* If you were watching the live coverage post today, you saw that the Senate Democrats attempted to move ahead with some “grand bargain” votes even though the Republicans said the entire package wasn’t ready and ended up voting either “Present” or “No.”
* The Question: Do you think the Senate can get back on track or is this just too difficult to go it alone? Please explain your position. Thanks.
But the 2012 Tribune story does not contain the phrase “On a mission to fight hunger.” Click here to see it yourself. The actual headline is “Chris Kennedy’s ambitious food project.”
You might think that the BGA said Kennedy has “vision,” but it was actually a quote by former Gov. Pat Quinn, who isn’t exactly popular…
“I thought the U of I board was the right fit,” Quinn said. “I nominated him for the board because he has the same qualities as his father. He has a passion for social justice. He is someone who can build a team and work together with people. He’s very smart. And he has vision, which you’ve got to have when you’re chairman of a $6 billion corporation, which essentially what the University of Illinois is.”
$1 billion high-rise project proposed downtown at Wolf Point
3-building plan, backed by Kennedys, would be biggest Chicago development since recession, financial crisis
Probably close enough, and that headline is accurately quoted later in the video, as is a headline about how Kennedy is on a “quest to do more.”
*** UPDATE *** From Eric Adelstein…
The piece is an amalgamation of Chris Kennedy’s record in the fight against hunger and as a businessman creating jobs.
The “mission to fight hunger” quote is from the CBS 2 news story narrated by Linda McClennan that accompanies the piece.
The visual in the video is a combination of his work for the Greater Food Depository and his creation with his wife Sheila of Top Box Food referenced in the Tribune article. We combined the Tribune article and the CBS 2 story to accurately reflect over 30 years of work to eliminate hunger.
Job Creator is a summary of the Tribune article referencing “The biggest development since recession” quoted in the article on a project that has and will create upwards of 2,000 jobs. In the video, the term is not in quotations.
Bruce Rauner is a failed Governor. He and the Republican Party should spend less time making false attacks and get to work cleaning up the mess they’ve created in Illinois. That’s what Chris Kennedy’s focus will be on as Governor.
House Democrats expressed concern over a number of items contained in a report released last week by the panel considering changes to the state’s education funding formula. In a letter to Gov. Bruce Rauner’s appointed secretary of education, House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie and other House Democrats on the commission questioned aspects of the report, some that were not explicitly endorsed by all commission members.
“While this commission did not accomplish all it set out to do, it was encouraging that a bipartisan group of lawmakers could work cooperatively to begin moving forward on a very difficult and complex issue. However, the final report failed to clarify some key points, and included items that were not agreed upon by all members of the commission,” Currie said. “Given the importance of this issue for families and communities in every corner of the state, these points need to be clarified.”
* The report does not properly recognize that Illinois’ current school funding system is broken, in large part, because of overreliance on property taxes. Property tax dollars account for 67% of all education spending, while the nationwide average is 45%. This creates inequity, because too often there are not enough state resources to support the districts with inadequate local wealth. Unless a truly massive infusion of state resources can be provided to our schools, Illinois will continue to be regressive compared to states with less property tax reliance. Perhaps the current discussion surrounding a property tax freeze would help the situation while providing the benefit of relieving the property tax burden for local constituents, but ultimately we must acknowledge that an influx of state education dollars is necessary to increase equity, approach adequacy, and avoid classroom cuts.
* Appendix II of the report provides the entirety of the 27 adequacy elements proposed in the Evidence-Based Model. Commission members did not explicitly endorse the Evidence-Based Model or these 27 elements. At this time, there remains a lack of general understanding regarding the elements and how removing, adding, or changing elements would impact school districts.
* The report suggests the group found consensus on the notion that district-authorized charter schools should receive funding that is equitable to district-managed public schools. While all commissioners believe adequate charter school funding is important, the term “equitable” can be misleading. There are situations where a school district will offer services, use of buildings, and other benefits to its charters.
As such, districts should retain the flexibility to provide funding that is commensurate with such services. A strict interpretation of “equitable” funding removes this flexibility.
* The report placed a significant negative emphasis on the Chicago Block Grants without a commensurate discussion of the pension inequities facing the district. Chicago taxpayers continue to help fund the downstate teachers’ pension system payment, over $4.5 billion for FY 18, while receiving only $12 million in state funding for Chicago teachers’ pensions. Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is the single largest district in the state, representing 19% of all Illinois’ students. If the commission’s work is truly an attempt to find a statewide solution to our school funding issues, then we must consider revising policies that impact CPS both positively and negatively.
* While the report accurately reflects the commission’s acknowledgement of the additional funding needs for students living in concentrated poverty, we feel this point is of vital importance. The report does mention some possible strategies to ensure additional funding for this population, but without further study, it is unclear whether or not such strategies will sufficiently address the issue.
* Appendix III of the report provides specific details regarding membership, duties, and timeframes for the “Commission for Oversight and Implementation of the School Funding Formula.” While many commissioners are comfortable with these details, there are outstanding concerns that it will exclude experts who have spent their entire professional lives working towards the common goal of funding reform. The report’s identification of the specific commission membership, duties, and timeframes seems to be unnecessarily limiting.
I’m thinking the CPS aspect might be the most important question they have.
It’s just hours into his campaign for governor and Chris Kennedy is already defending House Speaker Mike Madigan and dodging questions about him.
“Chris Kennedy is already showing that his true loyalties belong to Mike Madigan,” said Illinois Republican Party spokesman Steven Yaffe. “If Chris Kennedy won’t stand up to Madigan as a candidate, he will never stand up to him as governor.”
A bit of a stretch.
* Kennedy campaign response…
Every minute Governor Rauner and the Republican Party spends attacking Chris or someone else is another minute he is not working on a balance budget, helping a small business grow, or helping someone find a job. That is what Chris will focus on as Governor.
* The Sun-Times asked Kennedy himself for a response to the anti-Madigan press releases from earlier today…
“The voters are too smart to fall for that. They know that I’m going to be an independent voice,” Kennedy said.
“I know the speaker and I think he’ll, as head of the Democratic Party, run a good primary — a fair and open one. And so be it,” Kennedy said when asked about his relationship with Madigan.
“I believe that negotiation is compromise. I don’t believe that compromise is surrender,” Kennedy said. “He doesn’t understand how to get people to work with him unless he’s paying them, and this must be a very frustrating experience. I think that differentiates us entirely.”
Kennedy called Rauner “ambitious,” “smart” and “bright,” but “heartless.”
“He has no heart and if you have no heart you can’t be part of a team — and you can’t get others to go out of their way to sacrifice for you,” Kennedy said. “What leader does not sacrifice? Every great leader sacrifices and has asked others to sacrifice. He’s never done that. A heartless leader who makes no sacrifice doesn’t deserve to keep the job.”
But, interestingly, he not only left the door wide open to but seemed to back term limits, something unlikely to earn him plaudits from Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, even as the Illinois Republican Party put out a statement saying Kennedy “will never stand up” to him. […]
(A)sked about term limits, he replied: “If term limits encourage the nation that government is trusted, we ought to embrace them.”
* From Senate President John Cullerton’s spokesman John Patterson…
Here’s a status report to give you an idea of where we are:
The Senate President informed the Republican leader that we intend to begin voting today on provisions of the balanced budget and reform package.
The Senate Republicans have asked for a 30 minute caucus.
At the moment, when we start back up the plan would be to take up SB 3 (government consolidation) and see what happens.
As always, things are subject to change, but this is my attempt to give you an idea of where we stand.
John
There is some question about whether the Republicans want to vote today. Plenty of pressure out there to delay at the moment to try and get a better deal. But, as I told subscribers this morning, the Democrats are raring to go. So, they may wind up going alone. But as Patterson says, things are subject to change.
*** UPDATE *** Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno is urging her fellow Republicans to vote “Present” on the first bill in the grand bargain - local government consolidation. Looks like the Democrats are going to have to go it alone today.
“As many people know, I’m seriously considering running for Governor. I’ve listened to people throughout Illinois, and it’s clear that our government isn’t working effectively for them. Governor Rauner has failed to address the real needs and concerns facing our state. We need a new leader with a record of getting results, who wakes up every day thinking about improving the lives of working families and people all across Illinois.”
Republicans, already hoping to expand their House majority in 2018, have devised a 36-seat list of top Democratic targets for the next two years — and they are particularly focused on blue-collar parts of the country where President Donald Trump is popular.
The National Republican Congressional Committee’s target list provides an early window into how the GOP is preparing for the midterm elections — a still-far-off political fight, but one that is already taking shape behind the scenes.
One-third of the districts, detailed in a NRCC spreadsheet, are seats that President Donald Trump carried over Hillary Clinton even while a Democratic House member also claimed victory. That segment of the list is heavy on blue-collar districts in the Midwest, which Republicans believe will be especially fertile political territory in the Trump era. It includes two Democrats who were not heavily targeted by the GOP in 2016: Reps. Dave Loebsack, a veteran incumbent from southeastern Iowa, and Ron Kind, who is from west central Wisconsin and ran unopposed in 2016 while Trump carried his seat by more than 4 percentage points.
Democratic US Rep. Cheri Bustos is on the list (click here for the full list) because Donald Trump won her district last November. Congressman Brad Schneider, incidentally, is not on the list, even though he lost two years ago after winning four years ago. Clinton won that district bigly.
Often, when congresscritters’ districts change on them, they look to move up the ladder. Dick Durbin did it with his US Senate bid, for example. So, as John Gregory notes, that may be the reason why she’s taking a harder look at running for governor.
* The IMA’s Greg Baise has been on a statewide tour recently talking about the dire straits of Illinois manufacturing. He was in Carbondale yesterday…
Down a quiet street in Carbondale, millions of plastic products are rolling out of Com-Pac International’s factory every year.
The flexible packaging manufacturer turns about 6 million pounds of plastic resin into dozens of different medical and food bags and products that are shipped to locations around the world.
Highly engineered, value added packaging is the company’s specialty. Com-Pac’s success translates into 235 full- and part-time jobs for Southern Illinois residents. The benefit package for full-time employees includes health care at a nominal cost.
It’s the type of business that’s held up as an example of what it would be nice to have more of — because there used to be more. Manufacturing companies were once looked to as the employers in Southern Illinois who provided the vast majority of middle-class wages for blue collar workers.
Together with Rich Miller, they’ll be hosting a happy hour reception at Boones Saloon, 301 W. Edwards St., on Wednesday, February 8th from 3:30 to 6:30pm. They’ll have a computer set up, so you can see first-hand how TrackBill can work for you.
Stop by for cocktails and light appetizers, and feel free to bring a friend!
What: Chicago Republican Party Chairman and Chicago Public Schools parent Chris Cleveland to file ethics complaint against CPS CEO Forrest Claypool for using taxpayer funds for political letter
When: 1:00pm, Monday, February 08, 2017
Where: Office of Inspector General for the Chicago Board of Education, 567 W. Lake St., Chicago, IL 60661
Note: Chris Cleveland will be available for questions following the filing of the complaint
Copy of the ethics complaint letter:
Mr. Schuler:
Earlier this week, Chicago Public Schools CEO Forrest Claypool used taxpayer resources to send a blatantly political letter home with students.
The letter was sharply criticized by parents as “inappropriate” and rebuked by the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform as “invoking partisan politics.”
Using public time and resources on such a letter should always be considered a misuse of taxpayer funds, but it is made even more egregious in light of CPS’s self-declared financial crisis.
Via this letter, I am formally filing an ethics complaint against Mr. Claypool and ask that you investigate Mr. Claypool’s latest actions as part of your on going review of Mr. Claypool’s questionable stewardship of Chicago Public Schools.
Coming on the heels of the school district blocking an investigation into a $250,000 legal contract with Mr. Claypool’s former law firm and interfering in another investigation of major theft and “criminal conspiracy” by a CPS’ employee, Mr. Claypool’s latest misuse of taxpayer dollars appears to be part of an alarming personal habit of disregard for and abuse of the public’s trust.
Former CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett serves as a cautionary tale of what happens when high-ranking CPS officials thinks the rules don’t apply to them.
I ask that you look into Mr. Claypool’s pattern of unethical behavior to help guard against CPS finding itself with the same fate under Mr. Claypool as it had under Ms. Byrd-Bennett.
Groups across the city are pushing the state to ditch laws banning rent control in Illinois as rental markets in Pilsen, Logan Square and Hyde Park heat up.
State Rep. Will Guzzardi (D-Logan Square) has introduced a bill in Springfield that would repeal a 1997 law passed under Republican Gov. Jim Edgar.
“The fear was the bogeyman of rent control,” Guzzardi said of the Rent Control Preemption Act at a Tuesday news conference in Kenwood. […]
The average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Logan Square has increased by 40 percent to $1,250 at the end of 2016 from $895 at the end of 2011.
Under a rent control system, a city caps rent increases for a certain percentage of apartments. The goal is to maintain a supply of affordable rental units, even in areas where housing costs are shooting up. New York and Los Angeles, for example, have rent control rules. But by disrupting market forces, rent control inevitably creates a dangerous disincentive for developers to build new housing and for landlords to properly maintain existing units. Rents for some apartments hold steady while rents for others shoot up to make up the difference when the demand is high. An illegal black market develops as one renter quietly tries to pass an apartment along to another renter — sometimes demanding a kickback — without the landlord catching on. […]
One way City Hall can help residents caught in the cross-hairs of gentrification is through transit-oriented development. This is a creative and far-sighted effort to build a greater number of living units near transportation hubs than would be normally be allowed. By requiring a large number of affordable units in the new construction, aldermen are helping longtime residents stay in their neighborhoods.
Transit-oriented development also works naturally to produce more affordable living opportunities in a city. Because the building typically is located right next to a CTA L stop or Metra station, residents are less likely to need a car. And the building can be designed with fewer parking spaces, bringing down the cost.
U.S. presidential candidates would be barred from appearing on the ballot in Illinois unless they release five years of their income tax returns under legislation introduced today by Senator Daniel Biss (D-Evanston).
Biss says the measure is designed to ensure Illinois voters have important information about the financial interests of candidates who seek the most powerful and influential job in the world.
Ambitious legislation in the Illinois House would restrict the hours pharmacists can work each day, limit the number of prescriptions they can fill each hour, require break time during their shifts and provide whistleblower protection if they expose safety problems. But the bill already is drawing heavy opposition from lobbyists and skepticism from Gov. Bruce Rauner.
The measure represents one of the nation’s most aggressive responses to concerns from pharmacists that growing pressure to work faster increases prescription drug errors.
The move comes as states beyond Illinois mandate break time. A rule is in the works in Minnesota to require bathroom and meal breaks; pharmacists there complained they are afraid to drink liquids during a shift because they may not have the time to go to the washroom.
Filed last week, the House bill is the latest reaction to a Tribune investigation that found half of 255 pharmacies tested in the Chicago region failed to warn about prescriptions for potential drug interactions that could be harmful or fatal.
The mammoth budget blueprint under consideration in the Illinois Senate changed shape yet again Tuesday, with lawmakers floating the idea of applying a higher state sales tax to food and drugs.
The change allows backers to shelve a proposed “opportunity tax” that would charge companies for the “privilege” of doing business in the state. That ran into opposition from business groups. But the broad nature of the sales tax expansion is likely to spawn arguments that it hits hardest those least able to afford the increase.
Some background: the state sales tax on most goods is 6.25 percent. The rate, however, is just 1 percent for many food, drugs and medical supplies — think stuff bought at the grocery store. It’s higher in places where local governments can impose their own taxes. In Cook County, for example, shoppers pay an additional 1.25 percent tax to the Regional Transportation Authority for a 2.25 percent total rate.
Here’s how the Senate plan would work: The overall sales tax rate of 6.25 percent would drop to 5.75 percent, but it would be applied to a broader range of goods including food, drugs and medical supplies. Cutting the overall sales tax by half a percentage point would drop the total sales tax in Chicago to 9.75 percent. In addition, services would be taxed at 5.75 percent, including car repairs, landscaping, laundry, and cable and satellite.
Extending the sales tax to some services such as landscaping, laundry, and cable and satellite television remains in the bill. […]
Trotter, though, said, “This is continually changing.”
Sen. Heather Steans, D-Chicago, said the trade-off is a lower tax rate that applies to a broader base. […]
Sen. Pam Althoff, R-McHenry, a member of the Republican leadership team, said there was “great reserve and concern” about the business opportunity tax, which would impose a new tax based on the size of a company’s payroll.
“Obviously, this is a mathematical problem. If you take away one, you’ve got to come up with something else so both sides are equal,” Althoff said.
Chris Kennedy – A Mike Madigan-First Politician
ILGOP Launches MadiganKennedy.com
To Mike Madigan’s pleasure, Chris Kennedy today announced a run for Governor.
Over the summer, Mike Madigan endorsed Kennedy’s run. After a secret meeting, Madigan lauded that Chris Kennedy would “make a very good candidate for Governor.”
“Mike Madigan has already endorsed Chris Kennedy’s run because he knows that Kennedy will never stand up to him. Chris Kennedy secretly met with Madigan this summer to kiss his ring and get Madigan’s blessing. Kennedy’s already done his part to placate his boss, giving Madigan thousands to fund his anti-reform attack ads. We need a Governor who will fight for reform, not another Mike Madigan-first politician.” – Illinois Republican Party Spokesman Steven Yaffe
To highlight Chris Kennedy’s deep ties to the Madigan Machine, today the Illinois Republican Party has launched MadiganKennedy.com
Chris Kennedy’s already proved he will be loyal to Mike Madigan. Before announcing his campaign, Kennedy secretly met with Madigan to get his blessing to run for governor. Then, Kennedy bankrolled a $10 million Madigan-aligned political front group and gave thousands more to Madigan’s hand-picked candidates for the legislature.
Chris Kennedy is committed to the Madigan Agenda and tried to give Madigan even more power. The last thing Illinois needs is a Madigan lap dog in the governor’s office.
Illinois needs an independent reformer, but Chris Kennedy is just another Mike Madigan-first politician.
Sources: Federal Election Commission, Illinois State Board of Election, Crain’s Chicago Business 11/2/2016, Chicago Tribune, 10/11/2016
Um, Madigan didn’t endorse Kennedy. Madigan said he met with the guy and told him “he’d make a very good candidate for governor.”
*** UPDATE *** From the governor’s campaign…
Today, Chris Kennedy announced his bid for Governor of Illinois.
Show your support for Team Rauner instead by contributing $5, $15, $50, or whatever you can afford today.
We’re here to tell you that Illinois deserves better. Why? Because Chris Kennedy is a pawn of Mike Madigan. Kennedy secretly met with Mike Madigan to get his seal of approval before announcing his candidacy. And now he wants to do Madigan’s bidding.
Now, more than ever, Citizens for Rauner needs your support to hold Kennedy accountable and make sure that another Madigan crony isn’t elected Governor.
We’re here to make sure that Illinois is put first. Show that you’re with us by contributing today.
An adviser says Democratic businessman Chris Kennedy plans to run for Illinois governor in 2018 against Republican incumbent Bruce Rauner.
Hanah Jubeh, a Kennedy campaign adviser, told The Associated Press Wednesday that Kennedy is running.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Kennedy just called me to confirm the report. He’s in the race.
He said something interesting about the “Because… Madigan!” angle used by the Republicans here. “We may think it’s unique,” to Illinois, he said, but the Republicans are “using it everywhere” to suppress the vote. People are told over and over that “government is broken” and there’s nothing that anyone can do. So, people choose to just tune out, basically, and stay home.
“I can battle that better than just about everybody,” he said. “I can give people reasons to vote.”
The challenge, he said, is not “simply to get more union members or [other demographics] to vote Democratic,” but to “get more people to vote,” and the Democrats will win.
As he was winding down from those remarks and trying to move on to his next call, I asked him to quickly comment on the Senate’s grand bargain. Gov. Rauner, he said, “should show some leadership.”
Anyway, it was a pleasant call and we’ll be sitting down for a more formal interview soon.
* Meanwhile, here’s his announcement video. Rate it…
*** UPDATE 2 *** Formal statement…
Today I will file my formal paperwork to the State Board of Elections, launching my campaign for Governor of Illinois.
What once made our country different from any place on earth was the notion that anyone could make it here - that America was the land of opportunity. But today, if you’re born poor in America, you will almost certainly stay poor. The American Dream is slipping away and it’s up to us to keep this fundamental promise.
I love this state, and I’m running for governor because we can do better. Together we can restore the American Dream in Illinois in a single generation. Watch the video below to learn more, then share it with your friends and family to encourage them to join our campaign.
We have a tough task ahead: taking on a governor who has put Illinois in the worst shape it’s been since I moved here thirty years ago. I feel called to serve at this moment because I know we can do better. Through my previous work at The Merchandise Mart, through Top Box Foods, the nonprofit hunger relief organization I co-founded with my wife Sheila, and through my involvement in dozens of civic and service organizations, I have brought people together to solve complicated problems for a common good.
Compromise is not surrender. We can fix the immediate budget crisis facing our state. If we are willing to work together, mothers and babies will have early access to health care and nutrition. Early childhood education for all Illinoisans can be a priority again, and K-12 education can be paid for at the state level so every child in our state receives an equal, quality education. I want to give everyone access to higher education or trade school, and prepare the next generation of Illinoisans to be productive members of a healthy economy. If we can put stubbornness aside, we can act on a shared vision for making Illinois a place where everyone can succeed.
We can restore the future and keep the promise of this state. Let’s get to work.
U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-Ill., said Tuesday that she has given herself 30 days to decide whether to run for governor and that she’ll weigh such factors as whether a downstate figure “with my brand of politics” can appeal to a statewide audience — and if she has the skills to make a difference in the infamously deadlocked state. […]
“As I weigh this, it is a matter of where can I make the biggest difference and how can I be in a position to help our state and region as much as possible,” she said. […]
“Does my brand of politics and governing, does it resonate in other parts of Illinois?” she said. “I’m a downstater. My politics are not the same as perhaps another member of Congress in another part of the state.” […]
“I ask myself, ‘Am I the best person to set our state on a healthier path,’ and I take that part very, very seriously,” she said. “And if there’s something that keeps me up at night as I make that decision, it is that. I think about that a lot.”
She was given an A-minus rating from the NRA, which could go badly in a Democratic primary traditionally dominated by Cook County. She has other conservative votes as well, like voting for a refugee ban in 2015.
But if the votes are split between several Cook candidates, she could have a chance. Deciding this early is understandable, but it doesn’t give the rest of the ticket time to shake itself out.
As speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives, Michael Madigan has outlasted five governors and is now on his sixth. This year, the Chicago Democrat will become longest-serving state or federal House speaker in the United States since at least the early 1800s.
Madigan is to Illinois what his late mentor, Mayor Richard J. Daley, was to Chicago, the state’s great metropolis - a city the political boss once controlled down to the last garbage truck. As speaker for all but two years since 1983, Madigan has directed the fate of key pension, labor and tax laws. As state Democratic Party chairman since 1998, he has shaped the fortunes of his allies and stymied opponents.
But if Daley’s Chicago was “the city that works,” a nickname coined during his tenure, Madigan’s Illinois is the state that doesn’t work. The speaker is one of America’s most powerful politicians, presiding over arguably its most dysfunctional state capital.
Illinois is beyond broke. It is the first state in eight decades to go without an annual budget, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Its bond ratings, the lowest of any state, are near junk status. It is projected to have a budget deficit this fiscal year of $5.3 billion and owes vendors about $10.8 billion in unpaid bills. […]
No one in modern Illinois politics wields as much legislative power, said David Axelrod, the Chicago-based Democratic political consultant who helped put Barack Obama in the White House.
“In his domain - in terms of the art of keeping and exercising power within that building - he’s incomparable,” Axelrod said, referring to the state capitol in Springfield. “Whatever his complicity in helping to create the problem, he’s also going to be essential to its solution.”
* Madigan’s money maker: lowering property taxes for big business: As Illinois House speaker for more than three decades, Michael Madigan has often worked to raise people’s taxes. As a private attorney, he works to lower them… Between 2004 and 2015, the speaker’s firm won $63.3 million in refunds for clients, according to a Reuters analysis of data from the Cook County treasurer’s office. In 2015, Madigan’s practice ranked second among law firms in total property tax refunds, the county data shows.
Intense rhetoric between Chicago democrats and Illinois’ republican governor is nothing new, but some parents are upset it is now being played out in a letter sent home with their kids. Chicago Public Schools officials sent home a letter with all 381,000 students blasting Gov. Bruce Rauner and ignoring any role democrats may have played in the state’s budget woes.
The “Dear Parents” letter begins by stating “Governor Bruce Rauner, just like President Trump, has decided to attack those who need the most help.” Twice the letter accuses Gov. Rauner of “cheating” children. Once it says the governor “stole” from kids. The letter goes on to cite Chicago Public Schools CEO Forrest Claypool’s often repeated claim that the governor broke a promise by blocking Chicago from receiving $215 million for city schools.
One CPS parent who contacted WGN wrote: “This is so inappropriate. How can he send political propaganda home?” The letter, paid for by taxpayers, does not mention democrats who have been in control of the city and state legislature for decades.
Government watchdog groups questioned the district’s decision to use such strong partisan language in a letter sent home with kids. “Invoking partisan politics – especially at the national level – is not the most effective way to build trust with parents and students,” said Sarah Brune of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform.
We’re arrived at a whole new level of weirdness, campers.
A day after Chicago Public Schools CEO Forrest Claypool heightened his war with Gov. Bruce Rauner by blaming him for the school district’s latest financial woes — and likening him to President Donald Trump — Rauner’s education secretary on Tuesday fired back — essentially telling Claypool to look in the mirror.
Education Secretary Beth Purvis released an open letter to CPS parents, placing the blame for the financial mess squarely on CPS’ “continued mismanagement” and calling the latest cuts “curiously timed.”
The letter to parents comes after CPS officials encouraged parents to bombard the governor with phone calls in support of “fair funding.” It also comes during a high pressure week in Springfield, as Illinois Senate leaders try to pass a package of bills meant to end the state’s budget crisis.
In the letter to CPS parents, Purvis called the freezing of as much as $69 million in spending “a shock to all of us.” And she noted that CPS doesn’t have to make its full pension payment until June 30. […]
“Why would CPS arbitrarily create a crisis and hurt its students and teachers rather than work to pass the Senate’s balanced budget reform package?” Purvis wrote.
* You’ll get no argument from just about anybody that CPS finances are a mess and have been for a very long time.
And yesterday’s timing may very well be suspicious. CPS’ numbers are so opaque (and I’m being kind) that it’s impossible to determine if all these cuts are necessary or if they’re cutting items for maximum media impact and are using the Rauner bogeyman to mask their own incompetence and/or failure…
“He’s clearly adopting Donald Trump’s tactics of attacking vulnerable citizens in order to score political points,” Claypool told reporters. “Just like Trump, [Rauner is] attacking children of immigrants, he’s attacking racial minorities, attacking the poor here in Chicago. In this case it’s children which is particularly shameful.”
Yeah, that’s gonna invite a retaliatory response, which is what Purvis did today.
But, look, if CPS didn’t make cuts and no budget deal is reached by June 30th, then the district may not be able to make its pension payment in four and a half months and that would be a very, very bad thing. These cuts are, ostensibly, at least, meant to avert a potential catastrophe in just a few months. I mean, would you bet on Springfield averting your own personal bankruptcy before June 30th? Of course not. So, on that level, the cuts can be seen as prudent.
* I agree with Purvis that Emanuel and Claypool ought to be far more supportive of the Senate’s work. Don’t just sit up there in Chicago and scream. Activate the troops before Rauner’s allies at the Illinois Chamber, the Illinois Policy Institute, Americans for Prosperity and Liberty Principles PAC kill the Senate plan. Do something positive. If you’re too afraid of Madigan, then push hard for a plan in his chamber. The Rauner veto is a dead horse. It can’t be undone. The only choice anyone has now is to move forward.
And while we’re at it, maybe the governor could say something about his allies’ trashing of the Senate plan? A public brush-back pitch, perhaps? Or maybe pick up the phone to call off the junkyard dogs? Or maybe (gasp!) start working on behalf of the Senate plan like his education secretary wants CPS to do? Unlike Claypool or Emanuel, after all, he actually plays a direct constitutional role in this here crisis.
* You will recall that yesterday Attorney General Lisa Madigan urged Gov. Bruce Rauner to do three things “to protect all Illinois residents from the harm caused by the executive actions” of President Trump…
* Refuse to enter into any agreement that would use Illinois law enforcement authorities as federal immigration officers. Deputizing Illinois law enforcement as immigration officers would not only divert already scarce resources away from public safety efforts and raise serious legal questions, but also undermine the values on which the country was built.
* Strengthen the work performed by the Bureau of Refugee and Immigrant Services within the Illinois Department of Human Services, which assists immigrants and refugees settling in Illinois through training, health screening, citizenship classes and other services. From October 1, 2016 through January, 31, 2017, 1,001 refugees arrived in Illinois.
* Commit to strong enforcement of Illinois’ anti-discrimination laws and bolster efforts to fight hate crimes against all residents across the state, including immigrants and refugees. Illinois’ hate crime statute provides both criminal and civil protections to those who have experienced hate-based harassment, injury and property damage.
* The governor’s office responded after I’d left the office…
The attorney general’s press release is detached from reality and is clearly an attempt to distract from her efforts to stop the pay of state employees and force a crisis in Illinois. The governor has no intention of deputizing the Illinois State Police as immigration officers, has signed legislation to strengthen Illinois’ hate crime statute, and supported the resettlement of thousands of refugees over the last two years.
Well, that’s good to know. State cops have better things to do with their time, particularly in the Chicago area.
* But Sen. Toi Hutchinson (D-Olympia Fields) sent me an e-mail not long ago saying she’d asked staff about the impact that the impasse has had on services for immigrants and refugees. She forwarded me their reply…
Due to the budget impasse and the Administration’s decision to not issue certain contracts, the following programs did not receive funding in FY 16: Welcoming Centers, Immigrant Integration Services, and Refugee Social Services. This equates to $7.7 million that was issued in FY 15, but not in FY 16. These programs were funded in FY 17 due to the Stop Gap Budget, but providers endured a whole year without funding, and services were cut that help immigrants and refugees successfully integrate into the State and become legal citizens.
The stop gap, of course, has now expired.
“So,” Hutchinson wrote, “for all the folks who want to make sure that we cut, here’s one more example of things that got cut. This needs to end.”
A class-action lawsuit filed Monday in St. Clair County alleges the company that managed Illinois’ lottery defrauded businesses that sold scratch-off lottery tickets and individuals that purchased the same tickets.
The suit accuses Northstar Lottery Group of manipulating the number of tickets available for purchase.
The complaint alleges that Northstar designed and operated games so that when it calculated that a particular game was financially beneficial to its profit interests, it would stop sales of tickets for that game and actively collect tickets that had been sent to its vendors for sale. Northstar would then simply start a new game and the process would repeat with the new game.
“We allege that when Northstar realized that it was ahead of the consumer in a particular game, meaning it had sold a number of tickets that did not include the winner, it would stop the game and lock in its profits. The winning ticket never got sold,” said Derek Brandt, one of the attorneys on the case, with Brandt Law of Edwardsville. […]
Gov. Bruce Rauner fired Northstar as the state’s private lottery manager in 2015.
I appreciate Rich’s column. Governor Rauner believes there are things that need to be done to set Illinois on the right path. I think most of us would agree with him on many of them.
At the same time, most of us find some of them unnecessary and beyond the pale. AFSCME needed to be taken to task and their unreasonable expectations rebuffed. But they neither needed nor deserve to be crushed.
In spite of what some posters on this site believe, Mike Madigan is not just an effective leader but also a decent and compassionate man and has been so the entire time I have known him. He does his job well and he will not be pushed around any more than any other leader. In the past, however, he was willing to step up and do deals with the other side because of the pragmatic need to get those deals done.
I digress by reminding us of Rich’s point that “lead” is the root of the word “leadership.”
I’ve known President Cullerton, Leader Durkin and Leader Radogno for years. In my opinion it’s been 30 years or more since we’ve had such a strong leadership group in the General Assembly.
These people can solve this problem, but it won’t be easy. There will have to be significant cuts in spending, there will have to be significant revenue increases and there will have to be significant concessions in areas such as workers’ compensation.
Let me digress briefly once more by saying that I know the labor leaders will have to make all this happen within their ranks and I know they are both capable and willing to do their part.
I hope this is not too offensive to too many people, but it’s the message I believe I have to deliver. Once again, thanks Rich.
* Doug Wilson at the Herald-Whig took at look at some of what the Illinois Policy Institute’s budget proposal would do to the Quincy area. First up, doing away with municipal government revenue sharing…
Quincy Mayor Kyle Moore said that would cost the city an estimated $3.8 million a year.
“This would obviously be devastating to city services, especially since our share (of) the corporate personal property replacement tax was reduced by $400,000 last fiscal year,” Moore said.
“We’ve worked hard to be conservative stewards of tax dollars … and decreased operating costs by $1.5 million in the last few years. This practice has allowed us to only minimally increase the tax rate when absolutely necessary,” [Mike Elbe, president of John Wood Community College] said.
“If you completely freeze property taxes and combine that with existing lack of state support, it will significantly limit the college’s ability to fund the array of workforce and college transfer programs that currently serve our students and district. The remaining source of funding is student tuition, which is capped at certain levels to maintain accessibility to high-quality education.”
Matt Bierman, interim vice president of administrative services at Western Illinois University in Macomb, said the school already has faced a huge funding shortfall because of the budget battle. An audit of WIU released last week shows that the school has been forced to cut employment and find other ways to eliminate costs.
“We were shorted by about $30 million in 2016 over what we got in 2015. So last year we spent about that much from our reserves,” Bierman said.
I get why university and college presidents are so reticent to talk about this stuff. They don’t want to scare off current or prospective students. But that was a bit on the weak side.
All in all, though, a pretty solid piece. And there’s more, including local legislative react, so click here.
* This Tribune story about a stalled project at Olive-Harvey College on the city’s South Side of a “Transportation, Distribution and Logistics Center” to train folks for “careers in automotive technology, applied engineering, the repair and maintenance of heavy equipment and supply chain management” is an interesting read.
The story is kinda all over the place, however, so here’s a straighter timeline.
* The project was a partnership between the state and City Colleges announced way back in March of 2012 - almost five years ago - by Gov. Quinn and Mayor Emanuel. The groundbreaking ceremony was held in 2013. The state share was $31.6 million with City Colleges putting in $13.2 million.
When the budget passed by the General Assembly was vetoed by Gov. Rauner in 2015, the state halted construction on the 60 percent-completed center because it claimed it didn’t have appropriation authority.
In March of 2016, City Colleges and the mayor announced they were taking over the project. By that time, the project needed an additional $23 million to finish, which included $4 million in new costs because the facility was damaged during the eight-month delay.
But the same day of the takeover announcement last year, the Capital Development Board sent the city a letter saying state law required it to supervise construction that involve state funds…
“One possible solution is for you or the city to repay the state’s taxpayers for any expenditures to date,” [Jodi Golden, executive director of the state’s Capital Development Board] wrote. “We welcome additional solutions, but must insist on a formal resolution prior to the resumption of any construction in order to comply with state law.”
The City Colleges takeover was no more.
Then, this past August, CDB informed City Colleges that it had funding for the project and also told contractors to get back to work. But that turned out to be a “premature” statement, Golden admitted to the Tribune. Construction didn’t commence.
Last month, CDB formally shelved the project again.
To date, the state has spent $24 million and City Colleges has spent about $2 million, according to the Tribune.
“We wouldn’t even be having this conversation had the state managed to live up to the commitment they made, not once but twice, to finish the project that they negotiated in the first place,” Emanuel spokeswoman Lauren Huffman said Monday in a statement. “This is how the state of Illinois treats higher education, and students around the state - at City Colleges, at Eastern, Western, Southern and throughout the University of Illinois system, and at Chicago State - are bearing the brunt as a result.”
Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration said in a statement Monday that the city has said it plans to work with City Colleges to allocate resources to help the Capital Development Board finish the project.
“We are hopeful that City Colleges will partner with the state and we can get this project moving again,” his office said.
* Look, if there are no appropriations, how is the thing supposed to be built? Speaking of which, why did CDB say it had the money last August when it didn’t? Or did it have the money? And color me a tad skeptical of the city’s 2016 announcement that it would complete the project on its own. With what cash?
This is the sort of wholesale failure caused by the impasse and the inability of leaders to work with each other.
But what’s done is done. Instead of pointing fingers, the mayor needs to get involved and help pass a budget. You know, those bills that contain appropriations for things like construction projects.
For instance, where is Mayor Emanuel on the Senate’s grand bargain? Or is he more allied with the House Democrats?
* What we’ve come to in this state is the constant use of bogeymen to mask and/or excuse failure. Gov. Rauner does it with Speaker Madigan on an almost hourly basis. Mayor Emanuel has taken to doing the same with Gov. Rauner.
* From Dan Proft, in his capacity with Liberty Principles PAC…
Governor Rauner’s posture on current Senate budget negotiations notwithstanding, I have heard from many significant donors on the broad outlines of the deal Sens. Cullerton and Radogno are attempting to forge and push through the Senate. Those donors have made it clear to me that Republican senators who want to negotiate the terms of surrender to Sen. Cullerton and Speaker Madigan–and that is precisely what Sen. Radogno is doing at present–should be removed from the battlefield in favor of those who are willing to fight for the most overtaxed families and overregulated businesses in the country.
* Local 150 of the Operating Engineers International Union commissioned a poll of 600 likely Illinois Republican Party primary voters by Anzalone Liszt Grove Research, which is a Democratic pollster. The poll was taken January 4-8 and has a margin of error of +/-4.0 percent. 45 percent of respondents were reached on their mobile phones.
• Primary voters are net favorable towards labor unions. A plurality of voters are favorable towards labor unions (46% favorable / 40% unfavorable), driven by stronger support Downstate (49% favorable / 35% unfavorable). This includes many self- described conservatives (41% favorable / 47% unfavorable) who are 61% of GOP primary voters as well as moderates (54% favorable / 31% unfavorable) who make up almost all of the rest (34% of GOP primary voters).
• Support for labor unions is correlated with GOP dislike of Bruce Rauner. Bruce Rauner receives almost unanimous support from the roughly half of GOP primary voters who dislike labor unions (83% favorable / 12% unfavorable), but the half who is favorable towards unions is less positive towards the Governor (68% favorable / 26% unfavorable).
• GOP primary voters hold many pro-labor positions in opposition to the Governor. As with support for unions generally, support for the pro-labor position correlates with personal unfavorability towards Bruce Rauner. […]
• GOP primary voters also support increased spending on infrastructure and anti- outsourcing laws. We have seen similar levels of support for both policies statewide and among Democrats, though these numbers seem to have increased among Republicans since Donald Trump’s nomination and election.
Now, I’d like to ask you your impressions of some people active in politics. As I read each one, just tell me whether you have a very favorable opinion, a somewhat favorable opinion, a somewhat unfavorable opinion, or a very unfavorable opinion of each. If you don’t recognize them, just say so. Here is the first one…
The following findings are based on a poll of n=600 likely Illinois primary-election voters, defined as having voted in at least one of the past four statewide Republican primaries (2010, 2012, 2014, 2016) and saying they are likely to vote in a 2018 Republican primary election. Respondents were contacted via landline and cellphone. The expected margin of sampling error at the 95% confidence level is +4.0% and higher for subgroups.
Madigan’s Mayor Strikes Again
Rahm lectures West Coast Elite while his political fixer foments a crisis at CPS
While his handpicked political fixer was ordering $46 million in avoidable new cuts to Chicago schools, Mayor Rahm Emanuel was hanging out in California spouting political advice and inadvertently revealing the sad truth that his cuts are all about trying to gain a political advantage.
“Rahm Emanuel could have spent the last two months working to pass the agreed-to comprehensive pension reform deal that would have benefited Chicago Public Schools, but rather than do what is right, Rahm focused on how to cut services and blame someone else,” said Illinois GOP spokesman Aaron DeGroot. “Madigan and the Mayor are playing from the same divisive playbook, trying to create a crisis and hurt people instead of working to find common ground. It’s time for Mayor Emanuel to stop playing the part of Madigan’s junior partner and actually work to get results for his city.”
From his perch at Stanford University yesterday, Mayor Emanuel espoused a political world view of trying to foster disagreement and division. During Emanuel’s political lecturing, his hatchet man was busy slashing school budgets and trying to create a crisis for his boss who infamously advised to never let a serious crisis go to waste.
In case you don’t have your decoder ring handy, the unnamed “handpicked political fixer” and “hatchet man” is Forrest Claypool, to whose campaign committee Bruce Rauner gave $250,000 back in the aughts.
Failure to embrace pending legislation in the Illinois Senate to address the state’s longstanding budget problems would represent a “significant missed opportunity” and risk a credit rating downgrade and hurt economic growth prospects, S&P Global Ratings said on Monday.
S&P, which rates Illinois BBB with a negative outlook, said legislation boosting revenue and ending the state’s budget impasse could improve the near-term fiscal outlook, although a rating upgrade would be at least two years away. […]
S&P chastised Illinois for a fiscal crisis it called “a man-made byproduct of policy ultimatums placed upon the state’s budget process.
“We believe Illinois’ distressed fiscal condition and dysfunctional budget politics now threaten to erode the state’s long-term economic growth prospects,” S&P Managing Director Gabriel Petek said in a statement. [Emphasis added.]
That’s pretty darned direct, scary and spot freaking on.
* Cullerton’s ‘grand bargain’ push: ‘If not this plan, then what?’: Cullerton has always admitted the plan is in flux. A school funding formula bill is still being drafted, after having incorporated suggestions from Gov. Bruce Rauner’s school funding commission. Cullerton said it has the “principles” needed to get support. And a minimum wage hike bill has been eliminated from the plan — due to pressure from national unions to bump the hike to $15 an hour. The sale of the James R. Thompson Center — a plan being pushed by Rauner’s administration and Republican leaders — has also been added to the plan’s revenue bill. An analysis by the state’s Department of Central Management Services found the sale could bring in $220 million — if the building is demolished and rebuilt. It also could bring in $45 million a year in Chicago property taxes, since it will no longer be a state-owned building. And Cullerton told reporters on Monday that the leaders will likely have a “structured roll call” — which would spare some legislators from taking unpopular votes. It would allow senators in safe districts who are likely to be re-elected to take some of the toughest votes.
* Cullerton: ‘If not this plan, then what?’: But though Cullerton got some help from a big New York bond rating agency, the comprehensive package of $6.5 billion in tax hikes, pension changes and spending cuts continues to catch heavy fire. As Cullerton conceded, “We’ll find out in the next few days” whether the plan will fly politically as a solution.
Illinois Senate leaders are poised to add a contentious issue to their already complicated attempt to break the budget stalemate in Springfield as they turn their attention this week to changing the formula used to funnel state tax money to schools.
Senate President John Cullerton said Monday that his Democratic lawmakers would be briefed Tuesday on the schools plan as part of the broader, 12-bill package that Cullerton and Senate Republican leader Christine Radogno have been pushing as a way out of the state’s 19-month budget impasse. […]
Sen. Andy Manar, a Democrat from Bunker Hill who has long pushed for an education funding overhaul, said that while the schools portion of the package is still in flux, it is likely to mirror the commission’s suggestion that each school district should have its own specialized funding goal. That target would be set using criteria such as the number of children living in poverty and how much money is available from local property taxes, an acknowledgment that it often takes more resources to bring many children in those areas of the state up to speed than in wealthier areas.
But the legislation also would include a so-called hold harmless provision, which means districts wouldn’t receive less state money in the future than they do now, at least at the start. Just how much more money lawmakers would pump into the education system is still up for debate, but any increase likely would have to be phased in over time given the state’s deep budget problems.
Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, a major proponent of school funding reform, would only say Monday that, “I’ve been working on it every day since the commission finished its work and that continues. I believe the direction coming from both leaders is clear. They want to try to get a bill passed.”
Rauner said he’s still digesting the report from the commission. He also said it wasn’t the commission’s job to draft a bill that could be considered by lawmakers.
“What they did was lay out the parameters for a bill to get drafted,” he said. “I’ll talk to the General Assembly about who should draft. My sense is, I think the senators, I don’t know, I think they’re working on something. If they’d like our administration to draft something, we can do that.”
“The hotel industry wanted to throttle Airbnb. [But] nobody signs on to a loss. Nobody willingly. . . . I always before we negotiate draw out on a piece of paper, their wins, my wins. Can I give ’em what I think are their wins. Can they give me my wins? And then, how close are we to that kind of ideal paper at the beginning when we get to the end,” the mayor said.
“We did it recently with the teachers. There are things in there the teachers can claim to their members they won fair and square. Not a problem,” he said. “There’s things we won fair and square. Otherwise, it’s not a very good negotiation or a contract. If you try to make the other side lose, it’s not usually a good way to get a deal done and they won’t sign onto it. And if they do sign onto it, it’s because you crushed ’em. And trust me, they’re gonna come back and get you. What goes around comes around.”
Stop the blame game. “Democrats love doing a firing squad in the circle. Stop it: ‘They’re too moderate.’ Forget about it. This guy [Trump] and these people are about to do something on the tax code, the regulatory environment and things that are more threatening than what a fellow Democrat might slightly disagree with you on,” Emanuel said.
Pick your battles. “Not every pitch has to be swung at. … We don’t have the power to swing at everything, so you have to pick what is essential,” the mayor said.
Go slow. “Time is not the incumbent party’s friend. Time is the opposition’s friend. Slow. Go slow. They want to rush. We want to go slow. Real slow.”
Drive a wedge every chance you get. “Whenever there’s a disagreement among Republicans, I’m for one of those disagreements. I’m all for it,” the mayor said. “The President wants Russia? I’m with John McCain and Lindsey Graham. I’m for NATO. Why? Wedge. Schisms have to be wedges. Wedges have to be divides and divisions. …We’ve got to lower the President? Why? Because they are strong enough to get him than us. We’re not strong enough.”
“Democrats are at the lowest level since 1928 in the House of Representatives and the lowest level since 1925 in the state houses. … It is hard to imagine it getting lower,” the mayor said.
“It took us a long time to get this low. It ain’t gonna happen in 2018. Take a chill pill, man. You’ve got to be in this for the long haul. And if you think it’s gonna be a quick turnaround like that, it’s not. You have to be part of this for the long haul. … You’re gonna have a success here and a success here, and then you’ll build a critical mass. But it’s worth fighting for. And I think this country is worth fighting for.”
Rauner said it is “fundamentally wrong” that some people are arguing that state employees not get paid even though they are on the job every day. Attorney General Lisa Madigan is seeking to dissolve a court order that said workers would get paid even without a state budget in place. The state Supreme Court ruled last year in another case that workers cannot get paid without an appropriation approved by the legislature. […]
Still, Rauner said, “[State legislators] get paid no matter what. And they work part time And many would argue they’re not really doing their jobs, but they made sure they get paid no matter what.”
Rauner said that even if the order is dissolved, Comptroller Susana Mendoza should continue to pay workers.
“It is not right to cut off state employee pay when they are working,” he said.
OK, first of all, state employees won’t be working if they aren’t being paid. You can’t force someone to work without paying them. Google: “1865.”
And if Comptroller Mendoza paid state bills without an appropriation or a court order, she could be impeached. But what does the governor think? Should she pay the social service groups that have contracts but no line items? He apparently hasn’t yet been asked that question. But he was asked this…
Asked if human services programs and higher education should also be put under a continuing appropriation to ensure they will be paid without a budget, Rauner said only, “There are many things that get continuing appropriations.”
Gov. Rauner’s administration is raising concerns about a plan the House Democrats are pushing to free up money for employee paychecks after Democratic Attorney General Lisa Madigan asked a court to block salaries unless lawmakers approved a spending plan.
The Democratic legislation has “a lack of clarity,” according to a review by the governor’s budget office that was included in an analysis of the bill prepared for Republican lawmakers. Among the issues raised is uncertainty about whether the bill earmarks enough money to cover all employee salaries and a lack of funding for contractual workers.
The analysis also noted that some paychecks would be covered by dollars taken from the state’s road fund, which can no longer be tapped to pay for services that aren’t related to transportation under a constitutional amendment voters approved in the November election. However, the analysis notes that restriction could be addressed if the road fund money was used to pay salaries of police and workers in the transportation department.
The evaluation comes as the GOP pushes an alternative plan to keep paychecks flowing by changing state law to ensure salaries are paid regardless of whether or not lawmakers have agreed on a budget plan.
The bill is here. As an example, the Department of Corrections is appropriated just $258,200 for payroll.
* It is unclear if the amounts in the bill are meant to be an amount needed for the remainder of the fiscal year, and are in addition to amounts that have already been allocated under court order, or if the amounts represent spending including sums allocated under the court order.
* The amounts for some agencies, including the Department of Corrections and the Attorney General, represent a small portion of actual funds needed.
* Some agencies lack appropriations entirely, including DCFS, DJJ and the State Board of Elections. This appears to be because such expenditures would be covered by separate consent decrees.
* Narrative language does not allow payments for contractual personnel services, which are utilized by some agencies.
* Narrative language leaves ambiguity regarding if payments are limited to payroll or could include payments for group insurance claims.
The HGOP proposal, which is basically a continuing approp through the end of the fiscal year, is here. The analysis is here.
* Some Capitol Fax subscribers received an e-mail today from Dianna Donaker entitled “Documents” with a pdf attachment. This is a personal G-Mail account of someone who works for a company I use for bookkeeping.
I am told the account was hacked. Do NOT open the e-mail or the attachment.
We’re working right now to figure out if the attachment contained a virus or is benign. I’m sorry for any problems this might create. I’ll let you know more when I know more.
*** UPDATE *** From the company that handles bookkeeping…
The attachment does not contain a virus. This is a phishing scam trying to get Google login info. It asks you to login to view the doc.
Attorney General Lisa Madigan today sent a letter to Gov. Rauner condemning the federal executive orders on immigration and urging him to use his authority to protect all Illinois residents from the harm caused by the executive actions. While there is a temporary halt to the immigration travel ban, other provisions of the Orders could greatly impact the lives of Illinois immigrants.
The president issued several Executive Orders on immigration. The executive orders instructed the Secretary of Homeland Security to seek agreements with states and localities to authorize local law enforcement to serve as immigration officers. They also directed that sanctuary jurisdictions are not eligible to receive certain federal grants. Another order suspended immigration from seven nations for 90 days and suspended the admission of all refugees for 120 days.
In her letter, Madigan stated that the Executive Orders have threatened the future of immigrants and refugees who have settled in Illinois and who greatly contribute to the state. The Attorney General urged the governor to refuse to agree to deputize Illinois law enforcement to work as federal immigration officers, policing immigrants in the state. Madigan also urged the governor to strengthen the state’s efforts to ensure immigrants and refugees can safely settle in Illinois and protect them against hate crimes. […]
The Attorney General urged the governor to pledge to protect immigrants and refugees in several ways:
* Refuse to enter into any agreement that would use Illinois law enforcement authorities as federal immigration officers. Deputizing Illinois law enforcement as immigration officers would not only divert already scarce resources away from public safety efforts and raise serious legal questions, but also undermine the values on which the country was built.
* Strengthen the work performed by the Bureau of Refugee and Immigrant Services within the Illinois Department of Human Services, which assists immigrants and refugees settling in Illinois through training, health screening, citizenship classes and other services. From October 1, 2016 through January, 31, 2017, 1,001 refugees arrived in Illinois.
* Commit to strong enforcement of Illinois’ anti-discrimination laws and bolster efforts to fight hate crimes against all residents across the state, including immigrants and refugees. Illinois’ hate crime statute provides both criminal and civil protections to those who have experienced hate-based harassment, injury and property damage.
Immigrants make up about 14 percent of Illinois’ population or nearly 1.8 million residents, making Illinois sixth among all states in the number of foreign-born residents. Cook County ranks the third largest U.S. county in its number of foreign-born residents. The benefits of immigration to Illinois are immense. A recent study found that Illinois businesses owned by immigrants produced $2.6 billion in business income in 2014, with immigrants composing 22 percent of the entrepreneurs in Illinois and immigrant-owned businesses employing over 280,000 people.
* Related…
* ADDED: Press Release: Attorney General Lisa Madigan filed an amicus brief today in the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit in San Francisco in support of a lawsuit challenging the federal Executive Orders on immigration as illegal and unconstitutional.
A top ally of Gov. Bruce Rauner warned members of the largest state employee union to be “careful” about “crossing” the Republican governor by going on strike, suggesting that individual jobs are more important than the group’s political standing in Springfield.
The comments by House Republican leader Jim Durkin come as members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31 are voting on whether to authorize a walkout amid a prolonged contract battle with Rauner.
“They are dealing with a person who’s a very determined individual, and he’s a tough person. And he drives a bargain,” Durkin said during a Friday taping of WLS-AM 890’s “Connected to Chicago” that airs at 7 p.m. Sunday.
“But the fact is, if you cross him, I think you have to be careful. That’s a situation, if you do that, you’re crossing a governor who’s, I think he’s going to do what he thinks is best at the end of the day, which is not going to be in the best interests of AFSCME members and their families and loved ones,” Durkin said.
And he should know. /snark
Durkin’s people would like me to remind y’all that while he did say some blunt things, he is on record more than once supporting legislation to pay state workers during the impasse.
Still trying to close a $215 million budget gap they blame on the governor, Chicago Public Schools officials are trying to chip away at that hole by freezing $51 million in spending, officials announced Monday.
About $28 million of the $51 million in planned savings will come by CPS halting planned expenditures on new textbooks, more technology, field trips, hourly employees and other items. An additional $5 million in planned spending on teacher training also is being frozen.
No school is supposed to lose more than 5 percent of its initial budget this year, but CPS wouldn’t immediately release any school-by-school figures. Schools that have squirreled away money for supplies or to get a jump on equipment for next year likely have the most to lose.
Another $18 million in savings is set to be realized by CPS scaling back funding to the 100-plus charter schools it helps bankroll. Those schools will have to decide how to adjust their budgets accordingly. […]
“Unfortunately, there is still more we must do to close the $215 million hole Gov. Rauner blew in our budget,” [CPS CEO Forrest Claypool] wrote in a letter addressed to Local School Council members tasked with approving individual school spending.
Notice they didn’t blame the House Speaker for not trying to override the bill in December. And, yes, I know the override woulda failed, but my point is what’s done is done and we’re in a new spring session and it’s time to move forward already.
Chicago Public Schools faced a shortfall in its operations budget of roughly $500 million at the close of its past fiscal year, leaving the financially troubled district with a significant bill to cover even as it struggles to balance this year’s spending plan.
The budget shortfall was reported in a recently issued financial postmortem for 2016 that also repeated a long-held conclusion: CPS either needs an infusion of new money or will have to make major cuts if it is to keep operating as it has been. […]
Even if CPS manages to make up for state aid that hasn’t arrived and pulls together other savings to balance a $5.5 billion operating budget, which relied on ambitious assumptions, more than $100 million from last year’s shortfall remains.
…Adding… Yeah, this message from Claypool will help…
Governor Rauner, just like President Trump, has decided to attack those who need the most help. Governor Rauner and President Trump regularly attack Chicago because they hope to score political points. It is shameful.
Most recently, Governor Rauner broke his word by blocking Chicago from receiving $215 million for our schools. That $215 million was supposed to be a first step – just a first step — toward treating your children fairly. That $215 million was supposed to be a first step toward providing your children with their fair share of the dollars Illinois spends on children in the rest of Illinois. But Governor Rauner broke his word and did not take even that first step.
*** UPDATE *** Um, dude, he can’t “reverse his veto.” What’s done is done…
Claypool: We ask the governor to reverse this veto immediately. We ask parents to call Rauner's office to demand fair funding.
As Missouri’s right-to-work legislation is signed into law today, Illinois is now surrounded by states with right-to-work laws, and the Illinois Chamber of Commerce is calling on Illinois lawmakers to respond with a strong pro-growth policy agenda.
“As of today, Illinois is now surrounded by states that have right-to-work laws. As pressure increases from other states, it is essential that Illinois responds with a strong pro-growth agenda for jobs and the economy in our state,” said Todd Maisch, Illinois Chamber of Commerce President and CEO. “That doesn’t mean that Illinois has to adopt a right-to-work law. But it does mean that Illinois needs to take strong action on pro-growth policies to help us compete. Other states are becoming more attractive for employers, and Illinois should respond on behalf of our economy.”
The Illinois Chamber of Commerce is calling on state lawmakers to address five key state policy areas that can help accelerate the Illinois economy in 2017. They are:
Enacting pro-growth economic reforms - Illinois tax policy cannot be developed without regard to its effect on Illinois businesses, workers and our economy. Instead, any revenue discussions must be balanced by including corresponding pro-economic growth reforms to help employers and workers. For example, the state could establish tax credits to help small businesses shoulder the cost of bringing on new employees. In addition, the state must immediately restore the Illinois Economic Development for a Growing Economy Tax Credit Program (the EDGE tax credit) that helps attract investment and job creation and retention in the state.
Reforming Illinois’ unfair workers’ compensation system - The current workers’ compensation system in Illinois is tilted far out of balance. Employers throughout the state continue to call for reform of the system because it hurts the ability of Illinois employers to create – and even maintain – jobs here. Reforming the system can restore balance, reduce employers’ costs for insurance, and no longer allow workers’ compensation costs to be an obstacle to growing a business in Illinois.
Rejecting anti-competitive proposals – Lawmakers should do no further harm to our state’s jobs climate. Proposals that pile more requirements on employers in our state adversely affect Illinois businesses and make our state less competitive with others. These shortsighted proposals would only move Illinois in the wrong direction and lawmakers must reject them.
Working together on common sense regulatory issues – When state Democrats and Republicans worked together, they have enacted important regulatory reforms for the state. In fact, the Illinois Chamber has led initiatives that reduce costs and make government more responsive. In 2017, legislators can finally modernize the state’s outdated telecommunications law to drive more investment in modern technologies and networks to benefit those who rely on them: Illinois businesses, consumers and public safety officials.
Focusing on education outcomes and workforce preparation - While K-12 education funding gets most of the headlines out of Springfield, Illinois must avoid being dragged into an education debate that strictly focuses on who pays more, who pays less, whose communities receive more and whose receive less. Illinois must ask tougher questions if we are to improve our economy, respect taxpayers and live up to our obligations to the next generation. State policymakers must be focused on improving educational outcomes and supporting students interested in careers that do not require a four-year college degree. Those goals must be in sight before we begin a new discussion about education funding, not the other way around.
“These reforms will re-establish balance and help Illinois become more competitive. By enacting them in 2017, we believe Illinois can better compete with other states and begin living up to its full economic potential,” Maisch said.
Notice how they dumped on the governor’s education funding reform commission?
Also, Maisch mentioned a progressive tax proposal that was recently introduced in the Senate as being a non-starter. He also dissed the “opportunity tax” idea and dismissed the Senate’s grand bargain for not doing nearly enough. “We are open to the idea of additional revenues. We are. But that seems to be the first thing people want to talk about,” he said.
Maisch told reporters that the Senate’s proposal is “out of whack,” and “out of balance.”
“My members will tell me when they think there’s a package that’s worthy of their support,” he said.
* Subscribers can watch the press conference with their special password. Click here.
* Meanwhile…
Cullerton says grand bargain plan now only has 12 bills; no minimum wage.
* Senate President John Cullerton himself brought up the rumors about a possible retirement during his City Club appearance today when he was asked what he would say when he comes back to give another speech a year from now….
IL Senate President Cullerton: I am returning next year…disputing retirement rumor
* I asked longtime commenters and pension experts RNUG and Arthur Andersen to take a look at the Illinois Policy Institute’s latest pension proposal.
Let’s start with RNUG. You can see all of his work by clicking here (that link also includes the group’s full explanation, by the way). But this is his summary…
The Bad (from a taxpayer and / or employee perspective)
1) In terms of fixing the pension underfunding, it is a “kick the can” plan not much different than the Edgar Ramp.
2) It is a Defined Contribution plan that shifts both investment and retirement risk to the employee. Your 401K is all you have; no AAI, and if you invest poorly, no one to bail you out.
3) Most likely, it will force local schools districts to raise local / property taxes.
4) Universities may have to raise tuition.
5) Community colleges will, most likely, have to do a mix of 3 and 4.
6) Encourages employee turnover because there is no significant benefit / reason to stay employed at the State.
The Good (from a taxpayer and / or State perspective):
1) For about 8 – 9 years, State contributions to the pension funds will be lower than under the current Edgar Ramp.
2) It transitions the State out of the Defined Benefit business, reducing the risk to the State. As part of this, it eliminates
any AAI.
3) Encourages employee turnover, which might l;ower salary levels because people will have less longevity.
4) Shifts future liability for all TRS and a portion of SURS from the State to the local entities.
5) If Tier 2 is completely abandoned, removes future risk of Tier 2 violating “Safe Harbor” rules
6) Effectively gets the State out of the pension business by 2047 or so.
* And AA gives us his “first read observations”…
1) They aren’t saving $1 billion in 2018, they’re shifting it from the State to schools and universities. Where we stand today, which ones can afford to pick up that cost?
2) The “extrapolation” of TRS figures to SERS and SURS is seriously flawed. The three funds have very different member bases, salary schedules, and demographics. No actuary would tell you that is a sound method.
3) Fixing Tier 2 has to be done, and sooner rather than later. Their approach is off the mark. The fix for Tier 2 is either reduce the member contribution or increase the benefit. Their plan doesn’t do either one.
4) Their proposed contribution rates are a bad idea. The rates are different for the 3 systems because the benefits are different. Charging an SERS member 8% for a benefit that is lower than the SURS/TRS member is just a different flavor of the Tier 2 problem. On the other hand, the proposed 7 percent employer contribution is too low to cover the current employer’s normal cost, or the employer’s share of currently accruing benefits. Working from memory, I think TRS’ is around 17-18 %, with the employee’s share being 9%, leaving the employer cost around 8-9 percent.
5) It’s settled fact that 401(k) plans are more expensive to administer. (Not a biggie, relatively, but it should be considered.)
6) The SURS experience is instructive. When offered the choice, less than a third of SURS members selected the 401(k)-type benefit option. This option is a popular choice among faculty who don’t expect to spend a career in Illinois, so the “portability” is desirable. I don’t know that this experience is typical among other employee groups-I doubt it.
Conclusion-typical IPI half-baked baloney. About the only positive thing I can find to say about it is that nothing is blatantly unconstitutional.
*** UPDATE *** You can read Cullerton’s speech as prepared for delivery by clicking here.
[ *** End Of Update *** ]
* Senate President John Cullerton is speaking to the City Club today. From his office…
Declaring “failure isn’t an option,” Illinois Senate President John Cullerton today will address the City Club of Chicago in an effort to rally public support for a sweeping balanced budget deal designed to end a devastating financial impasse that has dragged on for nearly two years.
“If we can pull this off, we’ll pay businesses on time, fully fund MAP scholarships, ensure state workers get paid and government doesn’t shutdown, assemble a complete budget for the first time in two years and put Illinois on the path to a balanced budget,” Cullerton is expected to say in the speech.
“We’ll also save billions on pension costs, give voters the power to reduce Illinois’ ‘most in the nation’ number of local governments and give schools relief from state mandates.
“It’s an intricate and delicate give-and-take designed to create a plan that can win bipartisan support among lawmakers and hopefully get the governor’s signature.”
The Senate President is scheduled to deliver his remarks at noon today.
* I’m told that this passage from one of my recent newspaper columns will be featured in his speech…
[Over the past two years], sexual assault victims were frozen out of counseling, homeless teens and domestic violence survivors were kicked to the curb, breast cancer screenings were eliminated, and large and formerly stable charities like Lutheran Social Services of Illinois as well as small and vulnerable service providers laid off thousands of staff members and discontinued programs.
* Except for the governor, few have questioned Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s legal reasoning in her motion to lift a judicial order mandating state employees be paid without a formal appropriation. Instead, the objection has mainly centered around AG Madigan’s timing. Why did she wait so long? From her SJ-R oped…
Consequences of budget inaction have already been catastrophic: As attorney general, my goal is always to allow the executive and legislative branches of government to do their jobs without legal intervention. While the “stopgap” budget was in place through the end of 2016, it was my hope that the governor and the legislature would work to enact a budget that funded state operations for the remainder of this fiscal year.
But the “stopgap” budget expired, and Illinois now has no spending plan in place. As a result, the governor and the legislature face the urgent need to enact a budget. To abide by the Supreme Court’s decision and the state Constitution, I have asked the court to make clear that any spending plan must provide explicit authority to pay state employee salaries.
I recognize the difficulties the governor and the legislature have faced in enacting a budget. I do not want state employees to be harmed by this crisis. This is why I recommended that the court provide additional time to put the budget in place to avoid undeserved hardship to state employees. The governor and legislature can resolve this situation at any time, and they have had a year and a half to do that.
To be sure, there have been signs of progress, but there also have been repeated setbacks. This court filing should give the budget process the momentum it needs.
By asking the court to uphold the Constitution, we will finally solve this destructive crisis - not create one.
Rauner: One eye on Trump, another on 2018 election
Rauner has worked to balance his approach to Donald Trump’s presidency, being a Republican governor in a state that went heavily for Hillary Clinton.
For example, on the executive order regarding the travel ban, a Rauner spokeswoman said in a statement that the governor opposes a ban that targets a religion and thinks the courts should determine the legality of Trump’s executive order. But Rauner has supported limiting the number of Syrian refugees coming to Illinois.
In that statement, Rauner is speaking to the unpopularity of it and the controversy of it without fully condemning it.
I’ve also been told over and over this week that Rauner won Illinois in 2014 by doing well in Chicago suburbs, which is where Trump did poorly. So Rauner’s trying to draw a distinction between himself and the new president.
* And that last bit about the suburbs is the main political reason behind this bill…
While the likelihood of a Roe repeal in the immediate future is up for debate, a law on the state books has some advocates alarmed that such a move could spell quick trouble here: Illinois has a so-called trigger law for abortion, meaning the instant Roe were to be repealed, all abortion in which the mother’s life is not endangered could potentially cease to be legal in the state.
One of only a handful of states with such a law on the book, Illinois passed its measure just two years after the Supreme Court’s landmark Roe v Wade decision. At the same time, some legal experts have argued that Illinois’ trigger lacks real power. According to the Tribune, in 2006, laws like Illinois are “statements of policy, not actual bans,” as noted by attorneys on either side of the debate. Illinois’ law lacks specifics and the state’s abortion ban that preceded Roe was repealed, the Trib notes.
Still, it’s a surprising statement, considering the abortion advocacy network that extends from the present moment (groups like the Midwest Access Coalition, which helps abortion seekers from more restrictive states come to Chicago) to decades back (the iconic Jane Collective helped provide the service to women in need in the early 1970s, when abortion was illegal.) And some Illinois lawmakers want a change of text regardless.
A bill in the Illinois state house, sponsored by Representative Sara Feigenholtz, would change the law and remove the trigger effect.
We’ve talked about this bill before. There’s disagreement over whether the trigger means anything, but putting it on Rauner’s desk would force him to take sides.
* But there’s also this provision…
HB 40 also removes discriminatory provisions from Illinois law that denies insurance coverage of an abortion to many women who depend on Medicaid and State Employee Health Insurance.
“Every woman, regardless of whether she has private or government health insurance should have affordable and comprehensive health care coverage,” said Brigid Leahy, Director of Public Policy for Planned Parenthood of Illinois. “Women should not be denied abortion coverage because of how much they earn. Access to full coverage enables a woman to make personal health decisions based on what is best for her and her family,” added Leahy.
If passed, Illinois would join 15 other states that provide women with health assistance funds that cover the full range of pregnancy-related care including a woman’s decision to end a pregnancy.
* Comptroller Mendoza went off on Gov. Rauner during an appearance on Rick Pearson’s WGN radio show yesterday…
“We are now going into a third year without that balanced budget proposal. He hasn’t done it once. He hasn’t done it twice. As a result of that, my office is responsible for having to pay $11.2 billion in bill backlogs. That’s how bad of a situation we’re in. We’ve had six downgrades to our credit since Gov. Rauner has taken office,” Mendoza said.
“Our state has never been worse off financially, yet this governor’s personal finances have more than tripled since he was sworn in,” she said, noting his adjusted gross income for 2015 was $188 million compared with $58.5 million in 2014. “You have to acknowledge there is a massive disconnect between the reality that he’s living in and the reality of your average person in the state of Illinois.”
* And here she is responding to the governor’s contention that she should continue paying state workers without a court order or a legal appropriation…
“It’s really clear. I would be in violation of the law if I continued to pay, and, you know, the governor, I think, has a habit of not paying attention to the state constitution,” she said. “He basically went out of his way to put this on me to somehow deflect to me and to ask me, basically demand, that I break the law. And that’s not going to happen. I mean, like, he’s not above the law. I’m not above the law. The law is the law.”
She said Rauner was trying to posture that, “Oh, Comptroller Mendoza, it’s her fault that the state’s goes into crisis or it’s the attorney general’s fault.
“It’s like, enough of the blame game, enough of the deflection. Take some responsibility. Lead this state. You’re now going into your third year. You’re not a rookie to this anymore. You can’t call yourself an outsider. It’s as insider as you get, and it’s time for him to do his job,” she said.
One of the governor’s worst habits is he loves to tell people how to do their jobs. The comptroller should pay a certain type of bill without an appropriation, the attorney general should drop her legal motion, newspaper headline writers should write more favorable headlines, AFSCME should help him implement his last and final offer, the House Speaker should pass his legislation, etc., etc., etc.
He does all of this to deflect blame from himself and he’s mostly gotten away with it, mainly because Speaker Madigan is so fabulously unpopular.
* Remember when he spent a small fortune on TV ads attacking Madigan after the 2015 spring session failed to produce a budget? Part of that was certainly designed to degrade the Madigan brand and make Democrats nervous. But it was mainly about blaming Madigan before that failure was hung around his own neck.
As Illinois prepares to celebrate 200 years in existence, a local legislator wants to give the state a corrected state seal as a birthday gift.
House Bill 479, sponsored by Rep. Tim Butler, R-Springfield, seeks to change the date on the outside ring from Aug. 26, 1818, which is when the first state constitution was signed, to Dec. 3, 1818, when Illinois officially became a state.
Butler believes, although important, the first constitution’s date should be removed for the actual day Illinois became a state.
President Barack Obama’s birthday may become the next state holiday, if some Illinois Democrats have their way.
House Bills 231 and 503 and Senate Bill 55 all make Obama’s birthday, Aug. 4, an official holiday.
Both House bills would make Aug. 4 a “legal holiday,” in which state government offices shut down, and schools and businesses have the option of closing. The Senate bill’s “Barack Obama Day” would be commemorative only.
“I teach economics for a living in a high school, and I wanted my first set of bills to include items that are what I call “basic economics in action,” said the West Leyden High School teacher, in Northlake. “When I came to the concept of scarcity being something that gives things value, this idea was what came to mind.
“Our list of official designations is long enough that it, in my opinion, has decreased the value of official state designations in general. I hope that paring it back provides more value to the ones that remain.”
To put sum up his sentiment in layman’s terms: less is more.
In 2015, Sen. Sam McCann, R-Plainview, sponsored successful legislation that was prompted by a group of fourth-graders at Chatham Elementary School to make sweet corn the official vegetable of Illinois.
McCann in a written statement defended the use of the various state symbols.
“Firstly, I have great respect and admiration for my colleague, Sen. (Tom) Rooney. I’m sure that it is being put forth with the very best of intentions,” McCann said. “But generally I feel that the state symbol bills that advance in the legislature grow organically within the communities and regions around the state. ”
However, McCann acknowledged that lawmakers might want to focus on something bigger, like passing a state budget, before adding any more state symbols.
When: 11:30 am, Monday, February 06th
What: ILGOP Chairman Schneider holds press call to discuss Madigan Family attempt to block employee pay
Call in information: Call-In: 1-857-216-6700, Passcode: 905279 [Numbers updated]
Today, the Illinois Republican Party added Attorney General Lisa Madigan to BossMadigan.com after her action to shut down state government.
Check out the page and watch the ILGOP’s new digital ad here: BossMadigan.com/Lisa-Madigan/
No one has benefited more from Mike Madigan’s political machine than Lisa Madigan. Mike helped jumpstart Lisa’s political career when she was just 32 years old and was elevated to the state senate. Just four years later, Mike helped make her Attorney General. She’s now been the state’s top prosecutor for more than a dozen years.
While corruption ran wild through Illinois, Lisa Madigan did little. Even as patronage scandals circled the Speaker’s office, Lisa could find no wrongdoing. Still, Lisa was held to be above politics.
Until now.
After months and months of waiting, Lisa suddenly and without warning filed a court motion to block state employees from getting paid.
Her action could force a major crisis of state government and hurt thousands of Illinois families. With a government shutdown, the lives and livelihoods of those who rely on and provide vital government services would be in danger. Not surprisingly, this is the exact type of crisis Mike Madigan wants.
It’s now clear: Lisa Madigan is working for the Speaker, not the people.
ILGOP Chairman Tim Schneider Statement on Madigan Family Attempt to Block Employee Pay
“Lisa Madigan is playing politics with state workers, their families, and millions of Illinoisans who rely on government services. It’s clear that Mike and Lisa Madigan are working together to protect the status quo and stop reform by causing a crisis.” - Illinois Republican Party Chairman Tim Schneider
U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam (R-6th) is scheduled to attend a closed meeting of the Palatine Township Republican Organization Saturday morning and will likely be greeted by protesters demanding a public meeting with area residents to address concerns about the Trump Administration.
Roskam is scheduled to appear at the Palatine Township Republican Headquarters, 765 N. Quentin Rd., Palatine, from 9 to 10 a.m.
Activists from three Palatine-area groups — 6th District of Illinois - Holding Peter Roskam Accountable, Action 6th District Illinois and Palatine After March Action Group, formed since President Trump’s inauguration — are organizing the protest outside the Palatine Township Republican Organization meeting set for tomorrow.
“I’m going to put them on the parkway, they’re not coming into my meeting and we’re not going to answer their questions,” Palatine Township Republican Committeeman Aaron Del Mar told the Journal & Topics Thursday. “We’re not going to infringe on their freedom of speech. I bet there’s going to be three people (protesters). I bet we have 100 people at our meeting.” [Emphasis added.]
About 400 protesters jeered U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam of Wheaton outside in freezing temperatures on Saturday while he met with about 100 members inside the Palatine Township Republican Organization office in Palatine.
* 400 is quite a bit more than 3, last time I checked. Click here for ABC News raw video which features protesters gamely chanting “We are more than three.”
Liberals probably ought to embrace the “snowflake” slam. Snowflakes are complicated, no two are alike, they can be easily blown away, but enough of them together can create real problems…
* People swamp Congress with calls in era of Trump: The past few weeks have caused headaches for members of Congress and their staff. But so far, the deluge of calls has not caused much of an issue for U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis. Ashley Phelps, a spokeswoman for the Taylorville Republican, said Friday that they have seen a small uptick in phone calls, mostly centered around possible repeal of the Affordable Care Act and recent executive orders signed by President Donald Trump concerning immigration.
Union ally Will Guzzardi, a Democratic state representative from Logan Square, also urged [Chicago] teachers to save some anger for Springfield.
“The reason you all are on furlough here today and not in classrooms teaching our children, the most immediate cause is Gov. Bruce Rauner,” he said. “So in addition to demanding that Chicago Public Schools do right by our students, I need your help in demanding that Gov. Rauner give a fair shake to the black and brown students in Chicago.”
Catherine Kelly, a Rauner spokeswoman, deflected the blame, noting the governor is “someone who’s been in office for two years.”
“We would encourage Rep. Guzzardi to work with his colleagues to ensure the framework by the bipartisan, bicameral School Funding Commission is passed into law, so that we better fund our low-income students and the schools that serve them,” she wrote in an email.
No bill has been introduced.
So, they’re gonna use the “framework” as a fig leaf? Pretty thin stuff there, considering that it’s nowhere close to being ready to put into actual legislation.
The Illinois School Funding Reform Commission wrapped up its work last week and delivered its report on revamping K-12 school funding on time.
That was the good news. The bad news, at least in the eyes of some people, is that the commission delivered its report. Because in their eyes, the last thing Illinois needs is another report that says the way the state pays for public education is flawed and needs to be fixed. What Illinois needs is a concrete proposal that actually fixes the problem, something that has eluded the state for literally decades.
Pretty much everyone went out of their way to praise the work of the commission and say it was an example of what can happen when people work together in a bipartisan way. Unfortunately, this bipartisan cooperation didn’t produce anything that legislators can actually debate, let alone vote on. There still has to be a bill drafted that incorporates all the ideas of the “framework” laid out by the commission.
If you want to buy a new lawnmower and your spouse doesn’t approve, do you yell at her for months on end? Do you retaliate by refusing to buy her a birthday present? Do you bad-mouth her all over town?
Of course not. You find a way to overcome her objections. Is it too expensive? Find a less pricey model. Is your preferred choice too big for the garage? Suggest a smaller one. Is she upset about something else you’ve done? Apologize profusely and vow never to do it again.
These basic principles are taught in standard sales training. To succeed, salespeople have to constantly overcome objections. Some are easily anticipated, some are not. When I was in sales training many years ago, my teacher strongly encouraged me to use his lessons in all aspects of my life. It’s why I’ve always said that the best training for reporters is to do commission-only sales for a while because chasing down stories requires overcoming a whole lot of obstacles.
My good friend Steve Schnorf and I talked about this valuable lesson just the other day. Steve was budget director for two Republican governors. You’d never know to look at him that he once held such a high-level government post, particularly if the big man rode by on his beloved Suzuki Volusia 800, with his long beard and long hair blowing in the wind. He’s a man’s man. A party-loving, road-tripping, music-loving bohemian. But he’s also a gentlemanly, kind, super-intelligent and pragmatic human being—the rarest of combinations these days.
Steve was diagnosed in December with terminal pancreatic cancer, and his treatments are causing that long gray mane of his to fall out of his head. We’ve spent quite a bit of time together since his diagnosis. Last Wednesday night, we chatted about how he’d used those sales techniques in his years in government. You have to look for ways to overcome obstacles if you want to get to a solution.
So, obviously, one of Steve’s greatest regrets as he prepares to depart this world is that he was never able to
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Missouri will no longer require workers who benefit from collective bargaining to pay union dues. That means Illinois is going to be surrounded by so-called right-to-work states.
Experts aren’t sure what that means for the economy in formerly big-labor states. Gary Burtless is a labor economist with the Brookings Institution in Washington D.C. He says right-to-work states have weaker unions, but he’s not sure which leads to which.
“Whether they’re weaker because they were weaker to begin with, and the right-to-work law just is the proof that they’re weak politically as well as economically weak is the question.”
The political ramifications are more straightforward. Unions are among the main financial backers of the Democratic Party.
The best way to weaken an opposing party is to dry up its funding source. Here in Illinois, the Republicans have made the Democrats’ money toxic by tying it all to Speaker Madigan. Not quite the same thing, but you get the general gist.
Kentucky went Republican in November and that state passed a so-called “right to work” law in January. Iowa has had a “right to work” law since those statutes were first allowed by Congress. Indiana passed its law in 2012 and Wisconsin passed a broad law in 2015 after earlier passing a more narrow one.
The latest Illinois credit rating downgrade from Fitch Ratings is chock full of phrases that could be used in the next campaign cycle against the governor and other incumbents.
The one that’s made the most headlines is “Unprecedented failure,” as in Fitch’s downgrade “reflects the unprecedented failure of the state to enact a full budget for two consecutive years and the financial implications of spending far in excess of available revenues, which has resulted in increased accumulated liabilities and reduced financial flexibility.”
But that’s just stating the obvious. Pretty much anybody paying half attention out there knows the people who run the government are participating in an “unprecedented failure.” This has never happened before in Illinois, or in any other state for that matter.
However, here’s another Fitch phrase: “Fundamentally weakened,” as in “Even if the current attempts at a resolution to the extended impasse prove successful, Fitch believes that the failure to act to date has fundamentally weakened the state’s financial profile.”
In other words, digging out from under this impasse is going to be a long, hard, painful slog. And the longer the impasse lasts, the more difficult that process will become.
As the state’s economic activity appears to slow, a third Fitch observation is worth noting here: “Illinois has failed to capitalize on the economic growth of recent years to bolster its financial position.”
While other states were piling up surpluses during the national economic recovery, Illinois was creating a mountain of debt mainly because Democrats allowed the 2011 tax hike to partially expire and the Republican governor wouldn’t negotiate a new revenue and spending deal until he got his precious economic reforms. So if the national economy does enter a recession in the coming months, Illinois will be in a truly horrible spot.
One more phrase from Fitch: “Very weak,” as in “Illinois’ operating performance, both during the great recession and in this subsequent period of economic growth, has been very weak.”
Starting in 2002, Illinois has elected three governors in a row who can’t seem to get their arms around the job. And, instead of helping them do their jobs, legislative Democrats, particularly in the House, have preferred to fight and obstruct them. Even the income tax hike turned out to be a failure because it was temporary, expiring midway through a fiscal year while a Democratic governor was heading out the door. “Very weak,” indeed.
And speaking of weak, Gov. Bruce Rauner indicated to the Chicago Tribune last week that he plans to propose a budget much like the one he unveiled last year. In other words, yet another punt.
Last year, the governor punted on $3.5 billion in cuts needed to put his proposal into balance. Instead of outlining the actual cuts, and therefore wearing the political jacket for suggesting those cuts, he simply said he was willing to work with the General Assembly on finding where to cut or the GA could give him the authority to make the cuts on his own—without first explaining where he would cut.
If cuts became necessary, the governor told his legislative audience last year, “I would ask the legislature to work with us to make these tough decisions. If you are not willing to do that, then give the Executive Branch the flexibility to reallocate resources and make reductions to state spending as necessary.”
And this is what Gov. Rauner told the Tribune last week: “Either the General Assembly authorizes me to make cuts, not my first choice but I’ll do that, or let’s work together to do a balanced budget with cuts and, what I prefer is, a balance of cuts, some revenues and major structural change.”
State law forbids governors from using revenue streams that aren’t currently in place to balance their budget proposals. Rod Blagojevich did that time and time again, coming up with tax or fee plans that magically balanced his proposal. But every reform has its downside, and the downside to this one is that instead of using phony revenues to balance a budget plan, Gov. Rauner has used phony cuts.
The root of “leadership” is “lead,” and that, by definition, means going first. Our state Constitution, however flawed, built that leadership into its two main budgetary mandates. First, the governor proposes a balanced budget, then the General Assembly passes a balanced spending plan. Neither have worked out too well of late, or for quite a while. But the state constitutional convention delegates obviously wanted governors to lead.
Instead, we get six downgrades in the last two years.
