* 3:01 pm - Poshard will keep his job, rewrite paper…
A Southern Illinois University investigation into plagiarism allegations against President Glenn Poshard found that portions of his master’s and doctoral writings were lifted or improperly cited, and that they would not hold up to today’s academic standards.
Poshard, who will keep his job, should correct the errors using currently acceptable citation practices, according to the seven-member faculty committee that reviewed Poshard’s graduate work from the 1970s and 1980s.
The board of trustees, which has expressed its support for the beleaguered president, again said today that Poshard should continue as the leader of the state’s second-largest university. He had faced the possibility of disciplinary hearings or revocation of his graduate degrees.
“Even though the Review Committee says these mistakes were unintentional and inadvertent, they are my mistakes. And I take full responsibility for them,” Poshard said in a statement. “At no time in my life would I have ever intentionally brought harm to this University or its reputation, but even for those unintentional acts, I apologize to the University community.”
* 3:38 pm - Mayor Daley is insulted by press coverage of his budget plan. Whatever…
“All of the sudden, you blasted me the first day without ever hearing anything. I went there [to editorial boards] for maybe an hour and, all of the sudden, you decided that everything is bad. Everything is wrong. That I don’t understand struggling families. That’s an insult to me,” the mayor told reporters at an unrelated news conference at Davis Square Park, 4430 S. Marshfield.
“You’ve done a lot to me over the years. You try to put me in different images. And you have the power of the pen. You have all the ink you want. But, I hope you never say I don’t understand the people of Chicago. I’ve been mayor since 1989. I’ve lived in this city all my life. . Never try to say that the mayor doesn’t care about struggling people . I have worked very hard as a public official to understand the problems.” […]
“We’re talking about $100 at the most on a $250,000 [home]. One-hundred dollars at the most. And that’s the highest. That’s what we’re talking about. So, don’t infer that, some way, real estate taxes are just gonna be thrown away wasteful,” he said.
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* Via Bill Dennis, Jim McConoughey is a Republican candidate in the race to replace retiring Republican Ray LaHood and has released a new poll…
As the race stands today, among those voters who have a definite opinion of whom they would support, Aaron Shock garners 23%, Jim McConoughey garners 6.6% and John Morris is at 2.6%. The key point is that 67.8% of likely Republican primary voters are not firmly committed to any one candidate.
The key driver in Schock’s early lead is simply name identification. Of likely voters in next year’s primary, 51% of voters have “heard of” and have a “formed opinion” of Schock, while McConoughey’s number stands at 19.6% and Morris is at 19.2%.
* After biographies were read to the respondents (no bios supplied yet) the poll shows these numbers…
McConoughey Bio – 37.8%
Aaron Schock Bio – 29.4%
John Morris Bio – 13.4%
Undecided – 17.2%
Refused – 2.2%
* Methodology….
The survey was conducted September 10-11, among 500 Illinois voters in the 18th Congressional District who indicated they were likely to cast a Republican ballot in the primary next February. The survey has a margin of error of +/- 4.4%
* Schock also polled this district back in late August, when incumbent Ray LaHood’s son was still considering the race. The trendlines, such as they are, are below, with the more recent McConoughey’s results listed first…
McConoughey – 6.6/3
Aaron Schock – 23/44
Darin LaHood - WD/22
John Morris – 2.6/3
Undecided – 67.8/30
* Make of this what you will, but if McConoughey releases a strong financial report this month then it will be much easier to make his case that getting his message out is what he needs to win.
There are very high expectations for Schock’s fundraising abilities, so McConoughey’s financial success, or lack thereof, is a crucial issue here. If he has no money - or if he’s buried by Schock’s cash - there will be no message.
* The most prominent Democratic candidate is, of course, Dick Versace, whose campaign kickoff event didn’t go over well with several people who covered it, including Bernie Schoenburg…
However, the idea that his life has taught Versace something he can pass on to voters was turned on its head at the end of the session. That’s when Versace, whose campaign manager recently moved in from Washington, D.C., refused to answer questions from reporters.
Well, if Versace has life experience, he probably has opinions on things like gun control and abortion and health care, not to mention how to get the U.S. out of a war he said he wants to end. He said he wants to hear from voters during a listening tour before giving his views on the issues, on the grounds that, if people knew he had views already, why would they want to talk to him?
How silly. People give their two cents’ worth to politicians all the time, on a wide range of issues they care about, hoping to reinforce or change policy decisions. The abrupt end to the event was clearly a gimmick to keep Versace from saying the wrong thing. The tactic also kept news outlets from providing a better picture of a first-time candidate who voters know nothing about except that he’s been big in basketball.
It’s bad enough when the governor plays games and walks away with mouth shut. It’s not smart for a new candidate seeking to introduce himself to do the same thing.
Basketball is a game. Representing people in Congress shouldn’t be.
* More here…
Versace tells audiences that he’s not a career politician. A experienced politician — such as Ray LaHood, for example, or two of the people running the GOP nomination — would not be so foolish as to enter a race not willing and able to discuss the issues on day one of the campaign.
* And here…
“If I answer questions on issues today, the people who I’m going to go visit would say, ‘What do you need to see us for? We already know where you stand,’” Versace told reporters during a contentious Springfield news conference formally launching his long-expected candidacy.
When pressed by reporters for some hint of his stance on issues, Versace responded: “I don’t want to debate this with you. I’ll tell you what: Your question deserves an answer, and I’m going to give you an answer. But it’s not going to be today. OK?”
Discuss.
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Question of the day
Thursday, Oct 11, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The setup…
At issue is the change of a single word in existing law. The Silent Reflection and Student Prayer Act already says teachers “may” have their students observe a moment of silence as “an opportunity for silent prayer or for silent reflection on the anticipated activities of the day.” But Senate Bill 1463 replaces “may” with “shall.”
Earlier this year, the legislation passed the Senate, 58-1, and the House, 86-26. But Blagojevich saw it as raising the specter of enforced school prayer.
The Senate has already overridden the veto. The House is scheduled to vote on it this week.
* Eric Zorn…
“This isn’t about prayer and it’s not about punishing anyone,” [the House sponsor of the bill] said. “We’re just trying to encourage teachers to use this moment at the beginning of the day to get things off to a good start.” […]
Some schools, some classrooms and some students may benefit from the calming effects of a moment of silent thought-gathering as the school day begins. Sure. But others may not need it. They might benefit more from a moment of science, to paraphrase a bumper sticker I saw recently, or from singing a song, or from doing 100 jumping jacks or issuing a group primal scream as the tardy bell rings.
* And Illinois Review…
The fact is setting aside a moment to contemplate the day’s events, to take a deep breath, to repeat a favorite phrase or Scripture or yes, even, say a few words to one’s Best Friend and the King of the Universe, doesn’t threaten our freedoms at all. It gives us a chance to exercise our First Amendment rights.
Question: We had this debate several months ago, but take a look at the stories linked above and discuss what you think of this bill. Should the veto be overridden or not? Also, please explain your rationale.
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More on the early back and forth
Thursday, Oct 11, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller
* As I told you yesterday, Republican Tim Baldermann launched his campaign to replace retiring Congressman Jerry Weller with an attack on the likely Democratic nominee, Senate Majority Leader Debbie Halvorson…
“Debbie Halvorson has been the number two leader in the state Senate for the past four years and if anyone has followed the news to any degree at all, they know our state government is as badly managed as is conceivable,” said Baldermann. “Our federal government has problems, but the last thing we need is to have the proven dysfunction of Springfield infect Washington.”
* There was more to this…
“Our state government also is in desperate need of a clean break and those that created the appalling state of affairs in Springfield are the last people on Earth to straighten out Washington and that is a large part of why I’ve decided to make this race.”
* I asked Halvorson about the early attack yesterday and she said she’d have no comment, claiming that she wants to stay above the fray. Halvorson said basically the same thing to the Pantagraph…
“I have no comment. We don’t even know if he’ll be my opponent,” Halvorson said.
* But that didn’t stop others from taking Baldermann to task…
“It’s that kind of tired and agonistic [rhetoric] that people are tired of,” said Myron Brick, chairman of the Will County Democratic Party. “We want to send problem solvers to Washington and that’s what Sen. Halvorson is.”
* But Baldermann also had some harsh words for Congressional Republicans…
“It’s plain to see that many Republicans in Congress have strayed from our core principles and that is why they lost the majority in the last election. With a new president taking office after this election we will have the opportunity for a clean break from the recent past. That will also be a good time for reinvigorated Republicans in Congress to have a new beginning.”
Thoughts?
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Parking and trucks - A tale of two vetoes
Thursday, Oct 11, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller
* If you want any more justification for overriding one of the governor’s vetoes, here it is…
The state is paying more than $1 million over two years for 235 parking spaces in private garages around the Thompson Center.
Back in August, the governor vetoed a bill that renewed the state’s Procurement Policy Board oversight authority of leases. The House overwhelmingly overrode the veto, but the Senate has not yet taken action.
More on those parking spots…
Responding to the criticism, state officials cited “safety” as well as key state workers’ need for quick access to vehicles to “attend events to help promote the governor’s budget proposals” and to “drive to Springfield on short notice.”
Besides, says Hofer, why should state workers have to use mass transit to get to their various appointments when driving is quicker?
“It doesn’t make sense to take a train — and spend an hour and a half on the train — when you could drive there for 20 minutes,” says Hofer.
Oh, man, that’s gonna sting. At a time when so many legislators are screaming for more mass transit dollars, the governor’s office disses the CTA? Oof.
“This board has paid for itself a thousand times over by thoroughly reviewing the hundreds of state leases worth hundreds of millions of dollars,” says state Sen. Jeff Schoenberg (D-Evanston), who’s pushing for a Senate override. “This is yet another prime example of why we need to not only keep the board but strengthen its authority and give it more resources to watch our wallets.”
Agreed.
* Meanwhile, the House voted to uphold one of the governor’s other vetoes yesterday, giving Blagojevich a rare win in that chamber…
Truckers must still drive 55 mph after the Illinois House had second thoughts about raising the highway speed limit for semis to 65.
Prodded by Gov. Rod Blagojevich and safety experts, more than 30 state representatives ditched their previous support for the increase and sided with the governor that speed limits should stay where they are. After getting 90 votes in May, the plan for higher trucker speeds received just 57 on Wednesday.
Blagojevich issued a statement saying the Illinois House had done the “right thing.” Earlier Wednesday, he’d stood under an interstate overpass in Chicago and said lawmakers who supported the change would be ‘’voting to kill people.'’
Blagojevich spokeswoman Rebecca Rausch said the governor made personal phone calls to legislators on the issue but said he did not offer construction projects or other incentives in return.
There was definitely an all-out effort to convince the House to uphold that veto, which the Senate overwhelmingly overrode. I can’t help but wonder how some of those Senate Democrats who overrode the veto think about the governor’s remarks yesterday about how they had voted to “kill people,” however. Most likely, they just brushed it off as typical Rod Speak. But politics is a game of addition, and he may have subtracted a bit from his Senate base yesterday.
* More…
* IL House puts brakes on truck speed limit increase
* Blago fends off truck speed limit hike
* House denies truck speed limit increase
* Tribune Editorial: House votes to save lives
* Editorial: House rightfully keeps truckers in the slow lane
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A complete, utter disaster
Thursday, Oct 11, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Mark Brown takes a crack at writing about TIF district spending today, which he calls Chicago’s “hidden tax increase”…
Instead of flowing though the normal channels, where the [tax receipt] money would be split among the city, Board of Education, Park District, City Colleges and Cook County, the city gets to keep the TIF funds in a separate pile that can be spent at the mayor’s direction and without even showing up in the city’s budget.
The money goes for a variety of purposes, some undoubtedly worthwhile, some questionable. Much of the money goes toward subsidies for the developers within the ever-expanding TIF districts.
* And how much are we talking about?
“We’ve now TIFed 30 percent of the land area of the city,” he continues, pointing out that the $400 million in TIF spending exceeds the entire budget of the Department of Streets and Sanitation. […]
The $400 million is also more money than the oft-maligned Cook County government receives in total annually from property taxes.
Yikes. Go read the whole thing.
* And then there’s this tidbit…
An Associated Press analysis released on Tuesday shows that, on average, Illinoisans paid $9,336 in federal taxes in 2005 and got $6,328 back. That amounts to 68 cents on the dollar.
* Meanwhile, Mayor Daley’s tax hike plans aren’t going over too well. The Tribune editorializes today…
[Daley’s] proposed 2008 budget would increase city spending by 5.7 percent — a far bigger boost than most Chicago households and businesses can anticipate for their own spending next year.
The mayor seems to blame his workforce’s wage and benefits increases for those higher costs. As if the increases in personnel costs that he approved were imposed on him by some unseen dictator.
* And while Daley and Cook County Board President Todd Stroger talk about raising taxes, the General Assembly still has a full plate…
Senate President Emil Jones moved to boost the size of a key property tax break for Cook County homeowners Wednesday, putting in play new legislation aimed at settling the festering issue.
The movement came as Mayor Richard Daley unveiled a new city budget that would be balanced by a hefty increase in Chicago’s property taxes, placing even more pressure on lawmakers to keep the county break alive.
* And…
Democrats in the Illinois Senate are preparing to restore at least some of the money cut from the state budget by Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
However, senators said Wednesday it will not be anything close to the $424 million in restorations approved by the House last week.
Sen. Donne Trotter, D-Chicago, said Senate Democrats are working on reinstating about $50 million of the $463 million cut from the fiscal 2008 budget. A detailed list of what might be restored was not available Wednesday.
“There will be some restorations of some of the reductions,” Trotter said. “We are still looking at some of the things we need to do that were inadvertently done. There’s been some reassessments.”
* And…
As the General Assembly continued its fall veto session, Chicago area transit officials on Wednesday braced for the grim prospect of a continuing stalemate over transit funding.
Already burned by unfulfilled promises of long-term help from Springfield, CTA President Ron Huberman refused on Wednesday to slam the door on yet another bailout but warned that delays in approving new transit funding would result in service cuts and fare hikes in January that will “scare a lot of people.”
* More…
* Daley’s call for record property tax hike stuns aldermen
* Daley’s proposed tax hikes have residents worried
* Daley seeks big tax hike
* Local group hopes for veto overrides
* School districts sweat out wait about property taxes
* New CTA doomsday plan more grim
* Chicago Public Radio: CTA’s 2008 budget delayed
* CTA Tattler: The doomiest of Doomsdays
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Morning shorts
Thursday, Oct 11, 2007 - Posted by Paul Richardson
* McQueary: Peraica faces Southland challenge in GOP race for State’s Attorney
Cook County Board member Tony Peraica, a Riverside Republican, is running for state’s attorney. A second Republican, Ed Barron, of Orland Park, is preparing to run, as well. If you believe the conspiracy theorists, Barron is a shill for Ed Vrdolyak, running for the position simply to undermine Peraica in the Feb. 5 primary. Vrdolyak and Peraica have been foes for years. Despite Vrdolyak’s recent indictment by federal prosecutors, Peraica believes Fast Eddie still is attempting to jackknife his political career.
The conspiracy theorists even speculate Vrdolyak and Co. lured Peraica to a fake fundraiser last month co-hosted by a potentially damaging character just to trap him. Can you imagine? A state’s attorney candidate collecting checks at a fundraiser hosted by unsavory gentlemen? Talk about headlines.
* Accord reached on dispensing morning after pill
Illinois pharmacists who object to dispensing emergency birth control would be allowed to step aside while someone else filled the prescription, under a deal that could settle a lawsuit against the state.
That person — not required to be a pharmacist — would contact a pharmacist at a different location, then follow directions for dispensing the so-called morning-after pill.
The compromise means pharmacists would not have to offer a drug they oppose on moral grounds, but minors who need it (adults can obtain emergency contraceptives without a prescription) would not be turned away and have to find a different pharmacy.
* Union calls for good care of IL nursing home residents
* Editorial: IL mental health law a good start
Illinois took a step forward recently in providing a tool to combat the destructive, sometimes fatal, effects of mental illness. A new law that will take effect next June will make it somewhat easier for family members to commit a loved one for treatment.
While many mental health advocates heralded the signing of House Bill 234 into law, they certainly are not cheerleading for involuntary confinement of people in mental hospitals. Rather, they see hope in allowing families to step in before a mentally ill person hits rock bottom and thus provide treatment that will allow them to lead a happier, safer and more productive life.
* Anti-violence group, CeaseFire, aided with protest
* Legislators honor late Rosemont leader
* Landmarks IL honors work on capitol chambers
* Syverson predicts Cheap Trick vote for Thursday
* Mayor Daley’s $100,000 club
* Top cop can be insider, says Daley
* Daley says he OK with move to disband scandal-plagued police unit
* 5 protesters arrested at Chicago Board of Trade building
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