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Somebody finally gets through to Burris’ office

Tuesday, Feb 10, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Sometimes, a bit of pointed meannes works. Kurt Erickson’s column from the other day…

Sure, it’s been less than three weeks since Roland Burris was sworn in as Illinois’ new senator, but shouldn’t he – or at least someone in his office – respond to questions about how he’s going about his new job?

It took an impolite e-mail to Jason Erkes, a Chicago-based political strategist who apparently works for Burris, to get a response.

I asked Erkes if Burris was a chicken, afraid to answer questions from Illinois-based reporters. Was he taking a page from the now-impeached governor who appointed him to the office amidst a great deal of controversy?

Amazingly, after weeks of silence from the Burris camp, it took less than five minutes for Erkes to respond.

Erkes was clearly concerned about how Burris’ image would be portrayed in the media. He explained that the rookie senator has been too busy to do interviews. He’s been going to senator school. He’s been doing ethics training, which, after the way he was appointed, is probably not a bad thing.

In short, Burris has been just too busy learning how to be a senator to explain himself.

* Kurt Erickson today in the Pantagraph…

Illinois’ new U.S. senator is planning to visit a troubled downstate veterans’ hospital in the coming weeks.

A top aide to Roland Burris said Monday that the senator hopes to tour the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Marion during an upcoming break in congressional action.

No date for the visit was available Monday, but Burris’ acting chief of staff, Darrel Thompson, said the tour will be part of the Democrat’s role as a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. […]

Thompson said Burris isn’t going to Marion for publicity purposes. Rather, he said, “We’re going there to learn.”

At least Erickson got through to the chief of staff. Burris’ first Illinois press conference ought to be a hoot.

In fairness to Burris, however, I should note that Sen. Dick Durbin the other day offered up some pretty good reasons for the seeming confusion at Burris’ office, including the lack of staff, no posted e-mail address, nobody answering phones for a time, etc.

Senators usually pick staffers from people who worked on their campaigns, Durbin said, pointing out that Burris had no campaign. Senators also have three months between the election and their swearing in to make sure everything is in order. Burris had pretty much no time.

As far as the phone problem was concerned, Durbin said that the complaints arose during a period when conservative talk radio hosts were ginning people up to call their Senators against the stimulus bill. Burris, like almost everybody else, was swamped.

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Morning Shorts

Tuesday, Feb 10, 2009 - Posted by Mike Murray

* Study Finds Inequities at Clinics Serving Minorities

Health clinics with a large percentage of minority patients tend to be more chaotic, have less equipment and more stressed-out doctors. That’s according to new research from the medical school at Loyola University.

* Illinois’ health insurance option of last resort

* Latino clergy standing up to Daley - They want Hispanics to get bigger slice of City Hall pie

Strangely enough, De Jesus says he has no complaint with the mayor himself, whom he calls his “good friend.”

“My quarrel is with the people under him,” said De Jesus, who says the mayor phoned him in advance about the news conference and agreed to meet with the clergy group at a date to be determined. No food, of course.

De Jesus said he’s not sure these unnamed underlings are carrying out the mayor’s wishes.

“I can’t believe every demotion comes before the mayor,” he said.

He might be surprised.

* Effort to trim Cook County’s proposed $3 billion budget stalls

A proposal to cut $84.4 million from Cook County Board President Todd Stroger’s 2009 budget proposal failed to win approval Monday, leaving commissioners at loggerheads just 19 days before the Feb. 28 deadline to approve the spending plan.

The proposed cuts, backed by Republicans and Finance Committee Chairman John Daley (D-Chicago), would have gone a long way toward balancing the proposed $3 billion budget, which is out of whack because most commissioners don’t support Stroger’s plan to borrow hundreds of millions of dollars to pay for operating expenses.

Daley, typically a Stroger supporter, said he will abstain from voting on the borrowing plan because of business and family conflicts involving companies involved in Stroger’s proposed bond deal. When it was suggested Monday that the companies could be changed, Daley announced he would vote no in that case.

* EPA: Oil spill probe to begin after cleanup

* UC hospital plans layoffs

The University of Chicago Medical Center says the tough economy is forcing it to eliminate 450 jobs. And hundreds are to be cut through attrition.

It’s all part of a $100 million cost-cutting plan recently announced by the South Side hospital.

* Elgin spending $100K to go green

Elgin leaders on Wednesday are expected to sign off on a $100,000 deal for a consultant to review ways to make the city more sustainable.

* O’Hare remains worst for on-time departures

* It’s back to Illinois 53’s future

After years of relative calm, a decades-old debate is about to erupt again in Lake County over whether Illinois Highway 53 should be extended roughly 15 miles through the heart of the county.

* Sen. Durbin Recommends Callahan

* Illinois investigates defense costs in death penalty case

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s office said Monday it is investigating whether the state was overbilled for defense costs in the Jason Smith death penalty trial in St. Clair County.

* 30 months in prison for state government theft

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