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Afternoon roundup

Monday, Mar 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Gov. Pritzker was asked again today about the Chicago mayor’s race and whether he’d met with the two candidates…

I have. I’ve met with each of them. And I’ve told them that my intention is to work with whoever wins this race. And so I’ve looked forward to hearing even more. I know we’ve got a few weeks left in this campaign, but you know, it’s important that the governor work with the mayor, whoever that is. And so I’m gonna watch. And, of course, I’m a voter, I live in Chicago, I’ll have to make that decision when the time comes.

He was then asked if the candidates had asked him for his endorsement…

They have, and I’ve told them, as I’ve told all of you, I think it’s important for me to stay clear of endorsing, mainly because I want to make sure that we’re able to work together, whoever it is that wins.

* Pritzker made those comments at a bill-signing event…

Governor JB Pritzker today signed SB208 into law, making Illinois the third state in the nation, and the first in the Midwest, to mandate paid time off to be used for any reason. The historic legislation provides employees with up to 40 hours of paid leave during a 12-month period, meaning approximately 1.5 million workers will begin earning paid time off starting in 2024.

“Working families face so many challenges, and it’s been my mission to alleviate those burdens in every way I can. Today, we will become the third state in the nation to require paid time off, and the first among the largest states,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Employers benefit from allowing employees to tend to the urgent personal matters of their lives. Workers’ productivity increases, and they often gain greater passion for their job when they can manage the stresses they face outside work. I’m exceptionally proud that labor and business came together to recognize the value of this requirement to employees and employers alike.” […]

Under existing law, workers are not guaranteed pay when taking time off for sick leave, childcare, mental health reasons, medical appointments, vacation, or any other reason. Starting on March 31st, 2024, or 90 days following commencement of employment, workers can begin using their earned time off for any reason without the requirement of providing documentation to their employer under the Paid Leave for Workers Act.

This new law applies to every employee working for an employer in Illinois, including domestic workers, but does exclude independent contractors. The City of Chicago and Cook County have an existing paid sick leave ordinance in place; employees and employers in those two geographic regions will be subject to those ordinances. The law will also exempt employees covered by a collective bargaining agreement in the construction industry and parcel delivery industry.

The legislation provides that paid leave shall accrue at the rate of one hour for every 40 hours worked. Employees will be paid their full wage while on leave and tipped workers will be paid the minimum wage in their respective locale. An employer cannot require an employee to find their replacement for the leave.

* A state Representative tells me she’s received 500+ emails today opposed to ranked choice voting, with these three minor variations. None of the senders live in her district…

Ranked choice voting turns winners into losers – Do not support it!
Dear Representative xxxx,
I am an Illinois voter and would like your help in fighting against ranked choice voting in our state. This unnecessary, partisan process turns winners into losers and complicates voting. Please don’t let this happen in Illinois and vote against ranked choice voting.

No Ranked Choice Voting in Illinois
As an Illinois voter, I compel you to not let outside influences corrupt the voting process in our state with ranked-choice voting. Ranked choice voting disenfranchises voters and is not needed in Illinois. Please don’t let ranked choice voting become a reality here.

Protect my right to vote and vote NO on HB 2807 & HB 2716
Dear Representative xxxx,
I cherish my sacred right to vote, and I do not want the process in Illinois complicated by ranked-choice voting. This is an unnecessary practice that serves to confuse voters and makes it difficult to count votes. As an Illinois voter, I ask you to vote against Ranked-Choice Voting.

* A Decatur manufacturing shutdown has had a huge national impact…

An ongoing shortage of a medicine commonly used to treat people with breathing problems is expected to get worse after a major supplier to U.S. hospitals shut down last week.

Liquid albuterol has been in short supply since last summer, according to the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. It has been on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s shortages list since October. The news of the plant shutdown worries some doctors who work with patients with breathing problems such as asthma. […]

The manufacturer that recently shut down, Akorn Operating Company LLC, had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May 2020.

It was the only company to make certain albuterol products used for continuous nebulizer treatment. It’s a staple in children’s hospitals, but had been out of stock since last fall. Without that particular form of the product, hospitals have had to scramble to find alternatives.

* Center Square…

Federal prosecutors plan to call 70 witnesses to prove that four former ComEd employees and lobbyists doled out jobs, contracts and payments to illegally influence one of Illinois’ most powerful politicians.

* Something to keep in mind…


* How it started, how it’s going…


…Adding… I actually am related to this Miller. He’s my brother and also Isabel’s father…

(Not an endorsement, just an acknowledgement.)

* Isabel’s afternoon roundup…

  22 Comments      


That toddlin’ town roundup

Monday, Mar 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* New TV ad…


You knew that was gonna happen. Oof.

* The public sector union vs. private sector union split is fully on display in the Chicago mayoral race…


…Adding… SEIU IL Council just put $1.1 million into its PAC.

On the other side…

This morning, three large construction unions announced their endorsement of Paul Vallas in the upcoming runoff election for Mayor of Chicago. The unions were joined by former Secretary of State Jesse White, who endorsed Vallas earlier this month.

Among the unions were the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 134, and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 9. In total, the unions represent about 40,000 workers. These endorsements come only days after the Plumbers Local 130, which represents more than 6,000 members, announced its endorsement of Vallas.

In addition to its endorsement, the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 committed $1 million to the effort to elect Paul Vallas.

“The men and women here today built Chicago,” said White, who has been an influential voice in Illinois politics for nearly fifty years. “These unions are committed to a bright future for this city, and their unity on this endorsement symbolizes the vital role that Vallas will play in shaping that future.”

* Think about the framing of this policy idea for a moment…

The centerpiece of mayoral candidate Paul Vallas’ plan to reverse decades of disinvestment on the South and West sides of Chicago is the creation of an independent community development authority that would limit the ability of Chicago City Council members to have final say on ward-level issues.

What the idea boils down to is wanting to help Black wards by disempowering Black alderpersons and then handing over control to an unelected “independent community development authority.”

Don’t get me wrong, I’m in favor of drastically reducing aldermanic prerogative. It just feels a bit too “on-brand” to sell it this way.

* Counting the same money twice is also on-brand for Vallas…

Vallas also proposes creating a municipal bank, which would hold the authority’s funds, which would come from “a dedicated portion of all new revenues from [tax-increment financing districts] and all developer fees, future casino, sports betting and gaming revenues” that would be earmarked for investments on the South and West sides. […]

However, state law requires Chicago to use all casino revenues to fund its police and fire pensions.

* This policy idea reminds me of candidate Bruce Rauner’s empty pledge to prosecute corruption out of his own office…

Even more unproven is Vallas’ plan to establish a “Law Department Municipal Prosecution Unit” to try the city’s cases itself, which likely would require a change in state law.

And Johnson supports this…

Christened the “Anjanette Young Ordinance” as a nod to the Black social worker who was forced to stand naked in her home as several Chicago officers in 2019 executed a search warrant at the wrong location, the legislation is opposed by Lightfoot, who has said it was not grounded in the reality of policing. Young has endorsed Johnson for mayor.

The latest proposed version would add a provision that mandates officers seeking warrants to first conduct at least a week of surveillance on the location.

A week?

* Also…


On the other hand, Brandon Johnson is a CTU staffer. I’m sure he’ll be tough on them during contract negotiations. /s

* This is on-brand for the CTU candidate…

Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson said he will not raise property taxes if elected. … Johnson is proposing a slew of new revenues, mostly in new taxes on big businesses.

The CTU always opposes property tax hikes, relying instead on “tax the rich” proposals, many of which would require state legislative approval or even constitutional change or a strong belief in unicorns.

And Vallas…

Former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas said he would cap the city’s property tax levy, but has been less clear about whether that means we would not raise property taxes at all. A spokesperson said Vallas is “committed to not raising city property taxes.” … Vallas, meanwhile, promises to use budgetary acumen to work within the existing budget’s bounds.

He claims to be a unicorn wizard. I’d beg to differ.

* Vallas constantly heaps praise on private and charter schools, but his own words on 60 Minutes when he was running the New Orleans school district undercuts his arguments. Most of the schools are simply too small to accommodate kids with special needs, and there are lot of those kids in Chicago…


* NBC 5…

A new poll of more than 800 likely Chicago mayoral election voters found that former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas is holding a lead over Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson, and several key voting blocs could play a significant role in determining the outcome of the race.

The poll, conducted by Victory Research, asked 806 likely runoff voters about their preferences in the upcoming election, with Vallas collecting 44.9% of the vote. Johnson grabbed 39.1% of the vote, with 16% of respondents saying they are still undecided for the April 4 runoff.

The margin of error in the poll was 3.45%, with a mix of respondents on land lines and cell phones, according to the polling company.

Adding some intrigue to the proceedings was the number of voters who said that their choices could change. According to the poll, 18% of respondents said they could change their minds prior to Election Day, meaning that one-third of the voters either haven’t settled on a candidate or could move to the other in the two-man race.

Victory Research also cited demographic data that showed two key groups that could help determine the outcome of the race. Voters living near the city’s lakefront, normally a key constituency in the race, are narrowly favoring Vallas by a 44-to-41 margin.

Celinda Lake had Johnson up by 5.

* The Triibe…

Spurred by the fatal shooting of Rekia Boyd by then-Chicago police officer Dante Servin in 2012, they organized a movement that led to the creation of elected civilian councils and a civilian commission with police oversight powers—the first such bodies in the city’s, and the nation’s, history. By the end of election night, the [Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression ] candidates and organizers in the ballroom had won 62 percent of the council seats.

The Chicago City Council passed the Empowering Communities for Public Safety (ECPS) ordinance, which created the district councils and CCPSA, following not only years of grassroots organizing by CAARPR and its allies in the Grassroots Alliance for Police Accountability (GAPA), but also months of negotiations with Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who tried to block giving any police oversight powers to elected civilians, despite supporting it during her 2019 campaign. What came out of those negotiations was a compromise that gave some oversight powers to the CCPSA and kept some in the mayor’s office.

Each of the city’s 22 police districts will have a three-member elected PDC that interacts with the community and can make recommendations to local police commanders. Those district-level councils also nominate members of the citywide CCPSA and make reports and recommendations to them. They also are in charge of nominating people to fill vacancies on the district councils themselves (which may be necessary immediately after this election in at least one district).

Unsurprisingly, many of those folks endorsed Brandon Johnson today.

* And finally…


* Isabel’s roundup…

  72 Comments      


GOP begs party members to vote by mail, spinning it as an anti-fraud opportunity

Monday, Mar 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* ILGOP Chair Don Tracy…

Fellow Republicans,

I am writing to you to talk about the elephant in the room, Vote By Mail. Each election cycle, we see that the general public is choosing to vote by mail in increasing numbers. This phenomenon is consistent across all types of voters, as the chart below illustrates. And of course, Democrats utilize Vote By Mail at a much higher rate than Republicans. Democrats have won many close elections on the strength of their Vote By Mail programs. Quite simply, Republicans will have an uphill battle in every election moving forward if we do not start utilizing Vote By Mail to our advantage — especially now that Illinois authorizes permanent Vote By Mail lists, which will disproportionately impact the results of our municipal elections, especially our local school boards.

We are acutely aware of problems with the Vote By Mail process. However, the harsh reality is that until we have the numbers in the legislature to change it, we have to play to win under the existing rules and we must increase Republican voter turnout by greater use of Vote By Mail. In contrast to our genuine concerns about how certain aspects of voting by mail undermine fair and honest elections, there is relatively little increased risk of fraudulent abuse of your ballot when you vote by mail as opposed to voting in person. In a sense, voting by mail can actually decrease the possibility of a bad actor voting your ballot for you.

Even for voters who prefer not to vote by mail, participating in the Vote By Mail process has advantages. Our partners at the Illinois Conservative Union speak about a “claim your name, secure your vote” strategy to Vote By Mail voting that was used with success in Virginia in 2021, and their viewpoint bears repeating here.

First, we encourage our voters to request a Vote By Mail ballot as early in the process as possible. Once that ballot arrives, the voter has “claimed their name, and secured their vote.” With that ballot in hand, there is no possibility that anyone else can cast that ballot, or request a ballot in that voter’s name.

At this point, if that voter wants to cast a ballot by mail, he or she may obviously do so. However, if that voter wants to vote in person – whether through Early Voting or on Election Day – that voter simply takes the Vote By Mail ballot with them to their polling place, and surrenders it to the election judges.

We’d want our voters to be sure to watch the election judge write “SPOILED” on the Vote By Mail ballot and secure it in a “Spoiled Ballot” envelope. After this, the voter may proceed to vote in-person at the polling place.

The wisdom of this approach is that it provides our voters with flexibility. Under this approach, if something comes up at the last minute, and a voter cannot vote in person, they can still vote using a Vote By Mail ballot. An executed Vote By Mail ballot can be delivered using the mail, in-person OR by a trusted friend or family member, using the affidavit on the Vote By Mail envelope. Whether it is in-person voting or voting by mail, we can protect our vote by claiming our name and ensuring that our ballot is cast. Whether you are a fan of voting by mail or not, it is the law of the land in Illinois. Until we elect enough Republicans to change it, we must use this system to the greatest extent possible so that we can do just that: elect more Republicans.

The included chart…

Thoughts?

…Adding… A buddy of mine with access to an Illinois Policy Institute private Facebook group just sent me this text…

The IPI guys have been trying to convince their private group members to vote by mail for months.

Every time they post its just a stream of comments decrying fraud, etc.

Reap what you sow, I suppose.

  40 Comments      


Open thread

Monday, Mar 13, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Good morning! Hopefully everyone had a restful weekend despite losing an hour. What’s going on in your part of Illinois…

…Added by Rich… This place was so much fun…


Click here to learn more about Stella Coffee & Tea.

  7 Comments      


Afternoon roundup

Friday, Mar 10, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* After the Gannett/Gatehouse merger, the company got rid of 59 percent of its employees, according to Nieman Lab…

At the end of 2018 — the last full pre-merger year — the two companies had a total of 27,600 employees, according to a Gannett spokesperson. The merger closed in mid-November 2019, by which time it had about 25,000 and was diving headlong into a hunt for “inefficiencies.”

By December 31, 2019, the combined company was down to 21,255. By the end of 2020, that had dropped to 18,141. A year later: 13,800. And its most recent SEC filing reports that, as of the end of 2022, Gannett had just 11,200 employees remaining.

In other words, Gannett has eliminated 59% of its jobs in four years. It’s as if, instead of merging America’s two largest newspaper chains, one of them was simply wiped off the face of the earth.

The chain owns 16 newspapers in Illinois and prints Dan Proft’s “papers” as well as the bizarre Epoch Times.

* Whoever is running this Twitter account has better political investigatory skills than most if not all political reporters in Chicago. Their oppo is almost always the goods…


More here.

* Jim Dey…

The diversity/equity/inclusion mandate remains in place at the University of Illinois. But it’s been repealed at the University of North Carolina system.

This week, the UNC system board removed the compelled speech requirement because it was advised that requiring salutes to the DEI ideology as a condition of hiring and admissions is at odds with free speech. […]

Colleges and universities across the country, including the UI, have embraced the DEI loyalty tests as a means of ensuring either complete political conformity or silence on controversial issues inside and outside the university.

I reached out to UIUC and heard back today from Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Sean Garrick…

Dear Rich,

I’m sorry, but I’m not sure what the “diversity/equity/inclusion mandate” to which Mr. Dey refers to in his column. At the University of Illinois we have no “loyalty tests” of any nature. As a university, we encourage open, robust and wide-ranging debate, discussion and exploration of ideas and concepts – some of which are certainly considered controversial.

The idea that our university encourages conformity whether through formal policies or through informal avenues is absolutely false. Academic freedom is fundamentally about guaranteeing faculty members the freedom to explore “dangerous” ideas and ask difficult questions – the exact opposite of conformity. Mr. Tripp’s statements speak to the actions by the University of North Carolina and it is not appropriate for me/us to comment on governance decisions of another university.

Sincerely,
Sean

* IDPH…

IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra warned that cases of group A strep throat leading to severe complications are on the rise in Illinois, with more cases reported in 2023 than in any of the past five years.

“As COVID-19 cases and community levels remain stable, I want to share my concern about the growing number of strep throat cases in Illinois that are leading to severe complications,” Director Vohra said. “These cases, known as invasive Group A strep, are the result of disease spreading from the throat to blood, muscle and lungs. I urge parents to contact their health providers when their children start showing early symptoms. These symptoms include sudden onset of sore throat, pain when swallowing and fever. Early detection is critical as strep can be diagnosed with a simple test and treated with antibiotics. If able, please make sure everyone in the house is up to date with flu and chickenpox vaccines. Having either the flu or chickenpox can increase your risk of contracting invasive Group A strep.”

Parents and others can get more information about Group A strep at this CDC resource page.

* Press release…

U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement regarding the decision by the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to temporarily convert United States Penitentiary (USP) Thomson into a low-security prison and enhance training for the hundreds of Thomson staff who will all remain employed at the institution:

“Today’s announcement is good news for the Thomson facility—it remains part of the Federal prison system, with no elimination of staffing positions, and it will help relieve some of the current overpopulation pressures BOP is experiencing at low-security facilities nationwide.

“When Thomson was purchased by the Federal government more than ten years ago, one of our goals was to help address the urgent overcrowding problem at our nation’s Federal prisons, as well as make it the safest prison in the nation—for both incarcerated people and staff. As part of these reforms and improvements, Thomson staff will have the opportunity to participate in intensive training to promote a more positive culture and ensure that Thomson is a safe and secure facility with a focus on rehabilitation and reentry. I look forward to seeing Thomson reach its full potential with this temporary conversion.”

BOP moved all remaining individuals in the Special Management Unit (SMU) and Reintegration Unit (RU) from Thomson in February 2023. Thomson will now house approximately 1,178 low-security adults, which will relieve some of the current overpopulation pressures BOP is experiencing at low-security facilities nationwide. Thomson plans to begin receiving inmates the week of April 10, starting with one unit a month. The adjacent Minimum Security Satellite Camp will be unaffected throughout the transition of the institution.

Beginning in 2009, Durbin was instrumental in the acquisition and activation of Thomson Prison—converting it from a state correctional facility to a Federal prison.

…Adding… US Sen. Tammy Duckworth was interviewed by the Hollywood Reporter. Lots of talk about pop culture and then…

There’s been so much debate about identity politics and its role in defining our political discourse. What’s your take?

I wasn’t a mom when I was first elected to Congress, but I thought I was pretty progressive. Then I became a mom and I was traveling back and forth from Chicago to D.C. twice a week trying to express breastmilk to feed my baby and I was told, “Oh you want to pump breast milk, go do it in the handicap stall of the bathroom,” or worse, “Go plug your breast pump in at that outlet where everyone else is charging their cell phone.” So I passed legislation called the FAM Act (Friendly Airports for Mothers) which now means every airport in America has to have a lactation room. And I’m really proud that I wrote that law which I would never have had if I had not been a mom. I also wrote legislation to force airlines to report how many times they break medical-assisted devices because about every third time I get on an airplane some part of my wheelchair gets broken. Before I used a wheelchair it never occurred to me. So yeah, identity is important. Identity does matter. Lived experience matters. You have to look at it not as something that puts us in categories but that makes life better for all of us. So it’s important to have greater diversity and sometimes you’ve got to be conscious of that diversity which is why I fought so hard to have an Asian American nominated as a cabinet secretary. It’s important for the rest of the world to look and see and go, “Oh wow, that’s a really diverse cabinet. That’s America.”

* Isabel’s roundup…

  11 Comments      


*** UPDATED x1 *** That toddlin’ town roundup

Friday, Mar 10, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* You’ve seen this by now in the Tribune…

Paul Vallas’ Facebook account liked a series of comments that attacked Democrats, referred to Chicago as a “hell hole” and “S—cago” and labeled Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker “the king of full term abortion,” a Tribune review of his social media found.

How long before he changes his tune and claims this account, like his Twitter account, was hacked?

* But go beyond the headline about likes. The campaign did not address Vallas’ actual posts…

Vallas’ account also criticized a state law that establishes health and sex education standards starting from kindergarten and is condemned by some conservative and anti-LGBTQ groups — including Awake Illinois, a suburban group that has taken extreme positions and called Pritzker a “groomer.”

A couple months before the governor’s signed that measure into law, a June 2021 post on Vallas’ Facebook account opened with “THE BEGINNINGS OF A PARENT LED REVOLUTION?” and praised his fellow critics of teachers unions in the fight over in-person schooling during the pandemic.

“Despite those successes, SB 818, which clearly transforms sex education into sexuality education beginning at a very young age, sits on the Governor’s desk awaiting his signature,” Vallas’ post wrote. “Parents should tell the Governor to veto that legislation.”

That “sexuality education” phrase sounds very similar to what the Awake Illinois types are saying. If he was running for a Palos school board seat, Gov. Pritzker might be targeting him for defeat. /s

* Last night’s mayoral debate wasn’t televised, but you can click here for some live coverage.

* Crain’s…

Both mayoral candidates are calling on the City Council to wait for the new administration and council before acting on Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s proposed franchise agreement with Commonwealth Edison.

Paul Vallas had a suggestion on how to improve the deal, which Lightfoot unveiled last month in hopes of a quick vote before the election that took place Feb. 28. In a brief interview, he said a new deal with ComEd “has to deal with the outstanding bills people have.”

Echoing former Gov. Pat Quinn, with whom Vallas ran alongside as lieutenant governor nominee in his unsuccessful re-election bid, Vallas said a new franchise agreement with the scandal-tarred utility should have provisions to provide relief to customers behind on their bills in the form of amnesty or something similar.

Johnson essentially punted the question.

* The Chicago Teachers Union just transferred $500,000 in union dues to one of its political action committees. Since the day after the election, their mayoral candidate Brandon Johnson has reported raising almost $1.8 million, while Paul Vallas has reported raising a bit over $2.2 million. That CTU money could bring at least some temporary parity between the candidates.

*** UPDATE *** Vallas just reported receiving about $960K in contributions. So much for parity. IBEW Illinois gave him $100K.

[ *** End Of Update *** ]

* Mentioned briefly in Politico…

To: Interested Parties
From: Celinda Lake, Daniel Gotoff and McCauley Pugh, Lake Research Partners
RE: New Poll in Chicago Shows Brandon Johnson Leading Paul Vallas in Mayoral Runoff
Date: March 9th, 2023

A recently conducted survey of 800 likely mayoral runoff voters in Chicago reveals public school teacher and Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson leading Paul Vallas in the race for mayor with less than four weeks till election day. As long as he has the resources to mount robust communications and field efforts over the coming days, Brandon Johnson begins the runoff sprint well-positioned for victory.

● Brandon Johnson takes 45% of the vote to Vallas’ 40%, while 14% of voters are undecided and 1% support someone else. Johnson not only starts out with an 5-point overall lead Vallas, in a survey with a margin of error of +/-3.46%, but he boasts an even larger lead in strong support, as 37% of voters are strong Johnson supporters compared to just 30% who feel similarly about their support for Vallas.

In sum, the race for Mayor of Chicago is highly competitive. Brandon Johnson has a notable lead, but it is small enough that he could fall behind if he is substantially out-communicated. Brandon will need to launch vigorous media and voter contact campaigns to expand on his early lead—especially in the face of such a well-heeled opponent.

—————-

Lake Research Partners designed and administered this survey via phone using professional interviewers. The survey reached 800 likely 2023 runoff voters in Chicago. The survey was conducted March 2-7, 2023. The margin of error for the base sample is +/-3.46% and larger for subgroups.

That “he could fall behind” bit is basically the pollster’s way of pleading with supporters to pony up harder for their client.

* We’ve talked more than once about how Brandon Johnson’s radio show produced a treasure trove of oppo. It’s now Vallas’ turn in the barrel…

A year before he became one of two Democrats left standing in the race for Chicago mayor, Paul Vallas went on a conservative radio show and mocked the last two Democratic presidents.

Appearing on Chicago’s Morning Answer (AM 560) program, Vallas rolled his eyes at former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama as they spoke about their new library in Hyde Park and laughed about them living in Martha’s Vineyard. Vallas, in a separate appearance a few months later, questioned whether President Joe Biden actually was the one running the White House. […]

On the Morning Answer program, Vallas was a regular substitute for co-host Dan Proft, a conservative political activist who lives in Florida but is a former Illinois resident. Proft ran a political action committee that spent more than $14.5 million last year trying to elect Trump-allied Republican Darren Bailey against Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

At least he didn’t claim he was hacked or that somebody else impersonated him.

Also, setting aside what he said on the show, people who regularly substitute for Dan Proft are not generally considered liberals or moderates.

* Shenanigans…


Keith Thornton was apparently a protester. More on him here. The Northwest Side has some weird political groups, and they’re all-in for Vallas.

* Isabel’s Chicago roundup…

    * Block Club | Elizabeth Warren Endorses Brandon Johnson For Chicago Mayor: “Commissioner Brandon Johnson and I are both former public school teachers, and I can tell you that he understands what it takes to build a stronger Chicago for everyone. From education to public safety to housing, Brandon has a bold, forward-looking, progressive plan to move Chicago forward, and he has the experience to make those plans real,” Warren said in a statement.

    * Streets Blog Chicago | Asked about CTA at debate, Johnson focuses on reliability, Vallas calls for more cops: Johnson’s response mostly focused on strategies to make transit operate more efficiently and keep CTA staffing at full strength so as to avoid service gaps. “Right now our public transit system is unreliable and it’s unsafe,” he said. “This is why I’m committed to making sure we’re making critical investments, particularly for working people who overwhelmingly rely on public transportation. So we’re going to increase the number of bus-only lanes… We’re going to make sure that there are traffic signals that give preference to [buses.]” […] In contrast, Vallas’s answer focused on addressing crime through more policing. “The CTA is on the verge of financial crisis,” he accurately noted. Vallas cited a stat (apparently solely reported by the conservative website Wirepoints, in an article that called for cutting CTA service) that CTA farebox revenue is only currently accounting for 18 percent of the operating budget when, under state law, it’s normally supposed to account for 50 percent.

    * Block Club | Ald. Tom Tunney Goes To Bat For Paul Vallas After LGBTQ Leaders Question His Equal Rights Record: Elected officials and community members said Vallas limited LGBTQ content when he was Chicago’s schools chief, but Tunney said Vallas has fought for LGBTQ rights since the ’90s.

    * Block Club | Paul Vallas’ Facebook Page ‘Liked’ Comments Calling Chicago A ‘Hell Hole’ And ‘S—cago’ : The page also liked controversial comments about education, including one from Aug. 15 that said, “Shame on the ctu they don’t care about the kids lets get rid of all teachers and start from scratch.” In that same post, Vallas’ page also liked a comment in which a person wrote that “a parochial education is far superior to a public education.”

    * ABC Chicago | Chicago alderman candidate for 21st ward claims opponent was untruthful on resume: Dantzler, who is a Navy veteran and retired Chicago firefighter, said while cleaning up the ward is his priority, his biggest concern is his opponent’s resume. “He told some lies about graduating from Morehouse College a lie that didn’t need to be told and when you tell lies what else are you going to lie about,” he said.

    * Tribune | Fires continue to kill people in unsafe buildings as Chicago ignores problems with its inspection system: Chicago’s deeply flawed system for identifying and responding to life-threatening safety issues in residential buildings was exposed in a 2021 investigation by the Better Government Association and the Chicago Tribune. Reporters documented dozens of fire deaths in buildings where city regulators had been warned of potential fire hazards but failed to crack down on property owners in time.

    * Block Club | As Obama Center Is Built, 5th Ward Voters Overwhelmingly Back Affordable Housing Measures: About 90 percent of voters supported a South Shore community benefits agreement and “truly affordable housing” on a large, city-owned lot in Woodlawn in the Feb. 28 election.

    * Adam Selzer | Conspiracy theories have long been part of Chicago politics. Consider the 1899 mayoral election: That spring, the incumbent Carter Henry Harrison Jr. squared off against Sanitary Board member Zina Carter, with former Gov. John Altgeld as a third-party spoiler. The Chicago Daily Inter Ocean’s coverage made Harrison sound like a regular Batman villain, with daily stories accusing him of fraud, blackmail, kidnapping and even murder, all aided by men with names like Nobby Clark, Cocoanut Morrisey, and Tommy the Clock. For a week, their pages were dominated by headlines that screamed “Murder For Harrison,” “Mayor’s Thugs Riot,” “Vice and Crime Reign” and “Shall the Scum Triumph?”

    * Sun-Times | Jim Frost, who captured Mirage tavern bribes as a Sun-Times photographer, dead at 79: Posing as a repairman, Mr. Frost would carry his camera equipment in a toolbox. He’d walk in and say something like “that fuse box again?” and disappear into the back, he recalled for the book “Chicago Exposed” that was published last year.

  35 Comments      


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* Roundup: Pentagon plans military deployment in Chicago after Trump threat
* Reader comments closed for the weekend
* Isabel’s afternoon roundup
* Numbers dump! Raja poll claims 20-point lead
* President says Chicago is 'probably next' after DC (Updated x4)
* Maybe it's time the state did something about this problem
* Roundup: RTA shifts $74M from Metra, Pace to CTA to buy time before transit cliff
* Catching up with the federal candidates (Updated)
* Isabel’s morning briefing
* Open thread
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