Reader comments closed for the weekend
Friday, Oct 4, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* First, a little late-breaking news from CMS regarding the Dependent Eligibility Verification Audit…
IMPORTANT UPDATE: Due to the Federal government shutdown, the deadline for submitting documentation for the State of Illinois Retiree group has been extended to December 6, 2013. There is no need for anyone in this group to request an extension prior to October 25, 2013.
* I love this site’s videos…
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It ain’t all doom and gloom
Friday, Oct 4, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I need to update my calendar…
* Let’s jump into the spirit of things. From Rep. Tom Demmer’s Facebook page…
The latest innovation from Swenson helps reduce road salt use by controlling the direction of the spreader. Proud to have Swenson and its 120 employees in the 90th District.
Photo…
Cool.
One of his commenters chimed in…
My co. builds the crates to ship these.
Manufacturers create tons of new jobs this way.
* Check this out…
In trying to claw its way back to prosperity, Rockford only recently stumbled upon a hidden hometown gem — a quietly thriving aerospace and aviation industry.
The implication, officials say, is profound: Aviation might just be the key to Rockford’s decades-stalled economic turnaround.
“Who would have thunk?” said Mark Podemski, vice president for development at the Rockford Area Economic Development Council.
Local officials are fond of saying that no airplane being made today flies without a component made in or around Rockford.
Electric power systems for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner? Made by UTC Aerospace in Rockford. Fuel system components on aircraft engines? Made by Woodward Inc. near Rockford. Airplane toilet systems in the newest Boeing 737s? That’s B/E Aerospace in Rockford. Software that allows pilots to access flight documents on an iPad? That’s Comply 365 Solutions near Rockford. Gears on NASA’s Mars Curiosity rover? Made by Forest City Gear Co. near Rockford.
The Rockford region is home to nearly 100 businesses related to aerospace and aviation. Extending the region to Chicago and southern Wisconsin raises the number to more than 200 such businesses.
* Manufacturers rely heavily on trucking companies. Well, we got it covered…
One of the fastest-growing success stories of the last seven years is Chicago-based Coyote Logistics. Founded in 2006 by Jeff Silver, a former executive at Chicago freight brokerage company American Backhaulers, Coyote went from startup to the middle market in record time. In 2012, Crain’s estimated the company’s five-year growth rate to be an outlandish 41,438 percent. Coyote currently sits at No. 26 on Forbes’ list of America’s most promising companies, with annual revenue of nearly $800 million.
That kind of growth would be impressive enough if Coyote were functioning in a young industry with few rivals. That it entered an already established market with plenty of mature competitors makes its success extraordinary.
One of the keys to Coyote’s rise has been its success in fighting “deadheads.”
That doesn’t mean the same thing to people in the trucking business as it does to the rest of us. For truckers, deadhead is slang for an empty backhaul: a truck that heads back to its point of departure without carrying a return cargo load. To a shipping company, a deadhead represents all the cost of a normal haul with none of the income.
* Tech? How about this?…
Google has announced that it is launching a Tech Hub Network in North America, starting with seven locations, one of which is the 1871 co-working center in Chicago.
Excellent.
* Google explains…
Over the past few years, tech hubs have sprung up in cities across the globe, making it possible to start a high-growth company from almost anywhere, not just London or Silicon Valley. Tech hubs help make that happen—providing desks for entrepreneurs who are chasing their dreams, mentorship and educational opportunities for talented developers, and a vibrant community for innovative startups.
* Tech growth is kicking tail…
BuiltinChicago.org, an online site for digital entrepreneurs, posted its new list of the top 100 digital firms (by head count) in Chicago, and said the number of people employed by digital technology-related companies in the city grew by 21 percent in 2013.
That means, according to Built In Chicago, that more than 40,000 people are working in the digital sector in 2013, compared to 33,000 in 2012. Built In Chicago also calculated that more than 1,500 digital technology companies have offices in the city.
* Wow…
The CEC, the non-profit organization committed to supporting, promoting and growing the startup community in Chicago, today announced that Cleversafe was awarded the prestigious 2013 Merrick Momentum Award […]
Cleversafe, the Momentum Award winner, has created a breakthrough technology that solves petabyte and beyond big data storage problems. Their solution drives up to 90 percent of the storage cost out of the business while enabling secure and reliable global access and collaboration. The world’s largest data repositories rely on Cleversafe.
* But not all business is high tech. Let’s turn to southern Illinois…
On September 9th IMA VP & COO Mark Denzler and State Senator Andy Manar (D) Bunker Hill visited GSI’s headquarters in Assumption Il. GSI is the world’s largest manufacturer of galvanized storage bins. They manufacture grain storage and animal feeding systems that are primarily used in the livestock and agriculture industries. GSI employees over 1,400 people in Illinois and sells their products around the world.
* And this private project will create lots of jobs and help the state’s robust wind power industry distribute its product…
State energy regulators have approved a major new Ameren power transmission line that could affect as many as 8,400 landowners, depending on the final route taken across central Illinois.
Members of the Illinois Commerce Commission voted 3-1 Tuesday to approve all but a 30-mile section of the $1 billion Illinois Rivers Project. The 345,000-volt line — transmission lines typically range from 138,000- to 345,000-volt capacity, according to industry data — would run from Quincy to the Indiana border near Terre Haute. Nine substations would be built or expanded, including at Pawnee.
…Adding… One more. From a press release…
GROW-IL (Growing Resources and Opportunity for the Workforce in Illinois) is pleased the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has begun the process of registering - and ultimately granting permits - to companies wishing to conduct hydraulic fracturing in Illinois. Under the Hydraulic Fracturing Regulatory Act, the law requires a permit applicant to register with DNR at least 30 days prior to submitting a permit application. Once the registration is accepted, companies will then be able to apply for individual fracturing permits which should occur early next year. Earlier this year, the legislature passed and Governor Quinn signed into law common-sense hydraulic fracturing legislation (SB 1715) regulating the practice in Illinois.
“We are very pleased the Department of Natural Resources is opening up the registration process,” said Mark Denzler, co-chair of GROW-IL and Vice President and COO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. “Our coalition is excited progress is being to realize the tremendous economic benefit of hydraulic fracturing here in Illinois. This law will create thousands of jobs, millions of dollars in revenue while keeping our environment safe.”
“We need to create jobs for working men and women and we’re one step closer in doing that today,” said Michael T. Carrigan, co-chair of GROW-IL and president of the Illinois AFL-CIO. “We’re encouraged with the progress being made by DNR that will result in good paying jobs for working families in Illinois.”
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Freedom to Marry: The Time is Now
Friday, Oct 4, 2013 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Across Illinois, thousands of loving, committed couples and their families are being denied the freedom to marry. Every day that passes without the freedom to marry, those couples and their families are being harmed. They can be denied the opportunity to take time off of work to care for their ailing spouse; they face losing their home when their spouse dies.
More and more Illinoisans believe that same-sex couples should be able to marry, share a lifetime commitment, and care for their families through the stability of marriage.
Marriage means a lifelong commitment – a lifelong promise. It means shared responsibilities. It means taking care of the one you love. Polls clearly show that the majority of Illinois voters believe same-sex couples should have the freedom to enter into such a commitment. That majority gets bigger every day.
It is time for the Illinois House of Representatives to get on the right side of history and pass SB10. It’s time to stop excluding same-sex couples from marriage. Illinois families can’t wait. The time is now.
For more information, visit IllinoisUnites.org
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Two new PACs of note
Friday, Oct 4, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From the Windy City Times…
A former marine sergeant who was kicked out of the military for being gay has formed his own political action committee to rally support for the passage of SB10. His group will concentrate mainly on building support in communities of color.
Marquell Smith said that being in the Marines had taught him the importance of sacrifice, and he hoped that his new PAC, Inclusive Community Project ( ICP ), would impart that relevance to members of the public who want to see same-sex marriage brought to Illinois.
At ICP’s inaugural gathering Oct. 3 at the Sheraton hotel & Towers, 301 N. Water St., Smith said that when he was let go from the service under Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, he was offered an honorable discharge only if he promised not to fight the charges. But he refused to keep quiet about them.
The PAC hasn’t yet reported raising any money. It does have a website, however.
* Meanwhile, Paul Caprio of Family PAC has formed a new political action committee called Illinois Families First. It’s only contribution so far is $25,000 from Richard Uihlein.
* A recent backgrounder from Crain’s…
Lake Forest businessman Richard Uihlein doesn’t want government getting its paws on his money. To stop it, he’s giving big chunks of it to conservative Republicans and their tea party allies instead.
In the last two and a half years, the low-profile CEO has outspent Chicago hedge-fund tycoon Kenneth Griffin to become Illinois’ largest GOP donor nationwide, according to Sunlight Foundation, a campaign finance watchdog group in Washington. He has contributed nearly $4 million to national tea party candidates and their super-PAC juggernaut, plus almost $1.8 million to the most conservative candidates and causes in Illinois.
“I’m a conservative Republican, and I’m trying to help people who believe as I do in limited government and free markets,” says Mr. Uihlein, 68. “I’m not one to hide from that.” […]
Mr. Uihlein scoffs at the idea that GOP contributors should support more moderate Republicans who have a greater chance to win, particularly in a Democratic-leaning state such as Illinois. That means “it’s terrible to be principled,” he says. “You’ve got to be principled.” He’s appalled that a conservative could “be labeled an obstructionist because you’ve got principles, for Christ’s sake.”
Like most of the other rich guys in the state, Uihlein is backing Bruce Rauner for governor.
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Question of the day
Friday, Oct 4, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Like all of you, I get a lot of junk e-mail. One from yesterday made me chuckle…
Caskets factory direct. 200 models HERE in the USA ready to ship
So, I opened it. There was a photo…
A price list was also included. But I’m not gonna reprint it because this is kinda creeping me out all of a sudden.
* The Question: If you could send a spam e-mail to all state legislators, what would it say?
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A vintage Posner take-down
Friday, Oct 4, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The 7th US Circuit Court of Appeals was not all that kind to the lawyers for Mary Shepherd yesterday. The attorneys are seeking an injunction against state unlawful use of a weapon and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon statutes so that FOID-card holders can begin carrying concealed, loaded firearms immediately while the state implements its regulations of the new state concealed carry law.
Listen to the whole thing. It’s a thorough smack-down by Judge Richard Posner…
* Some Posner quotes, whose main point was that the plaintiffs ought to file a separate lawsuit if they want to compel anything…
* There is nothing in our opinion about how long the state can take to implement whatever new law it adopts.
* The only thing that we did was set a deadline for a new law. We didn’t say anything about a period of implementation.
* There’s no basis for seeking an injunction because they haven’t disobeyed our decision. The basis of your seeking an injunction has to be that they’re not carrying out our decision. But they’re not violating anything in our opinion.
* You want to let people without training to start carrying guns in public. That’s extremely dangerous and there are loads of gun accidents, and the Constitution doesn’t require untrained people being allowed to carry guns in public.
* When the plaintiff’s attorney claimed “We agree that safety is important,” Posner responded…
“No you don’t, because you don’t understand anything about the importance of training for people allowed to carry guns.”
Ouch!
Keep in mind that this is the same Judge Posner who wrote the decision declaring unconstitutional Illinois’ complete ban on concealed carry.
* From a poster on the Illinois Carry bulletin board who was at the hearing…
Posner basically kept asking for a compelling reason of what immediate injunction should be made and why any current complaints should not be handled in a separate lawsuit. Brown v. Board of Education was brought up repeatedly by Posner, wherein a law was found unconstitutional, but implementation of the new law happened at a slower pace. The judges did not seem convinced that the State be required to “immediately come in compliance” with the constitution, and that future complaints should be handled as separate lawsuits, which is apparently similar to what happened in Brown v. Board of Ed.
His logic seems pretty reasonable IMHO, based on my very limited knowledge of how the law should work. They are asking us how they can implement injunctions without creating some pretty sweeping precedents.
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Oh. My. Goodness.
Friday, Oct 4, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Oy…
When GOP gubernatorial candidate Bill Brady talks about being confident in the numbers, he isn’t talking about his campaign kitty.
Brady insists that polling data has him well ahead in the crowded, four-way race for Illinois governor.
“Our polling data shows that our numbers are strong statewide,” Brady told the Sun-Times on Thursday. “The voters no longer think of me as a regional candidate because of this showing in the last general election.”
Brady said he will close out this period having raised about $75,000 and having more than $275,000 cash on hand. [Emphasis added.]
$75K?
What?
You gotta be freaking kidding me, man.
* I searched the State Board of Elections’ website for Brady’s contributions during the third quarter of 2009 - the same point in the cycle we were at four years ago.
Brady raised over $219,000 back then - about three times more than he raised this past quarter.
* Meanwhile, Bruce Rauner has raised about $3 million since announcing his run and will report about $600K cash on hand…
He’s spent around $2.4 million on TV ads, digital infrastructure, radio ads — as well as tens of thousands of dollars on consulting.
That’s a heckuva burn rate. The question now is if and/or when Rauner will run out of wealthy friends to contribute money and then be forced to bust the contribution cap. Has anyone seen any Rauner TV ads lately?
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Voucher update
Friday, Oct 4, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From the comptroller’s office…
Our oldest regular vouchers are from 23 August 2013, 24 working days in arrears.
Our oldest medical vouchers are from 6 August 2013, 37 working days in arrears.
It’s important to note that those dates only reflect when the vouchers arrived here - and do not account for the time they were held at the agencies before being submitted to the Comptroller’s Office.
There are also bills still being held at agencies right now that may date back further.
We definitely need some more transparency out of the Quinn administration. Perhaps a law to force him to disclose exactly how he’s “managing” vouchers, or something.
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Through the looking glass?
Friday, Oct 4, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I haven’t done any polling yet, but this may be smart local politics for a Sangamon County-area candidate…
Republican Illinois House candidate Mike Bell said Thursday he would consider keeping the Illinois income tax at its current level if the extra revenue is used to meet long-term obligations of public pension systems.
“I would look at extending or keeping the tax … that we have now if it would be used for the unfunded liability,” Bell said as he prepared to make his formal announcement entering the 96th House District race. “I would look at it.” […]
“I believe the bond we have with retirees should be kept, and I would not want any reduction for those. … That’s a sacred bond between pensioners, retirees and the government. They trusted the government to have that pension when they retired. Now they’re retired.
“Now future hires … that’s a different story.”
* House GOP Leader Jim Durkin was at the event…
Durkin said of Bell: “He’s a great Republican, great family man, and he also shares my vision for job creation in Illinois.”
* To which David Ormsby responded…
Huh?
Extending the Illinois income tax increase has, uh, rarely been part of the GOP job creation vision.
But, hey, things change.
Bell, vice president of the Edinburg School Board and, more important, an AFSCME member, is looking to challenge Freshman Democrat Sue Scherer of Decatur who is sponsoring legislation to repeal the income tax increase.
Illinois politics have just stepped through the looking glass, Alice.
Yep, and it’s a good thing. People don’t always have to follow a rigid party line. Bell obviously isn’t. Scherer is essentially following staff orders in order to not offend Republicans in her district, which makes her look out of touch with her base. This could be a heck of a race.
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In which I once again agree with the Tribune
Friday, Oct 4, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Look, I am fully aware that supporting any sort of corporate tax break is definitely not a popular thing to do. But it’s hard to argue with this logic when it comes to ADM’s request…
ADM’s bid is getting a generally cool response from other political leaders … in part because it is not blackmailing the state. They’re reasonably confident ADM won’t move even if they don’t grant its request. […]
If ADM were based in, say, Seattle, and were dangling the prospect of moving its international headquarters to Illinois, you wouldn’t be hearing talk about blackmail. You’d be hearing: What do you want and how fast can you get here?
All true.
* More…
We don’t like the special incentive game that pits states and cities in competition. One estimate a couple of years ago put the nationwide cost of such incentives at $50 billion a year in lost tax revenue. States that win secure work for their citizens, but create tax inequities between employers. States that lose face painful job and tax revenue losses when employers depart.
Illinois should get out of the game … when Texas, Ohio, and the other states that want to poach its jobs get out of the game. […]
Many other factors go into location and expansion decisions for employers big and small. Illinois lawmakers have to get their heads around the fact that they have created an unwelcoming environment for employers.
It’s distasteful and even somewhat unethical. But what will the naysayers scream if ADM decides to move its new world headquarters elsewhere?
* The company has already dropped its request for a break on its headquarters’ utility taxes. The first one to move in any negotiation is almost always willing to move again. Negotiate for a better deal, including a sweetener for Decatur, then get it done.
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Quinn: No pension reform, no ADM tax break
Friday, Oct 4, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* AP…
Gov. Pat Quinn said he will veto any legislation with special tax incentives to get Archer Daniels Midland Co. to keep its global headquarters in Illinois until legislators approve a fix for the state’s nearly $100 billion pension crisis.
In an interview with The Associated Press on Thursday, the Chicago Democrat said he won’t consider tax breaks for any corporation until a pension deal is on his desk. He also said ADM’s efforts would be better focused on lobbying lawmakers to address the nation’s worst-funded public-employee retirement system when they meet in Springfield later this month.
“The best way to help jobs in Illinois is to do pension reform,” Quinn said. “To distract legislators in any way from this issue of a lifetime is just plain wrong.”
* From the IFT’s Facebook page…
So, Governor Quinn said he won’t give a multi-million dollar tax break to this one corporation until we take away one-third of the life savings of hundreds of thousands of teachers, emergency responders, and public workers?! Talk about a lose-lose situation. (Quinn does not support SB2404.)
The teachers have a point.
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