*** UPDATE *** The Bustos staffer has resigned. Click here for more info.
[ *** End Of Update *** ]
* From the Bobby Schilling campaign…
A constituent visiting Congresswoman Bustos’ official office in Rock Island last winter received a shocking response to a question about how the Congresswoman’s position on an issue reflect the views of constituents in new areas of the district, particularly Rockford.
The constituent recorded the conversation to reflect on it later. He asked a question on an issue and never expected such derogatory comments about the people of Rockford. He was so disturbed by the callous, cynical response he ended up giving a copy of it to the Schilling campaign. In the audio, which is attached, the constituent is told that Rockford is “very, very urban, very poor, very underprivileged,” and “Not people that spend a lot of time in church—more in jail than church.”
Here is a transcript of the dialogue from the audio clip:
Constituent: But the other areas, like Rockford or Peoria or those areas?”
Bustos’ Office: “You know, I don’t spend a lot of time in those areas. I don’t think–I’ve never heard anything in Rockford. You’ve gotta understand, the part of Rockford we have, though–”
Constituent: “Is pretty rural? Or, pretty, no, urban, isn’t it?”
Bustos’ Office: “Very, very urban, very poor, very underprivileged. Not people that, um, spend a lot of time in church [laughter]. More in jail [laughter] than church.”
Not good at all.
* Audio…
* From Congresswoman Bustos…
“The comments on this audio tape are outrageous and do not reflect my values. In every office and on the desks of every one of my staff members, there is a sign that states: ‘We pledge to provide exceptional service, treat ALL people with dignity and respect, and work every day to improve our community.’ That mission statement is what I expect of all my staff. If someone ever fails to meet that expectation, I will take appropriate action.
“Our office is in receipt of the same audio that was released to the press today, but at present have not been able to validate the audio itself, the parties involved, or where and when it may have been recorded. Once this review is complete, and if it is determined that one of my staff members made these statements, action will be taken.”
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He’s stronger than you may think
Monday, Oct 27, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* WTTW…
Cook County Commissioner Jesus “Chuy” Garcia is mulling whether or not to take on Rahm Emanuel and run for mayor, according to sources within the Democratic party, and within Chicago’s Latino and progressive communities.
“He’s certainly getting a lot of calls on it,” said one Latino elected official.
Garcia, considered a progressive, has served in City Council, the Illinois General Assembly, and most recently, as Commissioner of Cook County’s 7th District, encompassing largely Latino neighborhoods on the city’s southwest side and parts of Cicero. He was elected to City Council in 1986 as alderman of the 22nd ward and was a top ally of then-Mayor Harold Washington. In 1992, he was elected to the Illinois State Senate and touts himself as the first Mexican-American to hold that office. […]
One top Democratic party official said Garcia could quickly build name recognition if he got the support of Latinos, progressives, and labor unions – a coalition that the mayor is struggling with.
First, I just want to say that Chuy is one of my all-time favorite politicians. Love the guy.
* But I’d like to take this opportunity to point out something to the “progressives” who are so upset at the mayor, particularly over his refusal to support a $15 minimum wage. So, they’re bashing Emanuel for backing a $13 minimum while dumping millions to support Gov. Pat Quinn - who supports a $10 minimum wage?
Kinda screwy if you ask me. [Also, Rahm has given the progressive darling Quinn $225K since March - more than any other Illinois politician.]
The city, like just abut all major US cities these days, has moved far to the Left of where it was 10 years ago. Emanuel belatedly found that out the hard way and is now clearly recalibrating.
* Also, as far as the unions are concerned, Emanuel has considerable union support. AFSCME just got a new contract, and hizzoner is supporting AFSCME’s attempt to unionize taxi drivers. SEIU is backing the mayor on the minimum wage and other issues, and the trades are pretty much universally on board.
That leaves the CTU and some smaller unions on the outs with Emanuel.
* Racially speaking, to oversimplify things, you need two out of the three predominant racial demographics to win Chicago - whites, blacks or Latinos, or a combination of major subgroups within those blocs. I can see a path for Emanuel (as long as he continues the leftward recalibration) more than I can for Garcia (who will likely scare the big money types into ignoring Emanuel’s lurch away from them).
Chuy is one heckuva stump speaker, and I’d love to see him save the city from the cringe-inducing thumping that 2nd Ward Ald. Bob Fioretti will likely receive from Emanuel. I mean, who the heck hires a campaign manager fresh off his humiliating management of the failed remap amendment, for crying out loud?
But Garcia has never impressed me as much of a fundraiser. So, let’s see what kind of team he puts together before anointing him as the Second Coming.
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* Rauner one-upped Quinn on the Ebola scare today. From the twitters…
Rauner also said that the governor’s plan to require a 21-day home quarantine should’ve been done sooner.
The governor’s office says Gov. Quinn does not favor a travel ban.
* Meanwhile…
Illinois Department of Public Health Director LaMar Hasbrouck said Monday the state’s approach strikes the “right balance” by enforcing a home quarantine only for the highest-risk cases.
The Illinois 21-day mandatory home quarantine won’t be used for medical workers if they wore personal protective equipment correctly while treating Ebola patients in West Africa.
Hasbrouck says Illinois wasn’t directly influenced by a New York doctor who went bowling before testing positive for Ebola. But he says that New York case “played into the urgency” for a public announcement.
Illinois has no confirmed Ebola cases and nobody is in quarantine.
*** UPDATE *** Rauner campaign statement…
Gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner today expressed serious concerns over Governor Quinn’s refusal to support a travel ban applied to countries affected by Ebola.
“I support Senator Kirk’s call on the State Department to issue a visa and travel ban on those attempting to travel from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone,” Rauner said. “It is troubling that Governor Quinn would not support a travel ban particularly given that O’Hare is one of the world’s busiest airports. Pat Quinn has failed Illinois on jobs, on education, on taxes, and on crime; we can’t afford another failure on a potentially very serious public health hazard.”
Senator Kirk’s proposal is common sense and supported by the vast majority of people in Illinois and America. It has won bi-partisan support.
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* From a press release issued late Friday night…
Governor Pat Quinn today ordered the Illinois Department of Public Health to require a mandatory 21-day home quarantine for high-risk individuals who have had direct contact with an individual infected with the Ebola virus while in Liberia, Sierra Leone or Guinea.
The mandatory quarantine order includes any high-risk medical personnel who have performed medical services to individuals infected with the Ebola virus. The order will be implemented by local health departments across the state.
Previously these high-risk individuals were subject to a voluntary quarantine.
“This protective measure is too important to be voluntary,” Governor Quinn said. “We must take every step necessary to ensure the people of Illinois are protected from potential exposure to the Ebola virus. While we have no confirmed cases of the Ebola virus in Illinois, we will continue to take every safeguard necessary to protect first responders, healthcare workers and the people of Illinois.”
This directive was issued to every local health department in Illinois earlier today.
* But a similar (although non-home) quarantine didn’t hold up in New Jersey…
An American nurse who has tested negative for Ebola is being released after days in quarantine in New Jersey.
Kaci Hickox, who told CNN the quarantine was violating her rights, is being discharged, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s office said Monday.
New York and New Jersey both followed Illinois’ lead over the weekend and are now allowing for home confinement during the quarantine.
* More…
Florida Gov. Rick Scott has approved an executive order mandating twice-daily 21-day health monitoring for people returning from Ebola-affected Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. The order, signed Saturday, gives Florida Department of Health authorities the go-ahead to work alongside the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to identify people who have recently returned to Florida from those areas so they can be monitored, the governor’s office said in a news release.
Virginia is following suit. The state is implementing an “active monitoring program” for all returning passengers from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, “with a special emphasis on returning health care workers,” Virginia governor’s spokesman Brian Coy has said.
* There’s a new federal policy in place, and DC officials think it’s better than the state policy for one big reason…
A top federal health official publicly criticized Christie and Cuomo on Sunday, saying the two states’ quarantine rule could discourage health workers from helping fight Ebola in Africa, which would ultimately endanger the United States.
“I’m concerned of the disincentive for the health care workers,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health.
A federal policy starting Monday requires all travelers coming to the United States from Ebola-affected areas to be actively monitored for 21 days.
Your thoughts?
*** UPDATE *** The governor was asked about the new policy today…
“We definitely, definitely honor all of those heroes, men and women who go forward to help the health of others,” Quinn said. “At the same time, upon their return if they have been directly exposed, it’s just common sense that there be this 21-day period in someone’s home, where they are comfortable, in order to make sure everyone is not affected.”
Quinn emphasized that the home quarantine would allow visitors and is different from keeping someone in a designated site as in New Jersey, which he said was “very wrong.”
The governor said no one was in quarantine as of Monday morning.
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*** UPDATED x1 *** Another four-point margin
Monday, Oct 27, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* A second poll has Tom Cross leading Mike Frerichs by four points in the state treasurer’s race. This one’s from the Tribune…
* But there’s some good news for Frerichs in the xtabs…
The poll found Frerichs with 59 percent to 11 percent for Cross in Democratic-dominated Chicago, with 23 percent undecided. Cross, meanwhile, held the advantage in suburban Cook County, the traditional GOP-leaning collar counties and in the 96 counties outside the Chicago metropolitan area.
The large percentage of undecided voters in the city was reflected in Frerichs getting only 64 percent support from Democratic voters while 75 percent of Republicans backed Cross. Among independents, Cross held a 42 percent to 17 percent edge over Frerichs with 27 percent undecided.
If and/or when Chicagoans and Democrats come home, that’ll definitely boost Frerichs.
But that indpendent split is not good news for Frerichs.
* Meanwhile, the Illinois State Board of Elections voted 7-1 last week that the Frerichs campaign’s complaint against the Cross campaign “was not filed on justifiable grounds.” Frerichs alleged that Cross, “failed to file required A-1 reports, exceeded contribution limitations, and the political candidate of the committee maintained and established more than one candidate political committee for the office sought by the candidate.” The vote overturned a hearing officer’s recommendation.
* In other news, the Frerichs campaign wants you to know that Treasurer Dan Rutherford has endorsed Tom Cross. They want you to know this because Cross hasn’t yet put the endorsement on his campaign page.
*** UPDATE *** The hearing officer’s report is here…
RECOMMENDATION
For the reasons set forth above, it is the Recommendation of the Hearing Examiner that the Board find as follows:
1) The Complaint has been filed on justifiable grounds as to the 7 expenditures listed above that Respondent indicated should have been attributed to Cross for Treasurer rather than Citizens to elect Tom Cross State Representative.
Strategic Media Services $ 7,095.58
Scientific Flight 2,594.82
Nevins 2,461.15
Quick Signs 340.00
Sheraton 1,120.00
Sheraton 206.65
Enterprise 198.00
TOTAL: $ 14,016.62
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