Start thinking!
Monday, Dec 3, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The Golden Horseshoe Awards are coming soon, so start thinking about nominees. Here is last year’s list to get your mental juices flowing…
* The Wordslinger Golden Horseshoe Award for Best CapitolFax.com Commenter: Steve Schnorf (Oswego Willy and Michelle Flaherty)
* The Mike McClain Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Statehouse Insider: Mike Kasper (Dave Sullivan)
* Best Contract Lobbyist: Neil Flynn (Todd Vandermyde)
* Best In-House Lobbyist: Scott Humbard (Rob Karr)
* Best “Do-Gooder” Lobbyist: Jeremy Schroeder (Mary Dixon)
* Best Statewide Officeholder: Secretary of State Jesse White (Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka)
* Best Illinois Congresscritter: US Sen. Dick Durbin (US Rep. Peter Roskam)
* Best State Agency Director: Catherine Shannon (Malcolm Weems)
* Best chief of staff: Tim Mapes (Andy Manar)
* The Platinum Lifetime Service award for the General Assembly: Rep. Mark Beaubien
* Best Illinois State Senator - Republican: Sen. John Millner (Sen. Matt Murphy)
* Best Illinois State Senator - Democrat: Sen. John Sullivan (Sen. Kimberly Lightford)
* Best Illinois State Representative - Republican: Rep. Skip Saviano (Rep. Ed Sullivan)
* Best Illinois State Representative - Democrat: Rep. John Bradley and Rep. Frank Mautino (tie)
* The Steve Brown Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Government Spokesperson: Mica Matsoff (Kelly Kraft)
* Best legislative campaign staff director: Will Cousineau (All other staff directors tied for runner-up)
* Best campaign staffer - Illinois House Democrats: Tom Wogan (Kristen Bauer)
* Best campaign staffer - Illinois House Republicans: Nick Bellini (Mike Mahoney)
* Best campaign staffer - Senate Democrats: Noe Chaimongkol (Bryen Johnson)
* Best campaign staffer - Senate Republicans: Jo Johnson (Ryan Cudney)
* Best State Legislative Staffer - Non Political: Adam Margolin and Matt Paprocki (tie)
* The Beth Hamilton Golden Horseshoe Award for Best House Secretary/Admin. Assistant: Kristin Milligan (Sally Smith)
* Best Senate Secretary/Admin. Assistant: Bunny Fourez (Selena Gorman)
* Best Local Government Official - Chicago/Cook County: Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle (Mayor Rahm Emanuel)
* Best Local Government Official - Collar Counties: Will County Executive Larry Walsh (DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin)
* Best Local Government Official - Downstate: Champaign County Clerk Gordy Hulten (Savanna Police Chief Michael Moon)
* Best political bar in Springfield: Sangamo Club (JP Kelly’s)
* Best political restaurant in Springfield: Ross Isaac’s (Sebastian’s Hideout)
* Best Springfield hotel: The State House Inn (Abe Lincoln)
* Best place for lunch near the Statehouse: Cafe Moxo (Holy Land Diner)
* Best bartender: Kathleen at the Globe (Adam at the No Name Bar)
* Best waiter/waitress: Rhonda Merritt at Sportsman’s (Carl at Augie’s)
Should we add any categories? Maybe delete some? Your thoughts would be appreciated.
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Question of the day
Monday, Dec 3, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The AP reports that Leader Cross isn’t yet ready to take action against indicted state Rep. LaShawn Ford…
The top Republican in the Illinois House says it’s too early to make a recommendation on whether the Legislature should take action on the indictment of a state representative on federal bank fraud charges.
House Minority Leader Tom Cross calls the charges “very serious and very troubling” but says lawmakers need more information.
* And neither is Rep. Sacia…
Derrick Smith, who maintains his innocence, was arrested earlier for allegedly taking a bribe and kicked out of the House.
“I see them as two very, very different issues,” said Republican State Rep. Jim Sacia, who helped lead the charge to oust Smith because the alleged bribe had to do with his official duties as a representative.
But Sacia said Ford’s accusations do not involve his official office responsibilities, so he’s not calling for his resignation.
Sacia, a former FBI agent, filed the original House charges against then-Rep. Smith.
* The Question: Do you agree with Rep. Sacia that since Rep. Ford’s indictment didn’t include his official responsibilities that the House should not vote to expel Ford? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
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Today’s number: $80 billion
Monday, Dec 3, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From the New York Times…
A Times investigation has examined and tallied thousands of local incentives granted nationwide and has found that states, counties and cities are giving up more than $80 billion each year to companies. The beneficiaries come from virtually every corner of the corporate world, encompassing oil and coal conglomerates, technology and entertainment companies, banks and big-box retail chains.
The cost of the awards is certainly far higher. A full accounting, The Times discovered, is not possible because the incentives are granted by thousands of government agencies and officials, and many do not know the value of all their awards. Nor do they know if the money was worth it because they rarely track how many jobs are created. Even where officials do track incentives, they acknowledge that it is impossible to know whether the jobs would have been created without the aid.
Oy.
* More…
Caterpillar has received more than $196 million in local aid nationwide since 2007, though it has chastised states, particularly its home base, Illinois, for not being business-friendly. This year, Caterpillar announced a new plant in Georgia, which offered $44 million in incentives. Local counties chipped in free land and other aid, including $15 million in tax breaks and $8.2 million in road, water and sewer repairs.
The company, whose profits are soaring, recently froze workers’ pay for six years at several locations, arguing that it needed to remain competitive. A spokesman for the company, Jim Dugan, said it employed more than 50,000 people and invested billions of dollars nationwide.
Yes, the company has invested lots of money. But now maybe some of you understand why Senate President John Cullerton wants publicly traded corporations to disclose their state income tax payments.
* And if you still don’t, there’s this from the NYT’s database…
Notice that almost a quarter of those incentives go to agriculture. Farmers can’t exactly leave.
Also notice that the incentives are higher than the amount of revenue generated by last year’s corporate income tax hike.
* But as much money as we’re paying, check out the far higher per capita rate in Indiana…
Wisconsin’s is even higher…
It’s a function of the game. When your neighbors are doing it, you have to try and keep up.
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* From Treasurer Dan Rutherford’s campaign website…
* The Tribune noticed…
Rutherford, 57, of Chenoa, said the use of his web site, Facebook and Twitter was not a formal announcement.
“I’ve had a lot of people say you ought to be in. And if people want to sign up and show their support, that would help me evaluate,” Rutherford said. “It was posted on a Sunday morning, but within nine minutes on a Sunday morning, 40 people signed up.”
Rutherford said that after hard-fought contests for president, Congress and the state legislature last month, he believed Illinois citizens aren’t ready for another campaign to begin. Instead, he indicated any formal announcement would occur after the Jan. 21 presidential inaugural festivities in Washington.
* As always, Rutherford is actively participating in the online discussion. For example, under a Facebook photo he posted of the Naperville Area Republican Women Organization holiday party we see this comment…
Who was the one person to “like” the comment? Well, of course you already know…
* And he’s been retweeting positive messages…
* Also, I just can’t help myself. I have to post this recent Rutherford Facebook photo…
The Treasurer’s caption…
Tide Stick got me through the spot on the tie today, but later that night I knew the spot was still there. I had to go at it again. Have you ever spotted and needed to Tide?
Your caption?
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A ridiculous waste of precious money
Monday, Dec 3, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I spent part of my teens living on a military base in Germany. My mom joined the US Department of Defense Civil Service when I was 13 and my dad joined later.
Back then, the military created a bunch of make-work summer jobs for teenagers. We were paid a couple of bucks an hour to do whatever we were told. Sometimes that wasn’t very much. Sometimes it was a bit dangerous.
One summer, we spent a week unloading truckloads of ammunition boxes, punching holes in them to drain the water, flattening them and then putting them back on trucks to be hauled away. My best friend at the time, Ralph Armenta, was hurt when somebody hit his hand with a hammer as he was passing an ammo box down a table.
But, usually, we were detailed to do mindless office work or other stuff they made up to keep us at least somewhat busy and put a few dollars into our pockets.
The idea was to make sure there weren’t roving groups of bored, unemployed teenagers on the bases. Most of us either didn’t qualify for jobs “on the economy” (in German businesses) so we literally had nothing else to do.
I learned some valuable lessons from that experience. First, it’s a good idea to make sure that teens are given something to do. Second, never, EVER work for the Department of Defense.
* So, I get the premise of this initiative by Gov. Pat Quinn, perhaps too well…
On a chilly afternoon this fall, teenagers across Chicago’s South Side were busy at work, earning $8.75 an hour to hand out fliers with a message of non-violence.
“Our message that we’re giving out today is about being healthy,” said 18-year-old Lucia Eloisa. “One of the key pointers is about taking time to reflect and seek inner peace.”
Eloisa’s part-time job was paid for by an ambitious state-funded program to keep at-risk teenagers out of trouble. It pumped nearly $55 million into Chicago’s toughest neighborhoods and three of its suburbs to stem unrelenting gang violence.
A four-month CNN investigation found that not only did the Neighborhood Recovery Initiative (NRI) pay teens to hand out fliers promoting inner peace, it also paid these at-risk teens to take field trips to museums, march in a parade with the governor, and even attend a yoga class to learn how to handle stress.
Wait. Kids got paid to attend a yoga class?
Look, yoga might actually help kids in crime-ridden areas. They could learn to relax and deal with stress. Setting up a yoga program could be a good idea. But paying the kids to take the class? What?
* The parade bothers me the most, however…
The NRI also paid teens from the Better Boys Foundation to march in the 82nd Annual Bud Billiken Parade on August 13, 2011, with Quinn, according to records and video of the parade.
“Their job was promoting positive messages, etc., which is what the parade is about,” a spokesman for Quinn said.
Sheesh.
* Apparently, too much money was simply spent too fast without giving anything much thought…
Examples of the apparent misuse of the program’s money don’t surprise Mike Shaver, whose organization, Chicago Children’s Home and Aid, received $2.1 million for its role as a lead agency for the Neighborhood Recovery Initiative.
He and others say the initiative was just too big, and providers were not equipped to evaluate which programs were working and which were not.
“We weren’t able to get enough information about what was going on in our own program to understand whether we were having the desired impact,” said Shaver.
* And the timing was questionable…
In October 2010 — less than a month before the gubernatorial election — Quinn announced his Neighborhood Recovery Initiative, which he said would “take on the root causes of violence” in Chicago and across Illinois by creating “about 3,000 part time and permanent jobs for young people so they have a positive way to go.”
“And we mean business,” Quinn said at the October 6 news conference. “We really understand how important this is.”
Quinn’s political opponents have questioned the timing of his announcement.
“I mean, we’re in a budget crisis,” said Illinois state Sen. Matt Murphy, spokesman for the Republican state appropriations committee. “We were back then. We have since been in a violence crisis in Chicago, and you look at this, and you say for political purposes, you’re taking precious and limited taxpayer dollars and spending them on political purposes rather than solving the violence problem in the city of Chicago. And it was wrong.”
* So far, $55 million has been spent on the governor’s “initiative,” which is about the same amount of money Quinn vetoed from the Department of Corrections’ budget. Quinn said he wanted to use that cash to fund DCFS programs. But maybe he could’ve used that anti-violence money instead.
I mean, which is more important, funding much-needed DCFS programs or paying kids to take yoga classes and march with the governor in a parade?
Priorities, please.
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A “down payment” on the future
Monday, Dec 3, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller
* My weekly syndicated newspaper column…
Five years ago, most Illinois House Republicans, including House GOP Leader Tom Cross, of Oswego, voted against a bill which would’ve allowed undocumented immigrants to obtain state driver’s licenses.
The conservative rhetoric against the legislation was very harsh. Even so, it was approved by the House but was never called for a floor vote in the state Senate.
Back then, the legislation was seen as political suicide by many Republicans fearful of a backlash within their own party. But since November’s election results showed a heavy Latino turnout which may have swayed several races in favor of the Democrats, Republicans have suddenly become far more interested. Leader Cross, for instance, called the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights the day after the election, offering to work with the group. The ICIRR now considers the drivers license bill will be a “down payment” on whether the parties want to make a “good faith effort” to work with it in the future. And Cross is supporting it.
The ICIRR used a not-for-profit group and a political action committee to play in several districts. It claims it hired 18 field coordinators, registered over 26,000 immigrants to vote, raised almost three quarters of a million dollars and fielded over 1,800 election day volunteers, many of them concentrated in the suburbs
One of the ICIRR’s top priorities this year was defeating state Sen. Carole Pankau (R-Itasca). Pankau has been demanding for years that the children of undocumented immigrants be removed from the state’s All Kids health insurance program. The ICIRR claims it contacted 3,600 immigrants in her district and had staff assigned to defeat her. She lost by less than 2,000 votes.
Another target was the 55th Illinois House District, a suburban Cook County district which has been in Republican hands forever. Voter registration, door-to-door canvassing, direct mail and phone calls helped Marty Moylan (D-Des Plaines) defeat conservative Republican Susan Sweeney.
Yet another target was state Rep. Sandy Cole (R-Grayslake). The ICIRR contacted over 6,000 voters in her district, which has over 9,000 Latinos. Democrat Sam Yingling won by a little over 4,000 votes.
Not every race won by Democrats was due to the Latino vote. President Obama’s big win in his home state most certainly propelled several Democratic candidates to victory. The House and Senate Democrats also outspent the Republicans and generally outmaneuvered them. In some cases, the Democrats simply had better candidates than the Republicans did.
But the importance of that Latino vote cannot be underestimated because it was so large and so unexpected by just about everybody, except maybe the folks at ICIRR.
Latino turnout, as measured by a percentage of election day voters, jumped by 50 percent in the past four years, from 8 percent of turnout to 12 percent, according to exit polling data. The national climate most certainly inspired some of that turnout boost, with Latinos and other immigrants (including Asian-Americans) feeling besieged by the Republican Party.
But ICIRR believes the turnout numbers are sustainable over the long term, and points to explosive growth in the Latino population to buttress its case.
Just in Illinois, 70,000 Latinos are expected to turn 18 every year for the foreseeable future. “We are past the tipping point,” crowed one ICIRR official yesterday. According to the group, 350,000 legal permanent residents have become US citizens in Illinois in the past ten years. ICIRR has helped over 70,000 of them with the paperwork and filings.
The group has been working closely with Senate President John Cullerton on its drivers license bill and it has received assistance from some unlikely corners, including Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran, who has in the past been vilified by immigration activists for his hardline stance against illegal immigrants. Curran recently came out in favor of the drivers license bill because, he said, it’s a public safety matter that would mean training and insurance for drivers who don’t currently get either. Lake County is now over 20 percent Latino. Even hard-liners can read a Census report.
Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno supported the bill last time around, and members of her caucus worked with the Senate Democrats last week to amend it. Sen. Bill Brady, a conservative Republican who ran for governor in 2010, now supports the bill. As I write this, the proposal appears to be heading for passage.
Your thoughts?
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The labor beat
Friday, Nov 30, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From the Illinois Federation of Teachers’ website…
Rumor Mill: Lame Duck Lawmakers Could Vote to Remove Workers from Union Rolls in January
For the past couple of years, Governor Quinn has pushed for the legislature to pass legislation ending the hard-fought rights of many state employees to join a union. Quinn’s battle with public employee unions has boiled over in the past few weeks with the governor announcing an end to extensions to collective bargaining agreements during a drawn-out contract negotiations process. But, it seems the governor is rekindling his effort to pass SB1556, which removes potentially thousands of workers from their unions.
The measure impacts hundreds of the IFT public employees who work throughout state government – including the Secretary of State’s office, the Attorney General’s office and other executive-level agencies.
It is rumored that Illinois Senate leaders will put SB1556 up for a vote during the lame duck session in January, before new lawmakers are sworn into office. The IFT is joining our union allies to fight against this anti-worker power grab. Be watchful for more to come on this issue.
* From AFSCME’s website…
IEA president Cinda Klickna “called for Gov. Quinn to end his assault on the 40,000 state employees represented by AFSCME”:
Governor Quinn’s decision to terminate the state’s contract with its largest employee union, AFSCME, is an attack on both the collective bargaining process and on all unionized public employees in Illinois.
The AFSCME employees provide health services to the sick, the elderly and to children. These hard-working men and women help ensure public safety and enhance the quality of life for all Illinoisans and deserve better than this assault from the state’s chief executive.
On behalf of the 133,000 IEA members, we urge Governor Quinn to return to the bargaining table and negotiate a fair contract with AFSCME.
IFT president Dan Montgomery also “urged Quinn to return to the bargaining table”:
Governor Quinn’s actions to terminate Illinois’ contract with tens of thousands of unionized state employees is not only offensive to those of us in organized labor, it is also a sign of disrespect for middle class, working families throughout the state.
The fact is, public service professionals – whether they be teachers, police officers, social workers or correctional officers – dutifully perform their jobs to ensure that government works for the citizens. Discarding the collective bargaining process, especially in the manner that the governor has, is offensive and unnecessary.
During the Thanksgiving holiday, I urge Governor Quinn to reconsider his decision – a decision that inflicts unnecessary harm to thousands of Illinois workers and their families. Furthermore, I encourage the governor to quickly return to the collective bargaining table with a reasoned set of ideas to finish one of the tasks his job requires – a fair contract for AFSCME and the citizens of Illinois.
The Chicago Teachers Union has issued the following statement in support of AFSCME members in state government:
The Chicago Teachers Union stands in solidarity with AFSCME Council 31 in its effort to bargain a fair contract. Although Governor Quinn has recently supported Chicago teachers in opposing the overemphasis on standardized tests in our classrooms and the proliferation of non-union charter schools, we cannot abide his treatment of our brothers and sisters in AFSCME.
The Governor’s unprecedented action to terminate its contract with AFSCME was unnecessary and damaging to the bargaining process. We encourage Governor Quinn to avoid the potential disruption that termination might bring, reinstitute the current agreement, get back to the table and come to a fair settlement.
* Sun-Times…
Two of organized labor’s biggest guns in Illinois took aim at Gov. Pat Quinn Thursday, calling on him to rescind his decision to terminate the contract that applies to about 40,000 state employees.
“We cannot understand why our governor, who has stood with organized labor in the past, would be so eager to undermine our brothers and sisters,” said Jorge Ramirez, president of the Chicago Federation of Labor.
Ramirez was joined in calling out Quinn by Illinois AFL-CIO President Michael Carrigan.
“State employees are on the frontlines every day preserving public safety, safeguarding children and assisting families, caring for aging veterans, responding to disasters, and protecting our environment,” Carrigan said in a prepared statement.
“Gov. Quinn’s effort to undermine their collective bargaining rights is unwarranted and virtually unprecedented in Illinois government,” Carrigan said.
* And the Sun-Times editorialized on the matter…
AFSCME argues that state workers aren’t to blame for the state’s fiscal woes, that long-term answers lie in a more fair and progressive tax structure. We don’t disagree. But there is a budget crisis that must be dealt with today.
We agree with AFSCME that Quinn’s office should lay off portraying state workers as overpaid compared to those in other states. If the comparison bears out, it’s something to be proud of — that Illinois historically has treated its public workers well.
The real question is whether Illinois can continue that tradition. Sadly, the answer today is no.
* Other stuff…
* CTU rips charters: ‘privatization schemes masquerading as education policy’
* Hinz: Teachers union charges CPS with ‘educational apartheid’
* Emanuel’s Birthday Gift: A Protest Outside His Home - O’Hare employees say new contractor doesn’t pay a living wage
* Owner of firm with O’Hare deal has links to reputed mob figure
* Ken Griffin buyer of Chicago’s most expensive condo
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Question of the day
Friday, Nov 30, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Zorn posted some results from “The Best & Worst of Mobile Connectivity” survey by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project…
44% of cell owners have slept with their phone next to their bed because they wanted to make sure they didn’t miss any calls, text messages, or other updates during the night. …
12% of cell owners say that people they know tell them that they are spending too much time using their phone…
9% of cell owners say that their phone makes it “a lot” harder to disconnect from work life. This concern is particularly acute among cell owners in high-income households. 7% of cell owners say that their phone makes it “a lot” harder to give people their undivided attention. 7% of cell owners say that their phone makes it “a lot” harder to focus on a single task without being distracted….
Two groups consistently stand out when it comes to their usage patterns and attitudes relating to their mobile phones — the 45% of American adults who own a smartphone and the 17% of cell owners who do most of their online browsing within the context of their mobile phone (referred to throughout this report as “cell-mostly internet users”). Compared with other cell owners, these individuals are more likely to sleep next to their phones; to check their phone frequently for messages or alerts even though they didn’t hear a notification; and to engage in a wide range of mobile activities such as accessing social networking sites or doing online banking.
* The Question: How often do you access Capitol Fax.com on your mobile phone or device? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
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2nd District roundup
Friday, Nov 30, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Just in case you’re wondering, here is the weighted vote for the 2nd Congressional District. Refer to this whenever you see a news story about an endorsement…
* 5th Ward - Leslie Hairston - 2,981
* 7th Ward - Sandi Jackson - 6,298
* 8th Ward - Michele Harris - 2,372
* 9th Ward - Anthony Beale - 5,478
* 10th Ward - John Pope - 1,430
* 34th Ward - Carrie Austin - 1,625
* Bloom Township - Terry Matthews - 8,929
* Bremen Township - Maggie Crotty - 4,140
* Calumet Township - Bob Rita - 161
* Rich Township - Tim Bradford - 11,393
* Thornton Township - Frank Zuccarelli - 20,158
* TOTAL WEIGHTED VOTE: 64,966
* TOTAL NEEDED TO SLATE: 32,484
By my count, state Sen. Donne Trotter is currently at 29,651 (5, 8, Bremen, Thornton).
* Meanwhile, none of these announcements are a surprise, but the race sure is getting crowded…
Three more Chicago politicians have jumped into an increasingly crowded race to replace Jesse Jackson Jr. in the 2nd Congressional District: Illinois State Sen. Toi Hutchinson (D-Olympia Fields), Chicago Ald. Anthony Beale (9th), and Robin Kelly — a top aide to Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle.
Hutchinson formally announced in an email Thursday that she would run for the seat Jackson vacated last week.
“Families in the South Suburbs and the [South Side] deserve a representative who understands their concerns and who will work alongside President Obama to create new jobs, rebuild our roads and schools, and protect the gains we’ve made on equal pay, health care and civil rights,” Hutchinson said.
Beale also announced Thursday he’s joining the race for Jackson’s seat. He told the Chicago Sun-Times he’s the only candidate in the field who’s created thousands of jobs, referring to his successful work to bring a Wal-Mart store to Pullman Park, at 111th and Doty Avenue. That store, set to open next spring, will be the third Wal-Mart supercenter in Chicago.
Meantime, CBS 2 Political Producer Ed Marshall has confirmed Kelly also is joining the race and will formally announce her candidacy on Sunday at an event in south suburban Matteson.
* More…
Already in the contest are former U.S. Rep. Debbie Halvorson of Crete, who lost a primary challenge to Jackson in March, and state Sen.-elect Napoleon Harris, a former Northwestern and NFL player who won his first office this month.
Also announced as a candidate is disgraced former U.S. Rep. Mel Reynolds, who gave up the 2nd District seat in 1995 after his conviction on sex-related charges, including having sex with an underage campaign worker.
* Harris can self fund and is a former football star with lots of charisma and a great life story. That makes him particularly dangerous…
“I’m running,” Harris told the Sun-Times. “The primary reason I chose to run for the state Senate is the heartbeat and the pulse of my constituents. But over the last few months, we’ve gotten overwhelming support to put my name in the ring for the congressional seat.”
A native of Dixmoor, Harris starred at Thornton Township High School then at Northwestern University. A first-round pick of the Oakland Raiders in 2002, he played seven NFL seasons, most notably starting in Super Bowl XXXVII. The owner of two Beggars Pizza franchises in the area, Harris wanted to return to his community, where many of his relatives still live.
Harris’ field director James Jones said the inquiries about his interest in the congressional seat started coming since Thanksgiving and ramped up Monday, when he estimated that there were 500 phone calls to their office. Late Monday, just before 5 p.m., retired real estate agent Erick Hawthorne called to volunteer to help Harris.
* Halvorson is one of the only white people who will run, which could be advantageous, but many of the district’s whites tend to be Republicans. Sen. Hutchinson replaced Halvorson in the Senate, so the two will likely fight over the same regional vote and the women vote. Still, Hutchinson is a rising star and can’t be underestimated.
Kelly ran statewide, so she has a legit shot. Not mentioned above is former Rep. David Miller, who may get into the race and is from the same region as Kelly.
* Beale might be backed by Ald. Sandi Jackson. He’s already supported by Carrie Austin…
Asked how he plans to raise the $500,000 it’s likely to take to win the abbreviated campaign, Beale said, “The old-fashioned way. We’re gonna make phone calls and get people to buy into my vision.”
Ald. Carrie Austin (34th), powerful chairman of the City Council’s Budget Committee, said she pledged her support to Beale two years ago and plans to keep her word to him.
“He understands the hardships of the 2nd Congressional District because he has lived in it and worked in it. Those hardships that we have that we have not been able to see addressed by the former congressman, he has more of the ground part of what needs to be done,” Austin said.
As you can see above, however, Austin has only a relative handful of weighted votes in the district.
* I’m not sure what this means…
Sneed hears former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. is now singing with the voice of an anxious canary. Sneed also hears rumbles the feds are very interested in a powerful dem femme, who is not an alderman. Stay tuned.
The Jackson File…
All in the family: Although former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.’s brother, Jonathan, has confided to pals he wants a political career — a future mayoral bid on his supposed wish list — it is another Jackson brother, Yusef, a lawyer, who is described by political watchers as “smart as whip” and “the real deal” who could be the next to enter the political fray.
Yusef is the Budweiser distributor…
Twice last year, Chicago businessman Yusef Jackson — a son of the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson and brother-in-law of Ald. Sandi Jackson (7th) — went to City Hall seeking taxpayer money for a new home for his Budweiser beer distributorship west of downtown, records obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times and interviews show.
At first, Jackson asked for a $4.2 million city subsidy in the form of tax-increment financing. That’s according to the application he submitted to City Hall in March 2011, shortly before Mayor Richard M. Daley left office.
On his second application, filed in August 2011, three months after Mayor Rahm Emanuel was sworn in, Jackson slashed the amount of taxpayer money he wanted. This time, he said he needed only $1 million from City Hall to help pay for the $5.1 million renovation of a vacant, two-story building he owns at 401 N. Ogden.
* And check out this story about Mel Reynolds…
“I live at 221…my address is 221…I’m renting. South 138th Street. In Dolton,” Reynolds stammered.
That address doesn’t exist, but there is a 221 East 138th Street. When FOX 32’s Dane Placko showed Reynolds’ picture to neighbors, they didn’t seem to recognize him. […]
His driver’s license is registered to a UPS store in Bronzeville and he says he drives two cars: an SUV with retired congressional plates and a Jaguar.
But, the Secretary of State’s office says that could be a problem.
“The driver’s license, Dane, has been canceled,” Dave Druker of the Secretary of State’s office explains. “He had written a check to the Secretary of State’s office that bounced.”
Druker says Reynolds should not be driving at all.
That bad check is just the start of Reynolds’ financial problems. Cook County records show he’s been sued by several creditors and was kicked out of this property on King Drive.
The lawyer who represented him on that case then turned around and sued Reynolds for non-payment. He won a judgment for more than $12,000, which Reynolds still hasn’t paid.
Oy.
* Related…
* House Passes Filing Deadline Extension
* James Taylor Sr. running for Jackson’s seat as Republican
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*** UPDATE *** Beavers can talk about his repayment if he testifies…
A federal judge today ruled that Cook County Commissioner William Beavers can tell a jury that he amended his taxes and repaid a campaign fund after he learned of a federal investigation against him. […]
But U.S. District Court James Zagel said Beavers has a right to explain his reasons for amending the taxes to jurors so they can decide why he did it.
“The state of mind is crucial to the (jurors),” Zagel said.
But the judge gave careful instructions to Beavers attorney, Sheldon Sorosky, saying that the only way the jury can hear specifics about the repaid money and amended taxes is directly from Beavers if he takes the witness stand.
[ *** End Of Update *** ]
* When the feds go after you, they tend to go all out. Even if you pay the money back before you’re indicted, it won’t matter. For instance…
In the months after learning from federal agents that he was the focus of a tax evasion probe, Cook County Commissioner William Beavers amended his income taxes and repaid a sizable amount of money he had taken from his campaign fund, according to prosecutors.
After his indictment in February, Beavers released bank records showing the repayment and contended the records showed he had done nothing wrong.
But on Tuesday, days before the start of Beavers’ trial, federal prosecutors asked a judge to bar his legal team from presenting any of that evidence — a strike seemingly at the heart of the defense case.
In the court filing, the government outlined how Beavers paid thousands of dollars in additional taxes on the amended returns and repaid his campaign only after he learned of the investigation when federal agents approached him in April 2009.
Judge Zagel hasn’t yet ruled on that prosecutorial motion.
* And even if the feds admit they tried to get you to flip on powerful people and you refuse, that evidence can’t be used by your defense team…
Cook County Commissioner William Beavers is alleging that a letter sent to his attorneys from federal prosecutors corroborates what he has said from the day he was charged – that the government wanted him to cooperate against other high-ranking elected officials and then indicted him when he refused .
Beavers, who faces trial Monday on income tax charges, accused the U.S. Attorney’s office of a “vindictive prosecution” for filing the tax charges after his refusal to cooperate, according to a filing late Wednesday by Beavers’ legal team. […]
According to the defense filing, federal agents told Beavers about their criminal probe of him on April 21, 2009, and sought his cooperation. The filing suggested that the names of then-County Board President Todd Stroger and Commissioner John Daley were mentioned during the interview.
“I am not a stool pigeon,” one agent recalled Beavers declaring during the meeting.
Beavers’ attorneys also criticized the government for not revealing the contents of the interview until the eve of trial and accused them of withholding the information.
“Government agents approached him and asked him to cooperate against other public officials,” the filing reads. “When Beavers refused, in retribution, the government empanelled a grand jury and indicted him. The message from the government is clear: had Beavers cooperated, the charges would not have been brought. … The impropriety of the government is exacerbated by the late disclosure of the cooperation request via letter to the defense four days prior to trial.”
Judge Zagel ruled that Beavers might be able to talk about how he was approached if he takes the stand. Other than that, no way.
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* From the AP earlier this week…
Illinois State Rep. Lou Lang has decided not to call his medical marijuana legislation until next week.
The Skokie Democrat told The Associated Press Wednesday he’s still not certain he has the 60 votes he needs for passage.
He says he has most of the necessary votes but there are “a whole bunch of people who are wavering.” He will continue talking to them over the weekend and try again in the Legislature’s second week of its fall session.
* I did a bit more checking and found something quite unusual had happened. Fox Chicago then followed up…
Supporters of medical marijuana are blaming their latest setback in the State Capitol on two North Suburban businessmen. The pair plans to become Illinois’ largest suppliers of medical marijuana and some claim their quiet backroom maneuvering has blocked passage of a bill to legalize it. […]
Libertyville businessman Jim Merlo told FOX 32 News that his company, “Medponics,” has hired powerful lobbyists in Springfield only because he wants to ensure that when it’s legalized here, medical marijuana is grown and delivered safely to those who need it. Others fear Medponics wants to corner the market. […]
House Republican Leader Tom Cross is a supporter of medical marijuana. He wants to rewrite the current bill after hearing from two top lobbyists about the Medponic system.
“If somebody got stopped by the police, and said, ‘Oh, I’m using — this is medical marijuana,’ you could actually test it and find out whether it was true medical marijuana grown here at one of the facilities, or whether it was not in fact medical marijuana,” explains Cross.
The current legislation sponsored by Skokie Democrat Lou Lang would grant licenses to as many as 59 marijuana growers across the state. Supporters claim that having dozens of small growers, instead of one or a handful of very large pot producers, would avoid the clashes with federal agents that have occurred in other states.
“Every time that somebody has tried to do one of these large growing operations, the federal government has come in and has threatened either the landlords and the property owners with not only arrest but also asset forfeiture,” says Dann Linn, the Executive Director for Illinois NORML.
One of those two top lobbyists used to be Cross’ chief of staff. And I have no idea what Cross is talking about when he says you could “actually test” the weed to see if it was grown at one of Medponic’s facilities.
And considering that US Attorneys throughout the nation have been busting far smaller growing operations, I can’t see how the heck Medponics thinks it can get away with doing this. And if it’s shut down, the entire medical marijuana infrastructure in the state would go down with it.
Life in Springfield.
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Deja vu all over again
Friday, Nov 30, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The reporting on yesterday’s PPP poll has been somewhat breathless…
Reports are coming out that Pat Quinn is the least popular governor in the country.
according to a survey that came out Thursday, only one in four Illinois voters approves of Quinn’s job performance.
The liberal-leaning Public Policy Polling firm found that 64 percent of voters disapprove of the work Quinn is doing, making him “the most unpopular governor [it] has polled on anywhere in the country this year.”
The firm reports that, if the general election were held today, Quinn would lose to state Sen. Kirk Dillard (R) by a margin of 44 to 37 percent, and to state Treasurer Dan Rutherford (R) by 43 to 39 percent.
* More…
“Quinn’s unpopularity puts the Republicans in a position where they could win despite the fact that none of them are very well-known,” said Tom Jensen, director of Public Policy Polling.
An aide to Quinn defended his tenure and acknowledged that his efforts to deal with difficult subjects, such as Medicaid reform, facility closures and tax increases, have not been popular — but are in the best interests of state government.
* OK, here’s Real Clear Politics’ poll tracker for the 2010 general. As you can see, the average had him losing to Bill Brady by almost five points…
In October, the Tribune had Quinn trailing by four points and Rasmussen and PPP had him down by five.
On October 12th, 2010 - just a few weeks before the election - Quinn’s job approval was measured at 26 percent by the Tribune’s pollster. That’s just a point higher than PPP’s latest poll.
In other words, we’ve seen this movie before.
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* Whatever you may think of the charges, these town hall meetings are a pretty gutsy move by indicted state Rep. LaShawn Ford (D-Chicago). From an e-mail sent to his constituents yesterday afternoon…
* ABC7…
Indicted State Representative LaShawn Ford met with constituents to defend himself in his West Side office Thursday night and offered his side of the story.
He said he has yet to read the federal indictment, but he fully intends to fight it.
The feds say he defrauded Shore Bank by misusing more than half a million dollars in loans. Ford says he did nothing wrong.
“What we have is a failed bank and there were problems with that bank and the federal justice department, they’re doing their job. They want to make sure that everything was done right,” he said.
The allegations date back to 2006, before Ford was elected to the state house. And they concern his real estate business, not his work as a state representative, which supporters say has been stellar.
“Me personally, I don’t believe he did anything wrong,” said Roy Flowers.
“LaShawn has been a pillar of the community for years, from his real estate company all the way to as a state rep,” said Marlon Ryals.
* Ford also talked to several reporters yesterday, and attempted to refute the charges one by one…
He vehemently denied the charges and insisted he had committed no bank fraud in the years before he was elected to office and while he was actively buying and rehabbing homes on the West Side.
“An indictment is an accusation and a theory of what those people believed happened as far as the life I live,” Ford said, adding that he plans to continue to serve as state representative while he fights the charges. […]
Speaking by phone to Austin Weekly News shortly after the news of the indictment broke, Ford responded nearly point-by-point to the lengthy indictment.
As for the charge that he needed the money to support a lavish lifestyle, Ford insisted that he has been successful in real estate through legitimate means and didn’t need to commit any crimes.
“This is a case of the feds not knowing how real estate is done in the community,” Ford said. “I respect their job, but I also have a job to do and that’s to defend myself.”
* And…
The lawmaker said his business failed when the real estate market collapsed, falling particularly hard on the city’s underdeveloped West Side.
“My business failed. ShoreBank failed. The problem is the owners of the bank, they’re gone. And little ol’ me is right here, being indicted.”
Ford also dismissed the federal allegations about using money for gambling payments, saying he was making enough money to “do what I wanted to do.”
“I gamble when I can,” he said. “If I can afford to gamble, I gamble.” Asked if he had a gambling problem, Ford said “no” and said he had no gambling debts. Ford said he did not divert any of the bank money to gamble.
“The jury will decide on my guilt or innocence,” he said. “I know me. I know I didn’t lie to the bank.”
* More…
In August, the legislative chamber voted to oust state Rep. Derrick Smith (D-Chicago) for allegedly accepting a $7,000 bribe from an undercover FBI informant who was acting on behalf of a purported daycare center operator seeking Smith’s assistance in obtaining a $50,000 state grant. Smith went on to win election in November despite being under federal indictment and will be seated in the House in January.
Ford voted present on the resolution to expel Smith, one of only three lawmakers to do so. Six voted no.
“It’s up to the speaker of the House and the members,” Ford said, when asked whether he thinks he too could face possible expulsion.
“I want to serve in the House of Representatives. I want a place where people understand this is America and in America, we believe in justice. We say the Pledge of Allegiance every day when we convene [in Springfield].
“An indictment is no more than an accusation, no more than a hypothesis, their theory of what they believe happened back in 2006 of 2007. This is 2012,” Ford continued. “There’s no damn way.”
As I told subscribers earlier this morning about my own interview with the man, Ford is either the most brazen liar I’ve ever seen or there’s something really lacking in that indictment.
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