WEDS, 1:30PM: Women accuse Cure Violence, formerly CeaseFire, of culture of rampant sexual abuse
Women file suits with Illinois Department of Human Rights, federal court
WHO: Ameena Matthews, star of the award-winning documentary about CeaseFire, “The Interrupters”; Angalia Bianca and Lakisha McGowan, women employees and former employees of Cure Violence, the organization formerly known as CeaseFire; attorney Ed Mullen
WHERE: Union League Club of Chicago, Room 700, 65 W. Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60604
WHEN: Wednesday, October 31, 2018, 1:30PM
WHAT: Women employees and former employees at Cure Violence, formerly known as CeaseFire, a project of the University of Illinois at Chicago, will hold a press conference on Wednesday to come forward about their experiences being sexually abused and harassed at work and the resulting federal lawsuit, Illinois Department of Human Rights and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaints.
*** UPDATE *** ILGOP…
Last night, it was reported that a federal judge has refused a motion from the Democratic Party of Illinois to dismiss the case filed by Alaina Hampton alleging sexual harassment within the organization. This means that DPI and Speaker Madigan will enter Election Day next Tuesday with a cloud of harassment and intimidation hanging over their heads.
Illinois Republican Party Executive Director Travis Sterling issued the following statement:
“The judge’s denial of this motion to dismiss further proves that the Democratic Party of Illinois and the rest of Mike Madigan’s operation has fostered a culture of harassment, intimidation, and bullying. Madigan tried to keep this hidden and he has only shown faux remorse now that he’s been caught. What’s shameful is that while other Democrats spoke out against Mike Madigan when these allegations first surfaced, JB Pritzker couldn’t muster a single criticism of Madigan. Pritzker is Madigan’s handpicked candidate and he put his campaign ahead of the concerns of women.” - Illinois Republican Party Executive Director Travis Sterling
Ellis said she found lacking the state Democratic Party’s attempt to argue it could not be considered Hampton’s employer, noting Hampton worked on Democratic political campaigns under the watch and thumb of Speaker Madigan, and Madigan was involved in the decisions concerning her continued employment with his political organizations. Essentially, the judge determined the campaign organizations under Madigan’s sway are close enough to the Illinois Democratic Party to allow Hampton’s lawsuit to continue against all the political organizations Madigan controls, including the state party.
“As the Chairman of all four Defendants, Madigan controls their bank accounts, has the ability to transfer money between the accounts, and controls the employment decisions for each Defendant,” Ellis wrote in her six-page decision. “Madigan took an active role in assigning Hampton to various positions working for the Defendants and he made these decisions in his capacity as Chairman of DPI (Democratic Party of Illinois).”
Today, Betsy Dirksen Londrigan’s campaign released the second of its closing ads, titled “Learned.” The spot tells the story of the last 15 months of her campaign for Illinois’ 13th congressional district. It underscores the importance of health care in this race, and highlights the miles Betsy has traveled, and the stories that she has heard in the last year. The ad began airing across the district today.
Her other closing ad, which started last week, is here.
* Script…
I’ve shared my story with you, about how we almost lost our son, Jack. And you’ve shared your stories with me. About premiums that are too high, prescription drugs that cost too much, and yes, politicians who just don’t care. I’ve put 60,000 miles on my car, meeting with neighbors, asking questions, and listening. And I hear you. You need good health care at a price you can afford. I’m Betsy Dirksen Londrigan and I approve this message, because you deserve leaders who listen to you, and fight all of us.
* Press release…
Today Rodney Davis released a new TV ad titled “Baseball.” The ad features Rodney and Shannon Davis speaking about the day a gunman shot at Republicans practicing for the Congressional Baseball Game and how it changed his life and job forever. Davis was up to bat when the gunman from Belleville, IL started firing.
Rodney: I never thought that my friends and I would have to dodge bullets from somebody who just disagreed with us politically. I made a decision that day to talk about what I’d seen.
TV clip of Rodney from day of shooting plays: “This hatefulness that we see in this country over policy differences has got to stop.”
Shannon: It’s so important to come forward and say enough. It’s going to take both parties to bring that level of rhetoric and hate-speech down.
Rodney: Let’s expect people to work together and find solutions.
* This may be the poll, which was taken today by a friend of a friend who quickly transcribed it and forwarded it along. Conducted by Central Marketing Research…
Likely to vote (5pt scale)
Voter ID (5pt scale)
Direction of city? Right direction / wrong track
Favorability (5pt scale)
· Toni Preckwinkle
· JB Pritzker
· Rahm Emanuel
· Amara Enyia
· Bill Daley
· Susana Mendoza
· Michael Sacks
Which would you vote for, above + all declared candidates
Second choice
Head to head
· Bill Daley v. Michael Sacks
· Susana Mendoza v. Bill Daley
· Toni Preckwinkle v. Bill Daley
· Toni Preckwinkle v. Michael Sacks
· Toni Preckwinkle v. Susana Mendoza
Sacks. Successful businessman, supported philanthropic. Turned local investment firm to global business. Largest investor in minority businesses. Vice chair of world business Chicago. Created thousands of jobs. Job training, economic development. Trustee Obama foundation. Growing Chicago economy is best way to being prosperity to neighborhood. Fought Rauner’s attacks on CPS. fiscal discipline. Ensure downtown & neighborhoods prosper.
Daley. Deep roots. Former commerce sec. Obama COS, operations, key successes. Financial issues.
Chico. Successful attorney, son of Mexican immigrant. COS Rich Daley, CPS, ISBE. Stood up to Rahm in 2011.
Vallas. Leading public superintendents. Track record of success in Philly and CPS. Daley admin oversaw 100% funded pensions, upgraded bond rating. Get finances back on track, invest in neighborhood schools, more resources for police.
Preckwinkle. Cook County Board Prez, independent and progressive leadership. Standing up to machine to fight for the people of Chicago. Worked to implement major reform. Rebuilt county govt. 1.8B in deficit and cut expenditure.
Head to head
· Bill Daley v. Michael Sacks
· Toni Preckwinkle v. Michael Sacks
· Susana Mendoza v. Bill Daley
· Toni Preckwinkle v. Susana Mendoza
· Toni Preckwinkle v. Bill Daley
Preckwinkle neg. Claims to be reformer. Supported corrupt Berrios while he raised property taxes. Revered course on sales tax. Steamrolled soda tax that hurt minority communities. Unable to manage budget, 200m deficit, highest in country. Violent & repeat offenders.
Doubts? Major/minor
Daley neg. Political opportunist, ward politics of past, bro + father 44 yrs. Daley leadership brought segregation, bad relations w/ police. Schemes. Parking meters. Worked for big banker. Served on Rauner’s transition. He think it’s his term.
Doubts? Major/minor
Chico neg. Typical insider lobbyist. Shady deals w burke and machine. At cps, presided over sexual abuse scandal.
Doubts? Major/minor
Sacks neg. Wealthy hedge fund billionaire, far moved from issues. Close ally of Rahm & #1 donor. He’d be a third term for Rahm. In Rahm emails re: Laquan that were withheld, but exposed after Trib sued under FOIA. No experience in govt.
Doubts? Major/minor
Who’d you vote for?
Head to head
· Susana Mendoza v. Bill Daley
· Bill Daley v. Michael Sacks
· Toni Preckwinkle v. Michael Sacks
· Toni Preckwinkle v. Susana Medonza
· Toni Preckwinkle v. Bill Daley
Amara endorsed by Chance and Kanye. More or less likely to vote for?
Van Dyke found guilty. Agree or disagree with verdict?
The cancer-causing gas released by Sterigenics in west suburban Willowbrook is so dangerous the company is violating state laws intended to protect Illinoisans from harmful pollution, according to a bipartisan lawsuit filed Tuesday.
Attorney General Lisa Madigan, a Democrat who isn’t running for re-election, and Robert Berlin, the Republican state’s attorney of DuPage County, urged a state court to either shut down Sterigenics or enforce more stringent limits on its emissions of ethylene oxide, a toxic chemical that increases the long-term risks of breast cancer and lymphomas at extremely low levels.
By filing their complaint at the state level, Madigan and Berlin sidestepped federal regulations that haven’t been updated to reflect the chemical’s long-studied dangers. They also increased the legal and political pressure on a company owned in part by a private equity firm co-founded by Gov. Bruce Rauner, a Republican on the Nov. 6 ballot who initially downplayed the pollution problems before joining officials from both political parties calling for Sterigenics to shut down its local operations.
The 21-page lawsuit, filed in DuPage County Circuit Court, provides new details about how Sterigenics uses ethylene oxide to sterilize medical instruments, pharmaceutical drugs and food. While annual emissions from the Willowbrook facility generally have declined during the past 25 years, company-provided records cited in the complaint show it released more than 254,000 pounds of the chemical into surrounding neighborhoods between 1993 and 2017.
* The lawsuit (click here) quotes the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry on July 26…
These elevated risks present a public health hazard to these populations.
“This is not an emergency, this is not a public health immediate crisis, this is something we’re managing”
Rauner’s IEPA then punted to the attorney general.
The lawsuit is filed on some pretty broad grounds, including “creating a public nuisance.” We’ll see how it works out, but at least somebody is doing something.
…Adding… Sen. Curran…
State Sen. John Curran (R-41st District) is commending the Illinois Attorney General and the DuPage County State’s Attorney for filing a lawsuit against Sterigenics, which will provide temporary relief for area residents concerned about the release of ethylene oxide into their communities. At the same time, Curran is reiterating his call for the Illinois Senate to advance his legislation that addresses this critical public health issue.
“While today’s action has taken longer than I would have liked, I am thankful for the thoroughness and support provided by the Illinois Attorney General and DuPage County State’s Attorney,” said Curran. “It is clear in reading their release that if we’re going to adequately address this issue, and bring peace of mind to the residents in Willowbrook and surrounding communities, then the Illinois Legislature is going to have to act. And we must act now.”
In their release announcing the lawsuit, the Attorney General and DuPage County State’s Attorney “called on the Illinois General Assembly to address the public health impacts from the use of ethylene oxide.”
Curran, the only member of the Senate to introduce legislation addressing this issue, filed Senate Bill 3630 on Sept. 5th, which would reopen Sterigenics’ current air permit for an additional public comment period and hearing process at the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA). He’s also introduced Senate Bill 3640, which would immediately prohibit all non-medical uses of ethylene oxide while moving toward a complete ban throughout Illinois by 2022.
“I want to reiterate my call that Senate President John Cullerton advance the legislation I introduced in the Senate so we can bring peace of mind to those being adversely impacted,” said Curran. “I also look forward to working with the Attorney General and DuPage County State’s Attorney on advancing my legislation, and welcome their continued support and expertise to ensure the measure’s success.”
*** UPDATE *** From Sterigenics…
Sterigenics is disappointed that the Illinois Attorney General has chosen to assert “air pollution” and “public nuisance” claims against the company’s Willowbrook facility. The lawsuit filed today expressly recognizes that Sterigenics has operated, and continues to operate, well within the limits of its permit and the regulations. Any action brought against a business operating well within regulatory limits sets an extremely bad precedent.
The sterilization process that we operate is the only one approved by the Food and Drug Administration for sterilizing many vital medical instruments, devices and surgical kits, necessary for surgeries and other health care procedures. As such, any disruption to the operations of the Sterigenics Willowbrook facility would seriously undermine the ability to proceed with scheduled surgeries and procedures and would put patients’ lives at risk.
By properly controlling emissions and preventing life-threatening infection, the Willowbrook facility serves to improve public health every day. We will work with public officials to achieve the appropriate limits to allay the concerns of the community and the regulatory agencies. However, we will vigorously defend ourselves against this lawsuit.
TV and radio DMAs (designated market areas) cross state lines in various parts of the country, and much of the time that works out just fine—particularly for brand advertising and merchants that routinely draw customers from a wide region. But when it comes to political advertising, an ad for a local candidate in State X is, of course, useless for a person who lives and votes in neighboring State Y. Yet this person still has to endure the message because of DMA bleed-over.
According to an Ad Age Datacenter analysis of political-ad spending from Kantar Media, the problem is most maddeningly acute in the St. Louis DMA. From January 2017 through Election Day next month (including advance bookings), 47 percent of the spending on TV and radio political ads for races tracked by Kantar directed at the Missouri city and its suburbs are for Illinois candidates. That equates to $29 million of the $62.1 million in Republican and Democratic spending in the St. Louis market (both by candidates themselves and groups, such as PACs, supporting them) tallied by Datacenter.
Illinoisans make up 695,117 out of the region’s 2,916,447 people. So, that works out to 31 percent of the population. In other words, Illinoisans are less than a third of the area’s population, but our candidates are spending almost half the money on STL TV.
As of Tuesday, about 600,000 ballots had been cast either at the polls or via mail. That’s double the number cast as of this time last week, according to the Illinois State Board of Elections.
This year’s number is creeping up on the early voting tally from 2014, which was about 800,000, but still has a way to go to match the 1.9 million early votes cast in 2016.
Only Rhode Island, Delaware and Alaska give their attorneys general exclusive criminal jurisdiction, according to the National Association of Attorneys General. In six other states, Connecticut among them, attorneys general have no criminal jurisdiction, the group says. The rest, Illinois included, impose varying levels of impediments.
* Speaking of the Madigan family…
Speaker Michael Madigan transfers $1 million to the Democratic Majority, of which he is chairman. The political party committee can then transfer unlimited funds to any political candidate. #twillhttps://t.co/pyke32km9A
Friends of MJM has raised more than $11.5 million since the House Speaker busted the contribution caps in August. Madigan’s personal committee has transferred out about $4 million in that same time period.
The tough-talking Rauner, a former private equity investor known for his open-collared shirts, giant belt buckles and Harley-Davidson motorcycle, finds himself in danger of becoming only the third Illinois governor since 1900 – after Democrat Edward Dunne in 1916 and Republican Richard Ogilvie in 1972 – to serve one 4-year term but lose re-election. Polls have shown him trailing Pritzker by double digits.
Only two incumbents have lost by more than 10 percentage points since the 19th century – in 1948 and 1960.
Double-digit losses by incuments are obviously very rare.
* The Question: Your over/under number for the final margin in the governor’s race?
Sunday, the Richland County Republican Central Committee hosted their annual fall event at Olney City Park. The community building was filled with republicans from the top down.
In a surprise visit, Governor Bruce Rauner made an appearance to meet and greet his Illinois constituents. He also took the microphone and showed his support for republican candidates here in Richland County; for County Council, Tim Grove, and Mike Hann as candidate for County Treasurer. […]
The governor thanked J.C., then spoke to the gathered crowd. “Thank you for being republicans and thank you for your commitment to the republican party. I want to say a quick hello. I’m on my way to Murphysboro, and I’m riding a motorcycle today…..a beautiful fall day. […]
Amid rousing cheers and appreciative applause, the governor made toward the front of the community center, a man keeping his schedule on his own whistle stop tour of southern Illinois.
The governor stopped for a photo op with Mike Hann on one side and Tim Grove on the other. With handshakes all around, he at last climbed on his iron horse to move on down the road.
The Governor, dressed in black leather riding gear, headed for Murphysboro on a large, throbbing jet black motorcycle. He left Olney to cheers and undoubtedly heads for more at his next stop ‘on the trail’.
Gov. Bruce Rauner wasted his time riding his Harley to President Donald Trump’s rally in southern Illinois last weekend.
That’s the opinion of state Rep. Jeanne Ives, the conservative firebrand who gave the embattled governor a run for his money in the March primary.
“I don’t see that he got anything out of it,” Ives said of Rauner’s weekend road trip during a pre-election show at the Sun-Times on Monday. […]
“Quite frankly. He went down there. He would have been better of doing his own thing, separate from the Trump event because he was basically not even recognized at the Trump event,” Ives said. “So I think it hurts him more than it helps him.”
* The governor explained to ABC 7 why he didn’t meet with Trump. You should really watch the video, but here’s the online version…
Rauner is hoping to rally more support from voters than he did from the president Saturday at Trump’s rally in southern Illinois, where the governor appeared to get snubbed.
“He was an hour late, he had to get right on the stage and I spend my time before he got there really thanking all our volunteers,” Rauner said.
Pritzker called it a desperate move.
“Remember Bruce Rauner has been flip-flopping all along, first he doesn’t want to say Donald Trump’s name, now he wants to get on stage with Donald Trump but can’t even get that done,” Pritzker said.
Rauner said he wasn’t embarrassed about President Trump’s failure to address him in the crowd at the rally in Murphysboro, Ill.
“He’s travelled in many states and doesn’t call out every elected official,” Rauner said.
Just saying, but the president managed to name-check the Republican candidate for California governor at that event.
* Other stuff…
* ABATE rescinds Rauner endorsement over autonomous vehicles: The decision was made even though Rauner is an avid motorcyclist and was seen wearing an ABATE sweatshirt Saturday when President Donald Trump campaigned for Republican congressional candidates in southern Illinois.
* Motorcycle Group Pulls Rauner Endorsement: He launched his reelection campaign with a video that featured him riding a Harley. And this weekend, he showed up to President Trump’s southern Illinois rally wearing an ABATE sweatshirt.
* Motorcycle-advocacy group ABATE pulls support for Gov. Bruce Rauner over autonomous vehicles order: Back in August, Gov. Bruce Rauner used social media to tout receiving the endorsement of the political arm of the motorcycle-advocacy group ABATE (A Brotherhood Aimed Toward Education) and was lauded by the group’s chairman for “including the motorcycle community in relevant discussions.” But on Monday, the group posted on its Facebook site that it had yanked its backing for the motorcycle-riding GOP governor who most recently sported his cycle vest at President Donald Trump’s rally in Murphysboro last weekend.
* People are always spreading rumors that Dick Uihlein will soon shut off the cash spigot to Proft, and they’re always wrong. Proft is his guy…
Prominent Republican donor, Richard Uihlein, CEO and founder of Uline, contributes $500,000 to the Liberty Principles PAC, which is chaired by Dan Proft. Uihlein has now provided the libertarian super PAC with a total of nearly $17.6 million. #twillhttps://t.co/IUGq8YfFSr
* Eleven donors plowed $1 billion into super PACs since 2010: In second place behind the Adelsons is Steyer, who gave $213.8 million. He is followed by Bloomberg ($120.7 million), Democratic media executive Fred Eychaner ($74.1 million), Democratic hedge fund executive Donald Sussman ($62.9 million), GOP shipping supplies magnate Richard Uihlein ($61.3 million), Democratic hedge fund founder James Simons and his wife, Marilyn ($57.9 million), Republican hedge fund executive Paul Singer ($42.5 million), GOP hedge fund executive Robert Mercer ($41.2 million), Soros ($39.4 million) and Republican backer and TD Ameritrade founder J. Joe Ricketts ($38.4 million).
* A buddy of mine sent me this AFSCME mailer last night and wondered aloud why the Raoul campaign didn’t use this image of Rauner with Erika Harold. I didn’t have an answer…
Tuesday, Oct 30, 2018 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Credit unions are not-for-profit financial cooperatives that focus on the financial needs of their members and communities they serve. In 2017, the beneficial contributions of Illinois credit unions extended beyond their members to impact the health of the local economy with an estimated $5.6 billion in economic output. Illinois credit unions made further economic impacts by approving 3,057 home mortgages worth $192,899,757 and creating nearly 30,000 jobs among 685 credit union branches. To learn more about the credit union difference, visit www.ASmarterChoice.org.
Over the weekend, likely GOP voters received mailers from @BruceRauner's campaign, rating them on voter participation. It's a toned-down version of "voter shaming" letters that went out in March naming specific neighbors—@illinoissbe said those 3rd party mailers made voters upset pic.twitter.com/IuvvvqgoiD
h/t to @amaloney24 for pointing out that @sissenberg's 2012 @victorylab book went into detail about these "voter shaming" tactics. From this early 2016 WaPo piece: voter shaming mailers "could boost turnout by up to 2.5 percent" @MoveOn used them in 2012 https://t.co/eEROb7DiLj
In the weeks before Pritzker cast his ballot last month, his campaign had sent two rounds of vote-by-mail applications to 2.5 million likely voters around Illinois, the campaign said. Campaign finance records show the Pritzker campaign paid $1.2 million to Chicago-based firm The Strategy Group, Inc. for the first round of applications, which went out in early September, and spent an additional $1 million on the second round of mailings, which were sent later in the month.
Rauner is not doing a vote-by-mail application drive this campaign cycle, breaking tradition from the last few general elections when the gubernatorial candidates from both parties had done so. […]
Though local election authorities don’t keep track of which vote-by-mail applications come in through specific channels like the Pritzker campaign, the campaign can still keep track via information provided by the U.S. Postal Service. The applications sent out to likely voters also had pre-paid return envelopes, which allows the Pritzker campaign to keep a running tally of how many vote-by-mail applications the Democrat has spurred.
The Pritzker campaign told The Daily Line on Monday that the latest numbers indicate 200,000 of the 450,000 vote-by-mail applications originated from Pritzker’s mailings.
Emphasis added.
*** UPDATE *** The Rauner campaign insists it did do a vote-by-mail campaign. “Mail, digital, texting, doors, phones,” I was told.
* The governor is absolutely right here. Even if his party is united, he cannot win statewide with Republican votes alone. He also needs lots of independents and even some Democratic votes (either passively through not voting or actively) to have a hope of winning this thing…
For months, Rauner has worked to win back the roughly 300,000 GOP conservatives who voted for his primary challenger, State Rep. Jeannie Ives.
But his efforts, he admitted, may not be enough.
“We need a lot more than 300,000 votes,” Rauner said. “We need to come together–united.”
That’s why Republicans tend to run to the right in the primary and back to the center in the general. Instead, Rauner has done this all backwards.
The state and federal Environmental Protection Agency knew for eight months that the Sterigenics firm in Willowbrook was causing a “cancer cluster” in the southwest Chicago suburbs before informing the public, and the Illinois EPA is so understaffed it can’t supply an expert to get the firm shut down, according to Attorney General Lisa Madigan.
Madigan’s office issued a statement Friday saying: “The Rauner administration hid information on the increased risks from the Sterigenics plant for over eight months. We then had to fight with IEPA to get access to needed information. We still do not have an expert from IEPA who can testify in court and prove that Sterigenics should be immediately shut down. Nonetheless, we are moving as quickly as possible to finalize legal action.”
That came as the Chicago Tribune was reporting that it had obtained a letter showing that the U.S. EPA informed the IEPA of the elevated cancer risk in the area surrounding the Willowbrook Sterigenics facility late last year. […]
In October, as local residents were rallying outside the Thompson Center where Rauner’s Chicago offices are located to demand answers, Rauner’s IEPA was asking Madigan to step in and use her authority to close down Sterigenics.
As Madigan pointed out Friday, it hasn’t been able to proceed with that legal action because the IEPA hasn’t supplied an expert to testify. That’s not surprising, in that sources say Rauner has “gutted” the IEPA and left it understaffed. That has left Madigan’s office to take on issues the IEPA should be policing itself.
From what I understand, AG Madigan’s office has been trying to find its own expert since the IEPA revealed it had nobody on staff to handle the case.
* It doesn’t say in the press release if this is a TV ad or a digital ad, so keep that in mind…
Today, the Rauner campaign is launching a new ad titled “Crooks.” The ad features Stan, a former UAW worker from Chicago Heights, and Pete, a union carpenter from Chicago.
In the ad, Stan and Pete say that Illinois can’t afford to elect JB Pritzker because of his corrupt history with Rod Blagojevich and that he’ll be Mike Madigan’s puppet to hike taxes and kill jobs. The ad finishes with Governor Rauner stating that “this might be our last chance.”
Pat Brady: “There have been races where candidates were 15, 20 points down and ended up winning by 10. The 15-20 points numbers we saw from a couple of polls [are] inherently unreliable. So it’s a lot closer than that and no Republican I think is resigned at the governor losing. So we’ll see what happens in two weeks. The polls have been wrong the last four or five election cycles.”
On the GOP appealing to Chicago voters through ‘bread-and-butter’ issues
Brady: “The case can be made that the irritation at living in the city—and I’m a surburban guy, but I have lived in the city in my life—[are] taxes and services, and bread-and-butter issues that Republicans have to make the case they can do a better job delivering, particularly on property taxes and education. You want to be able to send your kids to school and get a good education. So there are issues that I think Republican philosophies will work better but we just need to get that message out more and get candidates to run and raise money and do it. The taxes are driving people and business out—and for no reason. Like I said before, there is no better city in the world I don’t think than Chicago, we just have to make it a livable place. And I think the Republican platform in general—outside some of maybe the social stuff—can work in an urban environment, we just have to have good messengers.”
“We just have to have good messengers” and we’ll win Chicago [exclamation point] Hooray [three exclamation points]
Willowbrook residents described sick children gasping for air and a disconnected government at a hearing Friday concerning the Sterigenics company, which officials are investigating over emissions of a cancer-causing gas.
The issue has roiled the Nov. 6 election campaign, with Gov. Bruce Rauner and state agencies taking heat for not informing people promptly about risks from exposure to ethylene oxide, a chemical used to sterilize medical equipment.
Gabriela Rios, a mother of two, lives a few blocks from the plant in southeast DuPage County. She told state lawmakers Friday at a hearing held by two House committees how her oldest daughter fell ill with mysterious coughing fits and vomiting. Later, her younger daughter had to be rushed to the hospital when “she was struggling to breathe and turned purple,” Rios said.
Rios, an attorney, said she herself has suffered heart palpitations, trouble breathing and a ringing in her ears that “makes me feel like I’m going insane.
Among those residents was Gabriela Tejeda Rios and her daughters. Rios said her family are the closest residents to the facility.
“We feel trapped. It’s easy to say ‘why don’t you just move?’ But we can’t,” Tejeda said. “It’s not an option for us. My children are being poisoned 24 hours a day, seven days a week. And I cannot protect them from it.”
After hearing from several speakers, some lawmakers called for action.
“At the very least, we need to temporarily shut this down,” said Representative Grant Wehrli of the 41st District.
Gov. Bruce Rauner on Monday accused Attorney General Lisa Madigan of doing her father’s bidding by painting him as the villain in the continuing controversy over the Sterigenics plant in Willowbrook. […]
The United States EPA told the company last December, that its emissions of EtO had been calculated at 1,000 parts per million, far exceeding the upper limit of cancer risk acceptability. The Illinois EPA was copied on that letter, but Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s office, which shares responsibility for environmental enforcement, said they had not been given adequate information on the Sterigenics issue.
Indeed, spokesman Eileen Boyce told the Daily Herald on Friday that the Rauner administration “hid information on the increased risks from the Sterigenics plant for over eight months. We then had to fight with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to get access to needed information.” […]
“This is being politicized for the gain of the Madigan clan,” Rauner told NBC5. “It’s also been falsely said that somehow the governor wants to protect the company because the governor has an economic interest. I have no economic interest whatsoever in that business.” […]
“That’s one of the things I’ve learned the hard way—she absolutely is,” he said. “We have one of the most corrupt states in America, led by her father. She has never led an investigation of corruption, conflict of interest, or unethical behavior of her dad or any of his administration. How is this right? She’s there protecting her father, not protecting the taxpayers.”
* I’m thinking the company that demanded billions in public subsidies won’t be spending this cash out of its own pocket. From Crain’s Chicago Business’ manufacturing reporter…
Woo also said 75% of Foxconn's 13K future employees in Wis. will be "knowledge workers" and 25% factory workers. Tight labor market means the company will recruit in Chicago, and Woo wants to see "a commuter train all the way from Chicago to (Foxconn's site).” #MegaRegionSummithttps://t.co/LKVX8qveNo
What do Trump and Madigan’s character assassins have in common? Neither will lower your property taxes. Trump can’t. Madigan and his bought and paid for political assassins won’t.
In fact, Madigan and his assassins have a plan to increase your property taxes.
Either you take your house back, or Madigan and his suburban assassins take it from you.
This election is not about who’s in the White House, it’s about saving your house.
* Meanwhile, the Democratic Attorneys General Association reported yesterday that it had received $1 million from JB Pritzker’s campaign, so expect something there as well.
* Related…
* Last go for AG candidates: The two major party candidates to replace Democratic Attorney General Lisa Madigan will have their only televised forum on Monday. Democratic state Sen. Kwame Raoul and Republican attorney Erika Harold will meet on WTTW’s “Chicago Tonight” for a forum that airs at 7 p.m. The meeting also will stream on the station’s Facebook page and at wttw.com/news. The segment will be taped a few hours in advance.
* Mark Brown: Raoul, Harold, Harsy make closing arguments in battle to be state’s top lawyer: Appearing recently before an African-American audience recently on the West Side, Harold was asked if black people can trust her. “I know that as a black woman running for office as a Republican the first thing that people look to see is: Are you crazy? The second thing people look to see is: Are you a sellout?” Harold said. “I can tell you that you can absolutely trust me because one thing I can tell you is I am very proud to be a black woman.”
* Tribune Editorial: The case for Erika Harold: Don’t be ‘undecided’ on Illinois corruption
* Like the last one I told you about, this mailer was sent to a suburban, pro-life Republican woman…
* Meanwhile, Rep. Jeanne Ives was interviewed by the Sun-Times today…
Ives is asked who her supporters should vote for in gov's race: "I don't want them to vote for JB Pritzker. I don't want them vote for Sam McCann, who is JB Pritzker's associate…What I am really focused on is I don't want my voters to vote for any Democratic state rep." https://t.co/ASmpkBzCbF
* This is not really what the bill says and it’s not at all clear that Dan Proft’s papers would feel any impact. Politico…
A bill has popped up in Springfield that would require partisan (or biased) news sites to disclose the money they spend featuring candidates and causes. Neither Proft nor his newspapers are named in the proposed legislation, but it’s clear they would be affected by its passage.
“Political action committees funded by billionaires are using propaganda to confuse and mislead voters,” Democratic state Rep. Rob Martwick told POLITICO. He’s sponsoring the bill along with Republican state Rep. Steve Andersson from Geneva. “The public has every right to know that an article that has been pushed in front of them is nothing more than political advertising and it’s our responsibility to ensure they are not duped.”
Proft calls the measure “thuggery masquerading as legislation,” saying in an email, “We do not ’spend money on candidates’ any more than the Sun-Times ’spends money on candidates’ to promote every leftist candidate in Illinois spouting cultural Marxist pablum.” He called the legislation “a thinly-veiled attempt to eliminate news and views that both the Chicago Democrat crime families and establishment surrender Republicans who run this catastrophe of a state don’t like. We’ll fight them and anyone else who thinks the First Amendment doesn’t apply to the state of Illinois.”
Andersson says Proft’s web sites lack journalistic integrity. “Proft would argue his newspapers are ‘real,’ (but) even a fairly cursory look at the articles would demonstrate the clear bias,” he said.
Not-so-coincidental irony: Martwick’s Nov. 6 opponent, Ammie Kassem, is backed by Proft.
Provides that any expenditure made by a news publication or an entity that owns a news publication for the purpose of supporting or opposing a public official or candidate shall be treated as an in-kind contribution for the purposes of the Code.
As used in this Section only, “expenditure” does not include normal publication costs associated with a news story, commentary, or editorial, but does include costs associated with advertising related to a particular news story, commentary, or editorial.
* Martwick is trying to regulate ads like this one that ran on Facebook…
As the Chicago Tribune reported earlier this year, sometimes Proft’s Liberty Principles PAC will pay Proft’s LGIS to print paper versions of its editions and mail them to voters. And sometimes Proft will feature an article from one of his papers in a TV ad, like this one for former Rep. Dwight Kay…
But there is at least the appearance of a firewall. And as long as that legal firewall exists, this bill will likely accomplish nothing.
…Adding… And, as some have rightly pointed out in comments, if it does apply to Proft, then any news media that promotes a column or negative news story would have to register, and that ain’t gonna fly. There’s still a 1st Amendment.
*** UPDATE *** From Rep. Martwick…
Thanks for writing about the recent legislation filed by myself and Rep. Steve Andersson. I admit that any time we seek to regulate speech, we must proceed carefully. This is a first attempt that will be extensively and fully vetted through many committee hearings, to ensure that we do not have unintended consequences. However, I believe our intention is just. Reading the “tin-foil hat” conspiracy rant that Mr. Proft made in response to this bill, is all the clarity I need to see that I’m headed in the right direction. Proft’s papers are propaganda, plain and simple. Everyone has the right to free speech, but that is not without regulation. You cannot yell fire in a crowded theater and you cannot libel someone. However, a better comparison is to the “articles” run on your blog, which carry the disclaimer “the following is a paid advertisement.” It is a permissible regulation to ensure the readers know that what they are reading is a paid advertisement, so that they are not duped into believing the advertisement is journalism. Why should political advertising be done any differently? Proft runs the PAC that supports candidates. He owns the “newspapers” that write the stories. Then he pays to have those stories pushed and promoted on social media and search engines. That expenditure is a political expenditure and should be reported as such. This will not stop him from publishing his propaganda papers. He can write all the fake news stories he wants. This will only require that he add a modicum of transparency to the reader. As you wrote earlier, Mr. Proft lost a suit he filed, which shows exactly his intention. He wishes to be able to spend as much money as he wants, without being subject to any type of transparency or disclosure. This is propaganda and history has shown that it leads to very very bad consequences. I realize that any attempt to regulate this will be difficult, but this is a struggle worth having.
I voluntarily label ads as ads. I don’t need or want the government telling me what to do. And those ads Proft is running are political in nature, but if you’re going to regulate that stuff as campaign expenditures then every promoted tweet of a newspaper’s endorsements would also have to be labeled as such and I think the Illinois Press Association would have words with the sponsor. For instance, if the Sun-Times put any money behind this tweet should they have to report it? I would say “No”…
The Chicago Sun-Times endorses @robertmartwick for Illinois House in the 19th District. "To stop middle- and working-class families from fleeing the state, Martwick is convinced Illinois must change the way it taxes income." #twillhttps://t.co/5im1I5GPe8
“I’ll be a check on the Pritzker-Madigan agenda,” Republican attorney general candidate Erika Harold says in her latest TV ad about Democratic gubernatorial frontrunner J.B. Pritzker and Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.
Coincidentally, I had written on my blog a few days earlier that if “voters are looking for a check on J.B. Pritzker and Speaker Madigan and they can’t bring themselves to vote for Gov. Rauner, she might be a realistic option,” adding “It’s probably too bad she can’t just come right out and say that in an ad,” because Rauner is helping fund her campaign.
The Harold campaign was way ahead of me, however. They produced that ad months ago and waited for just the right time to release it.
And now, a similar line of attack is cropping up elsewhere. In southern Illinois, for instance, state Rep. Jerry Costello’s Republican opponent David Freiss says he’ll “always put southern Illinois first,” and then an announcer claims of Rep. Costello (D-Smithton), “He’d rubber stamp the Madigan/Pritzker agenda.”
I’m told that line or something very similar is being used as a closing statement to voters by House Republican candidates and incumbents “everywhere.”
They’re simply dealing with reality.
Lots of folks have certainly heard about the polling that has Gov. Bruce Rauner trailing Pritzker by double digits, so even if they are voting for Rauner many figure he probably can’t win. And if the polls are right, lots more folks have decided that they cannot vote for Rauner no way no how, but some of them are still uneasy about the future. Republican polling reportedly shows that independents and even a significant minority of Democrats want a “check” on whatever Pritzker and Madigan may do together.
Pritzker has never really pushed back hard against Rauner’s constant claims that Madigan will subjugate him if he becomes governor. And Rauner has birthed and nurtured those assumptions with millions of dollars in TV ads. Pritzker has only once countered that charge in in a TV ad, mocking the governor’s claims: “Mike Madigan hates puppies. Mike Madigan hates sunshine. JB Pritzker and Mike Madigan are Democrats. So JB Pritzker must hate puppies, and sunshine.” He hasn’t addressed it since.
Personally, I don’t think Pritzker will be Madigan’s underling. Madigan can’t just call a bunch of labor union leaders to steer them away from Pritzker’s next fundraiser (a favorite tactic) because the billionaire doesn’t need anybody else’s money. Madigan’s progressive caucus is steadily growing, and may grow further with this election, so stymying or slow-walking or under-cutting the wealthy Pritzker and/or his agenda could cause him real grief with his own membership.
And Pritzker’s strategy has never been to win by being likeable. It’s clear that the Democrat’s plan from the very beginning was to bury Rauner under an overwhelming avalanche of brutal ads that call him a “failure” and a “liar.” Just keep the governor’s negatives sky high, never take that foot off his throat and call it a day.
Property tax “fraud” allegation? Write another check and run a new anti-Rauner ad. Racial discrimination lawsuit by campaign staff? Write another check and run a new anti-Rauner ad. A buzzy TV ad showing an “unholy” marriage to Madigan with an “F-bomb” thrown in for good measure? Write another check and run a new anti-Rauner ad. Blam, blam, blam. Never let him gather enough strength to even stand up, let alone make a real fight of it.
These new Republican ads, therefore, might help down-ballot Republicans take advantage of a gaping hole that Pritzker has never bothered to close. At least, that’s the theory. We’ll know if it works come election day. And even if it doesn’t, the underlying theory ain’t bad at all and is probably all that at least some of them have left.
That new Freiss ad, by the way, also attaches the Republican as closely as possible to President Donald Trump. Freiss says in the ad that he’ll “drain the Springfield swamp,” and the announcer claims Rep. Costello, by backing the Madigan/Pritzker agenda, would block Trump’s policies in Illinois. The ad also claims that Costello is funded by “anti-Trump” lobbyists. “Drain Springfield’s swamp and liberal Jerry Costello” is the conclusion.
As I write this, Trump is preparing to visit southern Illinois and area Democrats are bracing themselves for a possible regional Trump bounce. So, the ad is timely. This is not to say I think Rep. Costello will lose, mind you. He’s a smart campaigner and has been very popular.
Somewhere, somehow, a memo must have gone out to Republican lawmakers who voted for the American Health Care Act (AHCA), the Republican bill to repeal and replace Obamacare: If you are attacked for undermining protections for people with existing health problems, jab back by saying the claim got Four Pinocchios from The Washington Post.
That’s not true. Republicans are twisting an unrelated fact check and are misleading voters. We have found at least seven politicians who have done this.
Rep. Peter J. Roskam (Illinois’s 6th District): In a debate on Oct. 22, he said: “Sean [Casten] has falsely accused me of being against protecting people with preexisting conditions and that was fact-checked by The Washington Post, who gave that four Pinocchios.”
Rep. Rodney Davis (Illinois’s 13th District): In a debate on Oct. 18, he said: “The lies about preexisting condition coverage being taken away have been scored a Four Pinocchio by The Washington Post. Read the bill. In the bill, it specifically says, ‘Nothing in this bill shall allow insurance companies to deny anyone coverage for preexisting conditions.’” […]
We asked these lawmakers whether they would be willing to withdraw the citation of the Pinocchios. None agreed to do so.
That’s dismaying. These lawmakers have been put on notice that they are peddling a falsehood — and politicians who care about their reputation should acknowledge they made a mistake and offer an apology.
Instead, they apparently believe it is politically advantageous to continue to deceive the voters in their districts. It is especially galling because many accuse their opponents of spreading lies — and then cry Four Pinocchios.
We urge news organizations in the districts to highlight the brazen misappropriation of our fact checks. Sunlight is sometimes the best disinfectant.
Roskam said his Democratic opponent had falsely accused him “of being against protecting people with pre-existing conditions, and that was fact-checked by the Washington Post who gave that four Pinocchios.”
No such fact check exists. […]
We don’t hand out Pinocchios, but we have a similar measure for whoppers like Roskam’s. We rate it Pants on Fire!
[Congressman Rodney Davis’] problematic campaign statements extend to his debate performances, such as one in Decatur last week where he said that he “helped lead the charge to protect pre-existing conditions” in the Republican-backed American Health Care Act.
“Language matters,” said Davis, “and this language was in our bill. It rightly points out that nothing in this act shall be construed as permitting health insurance issuers to limit access to health coverage for individuals’ pre-existing conditions. Those are the facts.”
But among the facts is that ACHA “would have weakened protections for people with existing health conditions,” according to the Washington Post, the Congressional Budget Office and other sources.
“States would have had the option to make changes that could have left people with pre-existing conditions vulnerable to large increase in premiums, according to the CBO report,” the Post said. “In effect, the CBO said, in the states that took full advantage of the possible waivers, the guarantee that preexisting conditions are protected would be so undermined that it would be worthless.”
* Dan Proft and his Liberty Principles PAC sued in federal court earlier this year to invalidate the state law prohibiting any direct contributions to candidates from independent expenditure committees. Proft wanted the court to allow his IE committee to give direct contributions to candidates in races where the contribution caps had been lifted.
Proft claims that these groups do not pose a unique threat of corruption and it is not fair to ban them from contributing when all others can do so. To do that, in his view, unreasonably restricts the free-speech and free-association rights of the organizations and the individuals who comprise them. […]
Attorney General Madigan opposed this motion and moved to dismiss the complaint arguing that independent expenditure committees must re main independent. (Dkt. 19.) Because accepting Proft’s argument would erase the Supreme Court’s 40-year-old distinction between contributions and independent expenditures, the Court denies his motion for a preliminary injunction and grants Attorney General Madigan’s motion to dismiss. […]
It appears, then, that what Proft would really like is to have his cake and eat it too. Proft wants to enjoy the benefits of an independent expenditure committee (unlimited fundraising and spending abilities), while also enjoying the benefits of a PAC (capacity to directly contribute, communicate, and coordinate with candidates). “Choices have consequences,” however, and Proft must live with the limitations of the entity he chose to establish.
Today, the Rauner campaign is launching a new statewide TV ad featuring Governor Bruce Rauner and Lt. Governor Evelyn Sanguinetti. In the ad, Rauner and Sanguinetti list the major accomplishments of their first term, but note there’s more to do to save our state — which is why they’re asking Illinoisans for their vote.
