* Wouldn’t it be easier if the governor just called in his Department of Corrections director along with the director’s team and made them explain to him why they didn’t follow his orders? Apparently not. We’ve got yet another commission. From a press release…
Governor Pat Quinn today named legal and criminal justice expert Judge David A. Erickson to lead a comprehensive review of the Department of Correction’s Meritorious Good Time program. Governor Quinn recently suspended that program while it undergoes a comprehensive evaluation.
“Judge Erickson is a noted criminal law professor, an ex- judge and a former prosecutor,” said Governor Quinn. “His real world experience and deep understanding of the criminal justice system prepares him for this very important task. On behalf of the people of Illinois, I thank him for taking on this vital mission.”
Judge Erickson, who will be an unpaid advisor to the Governor, will conduct a top-to-bottom review of the Meritorious Good Time program. He will head a team that includes Jerome Stermer, Governor Quinn’s chief of staff and Theodore Chung, general counsel to Governor Quinn.
Judge Erickson will review every aspect of the Department of Correction’s Meritorious Good Time program and present a report to the Governor with deliberate speed. The review’s goals include, creating policies and procedures that make sure the program’s first concern is always public safety and maintaining the integrity of the criminal justice system and the courts’ sentencing of offenders.
*** UPDATE *** From Hynes campaign spokesman Matt McGrath…
Today’s announcement of a “top-to-bottom” review apparently indicates that when Governor Quinn promised an immediate “top-to-bottom” review of the program six days ago, he was being less than truthful, which certainly fits the pattern of the way the Governor and his staff have handled this situation to date. On Monday, Dan Hynes called for a review to be completed within days, given the potential immediate safety risk to communities across Illinois, and encouraged the Governor not to appoint another commission but rather to get to the bottom of this issue directly and immediately —a call which has been echoed by editorial boards numerous times in subsequent days. Clearly, Pat Quinn has chosen to go his own way, as is his prerogative. But the people of Illinois have every right to wonder whose interests are really being served when the Governor draws this process out, and still refuses to answer important questions.
* After blasting Democrats for pandering to union interests and attempting to roadblock a deal to bring a Navistar expansion project to DuPage County, along with hundreds of high-paying jobs, Republican gubernatorial candidate Sen. Kirk Dillard has changed his mind…
On Thursday, Dillard sided with a local autism school in opposing the diesel engine research center, “because of the environmental concerns about the project that have come to light.”
“I do not like anything that jeopardizes the environment,” Dillard told the Daily Herald when asked about his change of heart on Navistar. “I always will err on the side of the health of local residents.” […]
“I got autoworker friends as well,” Dillard said in a Senate floor speech on Oct. 30. “But that’s something that ought to be at the negotiation table between Navistar and that particular union. And we should not keep, especially with a ten-and-a-half percent unemployment rate, jobs that pay $60,000, $80,000, $100,000 from coming to Illinois.
“And I would hope that when we come back in January, we’ll be able to have those hundreds of Navistar jobs, the kind of jobs, manufacturing jobs - wouldn’t that be unique here in Illinois? - that we have been hemorrhaging so that you all can pander to the labor unions,” Dillard said during debate.
Rival GOP contender Bob Schillerstrom blasted away via press release…
“Senator Dillard is playing politics with thousands of jobs, and illustrating why employers steer clear of Illinois in the process. I have personally worked with Navistar and local governments in the area for many months to make this relocation a reality, and bring 1,000 good, out-of-state jobs to our region. The project would be the biggest influx of new employees to the state in years and shows what is possible when government works with the private sector to create new jobs.” […]
“This is not Dillard’s first flip-flop, but could prove his most damaging. I encourage the Senator to change his position yet again, and work with us to deliver these important jobs to Illinois.”
* I forgot to post this earlier, but Dock Walls has dropped out of the Democratic gubernatorial primary and Ed Scanlan was removed from the ballot. Walls’ petitions were challenged by Gov. Quinn’s allies and Scanlan’s were challenged by the Dan Hynes campaign.
* From the Tribune editorial board debate, Republican US Senate candidate Patrick Hughes talks about his horrifically low poll numbers, his many policy differences with frontrunner Mark Kirk, how he intends to be competitive, Kirk’s vote on the Iraq surge, the Left’s move away from Kirk, Don & Roma’s fawning ways and Kirk’s wooing of Sarah Palin, among other things. Have a look…
Speaking of former Gov. Palin, she’s finally taken notice of Kirk, at least on her Twitter page…
Appreciate Rep.Mark Kirk’s(Illinois)comments re:Pres Obama not CLOSING Gitmo, merely moving it outside of Chicago!Very,very odd strategy,DC.
And speaking of Hughes, a suburban tea party group is meeting at a country club to endorse the candidate. From a press release…
Illinois’ Tea Party movement has found their candidate for the GOP US Senate primary, and it’s not front-runner Congressman Mark Kirk, it’s attorney Patrick Hughes. On January 5, 2010 the Will County Tea Party Alliance is holding a “Stop Mark Kirk” rally at the Woodbine Country Club in Homer Glen, IL.
* Moving on to an Illinois legislative race, Congressman Mike Quigley has endorsed in the 18th House District Democratic primary. From a press release…
Community leader Jeff Smith picked up two significant endorsements in the hotly-contested Democratic primary for State Representative in the 18th District, winning the approval of the State Board of the Independent Voters of Illinois-Independent Precinct Organization (”IVI-IPO”), and the endorsement of Congressman Mike Quigley (D-5th). […]
“In the 18th District race, Jeff has an unmatched lifetime record of fighting for real political change. He was speaking out about TIF reform long before it was headline news. He shares my commitment to green jobs and a new energy economy, and sees the big environmental picture as few in politics do. For a candidate with real vision of how to clean up and green up Illinois, look no farther than Jeff Smith.”
Smith was also endorsed today by the Illinois Sierra Club. He is up against several opponents, including longtime activist and well-known Statehouse denizen Robyn Gaebel, the only female in the race to replace Rep. Julie Hamos, who is running for Congress.
* Speaking of legislative races, former Sen. Steve Rauschenberger has some ideas about balancing the budget…
Steve Rauschenberger, a former state senator and a budget expert, said it would require, among other things, cutting school spending and switching to a voucher system, reducing the number of prison inmates by one-quarter, trimming higher education and overhauling Medicaid from top to bottom.
“Any candidate who doesn’t talk frankly about major changes … I don’t think is being realistic,” Rauschenberger said. “You can’t balance this budget simply by looking for easy efficiencies or slight reductions in head count.”
Three things…
1) If you don’t raise taxes, he’s far more on target than any other candidate I’ve heard. But that’s still not enough.
2) Rauschenberger is running for his old Senate seat. He will now have to take the heat for those budget cutting proposals, and those mailers will write themselves.
3) Rauschenberger has endorsed Dan Proft for governor. Proft wants to cut the income tax.
* House Speaker Michael Madigan has apparently noticed that there’s a jobs problem in Illinois. From a letter to his members…
to: All House Members
from: Michael J Madigan, Speaker of the House
re: Bipartisan Job Creation Task Force
Today, I am creating a Bipartisan Job Creation Task Force.
Representative Lou Lang will chair this task force.
Task Force members will travel to key labor markets in various parts of the State to hold several hearings on potential legislative job initiatives.
If you are interested in attending the task force meetings, please complete the form and return to Tim Mapes via fax xxx.xxx.xxxx or xxx Capitol Building, Springfield IL 62706 by January 8, 2010.
Rep. Lang claims that this is a “real” task force.
There are now two lawsuits pending against a state lobbyist registration law scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, one claiming higher fees amount to a tax on free speech and the other contending the law is unconstitutionally vague.
A lawsuit filed Thursday in circuit court in Sangamon County by the Illinois Society of Association Executives joins an earlier lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union in a federal district court in Chicago.
“There’s a lot of inconsistencies in the law, and it’s very confusing,” said association executive director Pam Tolson. The association represents more than 500 professional and not-for-profit members statewide, many of them based in Springfield. […]
A federal judge in Chicago has scheduled a hearing today on an ACLU request for an order prohibiting the secretary of state’s office from collecting registration fees scheduled to increase to $1,000 on Jan. 1 from the existing $150 to $350.
And the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform’s latest fundraising e-mail touts the “amazing” success of the new campaign reform bill…
A Special Message from The Illinois Campaign for Political Reform
Something amazing happened this month. After a 30-plus-year effort, Illinois finally enacted contribution limits. This is an historic step for reform in Illinois. Even in the perfect storm of corruption and international attention revolving around the impeachment and indictment of Rod Blagojevich, resistance to reform in the General Assembly was extremely strong.
The powerbrokers in Springfield said it would never happen, but people like you proved them wrong. The final product establishes a limit of $5,000 on contributions from individuals each election cycle and $10,000 on contributions from businesses, unions and associations. We also were able to win primary election limits on contributions by parties and legislative leader PACS. In addition, the bill introduces strong new enforcement measures and mandates possibly the best disclosure system in the nation.
To every one of our supporters, we give thanks for what you helped us to accomplish. Of course, there is much more to do. Even the recently passed contribution limits provisions need to be made more comprehensive, and other reforms, like voluntary public financing of state election campaigns, are needed. ICPR will continue its ongoing research of campaign contributions, lobbying practices, the redistricting process and soon will roll out a new website to make it easy for voters learn about candidates and contributors.
But we can only do this with your support.
Please make a special year-end gift to ICPR today. You can make asecure online contribution, or if you prefer you can go here to print off a form you can mail in with your gift. All donations to ICPR are tax deductible.
Paul Simon founded ICPR because he saw the needed for a strong, non-partisan organization to monitor campaign and ethics laws, to conduct independent research about campaign contribution trends and to educate the public about needed reforms.
Paul counseled us to commit to the long haul, recognizing that reform in Illinois is a marathon rather than a sprint. He taught us to savor our victories, while never giving up the fight for good government in Illinois. Soon, his belief that campaign contributions should be limited will become a reality Illinois. Please consider making a contribution to ICPR today, so we can keep up the fight in 2010 to see that Illinois gets the government it deserves.
Considering all the heat that ICPR and others took for cutting this deal, it should be interesting to see how their fundraising base reacts.
* Related…
* Rep. Sara Feigenholtz Endorses State Rep Candidate Ann Williams for John Fritchey’s House Seat
* Top Republicans meet to discuss McKenna-GOP poll
* Senators Righter, Rose endorse Murphy for lieutenant governor: Although Murphy is from the Chicago area, he said endorsements from legislators such as Righter and Rose, indicate that he has earned their respect.
* Cindy Hebda Easily Survives Dem Ballot Challenge in 59th Legislative District in 7-1 Decision
* David Hoffman at the Union League Club Candidate Forum Video
* Senator Toi Hutchinson’s Holiday Greetings Video
* As I told subscribers this morning, Rasmussen has a new poll pitting the two Democratic gubernatorial candidates against three different Republicans. Dan Hynes does better than Pat Quinn against the Republicans. The problem, though, is that for whatever reason Rasmussen didn’t test Jim Ryan against the Democrats. Bizarre.
The top two Democratic hopefuls in Illinois’ 2010 race for governor both beat three leading Republican challengers in the latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of likely voters in the state.
But state Comptroller Daniel Hynes, who hopes to wrest the Democratic nomination from Governor Pat Quinn, runs slightly stronger against all three Republicans. Among just Democratic voters, Hynes draws slightly more support than Quinn.
That’s pretty interesting considering that Hynes is losing so badly to Quinn in the Tribune’s primary poll.
Quinn, who became governor in January following the impeachment of Rod Blagojevich, beats former state Republican Party Chairman Andy McKenna 41% to 33%. Hynes bests McKenna by even more, 43% to 30%.
Against GOP State Senator Kirk Dillard, Quinn wins 41% to 30%. But Hyines takes Dillard 42% to 29%.
State Senator Bill Brady, who unsuccessfully sought the GOP gubernatorial nomination in 2006, fares the worst of the three Republicans. He loses to Quinn by 15 points – 45% to 30% - and to Hynes by 19 – 46% to 27%.
Around 20% of voters remain undecided in all of Hynes’ match-ups, with slightly fewer saying the same when Quinn is the Democrat in the race. […]
Quinn is viewed favorably by 52% and unfavorably by 44%. Just five percent (5%) have no opinion of the incumbent governor. Fifty-two percent (52%) also have a favorable view of Hynes, while 30% regard him unfavorably. But 18% don’t know enough about him to venture even a soft favorable or unfavorable opinion.
McKenna has the highest favorables (42%) among the GOP candidates, while 34% view him unfavorably. Thirty-eight percent (38%) have a favorable opinion of Dillard, with another 36% who see him unfavorably. Brady is regarded favorably by 36% and unfavorably by 37%.
But roughly one-in-four Illinois voters don’t know any of the Republican contenders well enough to express an opinion of them.
Illinois Survey of 500 Likely Voters Conducted December 14, 2009 By Rasmussen Reports. Margin of Sampling Error, +/- 4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence
* Meanwhile, a Dan Hynes spokesman claims that yesterday’s endorsement of Quinn by Secretary of State Jesse White looks like it was held back in order to spring at the most opportune moment…
[Hynes spokesman Dan McDonald] said the governor wants to change the subject as questions arise about an unpublicized early release program for state prisoners. He charged that Quinn has flip-flopped on his knowledge of the program and let criminals off easy.
Earlier this week, Quinn ordered a “top-to-bottom” review of the release program, but said it was a Department of Corrections issue.
Since then, the Hynes campaign has continued to raise questions about it, first in connection with a plan to bring Guantanamo detainees to Illinois and now in light of the timing of White’s endorsement.
“I think it says that the governor doesn’t want to talk about his convoluted policies,” McDonald said. “He’d rather try to roll out an endorsement than answer questions.”
And Quinn’s campaign has a new video of the White endorsement. Watch it…
* A coalition of human service providers held a press conference yesterday to demand that Gov. Pat Quinn, Comptroller Dan Hynes and Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias set aside their differences and approve a short-term borrowing plan to help out their most desperate members. From a press release…
“There is no sign that the legislature will raise meaningful new revenue in the immediate future to pay the state’s unpaid bills,” said Marge Berglind, President & CEO of the Child Care Association of Illinois. “Without a short-term loan, payment delays will grow even further, guaranteeing the collapse of programs and agencies in Illinois.”
Agencies represented by the Child Care Association are alone owed approximately $23,545,000 from various state departments, Berglind noted.
“They are running on fumes,” Berglind said.
Specifically, for example, the state of Illinois owes $1.1 million to the Children’s Home Association of Illinois in Peoria, which cares for children with mental health needs and youth with delinquency support needs throughout Central Illinois. The state has failed to pay most bills since the beginning of July.
The states also owes $743,00 to Kids Hope United in Springfield and Chicago, which provides youth services and family supports to young mothers at risk of child abuse and neglect statewide. Again, the state has failed to pay most bills since July.
The Peoria Journal Star closed its Statehouse bureau the other day, so the paper didn’t cover the dire straits of the group in its town. The paper did have space to rewrite an Aaron Schock press release, however.
The State Journal-Register still has an active bureau, but there was no coverage in the paper about the press conference. There was a story about possible snowfall in Springfield today and the fact that a state-backed resort was closed six months ago because of mold.
Tom Pollock, who runs a social service agency based in Danville, said the backlog could mean missed paychecks for his workers next month. […]
At an event in Springfield on Thursday, Hynes said he hasn’t changed his mind. He said the Quinn’s proposal to borrow $500 million wouldn’t come close to paying all of the state’s unpaid bills.
“The borrowing proposal that was put forward really doesn’t solve the problem,” Hynes said. “It doesn’t solve the cash-flow problem; it doesn’t solve the underlying budget problem. In fact, it gives false hope to providers who are waiting to be paid.”
[Don Moss, who represents United Cerebral Palsy of Illinois] and others say the disagreement between Hynes and Quinn is rooted in their bids for governor.
The Illinois Human Services Coalition warns that some local providers have shut their doors and many more will go out of business soon.
I wrote in my syndicated newspaper column this week that the extreme financial crunch on social service providers was a “ready-made story for the [holiday] season.” Apparently, I was wrong. At least for now.
* On Monday, Cheryle Jackson’s Democratic US Senate campaign sent out a blast e-mail to supporters touting her second place finish in the Tribune’s latest poll. The campaign asked for cash to put a new TV on the air.
Yesterday, Jackson sent another blast e-mail to supporters crowing about they had raised a bit more than $7,600…
With your help, we have blown past the $3,500 goal we set on Monday and are quickly approaching $10,000! We now stand just $2,367 away from our new goal of $10,000 by midnight on Friday. Can you help us reach our new goal and get Cheryle up on the air with a contribution of $250, $100 or $50 right now?
Those ain’t exactly Barackian fundraising numbers. I’ve seen state legislators raise far more than that in a week.
And the TV ad she wants to air ain’t exactly Barackian, either. Watch it…
Without the sound on, it doesn’t look bad, and that’s important since most people get most of their TV information from the visuals. But, geez, could they turn the background music up any louder?
CQ Politics claimed yesterday that the ad is already airing. I don’t see any evidence of that.
Discuss.
…Adding… Just to refresh your memory, I wrote this about a recent Rasmussen poll of Illinois voters…
Afghanistan is becoming somewhat of an issue in the Democratic US Senate primary, with Cheryle Jackson and David Hoffman questioning the president’s new plan. But the crosstabs show large support for the president’s proposal among Democrats. 62 percent of Democrats “overall” favor the plan, 60 percent of liberals back it and 82 percent of African-Americans support it as well. Jackson is the most opposed of all the candidates, but that issue doesn’t appear to work well with African-American voters.
In a special Sun-Times/NBC5 News report in Thursday’s Sun-Times, Carol Marin and Don Moseley wrote that a consulting company run by the stepson of former Illinois Senate President Emil Jones Jr. has not filed a single one of the weekly reports it is required to produce under its contract, which has run for 21 months.
After two years and countless headaches for drivers, work on the Tri-State Tollway is finally expected to be finished before this weekend, tollway officials said today.
Faced with screaming parents and enraged aldermen, Chicago school officials trimmed back their admission plans for the most coveted schools in the system Wednesday — and said they might tweak them again once they see the results.
* Health gap kills 3,200 black Chicagoans every year
Already lagging far behind whites on most key measures of health, blacks in Chicago have fallen even further behind in 11 of 15 areas reviewed by Chicago’s Sinai Urban Health Institute between 1990 and 2005 — including infant mortality, heart-disease deaths and diabetes.
* Democratic US Senate candidate David Hoffman has a new video blasting away at Alexi Giannoulias’ resumé. From a press release…
The video cites numerous public reports about Giannoulias, including his irresponsible loans to convicted felons as Vice President and Chief Loan Officer at Broadway Bank; his role in putting Broadway Bank on its current path to failure; his stewardship over the $85 million dollar losses suffered by investors in Bright Start; his purchase of an SUV for his use with Bright Start funds, and skirting his own ethics policy to not take contributions from banks while treasurer by taking more than $90,000 in campaign contributions from bankers and bank PAC’s.
* Republican 10th Congressional District hopeful Robert Dold is running his first TV ad. From a press release…
The campaign of Republican Robert Dold, Congressional candidate for Illinois’ 10th District, launched their first television ad Thursday. The 30-second spot, called “Economy,” makes the case for why Dold is the clear choice to represent the 10th District of Illinois in Congress. The television ad will air during primetime on the top-rated cable stations.
Look for these themes to continue to play out in more ads: small businessman, no bailouts, cut taxes, Pelosi bad, Reid bad. Dold hits all these points in an ad that has the feel of a newscast.
By the way, fellow 10th CD GOP candidate Bill Cadigan has dropped out of the race, citing his inability to raise money…
“Political support gets you part of the way but money is required to do the rest,” he said. “We had financial goals and weren’t meeting them, and didn’t see how we would between now and the end of the campaign.”
* The Tribune editorial board has posted its video of the Cook County Board presidential candidate debate…
* WTTW’s Elizabeth Brackett interviewed Comptroller Dan Hynes yesterday. Unfortunately, some of the interview is based on old info about the governor’s secret early release program that we’ve since discovered is incorrect. Have a look…
* Thom Serafin handicaps the governor’s race on Fox Chicago…
* Congressman Don Manzullo was all over cable TV yesterday talking about the proposed move of Gitmo prisoners to Thomson. He’s posted several interviews on his YouTube site. Here’s the CNN interview…
* Related…
* Governor candidates all over map on how to fix Illinois’ economy
* SIU gets additional $16 million to cover payroll; $900,000 for additional bills: The university received $17.1 million from Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes’ office Wednesday, $16.2 million of which will go to help SIU meet its Jan. 1 payroll, including the more than 7,000 people who work on the Carbondale campus. The remaining $900,000 will be used to pay various vendor bills, SIU spokesman David Gross said. Combined with the $15.5 million received in November, SIU has received about $32.6 million from state appropriations for the 2010 fiscal year that started in July. The state, however, still owes the university more than $100 million.
* GOP leader: Sell prison for $250 million: Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno said that amount could cover the costs of construction and the mortgage payments that have been made since the prison was completed in 2001, as well as account for increases in labor and materials. “I believe we ought to get a premium,” the Lemont Republican said.
* Gitmo in Illinois The Quinn bin . . . If Sneed were a betting person, she’d lay down odds President Obama forced the Thomson terrorist prison deal down Gov. Quinn’s throat.
* White House background briefing on buying Illinois prison for Guantanamo detainees. Transcript
The Illinois seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for November is 10.9 percent, down 0.1 percent from October, according to figures released today by the Illinois Department of
Employment Security. The three-month moving average increased 0.3 percent to 10.8 percent. Slight increases and decreases in the unemployment rate are to be expected in a national recession.
“Today’s preliminary report reflects the slight-up-and-down movement common in a national
recession and should not be used to predict the future,” IDES Direct Maureen O’Donnell said. “Past experience in Illinois suggests that signs of an economic recovery first will be felt elsewhere in the nation before significant job growth appears here at home.”
Illinois non-farm payroll reported -6,300 fewer jobs in November than in October, the 22nd consecutive monthly loss. The pace of job loss has slowed in recent months. During the last three months, job loss in Illinois has averaged -6,167 each month compared to an average monthly job loss of -25,075 during the first eight months of this year. Compared to
October, employment continued to fall in the Leisure and Hospitality (-4,900), Construction (-3,900), and Trade and Transportation (-1,700) sectors. The Manufacturing sector showed little change by dropping -200 positions. The Educational and Health Services and Professional and Business Services sectors gained employment. Education and Health Services added 6,000
positions. Professional and Business Services added 1,100.
Nationally, the November unemployment rate declined 0.2 percent to reach 10.0 percent.
Oy.
* The Question: What two state programs would you enhance or create to lower unemployment here? Explain.
*** UPDATE - 1:30 pm *** From a Danny Davis press release…
After having been focused on the race for President of the Cook County Board for the past several months, I have come to the conclusion that Dorothy Brown is my candidate for President of the Cook County Board.
During my exploration, I commissioned two (2) full-fledged professional polls conducted throughout Cook County and in every instance Dorothy Brown was heads and shoulders ahead of her three opponents – name recognition, favorable and the person people said that they were most likely to vote for.
A recent media poll reaffirmed what we already knew, that Dorothy Brown was and is the peoples’ choice.
She is well-trained, MBA, Attorney, Certified Public Accountant, a proven manager, an independent and progressive thinker, not captive of any political organization, or moneyed influence groups, she supports organized labor and has a vision for Cook County.
In all of my public endeavors I try and be where I think a majority of the people are. My political group voted for Dorothy Brown, the People of Cook County have said four times that they want Dorothy Brown, they want Dorothy Brown, they want Dorothy Brown - -then I want Dorothy Brown. So I give you Dorothy Brown, the next President of the Cook County Board.
[ *** End of Update *** ]
* Dorothy Brown is already ahead in the polls, so this long-rumored endorsement by Danny Davis will only help build her momentum…
U.S. Rep. Danny Davis (D-Ill.) threw his support behind Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown today in the race for Cook County Board president, a post he once considered for himself.
“She is the people’s choice,” Davis said. “She has vision for the county.” […]
“She’s obviously intelligent,” he said. “When it comes to managing a budget, she has proven that she can do that. She has vision for the county.”
* County Board challengers put Stroger on defensive: On the issue of governing the county’s sprawling system of clinics and hospitals, Preckwinkle alone said she would make the board permanent. “I’ve said from the very beginning that we need to make this independent governing board permanent,” Preckwinkle said. “If you look at their three-year life span they spent the first year and a half trying to persuade somebody good to come and take over the system because of the terrible reputation.”
* DuPage chairman candidates weigh in on water commission: Heads already would have rolled at the DuPage Water Commission if most of the four candidates for county board chairman in the GOP primary were in charge. The four all said they are troubled by the commission’s admission to accidentally spending $19 million of its reserves on operational costs over the past two years, which recently forced the agency to take out a $30 million loan.
* Lake Co. sheriff candidate accuses incumbent of profiling: John Krempotic, a Democrat from North Chicago, said during a Daily Herald endorsement interview that Curran may not have specifically ordered sheriff’s deputies to stop Hispanic drivers, but that “it’s encouraged … that (deputies) target the Latino population.” Curran said the statement is a “boldfaced lie” and anti-bias data collected in 2009 backs him up.
* Congrats to our newest Golden Horseshoe winners…
1) Best press spokesperson: Patty Schuh. The spokesperson for the Senate Republicans has been getting the job done for years. From the nominations…
She has handled the job under Pate (no easy task), Watson and now continues to be available and personable.
2) Best non-press staffer for a constitutional officer: Ann Spillane, who is Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s chief of staff…
[Madigan’s] office runs like a well-oiled machine, and that’s all thanks to Spillane.
I’ve talked to Spillane countless times on the phone late at night and was often surprised to hear that she was still at her office. Ann is indefatigable, highly organized and 200 percent loyal to her boss.
3) Many of you tried to nominate me for “Best ‘insider,’” but that’s not gonna happen. Instead, I’m giving it to Mike McClain, who, as one commenter noted “knows the state from all sides.” The lobbyist and former House Majority Leader is one of the few people who Speaker Madigan truly listens to on almost all issues. That’s no small feat.
* So, let’s sum it all up…
* Best legislative staffer: Melissa Black
* Best state legislative secretary/admin assistant: Beth Hamilton
* Best political bar/restaurant in Springfield: The Globe
* Best IL state agency director: Catherine Shannon
* Best Illinois state legislator: Sen. Don Harmon
* Best Illinois congresscritter: Rep. Phil Hare
* Best IL statewide elected official: Jesse White
* Best Statehouse lobbyist: Bill Luking
* Best press spokesperson: Patty Schuh
* Best non-press staffer for a constitutional officer: Ann Spillane
* Best “insider”: Mike McClain
Congratulations to all.
The “Best insider” award was new this year. I’m wondering if you have any additional category suggestions for next year.
* Yesterday, Gov. Quinn reversed himself and said he knew that the Dept. of Corrections was releasing some prisoners after just a few days in custody. Quinn wouldn’t say, however, why he halted the release program after the AP asked about it. But the governor also claimed that Corrections Director Michael Randle had briefed editorial boards about the program, so it wasn’t a “secret,” as the AP had reported.
Wrong on almost all counts.
The State Journal-Register was one of those editorial boards supposedly “briefed” by Randle, and it claimed today that Director Randle actually talked to the board about a different program.
According to the SJ-R, Randle did not brief the paper on the program recently detailed by the Associated Press, which is called “Meritorious Good Time Push,” or “MGT Push” for short. MGT Push allegedly abandoned Corrections’ unwritten rule that prisoners serve at least 61 days of their sentence. Under MGT Push, some inmates are allowed out of prison “almost immediately.”
Under MGT Push, inmates released after serving less than three weeks included those accused of weapons charges, battery and repeat drunken drivers. One DUI offender served 18 days in jail after he hit two cars, hospitalizing one driver for weeks. These don’t sound like nonviolent offenders. In total, more than 850 inmates left prison earlier than they otherwise would have.
This almost amounts to a get-out-of-jail-free card. Illinois can implement a cost-effective and safe method for releasing nonviolent prisoners early, but MGT Push reduces the deterrence that going to prison provides against committing crime. It is not a framework the state should be using.
Expect the phrase “get-out-of-jail-free card” to eventually show up in a TV ad.
The close…
Quinn said Wednesday that he signed off on the program. Why? And did he know some inmates convicted of violent offenses would be released?
There needs to be a clear accounting of why this policy was adopted, who signed off on it and how the state will ensure that something similar doesn’t happen in the future.
We don’t have a problem with releasing truly nonviolent inmates in order to help stabilize the state budget. But any inmate release program should closely follow the guidelines Randle talked about in October and ensure the public’s safety isn’t endangered.
The governor needs to tell us the truth about what is going on in his own administration. This is unacceptable.
*** UPDATE *** From the Dan Hynes campaign…
“Pat Quinn has been all over the place since this secret early prisoner release story broke over the weekend, first denying knowledge before saying he did in fact know about the program. The only consistency has been his inconsistency, and today’s State Journal-Register editorial flatly contradicts his shifting story.
“Meanwhile, five days later, the people of Illinois are trying to sift through the confusion and misinformation that the Quinn administration seems to be deliberately sewing. What is clear is that when confronted with a report that the state of Illinois has been secretly releasing hundreds of prisoners — some violent offenders — after virtually no time served, Pat Quinn’s response has been to go into full damage control mode.
“Unfortunately, the damage the Governor seems most concerned with is that to his own political fortunes rather than to public safety, and that is unacceptable. Governor Quinn needs to come clean immediately on this program. We renew our call for the Governor to release a list of everyone released early from prison through this secret program, the crimes for which they were serving time, any previous criminal records, the rationale behind their release, and where these individuals are presently residing.”
The mayor acknowledged that he is “raising a political hot potato” by reopening the bitter battle that gave birth to the big-box minimum-wage ordinance he vetoed.
But Daley said the economic climate has changed dramatically in the three years since organized labor spent millions to elect aldermen dead-set against Wal-Mart expansion. Layoffs are mounting. Construction is at a virtual standstill. And there will be no Chicago Olympics to create jobs.
Mayor Daley today reopened the bitter battle that gave birth to the city’s “big-box,” minimum-wage ordinance that he buried with his first, and only, veto.
* Daley calls ending impasse on Wal-Mart a ‘priority’
It’s now up to Ald. Edward M. Burke to make it happen.
An ordinance to allow for a long-awaited Chatham Wal-Mart Supercenter, which sells groceries, has languished for months in the City Council Finance Committee, which Burke chairs. This is just the latest delay in a five-year battle by Ald. Howard Brookins to get a Wal-Mart at a former industrial site at 83rd and Stewart.
Burke, an unabashed union supporter, has said Wal-Mart is welcome in Chicago, so long as it hammers out a “living wage” compromise with union leaders.
Burke has said in the past he wants Walmart to come to an agreement with the city’s labor unions who oppose the big box store. Aldermen Howard Brookins and Anthony Beale say the unions and the company are getting closer to reaching an agreement.
Weber says scrutiny is emboldening neighborhood organizations.
WEBER: I think they figure if the city can give millions of dollars to large real estate developers, why can’t they give us some as well? So we have seen sort seen this burgeoning of grassroots attempts.
Last year 155 TIF districts collected $570 million of incremental property tax revenue. This year the city council passed a TIF sunshine ordinance for better accountability. Last month Ald. Brendan Reilly rejected a TIF district in his downtown 42nd ward citing that the commercial area didn’t need it.
Inner Voice, he says, is $300,000 in the hole and soon may be forced to close 300 to 800 beds. As the single largest provider of beds in the city, that would be a drastic cut. He’s scheduled a press conference for tomorrow at 10 a.m. at 8040 S. Western to explain their plight.
And to argue that the City of Chicago’s reimbursement of agencies like Inner Voice has not taken into account how much private donations have dried up, how the credit crunch has affected cash flow, how costs have skyrocketed.
Schaumburg officials have been nibbling at village expenses for years to balance the budget — a box of tissues here, a free mulch program there.
With a projected $17.6 million deficit, it’s no longer enough to cut such small things as paper cups for buildings or bigger ones like the second year of management training for supervisors, said village manager Ken Fritz. It’s time for even bigger bites.
“We’ve seen less and less sales tax growth, if any,” Fritz said. “Then you take the recession. Consumption taxes … just completely slid off the face of the earth.”
Schaumburg is proposing the first property tax in the town’s history, and officials in communities from Lake to Kane counties and across the region are digging deep for ways to balance the books.
CARBONDALE - With $80 million in construction in the next 12 months, Southern Illinois Airport Manager Gary Shafer sees good things for the area.[…]
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Springfield, also has earmarked $4 million for a port public safety building.
Shafer said there will be between 275 and 300 guardsmen at the armory on the weekends and 250 people at the TEC building. With that kind of traffic and facilities in both buildings that can host public events, he said the area around the airport could see some real growth.
“It’ll be quite a time out here,” Shafer said. “This is by far the single largest project the airport has ever witnessed.”
The Marion VA has been under intense scrutiny since August 2007, when a surgeon resigned three days after a patient bled to death following gallbladder surgery.
Investigators later found at least nine deaths between October 2006 and March 2007 resulted from substandard care and another 10 patients died after receiving questionable care that complicated their health.
