More post-Mapes cleanup by Madigan
Friday, Sep 13, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tina Sfondeles…
Weeks after a former inspector general blamed former Mike Madigan chief of staff Tim Mapes for ruling through a culture of fear and intimidation, the powerful speaker has told his staff and Democratic primary candidates “no person should be pressured” into volunteering for a campaign. […]
“I am writing to remind you that no person should be pressured into or made to feel as if they are required to engage in political activities or that their public employment may be contingent upon assisting a candidate or political committee,” Madigan wrote Thursday in an email to Democratic primary candidates. […]
The letter comes weeks after former inspector general Maggie Hickey issued a scathing report about workplace culture in the speaker’s office with a very large focus on Mapes, who also served as the executive director of the state Democratic party and clerk of the House.
Most of those interviewed, Hickey wrote, “agreed that Mr. Mapes commonly threatened people’s jobs or reminded them that they were dispensable.”
* From the letter…
In keeping with the Democratic Party’s goal of ensuring safe and supportive workplaces, our political committees have implemented many changes since the last election cycle. […]
Every staff member and volunteer serving in a supervisory role will be required to participate in a training program prior to receiving an assignment, and resources will be available for all staff and volunteers throughout the campaign cycle.
In addition, every candidate receiving assistance from the Democratic Party of Illinois, Democratic Majority, or Friends of Michael J. Madigan will be required to participate in a training program and adopt workplace harassment policies.
The goal is to create a culture where staff and volunteers feel comfortable to work issues out among themselves, knowing there is a supportive and fair system in place when they cannot. Whether you are an employee or a volunteer, you are entitled to a working environment free of coercion, discrimination, harassment, or intimidation, and I am committed to providing that environment for all persons working with our campaigns.
* From a letter Madigan sent to all Democratic primary candidates this week…
With the 2020 election season approaching, candidates and political committees will be actively seeking volunteers and paid staff to perform political activities. I am writing to remind you that no person should be pressured into or made to feel as if they are required to engage in political activities or that their public employment may be contingent upon assisting a candidate or political committee. […]
(E)very candidate receiving resources from the Democratic Party of Illinois, Democratic Majority or Friends of Michael J. Madigan will be required to take training on workplace harassment and have their own policies in place. The goal is to create a culture where candidates, staff and volunteers feel comfortable to work issues out among themselves, knowing there is a supportive and fair system in place when they cannot.
That should be the policy in both parties and all four caucuses, IMHO.
* From a Madigan letter sent last week…
Dear Employee of the Office of the Speaker:
With the 2020 election season approaching, candidates and political committees will be actively recruiting volunteers and paid staff to perform political activities. As we work together to improve our workplace, I want to remind you that you should not be pressured into or made to feel as if you are required to engage in any political activity, or that your role within the Office of the Speaker is influenced by your political participation.
Those who chose to take time off work or volunteer for a candidate or political committee should do so only if it is their personal choice. You have a First Amendment right to engage in political speech, but it should be your decision whether to participate in political activities on your own time.
As a reminder, you are expressly prohibited from engaging in prohibited political activities while on State time or using State resources, and members of the General Assembly are prohibited from requiring you to engage in such activities. […]
I want to reiterate that your personal decision regarding participating in political activities will have no impact whatsoever on your role within the Office of the Speaker.
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“80 percent of success is just showing up”
Friday, Sep 13, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Rockford Register Star…
It took five years and three governors, but Chicago Rockford International Airport finally has the check it was promised from the state of Illinois.
Mike Dunn, executive director of the airport, confirmed last week that the $14.7 million check was in hand.
A big thank you to Gov. JB Pritzker for delivering. Pritzker has been bullish on Rockford. It’s not just the airport. He helped the city get its long-sought-after casino, money for rail, and more money for Rockford University, Rock Valley College, RAMP and the Boys & Girls Clubs. Rockford Mass Transit District did well in the state budget and there was $250,000 for the Rockford Art Museum.
Other governors have talked about how critical Rockford is to the state’s overall economy and did little or nothing to help. Pritzker has shown us that Rockford’s future is more than a campaign talking point. He has acted.
Not only has he come through with much-needed dollars, he’s visited the Forest City a number of times and has been to the airport at least three times. Rauner never visited the airport, according to Dunn.
Wow. That’s quite a smooch.
* Southern Illinoisan…
Thumbs up to the success of the 2019 Du Quoin State Fair. According to figures released by the fair, Grandstand ticket sales were up 26 percent from 2018. The State of Illinois reports that overall revenue was up 37 percent. About $350,000 was generated by Grandstand attractions this year, an increase of $90,000. In more good news, state officials reported attendance at this year’s fair was 124,000, up from 100,000 in 2018. And, in a related thumbs Up, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has pledged continued support of the fair. “My administration has invested in improving the Du Quoin fairgrounds, and I’m committed to making this historic fair successful for decades to come, so that this economic engine can continue to benefit not only Du Quoin, but all of Southern Illinois,” Pritzker said. After the fair and fairgrounds have been neglected for so many years, real support from Springfield would be a definite plus.
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* Speaker Madigan letter to the House Clerk…
Dear Mr. Clerk:
Pursuant to House Rule 13.5, today I am establishing the House Firearm Public Awareness Task Force, which will review the issue of gun violence and make recommendations designed to reduce violence. The number of majority and minority appointments for the task force is indicated below. These majority appointments are effective immediately.
Each caucus will be allowed to appoint ten members. It’s not as big as the property tax task force, but it ain’t small, either.
* Here are the Democrats…
Representative La Shawn K. Ford, Chair
Representative Monica Bristow
Representative Sonya M. Harper
Representative Barbara Hernandez
Representative Yehiel Kalish
Representative Stephanie A. Kifowit
Representative Theresa Mah
Representative Martin J. Moylan
Representative Aaron M. Ortiz
Representative Kathleen Willis
Rep. Ford said he requested the task force be created.
* From the House Republicans…
We look forward to appointing members to this task force and working in a bipartisan manner to address this issue.
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Looking on the bright side
Friday, Sep 13, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Highwood is, um, living up to its name…
The state of Illinois will commence the sale of cannabis on January 1, 2020 and the City of Highwood is working to be proactive in the early implementation. […]
“Highwood’s innovative entertainment district is thriving and this newly legal industry is an opportunity to continue retail growth. Being an early adopter would have advantages including identifying the best business partner for the community and giving Highwood early market share,” says Scott Coren, Highwood City Manager. “We look forward to welcoming a business to Highwood that is equally invested in this opportunity.”
* This will be a relatively short drive from my house…
While Springfield city leaders debate whether or not to allow recreational marijuana sales and cultivation within city limits, the capital city’s lone medical marijuana dispensary is closing in on a second location for recreational pot sales on the city’s East Side.
Chris Stone, the founder and CEO of HCI Alternatives, confirmed Thursday that the company is “in the final negotiations” to lease the former Outback Steakhouse, 3201 Horizon Drive, nestled between Dirksen Parkway and Interstate 55 near the Crowne Plaza. […]
Stone said the site, which has been vacant since the Australian-themed restaurant relocated last year to the city’s West Side, offered the company several advantages: easy highway access, a strong transient customer base with its proximity to several major hotels and an opportunity to provide jobs to an economically struggling side of town.
* I’m betting there will be a long line…
Canton’s medical marijuana dispensary, which is one of the first businesses in the state to receive both state and city approval to sell recreational marijuana, will start selling to all adults first thing on New Year’s Day.
Scott Miller of Salveo Health & Wellness Dispensary said Salveo will be ready to sell recreational marijuana at 7 a.m. Jan. 1, the day it will become legal in Illinois.
He said Salveo is being expanded into a 4,000-square-foot facility that will feature state of the art technology.
* Elgin…
The Elgin City Council had its first discussion about whether to allow recreational marijuana sales in town, and a majority of members said they are inclined to say “yes.”
City staff members will draft ordinance proposals addressing zoning, regulations and taxes regarding the sale of marijuana. The process will entail a public hearing before the planning and zoning commission and a final vote by the city council. […]
Councilman Terry Gavin said he read a lot about marijuana legalization across the country, in addition to the extensive research done by city staff members, and agreed that allowing marijuana shops is reasonable.
“We’ve been fighting this war on drugs for decades. It’s not working very well,” he said.
* Tribune…
The new cannabis course at Oakton Community College is far from the blow-off class one might imagine. Students don’t touch marijuana inside the classroom in Des Plaines. No one grows a plant, rolls a joint or smokes a bong. Instead, they learn about molecular biology, drug laws and treating terminal illness. […]
Students who complete the seven-course curriculum will be trained as cannabis dispensary and patient care specialists, designed to qualify them to work in either medical or recreational settings. Of the first 100 students taking the course, about 20 hope to complete it this semester, in time to start working in the field when commercial marijuana sales become legal under state law in Illinois on Jan. 1, 2020. […]
Budtender jobs average around $14 per hour in Illinois, while a dispensary manager averages around $53,000, according to job site Indeed.com. Reese hopes that hourly workers will become salaried employees as the field expands and professionalizes.
* Related…
* Illinois Women In Cannabis Is Looking For Entrepreneurs
* Green Thumb Industries (GTI) to Open Rise Hermitage, the Seventh Rise™ Cannabis Store in Pennsylvania, on September 19: Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, GTI has 13 manufacturing facilities, licenses for 95 retail locations and operations across 12 U.S. markets
* Marijuana at the airport: That part of your packing list might not fly: The city has plenty of examples to consider when crafting its own policy. At some airports, police won’t interfere as long as travelers are of legal age and in compliance with quantity limits. But other airports say even a legally purchased stash doesn’t fly.
* Tight-knit female lawmakers behind legal marijuana have new nickname
* Iroquois County board approves tax on cannabis
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Seeing what they want to see
Friday, Sep 13, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Brett Rowland, Illinois editor of The Center Square…
[Sen. Heather Steans, D-Chicago] should follow Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s lead and call for a change to the constitution to end the pension-protection clause.
That’s a demonstrably false statement.
* December 12, 2018…
Chicago mayoral candidate Lori Lightfoot released the following statement in response to Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s proposal to amend the the state constitution on pensions.
“I disagree with Mayor Emanuel’s attack on working families and retirees because pensions are a promise—no exceptions,” said Lightfoot. “I grew up in a steel town, and when the steel industry failed, workers and retirees lost their pensions. From that experience, I know how Chicago families, just like families in my town, plan their lives and budgets around the pension promises we’ve made. These families have already paid their fair share—we’ve got to honor that commitment as well.”
* Lightfoot’s Facebook page on March 1…
Just a reminder—pensions are a promise. No exceptions.
* August 30…
One proposed solution is to amend the Illinois Constitution to revamp the current pension clause, which the courts have ruled protects the 3 percent compounded annual increase in pension benefits many non-police/fire government workers receive even though inflation lately has been running around 1 percent a year.
Not only labor unions, but Gov. J.B. Pritzker opposes doing that, and Lightfoot—who in other settings has said workers should not have their benefits reduced—said today that “I’m not advocating for a constitutional amendment.” […]
But a few minutes later, Lightfoot said that even if such efforts succeed, the current COLA is “unsustainable.” Asked if she’d like the constitution to be amended, Lightfoot replied, “I’d like to put as many options as possible on the table.” […]
2:15 p.m. update: It looks like Lightfoot caught some heat since her comments went live. Her office now has issued what it calls a “clarifying” statement: “As the mayor has repeatedly made clear, she believes that our pension obligations are not optional. This administration is committed to finding ways to shore up the sustainability of our pension funds—including the COLA. We must secure the retirement of our working people by partnering with our allies from the state to identify progressive revenue streams. Mayor Lightfoot remains opposed to a constitutional amendment on pensions.”
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Question of the day
Friday, Sep 13, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Albany, New York Times-Union…
A national group that lobbied against legislative efforts to legalize adult use of marijuana is seeking to keep its funding sources confidential.
The state Joint Commission on Public Ethics is scheduled to hear a disclosure exemption request Tuesday from the New York chapter of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), which contends its donors could be harassed and their livelihoods adversely affected if they are publicly identified.
The group spent more than $84,000 on lobbying during the recent legislative session, according to financial disclosures with the state. […]
In New York, social welfare organizations that engage in lobbying are required to disclose their sources of funding unless they can prove there is a “substantial likelihood” of harm or reprisals for publicly revealed donors. The requirement is to ensure the public is informed about efforts to influence governmental decisions, according to JCOPE.
* The Question: Should Illinois also require 501(c)(4) social welfare organizations to disclose their funding sources if they lobby? Make sure to explain your answer.
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It comes down to trust
Friday, Sep 13, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The Tribune editorialized today against a CTU strike. Here’s part of it…
We understand Chicago Teachers Union leadership is pushing to codify into the contract staffing increases for school nurses, social workers and case managers. You need more of them in your schools. No dispute there. But Lightfoot needs flexibility to phase in those expenses and keep the positions outside the terms of a contract, as the independent fact-finder also recommended. She publicly has committed to adding 250 nurses and at least 200 social workers during the next five years, and adding caseworkers during the next three. That’s reasonable.
* I reached out to Kyle Hillman with the National Association of Social Workers to ask about the cost of the CTU demand for more social workers. His reply…
I am not at the negotiating table, so I can’t speak to where CTU is at this point. I am not even sure if there is an additional cost but rather a desire to see it in writing so it actually happens. For example, last year CPS committed to hiring 160 social workers, by the end of March they still hadn’t hired 125 of them. They are also one of the first staff to go (if they aren’t locked to IEP [individualized education program] mandated hours) – so in writing – is the only assurances that social workers won’t be CPS’s easy chopping block. When you consider the level of trauma experienced by CPS students – it is shocking social workers would even be considered discretionary.
If CPS even filled the slots they have already promised in the media, that would get them only half way to the recommended standard. The district needs about 1200 social workers to address the size of the school district - they have roughly 410 (they have committed in the media to get to 671 over 5 years). I would be shocked if they even met their media commitment of 671.
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Simple solutions are usually neither
Friday, Sep 13, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* NewsTribune…
A Peru Republican is entering the 76th District primary for a chance to compete for the seat held by state Rep. Lance Yednock, D-Ottawa, in the 2020 election.
Jason Haskell, a Peru resident who works as a project manager for a construction company, plans to vie for the Republican nomination against Travis Breeden, R-Utica, who announced his plans in August to run. […]
Haskell also believes the state needs to freeze public-sector hiring until the state workforce shrinks by 11.5%.
“Shrinking the payroll by 11.5% saves taxpayers at least $839 million in payroll cost, allowing Illinois to start working down the size of the unfunded pension liability,” Haskell said in a news release.
That all sounds nice until you actually look at what you’re cutting. Eliminating 313 current DCFS jobs can be done, of course, but the agency is already sorely under-staffed. So, if you think DCFS will be able to adequately perform its mission with even more payroll cuts, you’re dreaming.
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* I told subscribers about this memo a few days ago. Here’s Illinois Public Radio…
State agencies are getting a warning from Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s budget office: Be prepared to make significant cuts next year.
A memo orders agencies to include a scenario in which 6.5 percent of current year funding would go away. They’re to find the savings through “operational efficiencies.”
The document was issued under the names of Deputy Gov. Dan Hynes and Budget Director Alexis Sturm, who say the current-year budget is still balanced. […]
“I understand the fiscal realities, but to be thinking about taking this backwards step when we’re still trying to get out of the danger zone is discouraging,” [the Illinois Collaboration on Youth’s Andrea Durbin] says. “And I hope the General Assembly and this administration are able to come together and find ways to avoid that.”
* Here’s the memo…
To: All Governor’s Cabinet Directors
From: Dan Hynes, Deputy Governor, Budget & Economy
Alexis Sturm, Director, Governor’s Office of Management and Budget
Subject: Fiscal Year 2021 Spending Efficiencies Proposals
Date: September 9, 2019
Although the spring legislative session produced a successful balanced budget for fiscal year 2020, Illinois continues to face significant financial challenges, and we must continue to be wise fiscal stewards of the limited resources of State government. The State’s backlog of unpaid general funds bills that were left behind by the previous administration remained in excess of $7 billion as of June 30, 2019, and the extensive bill payment delays continue to strain the State’s network of providers and translate into millions of dollars of unnecessary interest costs.
In that context, it remains essential that agency leadership continue to evaluate current operations and procedures and set parameters for operational expenses in all agencies. Directions regarding submissions of fiscal year 2021 budget requests will be forthcoming in a few weeks from GOMB; however, even now, agency directors – working in conjunction with their Deputy Governor and GOMB staff – should be prepared to:
1) Propose in your annual submission to GOMB an actionable scenario that includes operational efficiencies reflecting a 6.5% reduction from an estimated maintenance level of fiscal year 2021 operations funding across all appropriated funds (additional details will be forthcoming in GOMB’s budget submission request forms);
2) Conduct a review of boards and commissions within your agency’s purview and propose elimination of statutorily created boards and commissions that would lead to a 10% reduction of them;
3) Identify at least two significant efficiency and savings ideas for consideration in the fiscal year 2021 budget. Ideas could include (but are not limited to) items such as elimination or consolidation of duplicative programs, reduction in funding for underutilized or inefficient services, or improvements in service delivery that streamline costs. Reviews of agency audits from the last few years can provide ideas for cost savings for fiscal year 2021.
Your proposal will need to be submitted with your fiscal year 2021 budget request to GOMB. Agency directors should be prepared to implement any ideas submitted in the fiscal year 2021 budget requests. We and our staffs are available to discuss this memo and answer any questions you may have.
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* BGA…
In a sharp break with City Hall convention, two Chicago aldermen fronted measures for now-indicted Ald. Edward Burke that steered millions of dollars in property tax breaks for Burke’s law clients in his Southwest Side ward.
The half-dozen measures found by the Better Government Association allowed Burke to skirt city conflict-of-interest rules. And some of the resulting tax break measures came even as federal agents quietly built their abuse-of-power case against him, the longest-sitting alderman in Chicago history.
In two instances, Burke’s name and ward number were scratched off official city resolutions and the other aldermen’s names and ward numbers were penciled in as sponsors of the measures.
Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson, 11th, and Ald. Michael R. Zalewski, who represented the 23rd Ward until he retired last year, sponsored the six tax break resolutions since 2011. The measures were for industrial businesses in Burke’s 14th Ward whose owners also were clients of Burke’s property tax law firm, Klafter & Burke.
Aldermen rarely sponsor resolutions that don’t involve their own wards, especially tax breaks for businesses. Of the 123 industrial tax incentive resolutions filed since 2011, all of them were sponsored by the local alderman except the ones identified by the BGA in Burke’s ward.
Go read the rest. Good stuff in there.
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On the other hand…
Thursday, Sep 12, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tribune…
As Illinois embarks on a massive gambling expansion of up to six new casinos and the addition of slot machines and table games at horse tracks, revenue from the state’s 10 existing casinos last year dropped more than 3%, continuing a decadelong slide.
The loss in revenue from casinos, however, was more than offset by a continued increase in the state’s take from video poker and slot machines at bars, restaurants and truck stops, according to a report out Thursday from the legislature’s bipartisan Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability.
Overall, the state brought in more than $1.4 billion in tax revenue from casinos, video gambling, horse racing and the lottery in the budget year that ended June 30, up 3.5% from the previous year, according to the report.
But the report, put out annually by the commission, raises concerns about whether new betting options authorized in the gambling expansion legislation Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed in June — including new casinos in Chicago, Waukegan, the south suburbs, Rockford, Danville and southern Illinois — will continue to draw revenue away from the existing casinos.
The full report is here.
Waukegan is just 8 miles from Wisconsin, Rockford is 17 miles from the Wisconsin border, Danville is 10 miles from Indiana and tons of Chicagoans and south suburbanites travel to Indiana to gamble. Also, Chicago never opted in to video gaming.
The idea here is to bring in some gambling money from out of state, stop bigtime gambling money from leaving the state and tap into a huge market with no current legal gambling options. It may not work, but that’s the idea.
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Question of the day
Thursday, Sep 12, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Center Square…
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is planning a series of trips to Illinois to convince businesses to move to the Sunshine State.
DeSantis recently told the Enterprise Florida board about the recruitment effort. He the deep pension debt in Illinois and Chicago make them unattractive places for businesses.
“Warren Buffett said recently to be wary of investing in states like Illinois that, quite frankly, are digging themselves a deeper hole and really have no way out in terms of their fiscal outlook, their pension obligations,” DeSantis said. “That is going to impact the viability of investing.”
As governor, DeSantis leads Enterprise Florida, a public-private partnership focused on economic development in the state.
He announced plans to take envoys from Florida to the Chicago area, hoping to draw businesses away from Illinois.
* Gov. Pritzker’s Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications Emily Bittner…
Good luck competing against Illinois, where a record number of businesses have relocated because we have the most talented and dedicated workforce in the nation, along with unparalleled universities, world-class transportation and a bright future. Unlike Florida, we also protect women’s rights, welcome LGBTQ businesses and are expanding the legal cannabis market. However, we do encourage him to enjoy some of Illinois’ world class golf courses.
The “golf” mention is about a story in today’s Tampa Bay Times entitled “Ron DeSantis’ political team planned $25K golf games, $250K ‘intimate gatherings,’ memos say.”
* The Question: How would you rate that response? Make sure to explain your answer.
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* CNN…
The share of uninsured Americans rose for the first time in nearly a decade, the Census Bureau reported Tuesday.
The rate increased to 8.5% in 2018, up half a percentage point a year earlier. Some 27.5 million people were uninsured last year, a jump of 1.9 million people.
Driving the increase, the first since 2009, was a decline in the share of people covered by Medicaid. The percentage of those with private coverage — either through their employers or directly purchased on the individual market — did not statistically change, while the share of those on Medicare increased as the population aged.
* Public Radio…
Nearly half a million more children were uninsured in 2018 than in 2017, according to data out Tuesday from the U.S. Census Bureau. The drop stems primarily from a decline in the number of children covered by public programs such programs as Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program.
For decades, getting more children to have health insurance was a cause with strong bipartisan support, and the uninsured rate has steadily declined. Now that trend is reversing. For the second year in a row, there was an uptick — 5.5% of children under age 19 did not have health insurance last year.
* If you click here you’ll see the state-by-state data. Illinois had about 875,000 uninsured people last year, about 15,000 more than 2017. That’s an increase of 0.2 percent. However, Illinois was not one of the states which saw a change “statistically different from zero at the 90 percent confidence level.” The margin of error for the state’s survey was +/- 0.3 percent.
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Not every situation requires a counter-punch
Thursday, Sep 12, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The horrific background to this topic is here if you need it. Tribune…
In what federal officials called a historic enforcement action to protect students from sexual violence, Chicago Public Schools has entered into a legally binding agreement with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights and pledged extensive reforms in its handling of abuse and assault cases.
“This is one of the deepest dives that we have done” of a major urban public school district, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kenneth Marcus said of his office’s yearslong investigation.
“This is an extraordinary and appalling case,” Marcus added. “It is one of the worst that we have seen in the elementary, secondary school context.” […]
The department began its investigations in 2015 but intensified the effort last year after the Tribune’s “Betrayed” series documented more than 500 police reports of sexual assault or abuse of a child inside a Chicago public school during the prior decade, and uncovered child-protection failures that extended from neighborhood schools to the district’s downtown offices and the state capital.
* Um, what?…
Your public school system employed hundreds of sexual predators and that is your response?
…Adding… From June of last year…
U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth are calling on U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to examine the sex abuse scandal at Chicago Public Schools, calling it a “horrifying situation.”
In a letter sent Thursday to DeVos, the two Illinois Democrats wrote that they were concerned federal education officials may be ignoring systemic child-protection breakdowns that could be “putting Chicago schoolchildren at greater risk of becoming victims of sexual abuse.”
So, both of our Democratic US Senators asked the Education Secretary to step in. She did. And now Lightfoot is complaining about it? Ridiculous.
…Adding… June 26, 2018 press release from Lightfoot for Chicago…
Following is a statement from mayoral candidate Lori Lightfoot in response to the news that Chicago Public Schools’ leadership has removed two principals in response to the sexual abuse scandal:
“The mayor and his hand-picked school board, with its revolving door of CEOs, have failed our kids again and again–from refusing to address root causes of this sexual abuse crisis to neglecting special education and janitorial services.
“This administration has been busying itself with window dressing fixes. What our kids need is wholesale change–and that starts at the top.
“Firing a couple of principals just doesn’t cut it. We need to know why Mayor Rahm Emanuel and CEO Janice Jackson waited five months to take action–a delay that has gone unexplained and speaks to an epic failure of leadership. We also need an elected, representative school board that Chicagoans can hold accountable in moments like these.”
She has since kept Jackson at CPS and killed an elected school board bill.
…Adding… Tribune has full quote…
“I feel comfortable that Dr. Jackson and her team frankly learned a very, very valuable lesson about making sure that we’re doing everything we can inside of the classroom, keep our students safe, initiating very rigorous background checks on people who are engaging with students and then when we see something, having an appropriate process to do the investigation where we’re not revictimizing young children,” Lightfoot said.
Asked about the Department of Education’s criticism of CPS, Lightfoot responded: “This is the same Department of Education headed up by Betsy DeVos? Yeah. Well. I take a little bit of what they say with a grain of salt.”
The mayor added: “We’re committed to making sure that our students are safe but as you see as a theme, there are members of the federal government who think it’s appropriate to tee off against Chicago. I read with great interest the comments from the head of the civil rights division for the department of education and as I said, I take some of those comments with a grain of salt. Consider the source. But nonetheless we’re going to do what’s necessary to keep our children safe.”
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A quick look at university enrollment
Thursday, Sep 12, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* WICS TV…
The U of I System is celebrating another record year of enrollment.
Enrollment this fall increased by 3.8%.
* But a big chunk of that growth came from an acquisition…
Total enrollment across the system grew by 3,264 students, including 1,066 students with the John Marshall Law School’s move this fall to the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC).
Even so, growth is growth…
Even without the addition of Chicago’s first public law school, system-wide enrollment grew 2.6 percent from a year ago, or about 2,198 students. … UIC saw a 4.1 percent increase in undergraduates this fall, or 858 students, while graduate enrollment in Urbana-Champaign jumped 11.2 percent, by 1,644 students. … Fall enrollment growth includes a 1.6 percent increase among in-state undergraduates, from 45,955 to 46,705. … Enrollment of African-American undergraduates increased 2.4 percent, from 4,041 to 4,138, while undergraduate Latino enrollment was up 5.9 percent, from 11,214 to 11,881. Combined, African-American and Latino enrollment comprises about 28 percent of the system’s undergraduate enrollment. … Total enrollment of international students at all levels increased 2 percent from 15,350 to 15,666.
* Meanwhile…
This year’s [Chicago State University] enrollment marks the first time in nearly a decade without a drop, with student populations remaining almost even with 2018. Figures show significant increases in first-time freshmen and transfer students, the latter of which comprises about 13 percent of Chicago State’s new students. […]
Both the freshman class and number of graduate students [at Northern Illinois University] grew about 2% this fall. Overall enrollment dropped about 3.3%, dipping below 17,000 students for the first time in recent history. […]
Overall [Western Illinois University] enrollment dropped more than 10 percent to 7,624, roughly the same drop as the past two years. […]
[Eastern Illinois University], hit with steep enrollment declines over the past decade, was among the few schools statewide to log year-over-year increases in freshman and total enrollment in 2018.
* We’ve already discussed ISU’s increase and SIUC’s decrease, but here are the SIUE numbers…
Total overall enrollment of 13,061 trails last year by 220 students (1.6 percent). This year’s freshman class is 2 percent smaller at 1,667 (39 students), and new transfers are down 6 percent (66 students).
If you want to drill down even more, just click the links.
…Adding… SJ-R…
Fall semester enrollment at the University of Illinois Springfield fell by 6.6 percent compared to last year, even as enrollment across the University of Illinois system reached record levels. […]
According to the university, a dip in the part-time student population is entirely responsible for the overall drop, with the population of full-time students (2,369) remaining unchanged.
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* Bruce Rushton…
During an Aug. 2 conference call with analysts, [Curt Morgan, Vistra president and chief executive officer] downplayed chances for significant energy legislation to pass the General Assembly during the upcoming veto session. Responding to a question from an analyst, the CEO said that media accounts of Commonwealth Edison lobbyists writing checks to a former political operative for House Speaker Michael Madigan who was fired after being caught up in a sexual harassment scandal likely will reduce chances for legislation that involves ComEd or Exelon, ComEd’s parent company.
The real problem is the federal investigation into the company’s lobbying activities.
* From the Tribune…
ComEd recently confirmed in a report filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that both ComEd and parent company Exelon received a federal grand jury subpoena “requiring production of information concerning their lobbying activities” in Illinois. The report stated the companies have “pledged to cooperate fully” and were “expeditiously providing the requested information.”
* From the August 2nd conference call…
Mike Weinstein — Credit Suisse — Analyst
Gotcha. And my second question is just — has to do with Illinois and the veto session that’s coming up as a staple during those discussions. Is there any — what — are you seeing any impact from some of the headlines that have come out recently about the investigation into House Speaker Madigan and the — there’s some speculation that maybe that might be affecting the outcome of the legislation or outcome of the veto session. I’m just wondering if you’re seeing any of that.
Curt Morgan — President and Chief Executive Officer
Yeaah. So I mean I do — I mean we, as we look at it, we think it could have an impact on whether something, broader energy legislation gets done in Illinois in the veto session. I mean I think it’s hard in my mind to see that legislators are going to embrace something that would include ComEd and Exelon significantly when they’re sort of wrapped in this cloud of controversy. Just politically, it feels like it could be difficult.
Now there’s still a lot of time before we get to the veto session in November, and some of this stuff could be put to the side. I did hear, again, I said this earlier. But Chris Crane, I think on their call, Exelon’s call, felt pretty confident that they could move forward. I mean Chris has a pretty good hand on the pulse of what goes on in Illinois.
So who am I to argue with him? What all I know is, is that we’ll be ready to move forward on our piece of legislation if there is a larger energy bill and hopefully be able to convince people that’s a good thing for them to do. We think it is, and we have a lot of reasons why we do think that, but we’ll see. But it is, Mike, it does — you got to believe it throws a little bit of a monkey wrench into all this, because it just casts a cloud over whether somehow there’s some shady dealings going on between legislators and lobbyists and ComEd. I mean — and then you turn around and do legislation with that same parties, it does make it a little bit different.
And I’m not saying that any of this is — I mean I, don’t have any reason to believe any of it. I don’t know anything about it. I just know how things work in life, and it would seem to me that that’s not going to make it any easier to do a broad energy bill. I hope that we’re able to do a broad energy bill.
I hope that all of this passes and everything will be fine. So that’s about as much as I can say about it.
* Related…
* ComEd, Peoples Gas testing whether money will speak to Lightfoot: Since the first day of March, 55 cents of every dollar execs at ComEd and parent Exelon have donated to politicians has gone to the mayor’s campaign fund. For Peoples Gas, it’s 62 cents of every dollar.
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City continues its winning streak
Thursday, Sep 12, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Press release…
Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot today announced that, for the seventh year in a row, Chicago leads the U.S. in foreign direct investment (FDI) according to the 2019 IBM Global Location Trends report. The annual report, which outlines the latest trends in corporate location selection, named Chicago the top North American metro in foreign direct investment projects.
“Chicago has proven itself as a leader in the global economy,” Mayor Lightfoot said. “This report demonstrates Chicago’s strength as a city where businesses from around the world want to locate and grow, creating jobs and economic opportunities across the city. We welcome their investment and look forward to their sustained impact on our city for years to come.”
Chicago ranks first in North America in foreign direct investment for the seventh year running in terms of the total number of FDI projects.
“Chicago has now ranked as the top city in North America for the number of significant foreign investment projects for seven consecutive years,” Roel Spee, Global Leader IBM-Plant Location International said. “Chicago has consistently performed as a prime global city for foreign direct investment.”
A hub of international business activity, Chicago is home to more than 1,800 foreign-based companies, accounting for more than $140 billion in foreign direct investment. World Business Chicago continuously works to increase foreign direct investment with initiatives including the Gateway Cities Agreement with the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, Global Cities Economic Partnership with Mexico City, Chicago-London City Data Alliance, and Tel Aviv-Yafo –Chicago Partnership. These efforts serve as a model to enhance economic ties with other countries and global cities to facilitate trade and foreign direct investment.
“Today’s announcement further demonstrates Chicago’s position as a global leader in foreign investment,” said Andrea Zopp, president and CEO of World Business Chicago. “By creating economic partnerships around the world and growing our international network, we ensure that Chicago leads on the global stage.”
The IBM Global Location Trends report shows where companies are locating, expanding, and creating jobs around the world. Projects must meet IBM criteria, including having created more than ten jobs, to qualify. The 2019 report, covering annual data for 2018, will be released by IBM on September 25th.
* Related…
* The real reason to cheer Uber’s move: This is why Uber Freight is coming here, and it’s good news for a city still struggling to find its place in a 21st-century economy defined by digitization.
* Judge on Lincoln Yards TIF: ‘A deal is a deal’: A pair of activist groups trying to block a $1.3 billion subsidy to help develop the North Side megaproject made their case [yesterday] in court, but a key argument met with skepticism.
* The world’s largest Starbucks will open soon in Chicago. Here’s when the Mag Mile gets its Reserve Roastery.
23 Comments
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Looking on the bright side
Thursday, Sep 12, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Center Square…
“If we say we’re not selling it, they’re going to go to East Peoria, Bartonville, West Peoria, Dunlap, everybody that surrounds us and buy it there and then bring it back to Peoria so it’s the perfect ‘cut off your nose to spite your face’ scenario,” Peoria Mayor Jim Ardis said. “We are all cash-starved.”
Ardis said the state already decided the city can’t ban the use of cannabis products after Jan. 1. Now, elected city officials are trying to figure out whether the cash-strapped city should allow the sale and collect tax revenue on it.
“They took the ball out of our hands,” he said.
* The Southern…
Williamson County Board passed a resolution supporting Harbory’s application for a license to dispense recreational cannabis. The board also passed an ordinance levying a 3.75% retailer’s occupation tax on the sale of recreational cannabis. […]
Harbory will have to hire between 20 and 25 employees to serve recreational users. They will dispense safety-tested products. Sales could bring in as much as 30% of the county budget.
According to Ellis, Harbory would have between $15 million and $20 million in sales. At 3%, that would be $450,000 to $600,000 in tax revenue.
* Phil Luciano…
Studies say cannabis users typically spend about $600 a year on pot products. If that sum were taxed at 3 percent, that’d be an extra $18 a year. Call that an $18-a-year insurance policy to avoid getting arrested from an illegal buy. In itself, that’s a pretty good deal.
Not only that, but illegal weed dealers won’t have the large number of product choices as legal cannabis stores.
* And come January 1, arrests of black people like this man for an ounce or less will no longer be legal…
At a time when the state of Illinois is on the verge of allowing for the sale of marijuana for recreational use, the Will County Sheriff’s Office continues to devote its resources to making arrests related to marijuana around the Joliet area.
Last week, Will County Sheriff’s Deputy Ross Ricobene filed a criminal complaint at the Will County Courthouse charging 43-year-old Joliet resident Johnny K. Gooch with one count of unlawful possession of cannabis with intent to deliver, unlawful possession of cannabis and a third criminal offense of driving while driver’s license is revoked.
The criminal complaint indicates that Gooch, who lives on Joliet’s east side in the 1000 block of Draper Avenue, “knowingly and unlawfully possessed more than 10 grams but not more than 30 grams of any substance containing cannabis.
* Meanwhile…
As more states legalize pot, a local startup has raised nearly $86 million to be the landlord to companies that grow and sell weed.
A group that includes Chicago entrepreneurs Al Goldstein and Pete Kadens has launched NewLake Capital Partners, which will own industrial and retail properties where cannabis companies cultivate and sell their product. NewLake just finished raising $85.5 million and already has some acquisitions in the works, said CEO Anthony Coniglio.
Many marijuana companies are expanding rapidly and want to maximize their growth by investing in operations, not real estate. So they are turning to specialized landlords like Innovative Industrial Properties, a publicly traded San Diego-based real estate investment trust, which own growing facilities and lease them back to the businesses. […]
Through Aug. 7, the company owned 2 million square feet of space in 12 states, including a 75,000-square foot growing facility in downstate Barry, about 80 miles west of Springfield. The REIT has a market capitalization of about $1 billion, and its shares, while well off their July high, have returned 102 percent this year, versus a 25 percent return for the Bloomberg REIT Index.
* And…
January 1, 2020, will be a green-letter day in Illinois when residents and visitors can purchase recreational marijuana legally for the first time. Weed-themed sandwich chain Cheba Hut plans to be there with plenty of pot puns, a full bar, and a wide-ranging selection of “toasted” subs. The Arizona-based company has signed two three-unit franchise deals in Chicago, and the first is slated to open by the end of 2019.
The herb itself won’t be available in the restaurants, but leadership hopes to help elevate customers’ pot experiences.
Hopefully soon, some cities will allow restaurants to serve infused dishes.
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* Plenty of folks have criticized the city for settling too many police misconduct cases. But, as the Tribune’s Dan Hinkel shows us, defending these cases ain’t cheap, either…
When a man cleared of murder after 21 years in prison sued the Chicago police officers who put him away, the city’s Law Department brought on private lawyers and fought back.
Three firms billed the city for more than 21,200 hours of legal work over six years, and at least 17 outside attorneys represented the city or cops in federal court. […]
Those expenses represent a rarely discussed but significant cost of police misconduct in Chicago. Over the last 15 years, fees and costs for private attorneys in civil rights cases totaled $213 million, the Tribune found by analyzing city data obtained through an open records request. Last year alone, the city spent $30.1 million — that’s more than twice what it spent on the agency that investigates police misconduct. […]
Since 2004, the city has spent $757 million on settlements, losses at trial and other payouts in police cases. That includes civil rights cases, as well as car crash claims, racial discrimination complaints and sexual harassment suits, among other types of legal matters.
By the way, jurors awarded the above-mentioned man cleared of murder $17 million. Defending against his suit cost the city an additional $5.8 million.
22 Comments
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Check the laws first, please
Thursday, Sep 12, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* CBS News…
Mary Kate Knorr, the executive director for Illinois Right to Life, told CBS News that she’s “disgusted” by the new laws and that they’ve made Illinois the “abortion capital of the Midwest.”
That’s why she’s embarking on an over 20-event tour of intimate, fireside chats around the state. She’s hoping to unify and strengthen activists who oppose abortion in Illinois and ultimately repeal the law.
At the inaugural event Wednesday evening, Knorr spoke to a crowd of 60 or 70 at a church an hour outside Chicago, explaining her interpretation of the Reproductive Health Act. One provision of the new law repeals the state’s formal parental notification requirement for minors seeking an abortion; now, those under the age of 18 will able to obtain the procedure without their parents’ knowledge, a detail that shocked many in the room.
The audience may have been shocked, but that’s not in the new law. You’d think a national news outlet would do a bit of checking before publishing something like that. In fact, the bill deleting the parental notification law did not advance in the spring session. Proponents are hoping to pass it sometime in the future.
* Just last week from Illinois Public Radio…
Despite the expansion of abortion rights that passed this spring, the parental-notification legislation was deemed too controversial, even among Democrats.
I mean, a simple Google search would’ve worked. Sheesh.
11 Comments
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Marron won’t run for Shimkus seat
Thursday, Sep 12, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Earlier this month…
Standing two blocks from where he was sworn in a year ago as state representative of the 104th district, Republican Mike Marron announced a possible new political direction Tuesday — a run for Congress.
“Certainly serving in Springfield has been one of my most humbling honors, and giving up that seat is something I don’t take lightly,” said Marron, who was joined by his wife, daughter, father and supporters in front of the Vermilion County Administration building, where he served as county board chairman.
Tuesday’s event came less than a week after 12-term U.S. Rep. John Shimkus, R-Collinsville, announced plans to vacate his seat in Washington, D.C., next year. Among those on hand in downtown Danville: former state Rep. Chad Hays, whose decision to step away from Springfield led to Marron’s appointment a year ago.
* Today…
State Rep. Mike Marron released the following statement announcing his intention to run for reelection for state representative:
“While it truly would be an exciting undertaking and a true honor to serve as your Congressman, I have decided that this is not the right time. While it wasn’t an easy decision, it is the right decision for me and my family right now. Family is very important to me and will always remain a high priority. That means spending important time with my daughter as she grows, as well as being available to help out on our family farm.
“I do want to thank everyone across the 15th Congressional District for the outpouring of support. The number of people who have reached out to say they were behind my candidacy and offer their assistance has truly been humbling. I appreciate every phone call, text, and email. Your outpouring makes this an extra tough decision.
* In other news…
A political action committee that is an outgrowth of the conservative tea party movement in Congress is backing former state Rep. Jeanne Ives over former Lt. Gov. Evelyn Sanguinetti for the Republican nomination to challenge first-term Democratic U.S. Rep. Sean Casten.
Ives, of Wheaton, received the backing of the House Freedom Fund, a PAC chaired by Republican U.S. Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio, Mark Meadows of North Carolina and Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, in her bid for the GOP nomination in the west and northwest suburban 6th Congressional District.
Jordan also is a co-founder and the first chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, which was formed in 2015 with the aim of pushing the House GOP leadership to the right on fiscal and social issues and has sought more power for rank-and-file members. Meadows is stepping down next month after 2 1/2 years as chairman of the group of about 36 conservative lawmakers.
12 Comments
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Today’s number: 19 dead kids
Thursday, Sep 12, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Hannah Meisel…
Nineteen children who had recently been on the Department of Children and Family Services’ radar have died in just the first 11 weeks of the 2020 fiscal year, according to the agency’s inspector general.
Those deaths came after a particularly tumultuous year for the department, in which 124 children, whose family had some sort of involvement with DCFS within the previous year died during the 2019 fiscal year. […]
Of the 124 deaths of children in the 2019 fiscal year that had been in contact with DCFS in the previous 12 months, about 17 percent of them have preliminarily been ruled a homicide. Here’s the breakdown:
Pending autopsy: 35
Accident: 32
Homicide: 21
Natural Causes: 20
Suicide: 6
Undetermined: 10
* The trend is not our friend…
FY 2019: 124 child deaths
FY 2018: 98 child deaths
FY 2017: 108 child deaths
FY 2016: 100 child deaths
FY 2015: 96 child deaths
FY 2014: 99 child deaths
FY 2013: 93 child deaths
FY 2012: 106 child deaths
FY 2011: 113 child deaths
FY 2010: 84 child deaths
FY 2009: 89 child deaths
* Meanwhile, this is from a recent Tribune story about DCFS and its new budget increase…
Additional money will be allocated to purchasing a federally mandated software system and paying the salaries for 301 more workers at the agency. As part of the staffing plan, DCFS will add 71 child protection investigators and 17 workers to the child abuse hotline, two areas that are crucial for flagging cases of alleged abuse or neglect but have been criticized for being understaffed.
So, who are the other hires?
* From the governor’s office…
Also…
o We reached a headcount of 2,757 in May 2019, 1 below from FY19 authorized of 2,758.
o Due to end of the year retirements, attrition, & internal movement, our onboard headcount has dropped to 2,721 as of August 2019.
o FY19 additions: 126 positions, all caseload driven; These are allocated & currently being worked to fill
o FY20 additions: 175 positions; These are all allocated, most caseload & direct service – see above for breakout. Caseload driven positions are currently being worked & the remaining positions have been allocated & will begin the process to be filled quickly.
18 Comments
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Open thread
Thursday, Sep 12, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Working on a few posts and just looked at the time. Oops. Keep it Illinois-centric and please be nice to each other. Thanks.
20 Comments
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