Democratic candidate for Illinois governor JB Pritzker and Democratic candidate for Illinois attorney general Kwame Raoul lead their opponents by a wide margin in a new poll released late Thursday by the Illinois Broadcasters Association.
Asking 1,024 respondents who they’d choose for governor if the election were held today, the IBA poll showed Pritzker leading Republican governor Bruce Rauner 44 percent to 27.1 percent. Conservative Party candidate Sam McCann got 6.4 percent and Libertarian Party candidate Kash Jackson got 4.3 percent, and 12.6 percent said they didn’t know or hadn’t decided.
In the attorney general race, 43.4 percent of respondents said they’d vote for Raoul if the election were held today, while 31.7 percent said they’d vote for Republican candidate Erika Harold, and 20 percent said they didn’t know or hadn’t decided. […]
The poll found 23.9 percent of respondents had an overall favorable view of Rauner and 52.4 percent had an overall unfavorable view of him. Only 3.1 percent of respondents had never heard of the governor, and 3.8 percent said they had no opinion.
24 percent favorable. Whew. The report implies these were registered voters, however. Those results tend to skew more toward the Dems.
* Background on this tattoo artist is here. It’s a great read. Press release…
U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren, running for re-election in the 14th Congressional District, has aired his first television ad of this campaign season. The 30-second spot rises above typical campaign ads and focuses on the issue of human trafficking that is plaguing our nation, an issue that Rep. Hultgren is passionate about and will continue to address when he is re-elected in November.
“As any parent will attest, there’s nothing more important than protecting our children and our communities. And as a husband and father of four children, including one daughter, one of the issues I’ve been particularly drawn to is the tragic human cost of human trafficking on families and especially children,” said Rep. Hultgren.
“As your representative in Congress, I’ve done my best to raise awareness of this issue that effects our region, and not just far-off corners of the world. Our work isn’t done by any means, but our progress is unmistakable.”
The Hultgren Campaign has made a significant ad buy on local cable networks and digital, and this first ad is one piece of a comprehensive TV and Digital advertising campaign that the voters can expect from Rep. Hultgren.
“When I started removing sex trafficking tattoos, I would drive home in tears,” Ink180 owner Chris Baker says in the spot. “To have a kid, at 13, with a tattoo of her pimp’s name on her arm made me sick.”
“There’s so much more work that needs to be done to combat human trafficking, and Randy Hultgren is the man to do that,” Baker says. […]
Underwood outraised Hultgren by about $150,000 in the second quarter of the year. She launched her first TV commercial this week, highlighting her work as a registered nurse as she tries to introduce herself to voters and keep her campaign’s focus on health care.
“Bruce Rauner’s problem isn’t that he had too much courage, it’s that he spent four years refusing to compromise, hellbent on forcing his radical agenda on our state no matter the collateral damage,” said JB Pritzker. “Forcing bipartisan legislators to override your budget veto after two years of pain and destruction is not courageous. Holding our children and their schools hostage to an extremist special interest agenda is not courageous. Waging war on unions and attacking working people is not courageous. This failed governor exhibits the height of cowardice when he spreads lies and says ‘I’m not in charge.’ And while Bruce Rauner finally admitted his failures today, it’s too little too late after he’s forced four years of destruction and devastation on Illinois’ working families. I’m running for governor to clean up Bruce Rauner’s mess and I’ll be the leader we need to get this state back on track.”
* The Question: With 1 being the best and 5 being the worst, how would you rate Gov. Rauner’s campaign speech today? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
* Late last Friday afternoon and throughout the evening, my phone absolutely blew up with people telling me about allegations of some sort of harassment by freshman Rep. Jerry Lee Long (R-Streator). I eventually figured out that it had something to do with his campaign and on Saturday morning I asked a House Republican Organization official for a response. I was told they were “in the process of gathering facts on a personnel issue” and would discuss it with me the following week.
Well, it’s the following week. From House GOP Leader Jim Durkin’s spokesperson Eleni Demertzis…
Over Labor Day weekend, the House Republican Organization was made aware of allegations into Rep. Long’s behavior.
We immediately brought in a third party firm to investigate these allegations, and upon completion of their report on September 12, a decision was made to withdraw support of Rep. Long’s campaign, restrict access to all caucus resources and recommend he step down from his position.
At the request of the complainant for privacy, there is no other information we can release at this time. The House Republican caucus and organization has a zero tolerance policy on harassment of any kind.
* I reached out to Rep. Long this afternoon and he said he had not yet seen the release, so I read it to him. “No comment,” he said. “I’ll have to look into it. No comment.”
The “restrict access to all caucus resources” means Long will receive no resources outside of his legislative district office allotment, which is mandated by law (see the Sam McCann lawsuit stories for what will be withheld).
Rep. Long is a Tier One target, so this is a huge blow to the GOP. He’s attracted the ire of the unions because he ran as a pro-union Republican and then flipped on them (at the governor’s behest) once in office. The unions and the Democrats have a ton of precinct workers in that district, so lots of them will now likely be moved to other races, which is also bad for the Republicans.
The alleged victim wants to remain publicly unnamed and that’s her right and I completely respect it. Anyone trying to guess in comments will be banned for life.
…Adding… Someone asked in comments if he can be replaced on the ballot. The answer is no. The deadline expired in late August.
…Adding… From Matt Dietrich at the Illinois State Board of Elections…
Aug. 24 was the last day for a candidate to withdraw and make sure their name didn’t appear on the ballot.
…Adding… Actually, he can be replaced. I misunderstood Matt when we talked about a different race earlier this month. From Dietrich…
The managing committee can fill a vacancy in nomination up to 16 days before the election. They need to do it within eight days of a vacancy occurring.
The statement by Leader Durkin stated that they do not stand any kind of harassment. Because of the nature of this high pace/high pressure nature of this campaign, I can be demanding. This is not a sexual harassment of any kind, but merely a difference of opinion on the lack of support by the Republican Party that goes back several months. At this time I have no intention on pulling out of the race because this just proves that I’m not a part of the “Good Ole Boys ” club.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Rep. Long did a radio interview this afternoon on WCMY. Click here. He repeated some comments from his official statement. “I can be demanding,” he said. “It’s extremely important to understand that I expect a lot out of people and that’s what the allegation is.”
“That you’re an abusive boss, more or less?” the host asked.
“Uh, uh, I’m a demanding boss, yes,” Long replied.
Four years ago, I ran for governor on a bold plan to change state government, and unlock Illinois’ potential.
I was a political newcomer. A private citizen who was called to serve, to fix the biggest problems in our state.
Serving as your governor is an honor. It’s also the hardest thing I’ve ever done. To lead Illinois at this critical time, when our challenges as a state are so large, and our politics are so tragically small.
But the cause of fixing the great state of Illinois is worth the stress. Because short of being a good husband, father, and grandfather, building a stronger future for the 12.8 million people of our state is the most important thing I’ll do with my life.
To get Illinois back on track, we have to be honest about the changes we need to make. I have been criticized over my time in office for speaking too negatively about Illinois. I don’t need to list here today all the challenges we face. But I do believe it’s my responsibility as governor to tell the truth about the situation we find ourselves in.
It’s impossible to fix a problem by pretending it doesn’t exist.
The people of Illinois know our system is broken. It was true four years ago. It’s still true today.
I passionately believe that we can reform state government under the principle of public service, making government work for the people rather than for the insiders. Taking power from the politicians and giving it back to the people is the key to driving the change we need.
When I arrived in Springfield, I leaned on my decades of experience in the private sector. I was successful in business because I brought “out of the box” thinking to existing problems. I rose to the top of my field because I challenged the status quo and thought of new ways to do old things. I brought that mindset to Springfield, and sought to turn Illinois around by changing everything at once. I believed a dramatic, aggressive approach could shock state government into shape and bring Illinois back to life.
While it was true – and remains true – that Illinois needs massive reform to get back on track, I underestimated how difficult change can be in government.
You all know this truth: spending more money we don’t have and taking more money from taxpayers in hopes it will cover the bill, will lead us to disaster.
But you should know this as well: I have learned from my years on the job.
I have learned that the two most important things for success in public service are courage and understanding.
Courage to do what’s right regardless of the political consequences and understanding that there are different points of view, different priorities and approaches, even when we share the same goal of wanting to improve Illinois.
And by embracing courage and understanding, we can chart a new path for Illinois. That’s what I pledge to do over the next four years.
Admittedly, I may have overdone it on the courage part at times. I’ve done things that cost me politically, because I was more focused on doing what was right.
I know the budget impasse was painful. It kept me up at night worrying about the disruption that many families experienced. All of us elected officials let you down in that struggle.
But the budget impasse was a fight for reform. The people of Illinois have suffered for decades under a political system that cares less about the people it represents, than about keeping special interests happy to win the next election. A system that does what’s politically easy instead of what’s right.
It takes courage to stand up to the special interests and the status quo. But I’ve learned that it’s equally important to build mutual understanding – to find common ground with those elected officials who want to change things for the better.
It’s no secret that real divides exist between our political parties. That’s why I’ve learned to listen. It takes wisdom to listen to those who disagree with you, wisdom that can be gained only through years of tough political fights.
I have learned that building consensus around ideas … hammering out policy details … clearly communicating to the people of Illinois why they matter … these things take time in government. Sometimes more time than we’d like.
And I have learned that there are countless areas where we can work together – with Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. When we put aside our partisan differences and focus on the good of the people, we can get great things done.
That’s how we’ve made progress for the people of Illinois. We have made important progress in many areas, including:
Education reform, achieving record levels of K-12 and early childhood investment, greater equity in school funding, and more school choice.
Healthcare reform that improved access to quality care for Illinoisans, saved taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars, and makes us a national leader in behavioral health.
Groundbreaking criminal justice reform, reducing recidivism and increasing public safety by addressing the root causes of criminal behavior.
A future energy plan that puts Illinois on the forefront of efficiency and independence.
A major expansion of the U of I, to make Illinois a world leader in economic growth through technology, research, and innovation.
And by cutting through red tape and supporting entrepreneurs, we’ve created over 210,000 net new jobs since I took office.
After years of tough political fights, Republicans and Democrats came to the negotiating table and worked together to pass a budget. It isn’t perfect; that’s the nature of compromise. But it’s bipartisan momentum we will build on in a second term.
These are OUR successes – bipartisan and with meaningful, measurable, lasting impact for the people of Illinois. Achieving these things required courage … and they required understanding.
I stand before you today a man of no less courage, but perhaps greater understanding.
In divided government, you can’t fix things all at once. You have to be willing to accept incremental improvements. You can’t sacrifice progress for the sake of winning an argument.
But the disruption, the arguments, the negotiations of the past four years have laid the groundwork for real and necessary change. We can continue to move, albeit more slowly than I’d proposed, towards the change that Illinois needs. We can build on the bipartisan successes to move our state forward.
I’m a better governor now than when I took office because of what I’ve learned. And that experience makes me uniquely qualified to lead Illinois.
Today, I ask voters to allow me to continue the work we started, to unlock Illinois’ unlimited potential.
The pillars of this work remain the same: reducing taxes, growing jobs, and ending corruption in state government.
My goals for a second term are the complete opposite of my opponent’s. Pritzker’s plans for more reckless spending and another round of devastating tax hikes would spell disaster for our state. We cannot tax our way to a better future.
The reforms we need aren’t partisan or unreasonable. Our neighboring states have flattened and reduced taxes for their residents. Bluer states than Illinois have put in place the same common sense reforms I’ve proposed: Rhode Island Democrats achieved bipartisan pension reform, Massachusetts Democrats reformed their worker’s compensation and government healthcare systems, California Democrats passed term limits and have tackled gerrymandering.
We’ve proposed these things before, but Speaker Madigan has pulled the rug out from under reform. Even when his fellow Democrats desired the same changes, he has stood in the way.
But Speaker Madigan and his political machine are weaker now than at any time in recent memory. The scandals and controversies, the fiscal reality of our state, and the appetite for reform on both sides of the aisle make this moment an opportunity for change.
I’ve tried to empower and strengthen the many voices for reform. And with a few more reformers in the General Assembly, we will break through. Reformers who pledge to vote for new leadership in the General Assembly, and hold themselves accountable to the people.
Together, through courage and understanding, we can fix our biggest problems.
Unfortunately, my opponent disagrees.
I’m committed to freezing property taxes and removing mandates from Springfield to restore decision making to the local level, to reduce property taxes over time.
Mr. Pritzker opposes a property tax freeze. And mandate relief.
I’m committed to lowering income taxes over time – as I outlined in my budget proposal this year – by enacting genuine pension reform that puts us on a sustainable path.
We can come to a compromise on the consideration model that allows hardworking state employees to choose a compensation structure that works best for them.
It’s something policy-minded Republicans and Democrats agree on – and we can do it.
Mr. Pritzker believes it’s a non-starter, and he’s proposed nearly $11 billion in new spending with another big tax hike to pay for it all.
I’m committed to creating more good-paying jobs through smart regulatory reforms like fixing the broken workers’ compensation system, which is twice as expensive in Illinois as in neighboring states, and by reducing the massive regulatory burden on our job creators.
Pritzker doesn’t think excessive regulations are an issue.
I’m committed to putting term limits on all state elected officials and agreeing to independently drawn legislative maps to end the corruption and conflicts of interest that have held Illinois back for decades.
The University of Illinois at Chicago released a study this spring that ranked Chicago as the most corrupt city in America, and Illinois the third most corrupt state.
Ask yourself why Mr. Pritzker has voiced zero concern for the corruption in our state. He might be the only person in Illinois who doesn’t think corruption is a problem.
In any other state, these reforms wouldn’t be like pulling teeth. They wouldn’t create conflict; they would be bipartisan no-brainers.
They are all things that the people of Illinois want and deserve: a government that’s more efficient, effective, and accountable to the people.
This November, Illinois voters have the chance to send a message. They can tell the political class that we refuse to go back to a system controlled by a few insiders and that we want common sense reform.
I’ve grown in office … I’ve changed. We’ve made progress. I know we can work together to get even more done.
The people of Illinois have a clear choice in November. Will we continue the hard work of reform, aimed at making this state a place where our children and grandchildren can thrive? Or will we return to the status quo: a government controlled by insiders, hellbent on hiking taxes, with little regard for the consequences felt by ordinary citizens?
I’m here to tell you the truth: Pritzker doesn’t have what it takes.
Exchanging campaign cash for political favors, and using his inherited wealth to get what he wants out of state government are not prerequisites for being governor. They’re disqualifications.
A man caught on FBI wiretap trying to buy political office from a criminally corrupt politician is not worthy of the highest office in our state.
A man who inherits billions of dollars, but hides it in offshore bank accounts in the Bahamas to avoid paying taxes, won’t work to give YOU the tax relief YOU deserve. His actions are unpatriotic. He’s not paying his fair share.
A man who ripped toilets out of his Chicago mansion to dodge his property taxes won’t work to reduce your taxes. His deceitful action just puts more burden on other property taxpayers.
What sort of person would do that?
His behavior shows him to be a person utterly lacking in the integrity and character we need in public office.
If elected, he WOULD get big things done: BIG spending, BIG tax hikes, and BIG support for self-dealing.
Imagine what another tax hike would do to your family budget. Imagine what a new tax on every mile you drive would do.
I’ve talked to dozens of families and job creators who have told me that if Pritzker gets into office, and raises taxes as he’s promised, they will leave Illinois.
My opponent doesn’t have the courage or understanding to lead. He’ll only be another insider working for the special interests and against the people.
My opponent thinks he can hide from the media, avoid their questions, and buy this election. I don’t often agree with the media, but I respect them enough to address their questions. Because that’s what you do when you serve the people.
My opponent thinks he can hide from the truth. But we won’t let him.
My opponent thinks he can rail against Washington, and make this election about what’s happening over there. But this election is about Illinois, what’s happening here, and the future of our state.
I’m not perfect, but I’ve grown … and I’m still committed to doing what’s right for Illinois.
Serious challenges require serious leaders, willing to listen and willing to do what it takes.
State government of the insiders, by the insiders, and for the insiders is destined to fail the people.
But I believe in the potential of Illinois, I believe in the people of Illinois, who make us the greatest state in the greatest nation on earth.
This election isn’t about me. It’s not about Republican vs. Democrat. It’s about the people vs. the corrupt political machine. It’s about the taxpayers and job creators vs. the insiders.
It’s about you, and finally delivering the tax relief, the jobs, and the healthy economy you deserve.
It’s about delivering the future our children and grandchildren deserve.
I humbly ask for another four years to finish the job we started, to save our state. I hope you’ll join me in our fight.
Illinois is OUR home. It’s OUR fight. And it’s OUR future on the line.
God bless you, God bless the great state of Illinois, and God bless the United States of America.
Thoughts?
…Adding… I’m posting rapid responses from the Pritzker campaign on the live coverage post.
* I told subscribers about this last Friday, both in the morning and then in an afternoon update about the agreement to pull the spots on Tuesday. There was a huge fight with Chicago labor leaders over Cullerton’s spots…
Within 10 days of running, three ads for Democratic women running for the Illinois State Senate - in which they called for term limits for House Speaker Michael Madigan - have been pulled from airwaves.
It was an unusual step for the candidates, criticizing a member of their own party by name ahead of a general election, particularly one who leads a different chamber of the legislature. Though Madigan is leader of the Illinois House, Democratic insiders admit that his power impacts the Senate as well. […]
But days after the ads began to air on cable television, sources said the Chicago Federation of Labor intervened, threatening to withhold nearly $5 million in campaign cash for Senate Democrats if the ads were not taken down. A spokesman for the Chicago Federation of Labor did not immediately respond to request for comment.
A spokesman for the Illinois Senate Democratic Victory Fund said Thursday that the ads were the candidates’ introductory ads and they had new ads up and running beginning Tuesday.
The ads are still online, however. Click here for one of them.
* The ads also mention how the Senate Democratic candidates back a “no budget, no pay” law for legislators. As I’ve already told you, the House Democrats are also pushing the concept in some of their mailers. Rep. Mark Batinick was the original sponsor of a bill to prevent lawmakers from being paid without a budget, and his Democratic opponent has been using the issue to bolster her own campaign. So, Batinick wants an immediate special session to deal with the issue…
State Rep. Mark Batinick (R-Plainfield) today called on the General Assembly to immediately return to Springfield to approve “No Budget, No Pay” legislation that he has been championing since 2015. Democratic legislative candidates and officeholders are now claiming to support this Bill that Leadership suppressed.
“The silence from legislative Democrats on ‘No Budget, No Pay’ during the state’s budget impasse was embarrassing,” said Rep. Batinick. “Now that Democrats on the ballot across the state are voicing their support for the idea through political mail pieces, TV and radio ads, let’s put the issue to bed. I’m calling on the Speaker and the Senate President to call the legislature into session immediately. Let’s see who truly supports this important form of taxpayer protection and who is using this to simply get elected only to turn their backs on Illinois families once in office.”
At the start of the budget crisis in July of 2015, Rep. Batinick became Chief Co-Sponsor of “No Budget No Pay” legislation — HB 4253. This legislation simply states that if there is no state budget in place, legislators won’t get paid.
Batinick also started the website www.NoBudgetNoPayIL.com to collect petition signatures on the concept and signed on to a letter to the comptroller outlining a legal argument on why the comptroller could withhold legislator pay without legislation.
“To use ‘No Budget, No Pay’ as nothing more than a political tool to get elected is disgusting and dishonest,” said Rep. Batinick. “Illinois families deserve better. Let’s go back to Springfield and put the votes on the board. Time to see who is willing to stand for taxpayers and who is in this for themselves - before the November election.”
Today, ahead of Bruce Rauner’s desperate “reset” speech, the Pritzker campaign is releasing two new TV ads that show exactly why Bruce Rauner is trying so hard to reframe his inability to lead after four years of failure.
The ads highlight the central failure of Rauner’s tenure: the two-year budget crisis that Illinoisans are still recovering from. “736 Days” focuses on how the crisis hurt local communities by delaying funding for schools and forcing local governments to raise property taxes while “Unpaid” focuses on Rauner racking up over $10 billion in unpaid bills and wrecking state finances.
“From harming local neighborhood schools to forcing property tax hikes and tanking state debt, communities across Illinois are still reeling from Bruce Rauner’s two-year budget crisis, and no single speech can erase the fact that four years of his failure is enough,” said Pritzker campaign communications director Galia Slayen.
Want to see what failure looks like? Because of Bruce Rauner, Illinois went 736 days without a budget, delaying funding for schools while local governments were forced to raise property taxes. Four years of failure is enough.
Want to see what failure looks like? When Bruce Rauner took office, Illinois had $6 billion in unpaid bills. But after Rauner’s budget crisis, we had over $16 billion. Bruce Rauner, four years of failure is enough.
A TV-watching buddy told me last night that the :15 spots were played back-to-back.
*** UPDATE *** Despite the claims by the Pritzker campaign (and the fact that I only heard about the spots last night), the Rauner campaign says the ads are not new and have been running since last Thursday.
Metra leaders gave riders a 2019 fare-hike holiday Wednesday but promised doomsday-scenario downsizing unless state funding materializes.
That could mean eliminating stations, trains and even routes, officials said.
“Absent adequate funding, Metra cannot survive in its current form,” Chairman Norm Carlson said.
The solution is to convince Illinois lawmakers to turn on the tap for transit despite ongoing state budget woes, officials said. “We are the lifeline that holds the region together economically — we get people back and forth to work,” Carlson said.
If the push for funding fails, “drastic changes in service levels … may be needed to shrink (Metra’s) size to what our resources can sustain,” he added.
“A fare increase only puts a Band-Aid on a gaping wound,” said board member Tim Baldermann of Will County. He said the state has “kicked the can down the road for decades” in terms of funding, and suggested the possibility that Metra may have to cut lines without adequate state help. […]
Metra staff proposed a preliminary 2019 operating budget of $828 million if there are no fare hikes, and a capital budget of about $211 million. The agency has said it needs $1 billion in capital funding to get into a state of good repair. […]
Metra lines with the lowest annual ridership include the Heritage Corridor to Joliet, with 730,000 trips in 2017, and the North Central Service to Antioch, with 1.7 million trips, out of a total of 78.6 million trips for the whole system.
In 2014, Metra announced at $2.4 billion plan to modernize its trains and install a federally mandated — yet unfunded — Positive Train Control (PTC) safety system intended to prevent train collisions and derailments.
The board said the plan was put together with the assumption the agency would get $700 million in state and federal funding, with Metra putting in $400 million. But since the state hasn’t passed a new infrastructure plan since 2009 and has reduced some of the funding the agency expected, most of the revenue from fare increases has gone toward capital needs and the PTC system.
* Riverside Democrat…
To be clear, we deserve a pounding for lack of a capital bill to address aging assets. And the budget crisis wreaked havoc on transit agencies. But cmon man. This is some hot garbage from an agency that consistently drops the ball on their own.
HOST 1: Bruce Rauner’s been on the program a number of times, and I kind of feel for him. But, the ad that he ran against you from the Tribune Editorial Board meeting –
HOST 2: ’She loves Mike Madigan.’
HOST 1: - Was taken so far out of context for even people that follow the news marginally well.
HOST 2: ’When Jeanne Ives was a soccer coach she taught her kids to cheat.’
HOST 1: What does this say about the populous where they buy that nonsense? And this is true of Democratic ads too.
IVES: But they did. But they did buy it. He spent $1.7 million the last four days of the campaign lying about who I was in Central Illinois, and they did not do their research or check it out. So, they know that it’s effective. Which is why now everybody’s tied to Madigan on both sides, I mean it’s just ridiculous. So, people are gonna have to wake up to the reality in their checkbook before we – Republicans are going to have to make arguments, we’re going to have to make real arguments about what’s going on and connect dots for folks. And I think eventually we may get there, but the truth is we’re going to lose more and more people every single year because they’re just going to give up, they don’t care why they just want out.
State Senator Andy Manar, (D) Bunker Hill, and two other Illinois lawmakers are demanding answers from the Rauner administration concerning funds for critical access pharmacies.
The legislature created the critical access pharmacy program (Public Act 100-587; HB 3342) with the intention of providing funds for the sustainability of independent pharmacies that have been negatively impacted by reimbursement rates through the states managed care program. The new managed care program started April 1, 2018. Since that time several pharmacies throughout the state have closed including pharmacies in Mt. Zion and Lincoln.
A September 10, 2018 letter was sent to Patricia Bullock, Acting Director of the Illinois Department of Healthcare & Family Services, seeking an explanation as to why the program has not been implemented. The letter from Senator Manar, Senator Heather Steans, (D) 7th District and Representative Gregory Harris, (D) 13th District, reads in part:
“While this program is subject to appropriation, the fiscal 2019 budget as contained in Public Act 100-586 (HB 109) included $10,000,000 to fund disbursements to critical access pharmacies. We strongly believe that this program needs to be administered as soon as possible to prevent pharmacy closures that would impact access to care for individuals throughout the state – closures that are occurring right now in Illinois.”
* I asked the Rauner administration for a response and was sent this…
In following recently enacted state law, the Department has been working with stakeholders to establish this new program in a way that will ensure it offers as much assistance as possible. HFS is developing program guidelines within the timeline of the formal rule-making process that needs to be followed.
I asked what that timeline was and didn’t hear back. Manar’s letter also asked for a timeline.
I sent the administration’s response to Manar. His spokesperson sent me this…
Just talked to him. He noted that this is an emergency situation for these pharmacies and that the budget went into effect July 1. He said, “We have not received a response, and we would have expected them to at least have rule-making started by now.”
Ohio’s Department of Medicaid will end the state’s contracts with pharmacy benefit managers which bill taxpayers more than they reimburse pharmacists for filling Medicaid patients’ prescriptions.
The department on Tuesday directed Ohio’s managed care plans to terminate contracts with pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, based on the “spread pricing” practice, The Columbus Dispatch reported. The state said it’s moving to a more transparent pass-through pricing model Jan. 1.
* Finally, some results from Gov. Rauner’s European trade mission…
.@FaberCastell was founded in 1761 and is one of the world’s oldest industrial companies. We met with their team in April and we’re happy that they have chosen to be born, built, and grown in Illinois for the North American market. pic.twitter.com/VR1sGSV34C
A German cosmetics manufacturer is opening a plant in Elgin with state incentives, giving Gov. Bruce Rauner a chance to credit a trade mission he took to Germany and Poland in April.
The factory, operated by a unit of pencil maker Faber-Castell, will start with 10 to 15 employees and aim to expand to 50 within three years, a threshold for job- and investment-linked subsidies under the state’s revamped EDGE program.
The plant will make cosmetic pencils, beginning this fall.
Christina Zech, managing director of Faber-Castell Cosmetics, said other states, including Wisconsin, offered more money upfront, but Illinois won out, mainly because of its central-U.S. location and access to O’Hare International Airport. Under EDGE, companies can get a credit against income taxes equal to 50 percent of withholdings associated with each new job, up to the level of projected investment.
State economic development officials learned last summer of Faber-Castell’s interest at a Commerce Department conference in Washington, according to Mark Peterson, CEO of Intersect Illinois, a privately funded economic development office. “That set the table.” Rauner then scheduled a stop at corporate headquarters in Stein, Germany.
…Adding… Text from an African-American legislator…
All that money for eyebrow pencils. We have cosmetic companies - minority ones- who could have added ‘10-15′ employees and made these things here with just a small incentive from DCEO. He coulda saved a trip.
This is the story of a school mentor who was pedophile. It's also the story of a principal who trusted him. A top CPS official (now a mayoral candidate) who didn't push for scrutiny. And an inspector general who rejected investigative findings on blame.https://t.co/zGETAz2xSw
What did Paul Vallas know and when did he know it? Vallas, running for mayor, won't say. Instead, he had his campaign respond to Tribune findings that officials ignored warnings of a pedophile in their midst. @poolcar4@garyjmarx@jsmithrichards@PerezJrhttps://t.co/49vNu2AbWk
Vallas’ (mayoral) campaign also defended the lack of any immediate investigation into Lovett’s sexual misconduct, or the principal’s alleged failure to report it, saying it was a matter for police and child welfare authorities. https://t.co/drheURGBfY
Marvin Lovett was a trusted mentor to students at Johnson Elementary School. He also was a pedophile.
Lovett used a camera hidden in his apartment closet to make secret pornographic videotapes of students, police and school reports show. He plied boys with cash and gym shoes as he destroyed their childhoods.
Shot to death in April 2000 by a teenage student he abused for five years — since the boy was 12 — Lovett has been accused in lawsuits of sexually abusing at least 19 boys in the North Lawndale community.
It is the largest known case of sexual abuse involving a Chicago Public Schools worker, volunteer or vendor in recent decades, one that led to $2.7 million in legal settlements earlier this year. Yet no one at CPS was ever held accountable for allowing a dangerous sexual predator to volunteer and work in the West Side school.
Now a Tribune investigation has uncovered a 58-page case manager’s report from the CPS inspector general’s office in which four CPS employees told investigators they had raised concerns with the school’s principal, Mattie Tyson, about Lovett’s interactions with boys.
Scroll down and you’ll see that a school parent reached out to Paul Vallas, who was then CPS CEO, but he apparently didn’t do anything about it.
* Lori Lightfoot called him out…
Paul Vallas’ response to the horrific case of sexual abuse that occurred under his watch at CPS is entirely disqualifying.
Vallas dismissed then, and continues to dismiss today, the fears and frustrations of parents in the face of appalling acts of abuse by a known pedophile. His campaign’s statement that, if parents were truly concerned, they ‘would have endeavored to do more than simply send faxes’ places the burden on victims and evades responsibility.
I call on Paul Vallas to apologize for his deeply disturbing response to Tribune inquiries. For seven years, Chicagoans have had a mayor who blames victims instead of hearing their concerns, and we can’t afford to elect a new leader made from the same mold. It’s time for new leadership, and it’s time for an elected and representative school board that Chicagoans can hold accountable in moments like these.
*** UPDATE *** Vallas campaign…
The case of Marvin Lovett is a tragic one and an example of how an individual can prey on children in a community while perpetuating the image of someone who was dedicated to improving the health and welfare of that community to the extent he was able to get elected to his Local School Council.
During Paul Vallas’ tenure as head of the Chicago Public Schools, Lovett was not an employee, having resigned the year before Vallas became CEO. It was also not until after Lovett was killed, a year before Vallas left the school system, that there was even any attempt to alert anyone of suspicions about Lovett. That consisted a of single anonymous fax apparently sent to a few individuals at CPS, including the School Board President Gery Chico, as well as Mayor Daley, and reporter Pam Zeckman, none of whom ever recall receiving any communication on this matter.
It is inconceivable that had these faxes - or any other communications - actually reached school officials that immediate follow up actions would not be taken as far lesser allegations prompted swift and decisive actions. This was mandated through the comprehensive system that had been put in place to keep children and faculty safe and secure and to ensure prompt and appropriate intervention when abuse was suspected.
This system included: clear protocols and training on procedures to follow when allegations of child abuse surfaced; a 24/7 hotline for anonymous reporting of potential abuse; creation of an Office of Crisis Intervention to provide support services for abused students in schools as well a multitude of other offices and services specifically designed to protect them.
With all these systems of safeguards and supports in place, had any complaint been actually received, immediate action would have been taken. During Vallas’ tenure there were almost daily interventions and an average of one to two dozen employees and others were removed from schools each year for misconduct. The policy was zero tolerance and student and employee safety first.
Sadly, the realities of child abuse and the furtive ways in which predators carry out their despicable activities means that no system - no matter how well designed - can never guarantee that all abusers will be detected. But there was no stone left unturned by the Vallas administration in making certain that everything possible was being done to keep children safe.
* I missed this one yesterday when I was under the weather. But now that Rauner is planning to cross a union hotel picket line today, it’s even more timely…
Today, the Rauner campaign is launching a new digital video titled “Turning Up The Heat.”
JB Pritzker claims to support unions and boasts of their endorsements, but his history with workers stands in stark contrast to his words. Currently, union workers are striking at the Hyatt Hotels owned by the Pritzker family and employees of a Pritzker-owned business are accusing of him of union-busting.
Back in 2011, when workers at the Pritzker family’s hotel chain went on strike in the middle of the summer, the hotel turned the winter heat lamps on. This video focuses on the strike, the Pritzker’s use of heats lamps, and features one worker saying, “If the heat didn’t kill us, the heat lamps would.”
JB Pritzker talks a big game, but Illinois workers can’t trust him.
Pritzker: “It’s why I believe so strongly that we have to stand up for our labor unions in the state.”
But when workers went on strike at the Pritzker family hotel chain, they turned on the heat. In the heat of the summer, they turned heat lamps on workers.
Hyatt Hotel Worker: “They put the heat lamps on us like we were nothing. If the heat didn’t kill us the heat lamps would.”
JB Pritzker says one thing, but his record shows another. Illinois workers can’t trust him
This spot is obviously designed to try and discourage or tamp down union member support for Pritzker.
A new ad from the Roskam for Congress campaign released today highlights Sean Casten’s previously unreported work as a federal lobbyist who sought taxpayer funded subsidies and attempted to sway members on Capitol Hill to grant him special tax incentives for his own company.
“Sean Casten takes every opportunity to talk about his ‘resume,’ but he conveniently leaves out that he was also a registered federal lobbyist who pleaded with congressional leaders for special tax breaks to benefit his own business,” said Roskam for Congress Spokesman Veronica Vera. “Casten’s hypocrisy in calling for raising taxes for 6th District residents, all the while lining his own pockets with taxpayer money through special interest tax breaks, is breathtaking. Casten’s history continues to reveal shady business dealings, cover-ups and contradictions—and now, Sixth District residents are getting to know the real Sean Casten.”
* This media advisory was supposed to be for planning purposes only, but I saw two mentions of it in other publications this morning, so here you go…
Governor Rauner will deliver a speech framing the gubernatorial election. The speech will cover lessons learned in the first term, the contrast between Governor Rauner and his opponent, and the governor’s vision for the future of Illinois.
The speech begins at 2 o’clock this afternoon at the Hilton Chicago on South Michigan Ave.
He’s also speaking this morning to the Civic Federation’s board. I’ll try to let you know if he previews his afternoon address.
…Adding… DAGA moved its fall conference to avoid crossing picket lines…
In response to the Democratic Attorneys General Association (DAGA) moving its Fall Quarterly Policy Program Conference from the JW Marriott to another location in Chicago to show support for workers, UNITE HERE and UNITE HERE Local 1 applauded the Democratic Attorneys General Association for its commitment to supporting workers.
“We applaud the decision of the Democratic Attorneys General Association to stand by the thousands of hospitality workers in Chicago and move their conference site,” said Karen Kent, President of Unite Here Local 1. “We are proud of our members who are making their voices heard this week in Chicago—and we are proud of the Democratic Attorneys General Association for listening.”
Thousands of Chicago hotel housekeepers, servers, cooks and doormen have stopped working and are on strike for year-round healthcare, workloads that keep them healthy, and wages that keep up with the cost of raising a family. Hotel workers are on strike at 26 downtown convention and boutique hotels. Some of the affected hotels include the Hyatt Regency Chicago, JW Marriott, Sheraton Grand, and Hilton Chicago. Union contracts with UNITE HERE Local 1 expired on August 31, 2018.
I’ve heard they haven’t moved the rooms, however. We’ll see.
…Adding… I’m told he didn’t break any new ground at the Civic Federation this morning. “Rauner’s greatest bits” was one explanation. So, we wait for the afternoon speech.
*** UPDATE *** Pritzker campaign…
With 54 days until election day, Bruce Rauner is desperately trying to reframe his inability to lead after four years of failure.
While nothing can undo his damage done, if Bruce Rauner truly wants to take responsibility for his failures, here are five questions he can answer for voters today:
Was your two year budget crisis worth it?
You underperformed your predecessor, so does that make you the same “miserable failure on jobs” you called him?
After enrollment in state colleges and universities plummeted by 72,000 students on your watch, do you regret proposing cuts to higher ed and slashing funding for MAP grants?
Why haven’t you protected Illinoisans with pre-existing conditions from losing their healthcare coverage to Trump’s attacks?
After 14 Veterans and spouses died on your watch, do you still think your administration did ‘an excellent job’ in Quincy?
“Bruce Rauner is a failed governor who has spent four years wreaking havoc on communities across the state, and nothing Rauner says will undo his damage done,” said Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh. “A speech can’t erase four years of failure, a ‘reset’ can’t save a flailing campaign, and the same failed governor can’t convince anyone that another term will be any different than the last.”
* The Cook County judge in the Jason Van Dyke case regarding the killing of Laquan McDonald was a Vietnam veteran who was apparently suffering from severe PTSD. In 1970, he was living with his parents while attending law school. Steve Bogira at the Chicago Reader explains what happened next…
At 3 AM the following morning [after a traffic accident scuffle], the couple next door was awakened by gunfire. Two bullets had shattered their bedroom window and pierced the wall above their bed, according to [Bill Mullen’s Tribune] story. The couple ran from the bedroom, and the husband, Darius Latchin, called police. When two officers arrived at the home, Latchin showed them into his dining room. He was talking with them when two more shots came through a window, narrowly missing the officers.
Police soon determined that the gunfire had come from the third floor of the Gaughan home (Mullen’s story doesn’t explain how), and officers swarmed on the home. Gaughan called down the stairway, saying he wanted to talk with Father John Richardson—a priest at DePaul and a friend of his. Richardson, who was DePaul’s vice president, was soon in Gaughan’s foyer, discussing the situation with sergeant Charles Adamson and other officers. According to Mullen’s Tribune story, Richardson told the officers he knew Gaughan well, and that “he won’t hurt me.”
As the priest started up the stairs, Gaughan called down: “Wait—I want a policeman to come too. An Irish sergeant.”
“That broke the tension,” Mullen wrote. “The policemen smiled, and the guns went down.” Adamson said he was Irish, and volunteered to accompany Richardson upstairs.
Inside his bedroom Gaughan laid down the M1 rifle he’d fired. “He came downstairs and outside with Father Richardson, where both got into a squadrol,” Mullen wrote. Gaughan’s father asked to go to the station too, and an officer “put his arm on the old man’s shoulder” and offered to take him in his squad car.
Mullen reported that Gaughan was charged with aggravated assault, unlawful use of a weapon, failure to register a weapon, and discharging a firearm in the city. But there was a warm and uplifting tone to the story nonetheless. Police had worked to calm Gaughan and had responded with restraint—extraordinary restraint, if indeed four people, two of them police officers, had nearly been shot. The officers called to the scene hadn’t tried to chase Gaughan from his room with tear gas, which could have led to a deadly shootout on the stairway.
I wondered if the fact that Gaughan was white and a war hero had played a role in this patient response. Gaughan had been armed with a rifle that had a range of 500 yards. (Laquan McDonald had a folding knife with a three-inch blade.) A perilous threat had been mitigated, and no one had been harmed.
* Feder: Van Dyke trial to air on CLTV: WGN reporter Julie Unruh will lead the station’s coverage, starting with opening statements by the prosecution and defense through the conclusion of the trial. Jury selection is currently underway. CLTV is carried on Comcast Xfinity Channels 352/1091, RCN Channel 616 and Mediacom Channel 215.
The Illinois Commerce Commission voted unanimously Wednesday to revoke Lincoln Towing Service’s state license, effective immediately.
The decision comes about two months after an administrative law judge recommended that the North Side firm keep its license despite hundreds of alleged violations.
ICC Chairman Brien Sheahan issued the commission’s order overturning the judge’s decision, citing a preponderance of evidence showing Lincoln Towing “has not conducted its business with honesty and integrity” and was unworthy to hold a commercial vehicle relocators license.
Lincoln was ordered “to immediately cease and desist from operating a relocation towing business in the state of Illinois,” Sheahan said during a regular commission meeting in Chicago.
During the relevant time period of July 24, 2015 through March 23, 2016, Respondent has towed without proper authorization over eight-hundred (800) times;
The evidence shows that Lincoln has no regard for Commission Rules
Headline explained here. This has been a long time coming.
Takeda Pharmaceuticals announced Sept. 10 plans to close its U.S. headquarters in Deerfield, Illinois and continue consolidating its operations in Boston, according to Crain’s Chicago Business. The Deerfield office houses around 1,000 employees.
The biopharma company’s decision to shutter its Illinois-based headquarters comes despite having enjoyed one of the most lucrative tax credit arrangements in the state, calling into the question the efficacy of Illinois’ Economic Development for a Growing Economy, or EDGE, tax credit program.
From 2003 to 2013, Illinois issued more than $60 million in EDGE tax credits to Takeda via two separate agreements, according to documents obtained from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. In exchange, the company promised to create 566 new jobs.
No other company in the state received more EDGE tax credits over that time.
…Adding… From Austin Berg at the Institute…
Hey Rich, worth noting that the second Takeda EDGE agreement extended beyond 2013, so they have very likely received even more than $60 million in credits. According to the most recent report from DCEO, Illinois also issued EDGE credits to them in 2014, 2015 and 2016, though it does not disclose the amount.
We published what we knew for sure according to the most recent FOIA data we had on hand from DCEO, which followed the EDGE program from 2001-2013
The move is not entirely unexpected. Its parent company, based in Tokyo, is in the process of buying Irish drugmaker Shire for $62 billion as the drug industry continues to consolidate.
Takeda has been shrinking its workforce in Deerfield, shifting some R&D resources from Chicago to Cambridge, Mass., where it acquired two companies in the past decade. […]
Takeda, which set up operations in the Chicago area in 1977, has been reducing operations in Deerfield for several years. When it announced the proposed deal with Shire, Takeda said it expected to reduce R&D costs by about $600 million a year and trim overall expenses by $1.4 billion. Management expects to reduce the companies’ combined workforce about 7 percent.
But Takeda’s latest move heralds more than consolidation. The health care industry is moving away from traditional drug compounds toward biologics and gene-based treatments. Boston, like San Francisco and San Diego, is a major hub for such research. Although Chicago has some of this capability—at AbbVie, in local universities and in some emerging companies, such as AveXis—it doesn’t have the same scale as Boston.
Takeda Pharmaceuticals, shuttering its Lake County U.S. headquarters and moving 1,000 jobs to Boston, saw its property tax bill rise 66 percent over the last decade, from $1.37 million in 2008 to $2.28 million last year, according to the Lake County Treasurer’s office.
That’s down from a high of $2.7 million in 2012.
In all, the company has paid more than $22 million in property taxes on his since 2008 on its 380,000 square foot tower that straddles Lake Cook Road and Interstate 294 in Deerfield.
It was the fourth highest corporate property taxpayer in Lake County, after Abbott Laboratories ($9.2 million), Gurnee Mills Shopping Center ($4.8 million) and Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan ($2.9 million).
* The Free Beacon is often a good place to dump oppo for some Republicans. With that being said, you may recall this story from late August…
Democratic congressional hopeful Sean Casten said he thought President Donald Trump had a “tremendous amount in common” with al Qaeda founder Osama Bin Laden, the man responsible for the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that claimed nearly 3,000 lives.
Illinois Democrat Sean Casten, who found himself in hot water after his belief that President Donald Trump has a “tremendous amount in common” with terrorist Osama bin Laden was revealed by the Free Beacon, has also told voters there are “Nazis” in the White House. […]
“I don’t think you need to be an engineer to know that it’s a bad idea to have Nazis and racists in the White House,” Casten said during the August [2017] event.
In October [2017] he only slightly amended his statement, saying, “Nobody should have to use a calculator to answer the question whether it’s a good idea to have Nazis and racists in the White House.”
Illinois Democratic congressional candidate Sean Casten insisted Monday that an advisor to Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh intentionally made a white supremacist signal during a televised Senate confirmation hearing.
Casten and Republican incumbent Rep. Peter Roskam, who represents Illinois’ 6th Congressional District, met Monday for a live-streamed debate moderated by suburban Chicago newspaper The Daily Herald. During the debate, moderators asked about Casten’s claim that there were “Nazis” working in the Donald Trump administration.
The energy executive defended his comments, citing former Trump advisor Sebastian Gorka as someone he thought was a Nazi who worked in the administration. “We have an obligation to call that out when we see it,” he said.
“There’s a problem when we have Zina Bash this week flashing white power signs behind the Brett Kavanaugh hearings,” he said. “How do we not stand up to that?”
Take a very deep breath before commenting, people. Then thoroughly exhale. Maybe walk around a bit. Have a drink of water. Thanks.
* Related…
* GOP U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam says Democrat Sean Casten is ‘channeling’ President Trump: “The irony is: Sean, who is Donald Trump’s biggest critic, is ironically emulating him insofar as he’s advocating the politics of ridicule,” Roskam said during a meeting of the Daily Herald Editorial Board. “And the proof of that is calling Republicans a party of deplorables. He’s retweeted that. He’s called Republican donors morons.” Casten, a businessman from Downers Grove, said he’s apologized for the bin Laden comment but attacked Roskam for not being more critical of Trump. “If Peter doesn’t appreciate my sense of humor or is offended by me, I’m sorry,” Casten said. “But we have a big problem with silent complicity in the overwhelming majority of the Republican House right now. We are facing an existential crisis to democracy. We have a president who believes that he is above the rule of law.”
* ‘We are really, totally at odds on this;’ Roskam, Casten sharply disagree on 2017 tax law: Those cuts won’t pay for themselves, [Casten] says. And failing to address income inequality puts the country “at levels that, in history, are getting dangerously close to the levels that preceded revolutions,” he said. Roskam criticized the implication of a potential revolution as “hyperbole.” “Sean, we are not at risk of revolution in this country,” he said. “Peter, I certainly hope you’re right,” Casten said.
Rauner, the re-election-seeking governor who has used his campaign wealth to heavily subsidize Durkin’s candidates for the Illinois House, called the House “the barricade” against Democratic plans to approve a proposed state constitutional amendment that would ask voters to approve a graduated-rate income tax to replace the currently mandated flat tax. The proposal is backed by Rauner’s Democratic challenger, J.B. Pritzker.
“The only way they can get that done is by having a super-majority back in the General Assembly. And the barricade, the wall, the barrier against that happening is the House of Representatives. Hold the House. Pick up seats in the House. That’s what it’s all about,” Rauner said.
Democrats hold a 67-51 majority in the House, led by Rauner’s chief political nemesis, House Speaker Michael Madigan, who also chairs the state Democratic Party. It takes 71 votes in the House to approve a proposed constitutional amendment and 36 votes in the Senate, which Rauner is not heavily contesting this election. Democrats have a 37-22 Senate majority.
Interesting how the Republican State Leadership Committee announced yesterday that it was busting the contribution caps for Durkin just before Durkin’s contributors descended on his event.
Rauner spoke briefly to the crowd, saying he had to attend to another dinner and speech. But the embattled Republican governor told the state’s Republicans that the Illinois House “is the barricade against a massive new income tax hike in the state of Illinois.” […]
“Even though the president unfortunately lost Illinois, we picked up four seats in the House, two seats in the Senate two years ago. And we’re going to put together the biggest ground game in Illinois history this election cycle. We’re going to work our tails off and pick up more seats in the House.”
The Senate Republicans are hosting their annual “Fall Classic” today and tomorrow in southern Illinois. Golf, skeet shooting, fishing, boating. Will the governor show up with a check in hand?
* Photo from yesterday’s event…
At Illinois House Republican Leader Jim Durkin fundraiser, Gov. Rauner tells crowd “even though the president unfortunately lost Illinois, we picked up four seats in the House, three in the Senate.” Rare mention of Trump, and not by name. Money shot below with Garry McCarthy. pic.twitter.com/pkkCjOclET
Despite urging from people he listens to and respects, U.S. Rep. Luis Gutiérrez, D-4, has said he has decided not to run for mayor of Chicago and is launching a drive to draft Cook County Commissioner Jesús “Chuy” Garcîa for the job.
“First, I want to thank the hundreds of you who have called to offer support and encouragement for me to run for mayor of our great city,” Gutiérrez said. “Because of my unending respect for all of you, I’ve listened carefully and believe me, from the bottom of my heart, I am honored.
However, he said he has made two important promises in the months since he announced his retirement from Congress.
“Not too long ago, I made a promise to my daughter, Jessica, who is running for alderman in the 30th ward that I would put her future first. … “She is carving her own path as a young, independent progressive leader, and a part of the exciting new movement coming to the forefront across our nation. The last thing I want to do is undermine her independence or undercut her avenues for success. I’m a dad first.”
And, while he loves Chicago, he said his heart is with Puerto Rico, the home of his parents, and he has promised to “be the guy” to help “abolish” Donald Trump and rebuild Puerto Rico.
“Puerto Rico deserves my time and my energy and I will not rest until my work there restores it to its proper place as a home for hard working people and a haven for prosperity,” he said. But “Rebuilding Puerto Rico can’t be done with Donald Trump as president.”
So, in order to “tear down Trump’s second wall that is denying over 900,000 immigrants citizenship,” Gutiérrez will take up the gauntlet and crisscross America, as a national spokesperson on behalf of the National Partnership for New Americans and continue his trademark firebrand work on immigration and refugee rights.
Finally, Gutiérrez urged his supporters, and those who worked for García four years ago, to help draft the commissioner for another mayoral run. “Chuy took us almost far enough four years ago bringing a new spirit of independence and honesty that survived his defeat. It’s time to let his vision be fulfilled.”
He noted that he and García began as children of the movement that elected Harold Washington, who “said no to hatred and bigotry and yes to equality … and Chuy can make that happen and heal the city.”
“We are going to form an exploratory committee and start circulating petitions this weekend,” Gutiérrez said. “If Chuy doesn’t have petitions out, I will print them myself. I know how to spell his name.”
*** UPDATE *** Chuy Garcia press release…
First, I want to thank Congressman Gutierrez for his confidence and support in my ability to lead Chicago and to serve as a bridge to unite our increasingly divided city. And, certainly, as a father, I understand his decision and admire the love he has for his daughter and unwavering support to the people of Puerto Rico.
Calls and messages have been coming in from people all over the city urging me to run, including Congressman Gutierrez. And, I want to thank everyone for their encouragement and support from the bottom of my heart.
As I take a closer look at the Mayor’s race I will continue to dialogue with Chicagoans from across our great city to talk about solutions that will both unify us and improve everyone’s quality of life. While we have great challenges ahead of us we also have an opportunity to bring peace to a city that has been too much at war with itself. And, I look forward to forging that peace together.
* Related…
* Rep. Luis Gutierrez won’t run for Chicago mayor, calls on Jesus ‘Chuy’ Garcia to seek the office instead: Garcia, who has been running for the congressional seat Gutierrez will vacate, could not be reached Wednesday morning for comment on his plans. As Gutierrez pushed Garcia for mayor, Garcia was nowhere to be seen at the county board meeting. He was present earlier in the morning for committee meeting, but went back to the offices and didn’t reappear.
* Woke up early this morning with a sore throat. Went back to bed. Woke up again with a sore throat. Had some tea. Didn’t feel much better. Checked my e-mail and various news sites for anything major. Saw nothing important. Going back to bed. Be nice to each other and keep it Illinois-centric, please. Thanks.
The Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC) today announced the launch of a six-figure digital ad campaign in Illinois House District 82 in support of Republican Leader Jim Durkin. The RSLC has a history of supporting Durkin, along with key Republican candidates in all fifty states. The RSLC’s 2010 REDMAP Project helped flip nearly 1,000 state legislative seats from Democrat to Republican in the past decade, on district boundaries largely drawn by Democrats.
“We want to remind voters in Leader Durkin’s home district that he has kept his promise to stand up for Illinois families against Speaker Madigan’s liberal, tax-and-spend agenda,” said Matt Walter, President of the Republican State Leadership Committee.
They’re starting with a website. Durkin has only token opposition, so this likely isn’t about saving him.
What this is about is Speaker Madigan busting the contribution caps for his own personal committee (Friends of MJM) last month with a $100,001 personal contribution. I asked for clarification, because I assumed if the RSLC is gonna spend “six figures” on Durkin they’ll spend at least $100,001 because a dollar less wouldn’t undo the contribution caps. I was told they will spend at least that amount.
So now, contributions to Durkin’s personal committee won’t be capped, either. By the way, Gov. Rauner did this for Durkin two years ago by independently buying radio ads for him.
I really should sell blog ads to people who do this stuff. I’m sure at least one person in Durkin’s district (Durkin) reads the blog. Man, what a racket that would be.
There are two big things that are driving the exodus that’s occurred from Illinois. The first is that we have very high property taxes, and the reason for that is that we pay for our schools improperly in the state. Most of the funding for local schools comes from local property taxes and it really should come from the state. We should be about half and half.
Local property taxes fund about $18 billion in school spending out of about $29 billion in total. Subtract out the 12.3 percent supplied by the federal government and “other local” funding, and you wind up with about $25.4 billion. Half of that would be $12.7 billion. So, that would have been a 2015 increase in state funding, and corresponding decrease in local property tax funding for K-12 education of $5.3 billion.
* My “guesstimate” last month for Pritzker’s proposed spending figured he’d increase K-12 by about $500 million. If we take Pritzker at his word, my guess was too low by maybe $5 billion.
So my earlier guesstimate of $5.7 billion for new net revenue needs should be revised upward to $10.7 billion.
On Rauner running ads saying residents may have to leave the state if Pritzker’s elected because he will raise taxes
“That’s just false. Like everything else with Gov. Rauner, he’s been an utter failure and now he’s lying. I put forward a plan to implement a fair tax in the state which would lower taxes for the middle class and those striving to get there, and would raise taxes on Bruce Rauner and people like him and me. It’s a fair tax system like the ones that exist in most states in the United States, and of course the federal government has a progressive income tax system as well.”
C’mon, dude. You’ve never put forward a tax plan. You haven’t even discussed an outline. It’s barely a vague concept. If you say you have a plan, then let’s see the plan. Otherwise, don’t say you have a plan. /rant
Labor has been good to Susana Mendoza, who’s expected to file nearly $260,000 into her comptroller’s campaign account today. The bulk of that—about $178,000—is from unions. The latest infusion of funding comes from A-1 donations and will bring her cash on hand to $1.6 million for the comptroller’s race.
Mendoza’s also as a possible candidate for mayor, though she’s declined to say whether she’s running. Mendoza filed the comptroller campaign donations while on an extended trip to Washington, D.C., to engage donors and policy makers.
Mendoza has the luxury to poke around at the idea of a mayoral run as she has a commanding lead over her Republican challenger for comptroller—Mendoza sits at 52 percent to Darlene Senger’s 34 percent, according to a poll conducted by Global Strategy Group. Most of Mendoza’s support (71 percent) is from Chicago.
Well, that was certainly a flattering piece. Way to go, Mendoza camp.
* I asked for a polling memo and it turns out the numbers in the above story only reflect a two-way contest, not the actual three-way matchup. And, more importantly, despite their portrayal, these are not current numbers in any way. The survey was conducted way back in July…
Key findings from Global Strategy Group’s July survey of 600 likely general election voters in Illinois are as follows:
• Susana Mendoza holds a strong lead in the race for Illinois Comptroller. Mendoza currently leads a multi-candidate ballot by double-digits (47% Mendoza, 25% Senger, 9% Ball, and 19% undecided) as well as the two-way ballot with Darlene Senger where Mendoza breaks the 50% threshold (52% Mendoza vs. 34% Senger). Democrats (84%), particularly liberal Democrats (89%), voters in the city of Chicago (71%), African-American voters (65%), and voters under the age of 45 (60%) are driving Mendoza’s lead on the two-way ballot.
• Mendoza is better known and more well-regarded than Senger. Those who are familiar with Mendoza feel warmly toward her (43% familiar; 29% favorable vs. 14% unfavorable). That gives Mendoza a 30-point name ID advantage over Darlene Senger (13% familiar; 9% favorable vs. 4% unfavorable). Mendoza’s favorability is driven largely by her popularity in Chicago where almost six in ten voters are familiar (57% familiar) and those who know her like her (41% favorable vs. 16% unfavorable). The same is true for Democrats (54% familiar; 46% favorable vs. 8% unfavorable), liberal Democrats (62% familiar; 51% favorable vs. 11% unfavorable), and African- American voters (51% familiar; 35% favorable vs. 15% unfavorable).
ABOUT THIS POLL: Global Strategy Group conducted a live telephone survey of 600 Illinois general election voters from July 23- July 26, 2018. The results of this survey have a margin of error of +/-4.0%. Care has been taken to ensure that the survey is weighted to reflect the expected makeup of the 2018 general electorate.
A few quick takeaways. But keep in mind that this is just one poll taken for the comptroller and it was conducted in late July and all we have to go on is this cherry-picked memo. Also, this is a three-way race so she doesn’t need 50 percent plus one to win.
1) The poll may be old, but the memo was apparently crafted on September 9th, so the language is deliberately skewed to highlight a potential Chicago mayor’s race. But, if the numbers are close to accurate, she’s pretty well-liked in the city and by liberals and African-Americans. That’s a powerful combo. Notice, however, they didn’t include Latinx voters. But, again, while old, those are not discouraging numbers at all. And since Rauner is so wildly unpopular in the city, she can definitely use her constant fights with him to her advantage if she runs for mayor.
2) The Libertarian candidate seemed to be hurting Senger more than Mendoza, which might not be good news for the rest of the statewides, either. Mendoza’s one-on-one margin was 18 and her three-way margin over Senger was 22. Um, twenty-two? And that was in July, before national trends shifted even further away from Republicans. Hey, they can also shift back. I’m just sayin: 22. (And if she was up by 22 in July, just imagine what Jesse White’s lead might’ve been over the guy who whined again this week about how he can’t get any traction because the Chicago media doesn’t take him seriously.)
3) Senger had 13 percent statewide familiarity with just 9 percent favorability in July. Yikes. Even for July, that’s a yikes. She’s reported a mere $11,200 in contributions this quarter (plus an in-kind of $1,634 for an event room rental and food), compared to $340,100 for Mendoza, who was sitting on $1.4 million at the end of June, compared to just $32K for Senger. In other words, she’s definitely gonna need some Rauner bucks, but there might not be enough Rauner bucks in the world to win that one. Plus, he’s so far given no indication that big cash is forthcoming. He’s funding himself and the House Republicans and throwing some money at the attorney general’s race. But he’s also been clearly saying that others need to “chip in” to his effort.
4) While Mendoza had a big lead in July and currently has a decent pile of cash, there could be a temptation to sit on her advantage and hoard her dough for next year. One election at a time. The Republicans have tried to make a tiny bit of hay out of her possible mayoral bid, but that could intensify. Aside from “Because… Madigan!” it’s all they really seem to have. Will she serve out her full term if elected in November? Nobody has yet asked her that question.
While it's fun to see Rosie the Bloodhound enjoying her chase, the fact is Southern Illinois faces serious challenges that requires real leaders to stand up for our values in Springfield. David Friess repeatedly failed the taxpayers of Red Bud by missing half of his city council meetings. Would you still have your job if you failed to show up half the time?
“The fact of the matter is David Friess voted on Dec. 5, 2016 to raise the property tax levy in Red Bud by $24,725 as compared to the previous year,” Costello said. “His attempt to run away from his record is an effort to rewrite history and mislead taxpayers. Quite frankly, if David Friess did not realize he voted for a tax increase as an alderman in Red Bud, what makes anyone trust he’ll know what he’s voting for in Springfield?” […]
“I’m not sure where Jerry got his numbers. Over the last 4 years, our spending has been virtually stagnant. If anything, the city’s portion of the property tax bill has decreased because of our growing tax base in Red Bud. I wish Jerry would stick to the facts,” said Red Bud Alderman, Glenn Linnertz.
Sometimes the value of a house may be adjusted from year to year affecting how much the owner has to pay in property taxes.
The owner of a house that was worth $201,950 in 2014 paid $499 to the city in property taxes. That house then was worth $197,550 for the 2015 tax year, and the owner paid $502. In 2016, the house was valued at $200,530 and the owner paid $499. For the 2017, the house was worth $206,780 and the owner paid $509.
The levy went up, but rates went from $0.81 per $100 EAV in 2014 to a high of $0.85 in 2016 to $0.82 in 2017. So, they went up, then came down a bit. But we’re talking tiny fractions here and “He raised your property taxes by TEN WHOLE DOLLARS!!!” ain’t much of an ad. Liberties are often taken in these instances. And that’s why we need local political reporters to cover this stuff and explain it to people.
* Even though Friess probably has a right to be upset, voters too often don’t try to understand and therefore “don’t do nuance” and Costello’s new ad is even more brutal than the first one. Sorry for the video’s poor quality. It was sent via mobile phone…
Man, that’s an effective spot. Whew.
* Including cash-on-hand Rep. Costello has raised and/or others have spent (via in-kinds) a total of $601,554 this quarter. Friess’ number is $77,805.39. That’s almost 8 to 1, which is even more painful than those Costello hits. Friess has no money yet to put his response into his own TV ads. He’ll have to settle for an article in the BN-D. (That’s not a knock on the BN-D, by the way.)
* The Question: Since JB Pritzker used Amanda Vinicky for his TV ad and previously declined WTTW’s gubernatorial debate invitation, should Pritzker now grant Vinicky an exclusive one-on-one preelection interview? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
* Some minds were changed about outlawing the death penalty and legalizing marijuana when skeptics were shown how much tax money could be saved (and gained, in the case of pot) by changing current laws. The fact that police misconduct lawsuits cost Chicago taxpayers $662 million between 2004 and 2016 has been attracting growing interest in a city that can’t afford those costs.
A new study has determined that taking civilian complaints more seriously could substantially reduce the most serious cases of police misconduct and the costs to Chicago taxpayers from legal settlements.
The Chicago Sun-Times reports legal scholars from Northwestern University and the University of Chicago reviewed some 50,000 misconduct complaints filed against Chicago police officers between 2002 and 2014.
The scholars, Max Schanzenbach and Kyle Rozema, found most complaints don’t lead to lawsuits. They say “the worst 1 percent” of officers generate nearly five times the number of legal payouts than the average officer.
The two concluded that “removing the worst 1 percent” of Chicago Police officers — about 120 people — and replacing them with “an average officer” would have saved Chicago taxpayers more than $6 million in payouts between 2009 and 2014.
* I hope he’s out there to finally nail down some of those “thousands” of Japanese jobs he’s been promising since his Asian trip almost exactly a year ago…
Daily Public Schedule: Tuesday, September 11, 2018
What: Gov. Rauner attends the Midwest U.S.-Japan Conference, delivers remarks at the closing ceremony
Where: Grand Ballroom (2nd floor), Hilton Omaha, 1001 Cass Street, Omaha, NE 68102
Date: Tuesday, September 11, 2018
Time: 10:30am
Note: No additional media availability.
Or, maybe he’ll stop by the Ricketts family corporate headquarters and try to raise some campaign cash.
Or, maybe he’s just leaving the state to give a speech, which seems kinda odd considering the polling. Weird year.
…Adding… This announcement was reported by the Tribune today…
Japanese pharma giant Takeda announces it will be closing its Deerfield, IL headquarters and eliminating 1,000 jobs
I'm very disappointed in the news that Takeda Pharmaceuticals is closing its U.S. headquarters in Deerfield. I’m even more disappointed that the Rauner administration did nothing to prevent these job losses. pic.twitter.com/fEE19HiB6v
* Yesterday, you’ll recall, Sen. Sam McCann introduced legislation to repeal HB40 and the JB Pritzker and Kwame Raoul campaigns used that bill to bash their respective Republican opponents. Well, here’s today’s McCann release…
Today, Conservative Party gubernatorial candidate Sam McCann introduced a Senate resolution to support nearly 30 Illinois counties that adopted resolutions designating themselves “gun sanctuaries,” which will not enforce gun control they believe to be unconstitutional.
The resolution reads that “we commend these counties and their decision to provide sanctuary for their Citizens who wish to exercise their fundamental right under the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Illinois.”
McCann issued the following statement:
The word “sanctuary” has been misused by liberals in recent years to fool the public into accepting the lawless and dangerous abdication of basic public safety practices. A sanctuary is a place where people can go to feel safe, and in the true spirit of the word, we should support sanctuaries that protect citizens’ rights to protect themselves and their families.
With this resolution, Senators can show our support for local governments and citizens who are unwilling to let their unalienable rights be abused. I call upon all of my colleagues in the Senate to support this resolution so that Illinois can begin to remind America what a sanctuary really is.
* Under that [now-deleted 911 image was] this text…
Marty N-Eighty to Walsh Freedom Volunteers
The Islamic terrorists attacked the USA and our American way of life on September 11, 2001. Not just New York or the Pentagon or an empty field in Pennsylvania. Their objective was to bring down the federal government and collapse our nation. Now the leftists progressives with the willing assistance of mainstream media and some politicians are continuing on that path by pushing globalism and socialism.
And a lot of our fellow Americans, even friends and family members of mine, are falling for the false promises of socialism and a world without borders. We have seen evil fly planes into buildings full of people going about their lives. But we must be vigilant and fight off those who are intent on bringing down our government and our duly elected officials in far more insidious ways. They come in the form of a pretty young woman or a very old man who has never worked a 9-5 job preaching a form of government that has been responsible for more human tragedy in all of recorded history . Or an eloquent former president who could never utter the words “radical Islam” but had no trouble apologizing for the USA at every world stage. #neverforget #alwaysremember is a battle cry to protect our flag and our nation. God bless America!
Oh, for crying out loud. I’m old enough to remember when September 11th was supposed to be a national day of unity and remembrance. Now, apparently, some people want to twist it to bash the media and warn of a vast internal conspiracy to destroy the nation.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Democratic Party of Illinois interim executive director Rep. Christian Mitchell…
It’s disgusting that Rep. Helen Miller Walsh has chosen to commemorate 9/11 by spreading vitriolic hatred on the internet…again,” said DPI Executive Director Christian Mitchell. “Rep. Walsh is leveraging a day of unspeakable national tragedy to spread conspiracy theories about her political opponents and attack the news media. This is not the first time that Rep. Walsh has pushed extremist rhetoric on social media, but that did not stop Republican leaders from elevating her to a legislative position. We expect more from our elected officials, and the representative should set a better example on a day when all Americans should come together as one.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Rep. Miller Walsh has taken down her divisive post. The person who pointed me to the post in the first place says FB commenters were posting screen shots of their online contributions to her Democratic opponent.
Bruce Rauner applauds Donald Trump as he gives a tax cut to corporations and the wealthy at the expense of the middle class, tries to dismantle healthcare, and puts forward a nominee to the Supreme Court set to end a woman’s right to choose. This failed governor thinks this president is doing a great job, but for some reason can’t focus long enough to tell Illinoisans if he voted for Trump in 2016.
* The Question: How would you rate this new TV ad? Don’t forget to explain.
* Mary Shaw passed away recently. She was only 42. Mary worked for the Senate Democrats for a dozen years. She ran campaigns and then moved on to work for the Illinois Retired Teachers Association. I think I’ll mainly remember her as one of those unique people who could hold everything together and make things happen. You could always count on her. Always. Excerpt from Toby Trimmer’s tribute…
There really aren’t words that can wrap up the impact that Mary Shaw has had on the lives to so many of us under the “dome of make believe.”
Pumpkin… Maybe that’s a word. It was her go-to label to show endearment, comfort, genuine interest and love for many of us.
Mary was a fixer. She could maneuver the personalities of the statehouse like few others I’ve known. In my role as an administrator at one time, I knew Mary as strong ally and a partner – not a subordinate. She wasn’t to be managed. She didn’t need to be.
And now Mary needs us…
Marebear's cancer treatment was harder than anyone I've ever heard of. She was in and out of Barnes and Northwestern as well as day-to-day care in Springfield. The bills will be staggering. The GoFundMe is still accepting donations. https://t.co/xO1ElhQRiL
If you worked with or were friends with Mary Shaw you always knew one thing – through good times and bad, Mary had your back.
Mary recently lost her battle with cancer.
Thank you to all who have given to help cover costs associated with her cancer care. This fund is going to continue in an effort to assist and support her husband Shawn and son Lucas.
Mary always had our backs. Now, we need to have hers.
Gov. Bruce Rauner and top Illinois Dept. of Transportation officials called for a halt to Amtrak Hiawatha Line expansion project plans, which include building freight holding tracks in Glenview and Lake Forest, until concerns by the two towns are given more study.
“We have heard loud and clear the concerns expressed by Lake Forest and Glenview,” Rauner said in a written statement issued late Friday, Sept. 7. “We listened to you. Clearly, a timeout on this project is needed so you can get the answers you deserve. This project will not proceed until that happens.” […]
Since a plan to expand Amtrak Hiawatha service between Chicago and Milwaukee from seven round trips (14 trains) to 10 round trips (20 trains per day) was announced in 2016, which included adding tracks to hold freight trains in Glenview, Northbrook, Lake Forest and Bannockburn, leaders and residents in those communities have expressed serious concerns about potential impacts from noise, vibration, pollution from diesel engines and impacts to traffic as trains slow to enter and exit holding tracks.
In Glenview, six neighborhoods would be impacted by a proposed two-mile holding track, which would run from West Lake Avenue to Willow Road. Additionally, trains which were moving at 50 mph through the village would now be slowing in and out of that holding area, affecting rail crossings at West Lake.
To build the freight train holding track, a 20-foot retaining wall would need to be built to hold the rail bed, officials said. Building the retaining wall would mean the green space that provides a buffer between the nearby residential areas and the existing tracks would be cut down.
“The combination of Metra’s opposition to a third main for at least a few decades, and IDOT now stepping back from approving an [environmental assessment] for the foreseeable future, effectively defers such a project being approved for a very long time, if ever,” [Lake Forest Mayor Rob Lansing] said, in response to Blankenhorn’s letter.
* It’s far too early to pick horse-race winners and losers with robopolls like these. These are just fun snapshots in time, and perhaps blurry snapshots at that. Here’s Mary Ann Ahern…
In a brand new SEIU poll conducted by Public Policy Polling, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle leads the field with 25 percent of the vote. Preckwinkle is expected to announce Monday that she will form an exploratory committee to run in the February contest. […]
Undecided voters check into second place in the poll, with 19 percent of voters saying they are unsure as to whom they will support.
Paul Vallas is in third at 16 percent, former Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy is in fourth at 13 percent, and businessman Willie Wilson is in fifth with 10 percent of the vote.
The poll spoke to 600 likely voters, with a plus or minus average of 4.9.
Several possible candidates weren’t tested in the poll, however, including Chi Party Aunt, my own personal favorite
Pitted in a head-to-head contest, U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez gets the support of 21 percent of respondents. That puts him just ahead of former Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy, at 18 percent, and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle’s 16 percent.
Trailing are former Police Board President Lori Lightfoot and former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas, at 10 percent each. Both already were running before Emanuel folded his re-election race. City Treasurer Kurt Summers got just 4 percent.
Fifteen percent of those questioned said they are undecided, and 7 percent said they back another, unspecified candidate.
Given the results, the totals appear largely based on name recognition, though the finding that Preckwinkle trails Gutierrez and McCarthy may indicate voters remain upset at a series of tax hikes she pushed through.
How does someone put together an undertaking as vast as a mayoral campaign with so much to do in so little time? Where does one even start?
Obviously, the path is different for a major elected officeholder with an existing political infrastructure such as County Board President Toni Preckwinkle or state Comptroller Susana Mendoza than it would be for 2011 mayoral candidate Gery Chico, who in effect must put the band back together.
But the essentials are the same: assemble a team, raise money, pass petitions to get on the ballot, formulate a message, assemble a field operation that can identify supporters and get out the vote, and develop a media strategy that includes television advertising, direct mail and making connections via social media.
As far as that team goes, minimum needs are a professional fundraiser, a scheduler, a campaign manager, a press secretary, a media consultant, a direct mail consultant, a social media consultant and maybe an additional fundraiser to pay for the above.
Go read the whole thing. I would only add one point: There is a finite list of experienced people who can do all these jobs and an almost infinite number of candidates right now.
* Other stuff…
* Amanda Kass: Some Looming Pension Questions: As I see it candidates have three choices: First, they could pledge to cut pensions, thereby reducing pension contributions. But, the Emanuel administration already tried that, and the state supreme court ruled that effort unconstitutional. The other two options are: cutting spending or raising revenue. While many of the already announced candidates haven’t given detailed plans the common themes have been: a) stated commitment to make the payments; b) criticism of increased property taxes (which were increased to make the pension payments); and c) a desire to have a progressive revenue structure. I haven’t seen much discussion on cutting spending. Thus, it seems like most candidates are going with the raising revenue option.
* Post-‘Rahmbo’ Chicago and the Death of Triangulation: Without that threat, individual aldermen could very well break free of their infamous “rubber stamp council” label and substantively push back on the next mayor’s agenda. And the city’s activist community, which is deservedly viewing Mr. Emanuel’s exit as a victory, is poised to draw more clout, if not a big seat at the table.
* Mariame Kaba: Social Movements Brought Down Rahm—Now They Can Transform Chicago: I said at the beginning I’m surprised that he’s not running, but not shocked. He was under relentless pressure from the moment he won. He was under pressure before he won because people knew what kind of Democrat he was—from the corporate wing of the Democratic Party. The protests have been relentless. Rahm’s wife Amy Rule said in an interview a few days ago that “it’s no fun for [his family] having their front yard picketed.” We’re supposed to feel sorry for him because of that statement, when in fact what that shows is that people were relentless in pushing back against him all the time, which is exhausting and it can feel so futile. It can feel like people’s suffering is increasing and you’re having to fight like hell but seeing only minimal positive results.
Brady: The people want a change. They want Mike Madigan to leave office, frankly. They want term limits. In tying Democratic candidates to [Speaker Madigan] it really resonates. I mean, look at this, we go back to this example where three Democratic challengers against three of our candidates are running term limit ads on Mike Madigan and yet he still had the ability to force them to pull those ads. Because that’s what he wanted and people are tired of that dictatorship that they believe has put Illinois into the position that we’re in. He is the pivotal point of what people want to see different in Illinois. And that’s one of the reasons my candidates - John Curran, Tom Rooney and Mike Connelly - are for term limits. I’m for term limits. Bruce Rauner is for term limits. They believe more power should be given back to the people.
Pearson: But, I mean you’ve had a lengthy tenure in the Legislature.
Brady: I have.
Pearson: And even if we adopted a term limits amendment, it wouldn’t take effect for years.
Brady: It probably wouldn’t have any effect on the tenure of Mike Madigan, but it would stop future politicians from ever having that type of reign in Illinois government.
He’s probably right, of course. He’s just off-message.
Illinois Senate Republican leader Bill Brady said Sunday that voters are seeing state elections as being separate from a national referendum on President Donald Trump.
“What I see happening are people realizing that this is not a national agenda. There’s no question that the national scene and some of the president’s tweets and other things go south on people even though I think he’s done much in terms of policy,” Brady said on WGN AM-720.
“But as people realize this isn’t a national election, it’s a state election about the future of Illinois and it’s about whether or not you want to give control and another (redrawn legislative boundary) map to (House Speaker) Mike Madigan and (Senate President) John Cullerton, they realize how important this is,” he said.
The Bloomington Republican said he is seeing renewed enthusiasm among GOP voters, particularly among core social conservatives who have been divided over Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner’s tenure and his support of laws expanding abortion, immigration and gay rights.
But, hey, Billy might be right. Who knows anymore?
* Related…
* Rauner falsely claims graduated income taxes always hurt the middle class: Rauner said that in “every state that has put in a graduated income tax, the middle class always pays more.” But 11 of the 32 states that tax income at graduated rates would tax an individual earning the national median at lower rates than Illinois. In some of those states, the rate would be significantly lower. What’s more, tax rates tell only part of the story. Many states, including some with much higher rates, also offer taxpayers generous exemptions and deductions, significantly reducing their actual tax burden.
* Rogue billionaires are giving the GOP and Democrats a migraine: In Illinois, where Uihlein resides, he backed state Rep. Jeanne Ives to the tune of $2.5 million as she challenged GOP Gov. Bruce Rauner in the primary. Rauner survived, but is considered to be one the most vulnerable governors running for re-election this fall.
* September 7th Facebook post by Peoria Journal Star columnist Phil Luciano …
Once again, GateHouse has decided that the best way to serve the Journal Star readership and Greater Peoria community is by enacting layoffs.
Today, four newsroom employees — Shannon Countryman, Chris Kaergard, Thomas Bruch and Aaron Ferguson — will be terminated; a fifth, Wes Huett, will be terminated Sept. 21. To be clear, GateHouse and the Journal Star remain profitable enterprises; these cuts were made to “get to a certain number,” as we were told this week.
The Peoria Newspaper Guild tried to find reasonable alternatives and compromises, including the transitioning of employees to other, necessary work now going undone. We were told no; five employees had to be terminated.
As always, this is done by seniority: each of these gents is a rock-solid journalist who made the paper and Peoria a better place. Further, these cuts occur on top of two layoff-triggered departures just weeks ago, along with the sports editor’s exit today via a buyout offer. Not only do these cuts decimate our ability to cover and report local news, but we do so now (among a great many other losses in recent times) with no sports editor, city editor or opinions editor — and this at the largest newspaper in downstate Illinois. There was no need for these terminations, except to increase the bottom line of a corporation already solidly in the black. This is a dark day not just for the Journal Star and our Guild, but for anyone who cares about communities, public discourse, and justice.
Kaergard is the political columnist perhaps best known as “the budget beard.”
Attendance and sales at the Illinois State Fair declined from last year, vendors said.
Vendors also said the mostly favorable weather didn’t help boost sales for the fair that’s seen a downward trend over the past decade, The State Journal-Register reported.
“We’ve had our busy nights, don’t get me wrong,” said Kelsie Vose, whose family runs the Vose Corn Dogs stand. “But I’ve heard from a lot of vendors, not just ourselves, but most of the vendors we’ve spoken to have all been on the same page about that. It’s not just us, it’s everybody.”
McMeen’s Taffy Owner Joan Ehlers said her family has sold taffy at the fair most years since 1924. She said her business is down 50 percent from 10 years ago.
The Illinois State Fair in Springfield saw 369,144 people walk or drive through its gates last month, an 8 percent drop compared to last year’s fair, state officials reported Friday.
Officials noted, however, that fairgoers this year appeared to spend more money than in 2017, according to an early look at vendors’ sales receipts.
This year’s attendance total was lower than the 401,648 who attended the 2017 fair but higher than the 347,855 who passed through the gates during the 2016 event that was plagued by flooding rains, extreme heat and power outages. The 2015 state fair, the first to be counted using a different formula, attracted 411,547. […]
The Illinois Department of Revenue reports that as of Aug. 31, fair vendors’ sales receipts totaled $1,392,497.21, an increase of 16 percent over the same date last year. Vendors have until Dec. 31 to submit their fair receipts to the state.
I watched a couple of football games Sunday (ugh, those Bears will kill me one day) and I saw the new Pritzker ad four times, but I only saw the original Rauner spot once and have yet to see the RGA’s ad.
Anyway, what do you think of the ad?
…Adding… I suppose it’s what definition you have for “propose,” but I disagree with this take from the Rauner campaign…
Hey, Rich-
Actually, Pritzker did propose a VMT, emphasis added:
Charging gas taxes based on how many miles people drive instead of how much fuel they burn could pump up revenues to help fix Illinois’ roads and bridges, Democratic candidate for governor J.B. Pritzker told the Daily Herald editorial board.
Called a vehicle miles traveled or VMT tax, it’s an idea worth exploring, the billionaire Hyatt hotel heir said in a Thursday interview where he also pushed for a graduated income tax, but gave few specifics.
…
“In some states (such as Oregon) they have done tests recently for a VMT tax because we have more and more electric cars on the road, more and more hybrids, and because gas mileage is rising. It’s only fair if you’re on a road and traveling on that road that you should pay your fair share,” he said.
A VMT tax “is something we should look at … we have to careful how it gets implemented and that’s why it should only be a test at this point.”
* Looks like a tracker is gonna win a bonus. JB Pritzker and Speaker Madigan had always studiously managed to avoid appearing in the same photograph with each other, but check this out from a weekend event…
Not exactly embracing each other, but it’s something.
The J.B. Pritzker campaign slapped a new label on Gov. Bruce Rauner the other day, calling him “Governor Veto” because he’s vetoed several bills that the Democratic candidate supports.
Since the legislative session ended, Gov. Rauner has vetoed 75 bills. By my count, 44 passed with veto-proof majorities in both legislative chambers.
So, he may or may not be “Governor Veto,” but he might turn out to be “Governor Override” come veto session in November.
The governor issued a Total Veto on 46 bills, and exactly half passed with enough to override. However, a bunch of those vetoes were slapped on bills that were duplicates in one way or another.
The more important issue is his amendatory vetoes. Rauner used his amendatory veto power to rewrite 29 bills, and 21 of those (72 percent) were passed with enough votes to override.
It’s rare for the General Assembly to accept an amendatory veto, mainly because House Speaker Michael Madigan will often kill them in his Rules Committee dungeon. If there aren’t enough votes to override, the vetoes are allowed to die. But legislators can and do override AVs if they can find the votes, and it sure seems like Rauner could be in for a bunch of those.
Take, for instance, House Bill 3418, which unanimously passed the Senate and cleared the House with 88 votes, 17 more than necessary to override. The bill would allow local governments to use tax incentives to create urban agriculture zones. The bill had no real opposition when it passed, but Rauner stripped out its tax incentives, stunning the bill’s supporters.
The General Assembly passed legislation to increase the amount that the Illinois Court of Claims can pay out in lawsuits against the state to $2 million, up from the current $100,000. Senate Bill 2481 was touted as a way to help the families of those who died at the Quincy veterans home. Rauner’s AV reduced that $2 million to $300,000. It passed the House 79-33 and cleared the Senate 42-7 and the sponsors are itching for an override.
I think the governor has gotten somewhat of a bum rap on that veto, by the way. A $2 million lawsuit cap could cost the state a bundle of dough that it currently doesn’t have. But $300,000 seems a little low. The $100,000 cap passed in 1971, and that’s $600,000 today, which seems more justifiable.
The governor signed all of Comptroller Susana Mendoza’s bills this year after getting thoroughly whacked last year when the House and Senate nearly unanimously overrode his veto of Mendoza’s legislation to require agencies to disclose how many unpaid bills they were sitting on.
So, Rauner instead turned his negative attention to Treasurer Michael Frerichs, vetoing several of Frerichs’ bills including an amendatory veto of legislation that would’ve allowed Frerichs to use money from the Unclaimed Property Act to buy a Springfield office building. Frerichs says buying one building instead of leasing two buildings would save taxpayers hundreds of thousands. But Rauner vetoed a Frerichs bill last year that allowed the treasurer to use third-party contingent fee auditors to make sure the life insurance industry was actually paying out claims. Rauner was overridden on that bill, so he used this year’s bill to again try to undo Frerichs’ law from last year.
“We don’t want officeholders to create their own empires, running their own little mini-governments,” Rauner told reporters when asked about that amendatory veto.
Rauner used his amendatory veto powers to rewrite HB4923 — Frerichs-backed legislation designed to tweak the Illinois Secure Choice Savings Program — to make the entire program optional instead of mandatory.
He AV’d a bill designed to loosen some state treasurer investment decision restrictions to say those investments could only be made with the approval of the governor. SB2661 passed with just 2 “No” votes.
Rauner rewrote SB2857 that passed with large super-majorities to allow the treasurer to keep up to $12 million in administrative charges to pay for operations. Rauner also outright vetoed another Frerichs bill (HB4922) that would’ve stopped banks from charging fees on rebate cards.
Last year, the governor vetoed 42 bills and AV’d another 10. So, he’s way ahead of that pace, particularly with amendatory vetoes. Fifteen of his total vetoes were overridden last year while just 3 AVs were overridden. I’m thinking those numbers could be higher this time around.
So, why did he AV so many popular bills? You got me, but, other than his ire at Frerichs, some think he finally decided to fully engage with the General Assembly after session ended.
Sam McCann Introduces Bill to Repeal HB40, Ending Taxpayer-Funded Abortions
SPRINGFIELD, IL – Friday, Conservative Party gubernatorial candidate Sam McCann filed legislation to overturn House Bill 40, a law signed by Governor Rauner earlier this year that allows public funds to be used for abortions. McCann’s Bill would restrict public funding of abortions and return provisions that would bring Illinois in line with federal law in the event that Roe v. Wade is overturned.
McCann issued the following statement:
I am taking action on behalf of conservative families in Illinois to send HB40 to the trash heap, where it belongs. This abominable law is not only immoral, but fiscally reckless, and Illinois can afford neither at this critical time.
After years of failed efforts to address Illinois’ financial crisis, Governor Rauner diverted badly-needed tax dollars to fund the expansion of abortion coverage across Illinois. This law forced taxpayers not only to accept the continued deaths of thousands of innocent babies, but to finance them as well.
I am hereby calling for colleagues in both parties to support this effort to protect innocent life and end forced public funding for abortions.
* Meanwhile, a letter to the editor from a 27-year-old small business owner supporting McCann has made it into two newspapers so far. The gist…
1. He is the only pro-life candidate running for governor (Gov. Bruce Rauner stabbed conservatives in the back when he signed a bill that allowed taxpayer money to fund abortions). J.B. Pritzker and Kash Jackson support the same abortion policies.
2. Sen. McCann is strongly against Gov. Rauner’s transgender birth certificate policy. J.B. Pritzker would also support transgender policies like this. Policies like this endanger children. Sen. McCann will protect children from dangerous transgender policies.
3. Sen. McCann is strong for the Second Amendment.
4. Sen. McCann is against Gov. Rauner’s sanctuary state policy.
“Unlike Bruce Rauner who waffled on HB 40 and supports a Supreme Court nominee who could overturn Roe v. Wade, JB Pritzker has always stood up for a woman’s right to choose and will fiercely defend that right as governor,” said Pritzker campaign communications director Galia Slayen. “JB opposes this draconian rollback of reproductive rights and would veto an HB 40 repeal if it reached his desk — but the question remains: will Rauner join him or will this failed governor abandon Illinois women once again?”
*** UPDATE 2 *** Now comes Raoul…
Kwame Raoul, Democratic candidate for attorney general, opposes legislation that state Senator Sam McCann introduced last week to reverse the protections in House Bill 40, raising the question of whether Republican attorney general candidate Erika Harold supports his move. HB 40 protects a woman’s right to choose and access healthcare even if Roe v. Wade is overturned.
“We simply can’t trust Erika Harold to defend a woman’s right to choose,” said Aviva Bowen, spokesperson for Raoul. “While she tells voters she’ll ‘enforce the law,’ her anti-choice allies, like Sam McCann and Peter Breen, are working hard to repeal a critically important law protecting women and their access to reproductive healthcare. Voters deserve to know; does Erika stand with McCann or would she actually defend HB 40 in court?”
Harold opposes abortion, even in cases of rape and incest. Last month, state Representative Peter Breen, the ringleader of opposition to HB 40 who even filed a lawsuit to try to block it, hosted a fundraiser featuring Harold.
