* The President is about to embark on a small-town Midwestern swing which could take him to Quincy…
Quincynews.org was reporting that several sources confirmed that an Obama advance team was setting up a possible visit to Quincy, with Wednesday appearing to be the most likely day. Various federal and state officials did not indicate any plans for a Peoria or Springfield stop.
Yeah. Springfield. Right. No way does he want to pop in near the end of session mess. And steering clear of Chicago’s craziness is also smart. Still, if he does come to Illinois, I’d like to see him pressed on what he thinks has happened to his home state since he departed.
* Meanwhile, Lynn Sweet says Obama’s chief of staff Rahm Emanuel is slightly walking back what he said on the Charlie Rose show this week about running for mayor if Daley decides to hang it up…
Emanuel told me Tuesday night he never intended to go as far as he did with Rose. The question came up at the end of a wide ranging interview. The usually disciplined Emanuel says he slipped up.
The Sun-Times runs down a list of other possible Daley successors…
Nor is [Rahm], necessarily, the frontrunner in that crowded field.
Attorney General Lisa Madigan, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., CTA Board Chairman Terry Peterson, City Colleges Board Chairman Gery Chico and former Chicago Inspector General David Hoffman are also high on the list.
Former U.S. Commerce Secretary William Daley, the natural politician of the Daley clan, could try to succeed his brother. The field might also include: former Schools CEO Paul Vallas; presidential adviser Valerie Jarrett; U.S. Rep. Luis Guitierrez; and Chicago aldermen Bob Fioretti (2nd), Edward M. Burke (14th), Brendan Reilly (42nd) and former Ald. Manny Flores (1st).
And Congressman Gutierrez makes a good point in that Sweet piece…
Earlier in the day, Rep. Luis Gutierrez, who is at odds with Emanuel over the slow pace of comprehensive immigration reform in the Obama White House, told me, “I am sure every word that he spoke was not some sort of off-the-cuff remark but calculated to achieve some political goal.
“When I see Rahm Emanuel, [from now on] I don’t know if I am talking to the president’s chief of staff and if that is his chief priority, or if I am talking to a future candidate for the mayor of the city of Chicago,” Gutierrez said.
FOOTNOTE: Emanuel never liquidated his political war chest when he joined the White House; as of April 15, he had $1,175,109.76 cash on hand that could be transferred to a mayoral campaign.
But back in Chicago, where Emanuel made his political bones, the former congressman and political insider’s sharp elbows and national cachet aren’t much of a guarantee that he will replace the man who remains firmly in control of Chicago.
Just ask the Daleys.
“Absolutely not, and I don’t think anyone would say that,” said Cook County Commissioner John Daley when asked Tuesday if Emanuel would be the front-runner in a mayor’s race that didn’t involve his brother. “And I don’t think (Emanuel) would say that, knowing the electorate of Chicago.”
A return home to run for mayor means Emanuel, who renewed his interest in the job on national TV Monday, would have to address some long-standing political baggage. Questions abound about his quick stockpiling of wealth on Wall Street, help from a Daley patronage army to win a seat in Congress and chats with disgraced ex- Gov. Rod Blagojevich about filling a vacant U.S. Senate seat.
“This is all b.s. The mayor is running again,” Quigley answered adamantly, not using the abbreviation. […]
“I’ve met with the mayor three or four times since I’ve been elected,” Quigley said. “He is focused. He is knowledgeable. And I think he wants to go out on his own terms, whenever that is.”
On top of that, maybe there is a little inside information.
“I hear their operation is getting put together,” Quigley said, meaning that he has been told by others that Daley is assembling a political team in preparation for a 2011 re-election bid. He couldn’t supply any details.
Mayor Daley’s popularity is at an all-time low, city finances are in the toilet, the Olympics went to Rio and his wife, Maggie, is battling a series of cancer setbacks.
So Rahm Emanuel’s announcement that he’d like to be mayor some day understandably touched a nerve in the Daley camp.
* Editorial pages almost always parrot the reformers, even (or especially) when they don’t fully understand the issues at hand. Today’s Sun-Times editorial blasting the Democratic redistricting reform proposal and supporting the Republican-backed “Fair Map” plan is a case in point…
In the post-Blagojevich era, a time when Illinois voters are fed up with the status quo, we refuse to back another reform-lite proposal.
The Fair Map Amendment would bring real, meaningful reform to Illinois. Anything less is simply more of the same.
Support the Fair Map Amendment. Let your voices be heard because if you don’t the proposal that is being rammed through the Legislature just might be worse than the system we currently have.
“Our position is both of these plans are reform, and the Paul Simon Institute wants reform.”
That quote was contained in an editorial today by the State Journal-Register, which also dinged Ms. Marcus a bit…
But the Democrats, who are looking out for their own interests in rejecting the Republican/reform group plan and writing their own, make a point that is difficult to quarrel with: Is a nine-person commission, in which eight members are picked by the legislative leaders, going to be truly independent?
The answer is not definitive to the point that the reformers can assert, as League of Women Voters President Nancy Marcus did on this page on Sunday, that the Democratic plan “just might be worse than the system we currently have.”
That notion should be flatly rejected. While it has flaws, the Democratic plan is not worse than allowing a lottery determine which party gets to draw the map, as the current system does.
The SJ-R and the Paul Simon Institute would like the Democrats to “tweak” their proposal to require a three-fifths majority to pass a new map. Doing so, they say, would protect the rights of the minority party.
If the majority and minority parties could be trusted to compromise in good faith, that might not be a bad idea. But the Statehouse political waters are poisoned right now, so I’m not sure if anything would pass under that proposal. Still, it’s something, and the SJ-R ought to be commended for not falling into the old trap of believing everything reformers say. After all, the Cutback Amendment was a highly touted and very popular reform back when it was put on the ballot. It didn’t work out so well.
It’s been my experience over the years that almost all reformers are good, decent people who want to do what’s right. But nobody’s arguments should ever be given a free pass in the political arena. Challenging them to make their cases shouldn’t be seen as an insult to the reformers, instead, putting some thought into proposed ideas is supposed to be the American way.
* We’ll be posting videos throughout the day. I’m not sure when this stream will start [UPDATE: I’m told the live stream will begin at around 11 o’clock], but organizers say we’ll be able to watch today’s massive Statehouse rally live right here…
* Capitol Avenue — closed at 6 p.m. Tuesday between Second and Third streets.
* Monroe Street between Second and Pasfield streets — the south parking lane and next two driving lanes will be closed at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday for bus drop-off. The north parking lane and driving lane will remain open for traffic use.
* Second Street between Monroe and Jackson streets will be closed at 9 a.m. Wednesday
* Second to Edwards, Edwards to College, College to Monroe and Monroe to Second will be closed at noon to allow for a march around the Capitol complex.
* 9:18 am - You can follow the rally on Twitter. The hashtag is #sosrally. Here’s the link.
* 9:45 am - My intern Dan Weber has a video shot of the stage across the street from the Capitol, where supporters will gather. Take a look…
* 9:53 am - From the Tweet stream come two pics of the rally. Two Jumbotrons are being set up and IEA members are starting to arrive.
“Tomorrow’s rally will show there’s a lot of people in Illinois, a great majority, that don’t want draconian cuts in education,” Quinn said of [today’s] rally.
* 11:22 am - I’ve been hearing for days that AFSCME has been planning some sort of “action” to “shut down” the Statehouse today. That’s still possible, but not long ago, some SEIU protesters were chanting “Shut it down now!” Barton has the video…
* 2:00 pm - The crowd in the Statehouse has thinned out, but the intersection of South 2nd and Capitol Streets was packed for this morning’s rally. Take a look at the crowd from the stage…
Union leaders addressed the crowd. The first was AFSCME 31’s Henry Bayer…
* 2:20 pm -Demonstrators marched around the Capitol complex before entering the building. Here’s a quick video of what that looked like…
* 2:40 pm -The march ended in the Statehouse. Despite concerns from the Secretary of State’s office that too many people would try to enter the building, Capitol Police officers did not stop people. From the looks of it, demonstrators came in, walked around for a while and then went back outside. But the areas around the rail were still full. This was the scene looking down from the fourth floor…
Meanwhile on the first floor, union leaders led a series of chants…
* The so-called “iTunes tax” made the front page of today’s Sun-Times…
Even a trip to iTunes for a new song or movie may soon be within the grasp of Illinois’ tax collectors.
Imposing the state’s 6.25-percent sales tax on downloaded songs and movies surfaced as a new money-making idea Tuesday from Gov. Quinn’s administration to help bail out the state from its $13 billion deficit. […]
Now, digital downloads are not taxed by state government, depriving Springfield of up to $10 million in revenues annually. But that figure could grow over time as more people download entertainment from Internet sites such as iTunes and Amazon. […]
Under Quinn’s proposed download levy, $9.99 albums would carry a 62-cent tax while $14.99 movies would have 94 cents in sales taxes tacked on.
But doing so in Illinois won’t happen without a fight from Republicans, who criticized the plan.
“It will be an interesting education for younger voters about the reach of the state’s treasury into their pockets,” said Sen. Matt Murphy (R-Palatine). “I don’t suspect it’ll be well received at all.”
Since 2007, 19 states have imposed similar download taxes, including Indiana, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Nebraska, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Kentucky, Mississippi and Washington, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
A spokesman for NetChoice, an advocacy group whose clients include Yahoo! and eBay, said digital songs and movies shouldn’t be considered equivalent to a physical CD or DVD.
“The sales tax shouldn’t necessarily apply in the same way, or even at all,” NetChoice spokesman Braden Cox said.
Vaught argues that they’re selling goods to Illinoisans, and should have to pay tax on those sales.
“They shouldn’t get a pass,” Vaught said.
It’s not at all clear yet whether this will actually be part of the final package, but I am curious what you think.
* There are other proposals on the table, although many listed by the Tribune today are actually now off the table…
Still far from being approved, the additional taxes being discussed range from raising the $50 million a year tax on canned computer software, a proposal ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich tried to pass but failed, to a sales tax on downloaded music and videos, according to Republicans who distributed the list of potential tax revenues.
Other proposals on the list would tax plastic grocery bags a nickel a piece and little cigars at the higher rate of cigarettes. A nickel-a-bottle deposit fee is another idea on the table. But Quinn’s budget director, David Vaught, said late Tuesday that the grocery bag and bottle deposit fees were part of a draft list, but did not make the final cut and are not being considered.
The governor’s proposal also proposed the option of eliminating a business tax credit for research and development. […]
Quinn also proposed selling off a portion of the revenue from a years-old tobacco lawsuit settlement, which his office estimates will generate approximately $2 billion to help pay down the estimated $6 billion backlog. The governor is also asking lawmakers to extend the time the state has to pay overdue bills in the hopes they will approve an income tax increase to help plug budget holes.
Quinn’s latest plan includes dipping into emergency reserves and the tobacco settlement fund, additional borrowing and assumes passage of both a cigarette tax increase and the 33 percent income tax surcharge Quinn’s proposed for education.
The plan also contains and an extra $400 million in budget cuts and gives the state an extra four months to pay off last year’s bills, according to Quinn’s budget office. Overall, the plan leaves the state about $2.9 billion in the red at the end of next year. Quinn’s original plan assumed more than $6 billion in bills would be unpaid.
However, Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno, R-Lemont, said it appears Quinn is shifting money around and is actually making only $900 million in budget cuts, if that.
“There’s been a lot of talk about potential cuts,” Radogno said. “For whatever reason, the cuts they initially talked about have not come to fruition. I have asked for the list of specifically what has been cut. They promised to get me that.”
Thousands of state vendors could face the prospect of having to go to court to collect money they are owed by the state.
In a memo to legislative leaders Tuesday, Gov. Pat Quinn acknowledged the possibility that the state’s budget mess could force angry vendors to file lawsuits with the Illinois Court of Claims this fall.
The Chicago Democrat told the leaders that he wants a change in law in order to avoid the looming legal showdown.
“I think there’s an understanding that we have to do something,” Quinn budget chief David Vaught told reporters in the Capitol.
Let’s extend the lapse period by four months because it’s for the vendors’ own good! Great.
* I’ll post the stories in a bit, but here’s video of Rod Blagojevich blasting US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald for going after his wife. It’s a must-see…
In a two-minute, blustery address, a finger-waving former Gov. Rod Blagojevich summoned U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald to show up in the federal courthouse today at high noon.
“I challenge Mr. Fitzgerald. Why don’t you show up in court [Wednesday] and explain to everybody, say to the whole world, why you don’t want those tapes that you made played in court,” Blagojevich said at a news conference. “I’ll be in court tomorrow, I hope you’re man enough to be there tomorrow, too.”
Blagojevich accused the government of trying to sneak into court to try to block the ex-governor from playing all the recordings in trial. There is a previously scheduled court status date in Blagojevich’s case at noon today and the prosecutors trying the case — not Fitzgerald — are expected to show.
Blagojevich, wearing a bit of makeup, scheduled his remarks for 5:03 p.m. — just in time for three TV networks to carry it live. He called prosecutors “cowards” and “liars” and then took no questions from reporters.
Blagojevich was speaking loudly and clearly: to potential jurors, said former federal prosecutor and defense lawyer Dean Polales.
It’s unclear how the tactic will play out in court just six weeks before Blagojevich’s trial is set to begin, but as an exercise in media manipulation, it worked spectacularly. Nearly a dozen news cameras were on hand to hear Blagojevich lay on the mustard, and several TV stations aired the remarks — scheduled for precisely 5:03 p.m. for their benefit — live on their evening newscasts.
He spoke for just two minutes, then took no questions.
Blagojevich and his defense team have long aggressively gotten the former governor’s version of events to the public. On recent appearances on NBC’s “Celebrity Apprentice,” he repeatedly trumpeted his innocence to a national audience.
The ex-governor’s Florida-based publicist had hyped Tuesday’s media event by promising that Blagojevich “will make the strongest public statement to date concerning the charges he is facing.”
And the former politician seemed to deliver, calling prosecutors “cowards and liars” for “attacking” his wife, Patti, by alleging she was used corruptly to get the governor money through bogus real estate commissions.
While Rod Blagojevich’s strategy of going on the offensive and playing the victim could appeal to some, former assistant U.S. attorney Patrick Collins, who helped convict former governor George Ryan warned it could backfire.
“What he said tonight with the name calling and personal invective directed at Fitzgerald,” Collins said. “I would be shocked that the judge doesn’t have something to say about that in court.” […]
“Sometimes the best defense is a good offense,” said Collins.
Collins says Blagojevich’s statement is consistent with his strategy so far — go on the offensive and play the victim.
Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich says he’ll be in court for his scheduled hearing today and he’s challenging the top federal prosecutor in Chicago to also show up.
Today’s court hearing isn’t anything more than going over some procedures and recent filings to get ready for Blagojevich’s corruption trial in June. Those recent filings include what’s called a Santiago proffer, which included an entire section titled “Steering Money to Blagojevich’s Wife.”
* 3:04 pm - Two days of heat is all it took. From a press release…
Governor candidate Bill Brady today said to avoid distracting from the failures of the Quinn/Blagojevich Administration, he will make available his income tax returns this week.
“Pat Quinn wants nothing more than to turn attention away the failures he has led us to,” Brady said. “I won’t let anything stand in the way of my determination to bring a clean break to Illinois.”
Brady noted that Quinn has earned his income from taxpayer money while he himself has worked in the private sector.
“Today just shows again that Pat Quinn is part of the public sector ruling class,” Brady said.
Um, Bill, what about that Senate salary? Isn’t that “taxpayer money” too?
* Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno talked to reporters after the leaders meeting today about the governor’s proposals that I’ve already outlined below.
Radogno claimed that the proposed cuts don’t really add up to $2.6 billion because Quinn wants to add spending back into the plan. She claimed the cuts really added up to only $900 million, while Quinn wants to do $9 billion in borrowing and new taxes. Have a look…
* House Republican Leader Tom Cross, like Radogno, was asked about a six-month budget. But, like Radogno, Cross said it wasn’t discussed. Take a look…
* Quinn’s budget director David Vaught talked about extending the lapse period by four months and how that helps vendors avoid the court of claims. Actually, it helps the state avoid the court of claims. Either way, watch…
* In case you missed it below, Gov. Quinn told Chicago reporters that he wants a review of leadership use of cars…
“This is an alarm bell that we need to pay attention to,” Quinn said. “Especially in these times of austerity, we need to look at where all state vehicles are, how they are used, where they’re assigned, and I intend to pursue that.” […]
Quinn said it is “absolutely wrong” for state-owned vehicles to ever be used by family members or anyone not working for the state, but he stopped short of saying top lawmakers should be stripped of the perk saying he planned to meet with legislative leaders and discuss the issue this afternoon.
The governor did suggest the legislative branch could face budget cuts that would force the General Assembly to reconsider some purchases.
“It bears inspection, and this is a good time to do the inspecting,” Quinn said. “We have a tough budget, we have to tighten the budget. Any information that we have that indicates that a vehicle is not necessary, then we will act appropriately.”
* Quinn and Attorney General Lisa Madigan both commented on the Rahm Emanuel for mayor kerfuffle.
First up, Quinn, who cracked that he knew Rahm when “he was an idealist” back in 1980…
* 12:57 pm - The day before thousands of protesters are planning to descend on Springfield to decry the governor’s proposed budget cuts, Gov. Quinn is telling legislative leaders today that he wants to increase budget cuts by $400 million.
Quinn also wants to lengthen the lapse spending period by four months, which would give the state even more time to pay bills from one fiscal year to the next.
From the guv’s office…
In addition to the proposed $2.2 billion in cuts the Governor proposed on March 10, he is calling for authority under the emergency budget act to cut $400 million additional funds from the budget. This would bring the Governor’s proposed total cuts to $2.6 billion. The Governor is also requesting an extension of the lapse period for payments to vendors in an effort to ensure all payments owed are received. The lapse period would be extended from Aug. 31 to Dec. 31.
Currently, we have more than $6 billion in accounts payable. This detailed plan reduces those bills to $2.9 billion by using strategic measures which include borrowing excess money from other state funds and partially liquidating the revenue from the tobacco settlement. Both of these strategies will net the state $2 billion dollars to help stabilize the budget, pay our bills, refinance our debt and keep people employed.
The truth is we need revenue. The education surcharge will generate $2.8 billion dollars that will be used to fund education while keeping tens of thousands of people employed. Education is a top priority for the Governor. He is committed to raising needed revenue in order to continue to provide excellent educational opportunities for our students.
Governor Quinn inherited these fiscal challenges that were created over several years of budget mismanagement and this detailed plan provides the solutions to get the state back on sound financial footing.
Quinn’s budget office also distributed these two graphs. Click the pics for larger images…
We’ll have video from the post-meeting leader availabilities, so check back.
Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn released his tax returns today and turned his disclosure into a campaign issue by calling on Republican rival Sen. Bill Brady to do the same or drop out.
The governor said there is “something not right” about Brady’s refusal to release his tax information, suggesting Brady is trying to hide business interests that could conflict with holding the state’s top office. […]
“As everyone knows we’ve had two governors preceding me that got into a lot of trouble, one’s in jail, one’s under indictment,” Quinn said, referring to predecessors George Ryan and Rod Blagojevich. “ Illinois doesn’t need a shady governor. I think it’s very important we have a governor that’s open, direct, and accessible.”
“I think anybody who wants to aspire to this office and doesn’t want to disclose their tax return really should re-think their candidacy, because I think this is fundamental to making sure the governor of our state does not have any conflicts of interest that would in any way harm the people of Illinois.”
“The senator said he’s concerned such a disclosure would harm his business interests. Then the question is what are those business interests and do they conflict with the public interest,” Quinn said.
…Adding more… The Quinn campaign is pushing back against the notion that it said Brady ought to release his returns or drop out. The Tribune interpreted it differently, and so did I. But just so you know, the Quinn campaign doesn’t see it that way. The headline has been adjusted to reflect that protest.
*** UPDATE *** As mentioned above, Quinn talked to Statehouse reporters today about the Brady income tax issue.
“Sen. Brady says he doesn’t want to hurt his business interests by disclosing his income tax. Well, wait a minute. If you’re going to be the governor the number one interest is the public interest, not your private business interest that you want to keep hidden.”
Quinn also talked about the possibility of Scott Lee Cohen entering the governor’s race. Quinn said he ran into Cohen at a ballgame and Cohen told him to be prepared for a “big surprise.”
* This is not unexpected, since Quinn endorsed Joe Berrios in the primary and bashed Dan Hynes’ father for leaving the Democratic Party to run for mayor against Harold Washington…
Gov. Pat Quinn Tuesday made it clear that a longtime friend, Forrest Claypool, is on his own in his race for Cook County assessor.
“I supported the Democratic party nominee in the primary (election),” tax appeals Commissioner Joseph Berrios, Mr. Quinn told a Chicago press conference. “I’m a Democrat. That’s where I’m going to be” in the November general election. […]
Politically, Mr. Quinn’s stance could cost him if Mr. Claypool gets enough signatures on petitions to run as an independent candidate. But Mr. Claypool stands to lose, too, given Mr. Quinn’s influence among African-American voters in particular.
And even though the announcement was predictable, it’s also pretty predictable that the Chicago Tribune is gonna hammer Quinn - and probably everybody else that goes with Berrios - for this.
* Meanwhile, we got a “revelation” today from the Illinois Policy Institute…
In total, the Maine Workers’ Compensation Commission spent around $5 million on wages or approximately half of the $11.5 million that Illinois spent in 2008.
Maine population = 1,318,301
Illinois population = 12,910,409
Where:
Outside the Law Office of Sam Adam and Sam Adam, Jr.
6133 South Ellis Avenue
Chicago, IL 60637
More information:
The former governor of Illinois Rod Blagojevich will make the strongest public statement to date concerning the charges he is facing.
Blagojevich has steadfastly denied any wrongdoing and says he is innocent of all charges.
The former governor will react to developments in this case.
EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: For stations planning to carry this statement from Rod Blagojevich live, please be advised that it will begin promptly at 5:03pm CST.
Gov. Blagojevich will not be available for any interviews or comments prior to the 5:03pm Central statement.
Out of respect for his children, please avoid reporting or videotaping at or near his Chicago residence.
* Garritt Cullerton’s DUI while driving a state car assigned to his Senate President father without permission has sparked questions about just how many state vehicles are controlled by legislative leaders. The Tribune comes up with the answers…
The assignment of state vehicles to the four partisan leaders of the state Senate and House was part of a little-known provision of a law passed in 1984 that eliminated controversial legislative commissions that had become bloated by the salaries of lackeys and relatives. One panel that was eliminated had a dozen vehicles, and the four legislative leaders divvied them up. The legislature has bought new vehicles since that time through its operations account.
Cullerton’s office said the Senate currently owns six vehicles, three used by Democrats and three by Republicans. The fleet includes three late-model Ford Escape hybrids, two Tauruses and a 2005 Dodge Caravan.
The House clerk’s office under veteran Democratic Speaker Michael Madigan of Chicago said the House has eight vehicles. A spokeswoman for House Republican leader Tom Cross of Oswego said Cross primarily uses a 2007 GMC Yukon, but Republicans also use a 2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer and a 2005 Chrysler 300 C. The five other House vehicles include 2007 Ford and Chrysler vans, a 2004 Chrysler Concorde, a 2006 Chrysler 300 and the newest vehicle, a 2010 Mercury Milan hybrid. […]
Senate Republican leader Christine Radogno of Lemont uses one of the SUVs to drive while in Springfield, spokeswoman Patty Schuh said. She said another car is kept at the Chicago office for the use of staff and other lawmakers, and the van is used by staff for deliveries to district offices.
The governor’s office is assigned state vehicles and the executive branch is co-equal to the legislative branch, so while I can surely see the reasoning behind any outrage, it’s best to keep this in perspective.
Still, I’ve been around 20 years and I don’t remember any previous stories about those cars.
Leadership spending is super-secretive, so it’s high time that they open their books and let everybody see just what the heck is going on over there.
As far as the younger Cullerton’s traffic stop record goes, well, that’s not good, either. But, as with yesterday, I would rather avoid this particular topic. They tend to get way too overheated. Also, in case there’s any question about what happened to that car in question, ABC7 has the answer…
Cullerton’s spokeswoman says the Ford Escape was impounded by the Chicago Police Department Sunday and that President Cullerton himself paid the fee to get the vehicle released from the auto pound.
“This is an alarm bell that we need to pay attention to,” Quinn said. “Especially in these times of austerity, we need to look at where all state vehicles are, how they are used, where they’re assigned, and I intend to pursue that.” […]
Quinn said it is “absolutely wrong” for state-owned vehicles to ever be used by family members or anyone not working for the state, but he stopped short of saying top lawmakers should be stripped of the perk saying he planned to meet with legislative leaders and discuss the issue this afternoon.
The governor did suggest the legislative branch could face budget cuts that would force the General Assembly to reconsider some purchases.
“It bears inspection, and this is a good time to do the inspecting,” Quinn said. “We have a tough budget, we have to tighten the budget. Any information that we have that indicates that a vehicle is not necessary, then we will act appropriately.”
* On Saturday, Bill Brady’s campaign invited a few bloggers to discuss the issues for 15 minutes. Among other things, he was asked this question by the Illinois Review…
Do you have a couple of wedge-type issues to appeal to Cook County? One of the issues has been that you’re not well known in Cook County, and there’s been some kind of pessimism about you being able to reach into some of the minority communities.
Brady’s response…
…The school choice thing appeals to people. The term limits thing appeals to people. When you reach into the minority communities, which we have been horrible at.
Last general election for governor, we got 14 percent of the black and Latino vote. That’s 25 percent of the vote, by the way. We cannot ignore it. When we asked why, we blatantly found out that it’s not because of issues. Those communities are with us on the family issues. They’re with us on the school issues. The problem is, we’ve been AWOL. The Democrats have been propagating those communities, if not monthly, weekly, then daily. Our message has got to be inviting. We simply haven’t invited. The school voucher is helping us. The big box issue is helping us. Fresh food, jobs, affordable food, a say in your child’s education.
Those are some valid points, but some of his numbers are off. According to the exit polling, blacks and Latinos made up 20 percent of the 2006 gubernatorial vote, not 26. Judy Baar Topinka got 16 percent of the African-American vote and 12 percent of the Latino vote, so that is 14 percent on average.
Historically, though, when Republican candidates talk about winning minority votes, it’s mostly about appearing to be open-minded to more moderate white folks, not really an all-out push for black votes (the Latino vote was kinda up for grabs a while back, but national GOP immigration policies pretty much spoiled those chances).
That’s not a bad thing at all, of course. Having a Republican candidate talking about issues impacting minority areas is a positive thing. But this isn’t about winning that vote. It’s about winning.
* Chicago Public Radio is the only media outlet that appeared to even remotely connect the dots today between Republican Mark Kirk’s call on Alexi Giannoulias to release his tax returns and Democrat Pat Quinn’s demand that Republican Bill Brady release his returns.
I point this out because it’s an interesting little battle we have going on here right now at the top of the ticket. It’s not an exact comparison, since Giannoulias filed for an extension (although he did provide WBEZ with his paperwork) and Brady is just flat-out saying “No” when asked about his returns. The advantage, then, goes to Quinn, who might conceivably use Kirk’s demands against Brady, but hasn’t. That’s partly because Quinn has no real campaign organization in place. Here’s part of what Kirk said…
“I worry the coming implosion of his family bank may have tax implications for him, and therefore he’s not willing to release his taxes,” Kirk said.
Brady has previously admitted that his family businesses are suffering mightily during the Great Recession. So, the connection is there.
But the rally probably won’t push politicians to support a tax increase in an election year, many lawmakers said.
“To say that is going to rally enough support for a tax increase, I don’t think so,” said state Rep. Dan Brady, R-Bloomington. […]
“You got rallies going on today in my area against taxes,” said state Rep. John Bradley, D-Marion.
Case in point, supporters of the Equal Rights Amendment brought even more than 15,000 people to Springfield for a rally back in 1982, to no avail. However, a huge rally that same year sponsored by labor organizations against a move by GOP House Speaker George Ryan to bring a “right to work” bill to the floor did work. The difference is, that bill wasn’t going anywhere anyway. It would’ve been vetoed by Republican Gov. Jim Thompson if it ever advanced to his desk, which was doubtful.
* And when the Republican gubernatorial nominee is pushing for huge cuts in programs and is adamantly opposed to a tax increase, there is just no political cover at all for a tax hike now…
Converting one state government agency into an advisory group, and renegotiating employment contracts at another agency, are two of the ways that the Republican running for governor would save taxpayer money.
State Sen. Bill Brady (R-Bloomington) would change the Illinois State Board of Education from a policy-setting agency to one that would only advise the governor.
Brady says the $80 million agency is currently more of a hindrance to education than an administrator. He also complains about accountability at the board, saying everyone there points their fingers at everyone else. “Harry Truman would have a field day with where the buck stopped,” Brady said.
Brady also says he would renegotiate contracts for Illinois State Police troopers and civilian workers, because he says the salaries and pension are too sweet compared to those in the private sector.
* But the anger at Springfield is palpable among rally organizers. Here’s a quote from David Comerford, a spokesperson for the Illinois Federation of Teachers…
“No politician will be speaking at the rally. They’ve done enough talking without acting,” said Comerford. “They need to hear from us.”
More than 120,000 people have signed petitions to get the proposed citizen initiative on the ballot, but that’s less than 50 percent of the 288,000 needed. Amendment supporters had hoped to finish the petition drive by April 1.
The coalition behind the amendment, which includes the League of Women Voters, said the fight is not yet over.
“It’s two weeks before we have to file,” said Jan Czarnik of the League of Women Voters. “If we do fall short, it’s only because we haven’t had enough people circulating petitions in such a short amount of time.”
The League remained upbeat and defiant in Springfield yesterday, even though its original goal was 500,000 signatures by April 1st, to ensure that it had enough valid signatures to qualify for the ballot…
“We’re not having so much trouble; it’s two weeks before we have to file,” Jan Czarnik with the League of Women Voters said… “This is the easiest public education campaign (the League has) ever undertaken,” she said. “Our petition circulators get as far as saying ‘Hello, did you know that the members of the General Assembly draw the districts for which they run for reelection’–the voters are appalled by this and angered by this.”
Roughly 1,100 signatures were collected from Southern Illinois by the League of Women Voters of Jackson County, who took the lead on gathering petitions earlier this year.
League representative Dorcy Prosser of Carbondale said it was simply difficult to get people passionate about something as esoteric as legislative districts, and the fact Republicans began supporting the Fair Map amendment put a political spin on things that repelled others.
“I certainly hope we can get it on the ballot, but obviously it’s looking questionable,” Prosser said.
That’s pretty much the exact opposite of what Czarnik told Springfield-based reporters yesterday.
* The controversial League alliance with the Republicans mentioned by Ms. Prosser was also the subject of a press release issued this morning by State Sen. Marty Sandoval (D-Chicago). Sandoval demanded that people not sign the petitions…
Dozens of Republican operatives and a few self-styled reformers are asking Illinois citizens to sign a petition. This petition, called the Fair Map Initiative, would create very unfair representation of the largest minority group in Illinois: Hispanics. Even though Hispanics are responsible for all the population growth in llinois over the last decade (and thus due for a major increase in representation in local, county, state and federal levels with new maps drawn after the census), if the Fair Map Initiative is implemented, Hispanics will not see a proportionate and fair increase in Hispanic-majority districts.
I joined with my Democratic colleagues in the Illinois Senate to improve the transparency of the map-making process while my Republican colleagues voted against our proposal, preferring a process that would put a lid of Latino representation. Now they are hoping to build another wall between Hispanics and our government with the “Fair Map Initiative.”
Republicans will be on the streets until early May asking for your signature on the petition. If you are approached, I suggest you take the advice of one of the country’s most beloved Republicans, former First Lady Nancy Reagan: Just Say No!
The League has until May 3rd to turn in its signatures. Two years ago, the League opposed a constitutional convention, partly on the grounds that changes could be made to the existing constitution via the amendment process. They’re finding now that it isn’t so easy.
Mayor Richard Daley spoke for many Illinoisans Monday when he evoked a “Springfield bubble” in which lawmakers are oblivious to the economy around them and unwilling to bleed inefficiencies out of their operations. [Daley’s] government’s latest economizing involves asking vendors to renegotiate their contracts with a goal of cutting the city’s costs. Last week he announced an audit of health benefit rolls to purge ineligible employees or dependents — people who aren’t entitled to city-paid medical care but who receive it courtesy of taxpayers
“We’re doing everything here, and the state and federal governments are not doing that,” Daley said, adding he wasn’t pointing fingers at specific politicians. “It does get you upset. You figure why are they immune from the economy — that people are suffering.
“They don’t understand that this is a national recession. They are living in — they call it the Washington or Springfield bubble.”
“There isn’t one state employee or federal employee taking any time off. You wonder, why not? Don’t they realize that this is a national recession? Don’t they realize that people are suffering? There’s where the disgruntled attitude is — that they don’t get it. … They’re living in the Washington or Springfield bubble.”
Not one mention in any story or the Tribune’s editorial that Daley totally and unequivocably opposes a plan by Gov. Pat Quinn to slash state funding to local governments. Not one mention in the Tribune editorial that the paper is on record supporting an even deeper cut to local government funding. And not one mention in any story that the state does, indeed, have a furlough program for non-union employees.
The Tribune, as we’ve discussed before, is also on record supporting a move to slash pension benefits for current state and local government employees. I’ve already told you that the edit board bases its position on a report by Sidley Austin, a lawfirm which represents the Trib’s parent company in bankruptcy proceedings. The Tribune led off a pension cut editorial yesterday with a quote from Eden Martin of the Civic Committee. Not mentioned in the editorial is that Martin is “of counsel” to - you guessed it - Sidley Austin.
* Meanwhile, a story plastered all over today is absolutely no surprise. Rahm Emanuel has thought about running for mayor for a very long time. Before he got it into his head that he could be US House Speaker, mayor was at the top of his list. Now that the Speaker’s job is out of the question, mayor is back on the wish list…
In an interview with PBS host Charlie Rose to be run late Monday night, Emanuel said he does not plan to run against Mayor Richard M. Daley, but he has his sights on the office if the mayor decides to retire one day,
“I hope Mayor Daley seeks reelection. I will work and support him if he seeks reelection,” Emanuel said. “But if Mayor Daley doesn’t, one day I would like to run for mayor of the City of Chicago. That’s always been an aspiration of mine even when I was in the House of Representatives.”
In an interview with The Hill last week before Emanuel’s appearance on PBS, Gutierrez said Emanuel “better stay in the White House.”
“He’s not to get my endorsement anytime soon. He should stay in the White House, but then he can go make millions in investment banking,” Gutierrez said, referencing the Wall Street job Emanuel held between his post in the Clinton White House and his run for Congress in 2002.
Gutierrez, a Latino leader who has represented Chicago in the House since 1992, has criticized Emanuel’s performance as chief of staff and has expressed anger at what he sees as a lackluster push by the Obama administration for comprehensive immigration reform.
The 56-year-old lawmaker has also considered running for mayor himself, but in the interview he insisted he is not going to be leaving Congress any time soon.
The station is installing a new emergency generator at its transmitter site in Monticello, which also broadcasts the public radio station WILL-FM 101.1.
The funding includes $313 million from Illinois, $115 million from Missouri and $239 million from federal resources for a total of $667 million.
Officials estimate the bridge project will create $25.3 billion in regional economic activity over the next 45 years. It is also expected to create about 2,200 primary and secondary jobs for the greater St. Louis Metropolitan area.
Scheduled for completion in the middle part of this decade, the four-lane, cable-stayed bridge will divert Interstate 70 traffic from an existing bridge that’s one of just two in the nation that accommodate three freeways. The plan also allows for the bridge, designed to be two lanes in each direction, to be expanded by a lane each way.
Romel Esmail and Bassam Haj Yousif of Global Real Estate Investors LLC are accused of using at least $3.6 million of loan proceeds for their own personal benefit — including the purchase of a vehicle, jewelry and other real estate….The two launched an effort to convert a building at 6 N. Michigan Ave. into condominiums and also acquired the nearby 59 E. Van Buren St. with loans from the former CIB Bank of Hillside.
This time we’re talking about a Wal-Mart Supercenter proposed for an empty lot between 103rd and 111th streets next to the Bishop Ford Freeway. Wal-Mart is the critical element in an ambitious development called Pullman Park, which would bring thousands of jobs to the Far South Side.
