Four more years!
Thursday, Jul 18, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* John Kass has been writing pretty much the same thing forever as he did in his June 16th column…
Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan has already made it plain what he wants. The political boss of the state wants his daughter Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan installed as governor of Madiganistan.
What father wouldn’t like to make his daughter the governor? It’s way cooler than giving her a pony, but maybe a bit messier.
* After AG Madigan decided to run for reelection, Kass simply doubled down…
Now Lisa Madigan wants to avoid the street fighting during this election cycle, be anointed AG for another term, and let others do the heavy lifting to solve the state’s terrible fiscal mess. And when it’s all over, she’ll waltz in on glass slippers and pick up a scepter.
He’s consistent, at least.
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* From a Sun-Times editorial…
Houses of worship don’t just accommodate religious gatherings. They also are places where deeply troubled people come to get help. If for no other reason than that, they should be off limits to guns.
Unfortunately, a state law rushed through in the closing days of the spring legislative session that allows the concealed carrying of guns also makes it legal to bring those firearms into places of worship. That’s an alarming prospect that needs to be rectified as quickly as possible.
State Sen. Dan Kotowski (D-Park Ridge) has introduced a legislative amendment that would bar concealed firearms from any building or parking area under the control of a church, synagogue, temple, mosque or other place of worship.
At a press conference on Monday, Philip L. Blackwell, senior pastor of the First United Methodist Church at the Chicago Temple, pointed out that religious workers deal daily with people who are desperate, upset, despairing or on the very of edge a breakdown when they come in for help. Allowing loaded concealed weapons into that environment puts the lives of the staff at risk. Why shouldn’t those workers get the same protection as, say, casino employees, who are safeguarded under the new law? […]
Rev. Liz Munoz, an associate priest at St. James Cathedral, said concealed weapons undermine the very idea of a place of worship, especially in a neighborhood plagued by gunfire such as Little Village, where she lives.
“In these communities, we need a place where people know they can come in and be cared for and loved, and not worried about who is carrying a concealed weapon,” Munoz said.
Those are all decent points. However, there’s a very serious problem with that side of the argument.
* One of the cases used by the 7th Circuit to toss out Illinois’ public carry ban was Shepard v. Madigan.
The case specifically involved an elderly woman who was volunteering at a church when she was assaulted…
…when Mrs. Shepard was working at her church on September 28,2009, she was unarmed. While peaceably performing her duties as treasurer of the church, her life was changed forever when she became the victim of a heinous and unconscionable criminal assault and battery.
Despite her being licensed in two states to do so, Mrs. Shepard was not carrying a handgun on her person, and therefore was unable to defend herself, when she was viciously attacked and brutalized at the hands of a six foot-three-inch 245 pound man with a violent past and a criminal record.
Mrs. Shepard would have been carrying a handgun at the time of this heinous attack had the aforementioned Illinois statutes not prevented her from doing so.
The disturbing post-attack photo…
So, banning carry in a church likely would’ve set off another round of court battles. And since Shepard’s case was used in the 7th Circuit’s decision, a church carry ban would’ve probably been a real problem for the new law.
…Adding… Churches are, of course, allowed to ban carrying on their property, unless they don’t own the property, which was also an objection raised in the editorial.
* Meanwhile, AG Madigan has filed a new motion…
Under the law passed last week, Illinois State Police have about six months to set up a concealed-carry program before accepting applications. Police then have 90 days to process the forms.
Gun-rights advocate Mary Shepard and the Illinois State Rifle Association say that’s unconstitutionally too long and want an East St. Louis U.S. District Judge to allow immediate concealed carry.
But Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s office argued in a filing Thursday that Shepard needs to file a new complaint spelling out why the law’s time allowances are unreasonable.
*** UPDATE *** Shepard has responded to the Madigan filing. Click here to read it.
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Will LMadigan’s withdrawal lead to a GOP win?
Thursday, Jul 18, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From an unsigned analysis on the WTVO/WQRF Eyewitness News website…
1. The Democrats just lost their strongest candidate: This is the most obvious reason. Say what you will about Pat Quinn and Bill Daley, recent polls showed Madigan to be the clear favorite for Democrats. Yes, her father remaining as Speaker of the House would have been an issue for her opponents and many voters. Even with that, however, Madigan was still the frontrunner before she decided not to run at all.
2. Madigan’s exit leaves the Republicans with the stronger group of candidates: When State Senator Bill Brady lost last time, it was by a razor-thin margin, and Gov. Quinn has done little to elevate his numbers since. Brady faces an even tougher fight this time around to just get his party’s nomination, facing off not only against Dillard, who he defeated by a couple of hundred votes in the 2010 primary, but also popular State Treasurer Dan Rutherford. Even businessman Bruce Rauner adds more gravitas to this race because he is going to spend significant money to win it. Whoever of the four emerges will be a legitimate battle-tested contender.
3. Madigan’s exit also makes the Republican race more high profile: Brady-Dillard-Rutherford-Rauner will generate more buzz, not only because there are more candidates spending more money to get the attention of voters, but also because it’s a race which will be fought statewide. Quinn-Daley doesn’t quite have the same appeal, and will be centered mainly around Chicago voters up to the primary. There is a long gap between the March primary and November election, but don’t underestimate the political momentum from winning a hard fought primary in a high visibility race. That’s partly how Barack Obama became President in 2008.
4. Pension reform is a Democratic Party problem: It is the #1 issue in Illinois, and only Democrats can solve it. Even if the Democratic legislature passes a bill and the Governor signs it, questions revolving around what’s in it and what took them so long will dog Quinn and put Daley in the uncomfortable position of having to constantly criticize those in his own party. Madigan’s exit puts less pressure on her father to keep pushing for real reform. Any way you slice it, it’s an issue that helps Republicans.
5. Democrats are perceived as having shown poor stewardship: This campaign will be run against a backdrop of a Democratic Governor and a veto-proof Democratic legislative majority in both houses. Hey Illinois voters, how’s that working for you? The commonly held belief by residents that this state is poorly run gives independent voters tremendous incentive to seek change through a divided government by electing a Republican Governor.
“Madigan’s exit puts less pressure on her father to keep pushing for real reform.” Um, wasn’t he tubing pension reform to help Lisa? I’m confused.
Anyway, not everything was off base. I agree with at least some of it, depending, of course, how the GOP primary plays out. Either way, though, counting on Pat Quinn to lose is a dangerous and foolish game.
Discuss.
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Question of the day
Thursday, Jul 18, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Mark Brown went through a whole slew of potential gubernatorial candidates this week…
It’s definitely late to be launching a campaign, but it’s not too late for the right candidate — someone who would start with good name recognition, have the resources to make up for it or best of all, have a built-in constituency that would give them a plausible path to victory.
Former Chicago inspector general David Hoffman, who ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate in 2010, is one possibility.
Hoffman just announced last week that he would not be a candidate for attorney general, attributing his decision to wanting to spend more time with his young children.
It would be difficult to backtrack on that reasoning so soon, but Madigan’s decision to seek re-election has changed the political landscape enough that all contenders are going to be reconsidering their options.
I left a phone message Tuesday asking Hoffman if he was interested in running. He deflected with a tongue-in-cheek email asking if I wanted to be his campaign manager. I responded by warning that I was going to put his name in the mix unless he shut me down. Never heard back after that.
I’m not sure that a losing Democratic primary has provided him with lots of built-in name ID, but whatever. On and on he went, listing one person after another who won’t be running for governor any time soon. Also, note that this question is not about whether you want it to happen, it’s about whether it actually could happen.
* The Question: Do you think it’s too late for a credible Democratic gubernatorial candidate to run? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please, including who you think it would be if you answer “No.”
survey service
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Chicago bond rating lowered three notches
Thursday, Jul 18, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Uh-oh…
Moody’s Investors Service has slashed Chicago’s general obligation and sales tax ratings by three notches to A3 from Aa3 due to the city’s large and growing pension liabilities and related budget troubles.
The move affects $8.2 billion of Chicago’s general obligation and sales tax debt, Moody’s said in a statement. It will make it more expensive for the city to borrow money, and Moody’s said it may further downgrade the ratings if conditions don’t improve.
“The current administration has made efforts to reduce costs and achieve operational efficiencies, but the magnitude of the city’s pension obligations has precluded any meaningful financial improvements,” Moody’s said.
The credit rating agency added that its negative outlook is based on the “dramatic spike in annual pension payments scheduled to take effect in the 2015 budget year.”
Moody’s said it expects the payments “will place material strain on the city’s operating budget.”
* Meanwhile, Marc Joffe makes more assertions about the state’s bond ratings…
Noting that Illinois has not defaulted on a bond since the 1840s, Pallasch and Sinsheimer said Illinois bonds are safe investments. Marc Joffe, a San Francisco consultant, agrees.
“I think people have vastly inflated estimates of how risky Illinois bonds are,” says Joffe, who once worked for Moody’s Investors Service, which shares Standard & Poor’s pessimistic views on Illinois’ bonds. “There’s not a lot of distance between Illinois and junk (bond status).”
If he were doing the math – and he has – Joffe said that he would rate Illinois at between AA and AAA, which is the highest possible grade. In a paper published last month, Joffe compared Illinois with Indiana, which has a high credit rating from Wall Street, and found that while bonds issued in the Land of Lincoln are riskier than bonds issued by the Hoosier State, the risk in both cases is negligible.
He likens the difference to the odds of dying in a plane crash versus the odds of dying in an automobile accident. Traveling in a a car is riskier, he says, but the odds are so remote that virtually no one takes them into account when deciding how to get from Point A to Point B.
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Berrios firings costing taxpayers
Thursday, Jul 18, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* That half million dollars could pay for a whole lot of services…
County taxpayers are on the hook for the $529,000 to be paid to 11 employees who were fired for unlawful political reasons by Cook County Assessor Joe Berrios after he took office in 2010.
County commissioners approved the payout during Wednesday’s regularly scheduled board meeting. None singled out Berrios for criticism at the meeting, but some said county officeholders need a better understanding of the rules that curb political hiring.
* Background…
Berrios, who doubles as county Democratic chairman, took over as assessor in December 2010. The unabashedly old-school politician fired a slew of employees and brought in his own team, which included his son, his sister and a trusted lawyer from his previous job at the Board of Review.
Asked Tuesday about the case, Berrios said he thought the workers he dismissed held policy positions for which it is permissible to hire, promote and fire for political reasons. “I thought they were all at-will employees,” he said.
A federal court monitor assigned to monitor the assessor’s office as a part of the long-running Shakman case, which bars taking politics into account for most city and county hiring, saw it differently.
The court official, Clifford Meacham, recommended that 11 people be paid between $1,000 to $95,000 as part of an agreement Berrios entered into centering on new hiring, firing and promotion rules and regulations to be overseen by the court.
* Whatever the case, Berrios is now getting tax bills out on time, the first time that’s happened in over three decades, so I’m not sure that this action suggested by the Tribune would be a wise move…
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, county board members: Take the money out of Berrios’ budget. Force him to cut $529,000 in spending. Start with the line item for his $125,000 salary. He might actually have to lay off some workers. Even some named Berrios.
* And here we go again…
The dispute over the county’s anti-nepotism laws surfaced again this week when county Inspector General Patrick Blanchard revealed in a report that county Recorder of Deeds Karen Yarbrough has hired her niece.
Although not named, the Tribune determined she is Chloe Pedersen, who as legal and labor counsel to Yarbrough makes $114,622 a year. That’s more than Yarbrough’s salary, which is $105,000.
Blanchard recommended the niece be fired, but Yarbrough said the inspector general had no authority over her — the same argument Berrios has made. Yarbrough said she hired her niecebecause she had “the best qualifications. . . . I think most people recognize it’s important to have someone you know and trust as your legal counsel.”
Wouldn’t a simple solution be the county board stepping in and declaring who has authority over whom?
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* From a press release…
Illinois added 9,000 private sector jobs in June and the unemployment rate inched upward to 9.2 percent, according to preliminary data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES). Illinois added 57,700 private sector jobs compared to June 2012. The data is seasonally adjusted.
“Continued private sector job growth suggests business leaders expect that consumers will feel better about spending money and they must prepare for that increase in demand,” IDES Director Jay Rowell said. “The unemployment rate is not surprising given the volatility of that measurement and that the same summertime movement occurred in 2012 and 2011.”
Illinois has added +237,900 private sector jobs since January 2010 when job growth returned following nearly two years of consecutive monthly declines. Leading growth sectors are Professional and Business Services (+101,600); Education and Health Services (+60,400); and Trade, Transportation and Utilities (+39,300). Government has lost the most jobs since January 2010, down -36,300. […]
The rate’s three-month moving average, which smoothes volatility, fell -0.1 to 9.2 percent in June. In June 2013, the number of unemployed increased slightly for the first time since March, up +1,600 (+0.3 percent) to 600,700. Total unemployed has fallen -151,500 ( 20.1 percent) since early 2010 when the state unemployment rate peaked at 11.3 percent for the months of January and February.
* Biggest job losses were in government. Click the pic for a larger image…
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*** UPDATED x1 *** Cross to stay put
Thursday, Jul 18, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* This is old news for subscribers…
Illinois House Republican Leader Tom Cross of Oswego won’t run for attorney general, saying Democrat Lisa Madigan’s re-election plans have changed the “dynamic” of the race.
Cross’ decision to stick to his job as the top GOP member of the state House likely puts to rest a race to succeed him that at one point included at least four suburban lawmakers. Madigan had been considering a run for Illinois governor.
“I remain committed to the Illinois House Republican Caucus to provide leadership and information regarding the tough issues we face in this state while continuing to raise money and recruit candidates for the upcoming election,” Cross said in a statement late Wednesday.
“When the attorney general was considering a career change, many people approached me to consider running for that position,” Cross said. “Obviously, that dynamic has changed. I will remain committed to serving as the leader of the House Republican caucus.”
The rules don’t allow for a coup, so he’s in until at least the end of his term.
Discuss.
*** UPDATE *** Ironically enough, Rep. Jim Durkin appeared with Cross at a Pat Quinn bill-signing event today. He said he’s still running for Leader.
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Another pathetic fundraising report
Thursday, Jul 18, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I thought state Rep. Darlene Senger was serious about running for Congress. Her financial report doesn’t inspire much confidence…
Only about $18,000 separated the second-quarter fundraising efforts of Republicans Darlene Senger of Naperville and Chris Balkema of Channahon in their bid to take on Democratic U.S. Rep. Bill Foster.
Senger, a state lawmaker, raised about $82,500 in the last three months, and Balkema, a Grundy County board member, raised about $64,600. Ian Bayne, a private investigator from Aurora, didn’t file a report, according to federal election records.
Foster raised about $275,000 in the quarter. You gotta wonder how much the NRCC really has this race in its sights. From April 15…
Some hard-core recruiting efforts have been underway to entice state Rep. Darlene Senger to make a run against recently sworn-in Bill Foster (D-Ill) of the 11th congressional district.
National Republican Campaign Committee Chair Greg Walden and Senger had dinner in Chicago on Friday, according to a knowledgeable Republican source.
That followed a week of meeting with some top Republicans in Washington last week.
And yet she’s only raised $82.5K since then? What the heck?
* Meanwhile…
A centrist Republican group is joining with former senator Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) in an effort to raise and spend $8 million to defend centrist GOP incumbents in 2014 congressional primaries.
Main Street Advocacy and its allied super PAC, Defending Main Street, will take a step forward after playing a minimal role in recent elections. The move comes in direct response to the growing influence of conservative outside groups like the Club for Growth, which the head of Main Street denounced Tuesday as a “cancer” on the GOP. […]
The head of the Main Street organization, former congressman Steven LaTourette (R-Ohio), said it has already raised $2.5 million toward its goal and that he and Snowe will barnstorm the country together to raise the rest. The group will make expenditures from both its nonprofit issue advocacy arm and its super PAC, allowing donors to contribute to either (nonprofit donors do not need to be disclosed). […]
LaTourette said his group will seek to play in a limited number of races where it can have a bigger influence. He mentioned potential Club for Growth targets including Senate candidate Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) — who has been involved with the group — and Reps. Aaron Schock (R-Ill.) and Susan Brooks (R-Ind.), along with Reps. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) and David Joyce (R-Ohio). Joyce holds the seat LaTourette retired from last year.
* The Club for Growth’s “Primary My Congressman” website lists Schock and Congressman Adam Kinzinger as targets, but not Davis. The Davis folks don’t think they’re on the ultimate target list.
* In other news, state Rep. Mike Bost has already filed paperwork with the FEC for a run, but he says a formal Congressional announcement against Bill Enyart is still a couple weeks off…
But why would a legislator who would be considered a heavy favorite to recapture his House seat in 2014, think about running in a congressional district that has put many a Republican in early retirement?
“For the children,” he simply put.
“In serving in the Illinois House these last several years, I have come to see how much influence the federal government has — and can have — on our lives. I now have nine grandchildren and I want to make sure that my children, my grandchildren and the children and grandchildren of everyone in my district has a bright future.”
Bost said his decision will be made no later than July 29.
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So, where’s the crime?
Thursday, Jul 18, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Alex Clifford, the former Metra CEO who was sent packing with a huge golden parachute, claimed in an internal April memo that he was being forced out because he had…
“not acceded to requests for unlawful politically-motivated employment actions”
* Pretty much everybody in the Chicago media pounced on this as evidence that House Speaker Michael Madigan, who’d asked for a raise for one of his ward heelers, had done something illegal and could be the next Illinois politician to be sent to prison. The resulting media frenzy was intense. But then Clifford testified to the RTA yesterday. Chicago Tribune…
Clifford said he does not believe Madigan broke any laws by making the request.
* Greg Hinz…
Nothing illegal occurred, Mr. Clifford said. But that’s only because he rejected requests for jobs and other personnel treats from politicians, ultimately at the cost of his own job.
“It was not illegal unless I actually did what they wanted me to do,” Mr. Clifford said. Instead, “I just let it roll off,” confident that members of the Metra board — at least most of them — were with him.
The guy’s supervisor had also recommended a raise, so I’m not sure why giving him a raise would be illegal. Maybe I’m wrong here, so please enlighten me in comments if I am.
* But there is now a legislative probe…
As a sign scrutiny is increasing, Thomas Homer, the General Assembly’s legislative inspector general, said Wednesday he was investigating allegations made by Clifford that he was ousted for refusing to go along with political pressure by Speaker Michael Madigan and other lawmakers over jobs and contracts at the agency in 2012.
“I have nothing to hide,” said a defiant Clifford who sat just a few feet from Metra administrators. “I refused to accede to the requests of some very powerful politicians in Illinois.”
Metra Chairman Brad O’Halloran fired back with a laundry list of complaints about Clifford: hiring senior executives without informing the board and offering excessive benefits, delaying the installation of security cameras, declining ridership, hiring expensive consultants and failing to address safety concerns. […]
When he asked about his contract renewal early in 2013, Clifford said O’Halloran responded, “I need to have a meeting with Mr. Madigan to see what damage you caused to our funding (prospects).”
But O’Halloran countered: “I never made that statement. I have no relationship with Speaker Madigan.”
* Related…
* Mark Brown: No heroes or whistleblowers in Metra mess — but plenty of hooey
* Editorial: Metra & its hush money
* Editorial: Metra board should resign
* Ex-Metra CEO: Mike Madigan’s requests show ‘a moral and ethical flaw’
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Salt on the wound
Thursday, Jul 18, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* We discussed this a bit yesterday…
Dillard’s campaign filings show he still owes $250,000 from his 2010 effort, mostly to Ron Gidwitz. Gidwitz, himself a 2006 candidate for the GOP nomination for governor, was Dillard’s campaign chairman in 2010 and is former CEO of Helene Curtis.
Dillard said he does not have to pay back Gidwitz.
* Well, Bernie followed up….
A debt from state Sen. Kirk Dillard’s 2010 GOP primary campaign for governor that he said last week he did not have to pay back is still “an outstanding obligation,” according to Ron Gidwitz, who is owed close to $200,000.
“Fundamentally, we haven’t spoken about it,” Gidwitz said Wednesday after his new role in the 2014 campaign — as finance chairman for Republican Bruce Rauner — was announced. “The issue is unresolved.”
Dillard’s campaign records show that his debt to Gidwitz tops $185,000, and another $12,000 is owed to Riverbend Industries, which Gidwitz said he owns.
Gidwitz, the former CEO of Helene Curtis who also is chairman of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and has had government roles including chairman of the State Board of Education, said the money had nothing to do with his decision to back Winnetka venture capitalist and new candidate Rauner.
“I’m all about winning,” Gidwitz said. “The man has the fire in his belly. He has focused on what I think are the fundamental issues of the campaign, which are the budget, pension system, taxes and jobs. … He understands the issues. He’s dealt with many of them in his career.”
Gidwitz is the go-to behind the scenes money guy for Illinois Republicans. His defection, as I said yesterday, is a huge blow to Dillard’s campaign.
* Meanwhile, I told you a while back that James Liautaud contributed $1,000 to Bruce Rauner’s campaign late last month. Well, Treasurer Rutherford called to point out that was the father of the Jimmy John’s founder, and not Rutherford’s friend.
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Circle Interchange work to begin
Thursday, Jul 18, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Well, at least one huge Illinois bottleneck will finally be alleviated. From a press release…
The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) project will reconstruct the interchange at the heart of Chicago that links the I-90/94 (Dan Ryan Expressway) to the south, I-290 (Eisenhower Expressway) to the west, Congress Parkway to the east and I-90/94 (Kennedy Expressway) to the north. According to estimates by transportation planners, the improvements will reduce traffic delays by at least 50 percent, save drivers five million hours annually and the improved traffic flow will lead to a savings of 1.6 million gallons of fuel per year. […]
The Circle Interchange was constructed between 1958 and 1962, and has outlived its original design life. The Federal Highway Administration and the American Transportation Research Institute identified the Circle Interchange as the number one bottleneck among highways crucial to the nation’s freight transportation system. Of the more than 400,000 vehicles that use the interchange each day, about 33,000 are trucks. The interchange experiences an average of 940 crashes per year.
The traffic volume is almost mind-boggling.
* NBC Chicago…
Thousands will be affected during construction. The end result, Quinn said, will be a minimum of four lanes in each direction on I-90/94 at the I-290/Congress Parkway, two lanes on the “north-to-west” and “east-to north” ramps to improve safety and mobility, and local access lanes for both northbound and southbound I-90/94.
Ramps also will be reconfigured for a safer, more efficient traffic flow.
IDOT this summer considered changing plans for the interchange’s renovations after neighbors complained proposed ramps would be too close to their windows.
* Sun-Times…
In stage one, which will begin in two weeks, crews will begin work on the Morgan Street bridge. Over the next six to eight months, crews will begin work on Halsted, Harrison, Peoria and Taylor streets, and on the contested north to west flyover ramp over Halsted, which will connect drivers to the Eisenhower.
In 2016, crews will begin work affecting the majority of expressway drivers: reconstructing the main lanes of traffic on both the Dan Ryan and Kennedy Expressways, as well as work on Van Buren, Jackson, Adams and Monroe.
Three lanes will remain open on the Dan Ryan and Kennedy, while two lanes will be open in each direction on the Congress Parkway and Eisenhower.
Much of the work will be completed at night to minimize traffic delays, officials say.
Discuss.
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Gidwitz backs Rauner
Wednesday, Jul 17, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* This is a huge blow to Kirk Dillard’s campaign. Ron Gidwitz was fully behind Dillard in 2010, helped him raise money and is still owed almost $200,000 by Dillard’s campaign.
Gidwitz wasn’t a great gubernatorial candidate, but he’s a far better behind the scenes guy.
From a press release…
Republican candidate for governor Bruce Rauner announced today that Ron Gidwitz will join the campaign as Finance Chairman and Co-Chair of the campaign.
“I’ve said from the beginning that I believe Republicans should unite behind one candidate. We have an extraordinary opportunity to win the Governor’s race and transform the state. I know all the candidates extremely well and believe there’s a clear choice: Bruce Rauner,” Gidwitz said. “Bruce will energize Republicans and appeal to reform-minded Independents and Democrats because he knows we can cut government spending, create jobs, and take on a broken system in Springfield currently dominated by special interests.”
Gidwitz has long been one of the Illinois Republican Party’s top supporters and has deep ties in state GOP circles. He has spent the year working to unite Republicans around a gubernatorial candidate.
“Ron is tremendously respected in our Party and has been a long time leader. I am honored to have his support,” said Bruce Rauner. “Ron’s backing is a great boost to our efforts and will help grow our campaign’s momentum. Illinoisans are ready to shake up Springfield, and there is no doubt we can win.”
Gidwitz joins Elizabeth Christie and Jim Schultz as Co-Chairs of a campaign that already includes supporters like Anne and Ken Griffin, Mike Keiser, Jack Roeser, John Rowe, Dick Uihlein, and dozens of other important community and business leaders.
Dillard said earlier this week that he was upset that the business community was refusing to coalesce behind a single candidate. Well, it sure is beginning to. And that candidate ain’t Dillard.
…Adding… Bernie…
Dillard’s campaign filings show he still owes $250,000 from his 2010 effort, mostly to Ron Gidwitz. Gidwitz, himself a 2006 candidate for the GOP nomination for governor, was Dillard’s campaign chairman in 2010 and is former CEO of Helene Curtis.
Dillard said he does not have to pay back Gidwitz.
Maybe he will now.
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Ugly matter ends for Kirk
Wednesday, Jul 17, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tribune…
The Federal Election Commission has dismissed accusations by Sen. Mark Kirk’s ex-wife that he broke a series of campaign finance laws during his 2010 Senate race.
Kimberly Vertolli filed a complaint with the commission in 2011 against Kirk and others alleging they improperly hid payments to Kirk’s then-girlfriend and converted campaign funds for personal use.
Vertolli claimed the Kirk campaign paid Dodie McCracken through another company working for the campaign. Since the money was not paid directly to McCracken, her name does not appear in Kirk’s public reports outlining what he spent on the campaign.
In a letter to Vertolli on Tuesday, the election commission brushed aside each one of her allegations against Kirk, his Senate campaign, McCracken and Robert Vail Jr., owner of a Wilmette-based ad firm, The Patterson Group.
The commission agreed with Kirk’s position that money paid to McCracken did not have to be disclosed because she was a subcontractor to the Patterson Group.
Fury, scorned, etc. At least it’s over now.
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*** UPDATED x2 - Video *** Today’s quote
Wednesday, Jul 17, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From the Twitters…
*** UPDATE *** Video of the exchange is here…
View more videos at: http://nbcchicago.com.
Off-topic begins at about the 5 minute mark.
It’s pretty obvious that the Kass comment was a joke. Everybody laughed.
*** UPDATE 2 *** From WLS’ Bill Cameron…
When asked why it’s acceptible for the speaker and the attorney general to come from the same family, but not the speaker and the governor, Madigan said, “It sounds to me like you’ve been reading too much John Kass. Do you have an original question?”
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Question of the day
Wednesday, Jul 17, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Bruce Rauner’s repeated refusal to offer up any specifics continues…
Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner says his goals for changing Illinois government now include installing term limits.
Later, though, while talking to reporters, Rauner declined to offer specifics, saying “we don’t have details on it yet,” but that an announcement was forthcoming.
* Kudos to Tom Kacich for writing this…
The 53-year-old venture capitalist said he was glad to see Attorney General Lisa Madigan decline to run for the Democratic nomination for governor.
“Her family is part of the corruption in the state. The voters don’t want concentrated power. They don’t want family dynasties,” he said. “We’ve got the same thing developing with the whole Daley-Emanuel machine. I am vehemently against (Democrat William) Daley being governor because Chicago already has that corruption and that patronage and the problems.”
Rauner, however, has contributed $200,000 to the campaign of Mayor Richard M. Daley and has supported Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
* The Question: Bruce Rauner is to specifics as _____ is to _____?
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* From Rep. Elaine Nekritz’s spokesman…
The two subcommittees of five members of the House-Senate pension conference committee are scheduled to meet privately this Friday afternoon. I am told some incomplete actuarial numbers have been submitted to the conferees and they will be discussing those and next steps at their meetings.
* Meanwhile…
GOP House lawmakers are calling for the legislature to be in constant special session until a pension fix is approved.
Despite the absence of a bill from the legislative conference committee charged with crafting legislation, which is still waiting on actuarial data, State Reps. Ron Sandack (R-Downers Grove), Dennis Reboletti (R-Elmhurst) and other GOP legislators will hold a press conference in Addison’s town hall on Wednesday morning to demand that Governor Pat Quinn call a special session each day until the legislature passes a comprehensive pension reform bill.
“All legislators have voted on some form of pension reform over the last five months, there is no reason not to call us back to Springfield,” said Sandack. “Wasting $17 million a day on a political stunt is unacceptable. Governor Quinn cutting pay for legislators is grandstanding and meaningless if we are not called back to session.”
The $17 million to which Sandack is referring is the amount that used to be added daily to the state’s unfunded pension liability, but that amount was revised substantially downward several weeks ago by the Quinn Administration to $5 million.
One political stunt deserves another, I suppose.
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Latino advice for gubernatorial candidates
Wednesday, Jul 17, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Martin Torres with the Latino Policy Forum has some advice for Illinois gubernatorial candidates…
1) Diversify your campaign’s brain trust
You can’t build bridges without any infrastructure. Hiring part-time consultants and recruiting well-known campaign surrogates can be an effective strategy, but don’t stop there. Hire Latino campaign staff to fill visible, prominent positions within your campaign and establish a Latino advisory committee. Incorporating diverse talent within your campaign’s brain trust will send a signal to everyone that your campaign takes this segment of the electorate seriously.
More importantly, Latino staff and advisors can provide valuable perspectives on how to address specific Latino audiences, offer feedback on how policy statements will be received by the Latino community, and connect you with people you will go on to forge relationships with throughout the election. They can also be used to make sure that your web content, print materials, and Spanish-language radio and TV ads strike the right chord with Latino voters. At the very least, diversifying your campaign’s inner circle will indicate to voters and civic leaders that your administration will be inclusive if your candidate prevails in 2014.
2) Be specific as to how your administration will address issues of concern to Latino residents
Latino voters want to know how they fit into your vision of a better, stronger, more prosperous Illinois. Successful candidates will apply a Latino perspective to the overarching issues all voters care about. So when your campaign is talking about economic development, please explain how Latino business owners will benefit from your proposals. When your campaign talks education, please discuss how your reform agenda will help meet the needs of Illinois’ largest growing student population. And when it articulates how to get Illinois out of debt, please outline how your package of tax changes, spending choices, and government reforms are going to affect Latino children, families, and workers. Your campaign doesn’t have to carve out a Latino-centric explanation for everything, but it’s reasonable to expect some specific, data-driven responses from candidates who want to earn the trust of Latino voters.
3) Make plans to visit Latino voters outside of Cook County
This sounds obvious, but your campaign might feel pretty good about its standing with the Latino electorate after successful pit stops in Little Village, Humboldt Park, and Cicero. Don’t be fooled: Roughly 40 percent of Latino residents live outside of Cook County. In fact, during the last decade, the Latino population grew by more than 60,000 in both Kane and Will Counties and by nearly 50,000 in Lake County. Before your campaign stops in these areas, do your homework. Find out when Latino residents started settling in large cities like Elgin and smaller villages like Carpentersville. That will help your campaign better understand the historic dynamics of the population, shed light on what’s fueled population growth over time, and give you some insight into what’s needed from a public policy perspective to contribute to the well-being of Latino families as you move forward.
Your thoughts on this list? Also, do you have any other advice?
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Fundraising reports
Wednesday, Jul 17, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The Tribune looks at contributions raised during the second quarter by both Gov. Pat Quinn and Bill Daley…
One-third of the $1 million the governor raised during the second quarter this year came from political action committees. Quinn received about $267,000 from organized labor PACs. Six donations alone, from political funds representing union engineers, painters, carpenters, machinists, laborers and pipefitters totaled $211,200, records showed.
The flurry of money left Quinn with $2.3 million to take on Daley, the former White House chief of staff and U.S. commerce secretary who is the son and brother of two former Chicago mayors.
But Daley is doing pretty well raising money. In just 19 days last month, the challenger was able to tap a national network of donors to raise nearly $800,000. The total included $100,000 of Daley’s own money. Daley entered July with $794,000, and in the first two weeks of the month has raised another $52,300 in big-money donations.
Among Daley’s largest donors was Boeing, which gave Daley $25,000 at the end of June. Five company officials, including its chief financial officer, Gregory Smith, added $13,800 this month. Also among Daley’s donors was New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who gave the individual maximum of $5,300. Bloomberg’s gun-control super PAC could get involved in the contest for governor on Daley’s behalf.
* Tom Kacich looks at Sen. Michael Frerichs’ cash…
All his money doesn’t make him invincible, but the $647,188 that state Sen. Mike Frerichs has available for a state treasurer race puts him in a better position than most other Democrats who have been looking at the job.
The Champaign Democrat’s campaign fortune is significantly greater than that held by the two Democrats who already had indicated interest in the race: Michael Cabonargi of Chicago, a member of the Cook County Board of Review, and Jason Ervin, a Chicago alderman. […]
[But] Frerichs said that Cabonargi, who has $400,897 in his campaign fund, emailed supporters last week to say that he isn’t running for a statewide office. […]
That leaves Ervin, whose most recent campaign disclosure report shows he had just $10,098 on hand, as well as $9,545 in campaign debt. […]
By a way of comparison, Frerichs’ nearly $650,000 campaign fund is more flush than the $400,241 that Republican Rutherford had in his campaign account four years ago as he was beginning the race for treasurer.
It’s also far more than any of the reported Republican candidates for treasurer next year have on hand. Sen. Darin LaHood of Peoria has $138,294, while former DuPage County Board Chairman Robert Schillerstrom has $39,727 and DuPage County Auditor Bob Grogan reported just $19,000.
* LaHood will soon get a boost from Newt Gingrich…
Newt Gingrich will be in north Peoria next week for State Senator Darin LaHood’s annual Sizzle and Swizzle fundraiser on July 25th at Brewers Distributing. The buzz is that Senator LaHood may be raising funds for a statewide bid in 2014 - possibly and most likely, State Treasurer. LaHood staffed for Treasurer Dan Rutherford before being elected to the State Senate.
“It’s such an honor to have Speaker Gingrich in Peoria to support me,” said Senator LaHood. “He is one of the most thoughtful and passionate voices for job creation policies and economic recovery solutions for our country. He is a transformational leader and I am honored to welcome him to Peoria.”
* The upcoming comptroller’s race was looked at by Kurt Erickson…
Simon entered July with $272,000 in her campaign account. She raised $191,000 during the most recent fundraising quarter, mostly from more than 500 small donors.
Her largest contributions, totaling $5,300 each, came from a retired Wittenberg University political science professor and his wife. Simon is a 1983 graduate of the Ohio school.
Topinka has $805,000 in her campaign account after raising $149,000 in the most recent quarter.
[Democratic Will County Auditor Duffy Blackburn] has $25,300 in his account. He has raised about $24,000 in the past three months
* And Kirk Dillard said he wouldn’t raise money for a while if elected…
Dillard pledged that if elected he would eschew raising any money for his campaign fund in the first 2½ years of his term, in order to devote himself full time to governing.
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*** LIVE COVERAGE *** Metra allegations hearing
Wednesday, Jul 17, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* ABC7 has live coverage of today’s RTA hearing over allegations made by Metra’s former CEO that he was dismissed because he had “not acceded to requests for unlawful politically-motivated employment actions.” Click here for the live feed. WGN also has a live feed here.
* Sun-Times…
Former Metra CEO Alex Clifford testified Wednesday that after he wrote a memo saying House Speaker Michael Madigan’s office asked him to raise the pay of a Madigan campaign worker and hire another friend, Metra officials worked to oust him.
The memo “sparked a desire…to have me leave sooner rather than later,” Clifford told the RTA board, which has financial oversight over Metra.Clifford said that in February this year Metra Board Chairman Brad O’Halloran told him O’Halloran was going to have to get a meeting with Madigan to see what damage Clifford’s rebuffing of Madigan’s wishes would have on the agency’s funding.
“I wanted to stay working at Metra,” Clifford said earlier in the hearing. “This has been a long, difficult process.”
Clifford said he was “really steaming” when he heard he may not have the votes from the Metra board to stay on the job after he refused to go along with requests from powerful politicians.
* Tribune…
Shortly before Metra CEO Alex Clifford’s patronage complaints against House Speaker Michael Madigan pushed the agency into severance negotiations, Madigan asked Gov. Pat Quinn’s administration to hire the supporter at the heart of Clifford’s allegation.
The Quinn administration — which has sharply criticized Metra’s handling of Clifford’s departure — granted the speaker’s request for Patrick Ward, a labor relations specialist and longtime foot soldier in Madigan’s political army. Officials said Ward now is working in a newly tailored Chicago-based job that took over the duties of a state worker whose job had been based in Winnebago County.
The state revealed that Ward was the only person interviewed for the $70,000-a-year job.
The Quinn administration said the governor did not know about the hiring until Friday.
* And here’s a ScribbleLive feed…
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Keith Taylor
Wednesday, Jul 17, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Keith Taylor was laid to rest yesterday after a tough battle with cancer. Keith was former Comptroller Dan Hynes’ chief of staff and a heck of a good guy. Hynes gave the eulogy at Keith’s Springfield funeral and he asked that I run a condensed version here. I was more than happy to oblige…
Thank you for this opportunity to honor my dear friend Keith Taylor. There is something so unfair about the events of these past few months. Unfair that a man who had such boundless energy died so young. That a man who enjoyed life so much had to suffer through his final few months.
I don’t think anyone in this church has met, or will meet, someone as unique and multi-faceted as Keith Taylor. He was an original blend of so many differing traits: a smart, genuine, loving, inquisitive, devoted, loyal, hard-working practical joker. Keith was anything but one-dimensional.
First and foremost, he was an historian and a scholar — but not just of U.S. or world history. He was a scholar of U.S. Presidents, famous wars and battles, professional baseball and football legends and championship teams, Kentucky Derby winners, rock and roll bands, Illinois high school basketball, and of course, Illinois government and politics. There was never a time that Keith wasn’t reading at least three different books, usually on totally divergent, and often totally obscure, topics. Retiring presidents have to form commissions to create their libraries, Keith’s is already built — there must be two or three thousand books at their home on Clearview.
Keith was a public servant. He believed that government was good, and that working for government was an honor. He didn’t get into politics for power or prestige or self-advancement. He did it because he wanted to believe in something. He had no tolerance for demagogues or phonies, and had no desire to spend time with back-slappers and opportunists. He was very decisive because he trusted his instincts, and his motives were always pure and direct.
Keith was a leader and a mentor. During my campaigns and while serving in office, I was extremely lucky to have had an incredibly talented group of young staff members — many of them are here today. Each and every one of them was shaped, molded and mentored by Keith. He tried to instill in them the values that he believed were important in the workplace and especially in government:
Number One: Work hard. The way to get ahead is to be the first person at the office in the morning and the last one to leave at night.
Number Two: You must start at the bottom and work your way up. There’s no room for prima donnas and no job is beneath you.
Number Three: Be loyal. Period. Keith believed in loyalty and would stay true to the bitter end.
Keith was revered in the office. He never once screamed at a staff member, yet people feared letting him down. They just didn’t want to disappoint him.
Keith was by far the most brilliant strategist of downstate Democratic politics Illinois has ever seen. Part of this goes back to his being a scholar. Keith was somewhat of a savant when it came to demographics and county election returns. He could tell you without hesitating what percentage of the vote Mike Howlett got in Alexander County in 1976 or which Democrats were able to win Adams County in the last two decades. On election night, Keith could look at a sampling of eight downstate counties with only 20% of the returns in, and he could tell you right then and there whether the election was won or lost. He had an encyclopedic knowledge of downstate legislators, county chairmen and precinct committeemen, as well as little factoids about each and every county and county seat.
Last week, when I got the call that Keith had passed, I was talking to my brother Matt about everything we all had been through together and what a special guy Keith was. My last comment to Matt was: “It’s the end of an era ….. because they just don’t make ‘em like him anymore”. And it’s really true. Keith came from that old school of politics that rested firmly on things like respect, loyalty and honor — things that have slowly faded away over the last decade of Illinois politics.
There will never be anyone like Keith Taylor. But we will remember him. And we will aspire to be like him. And we are all better for having known him.
* Keith was a huge Beatles fan, so this one’s for him…
Pools of sorrow waves of joy
are drifting through my open mind
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