CHICAGO (Aug. 22, 2017) – “Earlier today an email went out from my office that did not accurately reflect my views. I can understand why some people found the cartoon offensive. And I believe we should do more as a society and a nation to bring us together, rather than divide us.
“There are many passionate people engaged in public policy debates, and different people react differently.
“It is not my place to comment on every cartoon or picture that comes from people outside the governor’s office or to tell people how they should feel.
“I urge everyone to put this behind us so we can focus on solving the very real challenges of education fairness and economic opportunity facing our state.”
*** UPDATE 1 *** Galia Slayen at the Pritzker campaign…
That’s not a statement. That’s Bruce Rauner throwing the “Best Team in America” under the bus because he can’t find the courage to condemn blatant racism in his own state.
…Adding… Twitter reactions are kinda brutal…
"different people react differently" — is that like saying people were offended "on both sides" #twill
“Bruce Rauner continues to undermine his moral authority by singing from the Donald Trump hymnal: saying that ‘different people react differently’ on racial caricature is like Donald Trump talking about ‘both sides’ of the horrible events in Charlottesville. The Governor’s abdication is the height of cowardice, beneath the dignity of his office, and raises additional questions.
Governor Rauner says his earlier statement did not ‘accurately reflect his views.’ What are his views? The people of Illinois still deserve to know. Does Bruce Rauner stand with the bipartisan, multiracial group of lawmakers who condemn the Illinois Policy Institute’s offensive practice of racial caricature, or not?
How is it that Rauner’s own words – from an emailed statement released by his spokesperson – do not reflect his own views? Though the wholesale takeover of the Governor’s office by the Illinois Policy Institute was disturbing, citizens expected that the Governor was still the chief executive. Given the incredible power of the Illinois governorship, the people of Illinois deserve an answer to a simple question: Is Bruce Rauner in charge of his own office?”
“In light of the progress made today by the four leaders, I am canceling session previously scheduled for Wednesday, August 23. During our talks today, Leader Durkin noted he was unavailable for any meetings tomorrow in order to wrap up negotiations. In light of that, we have decided to meet on Thursday in Chicago. I am hopeful we can finish our negotiations shortly to ensure schools around the state can receive the money needed to operate schools throughout this school year.
“If we don’t reach compromise later this week, the House will move to override the Governor’s veto of SB 1 in session next week.”
…Adding… I’m told the reason Durkin couldn’t meet tomorrow is that he wanted staff to flesh out some details before the leaders sat down again.
…Adding More… Press release…
Senator Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill) issued the following statement in response to today’s leaders’ meeting about school funding reform and cancellation of Wednesday’s House override vote:
“Three weeks ago, Representative Will Davis and I respectfully asked Governor Rauner to allow lawmakers to continue negotiations on Senate Bill 1 so that we could avoid having a divisive veto override vote. He did not extend to lawmakers on both side of the aisle that were actively engaged in negotiations the courtesy of additional time. Instead, he issued a dismantling veto of SB 1.
“Nevertheless, I am pleased that negotiations took shape today and appear to be promising. They should continue. But it bears repeating that the uncertainty over school funding needs to end — next week at the latest.
“Inequity in our schools needs to end. It’s time to bring this debate that has spanned a generation to a close, either through a bipartisan agreement or through an override of the governor’s veto in the House. One way or another we must fix this broken formula, right now.”
* Secretary White spoke at Pritzker’s event during the State Fair last week, so I’m assuming he’s going to make it official. From a media advisory…
JB Pritzker and Secretary of State Jesse White to Make Campaign Announcement
WHAT: JB Pritzker and Secretary of State Jesse White to be joined by the internationally known Jesse White Tumbling Team and Aldermen Walter Burnett Jr., Michael Scott Jr., Chris Taliaferro, Pat Dowell, and Michelle Harris at a press conference for a major campaign announcement.
Republicans said the asked Speaker Madigan not to hold override vote tomorrow on SB1 as sign of good faith. Got no promises in response. https://t.co/Pq5Pjnzfjm
We are making progress. And I will just say we went through a lot of issues, down to the minutiae. And to me that is positive. It shows that there is a willingness to bring this to a negotiated settlement, and I would say that is the collective goal of each one of the leaders and including the governor.
Leader-Designate Brady said the Republicans emphasized to Madigan it would be “a gesture of good faith” if Madigan held off on an override vote tomorrow. But, he said, there was no commitment from Madigan.
Leader Durkin then said: “We’re in constant communication with the governor over this issue and we will continue to do that because we want to have a bill presented to him that he will sign with enthusiasm.”
Sweeney noted that 40 percent of building trades workers identify as Republican.
“So I’ve got to give those members, and I think all labor leaders need to be giving members, a choice in both parties,” said Sweeney, a one-time Democrat who now considers himself more of an independent.
Sweeney is trying to recruit Sen. Sam McCann, a union-friendly Republican from Plainview, to make the race. McCann has said he is considering a run, but has not committed. As far as I can tell, there is no Plan B if he doesn’t.
“[McCann] definitely wants to run,” Sweeney said Monday. “The key is having enough support, and more importantly, the money we would need to support a campaign and not put him on a suicide mission.” […]
Sweeney said he believes Rauner is beatable in a GOP primary.
“The poll numbers are still good for him, but that’s without a viable candidate,” Sweeney said, arguing that Rauner’s support is especially soft in central and southern Illinois.
But is McCann a viable statewide candidate? Bernie Schoenburg has written a bunch of stories about his personal finances, and there could be more out there.
There are those in organized labor who think that running a pro-life, pro-Trump Republican against Rauner only helps the incumbent in the general election. Your thoughts?
While CPS enrollment has dropped roughly 10 percent between 2007 and projections for this upcoming year, total annual spending increased by a third over that same span, to a projected $6.48 billion.
In the same period, the total number of CPS employees is down 20 percent, with the steepest drop in the central office rather than in the classroom. But in a real-life version of whack-a-mole, central office staffing has a tendency to pop back up after each periodic purge. Meanwhile, the district’s general obligation debt has soared to $7.7 billion from $4.1 billion, with interest rates as high as 9 percent.
After a staggeringly ill-timed pension holiday late in the tenure of then-Mayor Richard M. Daley, CPS is finally putting aside closer to what it’s supposed to for employee retirement, with annual contributions skyrocketing to a projected $719 million in fiscal 2018 from $169 million in 2007. That’s the biggest reason that overall spending is increasing. But the damage has already been done: The ratio of assets to liabilities in its retirement fund is at a pathetic 52.5 percent. […]
According to Civic Federation President Laurence Msall, the district needs a long-term plan to achieve a truly balanced budget, a plan that involves more than waiting for Godot, er, Springfield. “Over time, your expenses should be dropping if your enrollment is dropping . . . or at least not rising as fast.”
Bobby Otter, director of the budget center, notes that the number of CPS schools (including charters) has risen to 649 from 600 since 2002, even as student population dropped 14.8 percent. That suggests that, contentious as the last round of school closings was, more are needed. Overall, though, he’s in the “more revenue” camp—even after the recent $272 million-a-year property tax hike for teacher pensions—saying deep cuts now would seriously hurt classroom performance.
Inflation has increased 21 percent over that time period, but that doesn’t account for all of the spending growth, obviously. The number of charter schools has really taken off. Also, population shifts have required new schools. Areas that were once filled with people who sent their kids to, for instance, Catholic schools, now have families who can only afford public schools. Also, there’s been a huge demand for North Side schools while the South Side suffered huge population losses.
* The latest on the Illinois Policy Institute’s cartoon from Mary Ann Ahern…
…Adding… Setting aside the whole “white male” issue and even the cartoon, this is a really odd response during a national debate over public statues and memorials to the Confederacy. Not to mention the Chicago debate over the Balbo monument. With his comment about political “art,” is he now excusing himself from that whole thing?
“We are all Americans. It doesn’t matter what party, it doesn’t matter who we vote for. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that we stand for justice and fairness and equality. That’s what America is about. And racism and bigotry and violence has no place in our society.”
Charges of racism must be taken very seriously. The tragedy in Charlottesville and its aftermath serve as sobering reminders that even today, some remain who would use violence and hate to divide us. We must never relent in working toward a future built not on what divides us, but what unites us.
The governor would never try to talk anyone out of their reaction to any piece of art, political or nonpolitical, right or left, good or bad. Those reactions deserve respect on their own terms.
The governor has great respect for the black caucus and members of the General Assembly who voiced concerns about the cartoon. The governor’s office has also heard from members of the black community who found truth in the imagery and do not find the cartoon offensive. Here is where things stand: The cartoon was removed days ago. And the governor – as a white male – does not have anything more to add to the discussion.
The fixation on this cartoon and the governor’s opinion of it has been disappointing. What the media and political class should be concerned about is ensuring schools open on time and stay open with a fair funding formula. Now is the time to come together to do what’s right for all of Illinois’ children.
So, now they’re experts at what reporters should be writing about? Great messaging.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Rep. Christian Mitchell (D-Chicago), who was the first to call out the Illinois Policy Institute’s cartoon, responds…
“Refusing to comment on the Illinois Policy Institute’s offensive cartoon ‘as a white male’ is a display of cowardice and a stunning abdication of moral leadership by Governor Rauner. Furthermore, it raises more questions than answers. Is Governor Rauner’s identity as a white male more important to him than his job as Governor? Will he no longer comment on issues affecting non-white Illinoisans? Will he no longer stand against reproductive rights for women, since he’s a male? These are just a few of the questions now facing Bruce Rauner.”
*** UPDATE 3 *** Pritzker campaign…
Instead of denouncing the racist cartoon published by the Illinois Policy that has sparked widespread outcry, a spokesperson criticized the reaction, calling it “disappointing.” In a bizarre and baffling statement almost a week after the cartoon was published, the spokesperson said, “[Rauner] — as a white male — does not have anything more to add to the discussion.”
Six days ago, the Illinois House rose in overwhelming, bipartisan opposition to the cartoon and denounced it from the House floor. Also six days ago, Rauner said, “racism and bigotry and violence has no place in our society” in another days-late response to the Charlottesville attacks. His attempt to wipe his hands of his responsibility to respond to blatant racism from an organization he is closely tied to is absurd. Bruce Rauner calls out racism when it is politically convenient for him and otherwise can’t seem to be bothered.
“As the governor of this state, Bruce Rauner has an obligation to use his platform to fight racism in Illinois,” said Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh. “Rauner’s refusal to denounce the racist cartoon from the Illinois Policy Institute is what Illinoisans should now expect after the failed governor staffed his administration from their ranks. This is a complete abdication of Rauner’s responsibility to provide moral leadership and defend the values of this state.”
*** UPDATE 4 *** Mayor Rahm Emanuel…
“The governor should be embarrassed for turning a blind eye to what is plain for everyone to see. The cartoon issued by the governor’s allies at the Illinois Policy Institute is unambiguously racist. We can give no quarter to racism, and there can be no justification for leaders unwilling to stand up and call out racist acts. For a man so eager to speak his mind so often, the governor’s silence is deafening.”
*** UPDATE 5 *** Press release…
Tom Elliott, communications director for Ameya Pawar’s campaign for governor, issued the following statement today in response to a comment by a spokesperson for Governor Bruce Rauner that, “as a white male he has nothing more to add to the discussion” over the racist cartoon published by the Illinois Policy Institute:
“I am shocked Gov. Rauner would admit he is not qualified to lead a state as diverse as Illinois.”
“Rauner’s silence on this issue abdicates his responsibility as governor and ignores his own privilege and the role it should have in fighting racism and bigotry.”
“We need to elect leaders like Ameya Pawar who will address the serious issues surrounding race and class, and who will work tirelessly to bring our state together. The only way we will overcome our inequities is by uniting as one Illinois, and resisting the tactics Rauner uses to divide us so nothing at the top ever changes.”
Bruce Rauner, Republican Governor of Illinois, told the local press Friday he may sign a new bill passed by the heavily Democratic Illinois legislature to frustrate federal immigration enforcement.
Claiming it was supported by “the immigration community” in addition to the Illinois Sheriff’s Association and businesses, Rauner told WBEZ, Chicago’s FM public radio channel, that SB31 “seems very reasonable.” Rauner’s office did not respond to Breitbart News’s request to clarify to whom “the immigration community” referred. […]
One Illinois immigration hawk was unconvinced. “I think the biggest question Illinois taxpayers have for Governor Rauner and any legislator who would want to pass this bill is, ‘Does making it easier for illegal aliens to stay in Illinois improve the lives of Illinois residents?’” former Republican candidate for the U.S. Congress and Illinois Minutemen-founder Rosanna Pulido told Breitbart News.
She explained:
We already spend 4.5 Billion dollars a year for free services for illegal aliens. By signing this Bill, SB 31, Rauner will create an even stronger magnet for illegal aliens who are looking not to be apprehended by the law. Thus, the already overburdened taxpayer will be saddled with even more of a burden. It will truly be the straw that broke the camels back. Personally I am already checking out a different state I can move to. It is a truly sad day in Illinois.
A twofer. Hmm. /snark
* From Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart…
“At a time when the violence in Chicago continues at alarming and unacceptable rates, local police need to be focused on crime and violence reduction. To do that effectively requires community cooperation and support, both of which diminish quickly if there is fear that reporting a crime or turning in an offender will lead to detention by immigration authorities. Signing the Illinois TRUST Act (SB31) into law will ensure everyone understands the role of local law enforcement in Illinois - to protect and serve, not to scare and harass.”
*** UPDATE *** I was told this last week off the record, but it appears they’re now confirming it…
Breaking: Gov Rauner to sign AVR & SB 31 Monday Aug 28 accdg to spksm. #twill
In an unprecedented ruling, an appellate court declared the city of Harvey so severely neglected its firefighters’ pension fund that it was on the verge of insolvency — meaning there might not be any money for retirees or firefighters on the job there today.
The ruling comes as local firefighters complain of equipment in disrepair and manpower cuts. And it follows another embarrassing ruling in which a Cook County judge took away control of Harvey’s water finances from leaders of the scandal-plagued and debt-ridden south suburb.
In a scathing opinion filed earlier this month, the 1st District Appellate Court found that for nearly a decade, the city neglected to pay enough money to keep the pension fund solvent, leaving it in danger of running dry in as little as five years. Indeed, the court found that over that period, the city contributed only 17 percent of the amount needed to sustain the pension fund.
“Harvey has set up a collision course over a period of many years where the beneficiaries of their firefighters’ Pension Fund are being paid substantially out of the money that the firefighters have themselves contributed to the Pension Fund and the money the Pension Fund earns from investments…” the court wrote. “In essence, Harvey is robbing Peter to pay Paul, but what happens when Peter retires?”
It is the first time a court has declared a pension fund to be “on the verge of default or bankruptcy,” the ruling said, meaning that the fund now has the right to be funded under a little-known clause in the state constitution.
On a campaign stop for his bid for governor, State Sen. Daniel Biss, D-Evanston, stopped by Joliet Junior College Sunday to talk to voters and accept an endorsement from fellow Sen. Pat McGuire, D-Crest Hill.
“I’ve served with Daniel for five years,” McGuire said. “We know he’s smart. He also has a really big heart and he works like the dickens.” […]
For McGuire, he argued that what sets Biss apart, is his ability and willingness to tackle issues big and small. Over the hour and a half event, Biss spoke with the 40 or so attendees about property taxes, pension reform, balancing the budget and education funding.
“I don’t think we can afford another rookie governor in Illinois, Democrat or Republican,” McGuire said.
* I shot this video just before and during the full eclipse yesterday. It’s not a great video because most of my attention was on watching the eclipse, but it does show you how dark it got and how well Ozzy Osbourne can still play…
Another Ozzy video, which, unlike mine, was shot with a filter so you can see the eclipse itself, is here.
I’ve been to more than a few first-time music festivals, and they can often be a hassle. But the folks at Walker’s Bluff put on one of the best I’ve ever attended. Everything seemed to run smoothly.
* A bunch of us avoided the brutal heat before the show by hanging out in the air conditioned Tasting Room and going outside every few minutes to view the eclipse…
* At one point before the show I tried to take a photo of the eclipse by holding a lens from an eclipse viewer over my mobile phone’s camera lens. But then my eyes were briefly blasted by sunlight because I couldn’t see what I was doing so I took off my own eclipse glasses to get my phone into position. Oops. I’m sure these had nothing to do with my little accident…
Enactment of a fiscal 2018 budget in Illinois did not bring an end to the ongoing political stalemate that caused its two-year budget impasse. The governor and General Assembly remain at odds over funding policy for the state’s school districts. It is also uncertain, in S&P Global Ratings’ view, whether the governor will proceed to implement a budget provision authorizing the state to refinance a portion of its accumulated budgetary debt with general obligation (GO) bonds. Reducing the backlog of unpaid bills with lower-interest-cost GO debt would restore some of the state’s capacity to engage in extraordinary forms of cash management.
In our view, Illinois’ growing reliance on delaying payments was a sign of its intensifying fiscal stress. Its ability to do so, however, served a crucial reserve-like function during its protracted fiscal crisis. We don’t take a position on any of the state’s specific debt or fiscal policy proposals. But given that its budget reserve remains depleted, we believe that foregoing the opportunity to replenish some of this implicit cash flow borrowing capacity would leave the state’s liquidity profile subject to heightened vulnerability. The Illinois General Assembly recently approved a permanent increase in the state’s individual and corporate income tax rates, which should help bring its budget closer to balance. Throughout its unprecedented two-year budget standoff, however, Illinois’ revenue base was structurally inadequate to support its authorized and legally required payment obligations. In response, the state comptroller prioritized paying the state’s core commitments over those she deemed to be lower-priority claims. In our view, the state’s practice of delaying payment on some of its obligations represents an exercise of its sovereign authority and is a tool that enabled it to sustain the funding of essential services. In the context of the state’s budget crisis, the payment deferrals insulated Illinois’ ability to cash-fund in a timely manner what the comptroller determined are the state’s core obligations, including debt service. But given its widening structural deficit in fiscal years 2016 and 2017, the bill backlog soared to record levels and by the end of fiscal 2017 was approaching $15 billion.
We believe there is a threshold beyond which the state’s ability to triage its cash and various payment obligations in favor of its chosen priorities can become impaired. Given its status as a sovereign, the precise boundary of this limitation for Illinois is unspecified. However, a recent federal court ruling circumscribed the state’s leeway to continue delaying payments to its Medicaid managed care organizations (MCOs). The ruling found that the state was not compliant with prior consent decrees pertaining to the timeliness of payments to the MCOs. We viewed this as a sign that Illinois was rapidly approaching the point at which even its emergency cash management measures would become exhausted. Because of the court’s ruling, beginning in July the state was required to increase payments to the MCOs by $290 million per month (net of federal matching subsidies). But in negotiations, the state comptroller had offered to increase payments by a much lower amount–$75 million (which, with federal matching funds, could generate up to $150 million in funding). This indicated to us that the state’s cash flows were becoming inadquate to fund its range of priority payments. Therefore, absent the ability to access other state funds which was provided with the enactment of the budget, the court’s ruling mandating stepped-up Medicaid payments threatened to precipitate a liquidity crunch for the state.
In recent years, the balance on Illinois unpaid bills has increased roughly in parallel with the state’s annual fiscal deficits. Consequently, issuing bonds to retire some of the bills might be viewed as tantamount to a deficit financing. And while bonding for current or past operating expenses typically is not a best practice, we believe it is encompassed in the state’s ‘BBB-’ GO debt rating. Furthermore, the unpaid bills themselves are debts of the state. Thus, replacing the unpaid bills with bonds does not represent a net increase in its overall liabilities, though it would increase the state’s annual (fixed) debt service costs. Issuing the bonds would also cause the state’s various debt ratios we consider under our rating methodology to increase. However, key metrics would remain, as they are now, in the ‘moderately high’ range as defined in our criteria (see table below).
As enacted, the General Assembly’s budget legislation authorized up to $6 billion in GO bonds for refinancing the bills. However, as described by the legislative sponsors in the House of Representatives, the budget plan estimated an operating surplus of $360 million, enough to support debt service on approximately $3 billion in GO bonds with a 12-year maturity. Even this may overstate the state’s ability to pay debt service from a budgetary surplus if certain budget assumptions don’t hold. Furthermore, unlike the bill backlog, over which the state retains some flexibility with regard to the timing of repayment, debt service on the bonds would be a new hard cost. But it’s likely that the bonds could be sold at a lower interest cost than what it pays on much of its bill backlog (up to 12%). Therefore, the state may realize net fiscal savings which we believe Illinois can ill-afford to pass up given its weakened financial position, even if the additional debt service adds incrementally to its operating deficit.
At its current rating level, we believe unanticipated liquidity stress remains one of the leading risks to Illinois’ credit quality. Without a budget reserve, the range of fiscal tools available to Illinois with which to navigate a stress scenario is narrower than it is for other states. Throughout its budget impasse, accumulating payables—in effect, shifting the burden of managing a cash flow deficit to its payees—became the state’s de facto approach to liquidity management. However, with nearly $15 billion in unpaid bills as of early July, its ability to continue relying on payment delays was approaching legal and practical limits. The federal court ruling reducing the extent to which the state can delay payments to its Medicaid MCOs illustrated this fact. Retiring a portion of the unpaid bills with proceeds from a GO bond issue implies that in the event of renewed liquidity stress, the state would have restored a portion of its deferral capacity. On its own, implementing the bonding strategy is unlikely to improve the state’s credit quality. However, refinancing a portion of the state’s high interest bill backlog could offer a modest layer of potential cushion to its liquidity. Therefore, the refinancing plan may, to a limited degree, protect Illinois’ credit quality to the downside.
*** UPDATE *** Pritzker campaign…
According to a new report by S&P Global Ratings, Bruce Rauner’s refusal to refinance state debt is forcing Illinois taxpayers to pay the price and bringing “heightened vulnerability” to the state’s finances. Taxpayers are on the hook for $2 million a day in interest alone on unpaid bills.
S&P says by taking the commonsense step to pay state vendors with bonds, “the state may realize net fiscal savings which we believe Illinois can ill-afford to pass up given its weakened financial position.” The bill backlog is close to $15 billion, nearly triple what it was in June 2015.
“Bruce Rauner’s damage is done after putting our state through a 736-day budget crisis and tripling our bill backlog, so it should come as no surprise that he would skip an opportunity to bring our state out of financial ruin,” said Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh. “This is a fiscal mess of Rauner’s own creating, and one he is either unwilling or unable to solve.”
As politicians continue to bicker over state school funding with payments already behind, Gov. Bruce Rauner is accusing Mayor Rahm Emanuel of using the city’s tax increment finance districts as a “slush fund” that shortchanges Chicago Public Schools.
Emanuel fires back by saying the city has used TIF districts to pump more money into education than it could have in their absence. And he contends that Rauner’s assertions are meant to pit suburban and Downstate children against their city counterparts.
A Tribune examination shows that Emanuel is right when he says the city has used the controversial taxing districts to spend more on schools and that state law prevents it from tapping most of the money in those districts for CPS costs. […]
The city under Emanuel also has halted new projects in downtown TIF districts, allowing the city each year to declare more TIF money as surplus that then gets distributed to local taxing districts. More than $400 million in TIF surplus funds have gone into CPS coffers since 2011, city officials said, on top of tens of millions of dollars declared surplus under Daley.
And both Daley and Emanuel have spent money in TIF districts to build, expand and upgrade schools. City officials say the amount spent on those projects over the years tops $1.3 billion.
* Meanwhile, the Illinois Municipal League’s president Karen Darch sent a letter to Gov. Rauner the other day…
Dear Governor Rauner:
On behalf of the Illinois Municipal League (IML), I write to respectfully express concern with your recent description of Tax Increment Financing (TIP) districts as “slush funds” during your interview with Chicago Tonight on Monday, August 14, 2017.
TIP districts are not only an essential tool, but frequently the only tool available for municipalities to revitalize blighted properties over time. Blighted properties underperform economically, depress nearby property values and ultimately reduce the amount of property tax revenue collected by local governments, including school districts. TIP was designed to benefit communities by rehabilitating these underperforming properties so they can make positive economic contributions to the surrounding property tax base and the community as a whole.
As Village President of Barrington, a non-home rule community, I can personally attest to the absolute need for and value of TIP as an effective community development tool. The entire revitalization of downtown Barrington would not have occurred without TIP assistance, as the older individual retaillcommercial parcels in our downtown could not attract redevelopment “but for” the assistance the TIP district could provide. The downtown improvements not only serve to lessen the devastating impact of the decline in property values following the mortgage crisis, but have added to the sales tax and employment base for my community as TIP districts have in many others throughout Illinois.
As President of the Illinois Municipal League, I participated in a conference call of the organization’s Executive Committee on Tuesday, August 15. The mayors on the call believed it important to convey to you our strong support for TIP. Macomb Mayor Michael Inman cited the ongoing rehabilitation of an old hotel into a modern senior living facility using TIP. North Chicago Mayor Leon Rockingham cited the redevelopment of a 40-acre site that would not have occurred without TIP assistance. Mayors throughout the state could offer similar examples.
IML strongly supports TIF as an effective and, for many municipalities, the only viable redevelopment tool available to improve local communities and expand employment opportunities.
Rauner spokeswoman Laurel Patrick pretty much said the governor has made up his mind.
“While TIFs stimulate economic growth in some areas, they do so by depriving economic growth in other areas. They also put government in the position of choosing winners and losers,” she said in an email.
Beyond that, TIF districts are subject to abuse, she said, pointing to a recent Crain’s story about the diversion of TIF funds from the McCormick Place area to a project at Navy Pier, Patrick continued. “A more effective economic development tool is low regulation and low taxes.”
Of course, by that logic, Rauner would veto a bill now on his desk to renew the state’s Edge payroll tax-credit for companies that add or retain jobs in the state, since that’s “choosing winners and losers.” But Rauner’s office has indicated he intends to sign the bill.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Apparently, the governor doesn’t agree with his spokesperson because he signed this bill on August 18th…
Creates a tax increment allocation financing extension for an ordinance adopted on January 31, 1995 by the Village of Milledgeville.
*** UPDATE 2 *** By my count, the governor has signed 7 TIF creation/extension bills…
1/ Also signed bill in 2016 extending TIFs in Bradford, Lacon, Chicago, LaSalle, Oak Forest, Pinckneyville, Springfield, Rosemont …
* I asked Democratic candidates for governor this question…
Should Cook County repeal its pop tax? Failing that, should the General Assembly pass a bill to repeal the tax? House Bill 4083 is bipartisan legislation to do just that and was introduced this week.
Their deadline was noon today, but they all complied well before their deadline for a change. Some candidates ignored the second question, but some didn’t answer either one. Here are the responses in the order they were received.
* Tio Hardiman…
“Cook County should definitely repeal its pop tax. The pop tax was not a good idea in the first place. Too many consumers of pop and sugary drinks are complaining and there are many stories of people going to Indiana and other neighboring states to purchase pops.”
* Bob Daiber:
Yes! I encourage Cook County to repeal the pop tax because it is excessive for lower and middle class residents.
At recent public meetings, I have heard outward opposition to this tax. Also, the pop tax will begin to impact Cook County businesses as some residents shop elsewhere to buy soda and choose to buy other items as well. The end result will be a down turn in total sales tax receipts. Please see the attached receipts from two Walgreens stores for the identical purchase of a twelve pack of Pepsi. The pop tax added $1.44 to the purchase.
Since I support home rule of local government, I do not believe the General Assembly should intervene and pass HB 4083 because it preempts home rule.
* Chris Kennedy…
The Cook County sweetened beverage tax is another form of a regressive tax on lower income families. Cook County should not balance its budget on the backs of families who can afford it the least. I strongly oppose it and believe Cook County should immediately repeal it. We cannot clean up our finances with a patchwork of regressive fixes like a sweetened beverage tax. Illinois needs a wholesale reform of our tax code, starting with ending our reliance on a broken property tax system to fund local schools.
* Ameya Pawar…
“I was a proponent of raising cigarette taxes and going after menthol brand cigarettes because tobacco companies target and market menthol cigarettes to minority communities. These tax increases do indeed change consumer behavior and lead to better public health outcomes. But I also believe there must be more aggressive action against tobacco companies and their lobbies at the federal and state level, including the elimination of subsidies to tobacco farmers. Similarly, I know the soda tax at the county level will likely reduce consumption over time and in the near term raise enough revenue to protect critical county services. But like tobacco, we must go after the Sugar Lobby, Coca Cola, and Big Agra as they have pushed false data over the last half century on the impacts of sugar consumption to heart disease, obesity, and diabetes. As governor, I will take on the sugar and tobacco industries who profit off disease and death. And finally, if we are serious about reducing the consumption of sugary drinks, then clean drinking water must be a top priority for the state. This means, addressing lead in water systems, banning fracking to prevent the contamination of underground water supplies, and joining the US Climate Alliance. As governor, I will do just that.”
Way to not answer the question, man.
* Scott Drury…
The purported need and continuous call for targeted regressive taxes at the State and local levels are symptomatic of the long-term fiscal mismanagement of Illinois and various local governments. In order for Illinois to prosper, it must get its fiscal house in order. This is not done simply by talking about adding this tax or repealing that tax. Illinois must confront its outrageous debt problem in a fair and constitutional manner. By reducing its debt load, Illinois can reduce its multi-billion dollar annual debt obligation and reinvest that money into public education, healthcare, job training, local government and neighborhoods. As we have experienced, Illinois’ failure to address its debt crisis will leave our State in a perpetual chase for its tail, while Illinois residents suffer.
Another non-response.
* Sen. Daniel Biss…
“We have a tax code that was written by billionaires and political insiders for their own benefit. Because the system doesn’t work for middle class Illinoisans, local governments are placed in a no-win situation to generate revenue.
“Fixing this broken system starts with an honest conversation about how tax decisions get made and why, for decades, we have balanced our budgets on the backs of the middle class. I hope that as members of the House consider House Bill 4083, they also take the opportunity to adopt a more holistic and progressive revenue approach—one that makes corporations and the wealthy pay their fair share.”
Another dodge.
* JB Pritzker…
“Bruce Rauner is a failed leader who put our state through a 736-day budget crisis, forcing counties, townships and cities across the state to find ways to make ends meet. Even now, Rauner continues his ill-conceived crisis making, threatening school closings across Illinois. The damage is done, and people across the state are attempting to clean up the mess Rauner’s made.
“This governor has done nothing to make the tax system in Illinois more fair for the middle class and those striving to get there. I strongly support a progressive income tax and will work to pass one as governor. Progressive taxes are fairer than regressive taxes and that’s why I do not support the soda tax.
“However, given the damage the governor has done, local governments should be given deference to make decisions over their own jurisdictions to deal with the crisis this governor has created. Unlike Bruce Rauner, I’ll work to make sure the state lives up to its obligations so that counties, townships and cities are not put in such a challenging position.”
MAXWELL: Your recent polling, your internal polling, said you were a frontrunner, but yet it’s a big fight. You’ve got a long way to go. Seven other candidates gunning for that top spot, and there’s a lot of money in this race. JB Pritzker has $21 million already that he’s self-funding in his campaign. Are you going to be able to catch up there? How’s fundraising going lately? I know you brought on Bill Daley.
KENNEDY: Yeah, Bill Daley’s been incredible, and we’ll have the resources to compete. I’m not worried about the money.
MAXWELL: Are you going to cut a check?
KENNEDY: If you look at the number of donors we have, the number of volunteers, the support across the state is incredible. I know I’m ahead in the polls, but I’m gonna run this like, uh, like I’m the underdog and I think that’s an important message to people as well.
“It was a bad quarter, no question about it,” Daley told me. “There was a lot of political outreach. (But) there wasn’t even a finance committee, just a committee of stakeholders.”
Fixing that is the first thing on his agenda, Daley said. A full finance committee is being assembled (Daley declined to disclose any names), with an initial meeting set for next week. Lists of fundraising targets will be assembled, and regular calls and contacts made, he continued. Some of that will involve the candidate himself. “Chris has to spend more time on it.”
Since then, Kennedy’s campaign has reported just $34,700 in contributions. Now, he could be holding back his deposits in order to make a big splash at the end of the quarter. But you’d think a candidate who’s been under fire for not raising enough money would want to get out in front of that story by rolling out some big donors.
MAXWELL: I want to ask you about healthcare for a minute because a lot of the candidates are weighing in. There was a recent fight over single payer, public option. And I want to see if I can get you to weigh in here. What direction would you like to see the country, and what direction would you like to see the state of Illinois go in how it provides healthcare for people?
KENNEDY: I think there are, there are, there are great examples to us around the country. I don’t think we need to invent it all ourselves in Illinois. I think if you at what happened under Governor Romney in Massachusetts and the expansion of Medicaid there and the ability for the state to provide great coverage to people at all economic levels.
MAXWELL: We’ve expanded Medicaid in Illinois. One in four residents in this state are on Medicaid.
KENNEDY: And I think we can continue to do that, and in effect migrate towards a single payer system. I think we need to free up Medicare and Medicaid to negotiate pricing.
MAXWELL: That sounds like a slow incremental process you’re describing, migrate towards single payer. How long do you think that would take?
KENNEDY: I don’t know. But I think we’re moving, we’re moving in that direction. It’s clear to me that that’s where we’ll end up, both as a state and as a country over time. And we ought to be on the front-burner here in Illinois.
MAXWELL: You’re describing it as inertia, something that’s already on the track, and maybe a spectator. Would you push that faster?
KENNEDY: Oh, I’d definitely push it faster, absolutely. And I think we should continue to expand as best we can by negotiating with the federal government what, uh, what issues and who can be covered in Illinois, then do a better job recruiting people who haven’t signed up to sign up for the available care in our state now. And I think that’s how we get full coverage for everyone. There’s coverage, I mean, the fact is that we’re just handling it poorly. People are getting sick and going to emergency rooms, and it doesn’t have to be like that. The problem with the state is largely we look so, we look inward and not outward, and we ought to look to other states and see what great outcomes are occurring there. We could provide better coverage and better healthcare for people in our state.
MAXWELL: So you mention Massachusetts, RomneyCare. It’s a deep blue state there. They’ve had some trial balloons and things on the national healthcare scene. Any other states or any other practices that you’ve seen in relation to how you’d lower drug prices or how you would make medicine more affordable for average Americans?
KENNEDY: I think some of the things they’ve done in California are helpful. And California, places like California and Texas have massive populations, and they’ve begun to negotiate. And I think we can create a consortium with other states, cooperate. I know that we’re competitive with the people in Indiana and Wisconsin and Iowa, but we can work with them and create regional competition, or regional buying power, that allows us to use the market to drive down pricing.
* But the Chicago Tribune editorial board was its usual downer self…
We’re sure that will be a thrilling sight. But there’s another eclipse in Illinois that isn’t thrilling — or so brief.
This eclipse doesn’t occur only on Aug. 21.
It is happening every day.
You don’t need special glasses to see it.
Just keep your eyes open to the grim, familiar evidence of Illinois in eclipse:
Job seekers and company execs who cross Illinois off their lists early because of its toxic political and business climate.
Droves of students who flee to financially stable out-of-state universities.
For sale signs that sprout galore. Illinois in eclipse has led the nation in population loss three years in a row. (Such a three-year streak has happened only one other time since 1900, during World War II.)
While finally having a state budget for Illinois is good news, there’s a cost for local governments and residents. The new budget includes a sales tax collection fee of 2 per cent, meaning the state will keep some of the revenue generated by local sales taxes.
The official reason for the sales tax collection fee is to pay the state’s administrative cost - of collecting the money and remitting it to local governments. Unofficially it’ll help Illinois make up for its huge past due bills and big budget deficits.
Kathy Carr, Finance Director for Moline, says the new fee will cost her city 172,000 dollars a year - Moline has been using sales tax revenue for the general fund and for road construction and repairs. […]
East Moline will lose about 9,000 dollars per year according to Finance Director Megan Petersen - her city also uses this money for street maintenance and repairs.
In accordance with current statute, the Illinois Department of Revenue is required to provide an estimated entitlement* of the amount of Personal Property Replacement Taxes for Fiscal Year 2018.
The FY18 replacement tax allocations are estimated at $1,117 million. This is a decline of 23.84% from FY17 replacement tax allocations that totaled $1,467 million.
Replacement tax allocations are estimated to be lower for several reasons:
* Replacement tax revenues are expected to decrease by approximately 2% due to weak domestic profits suppressing replacement tax receipts.
* The reconciliation of the tax year 2015 and 2016 returns involved with the tax calculation split was completed last year which resulted in additional monies of $235.6 million being deposited into the PPRT fund during FY-17. The income tax/replacement tax deposit percentages have been adjusted for FY-18, therefore no additional monies have been built into this estimate for FY-18.
* The statutory refund fund transfer to the PPRT fund is $10.1 million because more replacement tax refunds were paid in FY-17, whereas last year’s transfer amount was $63 million.
* The business income tax refund fund percentage has increased from 17.25% in FY17 to 17.5% in FY18.
* Public Act 100-0021 authorized $297 million in expenditures out of the PPRT fund for FY-18.
The PPRT distribution will fall by $350 million , and $297 million of that is due to the state’s new sales tax collection “fee.” So, about 85 percent of the reduction is due to the new fee.ADDING: Too much road traveling last night and not enough coffee this morning. These are two different things. Sorry. The point is, locals are gonna be up in arms.
I would expect this story to grow as more and more local governments discover what’s going on. You can click here for the full list of governments and what they’re getting.
The governor is quite good at identifying and denouncing Illinois’ many problems. He’s not wrong about everything—just the opposite, in fact. I agree with many of his diagnoses.
But a commenter on my blog once wrote that the governor often reminds him of that LifeLock TV ad where violent, hooded robbers bust into a bank and a frightened woman lying on the floor tells a uniformed man to “do something.”
“Oh, I’m not a security guard,” the man replies. “I’m a security monitor. I only notify people if there’s a robbery.”
Gov. Bruce Rauner has said for the past several days that he’s open to just about any sort of compromise in order to get school funding reform signed into law.
For example, he recently told Amanda Vinicky on Public Television’s “Chicago Tonight” program that there was nothing on his list that he had to have. “Nothing,” he said when asked to clarify. “Absolutely nothing has to happen. The only principle we should be guided by is what’s best for our children, what treats them all the same so they have the best chance they can at the American dream.”
That could be a very big caveat. It more than just implies that he intends to stick to his guns on stripping money from the Chicago Public Schools, which he contends is given special treatment in the education funding reform bill he vetoed. The Democrats will most definitely not like that.
But even if the negotiations among the four legislative leaders do produce some progress, some folks are still doubtful that Gov. Rauner can bring himself to sign the bill, or that his new staff can get him to stick to his word.
If you go back to 2015, you may remember that after weeks of negotiations over a stopgap budget and after a tentative deal had been reached, Rauner decided during the ensuing weekend that he had some additional demands that would clearly be unacceptable to the Democrats. His top staff fought back hard, insisting that he couldn’t back out after accepting terms. Rauner signed the bill.
More recently, near the end of June, you might recall that Rauner’s office publicly berated the Democrats for not officially transmitting the Chicago gun crimes bill to his desk in order to deliberately deprive the governor of a “win.” The Democrats denied they had any such intentions and the legislation was quickly sent to Rauner. The governor’s staff set up a press conference for the very next day and Chicago’s police superintendent came down to the Statehouse for the signing ceremony.
Just before he was set to sign the bill, however, Rauner blew up at his communications staff over a single sentence in a Chicago Tribune article which detailed his battle with Mayor Rahm Emanuel about the sale of the James R. Thompson Center building. As it turns out, Rauner had misread the sentence, but the blowup was “like nothing I had seen before,” said one person who was present.
And then the governor reportedly had second thoughts about signing the gun bill, other sources say. Mind you, this was just before the signing ceremony was supposed to begin.
A task force inserted into the legislation to help the Illinois State Police combat violent crimes was what reportedly set him off. Sources say he flip-flopped and wanted to veto the bill. Again, this was minutes before he was set to publicly sign the thing with Chicago’s most senior cop on his way to town.
His top staff had to intervene again and eventually convinced him to calm down and sign the bill.
Most of those staffers had been with Gov. Rauner since the campaign. They’d learned over the years how to deal with him and, since they helped get him to the governor’s office, Rauner trusted them enough to eventually listen. But Rauner fired some of them when he brought in far-right Illinois Policy Institute staffers and the rest quit in disgust.
Nobody on his current upper echelon staff has a similar personal history with Rauner. And, so far, nobody on that staff appears to have the ability to steer him in the right direction. They’re letting Bruce be Bruce, and that has its consequences.
Rauner’s former staffers negotiated what started out as a quasi “sanctuary state” bill for illegal immigrants to a point that was even further to the right than where the governor wanted to be. While he is expected to sign the bill as I write this, Rauner hedged publicly about it during an appearance on the Fox News Channel and proponents couldn’t get him to firmly commit to make it a law.
So, there’s naturally some informed doubt that the governor will be able to bring himself to sign something as big and important as an education funding reform bill. The governor publicly denied last week that the First Lady has become more involved in his administration, but by all accounts she most certainly has and she now may be the only hope of keeping him on track. This piece of legislation will forever define him, one way or another. If it’s passed over his veto (in whatever form), he may never live it down.
* Mary Ann Ahern has taken the Illinois Policy Institute story from “Is its cartoon racist?” to “Why won’t the governor even look at a controversial cartoon published by one of his strongest allies?”…
NEW Rauner spox on IPI cartoon: "he doesn't have time to worry about political cartoons when we don't have an agreement on k12 … " (1)
But as pressure mounts on Rauner to weigh in, he has refused to join the conversation, with his office saying Friday that he had not seen the cartoon at the center of the debate.
“He doesn’t have time to worry about political cartoons when we don’t have an agreement on K12 funding. His priorities are where they should be,” Rauner’s spokeswoman Laurel Patrick said Sunday, again declining to say if the governor had seen it.
Governor Bruce Rauner spent most of last week dodging press questions about a cartoon that was deemed racist by many and was condemned by the entire Illinois House legislature. The cartoon was drawn by the right-wing Illinois Policy Institute whose former employees now count as most of Rauner’s top aides. Last week, Rauner’s team twice defended the cartoon’s creators last week while claiming he never saw the cartoon.
Over the weekend, NBC5’s Mary Ann Ahern received this response from Rauner’s team:
“He doesn’t have time to worry about political cartoons when we don’t have an agreement on K12 funding. His priorities are where they should be.”
On Friday, legislative leaders met to discuss a possible solution to Rauner’s education crisis. Rauner was not at the meeting. And today Governor Rauner’s public schedule lists one event – watching the eclipse in Carbondale.
Three hours down, and three hours back. Assuming Governor Rauner does not use more personal money to conduct state business and rent a helicopter from a President Trump supporter, at some point he should get bored. Maybe he’ll find the time…
“Governor Rauner shows leadership just about as often as the United States experiences a total solar eclipse,” said DGA Illinois Communications Director Sam Salustro. “Bruce Rauner willingly pushed the state into an education funding crisis with his veto pen. Now his political allies are picking up on his divisive education funding rhetoric and are being criticized by everyone, outside Bruce Rauner’s office. It took four days for Governor Rauner to denounce President Trump’s rhetoric – how long will it take him to denounce his top aides’ former employer?”
* Pritzker campaign…
According to a Rauner spokesperson yesterday, Bruce Rauner “doesn’t have time to worry about political cartoons.” That’s the latest out of the governor’s office on the controversy surrounding the Illinois Policy Institute’s racist cartoon that was denounced by the entire Illinois House last Wednesday.
After saying he’d only “heard” about the racist cartoon on Friday, Rauner’s staff doubled down on his non-response Sunday by not just refusing to take a strong stand against the symbol of hate, but also minimizing the discrimination felt by so many in our state. Both Republicans and Democrats were appalled by the blatant display of racism and unanimously condemned it from the House floor. Despite the overwhelming condemnation by the state legislature, Rauner remains silent.
“Bruce Rauner is the governor of the fifth largest state in the country. Surely he can find time to call out racism from an organization he is closely tied to,” said Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh. “It’s time for Rauner to stop being a coward and stand up for Illinois families to make it clear that racism has no place in Illinois.”
* Urban Institute report shows Illinois’ school funding system is most regressive in the nation, has remained regressive since 1995
* Emanuel, Rauner spar in latest front in war over school funding: Emanuel fires back by saying the city has used TIF districts to pump more money into education than it could have in their absence. And he contends that Rauner’s assertions are meant to pit suburban and Downstate children against their city counterparts. A Tribune examination shows that Emanuel is right when he says the city has used the controversial taxing districts to spend more on schools and that state law prevents it from tapping most of the money in those districts for CPS costs.
* Rauner facing pressure from Downstate Republicans to veto ‘very reasonable’ immigration bill: Also critical of the bill is Rep. John Cabello, a Republican of Mexican heritage who is a Rockford police detective and also co-chair of the Illinois Trump Victory fund. Cabello said the measure puts police in the position of choosing whether to uphold federal law or state law. “We can’t cherry-pick which laws we are going to enforce, it doesn’t matter if this bill is signed into law or not, law enforcement will do what we have to do,” he said. “I think this bill is symbolic, no law enforcement officer is going to follow this bill.”
* Illinois Democrats want to spike Rauner’s Medicaid reboot: The legislation is the second attempt this year to move MCO contracts under the state procurement code. In May, the bill didn’t make it out of committee. But that was before Rauner announced the winning bidders. The bill was resurrected quickly—and passed the Illinois Senate with a 38-18 vote two days later—amid fresh concerns that no minority-owned companies won a bid, said Harris, a Chicago Democrat.
* These Governors Are Rich, But Are They Effective?: “Rather than recognize that he had to deal with strong pro-labor Democratic legislative majorities in a blue state,” says Kent Redfield, a University of Illinois-Springfield political scientist, “he pushed a strong anti-union, right-to-work agenda from the beginning that unified all parts of labor against him.” And those weren’t the only enemies Rauner made, Redfield says: The governor “tried to hold the budget hostage to leverage his ‘Turnaround Agenda,’ which initially included tort reform and cuts in social services spending to health facilities in addition to anti-collective bargaining, worker’s comp reform and pension reform measures. This unified the major funders of the Democratic Party against him — labor, the trial lawyers, and the hospitals and nursing homes.”
* Rauner pays for private helicopter to public event in northern Illinois: MacNeil is also founder and CEO of Bolingbrook-based WeatherTech, a company that makes products including automotive floor mats. Campaign records show that MacNeil donated $200,000 to Rauner’s 2014 campaign, and made in-kind donations totally $18,750 for “use of personally owned aircraft.”
* Are Endorsements for the Governor’s Race Getting Earlier?: Based on interviews and an analysis of news reports spanning from the 2002 gubernatorial election until today, Chicago found that primary endorsements have slowly begun to pull away from the fall and winter months preceding the election, instead moving toward the summer months of May through August. Removing the outlying earliest endorsement each cycle, it’s clear the bulk of endorsements are coming earlier and earlier each election
* Sara Wojcicki Jimenez won’t run for re-election to Illinois House: Jimenez acknowledged that the tone of politics has changed for the worse. She said she likes to include her family in events, but the results haven’t always been pleasant. She and her family walked in the Illinois State Fair parade and encountered a spectator who yelled he hated them, something picked up by one of her 4-year-old sons.
Comptroller Susana Mendoza is calling on the General Assembly to immediately override Governor Bruce Rauner’s veto of the Debt Transparency Act (House Bill 3649), legislation supported by members from both political parties aimed at arming the legislature and taxpayers with more information about the state’s finances.
“Don’t Illinois taxpayers deserve to know how much debt the state has run up in their names?” Comptroller Mendoza asked.
The state’s unpaid bill backlog more than tripled in the past two years since Governor Rauner was elected, reaching a record high point of more than $15 billion. This exploding debt makes it all the more urgent that policymakers and their constituents receive timely reporting of outstanding bills and the growing interest costs to taxpayers.
The Debt Transparency Act, an initiative of Comptroller Mendoza sponsored by Rep. Fred Crespo, D-Hoffman Estates and Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, would require state agencies to disclose monthly to the Comptroller the bills they are holding and estimate the amount of late payment interest penalties that will be paid on those liabilities.
Agencies already have the personnel and infrastructure in place to compile the data, but the information is outdated by the time it is received. Current state law only requires agencies to report on Oct. 1 of each year, the aggregate amount of bills being held on the previous June 30.
In his veto message, the Governor lamented that his staff should not have to work harder to get the numbers out monthly instead of annually. But the truth is, Governor Rauner’s efforts to hold back true numbers from the public cost taxpayers far more than any additional work his staff would have to perform to let the public know the extent of the state’s debt – at least $800 million in late payment interest penalties so far.
“If Rauner does whip out his veto pen, expect words like ‘onerous’ in the message,” the Quad City Times wrote before Governor Rauner vetoed the bill. “It would be a bunk excuse, a dodge that neglects the bill’s obvious links to good budgeting, in either the public or private sector. Those who originally supported the Debt Transparency Act … must stick by their positions and stand up to pressure from the governor’s office.”
“Rather than accuse responsible elected officials of trying to ‘micromanage’ state agencies, the Governor should start managing his agencies’ budgets and honestly disclosing their debts,” Comptroller Mendoza said.
“The level of uncertainty about the amount of debt was made clear recently when the known backlog jumped by $1 billion in a single week as bills for state health insurance, medical services, corrections, human services and more were reported by the Office of Management and Budget,” The Quincy Herald-Whig Editorial Page wrote. “No successful business could be expected to run on such skimpy and outdated financial data, and no government should operate that way, either.”
“The bill holds agencies accountable by requiring they report outstanding bills and interest estimates each month, and it increases transparency for taxpayers because it allows them to find out how much interest they will pay on overdue bills and how long it will take to pay off the penalties,” wrote the
Moline Dispatch/Rock Island Argus editorial board in support of HB 3649. “Even in hopelessly divided Springfield, issues of transparency and accountability should transcend politics.”
The legislation was also supported by the Better Government Association and made the group’s list of “15 good government reforms” approved in the spring legislative session.
The Comptroller’s office estimates that Illinois owes at least $800 million in penalties on its overdue bills. “That’s $800 million of taxpayer money we are just throwing away – it’s not helping kids get day care or go to college. It’s not helping seniors get Meals on Wheels or keep their home health care. It’s money that will never be invested in creating a single job in Illinois” Mendoza said. “I’m disappointed that Governor Rauner vetoed this common sense transparency initiative. Policymakers need this up-to-date fiscal information when making budgeting decisions, and there is no good reason to deny it to them.”
The Quad-City Times editorial board called the Debt Transparency Act “a good piece of legislation that’s in line with the private sector’s best practices.”
* Sen. Andy Manar…
Gov. Bruce Rauner today passed on signing a commonsense law that would save taxpayers millions of dollars in late payment fees because he believes it’s an attempt to “micromanage” state agencies.
It’s another example of how the governor sends mixed messages to the people of Illinois, said Senator Andy Manar, a Bunker Hill Democrat and the sponsor of House Bill 3649, the proposed Debt Transparency Act, which Rauner vetoed.
“One day Gov. Rauner rails about waste, fraud and abuse in Springfield. The next day, given an opportunity to do something about it, he punts,” Manar said. “It’s maddening.
“Illinois taxpayers shell out $2 million a day in late payment fees and interest because of the state’s bill backlog. This law simply would ask state agencies to help the comptroller manage that debt better by reporting every month on the bills they owe to vendors.”
Illinois’ bill backlog today stands at $14.7 billion.
In addition to micromanagement, Rauner’s reasons for vetoing the legislation included that it’s “time-consuming” and too burdensome because of “asymmetries in technology and variances in the input and calculation of the required information.”
Manar said transparency and accountability aren’t rocket science.
“The only asymmetry we’re dealing with is the amount of complaining versus the amount of action coming out of the governor’s office,” he added.
Rauner vetoed additional Manar-sponsored legislation on Friday, including:
· House Bill 3216, which would add scrutiny to attempts to enter into third-party contracts by the administration when the work could be done by state employees. In March, the governor attempted to outsource the jobs of 124 prison nurses to an out-of-state corporation.
· House Bill 3376, which was hoped to be a compromise to address an ongoing disagreement about overtime caps between the Rauner administration and in-home personal assistants who work with people with disabilities.
* Sen. Daniel Biss…
Daniel Biss released the following statement in response to Governor Rauner’s veto of HB2622, a bill Daniel sponsored to create a state-sponsored workers’ compensation insurance company.
“For two years, we’ve heard Governor Rauner beat a drum about how important it is to reform workers compensation. When given that opportunity, he maintains the status quo — choosing instead to protect the insurance industry and punish injured workers who will continue to bear the brunt of a broken system. Once again, Rauner chooses millionaires over working families.”
* Illini Democrats…
In a Friday afternoon bill signing flurry, Governor Bruce Rauner issued an amendatory veto of HB 3211, a bill which would make it easier for hungry college students to be alerted and notified of SNAP eligibility.
While many students do just fine with finding food on campus, many face food insecurity. At our campus, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, between 800 and 2000 students face food insecurity every day. Furthermore, food insecurity is worst among first generation college students. Since a program is in the works to allow SNAP recipients to swipe into dining halls, increased notification through this legislation could significantly aid students in need.
In his veto message, Governor Rauner states “with limited resources available, the SNAP identification and promotion process required by this legislation for adult college students who may already have a variety of resources available to identify their eligibility for government aid is not the highest and best use of these agencies’ efforts.”
We feel that notifying potentially hungry students of SNAP eligibility will take minimal resources from ISAC and can go a very long way in helping hungry college students across the state get the nutrition they need to succeed in school. It’s unfortunate that the Governor would veto a strong bipartisan piece of legislation. We support a full override of the amendatory veto.
* Pritzker campaign…
Even Bruce Rauner can’t name a single accomplishment from his time in office, and we know why: because he’s nothing more than Governor Veto. Late Friday, Rauner announced that he vetoed several bills passed by the legislature. This is no surprise given his history of reckless vetoes on a state budget and school funding formula.
Rauner’s vetoes include bills that increase transparency in state spending, expand democratic elections, and let caretakers who serve Illinoisans with disabilities work overtime. These new vetoes come after Rauner suffered five bipartisan veto override votes in five weeks on major pieces of legislation.
“Bruce Rauner has earned himself the title of ‘Governor Veto’ as he continues standing in the way of any efforts to move Illinois forward,” said Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh. “After vetoing bill after bill, Rauner is unable to name a single accomplishment and Illinois families continue to pay the price.”
I received no press releases in favor of the governor’s vetoes.
* News coverage…
* Rauner vetoes bills on spending transparency, home health care worker OT: Of the bills Rauner did approve, one would require schools to provide feminine hygiene products in bathrooms for free. Supporters say it’s a public health issue that will prevent students from missing class. He also signed into law a bill that will ban employers from requiring low-wage employees from signing noncompete agreements that would prevent them from moving on to new jobs. Rauner said lawmakers should consider expanding the measure.
* Rauner signs bill creating agency to govern ALPLM: Rauner created the stand-alone agency for the Lincoln facility by executive order and put the duties of the historic preservation agency under a different department. But lawmakers adopted a law to prevent a future governor from reversing the order.
* I’m going to hang out with my brother Devin and some friends in southern Illinois and watch the eclipse on Monday. Unless the world ends, I’ll be back Tuesday morning. Ozzy will be playing this song Monday during the eclipse and I’m kinda stoked to see it…
* Just about every one of the governor’s vetoes today is a story on its own. But it’s Friday afternoon and nobody is paying attention, so we’ll circle back next week.
I assume the comptroller will have something to say about the veto of her bill (HB3649), and others will object as well. I’ll update when I can. What follows is a quick summary of what he vetoed today. For the full list of bills the governor signed today and his full veto messages, click here…
Today I veto House Bill 2622 from the 100th General Assembly, which will create a state-sponsored workers’ compensation insurance company. This bill will also require the Department of Insurance to provide a loan of $10 million out of the operations fund of the Workers’ Compensation Commission to capitalize the new organization. […]
Today I sign House Bill 2966, which cleans up discrepancies and creates clarity in the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund section of the Pension Code regarding eligibility for the board of trustees. […]
Today I veto House Bill 3143, which amends the State Prompt Payment Act to add certain human services providers to the list of those eligible for interest penalty payments from the state. […]
Today I veto House Bill 3167, which requires the Department of Human Services to conduct costly and duplicative surveys regarding the early childhood education workforce without allowing other ongoing support initiatives to come to fruition. […]
Today I return House Bill 3211 with specific recommendations for change.
This legislation addresses eligibility for certain college students to participate in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provides access to funds for food to eligible low-income individuals. Hunger is a very real challenge, and for students it can lead to an inability to participate in the very programs of study that will contribute to their future development and career opportunities. But this legislation goes further than is necessary to address this challenge. […]
Today I veto House Bill 3216 from the 100th General Assembly, which will place additional requirements on third-party contracting by the State. […]
Today I veto House Bill 3376 from the 100th General Assembly, which restricts the state’s ability to place a limit on the number of weekly hours a provider may work in the taxpayer-funded Home Service Program that serves many of the state’s physically disabled residents. […]
Today I veto House Bill 3419 from the 100th General Assembly, which prohibits companies that have restructured through corporate inversions from bidding on or entering into State contracts. It also precludes State retirement systems from investing in any such companies. […]
Today I veto House Bill 3649, which requires state agencies to report every month to the Comptroller on their current liabilities, interest, and the appropriations status of those liabilities.
The inclination to provide more transparency about the state of our finances is a good one. Unfortunately, this legislation more closely resembles an attempt by the Comptroller to micromanage executive agencies than an attempt to get the information most helpful to the monitoring of state government. […]
Today I veto Senate Bill 669 which would create an unnecessary new process for a Lake County to change the way it selects its county board chairman. […]
Today I veto Senate Bill 789, which expands the authorized uses of motor fuel tax funds.
This bill would allow for these funds to be directed away from traditional infrastructure projects toward other tangential transportation initiatives including those capital projects focused on pedestrian, bicycle, or electrical vehicles as well as for the operation costs of public transit.
* The four legislative leaders met in Speaker Madigan’s Chicago ward office today to see if they could work out an education funding reform compromise. The meeting was scheduled to start at 1 o’clock.
I called Senate President Cullerton’s spokesman John Patterson late this afternoon to ask how the meeting went. “It was a good meeting,” he said.
OK, but did they get anything accomplished? “It was a good meeting.”
Alright, but a good meeting could mean that tasty pizza was served, right? Did they find common ground? “It was a good meeting.”
How long did the meeting last? “A long time.”
I asked Patterson if he realized that I was quoting everything he said.
“I am accurately relaying to you the message out of this meeting. It was a long meeting, met for a long time. It was a good meeting. How long did they meet? A long time.”
I laughed through most of that and then called Patty Schuh. No answer. Left a message.
* So, I called Steve Brown and told him what Patterson had said. His response: “I was going to use the word ‘productive’ and they’re going to meet again Tuesday in Springfield.” They started at about ten minutes after 1 and finished about 3:30, Brown said.
Patty then called me back. “The four leaders believe it was a productive meeting. They reviewed all the issues and will meet again Tuesday. OK? That’s all I got.” Then we chatted a bit and I finished writing this post.
…Adding… A text from House GOP Leader Durkin’s new spokesperson…
Wanted to provide an update now that the leaders mtg has finished. The leaders felt it was a productive meeting, and will be meeting again on Tuesday. Have a great weekend!
* Chris Kennedy caught a little flack for quoting Walt Whitman at the Illinois Democratic County Chairmen’s Association brunch this week. It was most certainly a different sort of speech than the loud and raw red meat served up by most of the other gubernatorial hopefuls that day. But I thought you might want to watch it yourself…
I’m not sure he successfully closed the circle, but not a bad speech.
Gov. Bruce Rauner today signed Senate Bill 1783, bipartisan legislation that extends the River Edge Redevelopment Zone tax credit program. The tax credit program has helped preserve historic buildings and grow local economies in the five communities where the credit is applicable: Aurora, East St. Louis, Elgin, Peoria and Rockford.
“This program has already been a huge success,” Gov. Rauner said. “The River Edge Redevelopment Zone Program helps stimulate the state’s economy and the local economies where the program is available. It’s an important tool for municipalities to utilize to spur economic development while saving and restoring historic buildings, and it’s the right move to extend this program through Dec. 31, 2021, so these communities can continue to grow and prosper.”
The redevelopment program is credited with creating a $10 return for every $1 of credit, and a series of success stories have materialized as a result of the program. For example, the St. Charles Senior Living Center ─ a rehabilitated, 60-unit independent living facility in downtown Aurora ─ was a beneficiary of the tax credit and subsequently received the 2017 Landmarks Illinois Award for Rehabilitation. In Peoria, an old barrel-making facility was transformed into luxury apartments that still reflect the historic building’s original charm. And in Rockford, the program supported the very successful Prairie Street Brewhouse.
“On behalf of the residents of Aurora, I thank our state legislators and the governor for their support of this integral bill that will potentially create hundreds of jobs and tens of millions of dollars in economic development in the state’s second-largest city,” Aurora Mayor Richard C. Irvin said. “The quality of Aurora’s 180-year-old downtown is integral to the success of the entire city.”
“The River Edge Redevelopment Zone initiative has been a critical tool for economic growth in downtown Rockford and provides a strong return on investment,” Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara said. “The incentive has helped us fill vacant properties and attract new capital investment to the city, while, at the same time, preserving culturally and architecturally significant buildings.”
Specifically, SB 1783 extends the River Edge Redevelopment Zone tax credit until Dec. 31, 2021. The program allows for an income tax credit to be awarded for the restoration and preservation of a qualified historic structure located in a River Edge Redevelopment Zone, which is a specific area designated by the state of Illinois, in cooperation with a local government, to safely revive and redevelop environmentally-challenged properties that will stimulate economic revitalization and create jobs in Illinois.
“For years, I have been a strong advocate for historic preservation, not only so that we can keep our history alive, but also because of the economic impact these sites have on our communities here in Illinois,” said state Sen. Pamela Althoff (R-McHenry), a co-sponsor of the bill. “By preserving local history, we are also supporting and promoting economic development.”
The bill was sponsored by a bipartisan group of legislators.
* Sen. Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) was a chief co-sponsor…
“This tax credit is an example of what happens when lawmakers put aside their differences to do what is best for their communities and the entire state. In this era of hyper-partisan tension, it is reassuring to see overwhelming bipartisan support for a measure that spurs economic growth in places like Peoria’s Warehouse District.”
* Despite a big “Aurora” sign behind him, the governor got a bit confused when he began to speak…
The record-breaking bid Gov. Bruce Rauner made for a prize-winning steer at last year’s Illinois State Fair charity auction has finally been collected — with a little help from Chicago Inc.
A year to the day after Rauner made the winning offer of $104,000 for the 1,324-pound animal, his donor, Chicago financier R.J. D’Orazio, on Wednesday wired the $20,000 share of the price he’d long ago promised to pay.
This column on Tuesday reported that D’Orazio held out on honoring the governor’s debt because he felt he had not received “recognition” for his generosity.
But the publicity seems to have spurred D’Orazio into action: He sent the $20,000 plus an additional $20,000 donation as a goodwill gesture to charities including the Illinois 4-H Club on Wednesday morning. D’Orazio told Inc. he was doubling the donation “as a result of the delay” in paying up.
“We berated this guy for months,” said the Illinois Department of Agriculture’s general counsel, Craig Sondgeroth, who was delighted to confirm the state received $40,000 from D’Orazio later Wednesday. The department organizes the charity auction. “This was really sad because the money was for children.”
How about a Friday “question of the day” where everyone gives us examples of the craziest thing [Speaker] Madigan told us in private? Maybe it will give the Governor some new material.
LIZ: Thank you for taking my call. Thank you, governor, for coming on. I have a question that’s, kind of similar to what we’ve been talking about. I have heard a lot of answers, your answers to the questions that you’ve given are, the bad state of our state in the past decades, and Michael Madigan. And you have been governor for 2 years. So my question is, when, in your opinion, is the time that you take responsibility for what’s going on in the state?
RAUNER: If we had truly divided honest government, if we did not have the Speaker’s lock on power, and let me be very candid with you. When I asked him 9 years ago, when I first met him, what he wanted to do to improve the quality of life for the people of Illinois, he laughed, and he said to me, ‘Bruce, I don’t think about that, I don’t have any goal like that. I do two things: I manage power and I make money from managing power.’
SARABIA: We should say there’s no way we could corroborate that.
RAUNER: So look at his behavior, you can see it’s true. But here’s what we need. If the Senate were to stay Democrat, Democratic controlled, that’s fine. Divided government would be fine. I would have already worked out a balanced budget, term limits, property tax relief, and regulatory relief, and workers comp, if the Senate Democrats were able to do what they want rather than what the Speaker told them. The Speaker’s control in the House has blocked everything that we’ve tried to do on a major scale. Things that honest Democrats in other states have done. Term limits, pension reform, workers comp reform, regulatory relief for businesses. They’ve done it in other states and we can do it if we break Speaker Madigan’s lock on power.
* As mentioned in the release, this is the same ad we’ve already discussed when it was just an online spot…
Last night, Do Your Job, Inc. placed a nearly half-million-dollar ad buy on broadcast television which will run ahead of the IL House’s vote to override Gov. Rauner’s amendatory veto of Senate Bill 1.
Do Your Job, Inc. is on air with the ad “Déjà vu” which debuted on digital platforms last Sunday ahead of the IL Senate’s bipartisan vote to override the Governor. The House is expected to reconvene on August 23rd to vote on that motion after Governor Rauner’s education funding plan failed to receive a single vote on the House floor.
It’s déjà vu.
After losing the budget fight, Governor Rauner is targeting our schools.
Principals, teachers and parents statewide support SB1 for fairer funding across the whole state but Rauner has vetoed SB1 creating chaos and another crisis.
Without the funding bill schools will close.
Rauner won’t compromise.
Republicans and Democrats have to fund our schools without him.
Sound familiar?
Tell your legislator override Rauner. Fund our schools.
The ad will run in the following media markets on broadcast television:
Chicago
Champaign-Decatur-Springfield
Davenport
Paducah
Peoria
Rockford
Do Your Job, Inc. is led by IL Sen. Michael E. Hastings of South Suburban Cook County, IL Rep. Lou Lang of Skokie and Illinois AFL-CIO President Michael T. Carrigan.
* For months and months, whenever a state vendor or social service provider was having financial troubles, the Rauner administration pointed the finger of blame at the comptroller, even though she has no control over how much money flows into the state checkbook and which contracts are signed by the administration. Well, now the shoe is on the other foot…
Even though a state budget was finally passed earlier this summer, the process for paying allocated funds is not automatic. Social service agencies are waiting for money owed to them by the state.
Before a budget was approved, the Sojourn Shelter in Springfield laid off staff members and was considering further cuts. The agency serves domestic-abuse victims, providing housing and resources to help them get back on their feet. It’s still waiting for money due for fiscal years 2017 and ‘18. […]
Bertoni said that, having worked a long time for non-profits, she’s well aware the process could take months. Other such agencies in the state are also waiting for funds. The Illinois Comptroller’s Office writes the checks for organizations like Sojourn, but it can’t until the Illinois Department of Human Services releases payments.
The Comptroller’s Office said in a statement that it “has not received vouchers from the Department of Human Services for Sojourn Shelter and other providers that protect and care for domestic violence survivors. Once those vouchers arrive, they will be treated as a priority.” […]
Illinois Department of Human Services spokesperson Meghan Powers said in a statement, “The FY18 budget passed by the General Assembly required changes in our accounting systems in order to release payments for domestic violence providers. IDHS has prioritized domestic violence funding and our team has been diligently working to make the required changes and to communicate these changes to the Illinois Office of the Comptroller. We will be releasing payments to the Comptroller’s Office on a rolling basis as the system changes are completed. We anticipate releasing payments to the Comptroller’s Office within the week. We appreciate our providers’ continued patience with this process.”
So, now they’re blaming the General Assembly. I really hope they’re not playing games with domestic violence money.
I mean, the budget veto was overridden more than a month ago, so accounting issues sounds a little suspect. Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago), the House’s chief budget negotiator said he didn’t know what accounting systems changes IDHS is talking about.
According to the Comptroller’s Office, they have $15 million set aside to fund domestic violence shelters.
It’s just sitting there waiting to be spent.
*** UPDATE ***
Hi Rich,
IDHS is not “playing games” with domestic violence funding. Our Department has made domestic violence funding a top priority.
The newly enacted budget required adjustments to providers’ contracts and changes in our accounting systems. We communicated these requirements to our providers. Our team has moved as quickly as possible to execute these adjustments and we released the first set of payments to the Comptroller’s Office this morning.
Thank you,
Meghan Powers
Illinois Department of Human Services
* Another House Republican budget and tax hike veto overrider…
State Rep. Sara Wojcicki Jimenez announces she will not seek re-election in 2018
This statement was released today:
It is an honor to serve as your state representative in my hometown and home county here in Illinois. My number one priority coming into office was to focus on the budget and to make sure we passed a balanced budget to help stabilize our economy here in Sangamon County and the state of Illinois. I was able to help accomplish that goal as well as help shepherd through reforms to our procurement system, pension system, and criminal justice system.
We have an open door policy in our office and have kept three principles in mind each day as we serve constituents in the 99th district: be grateful, be kind and help as many people as we can. We’ve been able to help a lot of people and I plan to continue those efforts as well as work to make our community a better place for the remainder of my term.
Every two years, members of the Illinois House must consider if they will run for another term. After thoughtful consideration and discussions with my family, I have decided that I will step aside after serving this term in the 100th General Assembly. I have been so humbled by my family, friends, staff members, and residents of the district who have supported my vision of government and believed in me to do what’s best for Illinois. I am proud of my service to Sangamon County for the last several years in the Illinois House of Representatives and on the Springfield Park District Board. Next year, there will be an opportunity for someone else to run and eventually serve in the Illinois House of Representatives. Until then, I look forward to continuing to work with my constituents and my colleagues to make progress on many important issues until the end of my term in January 2019.
Prohibits law enforcement agencies and officials from detaining or continuing to detain an individual solely on the basis of an immigration detainer or non-judicial immigration warrant or from otherwise complying with an immigration detainer or non-judicial immigration warrant. Provides for law enforcement training on compliance with the Illinois TRUST Act.
As we’ve already discussed, the far right is up in arms about this bill. The truth is, however, that it’s a compromise with law enforcement interests, which got pretty much everything it wanted in the final legislation.
* From an August 17th letter to the governor…
Dear Governor Bruce Rauner
As law enforcement officials, we support and ask you to approve TRUST ACT SB 31. TRUST ACT SB 31 is a sensible policy to effectively devote our time and taxpayers’ money going after true threats to public safety and security and not wasting limited resources apprehending and removing immigrants who are merely seeking to work or reunite with family.
SB 31 is not “sanctuary” bill because it explicitly allows communications between local police and federal agents. SB 31 is compliant with federal statutes.
SB 31 will strengthen our collective public safety. Going after hardworking immigrants has adverse effects that go beyond straining our budgets and manpower.
We have spent years developing relationships of trust with our immigrant communities. We need everyone in the community, no matter where they were born, to feel comfortable calling on first responders in an emergency, including when they are a victim or witness of crime.
Fears that law enforcement and immigration enforcement are one and the same have a chilling effect on reports of crime among minority communities. Already this year, some police chiefs have reported that members of the Hispanic community are calling in fewer reports of rapes, even though reports otherwise have not decreased.
SB 31 TRUST Act will help with this very real concern. None of us wants rapists or other criminals to get away with crime. Discouraging victims and witnesses of crime from coming forward makes our jobs harder and does not make you safer.
As law enforcement leaders, we applaud bipartisan legislators from Illinois’s General Assembly for passing SB 31. We ask the Governor to approve this legislation to make community safety easier for us to achieve, not harder.
Sincerely,
Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran
Melrose Park Chief of Police Sam C Pitassi
Stone Park Chief of Police Christopher P. Pavini
Franklin Park Chief of Police Michael Witz
Chicago Heights Chief of Police Tom Rogers
Elgin Chief of Police Jeffrey Swoboda
Berwyn Chief of Police Michael D. Cimaglia
Elmwood Park Chief of Police Frank Fagiano
Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner said Friday he plans to announce “in the next couple days” whether he’ll sign a bill aimed at limiting the role of local law enforcement in federal efforts to detain and remove immigrants living in the U.S. illegally.
Asked during a Friday morning radio appearance if he would sign the bill, Rauner said the legislation was supported by immigration advocates and the business community, “so it seems like a reasonable compromise.” He said he would be “making an announcement about that in the next couple days,” and that he was “very excited.” The governor did not, though, say whether he’d sign it.
“I think it seems very reasonable,” Rauner said on the WBEZ-FM 91.5 show “Morning Shift.”
* Press release…
Appearing on WBEZ’s Morning Shift program this morning, Governor Bruce Rauner spoke enthusiastically about about the Illinois TRUST Act, noting the broad support behind the bill among immigrant communities, business, law enforcement, and other allies. He called the bill “very reasonable” and said that an announcement regarding the bill would come shortly.
“We are encouraged by Governor Rauner’s positive comments this morning regarding the Illinois TRUST Act,” said Andrew Kang, legal director at Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago. “This moves Illinois one step closer to common-sense, Constitutional, state-level public safety policy.”
Under the TRUST Act, local police cannot comply with federal immigration detainers and warrants not issued by a judge. Local police also cannot stop, search, or arrest anyone based on that person’s immigration or citizenship status.
“Over 60 community organizations across the state want the TRUST Act to become law,” said Lawrence Benito, chief executive officer of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. “We will continue to join faith communities, business owners, and law enforcement leaders in supporting immigrant families and public safety until TRUST is signed.”
“Governor Rauner has the opportunity to join a broad coalition of communities, law enforcement, and elected officials to support bipartisan common-sense public policy,” said Mark Fleming, associate director of litigation at the National Immigrant Justice Center. “Upholding basic civil rights and improving trust between residents and law enforcement is more important now than ever, and essential to protecting families and communities across our state.”
The Campaign for a Welcoming Illinois will join faith leaders and elected officials on Friday at 11:30AM outside the Thompson Center in downtown Chicago.
* The Pantagraph interviews Democratic gubernatorial candidate and state Rep. Scott Drury…
“I’ve been in state government for five years. I have a good sense of how it works and of what doesn’t work,” said Drury during a campaign stop Wednesday night in Bloomington. “What the public wants is someone who’s going to do what they’re saying. … I’m happy to compare my record with anyone else’s.”
Drury’s resume includes working as a federal prosecutor and serving in the Illinois House, where this spring he became the first member in 30 years to not vote for Michael Madigan as speaker. He insists that wasn’t for publicity, however.
“That’s where my district is at. … It shouldn’t be that shocking,” Drury said of the vote. His district, the 58th, is on Lake Michigan north of Chicago.
“The General Assembly doesn’t believe it can vote as it wants to,” he said. “It doesn’t represent its constituents. And that’s very problematic because you get two people running the state, and when they don’t get along, you have two-and-a-half years of no budget while everybody around us is suffering.”
* Meanwhile, here’s a Drury campaign e-mail entitled “Are you sick of Mike Madigan?”…
Last Tuesday, Mike Madigan became the longest serving Speaker of the House of any state legislature in United States history.
We all know Madigan cares about power, not us - and that has destroyed our State.
If you are one of the overwhelming majority of Democrats in Illinois who is disgusted with Mike Madigan’s rule, sign our petition today.
The Democratic Party in Illinois should be about taking care of hardworking families, investing in the next generation, making our communities safer and caring for those most in need. Instead, under Madigan’s leadership, our state is deep in debt, we have the worst-funded public schools in the country, gun violence is at an all time high, and the most vulnerable can’t get the vital social services they need.
In every corner of the State, Democrats are joining our campaign because they want a Governor with a proven track record of standing up to Mike Madigan and working for all of us.
If we keep electing politicians who are in Mike Madigan’s pocket, nothing will change.
If you want to rebuild Illinois, sign our petition today and take a stand against Mike Madigan.
* Douglas County resident Isaac Partenheimer posted this photo on his Facebook page last night. He wrote that he was “Sitting next to this crooked son of a [redacted] at alexanders in Springfield”…
* “It was not the most coherent message,” Madigan’s spokesman Steve Brown said of the sleeveless man this morning. As you can see from the second pic, Brown was with Madigan at the restaurant.
Brown said the guy said something like “I never voted for you and I probably never will,” and then said something about how people should “work together.” And after saying that several times, he left. It lasted about 30 seconds, according to Brown. The governor’s name wasn’t mentioned, Brown said, and alcohol may have been involved.
Several years ago, I was walking with Madigan at the Statehouse trying to get him to tell me something when he was accosted by a very angry man. Madigan remained cool and calm and the man said his piece and eventually walked away. It kinda spooked me, but Madigan went on chatting after the dude departed.
The lanky governor — he’s 6 feet 4 inches — didn’t exactly carry excess baggage on his frame to start with, but he’s lost 20 pounds since his election, he said on WTTW-Ch. 11’s “Chicago Tonight” earlier this week.
Asked about it during the Illinois State Fair this week, Rauner said there’s no secret, special diet or workout regime behind his weight loss.
“It’s just hard work,” he told Chicago Inc.
* Pretty much everybody who has seen him up close, particularly when he’s not wearing a jacket or a vest, has noticed how thin he is these days. You can really see it in his own video…
Started off the morning at the Ag Day breakfast celebrating generations of farm families. They are the backbone of our state. pic.twitter.com/bRqQTWVj1g
Still, the image put a spotlight on Rauner and his links to the institute. Rauner, a wealthy businessman, donated to the group before he became governor and recently hired several top aides from the organization including his spokeswoman, Diana Rickert, and former Policy Institute president Kristina Rasmussen, who is his chief of staff.
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Obama’s onetime chief of staff, issued a joint statement with city school officials accusing the governor’s “brain trust at the Illinois Policy Institute” of contributing to the school funding debate by publishing an “unambiguously racist cartoon.”
Rickert said Thursday that Rauner hadn’t seen the cartoon and wouldn’t comment on it.
“It’s a terrible thing for people to be bringing up now,” she said. “To be accusing somebody falsely of racism, or try to insinuate that people in this office are racist, is disgusting when the country is trying to recover from this tragedy.”
Pretty full-throated defense of her current and former employers.
* The governor said on WBEZ this morning that he hadn’t seen the cartoon, but he’d heard about it. He claimed that a radio host on WVON yesterday said he didn’t think the cartoon was racist and neither did his listeners. WVON, of course, is one of the nation’s most famous African-American radio stations. But the host, Maze Jackson, has close ties to former Rep. Ken Dunkin, who was backed by Rauner forces in his Democratic primary last year.
* Meanwhile…
Numerous state legislators will be joining civil rights and social justice organizations tomorrow to protest a recent Illinois Policy Institute (IPI) editorial cartoon that has been universally condemned by Democratic and Republican members of the General Assembly.
Attendees are calling on Governor Bruce Rauner, who has financially supported the IPI and recently hired high-ranking officials from the organization, to join the Democrat and Republican elected officials who have publicly condemned the racist cartoon and are demanding the IPI publicly apologize for the drawing.
Who: Illinois State Representatives, civil rights and social justice organizations
What: Protest Against Rauner-Backed Illinois Policy Institute’s Racist Cartoon
When: Friday, Aug. 18, 2017, 10 a.m.
Where: Illinois Policy Institute Headquarters, 190 S. LaSalle St., Chicago
* Pritzker campaign…
Just days after Bruce Rauner refused to call attacks by white supremacists in Charlottesville terrorism, Rauner‘s allies at the Illinois Policy Institute (IPI) published a flagrantly racist cartoon to advance their divisive agenda. While members of both parties rebuked the cartoon from the House floor this week, Bruce Rauner’s chief spokeswoman — who was hired directly from the IPI — said that Rauner hadn’t seen the cartoon and then flatly denied that it was racist.
Rauner’s silence comes despite close ties to the Institute, with many of his senior staff coming directly from their ranks. The IPI has since pulled down the cartoon, but refuses to apologize.
“When Bruce Rauner was asked to take a principled stand on the white supremacist rally and terrorist attack in Charlottesville, he waited for Donald Trump before giving a half-hearted response,” said Pritzker campaign communications director Galia Slayen. “Now, Rauner’s refusal to respond to an obscenely racist cartoon from the Illinois Policy Institute is on a similar plane of moral bankruptcy. This is what happens when you staff your administration with radicals from a far-right think tank and would rather divide and pit communities against each other than help this state heal. There aren’t two sides to what happened this week — there is right and there is wrong — and it is abundantly clear which side Bruce Rauner and Donald Trump are on.”
…Adding… Tweet from after Rauner’s WBEZ interview…
If you’ve “heard” about this obscenely racist cartoon, why can’t you bother to make a comment condemning it, @GovRauner? https://t.co/0n6INROJcR
For all the time that the Governor’s office has spent talking about or hearing about the IPI cartoon, it’s strange that Rauner never found the time to actually look at it. Weird how that works.
Governor Rauner has had a tough week. On Monday, he failed to call the attack in Charlottesville “terrorism.” And it was not until Wednesday that Rauner finally criticized President Trump for his incredibly insensitive comments about Charlottesville.
“This is Bruce Rauner’s failed leadership in action,” said DGA Illinois Communications Director Sam Salustro. “Governor Rauner would rather defend his political allies than tackle a sensitive subject head-on. This is not new - Illinois families have repeatedly seen Rauner dodge on issues of importance to them but politically inconvenient for Rauner. From his awkward comments on Charlottesville to his belated criticism of President Trump, Governor Rauner spent the week failing the leadership test. Today is just another example.”
*** UPDATE 2 ***
Gov Rauner's spksm says at 3p, he still has NOT seen IPI cartoon, some call racist #hard to believe
*** UPDATE 3 *** To some, the fact that Gov. Rauner wore a Maze Jackson t-shirt during the Bud Billiken Parade might possibly help explain the WVON angle…
