* Keep in mind that the two sponsors of HB 4356, Reps. LaShawn Ford and Mary Flowers, are Chicagoans who currently have Democratic primary opposition…
Establishes a procedure for an election to recall the Mayor of Chicago. Effective immediately.
Oof.
That’ll get some TV play (by design).
* As we discussed earlier today, Chicagoans are mad as heck right now. Tax hikes, crime spikes, police shooting videos, coverups, lies, you name it, they are mad about it.
And several state legislators are now at the mercy of those very same angry city voters.
So, under the bus goes Rahm, although not literally because I doubt this thing ever sees the light of day. It’ll be interesting to watch whether any more jump on as co-sponsors, however. The days of cowering before the mighty mayor appear to be over for now. He’s got no campaign money in the bank, no troops, and the voters hate him.
Nothing personal. Just business.
…Adding… I’m not even sure this bill would be legal since Emanuel was elected under the current rules (which do not provide for recall). Perhaps our legal type commenters can clue us in.
* At today’s City Club luncheon, House Speaker Michael Madigan was asked, “How high do you think taxes need to go?”
Here’s Madigan’s response, which is at about the 1:08:37 mark on the video…
“OK, let me avoid creating a headline for tomorrow’s newspaper. [Laughter]
“I’d say that a good place to begin - good place to begin - would be the level we were at before the income tax [increase] expired. Starting there you can go in whatever direction you want to go.” [More laughter]
House Speaker Michael Madigan says the state’s income tax should be restored to the 5 percent level it was at until January.
The Chicago Democrat told a City Club of Chicago crowd that the state’s multibillion-dollar deficit demands a tax hike.
A four-year, temporary increase from 3 percent to 5 percent expired last winter with the blessing of incoming Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner. It dropped to 3.75 percent.
Madigan says the 5 percent level would be a “good place to begin.”
Sheesh.
*** UPDATE 1 *** More headlines…
* Tribune: Madigan: Raise income tax rate back to 5 percent, for starters
* Reuters: Illinois House speaker eyes return of 5 pct income tax rate
* WCIA tweet: BREAKING: IL Speaker Michael Madigan said he would support raising the state income tax back to 5 percent
*** UPDATE 2 *** Press release…
In response to Speaker Madigan’s call for a 33% income tax increase “as a good place to begin,” Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno:
“It’s a busy time of year for most families, but taxpayers need to pay close attention. The powerful Democrat leadership is proposing a whopping 33% income tax increase – with no reforms to change the way we do business in Illinois. It’s outrageous and shows what we Republican legislators and Governor Rauner are up against in the state budget negotiations.
The citizens of Illinois want structural reforms that will lead to a more competitive Illinois economy and middle class economic growth, while protecting the taxpayers.”
Top Illinois Republicans Tuesday denounced presidential hopeful Donald Trump’s recent call to block all Muslims from entering the U.S. […]
“Banning any race or religion, as Donald Trump has suggested, is anathema to American values and should be rejected,” [Sen. Mark Kirk] said in a statement. “Instead, the American people need both parties to develop a clear and concise strategy to destroy the Islamic state and prove that our security transcends political rhetoric.”
* The folks at EMILY’s List are apparently too busy reading DC-based publications to notice some mere local reporting. Here’s their press release from late this morning…
EMILY’s List Exposes Trump-Kirk Agenda
Today EMILY’s List, the nation’s largest resource for women in politics, denounced Illinois Senator Mark Kirk for aligning himself with the extreme and dangerous policies espoused by Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump. Earlier this year, EMILY’s List put Senator Kirk “On Notice” for his radical anti-woman and anti-family agenda, making his seat a top target for Democratic takeover in 2016.
On the heels of Donald Trump’s outrageous and unconstitutional proposal to ban Muslims from entering the United States, the Washington Post reported that Kirk “simply denied that Trump’s antics would have any impact on his contest.” Trump holds a commanding lead in all national polls of the Republican presidential primary.
“Senator Kirk has a long record of supporting dangerous and discriminatory policies that are in lockstep with Donald Trump’s offensive and incendiary rhetoric,” said EMILY’s List Communications Director Marcy Stech. “The people of Illinois don’t want an extreme Trump-Kirk agenda that demonizes entire segments of our population and puts American women and families in danger.
“As headlines predicting Trump-related losses down ticket start to pile up, maybe Senator Kirk should do some soul-searching about why he’s so tied to someone so toxic.”
They take an off-hand, brief comment about Trump’s impact on his own race and inflate that into a grand, unholy alliance with Donald Trump?
Sheesh.
EMILY’s List needs to apologize for this one.
Also, what “radical anti-woman agenda”? He’s one of the only pro-choice Republicans in that entire town.
Kirk agrees with other Republicans that what Trump has been saying on immigration since he began his presidential campaign, like claiming many undocumented immigrants coming from Mexico are “killers” and “rapists”, are reflecting poorly on the rest of the party.
“I would say that Trump is probably hurting the Republican Party with his over-the-top comments on the spirit and character of Mexicans, which is not correct,” Kirk said. “I went to school in Mexico. It’s not a country of rapists and criminals.”
And his “radical anti-woman agenda” apparently includes voting against a bill to defund Planned Parenthood.
* House Speaker Michael Madigan will be speaking to the City Club today at 12:30. He hasn’t done this gig in years, but I kinda doubt he’ll break any new ground. The post-speech questions could be interesting, however. Watch it live right here…
I’ll have a ScribbleLive feed when the time comes.
Rauner described Donald Trump’s call for a ban on Muslims entering the U.S. as “an extreme action.”
“What he’s proposing is just fundamentally counter to American values,” Rauner said Tuesday in response to reporters’ questions. “I strongly, strongly disagree with candidate Trump.”
I think most agree that Trump’s proposal to halt almost all Muslim travel to the USA runs counter to American values.
But the governor wants a temporary ban on resettling vetted refugees here. The Donald wants a temporary ban on travel to this country by mostly unvetted tourists, etc.
“What we are trying to do is communicate with President Obama’s administration. What we’ve asked is that we share information with the federal and state government.” […]
“We have a duty to work together to try to block terrorists while allowing honest folks, immigrants and tourists to come to the United States,” Rauner said. “Right now the information-sharing is inadequate. The officials in Paris have acknowledged that their coordination and communication efforts among the different levels were not adequate.”
Wait.
The governor hasn’t called for blocking mostly unvetted Syrian tourists from coming to Illinois. He hasn’t talked about home-grown terrorists, either. He’s solely focused instead on vetted war refugees…
Critics say governors don’t have the legal authority to block refugees, and it’s discrimination to block out any one group.
But this time, Rauner didn’t just single out Syrians.
“I have asked the Obama administration to take a pause - it’s not a long-term action but a pause - in our acceptance, our welcoming, of refugees from Syria and Iraq,” Rauner said.
In written statements outlining his refugee policy, Rauner didn’t include Iraqis.
Apparently, Rauner didn’t read an open letter written by former Secretaries of State Henry Kissinger and George Schultz, former CIA Director General David Petraeus, former National Security Directors Brent Scowcroft and Gen. Michael Hayden, among others…
Given the stringent measures in place, we are especially concerned by proposals that would derail or further delay the resettlement of Iraqis who risked their lives to work with the U.S. military and other U.S. organizations. These refugees were given priority access to U.S. resettlement under the Refugee Crisis in Iraq Act. The United States has a moral obligation to protect them.
* Gov. Rauner forgot to mention Libya, by the way. I guess his crack anti-terrorism unit didn’t brief him on the loyal Iraqi workers or that God-forsaken country…
“We have an anti-terrorism group in our state government. They are not being informed by the federal government on what’s going on, who’s coming, what the backgrounds are,” Rauner said. “We can treat it all with highly classified folks, and what I’m advocating is just an increased level of communication so we can battle against terrorists together.”
I asked the governor’s office this morning how many people are in the state’s “anti-terrorism group.” I’ll let you know if they respond.
…Adding… Soccermom in comments…
I spent some time this year trying to help an Iraqi refugee who had fled an abusive husband (leaving her young son behind) to start a new life in America. She came here just about penniless, with two suitcases. And she proceeded to become a horrible burden on Illinois taxpayers (If you call working two jobs, graduating Harold Washington College as valedictorian and getting a scholarship to complete her degree at an Ivy League school being a horrible burden.)
What a jerk.
*** UPDATE *** So, do we ban Illinois National Guard members from coming to Illinois?…
An Illinois man pleaded guilty on Wednesday to plotting with his cousin, a National Guard member, to attack an Illinois military installation as part of a conspiracy to support Islamic State, a U.S. prosecutor’s spokesman said.
Jonas Edmonds was charged with his cousin, Army National Guard Specialist Hasan Edmonds, of planning to carry out an armed attack on the military facility where Hasan Edmonds had been training in Joliet, 34 miles southwest of downtown Chicago.
Today, area native, Harvard graduate, and innovation consultant, Jason Gonzales, announced his candidacy for the democratic nomination for state representative of Illinois’ 22nd district.
“I’m running to make the needs of the 22nd district first priority. Our community is suffering from a major lack of economic development, quality middle class jobs, and too many families are now having to pay property taxes that they just cannot afford,” Gonzales said. “From my early experience in the service industry as an SEIU member, as a former small business owner, and currently as an innovation consultant; I’m ready to bring new ideas and leadership to solve Illinois’ and the 22nd district’s toughest problems.”
Jason Gonzales, 41, spent his early years on the Southwest Side of Chicago, the son of a Mexican-American union electrician father and a dental hygienist mother. He describes himself as a “troubled teenager” who attended an alternative high school. Despite these challenges, he changed his life and graduated with honors from Duke University, where he was a student-athlete.
Jason began as a union worker with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) before starting and owning a catering and food service business for 13 years. His ambitions drove him to earn a Master’s in Business Administration at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he was a top student and served as an advisor and confidant to L. Rafael Reif, MIT’s 17th President. After MIT, Gonzales earned a Master’s in Public Administration from the prestigious John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, where David Gergen, the CNN Senior Political Analyst and advisor to five US presidents mentored him.
He moved back to Chicago, where he founded an international nonprofit training entrepreneurs and bringing clean water to the developing world. He has worked in business and real estate, managing multi-million dollar development bids and contracts. Gonzales is currently an innovation consultant, who has worked with companies in both public and private sectors.
Jason received awards from the City of Los Angeles for innovative community development in Chicago, the Durham Companions for his work with at-risk youth and has been nominated to the World Economic Forum and Council on Foreign Relations for innovation and global leadership. He serves as a trustee for both the Garfield Ridge Civic League and MIT Sloan Club of Chicago. He is also a member of the City Club of Chicago, Chicago Council on Global Affairs, and Spertus Institute of Leadership.
“I love this state and my community; I refuse to believe that we cannot bring impactful and positive change to Illinois,” Gonzales said. After 45 years of Speaker Madigan, it’s time for a change.”
I’m assuming his bio will be fact-checked.
Speaking of checked, Gonzales’ petitions weren’t challenged. However, both of the two suspected “put-up” (by Madigan) primary candidates were hit by challenges.
Gonzales, 41, says Madigan allies observing candidate filings at the Illinois State Board of Elections just before the close of business on Nov. 30 acted swiftly when he filed his nominating petitions challenging Madigan for the Democratic nominations in the 22nd Illinois House District. Within minutes of Gonzales’ filing, nominating petitions for two other candidates were filed. […]
“I specifically timed it so I had a shot at just me and Speaker Madigan on the ballot. Evidently I didn’t time it late enough. I didn’t want to time it too close because I was afraid there might be a line or something could have gone wrong where I couldn’t have filed. So I was waiting for the last minute and honestly they were not expecting me. I watched the whole thing go down,” says Gonzales. “I filed and … one of Mr. Madigan’s lobbyists or assistants… saw me because they thought I wasn’t running. There were rumors that I had dropped out of the race and I guess they had sort of staked their belief on that. When he saw me, he jumped up, grabbed a file box, went out into the hallway and I watched him pull two candidates’ petitions out of the box. Another assistant prepared them and as soon as I filed, they walked in with other people and filed those candidates right behind me.”
The MJM peeps likely didn’t stake their belief on anything since they apparently had petitions ready to go.
“Many of the signatures it’s our belief that they are bogus or they’re not valid in one way, shape or form. So the community members have filed objections to these two candidates which are very clearly Madigan plants. ” Gonzales said. “I don’t know anything about them. They appear just to be people from the neighborhood. I will find out more. I’ll be stopping by their homes at some point to introduce myself.”
His campaign committee as of Dec. 8 had filed no financial information, though Gonzales said he would be logging about $20,000 in donations in a few days.
Emanuel’s remarks come amid poll results released Tuesday that show 51 percent of Chicagoans surveyed believe he should resign over his handling of the Laquan McDonald case. Perhaps more difficult in the long run for the mayor, though, is that his job approval rating has dropped to 18 percent from 35 percent a year ago.
Ouch.
The robopoll, which is here, was conducted Saturday by Ogden & Fry. The same outfit did a poll for the same publication back in September which found his approval rating at 25 percent.
No doubt that Emanuel’s poll numbers are horrible, but his approval rating isn’t that much lower post-LaQuan McDonald than it was before the horrible snuff video was released. Why? Tax hikes, teachers’ union troubles, junk bond rating, etc., etc., etc. Chicagoans are a mighty grumpy bunch.
64 percent, by the way, say they don’t believe the mayor when he says he never watched the McDonald video.
Remember that “credibility gap” phrase from the old days?
* Even so, I’ve said before that I don’t see Emanuel ever stepping down. One poll certainly ain’t gonna push him out the door. Besides, what aldercreature are they gonna replace him with? Not happening.
It’s also been fairly clear since the election that Emanuel isn’t going to run for another term (a big tipoff is that he’s barely raised any money since the campaign ended). So, while the poll may drive the media narrative for a bit (at least until we get another poll), it likely won’t matter in the end.
* But when half the populace thinks their mayor ought to resign… Whew.
The council is definitely gonna run for cover. And that’ll make it far more difficult to do the things necessary to turn that city around. He can’t go big if aldermen are constantly watching their backs because of him.
