A little too close to home
Thursday, Sep 24, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller
* You may have noticed this…
A 29-year-old Decatur man arrested on charges of attempted murder of federal employees and attempting to use explosives to detonate a vehicle bomb at the federal building downtown Springfield had his first court appearance this afternoon at that very building.
Federal officials allege that on Wednesday, Finton drove a van containing what he thought was explosive material and parked it directly in front of the northwest corner of the Paul Findley Federal Building at Sixth and Monroe streets.
He got out of the van, locked the door and got into another vehicle driven by an undercover FBI officer and drove away. Within a few blocks of the federal building, Finton made a cell phone call to remotely detonate the purported bomb,” officials said. […]
According to a federal affidavit, Finton considered the Findley building a primary target, and considered the nearby downtown Springfield office of U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock, R-Peoria, to be a secondary target.
Click here [fixed link] to read the Department of Justice press release. We don’t appear to have been in any real danger because the FBI identified this guy early on. But yikes, man.
…Adding… For clarification purposes, this is from the press release…
According to the affidavit, over the next few months, Finton communicated with an individual who, unbeknownst to him, was a law enforcement source. The affidavit alleges that during these talks, Finton expressed his desire to receive military training and to travel to Gaza or other overseas locations to become a jihadist fighter.
In February 2009, Finton was introduced to an undercover FBI special officer posing as a low-level al-Qaeda operative. According to the affidavit, Finton expressed his desire to receive military training at a camp and to fight in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Somalia or other locations. The undercover agent told Finton several times that it was Finton’s decision and that he could walk away from the decision anytime. According to the affidavit, Finton indicated that he was excited and had no second thoughts about attending a camp.
Also, the explosives in the van were fake. He was duped (for want of a better word) by the feds into thinking he was carrying out a real terrorist act.
…Adding… I don’t know if there is more than one guy named Talib Islam in Decatur, but a Decatur resident by that name has a MySpace page. And he appears to work in a restaurant.
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David Hoffman gets his answer
Thursday, Sep 24, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller
* This may not be the response that Democratic US Senate candidate David Hoffman was expecting when his campaign slammed Alexi Giannoulias earlier today for accepting SEIU’s endorsement. The Hoffman campaign’s prediction was that the Republicans “are going to have a good morning with this endorsement.”
From the IL GOP website…
The Illinois Republican Party called on Illinois Senate candidate David Hoffman to renounce his endorsement by Illinois State Senator Jeff Schoenberg – a leading recipient of SEIU campaign contributions and the man who introduced Hoffman at his campaign kick-off event. […]
According to the Illinois State Board of Elections, Schoenberg accepted $13,400 in campaign contributions from SEIU. In addition, state records show Schoenberg also contributed $12,500 to Rod Blagojevich’s campaign.
“David Hoffman can’t have it both ways when it comes to Rod Blagojevich and SEIU,” Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady said. “When you do business with Illinois Democrats, you do business with Rod Blagojevich and the SEIU. If David Hoffman is serious about changing Illinois, he should call on Jeff Schoenberg to return all SEIU campaign contributions or else renounce his endorsement.”
Welcome to the game, Mr. Hoffman. Enjoy.
…Adding… From the Giannoulias campaign…
The working men and women of SEIU have fought for progressive policies, independent leaders and middle class families and Alexi Giannoulias is proud to stand with them and their fight to change Washington. It is not lost on us or progressives to see Hoffman, a guy who worked for ultra conservative judges Rehnquist and Jacobs, echo a Republican smear campaign against working families.
…Adding More… From the Hoffman campaign…
It’s odd that the Giannoulias campaign would highlight Hoffman’s long resume, where he has worked in the highest levels of all three branches of national government. We welcome a comparison of achievements and experience levels between these two candidates.
We also welcome a closer comparison of business associates between the two. That’s comparing the Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court with some of the shady characters who have received loans from the Broadway Bank.
This is all the Giannoulias campaign has to offer against David’s candidacy. It’s not much. We look forward to February 2.
* Meanwhile, since SEIU and ACORN have been tied together by some, here’s a recent article by CBS2 that has been completely ignored…
Denise Dixon was once president of ACORN Illinois, and Madeline Talbott was a top organizer. But two years ago, in a move that now looks prophetic, they and other Chicago activists quit ACORN.
“We just felt things were not right at the top. There were different people in charge then,” Talbott said.
“After I left and others left, we had heard that steps were being taken to get rid of the bad apples in the barrel and to straighten it out,” she added. “I still believe that’s true. But it’s very clear they didn’t get all the bad apples yet.”
Talbott and Dixon complained that ACORN’s then-national leader, Wade Rathke, put his brother in charge of finances, was concealing key money moves and was, in short, a scandal waiting to explode.
Still, they’re stunned by video from a recent conservative group’s sting.
Also, this claim by GOP gubernatorial candidate Dan Proft that IHDA gave ACORN Housing - which does have a Chicago office - $100,000 appears to be false. The money was approved, but Gov. Blagojevich stopped the entire program. However, the group appears to have gotten a much smaller grant several weeks ago for an anti-foreclosure program. Working on it now.
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* Andy McKenna is making it official, kinda. Today, he says he “filed” to run for governor. What that means is he has filed a D-1 statement of organization. The official announcement is next month. McKenna’s new website hasn’t launched yet, but includes this promise…
Coming in October - An announcement of epic proportions
Funny.
Here’s the press release…
Family Businessman Andy McKenna Files for Governor
CHICAGO - Community leader and family businessman Andy McKenna announced today that he has filed a statement of organization to run for Illinois Governor.
“It’s time to put our house in order. A culture of corruption, a mindless irresponsibility towards taxes and spending and a hostile climate toward the creation of new jobs illustrates just how far Springfield has strayed. It won’t be easy, but we can turn those around,” said McKenna.
“Illinois faces serious problems, but these problems can only be solved by leading a sea change in ethics, confronting some hard choices on behalf of Illinois taxpayers, setting aside the needs of special interests and career politicians and creating a laser focus on the interests of Illinois families. Only then will we be able to provide the people of Illinois the opportunities they need to succeed.”
McKenna is a business and civic leader who resides in Chicago with his wife, Mary. He is the father of four and will formally launch his campaign next month.
It also looks like he’s using his former staff at the Illinois State Party for his campaign.
* Meanwhile, Tom Roeser may have a scoop…
Republican National Chairman Michael Steele has withdrawn his sole endorsement for Mark Kirk for the U. S. Senate, recognizing that the candidacy of Patrick Hughes has drawn major support from Illinois Republicans: thus Steele’s RNC is neutral…a distinct victory for Hughes.
*** UPDATE *** From the Republican National Committee…
“Congressman Kirk is an exceptional candidate and is clearly the frontrunner in this race. This is a targeted race we plan to win and once Kirk wins the primary we will be fully engaged. The RNC traditionally does not get involved in primaries.” – RNC Spokeswoman Kirsten Kukowski
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Question of the day
Thursday, Sep 24, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller
* As I’ve told you before, I have four brothers. All of them are very talented individuals on multiple levels. And they’re all entrepreneurs, even though a couple have “regular” jobs as well.
I’m not sure if I’ve told you much about my brother Doug. He’s the middle child, so he naturally took a lot of crud from his two older brothers growing up. He’s an amazingly smart investor. I remember him convincing my parents in the early 1980s to put money into MCI. He was 16 or 17 at the time.
Like all of us, Doug is a talented writer. All credit to our mother - a former public school teacher - for our technical skills. And, as I think I’ve said before, we get our natural story-telling talents from our paternal grandmother, Lucille, who is still alive and kicking and just as funny as ever.
Doug runs a blog about local government and politics in his town near Dallas, TX. His blog just won a newspaper readers poll for best blog in town.
I took Doug to a White Sox vs. Texas Rangers game a couple of months ago. We had Scout Section seats because of my Union League Club membership. They’re the best of the best, and that’s the way we wanted it. Afterwards, we went out for drinks with a bunch of Republican pals of mine. Doug is what you would call a rock-ribbed Texas Republican through and through. We had a blast, to say the least.
Anyway…
* The Question: Are you also proud of your siblings’ accomplishments? Examples?
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HGOPs propose tax amnesty plan
Thursday, Sep 24, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The House Republicans have proposed a plan to provide half the funding for the MAP grant program next semester. Their tax amnesty plan seems pretty good. But the proof in the pudding will be if the HGOP is willing to compromise on the other half of the funding. If they just stick by this, then it’s nothing more than a ploy.
From the press release…
House Republicans are proposing legislation that would allow delinquent taxpayers to pay what they owe in income and sales taxes to the state during a month and a half period in early 2010 with NO interest or penalty. The revenue would be used to help pay for college scholarships in the spring semester that were eliminated from the FY2010 state budget.
The Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability estimates this amnesty program for individuals and corporations that didn’t pay their taxes on time between June 20, 2002 and January 15, 2010 could bring in approximately $104.9 million in revenue owed that would be deposited into the Illinois Student Assistance Commission Monetary Award Program fund according to the legislation.
In the proposal, the window to pay taxes without delinquency payments would open from January 1, 2010 until February 15, 2010. […]
The last tax amnesty program, established through legislation in 2003, collected $279.7 million in delinquent taxes for the State of Illinois.
The state needs to find $200 million to fund all the MAP scholarship grants for next semester, or a bunch of students will be caught up short. Gov. Quinn has proposed increasing the tax on cigarettes by a dollar a pack.
…Adding… As a commenter rightly notes, this is also a one-time, one-year proposal. No word yet on what they want for next year.
* Related…
* Poshard decries cuts in grants
* Students Plan To Protest MAP Grant Cuts
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Hoffman blasts SEIU and Giannoulias
Thursday, Sep 24, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Democratic US Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias is being endorsed by SEIU this morning. But fellow Democratic hopeful David Hoffman’s campaign blog has a post today which rips into both Giannoulias and SEIU’s state leadership…
The National GOP is champing at the bit to make the 2010 U.S. Senate election in Illinois all about former Governor Rod Blagojevich. This morning, the Alexi Giannoulias campaign is serving them up a free punch, trotting out an endorsement from the union leadership that was Blago’s biggest supporter and whose president was completely enmeshed in the controversy over Rod’s attempt to sell this Senate seat. (He even appears on the infamous Blagojevich wiretap!)
You can bet Giannoulias will sit silently on the dais and smile broadly as he receives the endorsement of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) leadership, just as he did when the Blagojevich controversy first surfaced. He doesn’t rock the boat, and he’s no doubt excited about stepping up to the same trough that netted Blagojevich more than a million dollars in campaign cash.
This kind of merry-go-round involving the same cozy insiders doing the same political dance is what’s wrong with Illinois politics. This is why David Hoffman– a true independent corruption-fighter with no ties to the scandals of the past– is running to be our senator. We deserve better. The SEIU members deserve better. David stands with them.
The National Republicans who are looking to take the President’s Senate seat next year are going to have a good morning with this endorsement.
Wow. You won’t see many statewide Democratic candidates say stuff like that. And for good reason.
SEIU most certainly does have a lot of explaining to do about its past support of Blagojevich. I can’t argue with that at all. However, I don’t think the FBI wiretaps show that the union’s leadership was “completely enmeshed” in Blagojevich’s alleged attempt to sell the Senate seat.
And, without that union, only a couple of those independent Chicago aldermen would’ve been elected in 2007. Those campaigns added up to a huge accomplishment which too many people have forgotten. The union was also the prime force which moved Speaker Madigan off the dime when he was refusing to raise the minimum wage. SEIU is currently plotting to oppose some of the dead weight in the House Democratic caucus come February.
Its serious Blagojevich blind spot aside, the union leadership has done a lot for causes that Hoffman supposedly espouses. It has worked on issues with good government types like Sen. Jeff Schoenberg, who has endorsed Hoffman. Sen. Schoenberg has received thousands of dollars in contributions from SEIU over the years.
I’ll be interested to see if this campaign post gets any media play. The Republicans will surely play it up.
* In other US Senate campaign news, I told you yesterday that Giannoulias had whacked Mark Kirk for missing a vote on extending unemployment insurance, possibly because he was too busy with campaign work. The Trib has more…
The Republican National Senatorial Committee waded in, noting that three prominent Chicago Democratic congressmen—Jesse Jackson Jr., Bobby Rush and Luis Gutierrez—also didn’t cast votes on the legislation, which passed on a bipartisan 331-83 roll call. Kirk, Jackson, Rush and Gutierrez were among 18 congressmen who didn’t vote on the legislation.
A Republican spokesman questioned whether Giannoulias and the Democrats are also suggesting that “their fellow Illinois Democrats similarly ‘turned their backs’ on Illinois families yesterday” and called the shot at Kirk a “desperate and ill-conceived” political attack.
Kirk spokesman Eric Elk said the congressman issued a statement into the record that he was “unavoidably detained” but would have voted for the jobless-benefit extension as he had in previous roll calls last year.
Giannoulias’ campaign wouldn’t back down when asked about this push-back. They claimed that Kirk, unlike the Democrats listed above, has voted against extending unemployment insurance several times before and wondered whether he purposely avoided the roll call. Conservatives believe, as a rule, that extending unemployment benefits keeps people from looking for work. Kirk has already taken lots of heat for voting against conservative orthodoxy on the so-called “cap and trade” bill.
* Other political stuff…
* Berrios and Shaw: Fetch the bellhop for baggage: I tried to stay calm Wednesday. Eight cups of coffee did not help. This morning at the South Loop Hotel, Robert Shaw will announce his candidacy for Cook County assessor. He and county wheeler-dealer Joe Berrios are running for the Democratic nomination… To show how far we’ve come since then, we have two candidates running for an important countywide office, both chiseled from the block of patronage, both shaped by a lifetime of the “old way.”
* Cook County assessor candidate to come out swinging today: “Anybody who lives in a glass house shouldn’t throw stones,” said Berrios, Cook County Democratic chairman and a Board of Review commissioner who considers property tax assessment appeals. “I don’t think he should talk.”
* Evanston gay alderman: Mark Tendam says voters are far more concerned with public issues than his private life - Other gay elected officials cite growing acceptance — but more progress needs to be made, advocates say
* Rauschenberger to host town halls on Illinois budget crisis
* Press release: Gubernatorial Candidate Adam Andrzejewski Responds to Bill Brady
* Long line forms for slim chance at becoming Illinois governor by default
* Truth Lost Amid the Din
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Mother Tribune picks a horse
Thursday, Sep 24, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The Chicago Tribune editorial board has nominated its own candidate to run the University of Illinois…
We can think of a strong candidate: Boise State University President Bob Kustra, who is a former Illinois lieutenant governor and state senator. Kustra is a successful college president and he navigated Illinois politics with extremely high integrity. Illinois’ premier [sic] public university will need a president who can handle the politics without succumbing to this state’s breathtakingly corrupt political culture.
Boise State University, home of the Broncos. Yep. That’s really high on the list of the nation’s colleges. Isn’t that in Idaho? From President Kustra’s Web page…
People throughout the nation and world are looking at Boise State in a new light. The success of the football program has provided a window to the university, and we have so much to be proud of at Boise State
Before he was hired by Boise State, Kustra ran Eastern Kentucky University - known locally as the Harvard of Richmond. He’s been out of Illinois for years, so I’m not sure that he knows how to operate here any longer.
Actually, I always kinda liked Kustra. And I have to admit it would be funny to see U of I professor Jim Edgar working for his old second banana. But the Tribune reaching back into the glory days of the Illinois Grand Old Party for its preferred candidate is oh so typical, and, typically, more than a little presumptuous.
That newspaper already has far too much influence on Illinois’ political life. It shouldn’t be allowed to dictate the hiring of university presidents as well.
* And speaking of blasts from the past…
One of the University of Illinois’ longest-serving presidents, Stanley Ikenberry, said Wednesday that two trustees have approached him about returning on an interim basis to the post he left more than a decade ago.
* Related…
* IRS challenge to Cubs sale might add to Tribune Co. liability: But a fight with the IRS could expose Tribune, which is trying to emerge from bankruptcy, to a liability of $300 million. The Cubs sale was structured to save about $300 million in capital gains taxes. It is set up as a partnership with Tribune keeping a 5 percent stake.
* A Bully in the Pulpit: The Tribune Hammers the University of Illinois to Submission: Take a look at some numbers. Out of 120,000 student applications, 800 (.6%) were set aside for additional consideration, CLOUTED, per the breathless newspaper. Fifty percent of the clouted applicants were accepted, vs. 40% of all waitlisted applicants being eventually accepted. An average of 12 students (out of 42,000, or .02%) per year over the last 5 years were accepted who would not otherwise gain admittance to the U of I.
* U of Illinois president B. Joseph White to resign
* University of Illinois President B. Joseph White resigns
* U of I president’s resignation helps school move on
* U of I Trustees Meet Today
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Morning Shorts
Thursday, Sep 24, 2009 - Posted by Mike Murray
* Bank Repossess Sheriff’s Patrol Cars
The Alexander County Sheriff’s department at the Southern tip of Illinois is trying to round up some vehicles, as most of the department’s patrol cars were repossessed earlier this week.
* Illinois Tollway: State finds more than $150 million in accounting errors
* Olympics financial punch far weaker than organizers forecast, outside study says
The Olympics would produce $4.4 billion in spending on tourism, construction and operating the games in Chicago and Cook County, says Anderson Economic Group LLC, a Michigan-based economic consulting firm. That’s far less than the $19.2 billion estimated in a study commissioned by Chicago 2016, the Olympics bid committee, which was released in December.
* City’s troubles take back seat to Games bid
* Supermax should be harsh – not inhumane
* Planned Parenthood to offer abortion pills
An opinion issued in March by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan made the process of providing medication abortion potentially less cumbersome. Madigan wrote that Illinois law allows nurse practitioners and physician assistants to hand a patient her first dose of medicine.
Before Madigan’s opinion, Planned Parenthood used doctors to take that first step, Trombley said.
* Sneed 1: Sneed hears rumbles that Mayor Daley wants to appoint former Chicago housing chief Terry Peterson as the new CTA chief . . . now that Carole Brown has resigned. Brown abruptly left her post Tuesday, though her appointment didn’t expire until 2013.
* Daley says CTA won’t suffer from loss of top board members
* Daley already interviewed a few candidates for top CTA Board spot
* Sneed 2: It’s a one & only: U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, who has called a summit on distracted driving in Washington next week, has invited only one person from Illinois to speak at the conference: State Rep. John D’Amico, who has not visited the nation’s Capitol before… D’Amico was the Illinois House sponsor of the bill forbidding texting while driving in Illinois, which was signed into law and will go into effect Jan. 1.
* Sneed 3: •What age would that be? WTTW’s Elizabeth Brackett finished first in her age group at the International Triathlon World Championships in Australia recently.
* Former Cicero Town President Betty Loren-Maltese files suit against 2 dozen defendants
* O’Hare Airport hit for safety violations in FAA report
* Empress cuts 56 jobs as revenue falls
* IRS challenge to Cubs sale might add to Tribune Co. liability
But a fight with the IRS could expose Tribune, which is trying to emerge from bankruptcy, to a liability of $300 million. The Cubs sale was structured to save about $300 million in capital gains taxes. It is set up as a partnership with Tribune keeping a 5 percent stake.
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AFSCME layoff ruling expected Monday
Wednesday, Sep 23, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller
* 5:12 pm - From the union…
Hearing concludes in AFSCME suit to block layoff of hundreds of state employees
Judge’s ruling expected by Monday
A court hearing has concluded after a full day of testimony from multiple witnesses on both sides in Johnson County, where AFSCME Council 31 is seeking a preliminary injunction to block the implementation of hundreds of state-employee layoffs.
Presiding judge Todd Lambert is expected to rule on the union’s request for injunction by Monday, Sept. 28.
“As a matter of public policy, these layoffs are ill-advised,” Council 31 executive director Henry Bayer said. “Vital services will be harmed, prisons will be less safe, overtime costs will go up and hundreds of working people will needlessly lose their jobs.
“As a matter of law, we believe we presented a strong case today, and we hope to secure an order blocking the layoffs,” Bayer said. “Our request is in the judge’s hands.”
So, not much real news to report except the judge refused Gov. Quinn’s request to move the matter to Sangamon County.
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Question of the day
Wednesday, Sep 23, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Do you think Dan Hynes should stay in the Illinois governor’s race? Explain.
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Today’s quotables
Wednesday, Sep 23, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I’m in favor of redistricting reform. In fact, I’ve often said and written what Sen. Kirk Dillard was quoted as saying yesterday…
“The politicians should not be picking the people we represent. The people ought to pick us.”
But one of the problems with the Illinois Reform Commission’s proposal is that it turns the Supreme Court into a legislative body…
If the General Assembly fails to approve a third redistricting plan, then the Illinois Supreme Court must evaluate the third redistricting plan on statutory and constitutional grounds. If the plan satisfies statutory and constitutional requirements, it will be adopted. To invalidate the third redistricting plan, a two-thirds majority of the Court would have to find it legally infirm.
That kinda rubs me the wrong way.
And two hand-picked experts who testified before the Senate Redistricting Committee also had doubts about the IRC’s proposal…
Dr. Michael McDonald, an associate professor at George Mason University, said the [reform commission’s] proposal does “not have political neutral consequences.” He also said taking political affiliations out of the equation isn’t the answer.
Dr. Bruce Cain, a professor at the University of California-Berkely and director of the University of California Washington Center, said the proposal is “woefully inadequate in transparency requirements” and recommended greater public involvement and transparency.
Former commission chairman Patrick Collins then undermined all those reformers and legislative Republicans who have loudly demanded that the commission’s proposal be approved intact…
“What we propose here is not perfect. We had a very short time to put it together. It was a good faith effort. It has holes,” said Reform Commission Chairman Patrick Collins.
That’ll be our quote of the week. Oops.
* Meanwhile, I told you yesterday about a man who killed his mother-in-law soon after his parole from state prison. I told the story to point out how dangerous the governor’s new early release plan could be. Turns out, the alleged murdered wouldn’t have qualified for the new early release plan and the governor is not backing down. AFSCME, however, makes a good point…
“The Schmidt case clearly demonstrates the difficulty of predicting how any parolee will behave after they are released,” said Anders Lindall, spokesman for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union.
True, but nobody can predict how almost anybody will behave.
* OK, I lied. I could’ve predicted this quote…
Some lawmakers said Tuesday they support the MAP grants and are willing to look for alternative funding sources. State Sen. Dale Risinger, R-Peoria, said he believes money for MAP grants eventually will be restored.
“I’m not sure how we’re going to come up with the money,” he said. “There’s going to be some head scratching. . . . I think the will is there to do it.”
Risinger is a conservative Republican, but he has Bradley University in his district. He’s gonna be on the hot seat if a tax hike is proposed to fill that MAP grant gap. A whole lot of conservative Republicans represent university towns, actually so it’ll be interesting to see if they come up with any plans other than general “cut waste” and “eliminate corruption” stuff.
* And, finally, kudos to Anita Alvarez for putting the kibosh on Country Club Hills Mayor Dwight Welch last week. Welch. you already know, was way out of line in his first press conference announcing the investigation into Chris Kelly’s death…
Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez dispatched Welch an irate letter Sept. 15 basically asking him to “respectfully” shut up because there is an ongoing probe of Kelly’s death.
Alvarez contended such statements “could jeopardize the integrity of any investigation [into Kelly’s death] and pose a violation of Illinois Supreme Court rules … pertaining to the making of extra-judicial statements by government/law enforcement.”
…Adding… I had them ready to go, but then forgot about a few other quotables. Here’s the goofiest of the bunch…
Wasting no time in seizing on the apparent suicide of Christopher Kelly, who died Sept. 12, Sam Adam Jr. told reporters that Kelly’s refusal to plead guilty in Blagojevich’s case proves that the ex-governor did no wrong.
At next June’s trial: “Chris Kelly’s voice will speak louder from the grave,” Adam said. Kelly pleaded guilty to two criminal cases involving income tax fraud and fraud at O’Hare Airport. Kelly’s refusal to plead guilty in Blagojevich’s case shows Blagojevich was not involved in wrongdoing with Kelly, Adam argued.
This story about Sam Zell’s apparent use of the Cub sale to avoid taxes hits home…
By my estimate Tribune would have about a $720 million gain — the $740 million, less 95% of the $21 million Tribune paid for the Cubs in 1981. At a 40% federal-state combined rate, the gain would generate around $290 million in taxes. Instead, that money will go to Tribune’s creditors.
That would fund a lot of college scholarships.
And the last word goes to Alexi Giannoulias, who was responding to a report that Mark Kirk was Tweeting about a new website design around the same time he missed a floor vote on extending unemployment insurance…
“Congressman Mark Kirk can’t decide whether tens of thousands looking for work here in Illinois should be able to keep their benefits. Wherever you were tweeting from in Washington, Congressman, you should know there is a recession back here in Illinois and people are hurting. After all, it was your votes that helped put thousands of Illinoisans out of work to begin with,” said Giannoulias.
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Quinn and Daley vs. Hynes
Wednesday, Sep 23, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Gov. Pat Quinn brought out the biggest gun of all yesterday…
Mayor Richard Daley stood with Quinn to talk up tourism’s importance to Chicago after Comptroller Dan Hynes last week said that he was suspending payments on more than $40 million in state and lottery tourism advertising contracts.
You’ll recall that last week Hynes refused to process about $50+ million of state bills, including $16 million for tourism. Mayor Daley expressed his displeasure…
“You just can’t sit back and say, ‘They’re gonna come to the city of Chicago.’ It doesn’t work that way. Gov. Quinn has realized that — that you have to do more marketing outside of Illinois. You have to do more marketing outside the United States. Then, you have to really work to get the conventions here because other cities are working trying to get conventions to their cities.”
More Daley…
Asked how he felt about Hynes’ threat to cut off the financial spigot, Daley said, “If you start cutting money off — say if we had a major, major layoff in that industry — you’re talking about a couple hundred thousand people. Where are they gonna go to work?”
Warning that Chicago’s unemployment rate would double without conventions and tourism, the mayor said, “From the Greyhound to the railroads to the airport to the cabs to the buses, rental cars, limousines, all these restaurants — that’s an enormous amount of money. You just can’t cut it off.”
* Hynes wants Quinn to resubmit his funding request…
“Does [Quinn] want to spend $53 million on consultant and marketing contracts, or does he want to spend it on education and health care? If the governor believes that tourism contracts are a priority, then he should resubmit them and they will be paid” [Hynes spokeswoman Carol Knowles said in a statement].
Quinn says nyet…
“My view is follow the law, follow the constitution, do your job,” Quinn said. “He doesn’t need direction from anyone other than his conscience to do his job.”
The Tribune’s print edition barely covered the ruckus. TV also mostly ignored it.
Your thoughts?
* Related…
* Top 2 CTA board officers to step down: “I’m not being as effective anymore.”
* Press release and video: Tourism Generates Big Economic Impact for Illinois, Chicago - Retains More Than 303,500 Statewide Jobs
* Raw audio
* Chicago 2016: Mayor Daley trumpets upsides of Olympics
* Quinn to Travel to Denmark for Olympics Announcement
* Chicago lured 45M tourists who dropped $11.8B last year
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White out
Wednesday, Sep 23, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The Blagojevich era claims yet another “victim”…
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn says the president of the University of Illinois, who has been at the center of an admissions scandal, plans to resign.
Quinn said Wednesday that President B. Joseph White let him know his resignation is imminent.
White has been under fire since this summer over reports that the university admitted politically connected students over more qualified applicants.
I put quotes around “victim” because White was a willing victim, of course. But it’s hard for me to describe him as corrupt. Seems to me he did what he did to try and get what he needed for his university. Blagojevich still stiffed him, like he did with all the other universities in this state. That could’ve been a motivating factor for White, but whatever, he’s gone now.
* More…
Quinn told WGN-720 AM’s Greg Jarrett this morning that he’s ready to appoint an interim president while a nationwide search is launched. Listen to the interview here.
Last week, U. of I. faculty and student leaders urged that White and Chancellor Richard Herman be replaced in the wake of a far-reaching admissions scandal.
Sen. Michael Frerichs expects an interim appointment as early as next week.
* And Quinn says he didn’t privately urge the resignation…
Quinn told reporters in Chicago that the resignation was voluntary on White’s part, and said there was no pressure from the him, his office or staff for White to quit.
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* I haven’t said anything much about the Springfield controversy about running several high-speed trains through the city every day because, frankly, I have a quiet little life in this town and I just want to be left alone. I don’t think I’ve even met my alderman.
But this comment from Springfield Ald. Kris Theilen caught my eye…
[Theilen] referred to the Third Street vs. 10th Street debate as a choice between bisecting downtown on Third Street or creating a “true east/west boundary at 10th Street” and urged them to go around Springfield instead.
I think Theilen is probably right that the heart of the debate so far has been about either disrupting downtown or cutting off the East Side even more. For those of you who don’t know much about the town, the East Side is where the poor folk live. Mostly black. This is from a different SJ-R article…
Civic leaders prefer consolidating local rail traffic along 10th Street. They say the Third Street alignment would permanently scar and divide the city.
They prefer “permanently dividing” the East Side from everyplace else, apparently.
But going around Springfield? Is that alderman nuts? Aren’t the high-speed trains supposed to stop here? They’ll be a huge boon to the local economy. Not to mention that the nine overpasses which’ll have to be built will create quite a few jobs and probably be useful.
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Brady calls for reforms
Wednesday, Sep 23, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Sen. Bill Brady announced some significant government reforms yesterday. As usual with these things, most are unrealistic. Still, it’s good to see a major party candidate pushing cumulative voting. From his press release…
Returning to multi-member House districts with no more than two being from the same political party and slightly reducing the size of the Illinois General Assembly. Three representatives would be elected from each of 41 Senate districts, trimming the size of the legislature to 164 members from the current 177.
Here’s his quote in the Sun-Times…
“There are Republicans here in the city of Chicago who feel left out because they don’t have Republican representation,” Brady said. “Under cumulative voting, they would go back to having a voice in Springfield through their representative. There are Democrats in [downstate] McLean County who feel they don’t have a voice in state government because their legislators are Republican.” […]
Brady’s proposal for changing the state legislature would not add any additional lawmakers. It would reduce the number of senators in Illinois to 41 and increase from two to three the number of state representatives in each district.
He’s exactly right about that. I barely knew who Pat Quinn was when the Cutback Amendment passed, but I grew to despise that thing.
* Lots of people claim that if the Cutback Amendment allowed Mike Madigan to increase his power. I don’t deny that, but I also don’t think that the return to those days would do much to clip his wings.
So, Brady wants to term limit legislators…
“We have reached a point where too few people control too much and the power is too concentrated,” Brady said. “There’s no question that the speaker of the House, representing little over 100,000 people, has had absolute control over the state of Illinois. He’s been able to do that for nearly three decades and it’s time for that to end.”
Again, no doubt that Madigan’s power is super-concentrated. I’m not sure that making Mike Madigan an issue will do much for Brady, but it’s still a free country. This is a pretty good line, though…
“Government in Illinois has become all about the politicians and not about the people,” Brady said.
And this is the sort of rhetoric that is not going down too well with Chicago-area business execs who are lining up behind Andy McKenna and others…
Brady repeated his claim to be the chosen candidate of downstate conservatives, who he says have had enough of Chicago-area politicians, Republicans as well as Democrats.
“What I hear throughout Illinois, including Chicago, including the Chicago metropolitan areas, people are tired of the centerrf point of influence in the Chicago metropolitan area,” said Brady.
He also tried to make some hay over the new McKenna-Murphy “ticket”…
Brady also said he had no favorite for a lieutenant governor running mate among a field of several lesser-known candidates. He criticized former GOP state chairman Andy McKenna of Chicago, a new entry in the governor’s race, for “deal making” in running with state Sen. Matt Murphy of Palatine. Murphy dropped his bid for governor to run with McKenna as lieutenant governor.
* Strange…
“This is my office,” Brady told reporters, pointing to the large room that had nothing inside of it except for a large conference table and floor-to-ceiling windows looking toward Lake Michigan.
“What do you do — just sit here and look out the window?” Brady was asked.
“I’m a delegator,” Brady smiled. “I don’t like to have anything. In my Bloomington office, all I have is a conference table.”
Thoughts?
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