legal challenges I still face to include the office of special counsel seeking to have me remove as a nurse for the veteran’s administration. It is of my personal belief Robert grubby phat fingers is all over! Black leaders on all levels it is time you stop this man from exploiting you!
To Jay Roberts handing who watches my social media page, it is time you go work for someone with integrity because if I was a Caucasian woman, JB would have never put his foot on my neck! I hope this post put my non-working brothers back on the payroll…… Thank me later and Peace and blessing
. …Adding… Ziff Sistrunk was described in a legal proceeding as the Miles campaign’s “lead organizer.” The Pritzker folks point out that Sistrunk is now a Bailey person…
…Adding… Since she’s a federal employee, Miles is likely barred for running for partisan office by the Hatch Act.
Central Illinois immigration advocates are preparing to help hundreds of migrants bused from the southern border of the U.S. […]
Gloria Yen, Director of the New American Welcome Center at the University YMCA, told WCIA in an email that their organization expects that for the next 15 weeks, roughly 1,000 migrants will arrive each week. […]
“This [gubernatorial] declaration will free up the resources to really treat the situation, and the people here with the dignity that they need,” said Charlotte Alvarez, Esq., the executive director of the Immigration Project. […]
“They’re passing through our downstate communities, and bus drivers are just telling people, if you want to get off here you can,” Alvarez said. […]
[Gloria Yen, Director of the New American Welcome Center at the University YMCA] said some migrants arriving in Chicago are in great need of mental health and medical care.
“Some folks walked through the jungle,” Yen said. “Others threw their children and then themselves onto moving train cars and sustained injuries.”
The mayor of Normal, Chris Koos, said, at the most recent meeting of the Illinois Municipal League, city leaders from across the state discussed taking in migrants to ease the burden, in answer to Chicago’s appeal for help.
“Communities in Illinois will probably step up and help as much as they can,” said Koos.
The Town of Normal is exploring how it would cope if a bus of migrants arrived and whether there is room for them. Koos said the town needs to understand the logistics of what would happen.
“The first thing that comes to mind is housing,” said Koos. “Where would we put people? Housing is so tight in this market already. So, we have to have a clear understanding, and this was advice that we shared with each other in that meeting in Chicago. Going into this, be realistic about what you’re getting involved in and make sure you can actually do what you think you want to do.” […]
Bloomington Mayor Mboka Mwilambwe said, for example, the community also would need to mobilize service providers to deal with an influx.
“I would hope that prior to something like that happening, we would get a head’s up,” said Mwilambwe, adding the city would be hard pressed to quickly absorb any migrants.
“As you know, I am an immigrant myself and I have been welcomed in this area,” he said. “So, there is a culture and a tradition of being compassionate towards individuals who have needs. We’ll do the best we can.”
Catholic Charities is among the groups providing assistance to the migrants, who include asylum seekers. […]
“Treating children of God as political pawns is unbecoming of any elected official, especially when it involves marginalized, suffering people,” Cardinal Cupich said in a Sept. 2 statement. “The Archdiocese of Chicago stands with local municipal and religious leaders who have pledged to support these new arrivals seeking better, safer lives.”
Once the first buses arrived, the migrants were shuttled to a shelter where they could get a hot meal and shower and sleep for the night, and the next day they were brought to an intake center where they received health screenings and help figuring out their next steps. […]
[Marie Jochum, senior director of special projects for Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago] said many parishes and individuals have contacted Catholic Charities to see how they can help. All donations and volunteers are being cleared through the city of Chicago, which has posted a list of needed items at chicago.gov/city/en/sites/texas-new-arrivals/home.html. […]
Jochum said that Catholic Charities and the other organizations that are involved, including the Salvation Army, the National Immigration Justice Center, the Resurrection Project, the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, among others, and various government agencies, have a lot of experience providing this kind of help.
Catholic Charities, which is providing case management services for individuals and families, has a longstanding refugee resettlement program, working with people who come to the U.S. with refugee status, she said. Those refugees have more resources from the federal government when they arrive, but they have similar needs.
The agency has also been fielding more requests from asylum seekers who come on their own to seek emergency assistance, she said. It also has reached out to sister Catholic Charities agencies in New York and Washington to learn from their experiences with busloads of migrants arriving from Texas.
However, a western suburb received a bus of 64 migrants last week without prior notice from city officials, with the village of Burr Ridge accommodating the asylum-seekers on the fly.
What a crock. The asylum seekers weren’t dumped in Burr Ridge with no place to go or with no services the way Texas is dumping them in Chicago. The Burr Ridge government didn’t have to do anything, except complain, which they did.
* More…
* Immigrants bused to Chicago from Texas need emergency housing, healthcare: In just a month, more than 650 people seeking asylum have been bused from Texas to Chicago. Volunteers and nonprofits are meeting people as they arrive and helping to provide housing, healthcare and food. But these immigrants are in a precarious position because they can’t legally work in the country until six months after they submit their asylum application. Meanwhile, that application process requires money for legal fees, and many of the non-profits that help immigrants with this process are already at capacity.
* West Ridge’s Shuttered YMCA Being Used To House Migrants Bused In From Texas: The Red Cross and Salvation Army are providing meals and other basic needs for those staying in the YMCA building, according to Silverstein. The National Guard is helping to staff the makeshift shelter and the YMCA is providing around-the-clock security.
* Attorney General Raoul negotiated an agreement with local law enforcement to reform the police certification and de-certification process around the time of the SAFE-T Act’s passage and demanded that his legislation be kept separate from the broader SAFE-T Act bill. He’s a former county prosecutor and has supported several penalty enhancement bills in the past. So, this is not a huge surprise…
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul on Tuesday acknowledged he has concerns about potential ambiguities in a sweeping criminal justice law that has become a major election year issue, and also spoke of the need to discuss clarifying some provisions, including one that eliminates cash bail, before they take effect Jan. 1. […]
Speaking at a campaign event on Chicago’s South Side, Raoul spoke of the need to have an “ongoing conversation” on what the threshold should be for determining what defendants are a threat to public safety, “whether it’s a specific threat to an individual or a community.”
“There are a number of issues that I think deserve discussion. I’m not going to have the debate about them here at a podium, but I think again like most legislation, we often revisit because we pass legislation that requires a lot of debate,” said Raoul, a former state senator who represented parts of Chicago’s South Side. “We are often clarifying ambiguity or uncertainty in … countless laws. Is the SAFE-T Act worthy of that discussion? It is.”
While opening the door to tweaking the law, Raoul also said he’s confident it leaves enough judicial discretion for lower level crime suspects and that he doesn’t think the bill is too confusing or contradictory.
*** UPDATE *** Two more supporters address potential changes, but that’s buried at the bottom of a story published by the same media company which prints and mails those Proft papers…
State Sen. Elgie Sims, a Chicago Democrat who sponsored the SAFE-T Act, said those with concerns about the law should work with lawmakers to address them, rather than file lawsuits or start online petitions to repeal it. […]
Sims acknowledges there are some things — such as how some of the changes will be funded — that need to be addressed and is confident lawmakers will tackle those issues.
Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said while he agrees there are some areas of the law that need to be tweaked, he is confident those concerns will be addressed and he continues to prepare for Jan. 1 and the implementation of cashless bail. He also believes the new law will accomplish the task of keeping violent defendants behind bars and protecting victims.
* Related…
* ‘Threat to public safety’: McHenry County state’s attorney sues Gov. JB Pritzker, Illinois attorney general over SAFE-T Act
* Senate President Don Harmon on the bribery charges against Deputy Majority Leader Emil Jones III…
“I have asked for and expect to receive Senator Jones’ resignation from his leadership post and committee chairmanship.”
“These are grave allegations. Members of the Senate and all public officials need to hold themselves to a high ethical standard for the public to have trust and faith in our work.”
Thoughts?
…Adding… I’m told that there’s no “want,” by the Senate President. Jones is out. But he’s being given the chance to step aside.
* Sun-Times story by Jon Seidel and Tina Sfondeles about the new federal bribery charges against Sen. Emil Jones III (D-Chicago)...
The state senator allegedly lied to the FBI about his role in the scheme Sept. 24, 2019.
That was the same day federal agents raided the home and offices of state Sen. Martin Sandoval, including in the state Capitol building. Sandoval died in 2020.
That was three years ago, and the story notes the way he was charged means he’s likely to plead guilty.
* The Question: Your one-word reaction to the fact that Sen. Jones was questioned by and allegedly lied to the feds the same day they raided Sandoval? One word only, please. And keep it clean.
* John Feehery writing for The Hill on 11th Congressional District Republican nominee Catalina Lauf…
Lauf has been able to raise close to $1.5 million in campaign contributions, mostly through small donations, by saying that she, if elected, she will become the anti-Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.). So she has some money to back up her message.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker is critical of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for sending migrants to sanctuary cities, but Pritzker had to be asked twice Monday if the border is secure.
“The Republican governor of Florida and Texas and Arizona … they’re trying to sow chaos,” Pritzker said. “We’re trying to truly care for people who need their human rights upheld.”
When asked a second time, “and are the borders secure?”, Pritzker said, “In my opinion, we need to have comprehensive immigration reform, and we need to make sure that we are securing the border in every way that we can. I don’t live in Texas, but I know that people are concerned about the number of people who are coming to the border, and again we’ve got to address that.”
Twenty-six more migrants arrived Sunday in Chicago.
“We need to make union organizing a constitutional right and stop Republican efforts to eliminate collective bargaining,” Pritzker said at a Laborers’ International Union of North America training center. “So this November we will pass the Workers’ Rights Amendment.”
The proposed amendment to the Illinois Constitution would give employees “the fundamental right to organize and to bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing for the purpose of negotiating wages, hours, and working conditions, and to protect their economic welfare and safety at work,” according to a General Assembly resolution. […]
GOP leaders have contended that the amendment is actually “a disguised tax referendum, a Trojan horse that, if passed, is projected to cost a typical family over $2,100 in additional property taxes within the next four years,” Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy said in a recent statement.
That doesn’t mean Republicans are anti-worker, Tracy noted. “We believe in hard work and personal responsibility. We are pro-growth, pro-business, and pro-worker. As a direct result of the important right to organize and collectively bargain, unions have benefited our brothers and sisters in the trades, business, and public safety.”
House Majority PAC is launching a new television ad, “Working”, highlighting Regan Deering being endorsed by extremists who want to ban abortion with no exceptions, and Nikki Budzinski’s work for Illinois’ families.
This afternoon, the Gun Violence Prevention PAC and Giffords PAC endorsed Attorney General Kwame Raoul and Illinois Supreme Court candidates Judge Elizabeth M. Rochford and Justice Mary O’Brien in the 2022 general election at an event at Bright Star Church on Chicago’s South Side.
“Every law we pass to strengthen Illinois’ gun law is at risk this November if we don’t elect gun safety candidates in our justice system,” said Kathleen Sances, President and CEO of the Gun Violence Prevention PAC. “Reducing gun violence and the number of illegal firearms on our streets have been key pillars of Attorney General Raoul’s work. Judge Elizabeth Rochford and Justice Mary Kay O’Brien have been recommended by the Illinois State Bar Association and have the full support of the organizations working to protect and strengthen our gun laws and maintain public safety. Together, these candidates working in Illinois’ justice system will make our state a safer place and ensure key positions don’t fall into inexperienced hands.”
“Illinois has some of the strongest gun laws in the country, but the gun lobby is trying to overturn them and elect candidates who would weaken them. That is why it is critical that we re-elect Attorney General Kwame Raoul,” said former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. “In office, Attorney General Raoul has restricted ghost guns, investigated and prosecuted gun trafficking, held gun manufacturers accountable, and defended Illinois’ law. We need Attorney General Raoul in office to help keep Illinois families safe. We are proud to endorse him today with G-PAC.”
After the U.S Supreme Court struck down New York’s handgun law this summer, more than 30 lawsuits have been filed across more than a dozen states – including three here in Illinois – as the gun lobby tries to dismantle all the progress we’ve made and roll back evidence backed laws that are proven to keep our children, families and communities safe.
The family of a mother killed in a high-speed Chicago police chase would receive $15 million under a pending settlement approved by a City Council committee Monday, more than two years after her high-profile death sparked revisions to the city’s vehicle pursuit policy.
Guadalupe Francisco-Martinez, a 37-year-old mother of six, died in the June 2020 crash at Irving Park Road and Ashland Avenue when a Chicago police car that was chasing a suspect barreled into her, according to the city’s Law Department counsel Mimi Ruether. Francisco-Martinez’s estate filed a wrongful-death lawsuit alleging wrongdoing on the officer’s part for speeding, blowing a red light and violating Police Department policy on chases. […]
The police car was traveling 101 mph right before the crash and 89 mph at the time of impact, Ruether said. Francisco-Martinez was driving 20 to 27 mph.
Francisco-Martinez was extricated from her car and died in the hospital during surgery. Oliver was arrested about 20 minutes later and charged with first-degree murder, vehicular hijacking, possession of a stolen motor vehicle, and other charges in connection with the chase and crash.
According to Chicago Police Department data NBC News obtained through public records requests and first reported, the city has seen a significant amount of wreckage from police pursuits and emergency response crashes.
From August 2017 to the end of last year, the department recorded two dozen fatal chases and 617 crashes during pursuits, the data show.
Fatal pursuits in Chicago far outnumbered those reported during the same period in the country’s two largest cities — six in Los Angeles and two in New York City — according to Fatal Encounters, the independently run database that tracks every deadly interaction with police in the country.
During the same period, data show, Chicago police recorded 729 emergency response calls that resulted in crashes. Twenty-one civilians and 225 officers were injured.
* In the wake of Franco-Martinez’s death, the CPD updated its pursuit policy.Streets Blog Chicago…
The force had previously changed its pursuit protocols after another case where a chase led to the senseless death of a bystander. In January 2003, then-sergeant Paul Bauer was pursuing a man who had stolen a wallet in River North when the man stopped at a red and placed the wallet on the road. Bauer disregarded an order to end the chase, and the fleeing suspect eventually collided with another driver in the West Loop, then struck Qing Chang, 25, as she stood on the sidewalk, killing her and her unborn child. Chang’s husband was awarded a $17.5 million settlement from the city. (Bauer was eventually promoted to commander, and was fatally shot outside the Thompson Center while confronting an armed man in February 2018.)
In the wake of Chang’s death, the 2003 policy revision prohibited pursuit for minor offenses like theft, including theft of a vehicle. According to the policy, CPD officers are charged with applying an in-the-moment “balancing test” to determine if “the necessity to immediately apprehend the fleeing suspect outweighs the level of inherent danger created by a motor vehicle pursuit.”
The 2020 policy revision added a few more restrictions and procedures regarding pursuits, plus new incident reporting requirements. It also states that “The department will not discipline any member for terminating a motor vehicle pursuit.”
But these policies can hardly be considered progressive. The latest revisions in the CPD pursuit policy now align with a set of recommendations issued by The U.S. Department of Justice and National Institute of Justice in 1990, more than 30 years ago. The conclusion of the “NIJ Restrictive Policies for High-Speed Police Pursuits” states that “High-speed vehicle pursuits are possibly the most dangerous of all ordinary police activities,” and recommends finding alternatives to pursuit whenever possible. [Emphasis added.]
* Chicago police officials hope to replace two helicopters and Sheriff Tom Dart hopes to get a helicopter, too, the Sun-Times reports…
A police source said the city has earmarked about $12 million to buy two new helicopters, but no contracts have been signed. […]
Ald. Matt O’Shea (19th) has called on Lightfoot and Brown to get more police helicopters to combat carjackings in his Southwest Side neighborhood and the rest of the city. O’Shea said he’s spoken to representatives of Illinois Democratic Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth and to U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Ill., about the possibility of securing federal money for one or more of them.
“Why we haven’t invested in purchasing multiple helicopters is puzzling,” O’Shea said. “It’s a proven tool to combat the crimes that are decimating our city.”
O’Shea said he’s been told the department’s helicopters are in “poor condition” and frequently out of service for maintenance.
Details of the police department’s drone program were included in an email sent last summer by Karen Conway, director of police research and development. In the email, Conway told other high-ranking police officials that the department’s counter-terrorism bureau “utilized 1505 funds for a pilot Drone program that operates within the parameters of current laws.” […]
Conway’s comments about the police department’s drone program were included in an email discussing a new vehicle pursuit policy.
The memo also included other technology options the department was considering to apparently minimize the risk of engaging in chases: a device to shut down a fleeing vehicle’s engine and a system for remote tracking. The latter option, StarChase, is a mechanism that allows cops to shoot a GPS-equipped dart at a suspect’s car.
Last August, the police department issued revised directives on pursuits, but the general order bears no mention of the technologies.
I’m curious why drones haven’t been at the forefront of this new policy. They’re certainly cheaper than helicopters.
///BREAKING/// State Sen. Emil Jones III has been hit with federal bribery charges alleging he took money from a red light camera company executive to kill legislation requiring traffic studies for camera systems. He’s also accused of lying to the FBI. Story to come pic.twitter.com/MYeBIgo1Tp
The Illinois Department of Transportation (”IDOT”) approved the installation and operation of red-light cameras within the State. In or around February 2079, JONES introduced a bill, namely, Senate Bill 1297, that would require IDOT to conduct a statewide study of automated traffic law enforcement systems, which included red-light cameras. Senate BIII1297 would require IDOT to report on the overall operation, usage, and regulation of automated traffic enforcement systems, and to propose any recommendations IDOT deemed necessary concerning such systems.
In or around 20L9, JONES agreed that, in exchange for benefits provided by Individual A to JONES and Individual B, JONES would oppose legislation that required the study of automated traffic enforcement systems located outside of Chicago, and would limit any legislation regarding IDOT’s study of and recommendations concerning automated traffic law enforcement systems to those automated traffic enforcement systems utilized in Chicago, thereby excluding from study and recommendations automated traffic enforcement systems utilized in numerous other muncipalties that Company A served.
Beginning in or around April 2019, and continuing until in or around September 2019, at Chicago, in the Northern District of lllinois, Eastern Division, and elsewhere, EMIL JONES, III, defendant herein, as an agent of the State of Illinois, corruptly solicited, agreed to accept, and accepted things of value from Individual A, namely a $5,000 payment and money for Individual B, intending to be influenced and rewarded in connection with a business, transaction, and series of transactions of the State of Illinois involving a thing of value of $5,000 or more, namely, legislation in the Illinois General Assembly concerning the operation of red-light cameras; […]
On or about JuIy 17, 2019, JONES told Individual A that he would protect Company A and Individual A from legislation in the Illinois General Assembly concerning the operation of red-light cameras in exchange for $5,000 for JONES and a job for Individual B.
On or about August 8, 2019, JONES told Individual A that if Individual A contributed $5,000 by sponsoring an event, JONES and Individual A would not have to report that contribution on Illinois campaign contribution reports.
On or about August 12, 2019, JONES and Individual A discussed how much money Individual A would pay Individual B.
The feds filed their charges against Jones in a document known as an information, which typically signals a defendant’s intention to plead guilty.
…Adding… Leader Durkin…
elow is a statement from House Republican Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) on the Indictment of State Senator Emil Jones III:
“The Democrat Party of Illinois has become an organized crime family whose only purpose is to shakedown Illinois taxpayers. Today’s indictment once again shows Illinois residents why Democrats refuse to pass real ethics reform; they are too corrupt.”
…Adding… Leader McConchie…
Below is a statement from Leader McConchie regarding the indictment of Sen. Emil Jones III:
“Even in a post-Madigan-era, Illinois continues to have a systemic corruption problem—one that Democrats continue to enable,” said Senate Republican Leader Dan McConchie. “Democrats have refused for years to allow our anti-corruption proposals to move forward. If the Democrats won’t allow us to do the right thing, it’s time for voters to step in and make the change this November.”
As a refresher, the SGOP ethics package is SB 3636. One of the proposals in it includes empowering the attorney general to use a statewide grand jury to investigate public corruption.
…Adding… SafeSpeed…
“SafeSpeed’s goal has always been to provide a service that helps save lives. As new developments in federal investigations come to light, SafeSpeed remains both shocked and saddened that one of its former colleagues was engaged in criminal conduct and recruited outside individuals to help further his self-serving activities. Their actions were clearly in their own self-interest and done without SafeSpeed’s knowledge and undercut the important work SafeSpeed does.
“The criminal activity of a few individuals does not and should not reflect the values and integrity of SafeSpeed, its employees, and its clients. SafeSpeed built its business on integrity and ethics, and it holds its employees and representatives to the highest standards of conduct and ethics. SafeSpeed has long since terminated all contact with its former colleague and his associates.
“SafeSpeed remains committed to continuing to assist Illinois municipalities in improving traffic safety. SafeSpeed fully supports the federal government’s investigation into public corruption and will continue to aid their efforts in any way it can.”
A longtime Cook County Board of Review worker pleaded guilty to a federal bribery charge Friday, more than a year after the Chicago Sun-Times revealed he was under investigation by the FBI for lowering property assessments in exchange for cash.
Danilo “Danny B” Barjaktarevic, 49, faces a likely prison sentence of up to two and a half years under federal sentencing guidelines. His sentencing hearing is set for Dec. 13.
He is no longer employed with the Board of Review, according to his attorney.
Barjaktarevic’s plea agreement anticipates he will repay $21,000 he received during the investigation. The document also indicates he lied when he claimed that others at the Board of Review helped him lower assessments for bribes.
Criminals set to be released into your neighborhood, sparse advertising and contact information, and an alleged teacher with a fake name pledging to teach critical race theory in class.
Those are some examples of what can be found in a series of publications that have been mailed in recent weeks to homes across the state, as well as in McHenry County. They are drawing attention – including from Gov. JB Pritzker – for being politically charged and containing right-wing talking points just a couple months before the November election.
The publications, totaling 34, include the McHenry Times, the Kane County Reporter, Chicago City Wire and the DeKalb Times. They are under the umbrella of a company called Local Government Information Services, or LGIS. It’s unclear whether each title has mailed out newspapers in recent weeks, but they have a presence online. […]
The press association has received inquiries from residents around the state asking about the mailings and how to get them to stop being delivered, Craven said. […]
[Don Craven, president of the Illinois Press Association] said neither the company nor its publications are members of the Illinois Press Association. The postage permit printed on the front of the papers is registered to Paddock Publications Inc., according to a U.S. Postal Service spokesman.
Paddock Publications Inc. is better known as the Daily Herald. Click here for its latest state corporate filing.
I called Daily Herald publisher Doug Ray and left a message yesterday and followed up with an email early this morning. I had a mutual acquaintance reach out to Ray and others yesterday and today at the Daily Herald and I also reached out to another person at the company yesterday. Silence.
I’ll let you know if anyone responds. I sure would like to know their rationale because, man, this is not a good look. At all. Shameful, even.
…Adding… From comments…
So while decrying fake news on social media, the parent company is profiting off distributing hard copy fake news? Can’t wait to hear what they have to say.
Paddock Publications has a large commercial printing operation in Schaumburg. In addition to the Daily Herald newspapers, Paddock handles commercial printing and mailing for a great variety of customers in Illinois, Wisconsin and across the country. The printing operation is a separate and distinct manufacturing business. Its operation has nothing to do with the editorial judgment or policies of the Daily Herald newspapers.
Stefanie Anderson, a senior vice president of Paddock Publications Inc. and general manager of Southern Illinois LOCAL Media Group, is the newest member of the Illinois Press Association Board of Directors.
Prior to moving to southern Illinois to oversee the community newspaper group, Anderson was director of production in the Schaumburg printing facility for the Daily Herald Media Group.
Huh. That’s not quite how Ray explained it.
…Adding… Pearson at the Trib…
So Paddock Publications, publisher of the Daily Herald, is using its mailing operation to send out Dan Proft’s fake newspaper political mailings. It strains belief when trusted media is more important than ever, Paddock’s pursuit for cash outweighs its journalistic responsibility https://t.co/80QhMqqo1c
Lurie Children’s Hospital has increased security and moved a transgender youth support group from in-person meetings to virtual ones after it became the latest children’s hospital to face criticism online over its gender development program.
An account called Libs of TikTok posted a number of tweets late last month criticizing Lurie’s program, which aims to support “the physical, mental and social health of patients and their families as youth progress through gender identity development,” according to Lurie’s website. Many of the program’s patients are gender-nonconforming children, gender-questioning youth and transgender and gender-fluid youth.
In recent months, Libs of TikTok has criticized a number of children’s hospitals across the country for their care of transgender youth. Hospitals criticized by the account have sometimes received threats.
Lurie spokeswoman Julianne Bardele said Lurie has not received any recent threats but is monitoring the situation. The youth group is now meeting virtually out of an abundance of caution in response to “all harassment including Libs of TikTok but not solely because of Libs of TikTok,” she said. […]
Previously, Libs of TikTok falsely accused Boston Children’s Hospital of performing gender-affirming hysterectomies on kids. A number of threats followed, including a hoax bomb threat against the hospital in late August. A Massachusetts woman was charged Thursday in connection with that threat, which led to a lockdown of the hospital and the use of a bomb squad, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
Across Chicagoland, recent drag events advertised as family friendly have been targeted with threats of violence and vandalism, with one suburban library even canceling its Oct. 11 children’s drag queen bingo because of “numerous threats” and “aggressive emails.” The controversies have been sparked, in part, by social media campaigns from Awake Illinois, an organization rooted in the suburbs that was born from the anti-mask, anti-vaccine fervor of the COVID-19 pandemic and has been criticized for anti-LGBTQ rhetoric.
Over the past weekend, both protesters and counterprotesters showed up in Lake in the Hills outside UpRising Bakery and Cafe to express opposition and support for drag programming, according to footage on social media and Lake in the Hills police. The bakery was vandalized in late July for a family-friendly “Starry Night Brunch Drag” show that had to be postponed because of the harassment. An Alsip man was later arrested for the vandalism. […]
Lincoln Park Zoo has also come under recent scrutiny for planning a drag story time slated for Oct. 2 as part of the Fall Fest programming, according to their social media posts.
In the latest controversy, groups are opposing drag story time and a drag show that will be held at Plainfield’s first Pride Fest in October, which Candi is helping organize.
* Awake Illinois targeted the Downers Grove Public Library’s drag queen bingo event, resulting in a cancellation due to threats Huff Post reported…
The library’s staff received aggressive emails and threats from conservative-leaning residents after announcing the drag queen event last month, the Chicago Tribune reported. One Facebook post urged people to “bring weapons” to the library, the Daily Herald reported, citing police reports. […]
The far-right organization Awake Illinois issued a “call of action” in response to the event. Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau, who’s also the Republican congressional nominee in Illinois’ 6th District, helped spearhead criticism of the event, which he used as a campaign fundraiser on social media.
Pekau: I have not. And it is a drag show. And it has no place for seventh grade through 12th grade. And we can agree to disagree, but that’s where my position is.
Q: You have a position on something you’ve never seen before, right?
Pekau: I’m very familiar with what a drag show is. I think we all are. So certainly adults are, but you know what I wasn’t familiar with what it was when I was in seventh grade, or eighth grade or ninth grade or 10th grade or 11th grade or 12th grade. It’s something that I was exposed to as an adult. That’s not something that was brought to me as a child that’s something for my parents, and to parents of children that they have to deal with, not something that the public should be getting into.
* Libs of Tik Tok and Awake Illinois routinely target LGBTQ+ events, sex education in schools.
Two months after Lake in the Hills’ UpRising Bakery and Cafe first became the subject of protests and even vandalism, the harassment, protests and counterprotests have continued and the owner said she fears for both her business and herself.
A number of protesters, both against and in support of the bakery, again gathered outside the shop on Saturday to voice their opinions on upcoming drag shows the bakery has planned this month.
James Gustafson, who said he resides in Arizona but had lived in Lake in the Hills for 30 years, said he made his way to UpRising Bakery both Friday and Saturday because he doesn’t agree kids should be invited to such events. […]
When asked about parents’ rights to take their children to a drag event, Gustafson said a line has to be drawn. He equated it to child abuse. […]
Gustafson said he plans to be at the bakery every day for the foreseeable future: “I already rented a tent for the winter with a heater. This is my new home.”
* The headline has since been changed, but not the story…
A voter opinion survey done for Republican Darren Bailey’s campaign shows Gov. JB Pritzker with a lead. But it’s closer than the landslide, 16 percentage points, Democrat Pritzker won by four years ago. […]
A survey done Sept. 8-10 for the current Republican nominee found Pritzker at 44%, Bailey 37% and libertarian Scott Schluter 8%.
Some might question the results since, before asking 500 likely voters which candidate for governor they prefer, the poll asked:
“…would you rather vote for a strongly conservative Republican candidate that will take the fight to the rich elite and tackle the big issues like fixing our economy and fighting crime or would you vote for a billionaire Democratic candidate who will focus on fighting the cultural issues like abortion rights?”
A U.S. appeals court in Chicago on Friday ruled that federal court oversight of state hiring is “no longer warranted,” freeing Gov. J.B. Pritzker and future governors from scrutiny that has endured through eight administrations over a half-century.
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ordered the U.S. District Court in Chicago to vacate the Shakman consent decree, an agreement that had its roots in the patronage hiring practices that have long plagued city, county and state government, as it applies to the governor’s office.
* Shakman asked the full appellate court to reconsider the ruling. That request was denied yesterday after not a single appellate judge sided with Shakman. From US 7th Circuit Court of Appeals…
Plaintiff-appellees filed a petition for rehearing and rehearing en banc on September 2, 2022. No judge in regular active service has requested a vote on the petition for rehearing en banc, and all members of the original panel have voted to deny panel rehearing. The petition for rehearing and rehearing en banc is therefore DENIED.
Darren Bailey, Republican candidate for governor, was asked what he would do if he were Illinois governor and busloads of migrants arrived here.
Bailey responded that he would ask “J.B. Pritzker to talk to Joe Biden and secure our border, because if we have secure borders we don’t have this problem.”
That reads almost like a comedy sketch. He’d ask his defeated predecessor to talk to the president?
To be fair, Bailey did eventually manage to get in a Hyatt zinger…
“They’re exhausted, bewildered by all they’re faced with,” Pritzker said, “having made multiple months journeys to come to the United States, being shipped all across the U.S.”
Bailey says, “as far as J.B. Pritzker is concerned, I’m suggesting that he put these people up in one of his Hyatt hotels.”
