Quinn cries fowl on Rauner budget plan
Thursday, Jun 12, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From a point-by-point rebuttal by the Quinn campaign to Bruce Rauner’s “plan,” which is far better than the campaign’s initial hyperventilating response…
Here are some corrections and context.
Medicaid
RAUNER: Mentions $12M in payments to the deceased…over 44 years.
FACT: Most of it has already been recouped and every penny will be recovered in the coming months.
Prairie Chickens
RAUNER: Claims Gov. Quinn flew prairie chickens around.
FACT: Um, no he did not. State hunters pay a fee into an endangered species replenishment fund that transported this species. The federal government also supports this program. State taxpayers did not pay a single dime for this endangered species program.
Supreme Court
RAUNER: Counts $40 million in spending as “waste.”
FACT: Enhancing the state’s probation system to keep Illinois residents safer is hardly wasteful.
Governor’s Pension and Salary
RAUNER: Says he won’t take any pay.
FACT: In 2012, Rauner took in $53 million, about 300 times the Governor’s salary. Guess only millionaires and billionaires need apply.
Defined Contribution System for Legislators
RAUNER: Claims the change would save $60 million over 30 years.
FACT: Gov. Quinn’s REAL pension reform to the General Assembly Retirement System will save taxpayers $302 million over 30 years. Quinn’s full pension reform law saves Illinois taxpayers $140 BILLION over the next 30 years.
Constitutional Office Budgets
RAUNER: Wants a 10 percent cut.
FACT: Already happening - Governor Quinn has already reduced the Governor’s Office budget by more than 25 percent and called for other constitutionals to follow suit.
Comptroller and Treasurer’s Office
RAUNER: Wants a merger.
FACT: Doesn’t understand this requires a constitutional amendment.
CMS Cuts
RAUNER: Wants to cut $500 Million from Central Management Services.
FACT: CMS is the agency that handles administration of much of what the state does. It polices state purchases and makes sure they are handled fairly. Saying you can just cut the administrative agency that identifies efficiencies and achieves economies by finding better deals for taxpayers shows just how little Rauner understands about state government.
Medicaid Verification Reform
RAUNER: Wants it.
FACT: Already happening. And as a result of the Governor’s efforts to root out waste, fraud and abuse, Illinois is expected to save about $86 million this year. Not only has the Governor cut waste, he overhauled the state’s Medicaid program entirely in 2012, which has so far saved taxpayers more than $3 billion.
By the way, I brazenly stole the above headline from a “47th Ward” comment.
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*** UPDATED x1 *** Chickens?
Thursday, Jun 12, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* If he wanted to be taken seriously, perhaps he should’ve abandoned the idea of featuring a cage of live chickens while unveiling his new budget proposal…
Standing beside a trio of caged chickens, Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner says he has a plan to cut $1 billion in “wasteful spending” in state government that calls on lawmakers to forfeit their pensions as they know it, to scrap a state plane system and, among other changes, stop the practice of flying in prairie chickens from out of state.
Rauner contended that state planes were used to fly the chickens. During budget debate in the Legislature, lawmakers noted that a federal grant paid for the project.
* Sun-Times photo…
So, we get a copied and pasted high school freshman-level “budget plan” and live chickens. This is so Pat Quinn 30 years ago.
Man, it’s gonna be a long season.
*** UPDATE *** From WLS Radio we get Rauner’s rationale…
GOP challenger Bruce Rauner is now attacking Governor Pat Quinn with live poultry. […]
“They are clear visualization of the fundamental problem,” Rauner said. “We have out of control spending. We have irresponsible politicians making decisions with taxpayer money on a sloppy, unaccountable basis.”
…Adding… I just asked an editor who was there if the chickens clucked throughout the press conference. They were amazingly quiet the whole time, he said. At least they got that part right. Chickens can be quite noisy.
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* Click here to read it. The “blueprint” is incredibly weak. He’s found just $140 million in itemized budgetary “savings.” And most of those savings aren’t even recoverable or part of GRF.
…Adding… A Rauner ally just called to clarify that this is only waste. It’s just the first step, she said. It’s still weak.
On top of that, Rauner also calls for eliminating the state aircraft fleet, he wants an end to “slush funds” like the anti-violence initiative, and he vows not to accept a salary.
He claims unspecified reforms at CMS would save another $500 million. And another $250 million could be saved by verifying Medicaid eligibility.
* Basically, Rauner has given us a few pieces of low-hanging fruit, sprinkled it with some magic fairy dust and added a dash of hot rhetoric.
This isn’t a budget blueprint. It’s rehashed stuff he’s already talked about on the campaign trail. And it absolutely does not prevent the need to keep income tax rates high.
*** UPDATE 1 *** From the Quinnsters…
Quinn for Illinois Statement on Rauner’s Budget Prank Today
Rauner’s Ploy Would Benefit Millionaires and Billionaires That Want to be Governor
CHICAGO - Following is a statement from Quinn for Illinois Communications Director Brooke Anderson in response to the Bruce Rauner budget prank released today:
“What Bruce Rauner released today is a giant prank on the public meant to hide the absence of any real plan to deal with the massive structural challenges facing Illinois.
“Gov. Quinn has cut wasteful spending and made the tough choices to pay the bills while Rauner tried to score political points from the sidelines.
“What Rauner released today is a collection of newspaper clippings and lesser versions of policies Gov. Quinn already has embraced, as the Governor has cut $5.7 billion in spending to date. In fact, as part of his current budget review, Governor Quinn is already evaluating the state’s plane usage.
“Gov. Quinn closed 50 state facilities, reformed Medicaid and enacted reforms that mean Illinois is actually spending less on operations than it did six years ago.
“Rauner’s prank today notably includes a grandstanding salary provision that would mean that only millionaires and billionaires could be Governor.
“Rauner has attempted to sabotage the real savings achieved by Gov. Quinn, whether it be real city and state pension reform, paying our bills and protecting homeowners from property tax increases.
“The question we are left with today after Rauner’s ploy is, ‘Where’s his real budget plan?’”
*** UPDATE 2 *** The official Rauner release just reached my in-box…
Rauner Unveils Government Reform Blueprint and Plan to Cut Wasteful Spending
- Outlines 10 Key Steps -
- Over $1 Billion in Savings -
Bruce Rauner today announced ten key steps needed to reform state government and eliminate wasteful spending as part of a series of policy initiatives he will continue to unveil in the coming weeks.
The proposals will form a Bring Back Blueprint that details the reforms needed to restructure state government so it can be run more effectively and efficiently, create an economic climate that will lead to more and better paying jobs, ensure a fair, pro-growth tax system and find the resources to invest in education.
Click HERE to download the Bring Back Blueprint: Government Reform and Cutting Government Waste.
Today’s reforms follow last week’s announcement by Bruce that the first major initiative he is pushing – legislative term limits – received official word from the state that it had enough signatures to be placed on the ballot.
“Pat Quinn spent five years preserving a broken system. His failure to act has Illinois stuck in a downward spiral that’s resulted in both a record tax hike and yet another phony budget,” Rauner said. “That’s why I’m laying out a series of structural reforms and savings that will transform our state.”
“From selling state planes to making sure chickens aren’t treated better than taxpayers, I’ll root out the waste,” Rauner added. “And I’ll reform broken and outdated systems of government. It’s time to shake things up.”
*** UPDATE 3 *** But, of course…
*** UPDATE 4 *** Commenter “Demoralized” sums it up well…
He identifies $60 million spent for correctional officer overtime as “savings” while at the same time saying more people should have been hired to prevent overtime. You aren’t going to save $60 million because you are going to spend a lot of that on new employees. […]
He identifies money at the Court of Claims as “waste” yet Court of Claims payments are for things owed by the state. I guess he’s for stiffing people what they are owed.
He says get rid of the state air fleet but doesn’t provide any analysis of the real savings because you will start to have to spend money on mileage reimbursement for individuals not taking the plane (not just the Governor uses the planes). He also says it only costs $65 to drive between Chicago and Springfield. It costs double that based on the current mileage reimbursement rate.
All of the audit issues he brings up with equipment aren’t savings. I have no idea how he comes to that conclusion.
As for the payments on Medicaid to deceased individuals that money has been recovered. No savings there either. I also have no idea in general how he comes up with $140 million in savings.
*** UPDATE 5 *** Rauner campaign spokesperson Mike Schrimpf.
“Only Pat Quinn would reject a billion dollars in cuts to wasteful spending and advocate raising taxes instead.”
See “Update 4″ for a pretty good response. Plus, half of those “savings” are from one agency, CMS, and his plan doesn’t even come close to specifying how he’d save $500 million. C’mon. This is so phoney.
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Question of the day
Thursday, Jun 12, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Reboot commissioned a new poll…
Conducted June 10 and 11 by pollster We Ask America, the survey below contains responses from 1,075 registered voters on the broadest question of the election: “If the election for Illinois governor were held today, for whom would you vote?”
Among all respondents, Rauner registered a 10-point lead (47-37, with 16 percent undecided). But Quinn had a commanding lead in Chicago, where his huge showing in 2010 helped him claim victory by a margin of less than 1 percent (46.79 percent to Bill Brady’s 45.94 percent; a difference of 31,834 votes).
“History teaches us to not make strong assumptions from these early polls,” said We Ask America CEO Gregg Durham. “Four years ago, Pat Quinn trailed Bill Brady by 10 points in August and fought his way back to win a close victory. Rauner’s lead in the collar counties and downstate is strong and may hold, but Cook County is the real battle ground.”
The poll shows Quinn leading 65-18 in Chicago, which is pretty darned good for Rauner. The Democrat trails the Republican 36-44 in suburban Cook, which is also pretty darned good.
* And, as we’ve already discussed, FiveThirtyEight gives Rauner a 75 percent chance of winning.
But Larry Sabato checked his crystal ball and rates the race a tossup…
Even though the Land of Lincoln is deep blue, Quinn is deeply vulnerable for many reasons, including recent allegations that an anti-violence initiative he started in 2010 is being investigated for possibly being a “political slush fund.” The GOP apparently chose wisely in its primary by selecting wealthy businessman Bruce Rauner, who is trying to position himself as the sort of outsider and moderate Republican that the state elected governor in the 1970s through the 1990s. […]
If Democrats can mobilize their large party base in Illinois and Connecticut, for instance, that alone would save Quinn and Malloy.
* The Question: What percentage chance of victory would you give Bruce Rauner? Make sure to explain your answer, please. Thanks.
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Furlough logic
Thursday, Jun 12, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Senate President John Cullerton defends eliminating legislative furlough days in the new state budget…
Cullerton defended the legislature’s decision to stop taking unpaid furlough days after five years. It will result in lawmakers collecting at least $3,100 more in salary next year.
The decision actually sprang from Quinn’s move last year to cut lawmaker salaries from the budget because they didn’t pass pension reform during the spring session. Cullerton and Madigan went to court saying Quinn couldn’t do that. Quinn’s lawyers argued it could be done because the legislature was already cutting its members’ salaries through furloughs.
The courts ruled against Quinn. Given that, Cullerton said, lawmakers couldn’t then turn around and continue unpaid furloughs.
I guess I see his point, but as long as Quinn signs the bill which includes making legislative salaries a continuing appropriation, furloughs probably won’t be an issue again.
* Related…
* Finke: Quinn veto budget? Not likely
* Lawmakers split on what to do with salary windfall - Springfield-area lawmakers are split on what they plan to do with a windfall pay raise they’ll see in the new budget year.
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AFL-CIO endorses Topinka over Simon
Thursday, Jun 12, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I told subscribers about this yesterday, and the Illinois AFL-CIO has now publicly revealed its 2014 general endorsements to the general public.
The most significant endorsement went to Republican Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka over Democrat Sheila Simon. Click here to see the full list.
Topinka was endorsed in the primary, but AFL-CIO leaders said at the time that they’d revisit the issue for the general. At the time, however, Simon slapped back at labor…
Simon was clearly stung by the show of support to her fall opponent, lashing out at the union brass and insisting she – not Topinka – carried the support of “rank and file working men and women across the state.”
“It’s not surprising that a small group of insiders endorsed Judy Baar Topinka behind closed doors – after their membership had already recommended no endorsement,” Simon spokesman Dave Mellet said.
That statement didn’t do her much good this week. Simon needed to prevent the AFL-CIO endorsement because those unions can give Topinka real money, which Simon doesn’t have. This is, therefore, a huge development in the race.
The state Fed also endorsed Gov. Pat Quinn, which isn’t much of a surprise.
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Those weren’t rumors
Thursday, Jun 12, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I hinted at this in comments on Tuesday and told subscribers about it yesterday. Bernie today…
Republican state Sen. SAM McCANN didn’t vote in the March 18 primary, Macoupin County election records show.
McCann, whose 50th Senate District represents part of Springfield, couldn’t be reached Wednesday, but the fact that he didn’t cast a ballot in March lends credence to the idea that he was already thinking of his almost-run for governor back then.
McCann on Tuesday issued a late-afternoon statement saying that, “despite rumors to the contrary,” he’s not running as an independent for governor.
But petitions with his name, and apparently his blessing, were being distributed.
Skipping the primary after enthusiastically endorsing Kirk Dillard, means that McCann planned this bid months ago. The “rumors” claim was completely bogus.
But his planning was spotty at best. He didn’t have a running mate’s name on his petitions, so he would’ve been tossed even if he gathered 25,000 valid signatures in a little over two weeks (another bad planning move on McCann’s part).
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“I can’t stand it, I know you planned it”
Thursday, Jun 12, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The governror accused Bruce Rauner of “sabotage” yesterday for working against various pension reform plans. Tribune…
“There’s always going to be people on the sidelines shooting at reforms,” Quinn said of Rauner. “He tried to sabotage the state pension reform, he tried to sabotage the city pension reform. The people in Illinois don’t want saboteurs.”
* The Trib also took a look at Rauner’s connection to the death of the Cook County pension reform plan…
Rauner’s campaign sent an e-mail to lawmakers saying the GOP standard bearer opposed the county plan. The memo also included comments from Illinois Republican Party Chairman Timothy Schneider, who Rauner backed for the statewide post he was elected to last month.
Schneider, a county commissioner from Streamwood, said Rauner staffers asked him if he had an opinion on the legislation. He said he told them he was opposed because it did not identify a way to pay for the almost $147 million more a year the county would be required to pay into the pension fund. They asked him if he “would comment on it.” Schneider said he agreed, and his statement was included in the e-mail. Schneider, however, said he did not personally discuss the issue with Rauner.
“An e-mail did go out that said I was not in favor of this bill unless there was a revenue source identified that was not a property tax or a sales tax,” Schneider said. “It turned out (Rauner) was opposed to it as well.”
Republican lawmakers echoed those concerns but argued they made up their own minds on the merits of the bill.
Yep. It’s all one big coinkydink.
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* Ed Michalowski has refiled his sexual harassment and political intimidation lawsuit against Treasurer Dan Rutherford. The new lawsuit adds the Mitt Romney presidential campaign as a defendant. Sun-Times…
The allegations, filed in a first amended complaint in federal court early Thursday, adds racketeering counts and political discrimination charges tied to the Romney campaign and the Rutherford campaign.
“Beginning in early spring 2011, however, Defendant Rutherford coerced and intimidated, implicitly and explicitly, Plaintiff into performing political work on behalf of the Rutherford Campaign,” the complaint alleges. “For example, Defendant Rutherford demanded that Plaintiff coordinate lunches or dinners with individuals whom Plaintiff was acquainted with, and solicit donations for the Rutherford Campaign from each individual.”
With regard to allegations involving the hiring of interns based on political clout, the lawsuit states:
“Defendant Rutherford hired only candidates whose connections would be useful to the Rutherford Campaign, regardless of the strength of their qualifications or whether other non‐politically connected candidates had superior credentials.”
* From the lawsuit…
At some point during February or March 2011, Defendant Rutherford informed Plaintiff that he had in fact been hired solely to perform political fundraising on behalf of the Rutherford Campaign.
Michalowski also claims that he was ordered to hire college students to collect petition signatures for the Romney campaign. The petition drive didn’t go well. Rutherford allegedly refused to pay the students and allegedly told Michalowski to pay the kids out of his own pocket or be fired.
As far as I could see, there was nothing in the lawsuit directly implicating the people who ran the national Romney campaign in the lawsuit. Rutherford was the candidate’s state chairman, so that’s the sole connection.
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Rauner to make “policy announcement”
Thursday, Jun 12, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* A first from the Rauner campaign…
Media Advisory: Bruce Rauner and Evelyn Sanguinetti to Make Policy Announcement
Gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner along with running mate Evelyn Sanguinetti will make a policy announcement today.
Event: Bruce Rauner and Evelyn Sanguinetti to Make Policy Announcement
Time: 12:30PM
Date: Thursday, June 12, 2014
Location: Courtyard Chicago Midway Airport — Stadium Room
6610 S Cicero Ave
Bedford Park, IL
Not sure if it’s relevant, but that hotel is in Speaker Madigan’s district.
Guesses?
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Question of the day
Wednesday, Jun 11, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I’m having some serious Comcast internet problems today, so blogging could be spotty. I never did find an entertaining photo of the governor’s bill-signing ceremony yesterday at a Harley dealership, so we’ll go with the cupcake girl…
* The Question: Caption?
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Voted “least likely to succeed”
Wednesday, Jun 11, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Wanna try and guess the odds of this bill’s success?…
An Illinois lawmaker has introduced a proposal to ask voters in 2015 if term limits should be imposed on leaders in the state Legislature.
State Rep. Jack Franks filed legislation on Monday that would put a nonbinding question on the statewide municipal election ballot next April. The Marengo Democrat says that the structure of state government needs to be overhauled.
Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan recently became the longest-serving official in his leadership position in the nation.
Anyone also want to lay odds on how Franks votes when Madigan is up for reelection in January?
Look, I like Jack a lot. Always have. He’s a good legislator with some bright ideas. But he’s far too in love with these press release bills for my taste.
I do suppose, however, that his proposal could spark some debate, particularly when it comes to certain editorial boards. And I would assume that his idea has lots of support. But, c’mon, unless he’s willing to say he’d vote against MJM for Speaker next year, this ain’t exactly a serious proposal.
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Reform and renewal
Wednesday, Jun 11, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Give state grant money to the head of one of the most effective Democratic political organizations in the state, and surprises are few…
Young job seekers in Chicago’s south suburbs stood to benefit from almost half a million dollars awarded by Gov. Pat Quinn’s now-defunct anti-violence grant program that’s under investigation.
But some of that money went to a local government official with ties to Thornton Township Supervisor Frank Zuccarelli, who is a south suburban power broker known for turning out the vote and a political supporter of Quinn, the Better Government Association has found.
Thornton Township Youth Director Jerry Weems, a Zuccarelli underling and campaign contributor, got part of his salary paid with state grant money; got nearly $10,000 for his own nonprofit; and even more money — $3,600 — for a company owned by his sister-in-law. […]
With the grant money, the nonprofit paid teens $8.50 an hour to pass out anti-violence literature at events. It also paid Weems’ own nonprofit organization, Vision Management Services, $9,600 in 2012 for leading young adult workshops on stress management, anger resolution and basic social skills, according to interviews and records.
The Youth Committee Program also gave Weems a salary of more than $14,000 total in 2011 and 2012 with grant funds. The payments were in addition to Weems’ annual township pay, currently $127,722. Separately, the Youth Committee Program paid Enhanced Skillstreaming Professionals Inc. $3,600 with grant funds in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2013. State records show that private company is owned by Toinette Hill, Weems’ sister-in-law. Hill declined to comment.
Again with paying kids to hand out anti-violence fliers. This is nothing but make-work. OK, it gets kids off the streets for a few hours, puts a few bucks in their pockets, but is it really accomplishing anything?
* Meanwhile…
The legislative commission that last month opened hearings into Auditor General William Holland’s audit of Gov. Pat Quinn’s scandal-tainted Neighborhood Recovery Initiative announced Tuesday a new hearing date in July to continue delving into the report.
The Legislative Audit Commission has set July 16 and, if necessary, July 17 to continue hearing testimony on Quinn’s 2010 anti-violence grant program that is now under state and federal investigation.
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Yeah, that’ll work
Wednesday, Jun 11, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Personally, I think these campaign “countdown clocks” are goofy. And you gotta wonder how much staff time was used to create this silly little “website”…
Quinn for Illinois Launches www.RaunerBudget.com - A Laughing Matter for Bruce
In Honor of Day #464, New Countdown Clock Highlights Billionaire’s Budget Dodge
CHICAGO - A new clock is counting down the days and hours since Bruce Rauner promised to reveal his budget plan, as well as highlight what a laughing matter this silence has become for the billionaire tycoon.
Wednesday marks the 464th day since he entered the governor’s race that Billionaire Bruce has gone without disclosing a detailed budget plan of his own.
Go to RaunerBudget.com to see the clock - and hear just how important he thinks the issue is for the people of Illinois.
The audio file they use is Rauner laughing, repeated over and over again. But it’s poorly done and unless you know the back story (which, by the way, isn’t even linked on the site) you’d have no idea what the heck the clip was supposed to be about.
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The jury got it right
Wednesday, Jun 11, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* After Rep. Derrick Smith’s guilty verdict was announced yesterday, a juror told the Tribune that the federal mole was “a slippery and disgusting character” and said the FBI’s investigation was “somewhat sleazy.” More from what the juror said…
Jason Carter, 29, said the jury’s reservations included the FBI’s use of an undercover informant and two-time felon – a man identified at trial only as “Pete” — who repeatedly pushed the West Side legislator on a plan to extort a day care operator who needed a letter of support for a state grant. The scheme was a ruse concocted by federal agents.
“It didn’t feel right to us,” Carter said. “It’s not like he went to a day care and shook them down. He went to an FBI day care…but that was not to be considered by us.”
But…
Finally, after four hours of sometimes-heated deliberations, the jury was able to use the judge’s legal instructions to come to a unanimous verdict on each count of bribery and extortion, Carter said. […]
For a time, the jury’s foreman – not Carter — was strongly opposed to convicting Smith. But in the end, it was Smith who convicted himself with his own words, caught on undercover recordings talking about “cheddar” and “seven stacks” of cash and insisting on hiding any paper trail of the kickback, according to Carter.
“He never said, ‘Hey, listen Pete, I do these letters all the time and they are to help my constituents, not for my own personal gain,’” Carter said.
That’s exactly right. Smith deserved what he got, even if the feds went overboard on this thing.
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Cantor loss has Roskam ripple effect
Wednesday, Jun 11, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* US House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s stunning loss in last night’s primary to a tea partier - apparently the first ever primary loss by a Majority Leader in American history - has created an opportunity for one Illinoisan…
Roskam is currently the Chief Deputy Whip.
Curiously enough, voter turnout in Cantor’s off-year primary was actually 37 percent higher than it was during the presidential election. Some have speculated about possible Democratic involvement, but that’s just speculation at this point. Cantor’s internal polling had him 34 points up late last month. An independent poll conducted June 2nd had Cantor ahead 52-39.
Whatever happened, this is a big tea party victory and a huge defeat for the DC powers that be, including the US Chamber, who’ve launched a major effort to beat back the social right this year.
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McCann now says he won’t run
Tuesday, Jun 10, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From a press release…
Senator Sam McCann issued the following statement today:
“I am humbled and honored. However, despite rumors to the contrary, I am not an independent party candidate for governor.
As we focus on the 2014 elections, I look forward to continue working with my party leadership and Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno to make the party bigger and better with the ultimate goal of making our state better and stronger. I will continue to be a voice for my constituents and a voice for all those who want and deserve to be heard as we seek new leadership in Illinois.
Illinois needs and deserves better representation at the top. We must close the chapter on the state government regime that has led Illinois to record high unemployment, record high taxes and record high debt.”
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Where does he really live?
Tuesday, Jun 10, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Oy…
State Sen. Napoleon Harris owns a house befitting a former NFL linebacker and successful businessman: a $400,000 residence in an upscale subdivision in south suburban Flossmoor.
But Harris says he lives and votes from 10 miles away in blighted Harvey, residing in a town house on the pothole-pitted stretch of road that runs behind a strip mall that houses his district office and one of his Beggar’s Pizza franchises. […]
Recent visits to the town house showed the shades drawn shut or blocked by newspapers and campaign signs taped to the glass. The city Water Department said water service had been activated in April but would not say whose name was on the account or how long the building had been without water previously. A building permit for “patching holes,” which expired in May, was posted in the front window. […]
When it comes to his upcoming election, barring a lawsuit, Harris’ residency may not even matter. He is running unopposed for his second term. Any challenge to the residency of a candidate must take place during the run-up to the primary election, and Harris’ address has not been challenged in either of his runs for the 15th District seat, said Ken Menzel, deputy general counsel for the state Board of Elections.
On a recent afternoon, a woman answered the door of Harris’ Flossmoor house, but declined to give her name. The woman, who strongly resembled photos posted online of the senator’s wife, Nicole, said the senator was not home.
Oops.
* Look, residency is a tricky thing here. It’s all about intent, as we learned during the Rahm Emanuel ordeal. But according to the Tribune, Harris’ drivers license still lists his outside the district address. And he’s still getting a homestead exemption on that same out of district house.
And there’s also the issue of his statement of candidacy. Candidates must swear an oath that their residency information is true and that they are a “qualified voter” in the district. Get caught blatantly violating that oath and you can go to prison.
Remember this story?…
A state lawmaker who didn’t live in the district she represents was found guilty of using fake addresses on re-election paperwork and voter registration cards, and must resign.
Rep. Patricia Bailey was found guilty Tuesday of election fraud and perjury after a one-day trial.
“You never had a heat, electric, a telephone, a cable bill,” Cook County Judge Diane Gordon-Cannon told the Chicago Democrat. “You never lived for 30 minutes inside your district.”
Bailey, 52, first elected in 2002, faces up to five years in prison when sentenced Dec. 21. She wouldn’t comment as she left the courtroom.
Bailey’s downfall came when it was revealed that there wasn’t even a liveable residence at the address she used on her statement of candidacy.
Many moons ago, former state Rep. Ellis Levin faced accusations that he didn’t live in his district. The apartment where he supposedly lived was pretty much empty. He eventually survived the residency challenge (if memory serves, he lost the first round, because I ran the headline “Levin gets the hook”), but he lost his primary to Sara Feigenholtz.
So, again, it’s about intent and state law is pretty darned lenient. Bailey couldn’t actually intend to live in a place that didn’t actually exist. You gotta go pretty far to violate that particular law here. It doesn’t look like Harris has gone that far.
But, still, Sen. Harris really should, um, “address” this issue. And soon.
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Another promise
Tuesday, Jun 10, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* After over a year of promises, Bruce Rauner told Chuck Sweeney that he’ll have a budget and tax plan in two months’ time…
Asked for specific details, Rauner said he would roll out his plan in the next 60 days.
“The first 18 to 24 months will feature a lot of restructuring, less spending and lower taxes. It will be very different from Gov. Quinn’s plan” of more spending, Rauner said.
* Then again, he said he was a couple to a few weeks away from releasing his tax plan way back on April 2nd…
Rauner also said, during a brief stop at the Scott Bidner farm northwest of Champaign, that he soon will unveil “a comprehensive tax review and tax overhaul” plan.
He said his campaign is “in the mid-stage of that and we hope that in the coming few weeks we come with a comprehensive plan recommending how we should overhaul the tax code.
“We’re a couple, a few weeks away from that. Early on in our campaign we want to set an agenda that’s for economic growth, tax overhaul, spending overhaul, bureaucracy reduction and investment in education and all will be part of our plan that we will be rolling out in the coming weeks.”
* The Quinn campaign has compiled a list of some of Rauner’s promises to unveil his plans since March 21st of last year…
“I am going to be releasing detailed plans in the coming months, but in the meantime I’ll share with you a few priorities.” (Bruce Rauner via Facebook post dated 3/21/13) https://www.facebook.com/BruceRauner/posts/222811084528639?stream_ref=5)
“Rauner says now is not the time to talk about specifics and what he would do to bring fiscal discipline to the state.” (WTAX Radio. 6/19/13.) http://wtax.com/local/rauner-says-his-experience-is-needed-to-control-state-expenses/)
“Asked by a reporter if he was saying government unions should be eliminated in Illinois, Rauner said, “We need to modify their power.” Asked how, he said, “I won’t go into it today. We’ve got a detailed plan.” (State Journal-Register, 6/20/13 http://www.sj-r.com/article/20130620/News/306209895#ixzz2xtcISz9q)
“He didn’t say, when asked, if such vouchers would be allowed to pay for education at parochial schools. We’ll get to that plan later,” he said.”(State Journal-Register, 6/20/13 http://www.sj-r.com/article/20130620/News/306209895#ixzz2xtcISz9q)
“Later, though, while talking to reporters, Rauner declined to offer specifics, saying “we don’t have details on it yet,” but that an announcement was forthcoming.” (Champaign News-Gazette, 7/16/13 http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2013-07-16/rauner-wants-term-limits.html)
“Our focus is on the campaign,” Rauner said Friday. “I’d like to have some specifics as part of the general election, but we’ll see where we are in the process. The critical thing is that we win the race, and that’s going to take a lot of attention.” (Quad City Times, 10/11/13 http://qctimes.com/news/local/government-and-politics/elections/rauner-won-t-promise-tax-details-before-election/article_6bedcf7d-7f51-5621-afee-321047dda516.html)
“We are working on a plan now and that will be developed in the coming months.” (Reboot Illinois. 1/17/14. http://www.rebootillinois.com/2014/01/18/uncategorized/mattdietrich/rauner-illinois-needs-political-outsider-get-working/4232/)
“Bernard Schoenburg: Still waiting for some ‘detailed plans’ from Rauner” (http://www.sj-r.com/article/20140227/OPINION/140229413/2011/OPINION?template=printart)
“He said his campaign is ‘in the mid-stage of that and we hope that in the coming few weeks we come with a comprehensive plan recommending how we should overhaul the tax code.” (Champaign News-Gazette, 4/2/14) http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2014-04-02/rauner-reduce-number-governments-illinois.html
35 Comments
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Smith verdict riffs
Tuesday, Jun 10, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Today’s Derrick Smith guilty verdicts were followed by press conferences from both sides. Rep. Smith…
Dude, I’m pretty sure that God saw you counting out $7k in “cheddar” and wasn’t amused.
Man, that’s so insulting.
Even political morons know they shouldn’t take cash. Only criminals take cash in this business. Period. And everybody understands this, for crying out loud. If you take cash, you deserve whatever you get.
* Smith again…
Well, good. I’m glad you did what you thought was right. Trust me, you will soon be “rewarded” for your behavior.
* A possible appeal?…
I don’t know about you, counselor, but I do know where your client is going…
* The prosecution…
Um, actually, y’all had a guy on your payroll who told you he could probably convince Smith to take a bribe. No evidence emerged that you knew beforehand that Smith had been taking bribes. So, perhaps the above quote should be changed to: “Public officials need to understand, if we have a paid informant who thinks he can convince a politician to take some cheddar, we’re going to pull out all the stops for three months to convince him to do it, by gosh.”
20 Comments
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McCann pushing petitions
Tuesday, Jun 10, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Subscribers have known about this possible development since early Friday morning…
Although no official statement has come from State Senator Sam McCann, rumors persist that the Carlinville Republican is seriously considering a third-party run for governor of Illinois.
While still possible to get on the ballot, McCann would need to gather at least 25,000 petition signatures by June 23rd - the last day independents or new party candidates can turn in petitions to the Illinois State Board of Elections (ISBE).
* I also told subscribers about this today…
Petitions to get State Senator Sam McCann (R-Carlinville) on the November 2014 ballot as an Independent candidate are circulating, as shown below.
Senator McCann refused to comment on the petition to Illinois Review, other than to convey through staff that “He will be making an official statement in the near future.” […]
The petitions are to be circulated and returned to J.Gooch and Associates of Springfield, IL by June 20th, only 11 days from today.
* React has been varied so far…
Some are outraged that the buzz about McCann is even out there. Americans for Prosperity Illinois’ executive director David From is unhappy about McCann’s reported openness to a 5 percent tax hike during the last days of the session.
* And…
Some Republicans are expressing concern that the entry of another candidate into the race could dilute Rauner’s neck-in-neck run against Quinn.
“Speaking as someone who is a Pat Quinn supporter, I’d love it if McCann got in the race,” Blue Downstate political blog author Aaron Camp told readers. “McCann would probably get anywhere from 7-15 percent of the vote in the general election, which would, more than likely, give Democratic incumbent Pat Quinn a second full term in the governor’s mansion.
Meh.
It really all depends if the pro-life, anti-gay marriage, pro-public employee union McCann can raise serious money. Do the folks behind him have money? That’s not certain because the actual identities of his supporters are still murky.
Third party candidate Scott Lee Cohen spent a bunch of cash and ended up helping elect Pat Quinn in 2010 (polls showed he took more votes away from Bill Brady than Quinn). But the almost totally unfunded Green Party, Libertarian, etc. candidates have never really had much of any impact here in the past.
So, money is key and McCann, unlike Cohen, is not personally wealthy.
Plus, we don’t even know if he can gather enough signatures to get on the ballot.
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* From the US Attorney…
A verdict in the trial of State Rep. Derrick Smith is expected to be announced at 12:15 p.m. today in Courtroom 1425 (Judge Coleman) in the Dirksen United States Courthouse, 219 South Dearborn St.
I’ll post a ScribbleLive feed soon.
* As promised…
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Something I’d really like to see
Tuesday, Jun 10, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* After mugging for the cameras in the Metro East with the cupcake girl, the governor is heading to a much different venue further inland…
MARION – Governor Pat Quinn will sign legislation to support charitable events across the state.
WHEN: 3:15 p.m.
WHERE: Black Diamond Harley-Davidson
2400 Williamson County Pkwy
Marion, 62959
Unfortunately, my brother Devin the photographer (and musician, songwriter, etc.) will not be able to attend, but maybe we can still somehow get a photo for a caption contest. Just think of the possibilities. I sure hope they pre-screen the crowd for Confederate flag arm patches, though.
Heh.
* The Trib explains the bill…
Charitable “poker run” motorcycle rallies will be able to keep more of their proceeds under a bill Gov. Pat Quinn is set to sign today at a Downstate Harley-Davidson dealership.
In poker runs, riders typically pay an entry fee, then ride to a series of checkpoints throughout the day where they receive playing cards. The rider with the best poker hand at the end of the day receives a cash prize. The rest of the proceeds go to the person or organization the event is designed to help.
Senate bill 3312 places them under the jurisdiction of county governments and allows a fee of up to $25 to be charged. Poker runs have been run under the auspices of the Gaming Act, which is overseen by the state and carries fees of $400 to $600 per event.
Those Gaming Act fees were way out of line, as were their regulations.
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“Rauner to city: Drop dead”
Tuesday, Jun 10, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Not really. My headline is merely a bit of snark based on a May 29th Tribune editorial about the Chicago pension reform bill entitled “Quinn to city: Drop dead”…
Quinn, the self-described I-was-put-on-Earth-to-get-this-done pension reformer, should have signed the bill seven weeks ago. Instead, he’s been playing the role of fictional superhero, claiming to be protecting Chicago property taxpayers by sitting on the bill.
“I’m committed to property tax reform and property tax relief,” Quinn said recently of the bill on his desk. “We’re going to look at the bill and we’ll review it.”
But if Quinn vetoes the bill, and it appears he might, that action would come at the expense of Chicago taxpayers, not at their benefit. […]
The clock is running. Sign the bill. Quit fretting about the impact on your re-election chances. Let Chicago help itself.
Stop telling this City to Drop Dead.
If Quinn had listened to the Tribune and signed the city’s pension bill in April, would Mayor Rahm Emanuel have switched gears and passed a 911 service tax hike to cover the pension reform’s first-year costs? Heck no.
Politics 101: Never take political advice from editorial boards.
* Speaking of which, this is from a Sun-Times editorial last week urging Quinn to sign the bill…
Quinn’s Republican opponent in the race for governor, Bruce Rauner, opposes the pension bill and likely will blame Quinn if Chicago property taxes rise. Quinn easily can swat away such a disingenuous claim.
Um, no, it won’t be easy. At all. This was a big risk by Quinn.
* But let’s get back to the Tribune. Here is part of Rauner’s statement from yesterday…
Despite pledging to lower property taxes for homeowners, Gov. Quinn broke yet another promise by signing the Chicago pension bill into law, thereby forcing City Hall to raise property taxes on hardworking Chicagoans. Even if the city diverted $50 million in new 911 emergency phone tax revenue to pay for the pension bill, City Hall would still face a massive shortfall over the five-year phase-in, paving the way for a massive property tax hike.
Without that pension reform bill, the property tax hikes would’ve been much, much larger and Rauner knows it.
* Today’s Tribune editorial only briefly mentioned Rauner…
Sure enough, it took only minutes for his Republican opponent, Bruce Rauner to issue a statement accusing Quinn of “forcing City Hall to raise property taxes on hardworking Chicagoans.”
Quinn did nothing of the sort. As he pointed out in his signing statement, the original bill would have mandated a property increase. Quinn and others objected loudly, and that provision was scrapped.
What? No hyperbolic insanity about how Rauner wants to ruin Chicago? Funny how that page can be so reserved when it comes to their guy and so way, WAY over the top when it comes to Quinn.
* Mayor Emanuel wasn’t so reserved yesterday…
“Bruce Rauner needs to learn that there is a difference between running for office and actually serving. The economic future of the state’s largest city and the retirement of 60,000 workers is not a political football to be tossed around. Governor Quinn today stood up for Chicago. Bruce Rauner has merely confirmed his unwillingness to do so.”
* Anyway, despite the dismissiveness by the Trib, property taxes are gonna rise eventually. There’s just no way around it. Mark Brown…
There should be no doubt: This legislation is going to lead to a tax increase in Chicago, probably including property taxes, just maybe not this year if aldermen get their say in postponing it.
Emanuel’s plan would pay an additional $250 million a year in city revenue into these two pension funds by the fifth year—which adds up to an extra $750 million total over that period. That’s not chump change, and it has to come from somewhere. […]
In his own statement, Emanuel promised to “work with City Council in the coming months to find alternative options to replace property taxes as the source of the City’s first pension payment.”
Please note he said “first” pension payment. After that, all bets are off, including whether Emanuel will still be mayor when it comes time to identify the source of the second pension payment.
Discuss.
60 Comments
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Cupcake grandstanding
Tuesday, Jun 10, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* AP…
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn is expected to sign the so-called “cupcake bill” introduced after a young girl’s home baking operation was shut down by regulations.
Quinn’s office says he’ll sign the bill Tuesday in 12-year-old Chloe Stirling’s home in Troy as he salutes her “for making a difference.” […]
Madison County health officials shut down the $200-a-month operation in January after concluding her kitchen wasn’t a commercial one requiring such things as a permit and inspection. She also hadn’t taken a mandatory health safety course.
* Tribune…
“When all of this started, we didn’t know what to do,” Chloe Stirling said in a release from Quinn’s office. “In the end, we made it work so lots of home cooks can do what they love just like me.”
Quinn thanked Chloe for standing up for small entrepreneurs. “Democracy is for everyone and I salute Chloe Stirling for getting involved and making a difference for a cause she believes in,” he said. […]
Senate Republicans released a statement applauding Quinn for signing the bill, but contending his administration fought against it until a public outcry forced them to relent.
* From one of those statements…
Governor Pat Quinn is planning to sign legislation inspired by Chloe Stirling, better known as “Cupcake Girl”, at a ceremony at the girl’s house on Tuesday. State Senator Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington) voted for the measure that passed the Senate.
“The bill that passed is good legislation and I applaud the Governor for planning to sign it,” said Barickman. “But the reality is that Quinn’s own agency fought this common-sense measure from the beginning. He shouldn’t be trying to taking credit for a process that his administration was on the wrong side of.” […]
The House passed legislation to exempt businesses earning less than $1000 per month from the onerous rules, but allowed health departments to investigate in the event of complaints or an outbreak. But when the measure reached the Senate, Quinn’s Department of Public Health pushed one of his allies to alter the bill.
“Quinn’s rules would have required every youngster like Chloe to have expensive and unnecessary training, permits, licensing and labelling,” said Barickman “This would have completely undone the common-sense reforms passed in the House. This was the opposite of good government at work.”
Luckily for Chloe and other young entrepreneurs everywhere, a public outcry led by Senate Republicans was able to kill the new version of the legislation in the Senate. The Governor’s ally was eventually pressured to call the original unchanged measure, which easily passed.
“What we ended up with is a good compromise that stops an unneeded government overreach,” said Barickman. “But Quinn shouldn’t be posing as a hero here when his agency’s actions put this whole process in jeopardy. I understand he wants to appear to be on the side of the public, but he really shouldn’t be using this legislation, or this wonderful young girl, in such a transparently political way.”
He’s right that IDPH darned near killed the bill, but Quinn is the one who stepped in and ordered the amendment withdrawn. Plus, he met with the cupcake girl on May 13th, long before the Senate vote.
Just about everybody in Springfield grandstanded on this bill. And nobody has yet spoken about the fact that municipalities can still ban these sales, including Madison County, where Chloe lives.
* But here’s some much needed perspective…
“I’m not endorsing giving business a free pass, but regulators should be focused on consumer issues that affect a broad swath of the public,” says Amit Narang, regulatory policy advocate for Public Citizen, a consumer organization.
Exactly right.
* There was so much grandstanding over a little girl and her cupcakes that I bet you didn’t even notice this story from May…
Morgan’s Meat Market in Mattoon, Ill., is recalling approximately 216 pounds of uninspected ground beef products.
Under state and federal regulations, meat products produced without the benefit of inspection are considered unfit for human consumption and are required to be recalled,
* Or this one from May…
Despite all these warnings in pharmaceutical ads, a lawsuit in federal court in East St. Louis alleges that the German manufacturer of a blood thinner called Pradaxa did not warn people enough. The suit claims the drug has killed 500 people and hurt 4,000 more.
The company tentatively settled the case this week, for $650 million. The deal still requires that 95 percent of the plaintiffs, whose suits were consolidated, join U.S. District Judge David Herndon in endorsing it.
In any event, this doesn’t mean the end of Pradaxa. The drug, available in the U.S. since 2010, remains approved for sale.
* Or even this one from February…
Some 8.7 million pounds of meat from a Northern California company have been recalled because they came from “diseased and unsound” animals that weren’t properly inspected, a federal agency announced Saturday. […]
The government agency noted there are no reported illnesses tied to these products, which went to distribution centers and retail establishments in California, Florida, Illinois and Texas. It was not immediately clear which companies got them, or whether they ended up being sold in some form at any markets or restaurants.
26 Comments
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Poll: Senger keeping it close
Tuesday, Jun 10, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Somebody leaked the results of a recent We Ask America poll to Greg Hinz. The survey covered the west suburban 11th Congressional District race between incumbent Democrat Bill Foster and Republican state Rep. Darlene Senger…
the new survey of 842 voters found Mr. Foster leading Ms. Senger 45.9 percent to 40.65 percent. A lead is a lead, but Ms. Senger, a state representative from Naperville, still isn’t very well-known in much of the district.
That’s not good news for Foster at all.
* Now, before we move on to the other result, keep in mind that Bruce Rauner has been running a bunch of positive TV ads in the Chicago media market for two months. Those ads will inflate his numbers considerably, and I’d like to see the crosstabs to see how he’s doing with Democrats. As we’ve discussed before, once the state’s partisanship tendencies kick in, numbers like these tend to vanish pretty quickly…
Mr. Rauner is up 18 points in what is supposed to be a marginal Democratic district, 51.59 percent to 33.59 percent for the incumbent. The margin is somewhat narrower among women but widens to a whopping 26 points among men.
* Meanwhile, from an NRCC press release…
- The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) announced today that 11 Republican candidates have reached ‘Young Gun’ status, the top tier of the Committee’s three-level recruitment program. These candidates have reached the third and final level by establishing a clear path to victory through their ability to build a formidable campaign structure and achieve important goals and benchmarks.
“Candidates that reach ‘Young Gun’ status have met a series of rigorous goals that will put them in position to win on Election Day,” said NRCC Chairman Greg Walden. “Our job as a committee is to help elect Republicans to office that will serve as a check and balance on the Obama administration. These 11 candidates will fight to stop the harmful consequences of ObamaCare, grow the economy, and get Washington’s spending under control. As the November Elections approach, I am confident that these candidates will continue to work hard for their communities and bring common-sense principles to Congress.” […]
The NRCC’s Second Round of ‘Young Gun’ Candidates [include]:
IL-11 Darlene Senger
IL-17 Bobby Schilling
25 Comments
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Rauner supports same day registration bill
Tuesday, Jun 10, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* This is smart statewide politics by Bruce Rauner, but it’ll surely make some Republican heads explode…
Governor candidate Bruce Rauner is deviating from the Republican Party line on a bill that passed in the Illinois Legislature.
The bill would allow same-day voter registration and more days for in-person early voting - which Republicans in the General Assembly say is a ploy to bring more Democratic voters to the polls.
Rauner said he’s not familiar with the finer points of the bill, but he’s OK with the idea. “I’m a believer that our democratic process is critical to our prosperity as a state and as a nation. I think having voters engaged and involved and everybody voting, all registered voters voting, is a great thing, and the more folks that vote, the better, and to the degree we help that process, I’m supportive of that,” he said.
Rauner said the fall-off in votes between a presidential election and a mid-term is unfortunate. In Illinois, 5.2 million people voted for president in 2012, whereas 3.7 million cast ballots for governor in 2010.
* Republican Rep. Jeanne Ives recently penned an op-ed blasting the idea…
The bill requires Illinois public universities to set up same day voter registration and voting through the close of the polls in “high traffic” areas of certain public universities. It is tempting to give in to the cynicism and suggest that the best high traffic area may just be on the sidewalk outside the bar. While students are in the que to enter, they can register and vote. If underage students just want to vote – no ID required, but of course, they will need one to enter the bar.
Um, I don’t know of many taverns that are physically located on university campuses. Also, I figure there’s a lot more kids at football games anyway.
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