* Buried deep down in Tuesday’s Sun-Times story about the Sandoval-related investigation was this revelation from Cook County Commissioner Jeff Tobolski’s chief of staff Patrick Doherty…
Doherty said he doesn’t know whether Tobolski is a target of investigators, or even how Tobolski is holding up ever since agents descended on McCook’s village hall.
That’s because Doherty said he hasn’t seen him or heard from him in about a week.
Tobolski is the mayor of McCook, which, as noted in the piece, was raided by the feds last week.
*** UPDATE *** Speaking of McCook…
Make sure to click the pic.
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* 2011…
Illinois Governor Pat Quinn says he is willing to talk about adding a casino in Chicago, but he stated on Friday that he is opposed to a larger expansion of gambling. […]
When asked what he thinks about the prospect of Danville getting a casino, Quinn said Danville Mayor Scott Eisenhauer should not “hold his breath.” Quinn said he doesn’t want the state to be the “Las Vegas of the Midwest.” […]
Skokie Democrat Lou Lang said he plans to introduce a gaming expansion measure next week in the Illinois House of Representatives that includes Danville.
Lang was the chief sponsor of the gaming bill for years, and he made sure Danville was always in the mix. Lang recused himself from the bill’s sponsorship in 2013 because a law firm he had joined represented a suburban town seeking a casino. He said he did no work for that town, however.
* Lang is now a partner in the new casino operating group chosen by Danville…
Even though the group is new, together they have more than 100 years of gaming experience.
To start. there is Lou Lang, a former state representative from Skokie. He served for 32 years and was a major advocate for gaming expansion.
Another partner is Scott Syplot, a Chicago gaming attorney who works mostly with Indian tribes.
And Bill Bembenek, who came from San Diego as the former CEO of the Pala Casino Spa & Resort.
“This is about not only revenue, but this is about the future of Danville,” Lang said.
Discuss.
*** UPDATE *** Despite the stories referring to him as a partner in the casino project, I just reached out to Lang and he told me that he’s just an adviser. So, I changed the headline.
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* Kiplinger rates Illinois as the least tax-friendly state, mainly because of our property taxes…
Least Tax-Friendly
Illinois’ economic woes are one reason why the Prairie State tops our list of the least tax-friendly states in the country. The state ranks #50 in the latest ranking of states’ fiscal health by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, and residents are paying the price with higher taxes.
The state’s 4.95% flat income tax rate actually isn’t that high when compared to other states, but other taxes are a doozy. For example, property taxes in Illinois are the second-highest in the nation. On a $400,000 home in the state, the average annual property tax bill would be an eye-popping $9,634.
Sales taxes are high, too. In some municipalities, combined state and local sales taxes exceed 10%. Most states exempt food and drugs from their sales tax, but that’s not the case in Illinois.
* Crain’s…
Connecticut, New York and Wisconsin followed Illinois.
Wyoming was the most tax-friendly on the Kiplinger list, followed by Nevada and Tennessee. Wyoming and Nevada do not have an income tax, while Tennessee’s income tax applies only to interest and dividends, according to MarketWatch.
California did not make the top 10 least tax-friendly states. Although California has one of the highest state income tax rates, it has a progressive income tax with varying rates.
*** UPDATE *** Press release…
Today, Think Big Illinois Executive Director Quentin Fulks released the following statement in response to a new Kiplinger report that ranked Illinois as the least-tax friendly state in the country:
“Illinois’ current tax system is fundamentally unfair, letting millionaires and billionaires avoid paying their share while working families are forced to shoulder the burden. That’s why Think Big Illinois is committed to bringing tax fairness to our state and ensuring our tax system works for everyone, not just the wealthy few.
“During his first legislative session, Governor Pritzker signed a bipartisan balanced budget bringing $8.9 billion in funding to our education system, including nearly half a billion dollars in new funding. This additional funding, along with the revenue generated from the fair tax, will help the state meet its obligation to fund our schools, a critical step toward alleviating the property tax burden on our residents and bringing tax fairness to our state.
“Those who our current tax system benefits are so desperate to avoid paying their share that they’d rather go back to the Rauner years of gutting critical social services, watching our roads and bridges crumble, and forcing local communities to raise property taxes because they refuse to properly fund our schools.
“Illinois’ hardworking families deserve better than that. Think Big Illinois is committed to fighting with Governor Pritzker to ensure our children are getting the quality education they deserve, to lessen the tax burden on our middle and lower-income families, and to bring tax fairness to our state.”
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* Your move, Mr. Senate President…
…Adding… The governor apparently told Cullerton this himself and not just blindside him with a media announcement…
*** UPDATE *** The answer is apparently “No”…
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* Sun-Times…
A long-awaited legislative inspector general’s report requested by former political consultant turned #MeToo whistleblower Alaina Hampton concludes Kevin Quinn — a former top political aide to Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan — violated sexual harassment provisions now in place.
But the harassment in question happened before those provisions were added to state law as part of a revamped ethics act. That revamp was part of a cleanup effort after a swath of #MeToo allegations last year. […]
But since Quinn no longer is a state employee, he can’t even be disciplined for that violation. Current Legislative Inspector General Carol Pope — who adopted Porter’s findings — recommended that a memo from the speaker be placed in his official personnel file; the memo would state that he violated that provision and that “he never be rehired as a State employee or contractor.”
A separate legislative inspector general’s report about former Madigan chief of staff Tim Mapes was also released on Wednesday. Pope, too, found that Mapes “violated the Ethics Act by engaging in conduct of a sexual nature with the purpose and effect of creating an intimidating, hostile, and offensive working environment.” Pope wrote that Mapes also refused to cooperate with the investigation. He, too, will get a memo in his file and can never be rehired as a state employee.
* Tribune…
Pope said her predecessor referred the matter to the Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul to consider criminal charges against Quinn, but Raoul declined to prosecute Quinn over the Hampton allegations.
Well, that’s new.
* More…
[Pope] cited Mapes for “conduct of a sexual nature with the purpose and effect of creating an intimidating, hostile and offensive working environment.” […]
In response, Mapes’ attorney called the allegations “baseless and untrue.” […]
The accounts from Garrett, whom Pope “found … to be entirely credible,” were corroborated by three other employees in the speaker’s office, including two witnesses who “worked closely with Mapes and generally had good relationships with him,” according to the report.
The letter from Mapes’ attorney is quite something. No apology, defiant to the end.
* Kevin Quinn documentation…
* LIG summary report
* Speaker Madigan response
* Alaina Hampton response
* Kevin Quinn response
* Tim Mapes documentation…
* LIG summary report
* Speaker Madigan response
* Tim Mapes response
*** UPDATE *** Speaker Madigan…
The former Legislative Inspector General reviewed my actions and determined Ms. Hampton’s allegations against me were unfounded. She advised me that my office took the investigation seriously and made a reasoned decision as to how to impose consequences for Kevin Quinn’s misconduct.
I have strengthened and improved protections for victims of harassment in both my office and across my political organizations. These changes include instituting mandatory training on sexual harassment, intimidation, and other important workplace protections, and creating strong reporting mechanisms to report workplace complaints. I am committed to ensuring that anyone who reports a complaint is protected, they are treated fairly and that everyone has a safe and welcoming work environment.
* And this is from Ald. Marty Quinn…
The Legislative Inspector General’s report reiterates the statement I made in February 2018 and confirms my handling of this situation. When Ms. Hampton notified me of inappropriate text messages from my brother, I took immediate action. I also did exactly what she asked me to do. I understood Ms. Hampton wanted the text messages to stop and I made sure she was never contacted by my brother again. I have never wavered from creating a safe and productive workplace and I never will.
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* From the capital bill, co-sponsored by Sen. Martin Sandoval…
The sum of $250,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated from the Build Illinois Bond Fund to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity for a grant to the Village of McCook for costs associated with upgrades to the municipal building.
McCook, of course, was one of the towns visited by the feds last week two days after Sen. Sandoval’s offices and house were raided.
* The Question: Your top ideas for how McCook should spend its municipal building upgrade money?
*** UPDATE *** The governor was actually asked today about this appropriation. Pritzker said all projects will be reviewed, “so that any projects that are approved are approved with the utmost confidence that these are done in the best interest of taxpayers and nothing of the sort of corruption or self-dealing that has been alleged.”
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* Sun-Times…
A search warrant executed on State Sen. Martin Sandoval’s Capitol office last week shows federal authorities were looking into “items related to any official action taken in exchange for a benefit.”
Items included those related to five unnamed Illinois Department of Transportation employees, a highway company, several unnamed lobbyists, “any business owned and controlled by Martin Sandoval,” several municipalities and a political organization, among other entities. Names were redacted by state officials after the Sun-Times filed a Freedom of Information Act request last week to the office of the Illinois Senate Democrats.
Officials obtained several items from Sandoval’s office, including several iPhones, a laptop computer and an Apple computer, as well as a “Friends of Martin Sandoval” spreadsheet from December 2017, filed labeled “IDOT,” USB drives and shredded paper. They also seized a statement of economic and documents referencing the town of Cicero. Sandoval has had a lucrative contract for years with the town to provide translation services for the town newsletter.
* This is one gigantic probe…
* I transcribed the search warrant because it’s pretty interesting…
1. Items related to [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] Official A, [redacted] Official B, any business or partner related to any of those individuals, [redacted] Inc., [redacted] Official A’s company, [redacted] any employee, officer or representative of [redacted] [redacted] a [redacted] lounge, and/or any issue or supported by any of those businesses or individuals, including but not limited to [redacted] [redacted] .
2. Items related to [redacted] Lobbyist A, and or Lobbyist B.
3. Items related to [redacted] Inc., [redacted] Inc., any business owned or controlled by Martin Sandoval, any client of such business, any person or entity that has made payment to or agreed to make payment to any such business, any official action related to such businesses, Municipality 7 Attorney, Municipality 7 President, Municipality 7 President’s Political Organization, Municipality 7 Attorney’s law firm, and/or Political Action Committee 1.
4. Items related to [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] and/or Concrete Company A.
5. Items related to [redacted], [redacted], any employee officer, partner, representative, or business related to either of those individuals, [redacted] [redacted] Inc. [redacted], any employee officer, partner or representative of those businesses, [redacted] and/or any issue or supported by any of those businesses or individuals, including but not limited to [redacted].
6. Items related to [redacted], any employee officer, partner, representative, or business related to [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] LLC [redacted] Corporation, any employee, officer or representative of any of those businesses, and/or any issue or supported by any of those businesses or individuals.
7. Items related to Construction Company A Official 1, Highway Company A Official 1, Highway Company A Official 2, any employee, officer, partner, representative, or business related to either of those individuals, Construction Company A, Highway Company A, any employee, officer or representative of any of those businesses, and/or any issue or supported by any of those businesses or individuals.
8. Items related to [redacted], [redacted], [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted], [redacted] Associate A, [redacted] Associate B, [redacted] Associate C, any employee officer, partner or representative of those businesses related to any of those individuals, [redacted] Corporation, [redacted][redacted] LLC, [redacted] Corporation, [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] Inc., [redacted] Club, the [redacted] [redacted] Foundation, [redacted] Corporation, [redacted] Companies, [redacted] Ltd., [redacted][redacted] Associate A’s Company, any employee, officer or representative of any of those businesses, and/or any issue or supported by any of those businesses or individuals, including but not limited to [redacted].
9. Items related to [redacted] [redacted] any employee, officer or representative of any of those businesses, [redacted] Official A, [redacted] Official B, [redacted] Official C, [redacted] Official D, and/or any issue or supported by any of those businesses or individuals, including but not limited to [redacted].
10. Items related to IDOT Official A, IDOT Official B, IDOT Official D, IDOT Official E, and/or IDOT Official F.
11. Items related to any official action taken in exchange for a benefit.
Whew.
Wonder what the dealio is with IDOT Official C.
…Adding… Here’s the list of seized items…
He had five mobile phones in his office?
*** UPDATE *** Jordan Abudayyeh at the Governor’s office…
This administration expects public servants to be held to the highest ethical standards, and it is unconscionable to use elected office for monetary gain in any way. State agencies will fully cooperate with any investigation. Corruption and self-dealing will not be tolerated, and employees who have fallen short of these ethical standards will be disciplined, up to and including termination, and should be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.
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* Kankakee Daily Journal…
Kankakee Mayor Chasity Wells-Armstrong is passing up the opportunity to apply for the soon-to-be-vacant Senate seat held by Democrat Toi Hutchinson.
Meanwhile, state Rep. Anthony DeLuca says he is interested in the position.
By state law, Democratic Party leaders in Hutchinson’s 40th District get to choose her replacement. She announced last week she was resigning to take a state job.
…Adding… Great point by Hannah…
Out of about 71 thousand votes Hutchinson received in 2016, Will County provided a not inconsequential 17 thousand of them.
* Man, there will be a lot of races in Will County next year, both in the primary and the general. Here’s Ted Slowik at the Daily Southtown…
Former state Sen. Larry Walsh Sr., 71, a Democrat from Elwood, announced in August that he would not seek a fifth term as Will County executive. Walsh, who first won the countywide office in 2004, said he plans to serve out his term. Walsh, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2014, has said he plans to focus on his health. […]
On the Democratic side, Walsh supports Nick Palmer, of Joliet, his longtime chief of staff. Palmer faces a primary challenge from 49th District state Sen. Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant, of Shorewood.
Three Republicans and a Democrat are already vying to replace Margo McDermed, of Mokena, as state representative for the 37th District. McDermed, 69, who was first elected to the seat in 2014, announced in July she would not seek another term. The district covers parts of Frankfort, Homer Glen, Joliet, Lockport, Mokena, New Lenox, Orland Park and Tinley Park. […]
Also last week, Democrat Pat McGuire, of Joliet, announced he would not seek reelection as state senator representing the 43rd District. McGuire previously served as Will County treasurer and on the Joliet Township High School District Board of Education.
So, that’s Hutchinson, the elder Walsh, Bertino-Tarant, McDermed and McGuire. Sen. Sue Rezin is running for Congress, so if she wins that seat will open up (and while the congressional race will mainly be focused elsewhere, Will County will still be important). And Rep. Grant Wehrli (R-Naperville) could find himself in the general election fight of his life next year (about 15 thousand total votes were cast in the Will County portion last year). There were less than 2,000 votes in freshman Rep. Anne M. Stava-Murray’s district within Will County last year, but every vote will matter in that district next year.
…Adding… I forgot to mention that people are lining up to run against GOP Rep. Mark Batinick as well, including Plainfield Trustee and ironworker Harry Benton. There were about 35 thousand votes cast in the Will County part of the district last year. And, of course, Rep. John Connor is running for Sen. McGuire’s seat, which opens up that House district.
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Um, no
Tuesday, Oct 1, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Um…
Another pressure point is CTU’s demand to increase the number of social workers to a recommended one-per-220 students over three years. The cost would be an unfeasible $800 million, according to the city
* No…
* Um…
* No…
Martin Sandoval, C.P.A., will serve as a Business Administration Expert on the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum Board of Trustees. With over 25 years of experience in business, strategic planning and financial management, Sandoval is the founding partner of Compass Associates. He previously was a Director of Corporate Development of Sara Lee Corporation and did similar work for organizations such as the McDonald’s Corporation and Arthur Andersen.
We discussed this yesterday. It’s a different Martin Sandoval.
Also, that hiring story is odd. RTA Chairman Kirk Dillard called Pace on the plaintiff’s behalf to recommend him for a job and Sen. Sandoval’s son got it instead. According to claims made in the story, no hard evidence has yet surfaced to directly establish that Sen. Sandoval actively helped his kid get the gig.
…Adding… Um…
Citing ‘unpredictable legislative and regulatory landscape,’ Sterigenics won’t reopen
Sterigenics, the company that owns a shuttered medical sterilization facility that’s been in the crosshairs of lawmakers and activists for its history of releasing a cancer-causing chemical into the Willowbrook area, will not reopen that facility.
Citing what the company called an “unpredictable legislative and regulatory landscape in Illinois,” it announced Monday that it would exit its sterilization operations in Willowbrook.
Nowhere is this highly important fact mentioned…
Sterigenics also said it was unable to reach an agreement to renew the lease on the building it uses on Quincy Street in Willowbrook.
Forget about the regulatory environment. No lease, no business.
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Reefer madness is definitely still a thing
Tuesday, Oct 1, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Last night’s Decatur City Council meeting was quite something. Aldermen voted to ban the sale of cannabis and even voted not to allow the construction of growing and processing centers…
“What I heard unequivocally from law enforcement was, ‘You will never get enough money to cover the problems this will bring,’” [Decatur Mayor Julie Moore Wolfe] said, speaking before the vote. “I went to health officials, ER doctors, those that work with overdose patients every day, and they said, ‘Don’t do this.’”
1) Lots of people in Decatur are already consuming cannabis. They’re just doing it illegally. The city has now sided with the black market. And every “study” that purports to show unusually large increases in police costs has been thoroughly debunked.
2) Maybe those ER doctors thought the mayor was asking about opioid overdoses, because nobody has ever died after ingesting too much weed.
The council even rejected an opportunity to see what their constituents really believe…
[Ald. Bill Faber] unsuccessfully attempted to amend the ordinance to attach a referendum, effectively asking the question of the public on the next election’s ballot. “My aim is to get the issue decided by the community,” he said.
You get the distinct feeling from reading the article that the city council doesn’t want to know what the public actually thinks.
* Meanwhile, leave it to the folks at Center Square to come up with a negative Illinois-related spin…
A federal measure that would allow marijuana business access to banks could mean a boom in investment, but it could put a dent in Illinois’ budding cannabis revenue projections.
For years, the business of medical and recreational cannabis has been “cash-only” due to federal banking laws forbidding access to banks. The SAFE Act, passed the U.S. House of Representatives last Wednesday using a parliamentary procedure but with bipartisan support nonetheless. It would remove the federal prohibition on FDIC-insured banking institutions doing business with a company that sells medical or recreational cannabis.
The nonprofit Tax Foundation said the purveyors of pot are likely jumping for joy over the prospect, but states who charge an excise tax on the monetary value of the product could see tax revenues fall short.
“With the access to financial services, greater competition could occur because a lot more startups who can then get access to startup loans to finance can get into the market to make it more competitive and drive down prices,” said Ulrik Boesen, senior policy analyst.
Illinois will become the 12th state to legalize recreational cannabis in 2020.
This theoretical business boom, Boesen said, would increase the availability of choices for consumers, making competition for Illinois’ cannabis connoisseurs intensify.
That could result in lower sale prices, Boesen predicted, meaning less money for Illinois and the local governments.
“If prices go down and your tax system is tied to these prices, your revenue goes down,” Boesen said, adding that predicting revenue on a high-volatility market like cannabis is difficult.
More entrepreneurship, more innovation and more competition would all be good things, regardless of the possibly nominal impact on tax revenues.
…Adding… Not to mention that this state limits the number of license-holders, which the out of state dude probably didn’t comprehend. That article is so awful on so many levels.
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