Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Tuesday, Feb 19, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Um…

Rahm Emanuel’s mayoral reign ends in May, but thanks to contracts he’s extended to many key agency heads, whoever replaces Emanuel will be stuck with them for years to come — or pay handsomely for the privilege of making new appointments.

A clean sweep of the heads of the Chicago Park District, City Colleges of Chicago, Chicago Public Schools and Chicago Housing Authority would cost taxpayers at least $820,000 in golden parachute salaries — and more for benefits — in addition to the salaries for the new appointees. That’s according to an analysis of those contracts by the Chicago Sun-Times. […]

• City Colleges Chancellor Juan Salgado would be entitled to a full year’s salary of at least $256,250, plus health insurance for himself and his family for the duration of the contract ending June 30, 2020 — until he finds a new job with similar benefits.

• Also guaranteed a full year’s pay — $291,500 — is Chicago Housing Authority CEO Eugene Jones Jr., who’d also get six months’ health insurance for himself and his family, if he’s fired without cause. Jones’ contract lasts until Dec. 31, 2020.

• Chicago Public Schools CEO Janice Jackson is entitled to six months’ pay on her $260,000-a-year salary if she’s terminated without cause, plus six months of health insurance for herself and her family.

Bill Daley and Susana Mendoza have both slammed the mayor for doing this.

* Meanwhile, Mendoza spent a lot of time early in the campaign going after Toni Preckwinkle. But she was always vying for second place, so that made little sense. Attacking Daley is the much better move, but it’s very late…

Susana Mendoza lit into rival mayoral hopeful Bill Daley on Monday for the city’s leasing of parking meters, accusing him of lying about his role in the unpopular privatization deal.

“It was good business for your family, but it was terrible business for Chicagoans,” Mendoza said, criticizing Daley for writing an op-ed defending the deal a year ago. “That’s about as big of a lie as you telling Chicagoans right now that you were not a key advisor to your brother during his key caretaker years as mayor. Of course you were.”

Daley fired back: “I obviously helped my brother get elected, I was his political advisor. … I had my own life, I went off and did a lot of things that had nothing to do with my brother and this administration.”

* Speaking of Daley, AFSCME Illinois Council 31 just dropped $60K on digital ads attacking him. As we’ve discussed, Daley is the lone “pension reform” candidate in the race.

* If you’ve been wondering whatever happened to Chris Kennedy…

Rich –

I am supporting Bill Daley for mayor, and I hope you will, too.

Bill Daley can keep our city safe and fair. Bill Daley will support the things that are working, and he can fix the things that aren’t, and he has the wisdom to know the difference.

He will give all of our children a reason to stay in Chicago and an opportunity to do so.

He knows underfunded schools and violent neighborhoods push people away; he knows that jobs and safety attract people to stay.

He will end the gentrification of our neighborhoods while expanding the growth of our economic engines.

He will end the property tax appeals racket that is overtaxing our neighborhoods and enriching our elected officials and party leaders.

He will go to Washington to make sure Chicago gets our fair share of the federal budget.

We protect what we love, and we love what we understand. Bill understands the neighborhoods, the traditions, and the cultures that make the city great, and he loves them, and he will protect them.

Bill knows that corruption is destroying our reputation, threatening our economy, and killing our most vulnerable. Bill Daley can clean up the corruption, and he knows you can’t bring reform if you’re beholden to the bosses.

He will stand up to the bosses, the bureaucrats, and the bullies.

We need servant leaders, not leaders of servants.

Bill is that servant leader.

– Chris Kennedy

…Adding… Willie Wilson has been using this Kennedy testimonial in his own ads…

* Related…

* Mendoza’s rise built on alliances with old-school Democrats: “At times you have to work with people even if you don’t like them. At times, you end up building strong relationships. At other times, those relationships fall apart,” Mendoza told the Tribune. “You can’t expect to get anything done in politics if you’re not willing to work with people across the aisle or within your own party.”

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Minimum wage react

Tuesday, Feb 19, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Gov. JB Pritzker signed the $15 an hour minimum wage bill into law today. The react I’ve received so far is all from supporters. Think Big Illinois…

Think Big Illinois Executive Director Quentin Fulks released the following statement after Governor JB Pritzker signed SB1, which increases Illinois’ minimum wage, into law:

“More than 40% of our workers just received a well-deserved and long-overdue raise, which is why Think Big Illinois made working to increase the minimum wage our first fight. After years of being left behind, Illinois families can now count on an administration that will work towards bold, progressive policies to help everyone get ahead.

“Think Big Illinois applauds Governor Pritzker’s quick action to help our workers, while supporting small businesses, and making our state the first in the Midwest to pass a $15 minimum wage. We look forward to being a strong ally for our working families in the fights ahead.”

* Business for a Fair Minimum Wage…

Illinois business owners say the new $15 minimum wage, signed into law today by Gov. J.B. Pritzker, will be good for business.

Business owners ranging from restaurant owners to manufacturers support raising the minimum wage because it will help businesses, communities and the economy as workers have more money to spend. What’s more, businesses will benefit from lower employee turnover and increased productivity and customer satisfaction.

The law will raise the minimum wage gradually to $15 by 2025, with the first increase from $8.25 to $9.25 going into effect on Jan. 1, 2020. The minimum wage will increase to $10 on July 1, 2020, followed by $1 increases on January 1 each year until it hits $15 in 2025. Illinois is joining New Jersey, California, New York, Massachusetts and Washington D.C. in phasing in a $15 minimum wage.

“Raising the minimum wage to $15 is pro-business,” said David Borris, Owner of Hel’s Kitchen Catering in Northbrook. “Local small businesses have a deeply personal interest in the financial health of the communities we do business in. The wellbeing of our customer base and our workforce shows in our bottom line. A healthy economy needs money circulating widely in a virtuous cycle of rising wages, consumer demand and job creation.”

Mark Forinash, Owner of Café Moxo and Café Moxo Too in Springfield, said, “We’ve paid more than the projected minimum wage for years now, and we’ve seen firsthand that when employees earn a living wage they value their job and it shows in their work. Customer service is more personal, employees are able to spend more time with family and friends, increasing their quality of life, and we have noticed a decrease in both turnover and training costs. We look forward to talented and motivated people from surrounding states with lower minimum wages coming to work in Illinois which will increase our business vitality.”

Dave Miller, Owner of Baker Miller bakery and café in Chicago, said, “For businesses to thrive, people working full-time have to earn wages they can live on. Too many people have too little purchasing power. Workers and their families need more income and less financial stress. Many small business owners want to pay our workers a higher wage in a way that allows us to stay competitive and sustainable. Gradually raising the minimum wage to $15 is an investment that will strengthen the economy and our communities.”

Kelly Vlahakis-Hanks, CEO of Earth Friendly Products, which has manufactured in Addison for more than 50 years, said, “Having manufactured in Illinois since 1967, we know that raising the minimum wage to $15 will help businesses and employees thrive. Paying a living wage has improved our bottom line. We start employees at $17 and provide great benefits while selling our products at competitive prices. Our voluntary turnover rate is extremely low, our productivity has increased, and our profits continue to grow. Our ECOS brand is sold throughout the world. And our employees are our greatest brand ambassadors.”

Robert Olson, Owner of Olson & Associates in Springfield, Washington and Lombard, said, “By gradually raising the minimum wage to $15 by 2025, low-wage businesses will have the time they need to plan and adjust, while experiencing the benefits of a higher wage floor like increased consumer spending and increased productivity. Raising the minimum wage will also mean a more level playing field for business. It’s not right that some businesses pay wages that are so low their employees need public assistance and private charity just to get by.”

* Patriotic Millionaires…

Today, Governor J.B. Pritzker signed into law a bill that would raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025, making Illinois the first midwestern state, and fifth state overall, to bring its minimum wage to $15 an hour. In response, Michael and Joan Pine, Patriotic Millionaires and Illinois residents, issued the following statement:

“Just two years after former Gov. Rauner vetoed similar legislation, Illinois’ working families will finally get the boost they deserve.

So long as the federal minimum wage does not keep up with increases in the costs of goods and rising inflation, it will be necessary for states to step in. By Gov. Pritzker making a living wage one of his first priorities, he has shown a commitment to the working class and the businesses that service them. An increase in wages means more money for Illinois families to spend at their local businesses. As a result, our state economy, which relies on consumer spending, will thrive.”

This post will be updated.

…Adding… Toni Preckwinkle…

I am grateful that Governor Pritzker upheld his campaign promise to make a minimum wage increase an early priority in his administration,” said Toni. “We owe it to the state’s workers to increase the minimum wage so everyone can earn a decent living, and I believe this can be accomplished in Chicago even sooner.

* Illinois Republican Party Chairman Tim Schneider…

This is only the beginning of J.B. Pritzker’s war on taxpayers and small business. Nearly doubling the minimum wage will destroy entry-level jobs, raise prices for consumers, and bust budgets at every level of government. Pritzker pledged to govern differently and listen to all parties and stakeholders, but those turned out to meaningless words.

* CFL…

“Raising the minimum wage will help lift up hundreds of thousands of workers, giving families the middle-class lifestyle that all workers deserve,” said Chicago Federation of labor President Bob Reiter. “These are workers in the retail and fast food industries, those who work with mental health, health care, and youth services, among others. They contribute to the greater good, and now they will be compensated for their important contribution.

“All workers deserve to share in the prosperity that their work produces. This new bill will increase the purchasing power of workers, which in turn will create jobs and give our economy a much-needed boost.”