* Money laundering, trafficking body parts and rabbis allegedly in on the scheme. I think Illinois might have just been surpassed…
Federal agents swept into New Jersey towns across several counties Thursday morning, arresting about 30 people including mayors and religious leaders, in a federal investigation into alleged public corruption and a high-volume, international money-laundering conspiracy.
The probe also involves the trafficking of body parts, according to a person familiar with the matter. One of the individuals who was arrested Thursday morning is an alleged organ dealer, this person said.
According to a statement released by the U.S. Attorney’s office in Newark, the arrests related to the public-corruption probe included Peter Cammarano III, the newly elected Democratic mayor of Hoboken; Dennis Elwell, mayor of Secaucus, also a Democrat; state Assemblyman Daniel Van Pelt, a Republican; and Democrat Leona Beldini, the deputy mayor of Jersey City.
Arrests that are part of the money-laundering portion of the investigation include several rabbis in New York and New Jersey, the statement said.
* The Question: What could Illinois do to regain its title as the most embarrassingly corrupt state? Snark heavily encouraged.
Snarkiest response wins a ticket to the August 17th Chicago White Sox game vs. the Kansas City Royals.
Jesse White running for Secretary of State in 2045 poses with Rich Miller of “Capitol Fax” fame; both men are still at the top of their game. Although Rich has aged some, strangely enough Jesse has not.
HI should e-mail me so we can figure out the ticket hand-over. If I don’t hear from him/her, the ticket will go to our runner-up Jim Rockford for this gem…
Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White poses with a man born the year the Chicago Cubs last won a World Series.
* I’ve been telling subscribers about this for a few weeks now, and Chicago Public Radio had a piece earlier in the week that I missed. Negotiations have been underway for some time to pass a bill that “strengthens” the huge controversial and widely mocked reform legislation approved by the General Assembly…
Three weeks ago members of the advocacy group Change Illinois met with Senate President John Cullerton and Senator Don Harmon, the [ethics reform] plan’s sponsor. Harmon says they talked about what’s known as a trailer bill. That could be passed later to change parts of the original campaign finance plan.
Change Illinois is drafting legal language the group’s spokesman expects will be sent to legislative leaders and the governor within a week or so. That language could be used by the governor to issue an amendatory veto of the bill, or later by lawmakers.
Quinn has until the end of August to act.
We’ll see what happens with the new language. One big problem is getting the House Speaker to agree to any changes. But this probe might prod him a bit…
Cook County prosecutors have demanded records from the county tax appeal board amid questions about property-tax breaks awarded to businessmen who are political supporters of a state lawmaker, the Tribune has learned.
The grand jury subpoenas to the Cook County Board of Review seek records on tax appeal cases that are already the subject of an internal board investigation involving state Rep. Paul Froehlich (D- Schaumburg) and a political associate who used to work for tax board Commissioner Joseph Berrios.
One of three elected board members, Berrios is also chairman of the Cook County Democratic Party and a Springfield lobbyist with close ties to House Speaker Michael Madigan, the state Democratic Party chairman.
Board members and their staffs have been investigating whether Froehlich used any “undue influence” through Victor Santana, the political associate who worked for Berrios, or anybody else to get the tax breaks for businesses in Froehlich’s district, Commissioner Larry Rogers Jr. said. Rogers said he was aware that investigators for State’s Atty. Anita Alvarez were looking at tax cases as well but wouldn’t say whether they were the same ones.
And, of course, it’s possible that some Chicago legislators could be subjected to some scrutiny over this…
The Inspector General for Chicago Public Schools has been asked to investigate how kids were picked for admission to some of the city’s most coveted public schools — a process long criticized and questioned.
Even an auditing firm has been pulled in to review whether the admission process for the system’s “selective-enrollment'’ schools needs to be improved, CPS officials said Wednesday.
And then there’s the ongoing U of I clout list story.
Asked to explain why, exactly, an indicted ex-governor continues to host radio shows and appear on television even as he faces a massive criminal indictment, one of Rod Blagojevich’s lawyers gave it his best shot today: “We got a guy who’s innocent,” Sam Adam Jr. said. “When you’re innocent, you stand on top of the roof and yell it.”
On Sunday, Blagojevich hosted a two-hour talk-show on WLS (890 AM). He’s slotted to do the same this weekend.
The pressure is definitely on.
* Related…
* Chicago schools: District officials probe admissions at top public schools
* Republican state Rep. Beth Coulson’s voting record would be a good match for the 10th Congressional District, so it’s no wonder she’s under pressure to try to hold that seat for the GOP. Coulson’s office told CQ Politics just days ago that she would run for reelection, but she sent this e-mail to supporters yesterday…
As you know, Congressman Mark Kirk has announced that he will seek election to the United States Senate in 2010. Since his announcement, many people have urged me to run for the 10th Congressional District seat that he will be vacating.
I have been honored to serve as your State Representative of the 17th District for the past 12 years and I believe I have played an important role in effecting policy in critical areas such as health care, education, ethics reform and the environment. Nevertheless, I believe I have the duty to consider this unique opportunity to continue my work on these issues at the federal level.
Over the next few weeks I will be discussing the possibility of running for Congress with my family, my friends and my constituents. As you may guess, this is a big decision and I must give it ample consideration. As always, your input is crucial and I welcome and appreciate your feedback. Please share your thoughts and advice as to how I can best serve the people of this area. You can visit my website at: www.bethcoulson.org and click on the “Join the Team” tab to leave your thoughts in the comments section or email me directly at: coulsoncampaign@hotmail.com
In the meantime, thank you for your ongoing support. I will be making a decision shortly.
* Kirk, by the way, has a new Internet ad that features Rod Blagojevich and Roland Burris. Click here to watch it.
* Sen. Dan Cronin announced for DuPage County Board Chairman during a big campaign rally yesterday. But he’s not alone…
State Sen. Carole Pankau of Itasca said she’s also looking to replace Chairman Robert Schillerstrom, who is vacating the seat to run for governor.
And Burr Ridge Mayor Gary Grasso kicked off his campaign for chairman by announcing he already has financial commitments of more than $100,000 and endorsements from eight mayors. […]
Whether more DuPage Republicans enter the race remains to be seen. County board members Pat O’Shea, Brien Sheahan, Jerry “JR” McBride and Debra Olson all said they’re considering it.
But the field is narrowing. Despite early speculation, former Illinois House Speaker Lee Daniels isn’t expected to come out of political retirement and enter the race.
* From a press release…
Terrence J. O’Brien, President of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago will announce his candidacy for Cook County Board President at 10am on Friday, July 24th. The announcement will be held at the Centennial Fountain and Water Arc located at 300 N. McClurg Court. O’Brien has a strong record of fiscal responsibility and the MWRD continues to stand on solid ground with a AAA bond rating. O’Brien has served as President of the MWRD for the past 13 years, an entity with a budget of over $1 billion. O’Brien has fought hard for and received millions of dollars in state and federal grants. Under the leadership of O’Brien, the MWRD has saved taxpayers millions of dollars through tax abatements.
“I want to do for Cook County what I have done for the Water Reclamation District. I brought greater financial accountability and leadership to the Water Reclamation District,” O’Brien said, “and that is what I will do for Cook County.”
Terrence J. O’Brien has served as President of the MWRD for 13 years and has served on the board of Commissioners for 21 years. O’Brien is a lifelong resident of Chicago. He currently resides on the northwest side of Chicago with his wife, Julie, and three children.
* The Republican primary in the 11th CD is filling up…
Will County resident Henry Meers says frustration with both Democrats and Republicans led him to become the third Republican to announce his candidacy for the GOP nomination for the 11th District congressional seat currently held by Democrat Debbie Halvorson of Crete.
“I am not the handpicked candidate of Republican bosses,” Meers said in a press release. “They have failed our party over and over with insider candidates pre-selected and jammed down the throats of the voting citizens.”
Other candidates are David McAloon of Bourbonnais, who works as a television producer for his Tinley Park church, and Adam Kinzinger of Normal, a former McLean County Board member and an Air National Guard pilot. […]
Though he entered the race on his own volition, Meers already assumes a major advantage over his two announced opponents. His base is Will County, which accounts for more than half of the likely GOP vote in the 11th District. This advantage is seen in his early endorsement by Will County Board Chairman James Moustis, R-Frankfort, and Bill Walker, GOP leader of New Lenox Township. Walker is serving as Meers’ campaign manager.
* And the Daily Herald thinks Republican attorney general candidate Joe Birkett needs to think again…
When it was assumed Attorney General Lisa Madigan would be aiming for governor or Senate, DuPage County State’s Attorney Joe Birkett announced his true vocation is rooting out corruption - and that he is running for attorney general to do that. Then, days later, the seemingly unbeatable Madigan announced she wants to keep her job after all. We like Birkett, but common sense suggests he should reconsider.
First of all, that’s not your call, and if Joe Birkett wants to run against Lisa, maybe the ground rules should change a little to even things up. How about Lisa using her married name, Lisa Byrnes, instead of “Madigan.” Wouldn’t that kind of level the playing Field. I’m sure everyone knows Lisa Byrnes is the famous daughter of Michael Madigan, Speaker of the House.
* Related…
* Candidates line up to replace Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias - Former state lawmaker Robin Kelly and newcomer Kip Kirkpatrick heading for Democratic primary battle
* Primary opponent for Hastert? A 27 year old graduate of Elgin’s Judson College is close to announcing his intention to run in the 14th CD, taking on attorney Ethan Hastert for the Republican bid to regain Congressman Bill Foster’s seat back from the Democrats.
* The Sun-Times says there’s no reason Cook County Board President Todd Stroger should wait to sign the “marijuana ticket” ordinance passed this week by the board…
The county measure is essentially a variation of pot decriminalization laws that have been popping up across the country, and reportedly working well. In Illinois, Sugar Grove, Springfield, Carbondale, Normal and a number of other towns have decriminalized pot, lightening the load of our overburdened court systems and bringing in extra revenue. Last year, more than 40,000 people were charged under state law with misdemeanor pot possession — less than 2.5 grams.
Springfield, for example, decriminalized pot in February to alleviate crowding at the Sangamon County Jail, but also to get a greater part of the fines offenders are paying. In Sangamon County last year, the courts collected $46,000 in fines for misdemeanor pot possession.
Sugar Grove in Kane County started issuing tickets for the small pot violations 10 years ago, largely because the return on so much paperwork seemed absurdly small.
“You arrest somebody for murder and it’s not as bad,” Sugar Grove Police Chief Brad Sauer said, talking about the hassle of processing a pot arrest. “And for such small amounts. It was ridiculous, time-consuming.”
* Phil Kadner quotes somebody in his column who makes a very good point…
“You know who likes prohibition? Al Capone liked prohibition. (Colombian drug lord) Pablo Escobar loved prohibition.
“The criminals and the politicians are on the same side. So who are the good guys and who are the bad guys?”
“We just had a ban on smoking. People say you can’t smoke, they said, ‘Please don’t smoke.’ And now everyone’s saying, ‘Let’s all smoke marijuana.’ I mean, after a while you wonder where America’s going to,” Daley said.
Um, no. Nobody’s saying that, ya goof. Nor did they say this…
“We’re worried about health care for everyone and, all of the sudden, we think marijuana smoking is the best thing if someone drives down the expressway, someone’s driving a cab, someone’s driving a bus, someone’s flying a plane. After a while, where do you go?” the mayor said.
On ABC7 Thursday morning, Stroger called it progressive discipline and an ease on overcrowded jails.
“You have a first offense, and it is really someone standing on the street smoking a marijuana cigarette, the police stop them, give them a ticket. That same person could be stopped again for a second time, the police can look back, see that they have been stopped before, and they can decide that, no, you are not getting a ticket, we are going to take you in and charge you with a different offense. So, this is really trying to help us manage our jail system,” said Stroger. “And we pay a lot of money to keep people in jail and for small offenses like this, this is saving taxpayers money.”
Storger went on to say that the way government works is that the legislature makes the rules, then it is up to the sheriff to enforce the rules.
“So, they don’t have to write the ticket. The police can decide we are taking everybody in. But I think they will do what seems to be prudent for the situation,” Stroger said.
The federal judge presiding over former Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s corruption case says he expects to decide next week whether to unseal key documents and wiretap evidence.
Blessings rained down Wednesday upon the defiled grounds of Burr Oak Cemetery as an ecumenical rainbow of leaders from diverse houses of worship re-consecrated what was formerly sacred but now is a crime scene.[…]
“Black and white, Jew and Gentile, Protestant and Catholic, Baptist and Greek Orthodox, we are here, all of us with one voice saying, ‘These grounds are hallow again,’ ” said the Rev. Marshall Hatch of New Mount Pilgrim Church in Chicago
He was among some 50 area religious leaders who converged on the beleaguered Alsip cemetery to tour and bless the sites where corpses were allegedly illegally unearthed and dumped in mass graves as part of an alleged grave-reselling scheme.[…]
The clergy were invited and accompanied by Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, whose office is managing an investigation that has brought the FBI and high-tech equipment that has recovered more than 200 bones or bone fragments from one four-block-wide area alone.
* Teen mother hoping to leave drugs and violence behind with help from CeaseFire workers
CeaseFire is bolstering its efforts to reach women and girls like Rivera who are caught up in Chicago’s violent street life. The strategy marks a shift for the Chicago-based organization, which historically has worked with men, the primary offenders and victims of crime.
Mayor Daley today urged labor leaders hell-bent on preventing Wal-Mart from expanding in Chicago to “come to grips” with the need for jobs.
After accepting a $700,000 Wal-Mart grant to create “green jobs” for ex-offenders, Daley lauded the world’s largest retailer as a “great corporate citizen” that is “responding” to concerns about wages and health care that have fueled union opposition.
The mayor said it’s “up to the citizens” to pressure their aldermen to give Wal-Mart the go-ahead to build its second Chicago store — and first super-center that sells groceries — at a former Chatham industrial site at 83rd and Stewart
Chicago Federation of Labor President Dennis Gannon has threatened to revive the big box minimum wage ordinance vetoed by Daley if the City Council approves a second Walmart.
Chicago Police officers could retire with premium health benefits at age 55, instead of 60, under a deal reached Wednesday that could save the city $23 million and pave the way for an infusion of younger officers.
Nearly 700 officers currently fall between the ages of 55 and 60 and could be lured into retirement, if only they were guaranteed affordable health care, said Fraternal Order of Police President Mark Donahue.
Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd) put off a License Committee vote on his proposal to crack down on the practice under pressure from a handful of condo owners, some of whom have hired veteran lobbyist Bill Griffin to plead their case.
“It was represented to them when the building was being constructed that this was a perfectly legitimate practice. Make an investment. Buy four or five units and rent them out. Open your own mini-hotel. And folks said, ‘That sounds great,’ ” Reilly said.
“They came in and said, ‘What gives? We made this investment in good faith.’ And I said, ‘I’m very sorry to report that the developer sold you a bill of goods. This is in direct violation of city code. I’m sympathetic to your situation. Let me see what we can do.’ ”[…]
It would allow condos to be turned into hotel suites, only if owners get prior approval from the condo association, secure at least $1 million in liability insurance and obtain a two-year “vacation rental license” for a $500 fee.
For thousands of drivers commuting downtown from the city’s Far North Side and near north suburbs, Ridge Avenue is a time-saving lifeline that picks up where transportation planners left off — funneling traffic to and from the dead end of North Lake Shore Drive.
But it turns out the same fast-moving features that make Ridge the in-the-know route for savvy drivers make it a nightmare for local residents who say they can’t even cross the street.
Now, the alderman who oversees one of Ridge’s busiest stretches says she has decided to open it to parking, essentially shutting down two of the four lanes, except during rush hour, in an effort to slow the cars and divert those commuters elsewhere.
* Hiring freeze no better idea despite layoffs, Davlin contends
The fact that the city of Springfield has issued layoff notices to some employees doesn’t make a hiring freeze any better an idea, aldermen were told Tuesday.
The issue: Several economically challenged suburbs are banding together to try to bring a high-tech, experimental garbage disposal facility to the Southland.
We say: While it may seem far-fetched or foolish, until more concrete plans for sound economic development are brought to the table, we applaud these mayors for at least seeking a solution. We need far more information to decide is if this a good move. But it’s a fair start.
ROCKFORD — William Charles Ltd. and the Winnebago County Board are working on a deal that will bring thousands of tons of garbage to county land and hundreds of thousands of dollars to county coffers.
It could also reduce the life span of the landfill by 20 percent.
So after this year, Aurora and Naperville will spend more than $20 million converting their analog radio systems to ones that use digital technology. The new radios will be more reliable and authorities say they will also provide better service from inside buildings and allow all emergency responders to communicate with each other instead of through a dispatcher.
Several e-mail messages were circulated among board members and officials at least a month before the final vote June 1 — correspondences that one expert called a violation of the Illinois Open Meetings Act.
Tarkington, 3330 W. 71st St., opened in 2005 as the Chicago Public Schools’ first “green” building. Since then, the school system has certified two others and has plans this fall for four new green elementary schools and one high school, said Suzanne Carlson, director of environmental affairs. Five more green schools are scheduled to open in 2010, officials said.
Unemployment-insurance claims have declined steadily since the spring, but most private economists and the Federal Reserve expect jobs to remain scarce and the unemployment rate to top 10 percent by the end of the year.
The Labor Department said today that its tally of initial claims for unemployment insurance rose by 30,000 to a seasonally adjusted 554,000. That was above analysts’ estimates of 550,000.
OSF Healthcare System employees were informed Wednesday morning of a yearlong freeze on salaries and other cost-saving measures.
All employees’ salaries will be frozen for 12 months effective this Sunday, Jim Farrell, OSF senior vice president of marketing and communications, confirmed Wednesday. That affects 12,000 employees systemwide.
Under the Illinois Home Start Loan Program, hundreds of residents will be offered a 30-year- fixed rate loan. Available to first-time home buyers, the loan is insured by the Federal Housing Administration.
The program offered by the Illinois Housing Development Authority also gives the home buyers the opportunity to use a second loan to help them make a down payment. This loan allows the first-time buyers an advance loan on the $8,000 federal tax credit that they can pay back once they get the credit.
Besides first-time home buyers, the program is available to veterans and members of the military who are on active duty even if they’ve purchased homes before.
Ticket sales were up a little more than 1 percent over the year before, for the fiscal year ending in June. That meant Illinoisans bought almost $2.1 billion worth of lottery tickets, setting a sales record.
Still, because of the timing of some payouts and other issues, profits for the state lottery were down nearly 5 percent last year. That means less money brought in for the state.
People spent more money on scratch-off tickets but less on more profitable games such as Mega Millions. That means the lottery sent the state about $625 million, down from $657 million the year before, said Jodie Winnett, lottery superintendent.
The FutureGen Alliance recently bought the final piece of property needed for the plant for $750,000 from Kurt and Michelle Theriault. The couple paid $155,000 for the wood-frame house and 4.3 acres in 1971.
Coles County Supervisor of Assessments Jean Tipsword says that’s more than anyone has ever paid for a residence in county. The previous record was $548,000.
In a filing Wednesday, the company proposed continuation of an incentive plan for about 720 employees, including the top 10 executives, with a maximum payout for this year of $45.6 million.
Tribune also has proposed bonuses of up to $10.6 million to be divided among 21 core managers, including the top 10 executives, for operating and restructuring efforts. An additional $1.3 million would be available for lower-level employees.
The Chicago-based company also proposed up to $9.3 million in performance bonuses to be divided among 23 key operations leaders, and permission to pay about $3 million in bonuses earned last year to nine top executives.
An association representing computer and video game publishers sued the CTA over the agency’s prohibition of ads for adult-only and “mature 17+” rated games.
The suit, filed in federal court in Chicago today, alleges that the CTA’s ban violates free speech rights.[…]
Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s bid to restrict the sale of violent and sexually explicit video games was rejected by the federal courts as unconstitutional. The state had to pay the ESA $544,550, according to an ESA spokesman.
Cook County hospital officials will descend on the Southland next week for the first in a series of public meetings asking what people think of their government-run hospital system.
The South Holland stop Monday on the so-called listening tour comes as the system grapples with potential budget cuts due to the county board’s tax rollback and an increasing number of uninsured patients - all while south suburban activists decry services moving to Chicago’s inner city.
Three young surveyors for an elaborate University of Chicago project aimed at mapping resources on the entire South Side recently discovered what Woodlawn residents long have known — though only blocks away, their neighborhood is worlds apart from the more celebrated Hyde Park.[…]
“What’s really depressing is what you find. There are a lot of liquor stores; you don’t see a lot of libraries or day-care centers,” said U. of C. senior Ruben Ornelas, 21, who is helping map every store, church, social service facility and health clinic in the area. “When you’re in these low-income communities you see things that aren’t going to help anybody.”
Block by block, by foot and car, these paid fieldworkers — many South Side natives and from various universities — are gathering data that will be uploaded to a Web site, giving the public visual proof of the health-care and resource disparities among South Side communities. The site will be available to residents, social service agencies and advocates to use as a research tool.
* Former Sox pitcher Jim Parque confesses: Why I juiced
With my career in jeopardy, I turned to performance-enhancing drugs, like some other players did. I never had needed them before, but with a shoulder that wouldn’t heal, it was realistically the only thing I could turn to.
Work harder, you say? Take vitamins and get in better shape? Did it, and I was rewarded with pathetic Triple-A stats, a fastball now in the low 80s and an average high school curveball.
* Funniest response wins a ticket to the August 17th Chicago White Sox game vs. the Kansas City Royals. Keep in mind, of course, that lewdness could get you banned. Funny, but within our boundaries. Thanks.
Quinn’s personal frugality is well known. He’s still carrying a nearly 30-year-old briefcase nicknamed Betsy, is a connoisseur of discount hotels and brags about recycling his old state business cards by crossing out the word “lieutenant.”
If Tex cannot accept his/her ticket, our runner up is anon the phenom…
YOUNGER Pat Quinn to OLDER Pat Quinn: “Just keep sticking to sunday afternoon press conferences, populist rhetoric, support for our troops, super 8 motels, support for anything green, defying conventional political wisdom, disheveled hair, lackluster fundraising, and striped purple ties and you will do fine!”
Tex should e-mail me as soon as possible so we can figure out how to deal with this ticket.
* The actual cut made to programs yesterday by the State Board of Education was $389 million. But keep in mind that the General Assembly had already approved an increase in the foundation level by $160 per student (about a 2.7 percent increase) and a hike in categorical spending. Most of that was due to the federal stimulus program.
Still, those program cuts, taken individually, look harsh…
Taking the biggest hit was early childhood education, which lost $123 million. The action “rolls back about five years of progress'’ and means an estimated 30,000 children will lose preschool services this fall, said Sean Noble of Voices for Illinois Children.
All state money for gifted education was “zeroed out,'’ along with dollars for two after-school programs — one of them started by the wife of Mayor Daley.
Efforts to help the blind and dyslexic, teacher recruitment in hard-to-staff schools, high school students taking Advanced Placement classes and teachers who earn rigorous national certification all took whacks.
A $6 million, or 33 percent, cut to alternative and safe schools, which serve former dropouts and students who have been suspended and expelled.[…]
* Elimination of $3 million state funding for the education of homeless children.
* A $19 million, or 25 percent, cut to programs for English language learners.
* A $1.8 million, or 50 percent, cut to Grow Your Own, which pays for career changers from low-income and high-minority neighborhoods to acquire education degrees.
In all, $272 million worth of grant-funded initiatives — including after-school programs, gifted education, and rural technology instruction — were wiped out. And funding for mental health services and mentoring for principals, teachers, and aspiring educators (such as the Grow Your Own program) were either halved or eliminated all together.
But even some relatively strong districts are concerned.
Schaumburg Township Elementary District 54 President Karen Strykowski said responding to the action would be a stretch. District 54 staff estimated that the decision would cut between $1 million and $1.4 million from the coming year’s budget, and particularly affect reading improvement, early childhood and bilingual programs.
Because the district can no longer reverse its decision to add staff in these areas for the year ahead, the cuts will have to be made in other areas, Strykowski said.
State School Superintendent Christopher Koch warned that without additional revenues, next year’s education budget picture would be even bleaker. That’s because $1 billion in federal economic stimulus money is being used in this year’s budget, but it won’t be available again.
[State Board of Education Chairman Jesse Ruiz] told representatives of the state’s politically powerful teachers unions to be careful how they dole out campaign cash to candidates.
“Give it to a school before you give it to a candidate,” Ruiz said.
* About a month ago, I called Chris Kennedy and asked him about rumors that he might run for governor if Lisa Madigan ran for HS Senate or stayed put. He stammered for what seemed like a full minute, and then finally asked if he could call me back in a half hour. I said sure. That call never came.
When LMadigan decided to stay at attorney general, I called Kennedy again and left a message. He finally returned my call several days later when I poked him in abstentia on Chicago Tonight for staying so quiet.
I asked him about new rumors that certain bigtime legislative Democrats were encouraging him to run for governor. He asked for time to get back to me. Nothing. I tried to smoke him out by telling subscribers about the governor thing, but he didn’t take the bait.
Christopher Kennedy is now debating whether to jump into the 2010 Democratic primary for Illinois governor, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned.
Asked to confirm that Tuesday, Kennedy’s spokeswoman, Casey Madden, would only say, “Chris is keeping all his options open.” […]
But [Lisa Madigan] this month stunned just about everyone by declaring she was staying put, running for election to a third term as attorney general. And now, Kennedy is reconsidering, according to several informed sources. […]
… “Chris may have more time to decide than most. … The problem for the Democratic party is races are all about the incumbent. If you’ve been in Springfield for the past eight [or more] years, you will get hit with millions of dollars in negative TV ads.”
If State Comptroller Dan Hynes challenges Pat Quinn in the 2010 Democratic gubernatorial primary, he’d be wise not to count on support from a familiar source: Mayor Daley.
Three months after all but endorsing Quinn, Daley slathered even more praise on Illinois’ accidental governor. It happened today after the mayor was asked about Hynes’ apparent decision to challenge a governor who enjoys the mayor’s support.
“I should be [supportive] because he’s worked very hard. He came in a very difficult situation in Illinois and he took it over. Pat has worked very hard. He’s very passionate. He passed an infrastructure bill. He finally passed a budget,” Daley said.
“The state has [a] very serious economic crisis. … This is much more serious than people predicted — especially with the joblessness [that] keeps rising all over the country. That’s what everybody’s concerned about. [But] so far, he’s done a very good job.”
You don’t have to go back three months to find the last time Daley praised Quinn. As I’ve already told you, the Quinn campaign has a video of Daley gushing about the governor just a couple weeks ago.
* Big bucks for a relatively unknown Democratic treasurer candidate…
A fast-rising private-equity executive is setting his sights on a new job: state treasurer.
Kip Kirkpatrick, co-founder of Water Street Healthcare Partners, said he’s decided to run for the Democratic nomination for treasurer because “I’m tired of being a critic (of Illinois government) like everyone else — on the sidelines.”
Mr. Kirkpatrick, 37, has been quietly fundraising for some time and [filed disclosure reports this week showing] that he’s pulled in a very impressive $512,000. Even better for him, he said only $100,000 has come from himself.
* Democrat Robin Kelly, a former state Rep. and chief of staff to incumbent Alexi Giannoulias, announced a long list of endorsements yesterday for her own treasurer’s bid. You can peruse that list by clicking here.
* Is Mark Kirk flip-flopping on cap and trade? Progress Illinois has a Kirk comment from a conservative radio show yesterday…
“If this comes back — and I don’t think it will, I think this bill has died in the Senate — I will be going through every detail and thinking about all of my constituents who got a hold of me on this issue. Because there has been an issue that I’ve heard nothing else about in the last couple of weeks.”
* Note to the SJ-R: Finding a local angle isn’t always necessary. Case in point: This lede…
Even though he lives in Highland Park, Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mark Kirk is familiar with central Illinois.
Kirk, 49, was born in Champaign and lived in Chatham from 1962 to 1965.
“My dad worked for Illinois Bell,” Kirk said during a campaign event Tuesday at a Springfield VFW post. “Illinois Bell transferred us all over the state, so we lived in Harvey, Downers Grove, Chatham, and I went to college in Carlinville at Blackburn College.
* There was a somewhat bizarre back and forth yesterday during a hearing of the governor’s commission charged with looking into the so-called “clout” admissions at the U of I. The strangeness actually came from Chairman Abner Mikva, who was questioning Board of Trustees Chairman Niranjan Shah of Oak Brook. From the News-Gazette’s Twitter page..
Mikva asks: ever heard of Indian mafia– that’s a joke?
Shah: I never heard of it. Am I missing something?
Mikva: you don’t know of powerful group called Indian mafia?
No.
Huh?
Nothing about that weird little exchange made it into the media today, and I was too busy working on other stuff to call Mikva and find out just what the heck he was getting at with what appeared to be an ethnic slur, or perhaps an implication that Shah is mobbed up. [The “that’s a joke?” line seems to be an astonished reporter asking the question in real Twitter-time.]
We’re getting awful close to witch trial phase with questions like that.
Look, Shah isn’t exactly above reproach here, but implying some ethnic mob connection is a bit much.
Shah: $50,000 was total contributions to Blago campaign. I supported him for congress. I supported Danny Davis, too
Chairman Mikva likes to get all high and mighty about the appearance of impropriety at the U of I. But does he not remember this Sun-Times op-ed he wrote in strident defense of Rod Blagojevich back in 2006? After listing all of Blagojevich’s glorious ethics reform proposals, Mikva went on to bash the media for making a mountain out of a molehill on corruption…
But you wouldn’t know it by reading or listening to the media. The emphasis there is on vague allegations that “some” employees have been hired improperly. There are “lists” of open positions that have gone through various persons in the governor’s office. But there are no specifics as to whether such positions are “exempt” or Rutan-covered, or evidence that people whose names may be on lists were actually treated differently than anyone else. Every administration has the right to fill certain positions with people they think will best help them implement their agenda. And for those positions where politics cannot be a factor in the selection of a candidate, there is no prohibition against anyone making recommendations for the jobs. There is, however, a very clear testing and interview process that must be used to select the best candidate. The newspaper stories over the past few weeks do not offer any evidence that those processes were violated.
In fact, most of the recent allegations seem to come from disgruntled ex-employees. No one has even checked as to whether the disgruntlement is about loss of the job or something fishy on the job. If there are credible charges of improper hiring, they should go to the inspector general, state law enforcement and the U.S. attorney’s office.
Vague allegations of improper employment practices tar and feather the whole state work force. We need state government workers who take pride in their reputations, in their work efforts, who get “psychic” income from their jobs, to make up for the gap between their pay scales and those of the private sector. We aren’t going to encourage those kinds of applicants if we don’t acknowledge reforms that are working and instead beat up on everybody who goes to work for the state of Illinois.
I’m gonna need to buy some hip waders now because all this irony just flooded my office.
If you’re busted carrying a small amount of marijuana in portions of Cook County patrolled by the sheriff’s police, you may get off with just a ticket.
In a move that caught the sheriff’s office off guard, the county board on Tuesday voted to decriminalize possession of less than 10 grams of pot in unincorporated areas of Cook County. Those are the parts of the county not claimed by Chicago or its suburbs.
The measure, which needs to be approved by Board President Todd Stroger to take effect, gives sheriff’s police and sheriff’s deputies patrolling the unincorporated areas the latitude to arrest a suspect on a misdemeanor charge or, under the new ordinance, hit them with a $200 ticket if they’re carrying 10 grams or less. […]
The ticket option also means a bust won’t result in a criminal record. It was unclear, however, what might happen to repeat offenders.
I’d rather see them just forget the ticket altogether, but that’s at least some progress. What’s the point in locking somebody up solely for possessing a small amount of marijuana?…
“Why bog down the courts with that kind of thing when we can just charge them a little fine instead? That’s what this ordinance in the state allows us to do, to charge them a little fine, and then we will collect the fine rather than them charging them, taking them to the jail lockup, having them the next morning show up in court, and then bogging down the system, and they take the fine,” said Commissioner Earlean Collins, chief sponsor of the measure
I don’t often agree with Commissioner Collins, but she’s right.
*** UPDATE *** Cook County Board President Todd Stroger reacts this morning…
“Off the top of my head, I don’t think it’s such a great idea. I’m not really an advocate of trying to decriminalize the drug that people start before they move on to the higher stuff.”
The former No. 2 official of the Catholic church in Chicago admitted that he knew 25 priests broke the law by sexually abusing children but did not report them, according to depositions made public Tuesday.
Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Raymond E. Goedert’s statements show “the lengths they went to to protect their reputation and the priest at the peril of the child,” said attorney Jeff Anderson, who represents men who have sued the archdiocese over alleged childhood molestation.
“I knew the civil law considered it a crime,” Goedert said in the deposition. “But I’m not a civil lawyer. I think we just relied on — a lot on our — we knew it was wrong, what was done. And we used our common sense and prudence with the help of people — expert in the field to assist us in resolving these cases.”
Goedert, the past president of the national Canon Law (Catholic Church law) Society, said families of the victims were not seeking to get the police involved and have the priests criminally charged — they simply wanted to prevent any other children from being victimized. So while now the church calls police when it learns of credible allegations of abuse, in those days –the ’70s and mid-80s — it did not.
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago has agreed to pay $3.9 million to six survivors of sexual abuse by priests.
In announcing the settlement Tuesday, the archdiocese also released a bishop’s deposition that detailed the church’s failure to report the crimes and attempts to keep them secret.
The 180-page deposition was prepared by retired Auxiliary Bishop Raymond Goedert, the second highest ranking bishop in the archdiocese.
• • Translation: Sneed is told legal briefs filed by the feds in the “Pay to Play” Blagojevich probe “number a million documents and 3½ million pages . . . all on discs, of course,” according to Blago attorney Sheldon Sorosky.
• • The upshot: “It’s overwhelming. We are going to ask the judge for a computer program to help digest it all,” said Sorosky, who will appear at a hearing before Judge Zagel today.
Two years ago, Richard Dominick recalls, he received a tempting offer from his brother, Cicero Town President Larry Dominick.
“We were just talking and he said, ‘How would you like to sit on a town board, get full health insurance and make a thousand bucks a month?’ ” Richard Dominick said. “I told him, ‘Do you think I’m nuts? Yeah, I’ll take that.’ ”
A Tribune investigation has revealed that 121 appointed board and commission members in Cicero are paid salaries — at a cost to taxpayers of about $1 million annually — and are offered health and dental insurance benefits for themselves and their families.
Though many towns pay their elected leaders and a few pay advisory panel members who serve exceedingly long hours, the distinction for Cicero is the size of the circle of compensation and the fact that it includes several relatives of Larry Dominick, who in his 2005 campaign promised to change the town’s history of nepotism.
* Former Melrose Park police supervisor signed in at work, then hit casinos
Over three days in police custody, Michael Tillman was beaten with a phone book, punched in the face and stomach until he vomited blood, had a plastic bag put over his head and 7 Up poured into his nose in a crude form of waterboarding, a court petition says.
Tillman, then 20, the father of a 3-year-old daughter and infant son, confessed to a crime he never committed after hours of torture under former Chicago Police Cmdr. Jon Burge’s officers, his attorneys say.
Now 43, Tillman was arrested on July 22, 1986, in the murder of Howard, whose body was found in a building where Tillman lived with his girlfriend and was the janitor. He was convicted on Dec. 18, 1986, — absent any physical evidence and based solely on his confession — according to the petition filed in Cook County Circuit Court.
The Police Committee took no action on the proposal by Ald. Sandi Jackson (7th) that would have mandated the temporary re-deployment of officers to her far South Side ward and other high-crime areas.
But, the message from South Chicago residents was delivered loud and clear.
“You hear shooting from 96th and Calhoun to 102nd and Calhoun. It’s back-and-forth, back-and-forth. You call the police. There’s a [squadrol] two blocks away just sitting there. Thirty minutes later, the police come. It’s too late. Everybody [has] scattered. The crime has taken place,” said Pastor Amos Bradford.
* Recent grads weigh options as employment proves elusive
According to a spring survey by the Pennsylvania-based National Association of Colleges and Employers, just 19.7 percent of 2009 graduates who applied for a job actually had one by graduation. In comparison, 51 percent of those graduating in 2007 and 26 percent of those graduating in 2008 who had applied for a job had one in hand by the time of graduation.
“When looking at overall unemployment being close to 10 percent, obviously that’s going to affect new college graduates,” said Mimi Collins, spokesperson for NACE.
“About 26 percent of the graduating class (of 2009) said they plan to go to graduate or professional school,” Collins said. “That is up from what we’ve seen in recent years.”
Quick, what’s America’s biggest wine region? If you answered California’s Napa Valley, you’re way, way off thanks to a federal ruling that creates a new one starting Wednesday.
It’s the Upper Mississippi River Valley, covering a whopping 29,914 square miles and encompassing portions of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa. That’s 39 times the Napa Valley’s puny 759 or so square miles.
The new region is huge news for midwestern vintners.
“I’m really excited about it,” says Paul Tabor, of Tabor Home Vineyards Winery about 40 miles south of Dubuque. “Wine enthusiasts really do look at the labels for an appellation and now we can use that as part of our marketing story.”
The lawsuit filed on Tuesday in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, seeks class-action status.
The complaint accuses Home Depot deliberately misclassifying the plaintiffs as “exempt” from overtime, which is paid to workers after 40 hours per week.
Home Depot did not return a call seeking comment.
The three plaintiffs said in the lawsuit that they were unlawfully deprived of wages when Home Depot required them to work at least 55 hours per week and they were not paid time and a half for time over 40 hours.
Boeing Co. said Wednesday its second-quarter earnings rose 17 percent from a year earlier, when a charge weighed down results. Higher defense sales and lower costs bolstered the company’s profit in the latest period.
Boeing, the world’s second-largest commercial plane maker, said it earned $998 million, or $1.41 per share, for the three months ended June 30. That compares with $852 million, or $1.16 per share, during the same period last year, which included a charge of 22 cents per share for late delivery of military aircraft.
Mayor Daley today accused unidentified media naysayers of trying to sandbag Chicago’s 2016 Olympic bid by reporting testimony from people at neighborhood hearings who don’t want the Olympics.
“You’re against it. You were against Millennium Park. You were against 911. You were against Soldiers Field. You were against Meigs Field. What else were you against? You’re against a lot. But, that’s freedom of speech,” Daley said.
“Some people don’t want this. … That’s part of American democracy. They can stand up and say anything they want. … But, in the next five years, six years, tell me one [other] thing that can bring jobs and economic opportunities and, besides that, guarantee an investment by the federal government [of] billions of dollars in infrastructure. If you have something better, I’d love to see it.”
It revolves around the City Council Rules Committee, which is where an ordinance to allow for a long-awaited Wal-Mart in Chatham sits.
The chair of that committee, Ald. Dick Mell (33rd), apparently told Wal-Mart officials and the alderman pushing for the Wal-Mart, Howard Brookins (21st), that the Rules Committee would consider the Wal-Mart ordinance in July.
Well, time is running out — and no one seems to be able to get an answer from Mell, this page included.
The last chance for a Rules Committee vote is July 28, the day before the full City Council’s July meeting. Notice for a rules meeting must go up no later than Friday.
Borrowing money only will delay difficult decisions Peoria County must make to mitigate an anticipated budget deficit of about $4 million this year.
So county officials Tuesday shot down a union proposal that the county borrow money at zero interest from the robust health insurance fund in lieu of reducing premiums by about 20 percent a month per employee. In efforts to avoid future layoffs, consideration is being given to wage freezes, unpaid holidays and mandatory furlough days in addition to a hiring freeze and voluntary separation package.
Two years after pulling the plug on an $18.5 million wireless Internet access system that would have reached into Chicago’s poorest communities, Mayor Daley today unveiled a far less ambitious plan to bridge the “digital divide.”
The mayor declared four impoverished neighborhoods — Englewood, Auburn Gresham, Chicago Lawn and Pilsen — “digital excellence demonstration communities” that will be flooded with technology to demonstrate the internet’s “transformative power.”
Microsoft has agreed to donate $1.1 million worth of software to help 28 non-profit organizations in those neighborhoods. Another $2 million from Microsoft, the MacArthur Foundation, the Local Initiatives Support Corporation and the state will help bring internet access to schools and public spaces in those disconnected neighborhoods.
These are the tough questions that economic historians will grapple with for centuries. But the real issue is why Chicago, once teeming with corporate headquarters, is no longer a city of major names.
A number of brand icons have been acquired or have left Chicago: Sara Lee, Quaker Oats, Amoco, Waste Management, Continental Bank, Marshall Field’s, First Chicago and Sears come to mind. Texas now leads the nation in corporate headquarters of the Fortune 1000
The speculation can cease. Two executives at Golub & Co., the managing partner of the group that owns the building’s commercial portions, say there is no name sale in the works. “We have no intentions of doing anything,” said Executive Vice President Lee Golub. “We haven’t even thought about that.”
Once those turbines begin churning - producing 100.5 megawatts of electricity per year, enough to power 30,000 homes - the state will mark a green milestone.
With Rail Splitter, Illinois will produce more than 1,000 megawatts of wind energy annually, pushing it further into the top 10 of wind-energy producing states.
Illinois currently ranks 10th in the nation with 915 megawatts of wind energy production per year, according to the American Wind Energy Association. Rail Splitter and two other projects are under construction or just completed.
“I think (Rail Splitter) actually puts the state just over 1,100 megawatts annually,” Whitlock said. “It’s very gratifying to be here leading this project. It’s the culmination of a lot of hard work by a lot of different people.”
Sheppard spent a half hour Tuesday in a new 90,000-gallon tank created in the recent remodeling of the Shedd’s Oceanarium. The 16-foot-deep tank has an area where trainers and participants can walk waist deep in the water, allowing whales to swim within inches of them.
The encounters cost $200 and include an additional hour meeting with trainers and learning about the whales. Shedd officials said the encounter program is one of only two offered in the United States.
High school football players sustain greater head accelerations after impact during play than do college-level football players — collisions that can lead to concussions and serious cervical spine injuries, according to a new University of Illinois study.
Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias will enter the 2010 race for U.S. Senate and officially launch his campaign during a seven-city statewide swing beginning Sunday in Chicago and Springfield. Since forming his exploratory committee in March, Giannoulias has received an outpouring of support from Illinois residents throughout the state who are hungry for leaders who will take on powerful special interests in Washington, get our economy back on track and restore opportunity for every American.
Time: 11:00 a.m.
Date: Sunday, July 26, 2009
Place: Hilton Chicago
720 S. Michigan Ave.
Chicago
Time: 2:30 p.m.
Date: Sunday, July 26, 2009
Place: President Abraham Lincoln Hotel
701 E. Adams St.
Springfield
On Monday, Giannoulias will also make stops in Carbondale and the Metro East area. On Tuesday, Giannoulias will visit Rockford, the Quad Cities and Peoria. (Details about events in these locations will be announced later this week.)
* 1:25 pm - It appears that Cook County residents might see some sales tax relief soon. The county board just approved rolling back half of the one-cent sales tax increase with 13 votes. It’ll take 14 votes to override, but Commissioner Forrest Claypool was absent and he’s expected to vote against any veto by President Todd Stroger.
Tony Peraica has already sent out a victory e-mail…
“What a difference a year makes: when I first introduced a sales tax rollback last year, many of my fellow commissioners scoffed. Now, with election season right around the corner, those same commissioners have found religion and passed this tax rollback.
“Whatever their reasons — today’s vote is a victory for the taxpayers.
“Todd continues to insult the taxpayers by promising to veto this tax relief ordinance. Fortunately, we believe we have the fourteen votes necessary to override his veto. Good for the taxpayers — bad for Todd.”
…Adding… Peraica live-Tweeted the vote, so the roll call is here.
Quinn is a “bad boy” on the Illinois political scene. A gadfly. An energetic, committed man, who, depending on who you talk to, is either slightly naive, or is, very simply, a ruthless demogogue. Most will agree, however, that he is clever.
Publicly, Quinn fancies himself a self-styled Howard Jarvis, firmly of the belief that the public dog should wave the bureaucratic tail and not the other way around. They laughed a year ago when Jarvis got Proposition 13 on the California ballot, Quinn said. They stopped laughing when it passed. Quinn is ultimately trying for the same kind of citizens’ initiative in Illinois. The object of Quinn’s ire, however, is not the tax structure but the shape of Illinois politics and the need, he says, to keep the politicians honest and their fingers out of the public till. […]
And while he cringes when hearing criticism, Quinn says his group will win someday. “If you’ve got a bill you want passed, I wouldn’t advise hiring me as your lobbyist,” said Quinn. “I haven’t exactly endeared myself to the politicians in Springfield. Our group is not even as quote “respectable” unquote as Common Cause. But sometimes it’s necessary to open some boils if you want to cure things.”
Quinn sees his work as an example of 1960’s activism applied to the more inner-directed 1970’s. “At first the activists wanted to change the world,” Quinn said. “When that didn’t work, they decided to try changing the nation. Now the emphasis is on state and local issues. The issues may be the more mundane, but the problems are more relevant to people’s day-to-day lives. “There was a survey that showed there are more members of public interest groups like Common Cause and the Ralph Nader group than there are dues-paying members of the Republican and Democratic parties. We’re in the mainstream. This is where politics is headed.”
* Best response wins a ticket to the August 17th Chicago White Sox game vs. the Kansas City Royals. The White Sox Caucus bought up 200 seats and I snagged [as in “purchased”] a bunch of them, so I’ll be giving them away from now until then. The seats are in left center field.
If you’re not a Sox fan [horrors!] or can’t make it to the game, you can elect to give the ticket to someone else or put it back in the pile for another day.
* Democrat Dan Seals, who lost two consecutive races for the 10th Congressional District against Republican incumbent Mark Kirk, just sent out a blast e-mail to supporters…
I am writing to tell you that today I am indeed announcing my candidacy to represent the people of the 10th district.
I am running to help the families of our community get back on solid ground. I have been struck by how this economic downturn has hit people of all communities and economic strata. I will work to make healthcare and energy costs more affordable, while focusing on job growth for our community. I know that President Obama shares these values, and I look forward to the opportunity to join President Obama in working towards a brighter future for our children and our community.
You also know that I have raised the alarm about our national debt. Once we have put out this economic fire, we must put our fiscal house back in order. In the long run, if we don’t control our costs and reduce our debt, we risk not only our prosperity but that of future generations. I support President Obama’s commitment to reduce the deficits and I will work with him to achieve it.
Abroad, we must continue to engage with the world to combat global warming, support human rights, and contain belligerent regimes such as Iran and North Korea. And I will continue to be a strong ally in Israel’s quest for a sustainable and secure peace.
I look forward to talking and working with you on these and other issues in the coming months. If we can keep the focus on problem solving instead of partisanship, there’s nothing we can’t do.
* Cook County Board President Todd Stroger has paid off a big debt - to himself.
Stroger’s latest fundraising report showed he cashed in three certificates of deposit worth over $526,000 and paid himself $350,000.
President Stroger loaned his campaign $500,000 during his first countywide race. His D2 report is a bit of a mess (no surprise). The report claims he still owes $115,000 in debt to others, including Senate Majority Leader James Clayborne. But it looks like the total is more like $181K $131K to others and $150K to himself.
Stroger reported raising about $180,000 in the first six months of the year, but drilling into the report you find that $48,000 of that was transferred in from a now defunct Stroger campaign committee.
Cook County Board President Todd Stroger is vowing to veto the latest plan to cut back on the penny-on-a-dollar sales-tax hike that he pushed through a year ago. But a key opponent says he may have the votes for an override.
The veto threat, confirmed by Mr. Stroger’s office, came after Commissioners John Daley and Lawrence Suffredin met with Mr. Stroger last week and asked him to halve the tax hike by early 2010.
Cook County Board President Todd Stroger’s office now plans to release cellphone records as soon as later today of the four people at the center of a hiring scandal in his administration: Stroger himself, his chief communications officer Gene Mullins and ousted county employees Donna Dunnings and Tony Cole.
That’s according to the Better Government Association, which sued Stroger for failing to turn over those cellphone records between Nov. 30, 2008, to April 30, 2009.
Stroger is hiring a new campaign manager soon, but to say he faces an uphill climb is an insult to hills.
* Potential Stroger challenger Circuit Clerk Dorothy Brown loaned her campaign fund $70,000 and raised another $160,000, which is more than Stroger, believe it or not. Unsurprisingly, quite a few of those contributions came from Cook County employees.
* One of the more formidable challengers in the contest, Ald. Toni Preckwinkle, raised about $365,000 net for twodifferent committees. Treasure Island Foods was her biggest contributor, giving $15,000. She also transferred in $25,000 from her aldermanic campaign fund.
* Congressman Danny Davis could be the big dog in this contest. Davis’ local campaign fund pulled in $67K, spent it all and had $20K left. His federal committee, which he could use for the local race, had about $580K on hand at the end of the last quarter. [Notice change. That’s ten times more than I first wrote. Wow.]
* MWRD President Terrence O’Brien raised no money, but had about $147K stashed in two committees.
* Sheriff Tom Dart says he’s not interested in a run, but he did raise $101K and had $216 in the bank.
* Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin has been talking about running, but he raised no money other than a $30,000 loan to himself. He had just $9100 on hand.
* The most likely political reason behind Gov. Quinn’s long-awaited signature of the capital bill, which was a reverse flip-flop…
On the strength of strong union support, Comptroller Dan Hynes reported $3.5 million in his political fund Monday, representing a five-to-one fund-raising lead over Gov. Quinn. […]
[Hynes’] largest donor was the Illinois Pipe Trades political action committee, which donated $50,000. International Union of Operating Engineers Local 649 in Peoria gave Hynes $43,000.
With the capital bill signed, that union money is now withing Quinn’s grasp. Keep an eye on his fundraising, which was better than expected and will only grow…
Gov. Pat Quinn has traditionally been a poor fundraiser, but state campaign finance records filed Monday show that once he replaced the ousted Rod Blagojevich and vowed to run for governor next year, his contributions skyrocketed to more than $860,000.
Hynes has a big cash on hand lead, but a governor has the power to raise huge amounts of money in a hurry. We’ll see if Quinn is up to it. Sneed says he’s looking at hiring David Rosen…
Sneed hears top Dem fund-raiser David Rosen, who has raised tons of cash for Hillary Clinton in the past, is in serious talks with the Quinn camp.
Rosen got into a spot of trouble with the G, but was acquitted. He’s a mega fundraiser who ought to scare the pants off any prospective Democratic opponents, Hynes included. If Quinn hires Rosen or somebody similar, then we’ll know he’s serious about doing what it takes to hold onto the job. Reformers are queasy about money, but you can’t win without it.
State Sen. Bill Brady (R-Bloomington) raised more than $350,000 since January, including a $101,000 loan to his campaign, and had $410,000 on hand.
State Sen. Kirk Dillard (R-Hinsdale) had $101,000 available from his legislative fund, while another recently announced governor candidate, state Sen. Matt Murphy (R-Palatine), had $39,620 to spend after raising $21,000.
Republican operative and pundit Dan Proft had $16,659 on hand for his campaign for governor after raising $103,000, including a $67,000 loan.
Illinois Review has the complete list of GOP gubernatorial fundraising, including….
ADAM ANDRZEJEWSKI
Beginning Balance: $0.00
Total Contributions/Loans: $504,433.20
Total Expenditures: $147,779.45
Funds available: $356,653.75
Garrett is close with state Rep. Julie Hamos (D), who she said will move from Rep. Jan Schakowsky’s (D) neighboring district into the 10th district to run. Hamos did not return a call for comment on the race, but Garrett said she would be likely to support her at some point in the campaign.
“I won’t rule anything out. I’m going to look at it and go from there,” [state Sen. Terry Link] said. “I’m going to look at the candidates, and if I think I’m the best one, I will consider it strongly.”
Link said he doesn’t feel rushed about making a decision. “I’ve put campaigns together pretty quickly,” he said.
I do have to agree with Team America Blog, however…
I think the real chances of Link actually making a bid for Congress are about 0%.
* Despite his poor fundraising effort last quarter, Sen. Michael Bond is the only “real” Democratic candidate who has announced to date, but Dan Seals is still out there...
Most Democrats, however, are waiting to see what marketing consultant Dan Seals, the 2006 and 2008 Democratic nominee, will decide about the race. Seals clobbered his 2008 primary opponent and would bring solid name identification to the race; however, national and local Democrats have expressed serious doubts about giving him a third shot at winning the seat.
Congressman Kirk spent millions of dollars just to hold on to this seat, President Obama won this district with over 60 percent of the vote, and Senator John Kerry carried this district in 2004,” said Gabby Adler, a spokeswoman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the campaign arm of House Democrats. “There is no doubt Illinois’ 10th Congressional District presents a great opportunity for Democrats this election cycle.”
* Is Republican state Rep. Beth Coulson in or not? CQ Politics says no. Roll Call says she’s still thinking about it.
Dick Green, who has a background in business and runs the stock market analysis service Briefing.com, is one Republican who is likely to enter the race. […]
“In particular, I think there is now too much government involvement in the economy,” he added. “I am an unapologetic defender of free markets, free trade and capitalism.”
Green should be joined in the GOP primary field by Patricia Bird, a business owner who was decisively defeated in an April bid to become mayor of Mount Prospect, a Chicago suburb in Cook County.
Another businessman, Bill Strong, has also expressed interest in the race. A former finance chairman for Sen. John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) presidential campaign in Illinois, Strong would also be able to put a significant amount of his own money into the race.
Heavy equipment maker Caterpillar Inc. says its second-quarter profit fell 66 percent as the global recession continued to dampen sales of its machines and engines. But it boosted its 2009 profit outlook.
Caterpillar’s broad reach and diverse line of products — ranging from backhoes and bulldozers to turbines and cargo ship engines — make it a bellwether of the global economy.
The company says it earned $371 million, or 60 cents per share, for the three months ended June 30. Peoria, Ill.-based Caterpillar earned $1.11 billion, or $1.74 per share, during the same period last year.
U.S. machinery maker Caterpillar Inc. posted stronger-than-expected quarterly earnings on Tuesday and raised its full-year outlook, citing signs of stabilization in the world’s credit markets and economies.
Shares in the Peoria-based manufacturer rose 12.1 percent, or $4.42, to $41.07 in early trading…
Stripping out costs associated with layoffs and restructuring, Caterpillar made 72 cents a share. Since the end of 2008, Caterpillar has cut 17,100 full-time workers.
Analysts, on average, had expected the company to report a profit of 22 cents a share on sales of $8.36 billion, according to Reuters Estimates.
The Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America will bring its “Save The Dream Tour” to McCormick Place starting Friday. Chicago is the fourth stop on a 10-city tour.
The workshop allows homeowners in trouble to meet with their mortgage lender to restructure their existing loan, either through permanently lowering the interest rate, dropping the principal balance or changing the terms.
The services are free and the workshop is open to the public.
Hotels in Chicago, as well as other big cities, are offering dramatic bargains to draw visitors during this economic lull.
Here, the prestigious Drake Hotel, famous for hosting Princess Diana during her only visit to Chicago 13 years ago, started the price war among Chicago hotels last January that continues today.
The Drake started offering a $95-a-night rate in January that dared others to follow, said a rival hotel executive who declined to be named. That rate ended in mid-April, but Chicago’s hotels continue to offer deals.
Wal-Mart launched a Web site Monday to try and generate grassroots support for its controversial plan to build a South Side super-store.
It’s the latest in the company’s five-year battle to build a second Chicago location in the Chatham neighborhood.
But the plan has faced strong opposition from unions and community groups. Elce Redmond is a community organizer with the South Austin Coalition. He says he wants Wal-Mart to provide worker health benefits and higher wages.
Now that Chicago has filled in the “missing links” in the Wacker Drive riverwalk, it’s time to design the rest — even though the city still doesn’t have the money to build it.
The Daley administration has issued a “request for proposals” from firms interested in designing the final phase of the San Antonio-style riverwalk — the six-block stretch between State and Lake streets.
“We have secured funding for most, if not all of the remaining design, but we still need to identify construction dollars,” said Transportation Department spokesman Brian Steele.
Chicago 2016 leaders gave their regular presentation Monday, telling a community forum in the city’s Lakeview neighborhood that the Olympics would be a privately funded spectacle that would raise the city’s profile globally.
But unlike a string of recent meetings, after the bid team put its best foot forward, it was immediately hit with counter-presentations from critics who fear that the Summer Games could gravely damage the city.
While bid officials hoped to allay fears particular to Lakeview residents, such as the impact of venue construction to a lakefront bird sanctuary and further congestion to a crowded neighborhood, they had to defend the bid from attacks on multiple fronts.
Sharing the stage with bid officials were Tom Tresser of No Games Chicago, which opposes the games, and Erma Tranter, president of Friends of the Parks. While Tranter doesn’t oppose the Games outright, her group fears that the current plan would permanently mar some parks and burden the Chicago Park District with facilities it later won’t be able to afford to operate.
ROCKFORD —Union representatives negotiating a new labor agreement for police officers plan to file today for arbitration with the Illinois Department of Labor, union representative Doug Block said Monday.
Faced with a financial crisis, city officials have pushed for concessions in negotiations with unions representing Rockford police officers and firefighters. Those concessions include wage freezes, insurance contribution increases and staffing reductions.
Ten months after the CTA pulled seats out of a number of Brown Line cars to make room for more riders, they are pulling the plug on the idea, saying customers want to sit, not stand.
This fall Illinois will start publishing data about hospitals’ performance on a public Web site, according to officials from the Illinois Department of Public Health.
The data will include rates of hospital-acquired infections such as MRSA, the ratio of nurses to patients, and information about the cost and volume of 30 leading procedures performed by hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers.
MOUNT VERNON — An executive affiliated with a southern Illinois group home where a sheriff’s deputy allegedly zapped three children with a stun gun says he’s “alarmed'’ by the allegations.
A federal lawsuit filed on behalf of the three boys claims a Jefferson County sheriff’s deputy was unprovoked when he shocked them a year ago at the Southern Thirty Adolescent Center near Mount Vernon.
The lawsuit claims a fourth child was handcuffed, threatened and thrown into a closet.
The petition names two deputies. Their boss, Sheriff Roger Mulch, says he stands behind the deputies.
* This is why the national Republicans and so many prominent Illinois GOPs love Mark Kirk…
The chants of protesters could be heard throughout U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk’s Monday morning announcement of his U.S. Senate campaign.
“Health care now,” they repeated over and over from the street, as Kirk spoke to supporters.
“Those are the left wing guys I think. We’ll have the right next,” Kirk joked shortly after the chanters began.
Later, when he answered questions from the media, he again referred to the protesters, saying “I can see from the crowd here that the Democratic Party seems to be very worried about me, which is why they’re here.”
Whether it’s reality or not, Kirk has gone out of his way to position himself right in the political middle - and made himself look courageous doing it. No mean feat.
My old buddy Paul Green used to say that a moderate Republican running statewide will always beat a Democrat in Illinois. Those days are gone, but Kirk gives the GOP more hope than it’s had in years, and for good reason.
* It looks like Kirk will probably sail through the primary. He will then have plenty of time between February and November to plant himself directly in the center and tout his good government ways…
“I will be a moderate on the divisive social issues but a fiscal conservative,” Kirk said of his political philosophy. “But at heart, (I am) a guy who would be totally dedicated to restoring the image of Illinois and ethics and integrity in government.”
“To really be effective and represent the entire state, you’ve got to have a broad appeal,” [former Gov. Jim Edgar] said. “Mark has a superb record of integrity and ethics, but he has a good record on the issues as well. We need to win in November and he can win.”
The party guys love “he can win” candidates. Independents will go for the integrity angle, which will only be helped by his military service (something Kirk has always used to its fullest extent in his campaigns).
* But what about the right wing and that cap and trade vote? A first class answer…
Kirk told me Monday he has been inundated with e-mails from Republicans unhappy with his cap-and-trade vote. So, why did he vote yes?
“We’ve sent three armies to the Middle East and I’ve fought in two of them. As combat veterans, we get to ask, ‘Are we going to still being doing this 20 years from now?’ So I’ve been in favor of anything that gets us to energy independence,” said Kirk, an intelligence commander in the Naval Reserve who was deployed in December to Afghanistan.
Energy independence and combat record all in one response. Not bad at all, even if it doesn’t completely quell the shouts.
Kirk divorced recently. When he was asked how that might affect the race, his ex-wife stepped forward to say she supports him completely.
“He’d make a great senator,” Kimberly Vertolli said.
It ain’t every day that a divorced man is so solidly supported by his ex wife. Don’t underestimate that appeal. But also notice how the ex stepping in completely quashed the line of questioning. Man, that was a good move. He can just quote her from now on.
The 48-year-old North Shore congressman chose to make the announcement outside the home where he lived as a teenager in Kenilworth, reportedly the wealthiest suburb in all of Illinois. Still, the Republican said he was not worried about being labeled the candidate for the privileged.
“This is where I grew up, and this is who I am,” said Kirk.
* It’s no wonder the national Democrats are already posting slick Internet ads whacking him…
June’s NBC News/Wall Street Journal survey found more Americans (46 percent) blaming Bush for the nation’s federal budget deficit than Congress and the Obama administration combined. But that may not still be the case a year from now, and the more time passes, the more likely that swing voters will shift the responsibility for the nation’s economic problems to current officeholders.
Ronald Reagan, after all, rode to the White House in 1980 on a wave of dissatisfaction with Carter’s presidency, but that didn’t stop voters from spanking Republicans at the polls two years later (costing Republicans 26 House seats just two years after they won 33 seats)
* We’ll see how he does Downstate, where abortion, coal-fired electric plants and guns are viewed much differently than in the northern suburbs. But if his tour is only half as good as his roll-out, he ought to impress.
