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Garrett talks about her future, Hendon praises, Quinn doesn’t know the numbers

Tuesday, Mar 23, 2010 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Sen. Susan Garrett talked to reporters today about the lite guv post. She said she has “no indication” that she’s the frontrunner, which kinda defies most evidence, but that’s media talk. She also addressed a report in Capitol Fax that she’d been driven to various events on Saturday by a Quinn campaign worker. She characterized the person as “just a driver.” Yeah. OK. Take my word for it, the guy ain’t just a driver. Gov. Quinn appeared to deny the report yesterday, so this is becoming a bit of an issue for me.

Anyway, watch the interview…

Garrett also talked about her position on Quinn’s tax hike. Have a look…

* Sen. Rickey Hendon hasn’t exactly been a fan of his fellow member of Democratic leadership Susan Garrett. Back when Garrett was leading the charge against a legislative pay hike in 2008 Hendon had this to say about her…

“People should not miss out on the fact that she’s a millionaire. She don’t need it. Have you seen her house? Mind-boggling,” Hendon said. “So it just blows my mind how the filthy rich are always the ones saying, we don’t need the raise. No she don’t.”

But Hendon did have plenty of nice things to say about Garrett today, and called that ‘08 fight over the pay raise “minor,” adding, “She has a kind heart.” Hendon also said the pick was a good strategy for Quinn and that the two would be a good fit. He also had some unkind words for Rep. Art Turner, with whom he has been feuding for ages and who is also vying for the lite guv job. Have a look…

* Gov. Quinn supported the federal health care reform bill, without knowing what it would cost the state budget…

How much will Medicaid cost the state should the federal health care legislation become law? No one really knows for sure, including Gov. Pat Quinn, who backs health care reform.

Speaking with reporters Monday, Quinn said it won’t worsen the state’s deficit, yet he doesn’t know how much the cost will be. According to Quinn, the state hasn’t made a cost estimate.

Progress Illinois has run the broad Medicaid numbers, but there will also be some benefits to the state not included in this list…

After covering the full cost until 2016, Washington will cover 95 percent of the expansion in 2017, meaning Illinois would need to pay an additional $130 million that year. In 2018, the federal assistance drops to 94 percent, costing Illinois $156 million. In 2019, it drops one more percentage point, adding $183 million to the state budget. That means the grand total Illinois would owe, between 2014 and 2019, will be approximately $469 million. Thought about another way, Illinois will extend health coverage to about 5 percent of its population at a cost of just $40 per person annually.

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*** UPDATED x1 *** Giannoulias hit, Sullivan shunned, Simon realistic

Tuesday, Mar 23, 2010 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Mark Kirk’s US Senate campaign took another tack today. They issued a press release slamming Alexi Giannoulias for telling the Illinois Education Association that he is for a state tax hike. From the release…

Congressman Mark Kirk today criticized State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias for endorsing a state income tax hike just days after new jobs numbers put Illinois’ unemployment rate over 12 percent.

“I have said from day one, as your state Treasurer, that, while politically it’s not the smartest thing to say, we need an income tax increase,” Giannoulias announced Saturday.

“With unemployment topping 12 percent and Illinois families struggling, the last thing we need is higher income taxes,” Congressman Kirk said. “We know that Rod Blagojevich and his allies in Springfield taxed and spent our state into economic ruin. Raising taxes further will make our state less competitive, stifle job creation and slow our economic recovery. After wiping out $70 million in college education savings, Alexi Giannoulias wants to bail out his party’s fiscal mismanagement on the backs of hard working Illinois families. Put simply, Illinois families cannot afford Alexi Giannoulias.” […]

In December, Giannoulias revealed his office lost roughly $150 million in Bright Start college education savings and only recouped about half of the loss. Giannoulias did not comment whether families that lost money in Bright Start would be exempted from his income tax hike proposal.

Kind of a snarky line, eh? The release went on to reiterate the campaign’s claim that Kirk “voted to cut taxes more than 40 times for Illinois families.”

Watch the video…

*** UPDATE *** The Giannoulias campaign responded this morning by saying the candidate’s position that any tax increase “needs to be coupled with lower property taxes.”

The campaign has also released a video blasting Kirk on his vow to repeal the health care reform bill…

[ *** End of Update *** ]

* In lite guv news, it appears that Sen. Sullivan got the cold shoulder…

State Sen. John Sullivan did not attend weekend meetings held for potential candidates for lieutenant governor on the Democratic ticket.

“I met the governor and his people and said if they were looking for someone like me, I was interested,” Sullivan said. “It was quite clear that the governor is not looking for someone like me.”

Sullivan is a pro-life, pro-gun conservative downstate Democrat. The governor, of course, has huge problems with women, which would seem to rule out Sullivan. But as I discussed with subscribers this morning, Dan Hynes cleaned Pat Quinn’s clock downstate. Quinn’s problems transcend gender.

* Sheila Simon apparently got the memo, so to speak…

Despite her willingness to serve, Simon doesn’t believe she is the favorite for the [lt. governor] job and believes recent news reports which peg state Sen. Susan Garrett, D-Lake Forest, as Quinn’s choice of running mate.

* Paul Vallas’ father-in-law says picking him would mean the process was honest. Hooookay…

After Round 1, Dean Koldenhoven remains in the running to be the next Illinois Lieutenant Governor Idol.

Even he’s not sure if he should believe it.

“Is this for real? I hope it is. I want the job. I want to do it,” an energized Koldenhoven told me Monday. “If I do get the job, you will know the process was honest.”

Or we will know that the process went way off the rails. Just sayin…

* Meanwhile, the Democrats got yet another spot of bad news this week…

The Republican Party won the ballot lottery in Cook County.

The GOP will be listed first after a lottery determined the order parties will be listed on the November ballot.

Democrats will be listed second and the Green Party third.

* Related…

* Quinn still mum on lt. gov. preference

* Quinn: I’ll get my choice for lieutenant governor

* Too bad Dems didn’t think of this earlier

* Garrett moves closer to Dem lt. gov. spot

* Krishnamoorthi in fray for Democrat’s nomination

* Editorial: A more sane primary date

* Former Bolingbrook woman slaps village with suit

* Rutherford wants to use treasurer’s office as ‘bully pulpit’

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