House Speaker Michael J. Madigan issued the following statement Wednesday:
“As he has done throughout his administration, Governor Rauner chooses to blame others for the challenges facing our state on his watch instead of being the leader he was elected to be. If the governor were as serious about addressing property taxes as he is about scoring cheap political points, he would have come to the table and worked with Democrats to support any of the multiple bills we have advanced to provide property tax relief for middle class families.
“For the good of our state, maybe it’s better the governor continue sitting on the sidelines and pretend he is ‘not in charge.’ That way, serious leaders can continue working to move our state forward, while the governor can continue to ignore his utterly dismal record without accomplishments, and avoid the real discussion about the damage he has inflicted on our state. While he remains on the sidelines, those of us in the Legislature will continue working together in a bipartisan way to ensure our state moves forward.”
We just heard Governor Rauner’s re-election speech. Now he has 14 days to deliver a balanced budget that doesn’t involve pixie dust and magic beans.
I don’t know about ‘turning yesterday into tomorrow,’ but Governor Rauner turned the $5 billion backlog of bills he inherited into a $16.7 billion backlog. He deficit-spent more than any other governor in the history of Illinois - $5 billion a year.
You heard all the applause for his empty promise to propose a balanced budget. The Governor has had three chances to propose a balanced budget. All the objective fact-checkers, Politifact, the Better Government Association, all agree his budgets have been billions of dollars out of balance and his claims to the contrary flat-out lies.
I welcome his call for bipartisan governing. The good news is we do have bi-partisanship. Republican and Democratic legislators came together last year to override the governor’s vetoes on the budget and my Debt Transparency Act. Just before Governor Rauner entered the chamber to deliver his State of the State address, Legislators of both parties came together to override the Governor’s veto of education funding.
Our Debt Transparency Report we released last week showed he ran up $1 billion dollars in late payment interest penalties over the last 2 ½ years. That’s money that will never be spent on educating our children; rebuilding our state; or fixing the pipes at the Quincy Veterans Home where 13 people have died from Legionnaire’s Disease on his watch.
We need to see a balanced budget from him. We need for him to answer these five questions:
1) How are you going to cover the cost of the $1 billion in late interest penalties you racked up by not paying the state’s bills on time?
2) What is your plan to pay down the State’s $8.37 billion bill backlog?
3) How will you account for the $2.3 billion in unappropriated spending by your agencies last year?
4) How will you account for the $1.7 billion in unrealized revenues and savings from failed initiatives like the sale of the Thompson Center and the Tier III retirement plan?
5) Can you, for the first time, introduce a balanced gimmick-free budget that doesn’t call for pixie dust and magic beans?
Mendoza’s Republican opponent Darlene Senger…
“I applaud the Governor’s call for common-sense, bipartisan solutions that can deliver real property tax relief for Illinois families starting with reforming the broken and corrupt property tax assessment system. For too long, this system has benefited the insiders and connected while punishing hard-working families who only lack clout.
“The time is now for those, like Speaker Madigan and Comptroller Mendoza, who continue to defend and benefit from this broken system to either support reform — or get out of the way.”
The chairman of the Illinois Lottery Control Board used a disparaging term to describe East St. Louis following the recent controversy over allegations that President Donald Trump used profanity when talking about African nations.
Blair Garber of Evanston, who is also a member of the Republican State Central Committee, tweeted on Jan. 17 about the issue that arose from a White House meeting on Jan. 11. […]
The Lottery Control Board advises the lottery superintendent regarding operations, conducts hearings concerning complaints or violations and establishes advertising policy. Garber was appointed to the board in May 2016 by Gov. Bruce Rauner, and the Senate confirmed the appointment unanimously that month. The appointment letter said the post pays expenses, but comptroller’s records don’t show any payments to Garber for his service.
Garber represents the 9th Congressional District on the GOP State Central Committee. That district includes Rauner’s Winnetka home.
* The tweet in question, edited slightly by me…
* The governor’s office gave Bernie and me the same response…
There is no place for this kind of language in our political discourse.
* Ah, but there’s more, and I shared it with the Rauner administration as well. This one has since been deleted…
* And from his Facebook page, with a slight edit by me…
* Garber was also bragging about how well he knows the governor on Facebook this week during an online spat…
* Indeed, Garber’s Evanston Township GOP recently endorsed Rauner in the Republican primary and sent out this press release…
In advance of the March 20th Republican Primary, the Evanston Township Republican Organization announced its endorsements across the ticket. “We’re proud to support such an outstanding slate of Republican candidates who will push hard for conservative principles on behalf of Illinoisans,” said Evanston Township GOP Committeeman Blair Garber.
Committeeman Garber added, “Illinoisans agree that Mike Madigan’s reign of terror must come to an end. We need candidates who will stand up to the Madigan Machine and politics as usual. These men and women will be effective and tough citizen legislators. It’s high time we had some leaders with a backbone in Springfield.”
Rauner passed HB40, which ensured access to legal and safe abortions in Illinois should the U.S. Supreme Court overturn its ruling in Roe v. Wade. It also repealed provisions that limit health care options for women who receive coverage under Medicaid and in-state worker health plans. […]
Garber said he feels the bill created a lot of turmoil because Madigan designed it to do so. He added that Madigan chose to put forth the bill at a time that would “manipulate pro-life voters in Illinois.” […]
“If Bruce is not (reelected), then the state will be in complete Democratic control,” he said. “We will lose all the donors. We will lose all the financing. … That’ll be the end of it. Illinois will be a one-party state run by Democrats.”
Garber is a staunch ally of Governor Bruce Rauner of Winnetka. He is one of a handful of township committeemen who has endorsed Rauner in the March 20 GOP primary, in which he is squaring off with State Representative Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton).
Rauner appointed Garber to the Illinois Lottery Control Board in May 2016.
Garber also serves as the representative from the 9th U.S. Congressional District to the Illinois Republican State Central Committee. Rauner lives in the 9th Congressional District.
Durbin graduated from East St. Louis Assumption High School in 1962.
East St. Louis then had more than 80,000 population and was 55 percent white and 45 percent black. In 2016, the U.S. Census reported it had just under 27,000 population, 98 percent black currently.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Rep. Dave McSweeney, who is supporting Rep. Jeanne Ives’ candidacy…
Governor Rauner should immediately fire Blair Garber, his handpicked Chairman of the Lottery Control Board. Garber is also a top Rauner political operative. In addition to firing Garber, the Governor should immediately apologize to the citizens of East St. Louis and all Illinois citizens for the disgusting comments made by his political appointee.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Sen. Clayborne…
The Chair of the Illinois Lottery Control Board is under fire for comments he made about East St. Louis earlier this month. Evanston resident Blair Garber used the same disgusting remarks used by President Trump to describe third world countries to describe East St. Louis in a tweet.
Garber was appointed by Governor Bruce Rauner to the board that oversees the state lottery in May of 2016.
State Senator James F. Clayborne, Jr. (D-Belleville) represents East St. Louis in the Illinois Senate and is calling on the governor to ask for Garber’s resignation from the board.
“For someone who claims to love the entire state, Governor Rauner seems to surround himself with people who care little for communities besides their own,” the Senate’s Majority Leader said. “If the governor does not ask for Mr. Garber’s resignation then I think it is obvious how the governor feels about places like East St. Louis.”
Clayborne says the comments made by Garber are insulting to the many East St. Louisans who have made great contributions to Illinois and the United States.
“When you make comments like that, you disparage the legacies and accomplishments of people like jazz legend Miles Davis, Senator Dick Durbin, Congressman Jerry Costello, Poet Laureate Eugene Redmond, Major General Marcia Anderson, Olympic gold medalists Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Al Joyner, United Nations Ambassador Donald McHenry, United States Ambassador to Morocco Dwight L. Bush and the thousands of unsung heroes who have called East St. Louis home.”
*** UPDATE 4 *** Rep. Jeanne Ives…
“It’s a disgusting remark. Those kinds of statements from a person in a position of service to the State of Illinois cannot be tolerated. There are a lot of families and a lot of communities struggling in Illinois because of terrible public policy choices made by ruling class politicians in both parties, including Gov. Rauner. The people suffering under the rule of craven, career politicians don’t deserve to be ridiculed, the craven, career politicians do.
“Rauner will have to decide if his loyalties lie with people supporting him politically or the people he was elected to serve.
“Rauner should immediately remove Blair Garber from the Lottery Control Board.”
*** UPDATE 4 *** Sen. Kwame Raoul’s campaign…
Sen. Raoul is calling for the resignation of the chairman of the Illinois Lottery Control Board after he called the city of East St. Louis “the sh*thole of the universe.”
“Today, I’m calling on Blair Garber to resign since Gov. Rauner refuses to publicly do so. Whether hateful comments come from President Trump or Gov. Rauner’s handpicked lottery chief, Governor Rauner continues to describe the tone of hateful rhetoric instead of declaring that these individuals are unfit to serve.
Last night, I was in Washington D.C. for the State of the Union Address to stand up on behalf of those who often don’t have a voice. As Attorney General, I’ll be right here in the trenches and will be the voice of the voiceless. To the people of East St. Louis: I’ve got your back,” Raoul said.
Democrats from across the Metro East are formally endorsing State Senator Kwame Raoul’s candidacy for Attorney General.
“We’re pleased to offer our support for Sen. Kwame Raoul’s campaign to be this state’s next Attorney General. Kwame has taken the time to listen to voters from across the Metro East and downstate Illinois. He knows we need a fighter and we know we can depend on him,” said St. Clair County Democratic Central Committee Chair Bob Sprague.
“I’ve been in the trenches with Kwame and I can tell you that he’s tough and has what it takes to be the people’s attorney. He’s the only candidate in this race who has stood toe to toe with Bruce Rauner and won. He’s been my partner in protecting Illinois workers from Bruce Rauner’s Turnaround Agenda and now I want him to be the Metro East’s partner in the attorney general’s office,” Rep. Jay Hoffman added.
Raoul has previously been endorsed by Sen. Bill Haine of Alton and Sen. Andy Manar of Bunker Hill along with the Madison County Democrats.
*** UPDATE 5 *** Comptroller Mendoza…
East St. Louis struggles with many challenges, including neglect from the Governor’s office. Governor Rauner should stand up for the people of East St. Louis by immediately rescinding the appointment of his Lottery Control Board Chairman, Republican State Committeeman Blair Garber. Governor Rauner and his hand-picked appointee should both apologize to the people of East St. Louis and the victims of Garber’s other racist and bigoted statements. How about a plan from the Governor to jump-start East St. Louis’ economy?
*** UPDATE 6 *** From the governor’s press office…
Mr. Garber has apologized for his comments and is resigning from the Illinois Lottery Control Board effective immediately.
* And speaking of the Tribune forum, Pritzker has a new digital ad…
Today, the JB Pritzker campaign released a new, statewide digital ad slamming Bruce Rauner in the words of his primary opponent, Jeanne Ives.
Ives “crushed” Rauner’s failed record at a meeting with the Chicago Tribune editorial board, demonstrating exactly why this failed governor refuses to take responsibility for his mismanagement of the state. The significant digital buy will target voters who need to hear about Rauner’s real record and make sure they see a member of Rauner’s own party calling out his failures.
“Bruce Rauner’s disastrous performance in front of the Chicago Tribune demonstrates exactly why this failed governor is running scared: even by his own metrics he has failed this state,” said Pritzker communications director Galia Slayen. “Rauner can’t defend his record, can’t present any accomplishments, and is getting taken to task by his own party for refusing to take charge as Illinois families pay the price.”
A new We Ask America poll shows Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Daniel Biss climbing into second place past Chris Kennedy in a crowded field of governor hopefuls. At the same time, frontrunner J.B. Pritzker’s lead has diminished to a level where this may soon turn into a much more interesting race.
Here are the latest results from our poll conducted Jan. 29-30, 2018 (811 responses; Margin of Error ±3.44%
I’ve already gone over this poll with subscribers today, so we’ll stick mainly to WAA’s release…
* Back to the pollster…
Biss’ improvement puts him within striking distance in the Democrat-rich environments of Chicago and Suburban Cook. He falters elsewhere–especially downstate:
Click the pics for larger images…
* Pollster…
Kennedy’s inherent name recognition is keeping him in the game, but Biss’ rise seems to put the State Senator from Evanston into a solid second position. Pritkzer’s superior resources still make him the favorite, but the race is tightening up and may prove to ultimately be closer than once believed.
Fastest response yet in this campaign from @KennedyforIL on New Democrat We Ask America Poll, showing @danielbiss surging: "voters are very much undecided and they're looking for another option besides JB Pritzker." #ILGOV
“The We Ask America poll confirms what we already knew,” said Abby Witt, Campaign Manager, Biss for Illinois. “Voters understand the choice in this primary: a middle-class candidate with a progressive record and bold vision for Illinois’ future, or a billionaire businessman who’s now promising to fix the same broken systems he’s benefited from. We’re excited to continue growing Team Biss, and to build a state that works for the rest of us.”
Today, Betsy Dirksen Londrigan, Democratic candidate for Illinois’ 13th Congressional District released her first television message to voters. Focusing on her family’s experience of nearly losing her son to a rare illness, the spot, titled “Jack,” highlights the importance of fighting to protect health care from President Trump’s and Rep. [Rodney] Davis’ misguided plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
“The contrast between my priorities and the Trump/Davis agenda could not be more stark. I believe that health care is a right, not a privilege. No family should risk losing a loved one, or everything they’ve worked towards because of one medical emergency. I know firsthand how critical it is to have access to quality, affordable health care. I look forward to being a representative that stands up to President Trump and for the middle class here in central Illinois,” stated Dirksen Londrigan.
Betsy and her family have been a part of the fabric of the community for generations and her candidacy has been endorsed by Sen. Dick Durbin, Rep. Jan Schakowsky, EMILY’s List amongst others.
When our son Jack was 12, a rare infection almost took his life. After intensive care for 21 days and receiving last rites twice, Jack pulled through. Donald Trump’s health care plan would’ve bankrupted us, because it allows insurance companies to cut off families with sick kids. That’s not right. Donald Trump is dangerous. And it’s time we had a Congress that will stand up to him. I’m Betsy Dirksen Londrigan and I approve this message, because middle class families can’t afford Donald Trump.
* Former Florida governor and vanquished presidential hopeful Jeb Bush writing in National Review…
Something revolutionary is happening right now in education. Illinois, one of the most union-dominated states in the country, is ushering in a new era of educational freedom. Governor Bruce Rauner has pulled off the seemingly impossible: He led a bipartisan effort to bring educational choice to Illinois, and it begins this week.
Through a historic new program signed into law by Governor Rauner last year, taxpayers can now receive tax credits for helping fund a $100 million scholarship program. In the first year, children from families with incomes less than 300 percent of the federal poverty line will be eligible to receive a scholarship on a first-come, first-served basis.
Beginning this week, students and their families may apply for scholarships through the Invest in Kids Scholarship Tax Program’s designated scholarship-granting organizations.
The scholarship program has received influential backing from across the political spectrum, including from religious leaders such as Cardinal Blase Cupich of the Archdiocese of Chicago. Just as encouragingly, the support from individuals and businesses wishing to participate in the tax-credit program has been overwhelming. In just the first 48 hours of opening the window for participation, the Illinois Department of Revenue reported that half of the needed donations for the first year of the program had been pledged.
That’s the same publication which claimed Rauner was the worst Republican governor in the country, by the way.
* So, how’s the program going? Notice that Gov. Bush only talks about the the first 48 hours of the new program’s rollout.
Since then, pledges to Invest in Kids seem to have slowed way down. As of today, they’re at $45 million in contributions out of $100 million in available tax credits. And most of that, 36.5 million, is from Cook County (which is still short of that county’s $51.2 million contribution limit).
But Cook is closer to its limit than any other region. The southern Illinois region has seen just $983K in contributions even though the region’s contribution limit is $8.2 million. You can click here for a pdf file of a search I ran at about 12:30 this afternoon.
…Adding… Pritzker campaign…
Today, failed presidential candidate Jeb Bush endorsed failed governor Bruce Rauner’s twice vetoed “accomplishment” on school funding reform.
First, Rauner used his veto to hold school funding hostage to force through a back-door school voucher program. Rauner then issued another amendatory veto of a fix to the new funding formula. After throwing school funding into crisis, Rauner finally struck a deal with his own political appointees to avert the crisis he originally caused, implementing the school funding formula he vetoed.
“Bruce Rauner vetoed school funding reform, touted the reform as an accomplishment, vetoed a fix to that ‘accomplishment,’ struck a deal with his own appointees, and now wants the General Assembly to re-pass the same fix he vetoed,” said Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh. “Jeb may be asking Illinoisans to ‘please clap’ for this failed governor, but students and families are tired of being subjected to the whims of Bruce Rauner’s incompetence.”
A former candidate who is suing Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan and some of his supporters for allegedly using political tricks to sabotage his campaign, is now locked in a fight in Chicago federal court to secure the release of a 2014 inspector general’s report his lawyer says is needed to shed light on how the longest serving state house speaker in U.S. history and his political organization work, to help substantiate the candidate’s claims.
On Jan. 21, U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly ordered Julie Porter, who serves as the state’s Special Legislative Inspector General, to turn over to him for his review a selection of documents subpoenaed by counsel for Jason Gonzales, a Chicago Democrat who unsuccessfully campaigned against Madigan in the 2016 Democratic Party primary. Among those documents, according to court filings, was a copy of the so-called “Homer Report,” a report prepared nearly four years ago by former Legislative Inspector General Thomas Homer, purportedly focusing on Madigan’s alleged influence over hiring decisions at the Metra commuter rail agency. […]
Porter responded to the subpoena by asking the judge to allow her to keep the report away from public view. In a motion to quash the subpoena, filed by Assistant Illinois Attorney General Sunil Bhave, who serves under Attorney General Lisa Madigan, the Speaker’s daughter, Porter asserts Illinois state law mandates such reports remain confidential, primarily to protect those who may have testified or cooperated with the LIG’s office.
Porter’s motion also asserts Gonzales wouldn’t be able to demonstrate how the Homer Report and his lawsuit are connected. […]
As a compromise, Porter offered to turn over the documents to the judge for his review before he ruled on the subpoena, an offer Kennelly accepted on Jan. 21.
In response to Porter’s motion to quash, Peraica and Gonzales argued the subpoenaed documents would allow them to buttress their claims asserting “Madigan’s personal actions are inseparable from his political actions” and “Madigan intertwines his political office and campaign.”
“Each of these matters is likely addressed in the Homer Report, the investigation led by Homer and in complaints filed against Michael Madigan,” Gonzales and Peraica said in their reply, filed Jan. 5.
…Adding… From Rep. Scott Drury…
Patronage is a corrupt practice that puts political self-interest ahead of the public interest. Politicians who benefit from or promote patronage cannot be trusted to change the status quo.
As Attorney General, I will root out corruption - including patronage - wherever it exists. We have to transform Illinois into a State that works for people, not politicians.
The woman who accused a Senator of sexual harassment is speaking out after the charges were cleared.
Denise Rotheimer accused Sen. Ira Silverstein of sexual harassment in October. Just last week Inspector General Julie Porter ruled that Silverstein didn’t harass Rotheimer but said he acted with “conduct unbecoming of a legislator”.
Rotheimer said during a press conference on Monday, she believes Porter omitted critical information thus slanting the case for Sen. Silverstein.
Rotheimer said earlier during a news conference the LIG report from Julie Porter was incomplete, contradictory and full of errors. She said people should be outraged.
“But if this is how the legislators want to behave at the taxpayer expense while not wanting to provide us representation and incurring higher taxes because of all this misconduct and corruption, then it will be high time for the people to be outraged,” Rotheimer said.
In a written statement, Porter responded, “I fully considered all of the information Ms. Rotheimer chose to provide to me, as well as extensive additional information supplied by 19 other witnesses. I stand by my report (which is a summary, not intended to convey every detail I examined) and its conclusions.”
Hey, Rich- We just spotted this on TV. I don’t think the Pritzker campaign has formally “launched” it yet. Pritzker must be nervous if he’s spending money to defend his conversations with Blagojevich.
…Adding… Pritzker campaign manager…
Odd strategy from the Rauner camp to be bragging about "finding" a negative ad against their candidate…I mean we're putting it on TV, guys. But hey, it's been a rough few days for the best political team in America. Appreciate you doing the press on the ad for us! https://t.co/Lxf9uWqwJs
TV News Anchor: A new court filing suggests Bruce Rauner isn’t telling the truth about…
Announcer: A new scandal in Springfield. Serious corruption in the governor’s office. Not only has Bruce Rauner continued to do private business, he’s been doing it at the governor’s mansion. So, what does Bruce Rauner do? He tries to distract with attacks in the Democratic primary. But the truth is, JB Pritzker did not say anything improper. And he was accused of no wrongdoing. Bruce Rauner, attacking JB Pritzker because he can’t defend his own record.
Rauner said, “No private business was conducted on public property. That issue is a contract dispute.”
At its core, the question raised by the lawsuit against Rauner is simple to address. He has claimed from his first days as governor that he would have no involvement in managing an investment portfolio worth hundreds of millions of dollars to avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest.
Kirkpatrick’s lawsuit contends Rauner violated that pledge. In defending himself, Rauner has appeared evasive and is now attempting to parse the difference between personal involvement with an investment and personal involvement with a contract dispute stemming from an investment.
It is a distinction without a difference. Rauner is being disingenuous and obtuse, and we rate his statement as False.
* Pritzker campaign…
“Despite repeated vows to the contrary, Bruce Rauner was caught conducting business while governor, and he continues to lie to cover it up,” said Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh. “This failed governor broke the trust of the people, exposed himself to conflicts of interest, and refuses to come clean to Illinois families.”
Hi. This is Ken Dunkin and I’m sure you’ve heard some things about me. But, baby, I’m back.
I’m running as an independent Democrat who will hold Republicans and us Democrats accountable to taxpayers.
Silly name calling does absolutely nothing towards job creation, school funding or stopping crime in our communities.
I want to hear from you. Please go to my website kendunkin2018.com or call me at (312) 414-7106. Help offer legislative solutions. Thank you. I’m Ken Dunkin and I approved this message.
* The Question: Your message for Mr. Dunkin? Snark is heavily encouraged, of course.
…Adding… Silly me, I didn’t even check out Dunkin’s new website. I kid you not, here’s a screen cap of part of his home page…
* Gov. Rauner told the Tribune editorial board today that he was excited to have “personally recruited” Erika Harold into the attorney general’s race because retiring incumbent AG Lisa Madigan, who was “loyal to her father”…
She and I together will transform this state. Having an attorney general who’s not actually undermining me every day, just working for her dad, blocking our initiatives, never defending our administration when we’re taking strong, tough actions. It’s been a nightmare for me not to have an attorney who is working for taxpayers and our administration.
*** UPDATE 1 *** From the Kwame Raoul campaign…
Bruce Rauner already bought one constitutional office and it’s clearer than ever that Illinoisans can’t afford to let him buy another.
We’ve seen this horror movie before. Bruce Rauner and his Comptroller “shook up” Springfield with a 793-day-long budget crisis which led to multiple credit downgrades, the erosion of the state’s safety net and a record bill backlog. Now Bruce Rauner wants a taxpayer-funded legal department to help promote his anti-worker Turnaround Agenda and guard his administration in secrecy.
Illinoisans deserve an Attorney General who will stand up for them AND win on their behalf. Kwame Raoul is the only candidate who has stood toe to toe with Bruce Rauner’s anti-worker agenda and won.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Jesse Ruiz…
Governor Rauner today whined to the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board that Attorney General’s Lisa Madigan’s refusal to do his bidding has been a “nightmare.” Rauner complained about how difficult it is for him to have to deal with an Attorney General who insists on upholding the law and protecting the rights of the people of Illinois.
Rauner’s comments were eerily similar to President Trump’s recently reported complaints about the apparent unwillingness of the “Trump Justice Department” to blindly follow every whim of the White House.
Although he took a solemn oath to uphold the Constitution, Rauner clearly fails to understand that the Attorney General is accountable to the people and the Constitution. We need a forceful, independent-minded advocate in the Attorney General’s office - not Bruce Rauner’s hand-picked political stooge.
I am proud of my record of standing up to the powerful. So when I’m elected as Illinois’ next Attorney General, I’ll keep on giving Bruce Rauner nightmares - and I’ll keep on fighting for everyone’s chance to achieve the American Dream.
*** UPDATE 3 *** Former Gov. Pat Quinn…
“The Office of Attorney General must be an independent lawyer for the people of Illinois, not beholden to Bruce Rauner and his ruthless agenda. Attorney General Lisa Madigan has been a strong advocate for Illinois consumers, taxpayers, and workers. Apparently, by doing her job, she’s causing nightmares for Bruce Rauner.”
Following a debate at the Tribune this morning with Governor Rauner, Jeanne Ives just disclosed a $500K contribution from Richard Uihlein.https://t.co/ndggdlwOGc
At the end of December Ives reported $404K cash on hand, including today she has added about $580K since bringing her estimated total to around $1 million.
“This helps level the playing field,” said an Ives spokeswoman. “Because of people like Uihlein, voters now will know there’s a choice in the election.”
Even bigger money would help now, but the spokeswoman said she does not know if more is coming.
Rauner’s campaign had no immediate comment. He lately has been pretty much ignoring Ives to attack Democratic front-runner J.B. Pritzker, releasing a new anti-Pritzker TV ad earlier today.
Uihlein donated at least $2.6 million to Rauner in the 2014 election cycle and gave $2 million in 2016 to Rauner’s hand-picked state comptroller, Leslie Munger, who lost to Democrat Susana Mendoza.
Ives contended Rauner’s signature on legislation that expanded taxpayer-subsidized abortions for women covered by Medicaid and state employee health insurance demonstrated that all the governor accomplished in his first term was a “progressive social agenda.”
“He told us he would veto the bill,” she said. He lied to a cardinal,” she said, a reference to Cardinal Blase Cupich.
Rauner would not say what he told Cupich about the abortion legislation, but called Ives’ allegations “outrageous.”
“There are a lot of politics swirling around the bill,” said Rauner, who repeatedly added that “the simple fact is I support a woman’s right to decide.” The governor said his choice to sign the bill was either to “follow what I believe or do politics.”
* Other highlights…
"That was quite a filibustering screed." - @GovRauner to the often-interrupting @JeanneIves at their @Trib_ed_board joint-appearance where she oddly defended Madigan from being called a crook by Rauner who made the implausible claim he can unseat the speaker. @wlsam890#ilgov
"you don't need legislative authority to propose a balanced budget. He never proposed a balanced budget" Ives says….Rauner counters………"That's false." ……
Listening to the Rep. Jeanne Ives talk about coalition building to get things done.. is the best thing I have heard so far.. Rep. Ives the bridge builder said no one ever. #Twill
Rauner says Madigan "would love nothing more" than Ives to win the GOP primary because "I am the only person at this table who can beat Pritzker in November."
What will be different in second term? Rauner: "Not only will I be able to block the gerrymandering from Madigan this time, but I led the effort to get two lawsuits to SCOTUS. These two lawsuits will transform Illinois."
Rauner: "My first few years in office, I've laid the dramatic change for my second term." Ives: "That is completely untrue." Watch: https://t.co/KI76s2eQNT
And the time he cites as getting over on Madigan, he says he got Ken Dunkin not to come down to Spfld on the arbitration bill. He got voted out in '16, he's back on the ballot now. Your choice, 5th District.
“After manufacturing a 736-day budget crisis, adding billions to our state’s bill backlog, holding school funding hostage, and decimating Illinois’ social safety net, there aren’t many questions that are easy for Bruce Rauner to answer,” said Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh. “After today, it’s no surprise Rauner doesn’t want to defend his failed leadership.”
Daniel Biss today released the following statement in response to WCIA-TV’s report detailing how JB Pritzker transferred hundreds of millions of dollars worth of Hyatt Hotel Corporation stock from offshore accounts in the Bahamas to shell companies established in South Dakota and Nevada:
“JB Pritzker has claimed to be the solution, but today’s report detailing his latest tax scandal is more proof that he’s a continuation of the problem.
“JB’s repeated tax schemes don’t just cheat the state — they cheat middle-class and working families who have to make up for his tax evasion with higher taxes and reduced services. JB transferred money from offshore accounts to out-of-state shell companies that were not listed on his Statement of Economic Interest. This report has raised some alarming questions, and now JB Pritzker is asking us to take him at his word that he paid his fair share in taxes while still refusing to release his full tax returns. We should all be offended.
“We can’t trust a billionaire who benefits from the broken system to fix it. And we certainly shouldn’t elect one as the next governor of our state.”
OK, this was part of an interesting turn of events. A WCIA story was posted at 3:58 Friday morning, but was then taken down. Click here for the original, which I saved on my hard drive, and click here for the revised story, which was posted Friday night.
* The initial explanation for why the first story was taken down…
The Pritzker campaign has asked for time to respond to this story. We have decided to temporarily suspend the article until we can include their full response. https://t.co/bqW35mXmEu
An anonymous Twitter account accused @JBPritzker of “financing his campaign by liquidating offshore assets.” The SEC documents we found don’t prove that. They do show Pritzker dumped $220M in stock just as his prospects for a job in @HillaryClinton’s cabinet went up in smoke. https://t.co/BlY2qsXKyn
* The Pritzker campaign, however, still has problems with the revised story…
This “story” connects completely unrelated dates and facts and is a lesson in why regurgitating an anonymous political twitter account is so dangerous. Before taking anonymous information riddled with innuendo and parading it around as news, it would serve the voters to get the facts right first.
Below are excerpts from the story and bullets correcting inaccurate information:
In a series of tweets reminiscent of the now infamous WikiLeaks rollout of hacked DNC emails, the mysterious schemer peddled a web of tax avoidance theories which claim, with scant evidence, that Pritzker began filling his massive campaign war chest by “liquidating offshore assets” and funneling the money through shell companies in Nevada and South Dakota.
* This sale in question only concerns a domestic trust.
* No disbursements from offshore trusts ever went to trust companies in South Dakota or Nevada.
* Money from offshore trusts only goes to charity, and this sale has nothing to do with an offshore trust.
* The documents show the trust being a domestic trust.
SEC filing forms show the shares were cashed out and distributed into the Pritzker Family Foundation, which operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity. According to tax documents filed with the Internal Revenue Service in 2015, the Pritzker Family Foundation reported it held over $104 million in assets that year.
* This is false. The SEC documents do not show that.
* This sale is from a domestic trust set up in Illinois.
* It doesn’t matter where the trustee or the trust company is located, taxes have to be paid based on where the trust was set up.
* All applicable federal and state (Illinois) taxes were paid as a part of this transaction.
According to insider transaction documents filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Pritzker began unloading his shares of Hyatt Hotel Corporation stock on August 19th, 2016, less than one month after Julian Assange first published emails damaging to Hillary Clinton on WikiLeaks. At the time, Pritzker was heavily invested in Clinton’s presidential bid, donating over $15 million to Priorities USA Action, the pro-Clinton super PAC then run by current Pritzker campaign manager Anne Caprara.
* The timeline of Hillary Clinton’s campaign has nothing to do with the timing of the sale.
* At the time of the first sale, August 19, there was no indication that Hillary was going to lose the election.
* The Pritzker family has restrictions on when they can sell Hyatt stock. Other Pritzkers sold stock around that time as well.
It was only after the trove of WikiLeaks emails was released, some of which contain fundraising emails and conversations with Pritzker himself, did he begin moving money out of his Hyatt fortune in the Bahamas to establish what would become, ostensibly, a hedge bet against Clinton’s unlikely loss in November. Pritzker personally signed off on the documents that show he used shell companies established in South Dakota and Nevada to complete the multi-million dollar transactions.
* Again, this transaction has nothing to do with the Bahamas. If you look at the linked document it’s from 2010, not 2016.
* The Pritzker family has restrictions on when they can sell Hyatt stock. Other Pritzkers sold stock around that time as well.
* Hillary Clinton’s campaign had nothing to do with the timing of the transaction. Again, everyone thought she was going to win until election day. Even Trump’s campaign thought he was going to lose on election night.
* They’re not shell companies, they’re trustees
* No money from offshore trusts ever went to trust companies in South Dakota or Nevada.
Each of these stock transactions appears to have been conducted legally, but Pritzker’s political rivals will almost certainly raise questions about the timing and the ethics of the maneuvers, the civic duty of would-be public servants to pay taxes, the apparent contradiction between his transactions and his public statements calling on the wealthy to “pay their fair share,” and his pledge on Tuesday night to create a “truly blind trust” that would separate him from conflicts of interest.
* These transactions were done legally. Period.
* Trusts for JB’s benefit paid all applicable taxes on these transactions as Mark reports in the paragraphs previously.
The longtime top watchdog for Illinois’ troubled child-welfare system — who’s been highly critical of the agency’s former director leading up to his resignation amid a corruption scandal last year — is now being replaced by Gov. Bruce Rauner.
Gov. Bruce Rauner announced last week he’s appointing a replacement to Denise Kane, who was the first-ever inspector general for the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. […]
Kane’s colleagues in the child welfare system are calling her tenure as “effective,” “fearless,” and “tenacious.”
The change in leadership comes after Kane published what will be her final annual report of DCFS, which included a biting critique of former Director George Sheldon’s leadership. Sheldon resigned last year under the cloud of a corruption investigation by Kane’s office into contracting and hiring. He was also facing questions about the death of 17-month-old Semaj Crosby, whose family had repeatedly been investigated by DCFS before her body was found under a couch in her Joliet home.
In the same report, Kane wrote that around the same time she was investigating Sheldon, DCFS contended she was overstepping her boundaries. […]
When asked if Kane’s biting report played a role in Rauner replacing her as DCFS’ watchdog, Rauner spokeswoman Rachel Bold responded, “It did not.” Kane’s term expired this year, after she served for governors from both parties over five administrations.
* I checked in with Ben Wolf, a top attorney with the Illinois ACLU who has been working on the DCFS problem for years. Wolf is quoted in the WBEZ story saying nice things about former IG Kane, but I was curious what he thought about this new turn of events.
“The more we learn about this decision, the more troubled we are,” Wolf said. Kane had a “record of independence and courage,” but the Rauner administration “replaced her with somebody who appears to be an insider,” Wolf said.
“That’s not the kind of background that we would endorse for an inspector general at this very troubled agency.”
The worry, as I take it, is that the Rauner administration will “solve” some of DCFS’ problems by appointing somebody who won’t be as aggressive.
Wolf went on to point out that Kane’s replacement, Meryl Paniak, had been an ethics officer at DCFS. If she was in that post during DCFS’ recent troubles with its former director’s “contracting practices,” he said, “that would only add to our concerns.”
Paniak was Chief Counsel in the Office of Legislative Affairs at DCFS before being upgraded to IG.
However, in her defense, Paniak has an MSW in social work and served as an attorney for the Cook County Office of the Public Guardian starting way back in 1992.
*** UPDATE *** From Kyle Hillman at the National Association of Social Workers, Illinois Chapter…
I think the timing, regarding the switch at DCFS, should give everyone pause – however, I would caution people from piling on Meryl Paniak. Our work with Paniak has been nothing but professional throughout the years. She is a strong advocate for the children in DCFS with an educational background that could bring a fresh look at oversight. She is hardly a Bruce Rauner insider and ACLU Illinois would be wise to keep their criticism toward the action of Kane’s removal rather than an unfair character hit against someone who has spent her career working to fight for children in state care. At minimum give the appointee an opportunity to prove her independence and professionalism in the job.
As he campaigns for the Democratic governor nomination, Downstate schools administrator Bob Daiber is calling for Illinois to pass the Equal Rights Amendment, saying it’s time to guarantee equality for men and women.
“I am proud of the fact that my staff that works for me is 80 percent female, and I have great relationships,” Daiber said at a late October forum in Chicago. “Because I build my office on one word: respect. And I think that’s what all women want, and that’s what I am all about.”
But records show that Madison County taxpayers paid nearly $500,000 to settle a 2010 lawsuit after a federal jury found Daiber retaliated against a woman by laying her off after she complained she wasn’t being paid as much as a male colleague.
Daiber described the case as an “unfortunate situation,” but denied retaliating against the employee. Daiber said he tried to work with her to find a resolution, and added that he has built a reputation as a fair employer who has worked to help women achieve leadership roles in education and government.
Ouch.
…Adding… According to the Daiber campaign, the county’s insurer paid the settlement.
Today, Citizens for Rauner launched a new TV ad entitled “That’s the One I Would Want.”
Despite Pritzker saying that “no one knew the FBI was investigating the man,” it was widely reported that the FBI was looking into Blagojevich’s corruption well before Pritzker’s fateful conversations with the soon-to-be federal inmate. In this ad, Pritzker can be heard asking Blagojevich to appoint him as State Treasurer, very clearly stating “that’s the one I would want.”
JB Pritzker is just another corrupt insider who is part of the problem. The people of Illinois deserve to know the truth.
Today, JB Pritzker and State Representative Juliana Stratton hosted a panel with DACA recipients to discuss the policy changes needed at the state and federal levels to protect immigrant communities and help families thrive. As JB and Juliana moderated the panel, they learned about the obstacles DACA recipients face pursuing a college education, obtaining work permits, and securing healthcare for their families.
“Illinois should be a welcoming state where everyone is treated with the respect and dignity they deserve,” said JB Pritzker. “But right now, immigrant families across our state are under assault by a racist, bigoted president and his partner in Springfield, Bruce Rauner. We can’t remain silent, we need to listen to immigrant communities and stand together to protect the people of our state. There is no doubt DACA recipients deserve every opportunity to thrive in Illinois and when I’m governor, immigrant families will never have to question if they have a partner and an advocate in Springfield.”
* Today…
On Thursday, February 1, Daniel Biss will kick off a seven day tour visiting colleges across Illinois to meet with voters and share his vision for an Illinois that works for all of us. Daniel has fought in the legislature and on the campaign trail to make higher education accessible to every Illinoisan, including advocating for free in-state tuition at public colleges and universities and introducing, passing, and overriding Bruce Rauner’s veto of the Student Loan Bill of Rights.
“Students have so much at stake in this election,” said Daniel Biss. “Under Bruce Rauner’s administration, students have lost their MAP grants and seen academic programs cut while being asked to pay more and more every year. This tour is about acknowledging the challenges of the last three years and charting the road forward for the next thirty. It’s about joining together on our campuses and in our communities to build a state that guarantees every Illinoisan the opportunity to pursue higher education, exercise their right to healthcare, and earn a living wage.”
Over the course of the tour, Biss will visit 13 college and university campuses across Illinois.
Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and primary challenger state Rep. Jeanne Ives will appear before the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board at 11 a.m. Monday for an endorsement session that will be streamed online here.
It’s the first time since Ives announced her campaign that voters will have a chance to see the two candidates together. And it might be the last.
No televised debates between the two are scheduled, and Rauner has been careful not to talk about Ives much, once suggesting she is a “fringe” candidate.
* Meanwhile, the Ives campaign sent this out yesterday…
Yesterday, State Representative Jeanne Ives, a conservative reform Republican for Governor, made several campaign stops in Southern Illinois. Ives spoke to voters and press at Meet & Greets in Newton and Litchfield, Illinois. Later, she delivered the keynote address at the Jersey County Lincoln Day Dinner, during which she defined the choice Republican voters have in the 2018 election. Ives told the audience, “Bruce Rauner doesn’t understand you. He doesn’t respect you. And that is why it was so easy for him to betray you.”
I'm hearing that ISBE, Gov's office, and Dept of Rev just agreed to accommodate 30+ pvt schools in the "recognition" pipeline so their donors can get in on tax credit deal.
Poof. Just like that. Rauner admin proves his veto of school funding bill was totally unnecessary.
Private schools will sleep well tonight. Underfunded public schools won’t; they are used to sleepless nights. Too many kids continue to wait for the equity we promised them. https://t.co/QvYTs5tMRN
*** UPDATE *** Looks like I should’ve waited another half an hour. Press release…
A compromise negotiated this week has paved the way for more Illinois schools to participate in the Invest in Kids scholarship tax-credit program, Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner announced today. The move leaves the General Assembly clear to act swiftly to fully implement the requested cleanups to the state’s historic funding law.
“We have worked with schools, advocates, legislators from both parties, the Illinois Department of Revenue and the Illinois State Board of Education to ensure that more schools will be able to participate in the Invest in Kids Program,” Rauner said.
The compromise announced today allows ISBE to notify IDOR in real time as new schools become recognized, eliminating the lag time that prevented schools from participating in this program.
Earlier this month, the governor used his amendatory veto power to address an issue that prevented a number of schools from participating in invest in kids; they had not achieved “recognition” status by the Illinois State Board of Education in time.
“We encourage swift passage in the General Assembly of legislative language necessary to correct the other unintended consequences so the historic school funding law can be fully implemented,” Rauner said.
Invest in Kids is a scholarship tax-credit program that gives low- to middle-income students the opportunity to attend nonpublic schools that best meet their needs.
“I applaud Governor Rauner for taking action, and working with us in a bipartisan way, to ensure that even more schools, students and families in Illinois have the opportunity to participate in Invest in Kids,” said State Rep. La Shawn K. Ford, D-Chicago. “I look forward to continuing to work with the governor to support schools across Illinois.”
Going forward, ISBE has committed to accepting applications for initial nonpublic school recognition on a rolling basis throughout this school year. An updated list of schools that are recognized has been posted on the ISBE website. That list will continue to be updated as new schools reach this status.
Advocates including Robert Gilligan, executive director of the Catholic Conference of Illinois, Rabbi Shlomo Soroka, director of Government Affairs for Agudath Israel of Illinois, Nakisha Hobbs, principal and co-founder of the Village Leadership Academy, and Myles Mendoza, executive director of Empower Illinois, lauded the bipartisan, collaborative compromise that gives Illinois families more choices when it comes to educating their children.
“Once again, bipartisan leadership worked together to benefit the education of all Illinois children,” said Gilligan. “The Catholic Conference of Illinois, on behalf of the state’s Catholic schools, is grateful for this latest effort by the governor and legislators, along with the Illinois State Board of Education, to find a solution that allows more families to apply for a tax-credit scholarship so their children can attend a recognized school of their choice.”
“Following discussions with stakeholders, a solution ensuring the participation of all schools that become recognized was achieved,” said Rabbi Soroka. “Agudath Israel of Illinois thanks the Rauner Administration, the bipartisan group of legislators, the Illinois State Board of Education, the Illinois Department of Revenue and advocates who worked together to provide quality educational options to more students.”
“Over the past few weeks I’ve worked closely with State Rep. La Shawn K. Ford, the Governor’s Office, African-American school leaders and other education advocates from across the state to ensure that all high-quality schools had a path to participation in the inaugural year of the Invest in Kids Tax Credit Scholarship Program,” said Hobbs. “I am grateful to Governor Rauner’s administration for its demonstrated commitment to inclusion, and to Representative Ford for his unwavering and effective leadership.”
Empower Illinois also praised the collaboration. “This was a bipartisan effort by lawmakers, schools and advocates to expand quality education options for students across Illinois,” said Mendoza. “There is clear unity on the value of this program, as the demand for scholarships by families continues to grow. Today is a victory for Illinois kids.”
“Thanks to this collaborative, bipartisan effort,” Rauner said, “families in Illinois will have more choices when it comes to the education of their children.”
[ *** End Of Update *** ]
* I seriously doubt this will ever see the light of day beyond the hearing…
Lawmakers in Illinois are so desperate to shore up the state’s massively underfunded retirement system that they’re willing to entertain an eye-popping wager: Borrowing $107 billion and letting it ride in the financial markets.
The legislature’s personnel and pensions committee plans to meet on Jan. 30 to hear more about a proposal advanced by the State Universities Annuitants Association, according to Representative Robert Martwick. The group wants Illinois to issue the bonds this year to get its retirement system nearly fully funded, assuming that the state can make more on its investments than it will pay in interest.
It would be by far the biggest debt sale in the history of the municipal market, and in one fell swoop would be more than Puerto Rico amassed in the run up to its record-setting bankruptcy.
An effort is underway in Illinois that would let the terminally ill choose to end their life.
Oregon approved the option back in the mid 90’s. A few more states and Canada have followed with similar laws. They allow a terminally ill and mentally sound individual to choose to end their life.
“We all die and unfortunately as we approach death, as we get sicker and sicker, often a lot of pain and suffering comes with it. And when death is imminent, when suffering is intolerable, it should be your choice,” said Ed Gogol of Final Options Illinois. […]
Gogol wants an Illinois law that would have the patient being prescribed medication they would self-administer. It’s not “physician-assisted suicide” or “euthanasia” because the doctor would only make sure the person qualified.
