District-level school test results released
Thursday, Dec 2, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* In my own opinion, the claim about “impact on academic achievement” is only true if you think the pre-pandemic testing program is relevant in or applicable to a very changed world during a pandemic this past spring…
Illinois families from low-income communities and those living in some of the wealthiest enclaves in the state found common ground this week, with school district results from the state’s 2021 student assessments showing declines in academic proficiency during the COVID-19 pandemic across all demographics.
The data from roughly 90% of Illinois school districts that delivered the mandated Illinois Assessment of Readiness to students in spring in third through eighth grades and the SAT to high school juniors were unveiled this week, revealing a stark yet not unexpected snapshot of the pandemic’s impact on academic achievement. […]
At Crow Island School in Winnetka — a North Shore village that is among the most affluent communities in Illinois — 55% of third graders met or exceeded state proficiency standards on the IAR English language arts assessment.
In 2019, districtwide about 72% of students met or exceeded English language arts proficiency standards, according to the ISBE website.
More here.
Your own thoughts?
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Unclear on the concept
Thursday, Dec 2, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tribune editorial…
Right from the start, the tech titans at Twitter and Facebook argued that they were not so much a publisher in the sense that the owner of this newspaper is a publisher but more of a public utility: closer to ComEd than the Chicago Tribune, you might say. This has proved to be a con.
By hiding behind a federal law, Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, the social networks claimed broad immunity from liability for content created by their users; a protection not afforded this newspaper which always has stood behind the content it chooses to publish on these pages, printed or online.
Um, this is about “content created by their users,” not content created or chosen by the Tribune itself. For the Tribune, and myself, “users” would be commenters. I can be sued for writing something defamatory, but I can’t be sued if a commenter does it or if somebody in one of my live news feeds does it. And neither can my internet provider.
People can be sued for posting defamatory videos or Facebook posts, but YouTube and Facebook currently can’t. The Tribune got rid of its comment section because it was a raging dumpster fire and they couldn’t police it effectively and it was giving the entire publication a bad name. But now they want to make others do what they couldn’t and add the constant threat of civil liability to the mix?
Bite me.
I swear I’m almost pining for the old regime.
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* ILGOP fundraising pitch…
Rich,
This is laughable.
Not only did Pritzker and his Democratic puppets take off to a climate change summit in London while blatantly ignoring the problems at home (what does the Governor of Illinois have to do with the U.N. anyway?) — now it’s come out that he described himself as “the governor of Chicago.”
Check it out:
First of all, if Pritzker had to describe himself to the people at this conference, we would like to reiterate our question: What does the governor of Illinois have to do with the U.N.?
Secondly, we’re not sure if Pritzker is aware, but there is much more to Illinois than just Chicago!
Send Pritzker a Reminder
Maybe if our governor spent more time addressing our lagging economic recovery ALL ACROSS OUR STATE, he wouldn’t forget about the rest of Illinois.
If you’re as tired as we are of Pritzker’s political games, we’re asking you and 54 other patriots in your zip code to step up and PROVE to him there’s more to Illinois than just Chicago!
Thank you,
Illinois Republican Party
Contribute
* The governor was asked about his comment earlier today…
Reporter: Could your rivals have kind of hopped on that that to say ‘See? He doesn’t really represent the entire state’? Would you like to comment on that?
Pritzker: Apparently they don’t have much to complain about. It was a joke. I was pointing out, though, that people know the great global city of Chicago and the name of Chicago everywhere in the world. They may be less frequently aware of what state Chicago is in. You couldn’t tell me, I couldn’t tell you what’s what county Glasgow is in. But people know Glasgow. So I was just pointing out that sometimes when people wondered where Illinois was, it was easiest just to say ‘Chicago.’
When I moved out of Chicago to Springfield, I would still say I was from there or a few hours from there when I traveled abroad. I get it, but maybe the governor shouldn’t say it out loud. Too late now, though.
* On a related note, the leader of the GOP’s donor class, Ron Gidwitz, is hard at work trying to find an opponent for Pritzker who is also acceptable to the state’s wealthiest resident, according to Greg Hinz…
But at the same time, none of the declared candidates have exactly set the world on fire. That’s why some top party insiders, such as former Ambassador Ron Gidwitz, are said to be shaking the trees pretty hard in search of a reform-minded business type who could move voters—and get mega party donor Ken Griffin to follow through on his pledge and actually bankroll a credible challenger to his fellow billionaire Pritzker.
Gidwitz and Kirk Dillard are old pals, so that doesn’t bode well for Dillard’s chances.
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State’s borrowing costs continue to fall
Thursday, Dec 2, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Bloomberg…
Illinois’ $400 million municipal bond sale Wednesday is the first in a string of sales from issuers in the Land of Lincoln this month as the state’s cost to tap the $4 trillion market has shrunk following an improved outlook on increased revenue and billions in federal aid.
“Illinois was able to get much improved spreads in rates compared to where they were a year ago based upon their more positive outlook and the strong demand for incremental yield in the market right now,” said Dan Solender, director of tax free fixed income investments for Lord, Abbett & Co., which holds $36 billion in muni assets including Illinois debt. Deals this week also are benefiting from a drop in Treasuries, he said.
The state sold $400 million in tax-exempt bonds through a competitive deal and saw the penalties over benchmark municipal securities drop sharply from a year ago, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Morgan Stanley purchased one $200 million series with spreads ranging from 17 basis points for debt maturing next year to 52 basis points for bonds due in 2031 with 5% coupons. Barclays bought the remaining bonds with spreads ranging from 54 basis points for debt with a 5% coupon maturing in 2032 to 116 basis points for bond due in 2041 with a 3% coupon.
Around this time last year Illinois paid much more to borrow from the muni market. In October 2020, a competitive tax-exempt sale by the state drew spreads ranging from 97 to 294 basis points. At that time, Illinois was feeling pressures from the pandemic layered on top of years of self-inflicted financial woes.
* Paul Chatalas, Director of Capital Markets for the State of Illinois…
Our credit spreads were less than half of those on our last GO sale, which were the strongest in many years, and this provides a lower cost of borrowing to the State and its taxpayers.
The spreads on the last sale were the lowest since 2014, just before the Rauner impasse began.
* So I asked for an updated historical comparison on this sale. Carol Knowles at GOMB…
(P)ricing was the lowest relative to rest of the market in at least a decade (back to 2012) and at very low overall interest costs as the whole market is at historically low levels.
* Background…
[Yesterday] the State of Illinois sold $400 million of tax-exempt General Obligation bonds in two series via competitive bid.
The Series of December 2021A bonds, maturing in 2022 through 2031, received 12 bids and the bonds were awarded to Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC with a true interest cost of 1.299 percent.
The Series of December 2021B bonds, maturing in 2032-2041, received 10 bids and the bonds were awarded to Barclays Capital Inc. with a true interest cost of 2.495 percent.
In the 10-year maturity, the winning bid has a credit spread of +54 basis points to the tax-exempt benchmark with a 5 percent coupon, a 66 basis point improvement from the State’s GO March 2021 sale and a 214 basis point improvement from the State’s GO October 2020 sale. The State’s continued improving credit and strong investor demand allowed the State to lock in an extremely attractive overall borrowing rate of 2.15% on a bond issue that has a 20-year final maturity. […]
Approximately $175 million of the bonds will help finance the state’s ongoing accelerated pension benefit buyout program. The remaining proceeds, after cost of issuance, will fund ongoing construction projects, largely for Rebuild Illinois, the state’s $45 billion capital program.
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Question of the day
Thursday, Dec 2, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The guy behind 217 Problems is a business hero of mine. He built something from scratch that gets people talking. And now he’s making a new move courtesy of the Jesse Sullivan gubernatorial campaign. Here’s Mark Maxwell…
In some instances, campaigns are paying for the extra [online] visibility as a way to boost their profiles. Sullivan’s nascent campaign recently paid $1,000 to a popular Central Illinois Facebook page called ‘217 Problems’ to sponsor a series of posts promoting small businesses. In exchange, each post featured a link to Sullivan’s page at the top.
Brian Berns operates the Facebook page and Twitter account as a part-time hobby from his home in Springfield. While he doesn’t necessarily aspire to the term “influencer,” he reluctantly says he probably is one. He describes his page as a “a multi-content platform that touches upon Midwest stereotypes, memes, and community support stuff.”
More than 124,000 people like the Facebook page, and another 42,000 accounts follow his Twitter handle. A few years ago, he realized his audience had grown large enough, he could start to monetize it and supplement his income working for a health insurance company and as a part-time Uber driver.
“Let’s be honest: there’s [TV] news, radio, and then there’s me,” Berns said, describing his view of a fracturing traditional media landscape. “The reality is if I reach four or five million people a month, that’s something.” […]
The Sullivan campaign’s use of social media messaging appears to be reaching its target audience. One business owner who recently launched a watch shop in downtown Springfield said he learned about the first-time political candidate online and the engagement drew him to attend an event for small businesses.
The rest of Mark’s piece is quite good, so click here and read it.
* Here’s an example of what Jesse Sullivan paid for…
Fritz’s has the best steak in Springfield, which is why I chose that post. Get the strip steak medium rare and have it charred. You’ll thank me later.
* The Question: What hyper-local sites, pages or accounts do you follow? Please explain why.
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* Lisa Schencker, Joe Mahr and Dan Petrella…
And a Tribune analysis shows this surge is predominantly felt by the unvaccinated, more so than at any point since mass vaccination began. In the most recent week ending Wednesday, those who weren’t fully vaccinated were being admitted to the hospital with COVID-19 at a rate of 38 per 100,000 residents. That’s higher than the peak of the fall 2020 surge, when no one was vaccinated, and the weekly admittance rate topped out at 35 per 100,000 residents.
For those fully vaccinated, the weekly admittance rate has hovered between 1 and 4 people per 100,000 residents during both surges since this summer.
* On November 25th of last year, before vaccines were available, the hospitalization rate was 35.2 per 100,000 people. Now, it’s 38 per 100,000 among the unvaxed…
This really isn’t hard to figure out: Get your shots, people.
Without that vaccine, hospitals everywhere would be overflowing with patients again.
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* WBEZ back in January of 2020…
A powerful former Springfield lobbyist and close friend of House Speaker Michael Madigan once sought leniency for a state worker in a disciplinary case by arguing that the worker “kept his mouth shut” about an unspecified rape downstate.
In the previously undisclosed, 2012 email, ex-lobbyist Michael McClain urged two top aides to then-Gov. Pat Quinn to avoid firing the worker, also telling them the man was politically “loyal” to Quinn and stayed silent about “ghost workers.” […]
The disclosure of the 2012 email — which WBEZ obtained recently through an open-records request — immediately prompted calls for an investigation from Gov. JB Pritzker and the top Republican in the Illinois House, who called the email’s contents “horrific.” […]
Newly obtained emails plainly demonstrate McClain’s unique level of access and influence. McClain urged Quinn’s aides not to let pending disciplinary action against the state worker “get out of hand.” A day later he thanked them for what he said was the abrupt postponement of a hearing in the case, saying, “Nothing happens accidentally.”
The former employee McClain lobbied for was Forrest Ashby. Like McClain, Ashby lives in downstate Quincy.
* Almost two years later, Ashby is finally talking and he said McClain made up the whole thing…
In an interview, Ashby told WBEZ he knew nothing at all about the alleged rape or what it entailed, said he was “shocked” to learn of McClain’s reference to it and only learned about the assertion when McClain himself reached out as WBEZ was making the email public.
“I didn’t know anything about a rape in Champaign prior to that email coming out. Not in Champaign, but anywhere,” Ashby said. […]
“It’s been devastating to me,” he said.
Any friendship Ashby had with McClain has dissolved as a result.
“I don’t consider him a friend for doing something like that after he wrote it. I mean, it was not true what he wrote. I didn’t know about it,” Ashby said.
* More from the AP…
Fearing he’d be fired, he asked McClain for help, prompting the email to Quinn’s office. Ashby said when asked about the email, McClain had no explanation for it. He said it’s possible McClain didn’t remember writing the email, adding that “he meant well but there was some stupidity as he typed it.”
“I think he stretched it,” Ashby told the AP. “I think that he tried to make it seem like I was over there preventing stuff from happening, don’t fire him.” […]
But if the inspector general ever investigated, Ashby said no one has interviewed him. Pritzker spokeswoman Jordan Abudeyyah confirmed that a referral was made to “the OEIG and law enforcement” and directed questions to “the proper authorities.” […]
FBI agents, however, did approach Ashby for answers. He later had several interviews with investigators from the U.S. attorney’s office in Chicago. Questions focused on potential state government corruption and whether Ashby had any ties to utility company ComEd, which he said he doesn’t.
One theory I’ve heard that seems somewhate plausible is that McClain sent the email as a warning shot to the Quinn administration in order to get his guy out of trouble. The administration knew that the email could be found through FOIA, so if they didn’t protect McClain’s guy, McClain could tell a reporter how to easily obtain a juicy story about a potential rape coverup. Whether the story was true or not, Quinn would have to defend it, and that wouldn’t be pretty. Ashby received a one-day suspension.
* But if the story really is untrue, then John Sullivan got caught up in some needless controversy. WBEZ in 2020…
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker sought and received the resignation of a top cabinet official for not reporting a former lobbyist’s 2012 email defending a state worker facing disciplinary action who allegedly kept quiet about an unspecified “rape in Champaign.”
The surprise departure of state Agriculture Secretary John Sullivan was announced Monday by the governor’s office. […]
“This past weekend, Governor Pritzker’s General Counsel notified me that an August 2012 email from Mike McClain to Governor Quinn’s staff referenced my name as state senator and McClain’s advocacy on behalf of my constituent, Forrest Ashby,” Sullivan said. Ashby, who lives in Quincy, is the state employee for whom McClain was advocating.
“That information led me to conduct a review of my own personal emails from that same period of time. My search discovered a forwarded copy of McClain’s July 31, 2012 email reported by WBEZ. I shared this information with Governor Pritzker’s general counsel.”
“The summer of 2012 was a stressful time for me. I was in the middle of a state Senate reelection campaign, as well as preparing for and undergoing cancer surgery in Baltimore, MD. I was already well aware of McClain’s efforts to keep me informed of his advocacy on behalf of Ashby, and l simply did not read the entire forwarded email.”
McClain always told people to never put anything in writing and we’ve since discovered through FOIA and the feds that he violated his own advice numerous times.
It would’ve been helpful, though, if Ashby had spoken up at the time the stuff hit the fan.
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* We talked about this yesterday…
A ribbon cutting ceremony was held by the Iowa and Illinois departments of transportation, the Federal Highway Administration, and the Quad Cities communities on Wednesday, Dec. 1, to celebrate opening the new I-74 Mississippi River Bridge.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (who had a previous family commitment) provided an official statement and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker was joined by federal, state and local officials in making public remarks celebrating the opening of the iconic structure, as well as the future of the QC region.
* But the governor also announced this…
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker paid a visit to Quad Cities International Airport to announce capital funding that will improve airports across Illinois, starting with the Quad Cities International Airport itself.
Pritzker says the state will be investing $94 million in doing work on airports across the state, with over $5 million going to the Quad Cities International Airport. The money will fund an entrance road realignment and expanded aircraft parking at the airport.
“Starting right here in the Quad Cities, we’re launching the largest statewide airport investment program in state history,” said Pritzker.
* Partial project list…
• Quad Cities International Airport, $3.3 million for entrance road realignment, $2.3 million for aircraft parking expansion.
• Taylorville Municipal Airport, $1.4 million for runway rehabilitation.
• Bolingbrook’s Clow International Airport, $2.4 million for taxiway replacement, $75,000 for replacement of rotating beacon.
• Vermilion Regional Airport, $500,000 for perimeter fence, $350,000 for entrance road rehabilitation.
• Shelby County Airport, $460,000 toward hangar construction.
• Effingham County Memorial Airport, $3.5 million for runway extension, $1.5 million for taxiway extension.
• Crawford County Airport, $4.9 million for new taxiway.
• Kewanee Municipal Airport, $1.1 million for hangar access taxi lane reconstruction, $700,000 to replace fuel system.
• Quincy Regional Airport, $3.5 million to build aircraft apron and road, $2.4 million for T-hangar and taxiway.
• Schaumburg Regional, $105,000 for fuel system installation, $70,000 for security gate modifications.
• Pekin Municipal Airport, $1.05 million for T-hangar pavement and access road construction, $800,000 to replace fuel system.
• St. Louis Downtown Airport, $5 million for ramp and taxiway access from airfield as well as noise and jet blast mitigation.
• Southern Illinois Airport, $835,000 for apron expansion, $280,000 for road relocation.
The full list is here. Springfield’s airport will receive $3 million from the state for parking lot and roadway improvements.
* And then there was this…
Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) Office of Broadband today announced a new planning and capacity building program to help Illinois communities leverage historic broadband infrastructure funding for community-driven broadband expansion. The Accelerate Illinois Broadband Infrastructure Planning Program – a collaborative effort by the Illinois Office of Broadband, Illinois-based Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, and University of Illinois Extension – will help local governments throughout Illinois receive expert support as they prepare to leverage new dollars that will be made available by the state as well as through the historic passage of the federal infrastructure program. The collaboration opportunity is made possible through the financial support of Heartland Forward and its Connecting the Heartland Initiative.
The Illinois Office of Broadband is calling on local units of government – particularly cities, counties, and multi-county regions – to apply to receive expert support offered as part of an intensive 14-week community engagement program designed to turn available public broadband funding into sustainable broadband access.
“Access to high speed, reliable internet is not a luxury – it’s a necessity for healthcare, success in school, and to compete in a 21st century economy,” said Gov. Pritzker. “Keeping our communities connected has never been more important than it is today and this pilot will help communities play a direct role in delivering broadband infrastructure improvements to close the gaps on service. With an historic amount of funding available thanks to our own Connect Illinois initiative and with new federal infrastructure dollars coming from Washington we are committed to reaching our goal of delivering universal broadband access across our state.”
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* Background is here if you need it. From Mark Maxwell…
A Chicago man charged Wednesday for storming the U.S. Capitol on January 6th is also heavily involved in the campaign to elect state Senator Darren Bailey governor. […]
Gary Rabine, who is running against Bailey in the Republican primary contest, reacted to the news of Ligas’ arrest in an emailed statement.
“What happened on January 6th is not acceptable. Anyone convicted beyond a reasonable doubt of a crime on January 6th should be prosecuted,” Rabine said through a spokesman. “Standing up for law and order should unify – not divide – Democrats and Republicans.”
The campaigns for Republican primary hopefuls Jesse Sullivan and Paul Schimpf did not respond to requests for comment about Ligas’ involvement in the January 6 riot.
Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger, who has said he’s considering a potential run for governor, condemned the rioters and suggested Bailey is not fit to lead the state.
“The angry mob that stormed the United States Capitol on January 6 attacked our democracy and they deserve to be held accountable,” Kinzinger said. “Those who would encourage these perpetrators and continue to embrace the Big Lie are not equipped to serve as serious leaders.”
The morning after the insurrection, Bailey told his Facebook followers in a livestream video that he didn’t know who was behind the raid, despite overwhelming video evidence the rioters were Trump supporters.
…Adding… And yes, Rabine seems a bit unclear on this whole prosecution before conviction concept.
*** UPDATE *** I missed this in the Sun-Times coverage…
Bailey campaign spokesman Joe DeBose said in a statement the campaign is “shocked by this news and we do not condone any illegal activities.”
“[Ligas] has never been a member of our campaign staff,” DeBose said. “We support law and order and trust the court system to ensure anyone breaking the law is held accountable for their actions.”
…Adding… DPI…
Yesterday, news broke that Lawrence Ligas, a Chicago man arrested for his actions at the Capitol during the January 6 insurrection, was also on the campaign team of Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey. New reporting now shows Ligas was also paid by the Illinois Republican Party for campaign work in 2014.
None of the Republican candidates for governor have forcefully condemned the events that took place on January 6 and several of them refused to weigh in on Ligas’ traitorous, anti-democratic actions at all. The Illinois Republican Party, which previously employed Ligas for campaign work, has cowardly decided to not take a stand, calling into question whether they condone Ligas’ dangerous behavior in their party.
“Why is it so difficult for Illinois Republicans to say that the January 6 attack on our democracy was wrong?” said Democratic Party of Illinois Deputy Director Jake Lewis. “Instead of speaking out against those who attacked the U.S. Capitol Police and attempted to overthrow a free and fair election, Illinois Republicans seem to have gone into hiding. Again, we call on the Illinois Republican Party and all Republican candidates for governor to condemn Mr. Ligas’ actions and say that the failed coup on January 6 was wrong. This shouldn’t be that hard.”
…Adding… The ILGOP responded to the DPI release by pointing to its January 6 statement…
ILGOP Chairman Schneider: “Republicans stand for law and order. To support what is happening in DC today is to violate that principle. Supporting violence and rioting is Anti-American. The ILGOP condemns any and all violence towards our government officials and law enforcement.”
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