Question of the day
Thursday, Sep 19, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Today is Talk Like a Pirate Day…
Why hurl salty insults at your friends and loved ones today like you’re a one-eyed raider of the high seas? The intent behind today’s holiday is for young and old alike to enjoy the seafaring dialects that first entered pop culture when “Treasure Island” was published in 1883 and peaked around the time Johnny Depp first appeared in “Pirates of the Caribbean” as Keith Richards’ flamboyant younger brother. Mistaking the holiday for an opportunity to terrorize people in a dinghy while speaking Somali could get you arrested. Sure, they used to do the same awful things back in the early-18th century’s “golden age” of piracy, but back then they wore hoop earrings and baboushkas and said things like, “I’ll slash ye guts and feed yer to the sharks, ye pox-faced sea dog.” Being pillaged was a lot more fun in the old-timey days.
* The Question: Your pirate-speak “advice” for the remaining gubernatorial candidates?
…Adding… If you’re new to this, you can find helpful online “English to Pirate” translating services here and here.
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The obsession with doctrine
Thursday, Sep 19, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I’m not a Catholic, but I gotta say that this is pretty good advice for everyone, in all walks of life, including politics…
[Pope Francis’] vision of what the church should be stands out, primarily because it contrasts so sharply with many of the priorities of his immediate predecessors, John Paul II and Benedict XVI. They were both intellectuals for whom doctrine was paramount, an orientation that guided the selection of a generation of bishops and cardinals around the globe.
Francis said the dogmatic and the moral teachings of the church were not all equivalent.
“The church’s pastoral ministry cannot be obsessed with the transmission of a disjointed multitude of doctrines to be imposed insistently,” Francis said. “We have to find a new balance; otherwise even the moral edifice of the church is likely to fall like a house of cards, losing the freshness and fragrance of the Gospel.”
Rather, he said, the Catholic Church must be like a “field hospital after battle,” healing the wounds of its faithful and going out to find those who have been hurt, excluded or have fallen away. […]
“We cannot insist only on issues related to abortion, gay marriage and the use of contraceptive methods. This is not possible,” he said. “The teaching of the church, for that matter, is clear and I am a son of the church, but it is not necessary to talk about these issues all the time.”
Mixing religion and politics is always a dangerous game, so please try to keep it civil in comments. Thanks.
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* First the good news…
Illinois was one of just four states where the median household income rose last year, while Missouri and Virginia were the only ones that saw a decline. That income level in Illinois rose 1.4 percent to $55,137, while neighboring Missouri’s fell 1.6 percent to $45,321.
* Now the bad…
The latest federal data show that 14.7 percent of Illinoisans - 1.85 million people or one in seven residents of the state - were in poverty last year, down slightly from the 15 percent, or 1.88 million, in 2011. The national rate also remained discouragingly stuck at 15 percent - affecting 46.5 million Americans and marking the sixth year in a row the U.S. rate failed to improve.
* And the numbers might even be worse than depicted…
Illinois saw such a slight easing, coinciding with a drop in the state’s unemployment rate to 8.9 percent last year from 9.7 percent in 2011 and 10.4 percent in 2010, when Illinois’ jobless ranks were the highest since 1983, according the Illinois Department of Employment Security. Illinois’ seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for July was 9.2 percent.
With the increased unemployment rate, poverty may be again on the rise.
* Also this…
The breadth of Illinois’ poverty on a local level remains murky, given that census figures released Thursday only focused on counties with populations of at least 65,000, which in Illinois number just 23 of the state’s 102 counties. Those did not include most counties in largely rural southern Illinois, where high unemployment and poverty have notoriously deep roots.
*** UPDATE *** More bad news.
The Illinois Department of Employment Security reports today that the state’s unemployment rate for August was unchanged at 9.2 percent.
Oy.
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Crime, punishment, reform and rate hikes
Thursday, Sep 19, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* No indictments…
Nearly 10 months after former Mayor Richard M. Daley’s nephew Richard J. “R.J.” Vanecko was indicted in the 2004 death of David Koschman, a grand jury investigation into the way police and prosecutors handled the case has ended and no new indictments will be issued.
Special prosecutor Dan K. Webb’s office said Thursday the grand jury has completed its work and that the statute of limitations has expired on bringing additional charges in the case.
Webb said that he, “after having thoroughly reviewed the evidence, has determined that no additional indictments would be sought because: (1) any prosecution as to actions taken by Chicago Police Department or the Cook County state’s attorney’s office personnel in 2004 are barred because of the three-year statute of limitations period, which was not otherwise extended under applicable state criminal law; (2) there is insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt any violations of Illinois criminal law as to actions taken by CPD personnel in 2011; and (3) there is no evidence of any kind suggesting any violations of Illinois criminal law as to actions taken by SAO personnel in connection with its participation in the Koschman investigation in 2011 and 2012.”
* Meanwhile…
After two days of deliberations, a federal jury on Wednesday found Eugene Mullins, a friend and onetime aide to former Cook County Board President Todd Stroger, guilty of seven of eight counts at his corruption trial.
Mullins was acquitted of one count of wire fraud but convicted of three other wire fraud counts and four counts of bribery. The charges stemmed from four contracts he was accused of steering toward contractors in exchange for nearly $35,000 in kickbacks.
Mullins faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count of wire fraud and 10 years in prison on each count of accepting a kickback. U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve set sentencing for Dec. 19.
The verdict follows a colorful trial in which defense attorneys told animated stories to illustrate their points. In closing arguments, Mullins’ attorney Brunell Donald-Kyei barked like a dog and later meowed to illustrate how four contractors changed their stories after being questioned by investigators.
* And…
Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s administration is changing the way it awards insurance brokerage contracts in the wake of former city Comptroller Amer Ahmad’s indictment and a Chicago Sun-Times report about the awarding of insurance business to a company whose lobbyist has ties to a top deputy in the comptroller’s office.
The move reverses a change made nearly two years ago — months after Emanuel took office and appointed Ahmad — that gave the comptroller’s office “the power to purchase, directly or through an insurance broker that he engages, and subject to the approval of the budget director, insurance for the city.”
* And while it may not belong here, this could turn out to be a big story…
The city of Chicago is asking the state to change its method of buying power for utility customers in a way that almost certainly would hike electricity rates for those still getting their electricity from Commonwealth Edison Co.
The move, also endorsed by retail power suppliers, would make it easier for the city’s supplier, Chicago-based Integrys Energy Services, to beat ComEd’s rates when its contract with the city comes up for renewal in May. But it likely would boost electric bills in large suburbs like Joliet and Waukegan whose constituents have rejected referendums that would have allowed their city officials to buy power on their behalf from outside suppliers. […]
David Kolata, executive director of consumer advocacy group Citizens Utility Board, opposes changing the IPA’s procurement process.
“It’s not a good policy to artificially increase (utility) prices to artificially claim there are savings,” he said.
Yikes.
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OK, but how do you pay for it?
Thursday, Sep 19, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I was on vacation when Sen. Kirk Dillard did his campaign kickoff, so I missed this…
During the Dillard statewide fly around, the DuPage Republican announced his support to reverse the Tamms Correctional Center closure and, if elected, he will stop any potential closure process of the Warren G. Murray Developmental Center.
The meltdown predicted after the closure of Tamms hasn’t happened. Yes, there’s been a lot of media coverage of problems in the prison system, but it doesn’t appear that ex-inmates from Tamms are pushing assaults up.
I have a much-beloved aunt who is fighting hard to keep Murray open, so I think I’ll just defer on that one for now.
* But here’s something I posted last year, when the General Assembly voted to override a Pat Quinn veto which cut funding for Tamms…
Quite a few Democrats voted to override the governor, but Republicans have been clamoring for budget cuts for years now, yet most of them voted to override. Here are a few quotes from memory lane…
* “No one wants to be cut. Everyone points the finger and says: ‘Cut them, not me.’”
- Sen. Kirk Dillard, Daily Herald, April 27, 2012
* “It is time that we stop this abuse of tax dollars and make the real spending cuts needed to balance the budget.”
Sen. Kirk Dillard, campaign release, March 16, 2012
Dillard also wants to force the income tax hike to expire in 2015, so there will be even less money to reopen a shuttered prison and keep another facility running.
Discuss.
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Term limit myths
Thursday, Sep 19, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Chris Mooney, director of the Institute of Government and Public Affairs at the University of Illinois, tackled some myths about term limits in Crain’s. Mooney has done quite a bit of research on the topic.
One point that particularly caught my eye is the apparently false belief that term limits shift power to lobbyists…
Lobbyists despise term limits and are not strengthened. Their job depends on developing trust with lawmakers and educating them on issues. With term limits, lobbyists must work ever harder at this, as members and leaders come and go.
That’s an interesting point and probably spot on.
* More…
• Term limits will yield “citizen legislators,” bringing some common sense and real-world experience to state government.
False. Term-limited legislators are no different in their political experience and ambition than those who are not term-limited, although there is more “churning” of officeholders, as local officials and state lawmakers swap offices more frequently.
• Term limits will make legislatures more diverse.
False. Term-limited lawmakers are not noticeably different in occupational profile, average age, gender or race.
• Term limits will increase competition and decrease campaign spending.
False. Overall, these don’t change with term limits, although their patterns do. A term-limited incumbent is almost never challenged for re-election. Rather, people interested in the job will wait for his/her final term, at which point there is a colossal scrum for the open seat. Whoever wins the seat then gets a pass until his/her limit is reached.
* Another interesting point…
Committee chairs have less knowledge of issues and procedures, leading to more chaotic, partisan hearings and less influence in the lawmaking process.
In the House, committees are very tightly controlled by leadership, so term limits would likely produce even more partisan “chaos.”
* I know I’m excerpting too much, but one final thought from Mooney…
Of course, term limits advocates might argue that weakening the legislature is good. But as one who values the American principle of balanced power in government, I offer one word of caution to those who would like to see the currently strong Illinois governorship grow even stronger: Blagojevich.
Discuss.
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Yesterday’s other hearing
Thursday, Sep 19, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* SJ-R…
Attorneys for some retired state workers argued before the Illinois Supreme Court Wednesday that the retirees should not be required to pay premiums for their state-subsidized health insurance.
However, attorneys for the state continued to maintain that health insurance benefits are separate from pension benefits and thus not protected by the state Constitution. […]
“Do an Internet search for jobs with benefits,” [Edward Kionka, one of two attorneys representing retired state workers] told the court. “Everyone know that means such things as health insurance. The term benefits is much broader than pensions.” […]
Assistant Attorney General Richard Huszagh said nothing in that law established retiree health insurance as a contractual right.
“There is nothing in the group insurance act that satisfies the strict standards to establish a contractual status for those provisions,” he argued. “What the plaintiffs are asking the court to do is give the pension clause a new and expansive interpretation.”
* Here’s some analysis posted yesterday on the Appellate Strategist blog…
This morning, a seemingly skeptical Illinois Supreme Court appeared ready to side with the State in a dispute over 2012 amendments to the State Employee Group Insurance Act. Several Justices peppered the two attorneys splitting argument time for the plaintiffs with sixteen questions during their opening, many of which echoed various points made in the Circuit Court’s opinion tossing the case out of court. In comparison, counsel for the State was treated gently, receiving only five questions in all, four of them from Justice Thomas.
It’s a very detailed and involved report, so go read the whole thing.
* Our commenter RNUG, who has proved to be a heck of a pension issues analyst, disagreed…
Just finished watching to the Kanerva v Weems video and reading the analysis by Kirk Jenkins. I won’t belabor the items point by point but just say I don’t necessarily agree with Jenkins’ analysis but we’ll eventually see how accurate his reading is.
The one thing that really struck me was the arguments used by the State re what is protected by the Pension Clause. The state’s attorney made every one of the arguments a lot of us have been making that the pensions themselves can’t be diminished in any way, shape or form. Whoever ends up suing over SB0001, SB2424 or whatever gets passed can just use all the state’s own arguments to make the point the pensions can’t be diminished.
RNUG (which stands for Retired Non-Union Guy) updated and expanded his thoughts this morning…
1) The [Illinois Supreme Court], which probably doesn’t want to be in the middle of the pension clause arguments, could use this case to send a clear message that the pensions can’t be altered after the fact.
2) The questioning seemed to indicate that the judges had some problems with the points raised by both sides. If I had to guess on the ruling, it might be a split one, returning the case to the circuit court, giving the state the right to minimally alter the health insurance but finding that (at minimum) access to the State’s group health plan at a reasonable cost is, in fact. a contractually and constitutionally protected right … while leaving the details of exactly what and how to be determined by the circuit court.
If the court ruled as outlined in #2, that takes any ‘consideration’ for health insurance access off the table, negating Cullerton’s SB2424 contractual alteration argument. Some expanded comments (as done in previous pension cases) about what is protected could also dispel the notion of any ‘police powers’ argument.
* Watch the hearing for yourself…
Click to view
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My favorite charity
Thursday, Sep 19, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Commenter “Lobo Y Olla” scoffed this week at a claim made by another commenter that the Cook County State’s Attorney was low-balling the number of cases it would dismiss against people who benefited from the recent Illinois Supreme Court ruling on carrying loaded guns in public…
If Cook dismisses more than 100 cases, I’ll donate $100 to Rich’s favorite charity.
* From Fox 32…
Prosecutors say they’ve dismissed all charges against at least 103 defendants arrested for illegal gun possession in Chicago.
You can donate to Lutheran Social Services of Illinois by clicking here.
Thanks.
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Caption contest!
Thursday, Sep 19, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The photo is a little difficult to see because it was taken with a mobile phone kinda far away, but the photographer inadvertently caught a moment during David Vite’s retirement party last night when it almost appeared as if House Speaker Michael Madigan was bowing down to new House Republican Leader Jim Durkin…
Funniest commenter wins a free state legislative mobile app that I’m getting ready to roll out.
Our last winner was “Dirty Red” for this caption of a Bill Daley pic…
“Attention fair goers: would the owner of a green and white campaign tour bus please report to gate two. You’re parked on top of my crowning achievement……Green and white tour bus parked on top of my crowning achievement.”
Heh.
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* Charles Thomas is at today’s court hearing on Gov. Pat Quinn’s legislative salary veto, so let’s follow him. Gov. Quinn is in attendance and I’ll be posting what I’m hearing from somebody else who is there.
Watch the hearing unfold…
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State senator takes “SNAP Challenge”
Wednesday, Sep 18, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* All respect…
State Senator Jacqueline Y. Collins (D-Chicago 16th) is taking the SNAP Challenge this week to better understand the hardships faced by food stamp recipients. The SNAP Challenge, sponsored by the Greater Chicago Food Depository, invites elected officials, community leaders and others to spend only $35 on food for a week – the average weekly SNAP benefit for a single adult.
“I’m taking on this challenge to educate myself about the struggles poor families face when trying to put food on the table,” said Collins, a member of the Commission on the Elimination of Poverty. “With some members of Congress questioning the necessity of SNAP benefits, it’s important to draw attention to the barely adequate but still critical lifeline food stamps represent for the poor in Illinois.”
SNAP – the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly called food stamps – provides benefits to more than 820,000 Cook County residents and 47 million people nationwide. The average individual SNAP recipient in Illinois receives just $35 each week to spend on food. SNAP Challenge participants are asked to eat only food they have purchased using the $35 available for the week, include food purchased at restaurants and avoid accepting free food.
“Every day, low-income individuals and families must make heart-wrenching decisions between buying food or medicine, or between paying the rent or paying a doctor’s bill,” Collins said. “It’s a privilege to stand with ‘the least of these,’ even in a small and symbolic way, and challenge the apathy that consigns them to the margins of our awareness.”
The Greater Chicago Food Depository, a network of 650 food pantries throughout the Chicago region, distributes food to 678,000 individuals each year while offering training programs that help break the cycle of poverty.
The Food Depository estimates that in order to compensate for the five percent cut in SNAP benefits proposed by some members of Congress, its pantries would have to increase the amount of food they provide by 50 percent.
I simply can’t imagine living on that tiny food allowance.
And, as far as I’m concerned, all those legislators who are constantly complaining about the cost of the food stamp program really ought to take this challenge. Walk a mile in the shoes of someone less fortunate for a change.
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Question of the day
Wednesday, Sep 18, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* A text message from a very good friend…
you’ll get a kick out of this. [Hillary Clinton] is the keynote speaker for this charity luncheon im at. She just took a swipe at Pat Quinn- who is here- and called him the luckiest politician in the world. The room erupted in laughter.
* The Question: How would you describe Gov. Pat Quinn’s luck?
…Adding… A text from the governor’s office…
From someone sitting in that same room - not me - “it was NOT a swipe - it was friendly! She said she loves working with the Governor and looks forward to continuing to work with him in the future.”
OK, but it’s still funny.
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* Tom Cross officially announced for state treasurer today. From an e-mail to supporters…
State law requires we have a balanced budget, yet the gimmicks legislators and Governor’s have used over the past decade have resulted in the nation’s worst budget deficit and over $7 billion in unpaid bills.
It’s not fair to taxpayers and it has to stop.
On day one, I will let the legislature and Governor know that I will use all the powers available to me under the Constitution, including legal action, to enforce the state’s balanced budget requirement.
Taxpayers deserve no less.
That’s not a bad idea. The attorney general has said that if the Legislature passes a budget that it considers to be balanced, then it satisfies the constitutional requirement for a balanced budget, even if the House Speaker himself admitted publicly that the budget wasn’t balanced. Remember this from 2010?…
A more activist approach to this question would be welcomed.
* WLS AM…
Cross jumped in promising to be a different kind of state treasurer.
“I think the conventional time and the conventional day, the conventional wisdom of the treasurer’s over here just watching the books like Mr. Drysdale did for the Clampets is over!” Cross said.
Now Cross is not without a primary challenger. DuPage County Auditor Bob Grogan is also running.
“I’m a CPA and a certified fraud examiner and Tom is an attorney!” [Grogan] said.
* Perhaps Mr. Grogan, CPA, should audit his grammar before posting on Facebook…
I want welcome Tom Cross the the race for State Treasurer. I know this office was not his first choice, but I look forward to a spirited debate.
I doubt he’s gonna get much debate unless he can show he can actually run a real campaign. So far, he hasn’t.
…Adding… Grogan updated his page…
I want to thank Rich Miller of CapitolFax for pointing out that, in my prior post, spellcheck put an extra “the” instead of the word “to”. If I only had free help from HRO staff as I was starting my campaign my posts might read more like they were written by a lawyer and less like a CPA.
I want welcome Tom Cross to the race for State Treasurer. I know this office was not his first choice, but I look forward to a spirited debate.
And he still makes a mistake.
Hilarious.
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One primary does not a Democrat make
Wednesday, Sep 18, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Taken alone, this is not a big deal. How many decades did Ronald Reagan register as a Democrat before switching to the GOP, for instance?
Tom Kacich reports…
Although he voted in Republican primaries at other times, [Republican GOP gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner] took a Democratic ballot in the 2006 primary election.
As Kacich reports, Rauner took the Democratic ballot to vote for Forrest Claypool, who was running against John Stroger for county board president. Claypool was, and is, a darling of the Chicago monied elite. They also backed his doomed independent campaign against Joe Berrios for county assessor.
So, again, this ain’t a big dealio taken by itself. Lots of bigtime, GOP-leaning money bags took “D” ballots in ‘06 to back Claypool.
* The problem becomes when you add it to Rauner’s coziness with Rahm Emanuel and his campaign contributions to other Democrats.
In the general election, that’s not a real issue (except for the pay to play allegations regarding Gov. Rendell). But in a primary, GOP voters (and Democrats, for that matter) tend to prefer purity.
* So, taken as a whole, this is just one more bit of “evidence” that can be used to paint Rauner as a “closet Democrat” - if, that is, anybody finally raises the money to go after the guy.
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*** UPDATE *** Alexi Giannoulias responded this morning to the NBC 5 story about how he’s considering a bid for governor…
“Ain’t happening. My life is great right now, Quinn’s my friend, and frankly I think it’s too late for anyone serious to get in anyway.
“Ahern’s correct: I’ve gotten calls, but I imagine that the folks who called me are probably calling others as well. Flattered, but no interest. I do, however, miss Springfield and especially the folks in the treasurer’s office dearly.”
So, let’s put that goofy rumor to rest once and for all, shall we?
[ *** End Of Update *** ]
* NBC 5…
With Democrat Bill Daley out as a candidate for governor, who might be in?
NBC 5 has learned that some Democratic insiders not satisfied with Gov. Pat Quinn are reaching out to others, including former state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias.
Also on the wish list is Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle as well as perhaps a newcomer — a business man or woman.
While there are concerns it may be too late even though the official filing isn’t until December 1, Giannoulias is said to be at least entertaining the idea.
Yeah. Another banker. And a bank that failed, to boot. That’ll work.
I’ve reached out to Giannoulias via voicemail, text and e-mail, but haven’t heard back. I’ll let you know if he responds.
For what it’s worth, I’ve been asked by some folks to write stories encouraging others to run, including about Alexi and Dan Hynes. But I’ve told everybody that unless I hear from those guys directly, I’m not gonna write anything beyond what’s being reported already.
That was my rule with Kwame Raoul. We talked, he was clearly interested, I thought he could pull it off, so I wrote about it.
* Meanwhile, the folks who already decided not to run aren’t changing their minds…
Lisa Madigan, who is seeking re-election as attorney general, said Tuesday that she is not reconsidering her decision to bypass a run against Quinn.
“My decision was based on nothing else to do but my own considerations, not those of any other potential candidates in the race,” she said.
Democratic state Sen. Kwame Raoul of Chicago, who also had weighed a primary challenge to Quinn, said he was not reconsidering. Raoul indicated his decision was due to a variety of factors, not simply whether the primary would have been “a three-way or a two-way race.”
* Related…
* Is Bill Daley back in frame as possible Ambassador to Ireland?
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Why isn’t there more coverage of this story?
Wednesday, Sep 18, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Fox Chicago ran a story this week about a man who spent 14 months in Cook County Jail after being busted for violating a state Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon law that was recently tossed out by the Illinois Supreme Court. A total of twenty people are being released from Cook County’s lockup in the wake of the ruling and another 60 will have charges dropped.
From the story…
Edward Hambrick has already spent more time behind bars at the Cook County Jail than some who’ve been convicted of violent crimes. His case began 26 months ago, when he said he left Pierre, South Dakota, where he’d been working as a computer programmer, to return to his native Englewood for a 20th high school class reunion.
Hambrick was staying at his mother’s house. Law enforcement sources told FOX 32 News it’s on a block controlled by a faction of the Black P Stone street gang. While his South Dakota license plates might have drawn attention, Chicago police said they stopped Hambrick on 79th Street because he wasn’t using his truck’s seat belt. That’s when an officer found his loaded, .45 caliber Taurus handgun and two magazines with 10 rounds each.
“‘Whose gun is that in the car?’ I said, ‘It’s mine.’ He said, ‘Well, why do you have a gun?’ I said, ‘For the same reason you have a gun, to protect myself,’” Hambrick says, describing his conversation with the cop.
Hambrick said he showed the police his Illinois Firearm Owner’s ID card, as well as a concealed carry permit valid in South Dakota. Precisely because he’d grown up on the bloody streets of Englewood, he said, he felt he needed a gun to protect himself. Hambrick, who said he once belonged to the National Rifle Association, admits he became belligerent as he then addressed the alleged shortcomings of Chicago’s gun laws.
“He said, ‘Well, Chicago has this ordinance that bans guns and you can’t have a loaded weapon, blah, blah, blah,’” Hambrick recalls. “I said, ‘Officer, did you take an oath to the constitution?’ He said, ‘Yes. We all did.’ ‘So, right now you’re violating your oath and you’re violating my rights.’ They subsequently ignored all that and arrested me for Aggravated UUW.”
It’s that charge, aggravated unauthorized use of a weapon for personal possession, that the State Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional last week. That’s why a spokeswoman said State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez will send assistant prosecutors into courtrooms Tuesday asking to dismiss AUUW charges against about 80 defendants, including 20 or so like Hambrick who couldn’t bond out and are in County Jail.
The 40-year old Hambrick said he wouldn’t plead guilty even to a lesser charge because it would instantly end his career in information technology.
So, isn’t the release of this guy an admission by State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez that people who have a valid FOID card and aren’t committing any other felonies can now carry loaded, concealed guns in Cook County?
Either way, I’m still amazed that the recent ILSCt ruling hasn’t managed to generate more interest from the Chicago media. Baffling, even.
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Today’s quote
Wednesday, Sep 18, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Sneed talked to Bill Daley…
◆ Sneed: “I’m told you think Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner, who is close to Mayor Rahm Emanuel, could win?”
◆ Daley: “I do think Bruce Rauner is the strongest candidate.”
Of course he does. The two have serious partisan differences, of course, but overall they’re ideological soul mates.
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* So far, at least, Bill Daley’s exit from the Democratic primary is not prompting the Republican candidates to focus their attacks on Gov. Pat Quinn. Instead, they’ve used the occasion to mostly attack each other. Bill Brady…
According to Brady, both Rauner and Dillard have so-called RINO problems to overcome. For Rauner, it’s his association with Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
“80 percent of those polled by a We Ask America poll say that if they know you were supportive of Rahm Emanuel, meaning Bruce Rauner, it’s a non-starter. They won’t support you as a Republican candidate for governor,” Brady said. […]
Brady said Dillard’s main problem with Republican voters will be his past support for President Obama, appearing in a television ad for Obama during his 2008 campaign. However, Dillard’s quotes in the ad praised then Senator Obama for his ability to work in a bi-partisan way, as well as his negotiation skills.
While more and more voters wish that legislators could work in a bi-partisan manner, Brady thinks party lines supercede that desire, and Dillard’s appearance will hurt him in the race.
“These folks have compromised in ways that [Republican voters] can’t accept.”
* Kirk Dillard…
“It’s very clear that Mr. Rauner is now, especially with Bill Daley out, that Bruce Rauner would be Mr. Emanel’s choice,” Dillard said. “I think you want someone who’s independent from the Mayor of Chicago. We have major battles going on over school funding, funding of the Regional Transportation Authority and I have a respectful and good-working relationship with the Mayor of Chicago, but I’m not in his inner circle as is Bruce Rauner.”
Dillard went on, “I believe that for a Republican nominee, that closeness to Rahm Emanuel - the guy who made Rahm Emanuel rich by giving him tens of millions of dollars right after he left the Clinton administration - that is not a healthy governmental relationship for a Republican governor.” […]
As for Bill Brady, “he proved last time - in 2010 - he was unelectable and it hasn’t gotten easier for him this time,” Dillard said.
* But Bruce Rauner did stick to the subject of Quinn…
“We’re the worst run state in America. And it’s all about lack of leadership, all about lack of driving results. Quinn, clearly — worst governor in America. The good news for us is, it doesn’t look like he’s such a crook he’s going to jail.”
* In another interview, Dan Rutherford merely repeated his claims that he was the only candidate who could win in November. And Dillard did get in an anti-Quinn line…
Republican state Sen. Kirk Dillard said, We know Pat Quinn … 12 credit downgradings by Wall Street, an economy that is the second worst in America … he is a completely ineffective leader.”
Coverage follows conflict, and whacking each other is a surefire way of getting into the newspapers and on TV. Expect more of it.
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Hearing today on lawmaker pay
Wednesday, Sep 18, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* AP…
A Cook County Circuit Court judge was expected to hear arguments Wednesday in a lawsuit challenging Gov. Pat Quinn’s decision to stop lawmakers from being paid until they agree on how to deal with Illinois’ nearly $100 billion public pension problem.
House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton sued after Quinn used his line-item veto earlier this summer to cut money for legislators’ salaries from the state budget. They contend that their fellow Chicago Democrat’s actions were unconstitutional and violated the separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches.
The lawmakers have asked Judge Neil Cohen to order paychecks to be issued. Cohen set oral arguments for Wednesday. It was unclear if he planned to rule immediately following the hearing or at a later date.
* Tribune…
There are a number of potential outcomes to the hearing before Judge Neil Cohen. He could rule legislators should be paid immediately with back pay. He could rule in favor of lawmakers but put the decision on hold while the governor’s office appeals it. He could stand by Quinn. And Cohen could listen to arguments and take some time to deliberate.
* Bloomberg…
Quinn, in a July 30 statement, called the lawsuit “just plain wrong.”
The governor’s intent shouldn’t be disregarded, his attorneys said in a Sept. 13 court filing. “A line-item veto, after all, is part of a legislative process for which the fulfillment of legislative intent is the primary objective.”
The Legislature maintains the power to override his veto rendering the lawsuit moot, Quinn said in an earlier filing.
The lawmakers disputed Quinn’s assertion their case was merely hypothetical because the legislative process hasn’t run its course.
“This will come as a surprise to the legislators (and their families), who now have not been paid for two months,” Madigan and Cullerton said in a Sept. 6 filing. “Perhaps their banks can issue hypothetical credits to their accounts so that they can write hypothetical checks to pay their very real monthly bills.”
Subscribers have those September filings.
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