Our sorry state
Wednesday, Mar 2, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Wall St. Journal…
The lowest state jobless rate for black workers in the country matches the highest rate for white workers in a new analysis.
At 6.7%, Virginia’s black unemployment rate was the lowest in the nation in the fourth quarter. That rate happens to be the same as the jobless rate for white workers in West Virginia, the worst in the country, according to a report from the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute. […]
In January, black workers faced a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 8.8%, compared with 4.3% for whites and 4.9% overall.
The worst state for black Americans looking for work? That was Illinois, where the jobless rate was 13.1% in the fourth quarter.
…Adding… Reuters…
Predominantly African-American neighborhoods in Chicago have seen poverty rise and services diminish even as the nation’s third largest city has become less racially segregated, according to a study released on Wednesday.
While Chicago has become more racially balanced over the decades with more neighborhoods showing no majority populations, black areas are seeing economic stagnation or decline, according to the study by the Chicago Urban League, which promotes progress for blacks.
“This is not a situation that’s getting better. This is a situation that’s getting worse,” said Stephanie Bechteler, director of research and evaluation for the Chicago Urban League. “We must put forth time and effort to make a change.”
Despite the progress on racial integration, Bechteler said the city has a long way to go. She noted that the Brookings Institution late last year found that Chicago remained the third most segregated city in the United States behind Milwaukee and New York City.
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* Press release…
With the budget impasse approaching nine months, Western Illinois University President Jack Thomas announced today (March 1) that mandatory furloughs and voluntary pay reduction programs will be implemented for all non-negotiated personnel (administrative/non-academic and civil service personnel not covered by unions). While the mandatory program will take place June 1-30, employees may voluntarily elect to spread out their furlough days or participate in the voluntary pay reduction program beginning April 2.
The furlough schedule, which is based on base salary, follows:
Over $150,000: 15 days
$125,000-$149,999: 14 days
$100,000-$124,999: 13 days
$75,000-$99,999: 12 days
$50,000-$74,999: 10 days
$40,000-$49,999: 6 days
Less than $39,999: No furloughs
* Meanwhile, from a senior Republican official close to the process…
Speaker Madigan has agreed to consider not calling the override on the governor’s veto of SB 2043 and will consider negotiating a new bipartisan plan that both Democrats and Republicans can support.
That is why the GOP press conference scheduled for 3 has been postponed.
SB 2043 is the MAP grant bill. The GOP press conference was about alternative funding proposals for higher education.
*** UPDATE *** Steve Brown…
The plan is to override the bumbled veto of the community college/MAP grants appropriation. Talks have been going on for a long time. If you want to portray that as recent progress you’re getting ahead of yourself.
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* From a reader…
Found a message from Liberty Principles PAC on my answering machine last night. The gist of it: Sam McCann is bad for State employees because he wants to trash our pensions. They played a garbled, mostly inaudible (at least on my phone) recording of him in a noisy room to support this, repeating one of the few audible parts several times, which I think was “Why wouldn’t we?”
I asked him if he could work up a transcript
…Adding… Mr. Proft has kindly sent along an official transcript…
Here’s Senator Sam McCann on state union workers:
“Is there any reasons we shouldn’t cut their pensions?”
“I don’t see any reason why, no. I know that’s very direct and blunt and to the point answer. But yea, why wouldn’t we?”
Sam McCann. Telling state employees he has their back…then stabbing them there when they aren’t looking.
Do we cut state pensions in Sam McCann’s eyes?
“But yea, why wouldn’t we?”
Paid for by Liberty Principles PAC (708) 568-1493
…Adding… Listen to it Proft’s official audio for yourself…
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Today’s quotable
Tuesday, Mar 1, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From the Chicago Tribune’s endorsement in the 66th House District Republican primary…
But in this race, our nod goes to Skillicorn, a marketing professional who is the most outspoken about the need to blow up the status quo in Springfield.
I happen to like Skillicorn and think he’s running a solid campaign. This isn’t about him. It’s about this bizarre belief that if we only had more chaos in Springfield things would be perfect and everything would turn out well. Politicians say what politicians say, but editorial boards ought to be more thoughtful.
Along those lines, it seems to me that the rhetorical flourishes are getting way out of control these days. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like this and I’m really starting to worry that somebody’s gonna get physically hurt - or worse - because our “betters” keep ginning up their bases well beyond the usual political crankiness.
…Adding… MrJM in comments…
This is the shared faith of all aggrieved fundamentalists of any political stripe. They know that their political beliefs — and their political beliefs alone — are Right and Universal. Whether it’s based in Marxist dialectical materialism or Randian free-market fundamentalism is irrelevant; theirs is the political viewpoint of Nature itself.
And yet, somehow, their perfect world view has not been universally accepted as The Truth, i.e. the one solution to every political and economic ill. But they have a ready explanation for that: They believe that the only reason their political philosophy hasn’t been recognized as the Truth is the corruption in the current political system.
If only the status quo were “blown up” — or blown away by a hurricane — then The Truth would be unshackled and, at long last, assume its natural position as the universally accepted pure and perfect political point of view, as Nature intended.
Peace, justice and prosperity would inevitably follow — how could it be otherwise? — and we’d all live happily ever after.
It’s an absurd and childish way to look at the world, of course, but it does go a long way towards explaining the political nihilism by which we now find ourselves surrounded.
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* And there’s more where that came from…
Turnaround Illinois’ only reported contribution so far was the $1.18 million it gave Dan Proft’s Liberty Principles PAC in January. Most, but not all, of that money has been used to defeat Sen. Sam McCann.
*** UPDATE *** And speaking of McCann…
Congressman John Shimkus has announced his endorsement of Bryce Benton, Republican candidate for State Senate in the 50th district.
“I’ve represented most of the 50th Senate District in Congress, and I know the citizens of Central Illinois will be well served with Bryce Benton in the State Senate,” said Shimkus. “As an Army veteran and graduate of the US Military Academy, I recognize the importance of electing public servants who will sacrifice for the common good and make the tough decisions to get our nation and state back on track. Bryce Benton has demonstrated the utmost integrity as a law enforcement officer and has not fallen victim to the allure of self promotion over honest public service. I wholeheartedly endorse Bryce Benton because he is a man voters can trust.”
Congressman Shimkus currently represents Illinois’ 15th Congressional district, and has previously represented both Illinois’ 19th and 20th Congressional districts (2000 and 1990 Census, respectively). Shimkus is a lifelong resident of Collinsville, a suburb of St. Louis.
“I’m proud and honored to receive the endorsement of Congressman John Shimkus,” said Benton. “Congressman Shimkus has devoted his life to public service. As a US Army veteran and dedicated statesman, he exemplifies honest public service over cynical self promotion. Our records of service to the people of Illinois are clear - we won’t say and do anything to get elected.”
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A tiny bit of good news
Tuesday, Mar 1, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The Pew Charitable Trusts’ “Fiscal 50” interactive has updated its 50-state employment data…
Employment Rates Inch Closer to Prerecession Levels
The U.S. employment rate for adults of prime working age has been rising for four years, and the number of states with lower employment rates than before the Great Recession has been shrinking. Despite these signs of improvement, however, the labor market had not completely recovered from the economic downturn by mid-2015.
* Illinois is above the national average and, believe it or not, is ahead of Texas in the chart entitled “Employment Rate for Prime-age Workers by State, FY 2015″…
* But we’re not doing extraordinarily well in the “Percentage-point Change in Employment Rate, CY 2007 to FY 2015″…
Something’s gotta change here, man.
[And, yes, I read that second chart wrong, but it’s still not great.]
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* Here’s a roundup of stories about yesterday’s epic Bruce Rauner press conference…
* Rauner: Madigan manipulating university leaders in funding crisis: Rauner charged the president of beleaguered Chicago State and those of Northeastern Illinois and Eastern Illinois universities are playing puppet to Madigan. “Folks at Northeastern said they had been instructed never to step out and support any legislation that hadn’t been proposed by Madigan, not to support any other solutions to a problem unless the Speaker blessed it,” Rauner said.
* Universities And Their Funding Caught In Rauner, Madigan Vitriol: “You know what the Speaker has told them? I haven’t verified this directly, but I have good sources. What Speaker Madigan has gone to each of the universities and said: “If you step out and support anything that the governor’s proposin’, I will cut you out of the final budget solution.’” “Governor sounding a little more irrational than usual today,” said Madigan’s spokesman, Steve Brown, in response. “The only one who has cut higher ed, or threatened cuts to higher ed, is himself.”
* Rauner Accuses Madigan Of Blocking Higher Education Spending Bill: “Speaker Madigan and his folks in the legislature are trying to create a crisis and create headlines around the crisis to impact the primary voting that’s going on right now,” Rauner said. “Political games are being put ahead of students’ lives and we’ve got to stop this.” A spokesman for Speaker Madigan said the bill is being studied but it doesn’t guarantee money to the schools and it eliminates $180 million in school construction money. He said the governor has been trying to cut money for higher education for a year-and-a-half.
* Rauner tries to pin blame on Madigan for university funding crisis: Rauner said Madigan is holding up a compromise to score points ahead of the March 15 legislative primaries. The powerful speaker is running “a dictatorship of one individual who cares about politics over people,” said the governor, who called Madigan’s veto override attempt “a sham vote.”
* Gov. Bruce Rauner is accusing House Speaker Michael Madigan of prolonging Illinois’ higher education funding crisis for political gain: “Political games are being put ahead of student lives and we’ve got to stop this,” the Republican said, adding that Madigan is trying to “spin” the issue ahead of the March 15 primary. The comments prompted some laughter and a sharp response from Madigan spokesman Steve Brown, who noted Rauner last year proposed cutting the higher education budget by 30 percent then vetoed a budget bill to fund colleges and universities. More recently Rauner vetoed a measure to fund grants to help students pay tuition, saying it would “explode the state budget.” Representatives from two of the three universities that Rauner claimed had been threatened also denied that Madigan or his office had done so. “Sounds like the governor’s getting a little wobbly on us,” Brown said. “He’s under a lot of pressure because he’s wrecking higher education.”
* Rauner tweaks Cullerton with ‘Madigan’s shadow’ quip: “You know what President Cullerton said to me in private?” Rauner said, as he was making his case that Madigan is the cause of Springfield’s problems. “He said, ‘Bruce, I lived in Mike Madigan’s shadow for 37 years. I’m not gonna step out now.’ Can you believe that? Can you believe that? You wonder why Illinois is in such deep yogurt, ladies and gentlemen. We’ve got a dictatorship of one individual who cares about politics over people.” Cullerton said he was “not going to dignify that with a comment.” “Could we please get back to governing?” Cullerton’s statement said. Rauner has alternately wooed and tweaked Cullerton since taking office in January 2015, but the governor’s disdain for Madigan has been consistent.
* Gov. Rauner blames Speaker Madigan for blocking education funding: In a statement, President Cullerton’s office did not deny the governor’s recollection of the conversation.
* But you really should listen to the whole thing to get the full flavor. First, his opening remarks, when he makes his initial allegations about Madigan and reveals contents of an alleged private conversation with Senate President John Cullerton [fixed link]…
* And the Q&A…
How this gets us to a deal is beyond me, but whatever. They’re the big brains.
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