* One of the weirdest things about Chicagoans is how sensitive they often are to outside criticism. I remember years ago when some tiny publication once dissed the city and the Chicago Sun-Times put it on the front page. As if the criticism was somehow legit or meaningful or even accurate.
So, I don’t really care if a native New Yorker who now teaches theater at DePaul, who also bizarrely predicted shortly before Rahm Emanuel’s election that Chicago would never, ever elect a Jewish mayor and who wrote a book called “Striptease: The Untold History of the Girlie Show” penned some moronic book review that blasted Chicago without actually seeming to have any real understanding of the city in which she currently resides.
People who want to carry a concealed weapon in Chicago and elsewhere in Cook County would get an extra layer of scrutiny under legislation being drafted in the Illinois Senate, according to authors of the proposal.
The legislation is aimed at balancing the desire of many gun owners to have a statewide concealed carry permit and avoid running into a patchwork of local laws that could be confusing for law enforcement and gun owners. […]
Seeking middle ground, Raoul said the legislation he is crafting with Republican Sen. Tim Bivins, a former sheriff from Dixon, would require a person seeking a statewide concealed carry permit to check boxes on the application if he wants to carry in Chicago and elsewhere in Cook.
Checking the boxes for the city and Cook would trigger a review by the Illinois State Police as well as law enforcement in Chicago and Cook, Raoul said.
If applicants opted to leave unchecked the boxes for the city and Cook, they could get a permit that would be good for the rest of Illinois if the state police approved, Raoul said.
The NRA opposes the plan and has vowed to kill it.
* The Question: Do you support this concealed carry compromise? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
* I, for one, am happy that the governor is flying all over the state, despite his chopper mishap. It’s a good thing. Blagojevich could hardly be bothered to visit any disaster site outside the Chicago media market. So I’m not sure Gov. Quinn deserves this treatment…
As floodwaters swelled last week, Gov. Pat Quinn hopped onto a state plane and headed for some of Illinois’ hardest-hit areas.
Five days later, the Democratic governor hasn’t stopped, continuing to visit flood-stricken towns, his office making sure TV stations can easily find the footage.
It’s not unusual to see politicians filling sandbags, consoling homeowners and declaring disaster zones. But couple the flood trips with Quinn’s recent uptick of appearances to herald the start of the summer construction season, and the governor might be mistaken for using the powers of his office to unofficially launch his 2014 re-election campaign.
Indeed, the politics of a natural disaster set up an almost no-lose situation for Quinn. With widespread public dissatisfaction over his job performance, the potential of a primary challenge next year and questions about his ability to govern in Springfield, the governor has used the flood as a chance to get outside the Capitol echo chamber in an attempt to show concern and confidence.
“In general, governors love this sort of crisis thing. Politically, it’s almost always a positive for them,” said Christopher Mooney, a political science professor at the University of Illinois at Springfield. “When you have these crises, it shows people the activity going on in government that they don’t normally see. And when the governor’s there, it shows the state is paying attention. To the people who are in crisis, that means a lot.”
Your thoughts?
* Roundup…
* Rep. Paul Ryan warns governors on Obama health care plan: Ryan initially said that federal authorization to allow states to file for bankruptcy was something “that should be revisited.” “(But) it’s my understanding that might disrupt (bond) markets and make your cost of capital higher in the state and we don’t want to do that to you.”
* Ill. bill backlog could grow if Medicaid expands
* Gutierrez, Ryan show bipartisan support for immigration reform: Republicans–who put part of the blame for many defeats last November on their poor showings among Latino voters– now include big-time supporters of immigration reform. “Sometimes it does take elections for people to wake up. Actually, frankly it concerns me about those that don’t wake up after an election,” Rep. Tom Cross, House Minority Leader, said.
Starting Wednesday, SJ-R.com will begin using a new set of social and interactive features underneath online articles. Our goal is to enhance the experience on SJ-R.com by giving readers new ways to interact with each other, share opinions and engage with the news.
At the same time, we’re attempting to make commenting less anonymous, which we hope will make readers think twice about posting inflammatory, hateful or objectionable content, thereby increasing the level of civility on the website.
* The Daily Herald switched to a Facebook commenting system not long ago. I took a look at a random DH story today about pension reform and saw this comment…
Rudeness and throwing insults are cutting online friendships short with a survey on Wednesday showing people are getting ruder on social media and two in five users have ended contact after a virtual altercation.
As social media usage surges, the survey found so has incivility with 78 percent of 2,698 people reporting an increase in rudeness online with people having no qualms about being less polite virtually than in person.
One in five people have reduced their face-to-face contact with someone they know in real life after an online run-in.
Joseph Grenny, co-chairman of corporate training firm VitalSmarts that conducted the survey, said online rows now often spill into real life with 19 percent of people blocking, unsubscribing or “unfriending” someone over a virtual argument.
Rude comments aside, why would someone risk their job by criticizing the wrong person or story ? This town is too small and way to political to NOT allow anonymous accounts.
That’s exactly why we have anonymous comments here. People are given the freedom to express their thoughts on issues without fear of retaliation, as long as they remain civil. Policing comments requires significant work on my part, but the effort has paid off.
Overall, history shows that the SJ-R comment section may improve. The Daily Herald’s comments are now more readable than they used to be. But switching to Facebook won’t get rid of the trolls. If you want a quality comments section, you gotta work at it.
Tuesday, Apr 23, 2013 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
The satellite television industry serves a crucial role in connecting Illinois to the rest of the world with content that informs, entertains and educates – in many instances it’s the exclusive broadcast service provider available to Illinois homes. In addition, the satellite TV industry is an important economic driver creating hundreds of jobs in our state.
Facts About Satellite TV in Illinois:
• Serves 1.3 million households in Illinois (almost a third of homes that subscribe choose satellite)
• Employs over 790 people, plus more than 1,000 technicians at 481 local retailers
• Rural Illinois depends on satellite TV since cable does not often provide service to their area
• Satellite TV offers a wider range of foreign language programming in comparison to cable
Lawmakers continue to be prodded by the cable TV industry to place a NEW 5% monthly tax on satellite TV service. Previous versions of this discriminatory tax proposal have been defeated in Springfield—and similar bills are regularly defeated in other states including three times in neighboring Indiana, Iowa and Minnesota. This revenue generator needs to be clearly labeled what it is: An unfair tax increase on the 1.3 million Illinois families and businesses who subscribe to satellite TV.
* Damien Ober writes about a new book on Abe Lincoln’s congressional term…
When Lincoln presents a bill which would have ended slavery in the District of Columbia, the inclusion of a fugitive slave clause makes the bill the “kind of balanced legislation needed to pass a badly divided house.”… His support for presidential candidate Zachary Taylor—a slave-owner and hero of the war he had fought so hard to stop—“was simple for Lincoln;” Taylor was the only Whig who could win and any Whig was better than any Democrat—on slavery and the other issues important to Lincoln.
* Jared Hitchings writes about Stephen Douglas, whose 200th birthday is today…
Not only was Douglas not bitter about losing the presidency to Lincoln, he in fact toured the country stumping for the Union cause at the outbreak of the Civil War. It was during this tour that he contracted Typhoid fever and died on June 3, 1861.
* I have several friends who live (or lived) in Austin, Texas. One of them told me on my last visit why he moved to Austin from San Antonio, just down the road.
In San Antonio, he said, the local government was always in your business. Unlike in Austin, everything was top-down. The town was just too involved with the art and music scene, to the point of dominance. Street festivals, he said, were organized from the top, which tended to prevent new ideas from emerging and kept old ideas in place long after their prime.
* Illinois, and particularly Chicago, have the very same problem. We’re just way too top-down oriented here.
For a good example of how top-down we are, just look at the Chicago firestorm over food trucks. From January…
Six months after the city passed an ordinance placing new regulations on the industry granting truck owners the ability to prepare food inside their vehicles, only one of Chicago’s 126 mobile food dispensers have received a license to cook on board. In other major cities, food trucks have been cooking fresh food onboard for years, according to local officials.
Austin, population 820,000, has over 1,000 food trucks. The market is probably over-saturated, but that’s capitalism, man. Survival of the fittest.
* What does Mayor Emauel do to promote local music? He wants to develop special “entertainment districts.” There’s nothing at all organic about that…
“If I were an artist, I would want to move anywhere else than Chicago,” [Paul Natkin, a longtime concert photographer and executive director of the Chicago Music Commission] said, explaining that he knew struggling artists who were fined for not having a business license under former Mayor Richard M. Daley. That sort of bureaucracy, he added, hurts the music industry as well.
“Chicago’s kind of known worldwide as one of the hardest places to get a license to open a business,” Natkin said. “It’s a daunting task to open a venue or open up a record store — or any kind of business in Chicago.”
* In Springfield, where I now live, the mayor has opposed allowing downtown music festivals to stay open past 9:30 pm - on the weekends, for Pete’s sake.
* And it’s not just art and music. As Natkin noted above, it’s difficult to start almost any business in Illinois, and it’s very expensive to keep one going. Workers’ comp costs are killing some of our employers, for example, but nothing is being done to deal with it. Yes, Mayor Emanuel has loosened countless goofy Chicago regulations. He’s to be commended for that. More, please.
This is a huge problem and it absolutely has to be addressed. For the most part, we need to just get the heck out of the way.
* That being said, Gov. Rick Perry can bite me. His high-profile visit this week is basically just a publicity stunt, planned to coincide with a speech to a bioscience convention. Biotech is one of this state’s major bright spots. From a Gov. Pat Quinn press release…
“The Economic Engine of Biotechnology in Illinois” shows the Midwest Super Cluster, which includes Illinois and the surrounding eight-state region, surpasses California and the East Coast in biotechnology-related employment, number of establishments and research and development expenditures. Its four key findings are:
* Within the Midwest Super Cluster there are more than 16,800 biotechnology establishments employing more than 377,900 people. By comparison, California has 7,500 biotechnology establishments that employ 230,000 people, and the East Coast cluster employs 253,000 among its approximately 7,100 biotechnology establishments.
* The overall economic output of Illinois’ biotechnology industry is more than $98.6 billion with 81,000 direct jobs and more than 3,500 biotechnology companies in the state. In fact, Illinois residents employed by biotechnology companies earn up to 91 percent more than the average Illinois resident. The biotechnology industry in Illinois has demonstrated the strongest revenue growth in recent years among all of the states analyzed in this [Ernst & Young LLP] study, an average annual growth of 13.3 percent.
* During the past decade, the top seven universities in Illinois have steadily increased their research and development expenditures, creating new opportunities for biotech startups. Expenditures have nearly doubled since 2001, growing from $727 million to more than $1.3 billion.
* The ability to secure early-stage funding is spurring innovation and growth among startup biotechnology companies in Illinois. Venture capital funding in Illinois has seen a 209 percent increase between 2009 and 2012.
Nurture, offer funding options if needed, deploy the universities where necessary and then get out of the way of the people who know what they’re doing. We don’t need to deregulate to the point where our fertilizer plants are exploding. But we need to let the people of this tremendous state put their fantastic minds to work on what they do best and stop being an impediment.
* Related…
* Rahm Emanuel Welcomes Rick Perry To Chicago: I Hope ‘He Remembers All 3 Of His Reasons For Coming’
Madison County officials are urging people to bring any unused prescription drugs to a site near the County Administration Building from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Saturday, April 27, as part of the National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day.
State’s Attorney Tom Gibbons reminded people that many serious illegal drug habits start with young people taking unused prescription medications as a cheap high.
Many deceased heroin addicts started out taking prescription painkillers, Coroner Steve Nonn said. […]
Last September, six sites in Madison County collected 1,310 pounds of prescription medications. Nationwide, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration took in 244 tons at 5,263 take-back sites that were located in all 50 states and U.S. territories.
That’s a really good idea. More like this, please. But allow me a brief aside.
* During the Illinois House’s years-long debate over medical marijuana, we heard lots of people complaining about driving under the influence. That’s actually addressed in the new legislation, but there are no specific state laws governing, for example, driving after taking Oxycontin, which is as potent as heroin.
There’s been plenty of discussion about how the FDA hasn’t approved marijuana for medicinal use, but that’s mainly just a matter of cowardly domestic politics and the failed and mindless (and self-perpetuating) war on illegal drugs. The feds have approved infinitely stronger, and far more debilitating “dangerous” meds that can hook people for life and totally fry their brains.
The “take-back” program is just common sense government. It’s a rational, calm, responsible approach to a real problem. That’s all most of us are arguing for here with medical marijuana.
* Current Illinois law requires drivers to slow down to 20 mph in school zones between 7 in the morning and 4 in the afternoon. The House passed a bill last week would require drivers to slow down whenever a child was within 50 feet of the roadway in a school zone…
Sponsoring Rep. Elaine Nekritz, D-Northbrook, said the law doesn’t do enough to protect children crossing streets after regular school hours. A Tribune analysis found that time frame is when children in Chicago are most often struck by vehicles near schools. It’s a pattern repeated across the state, according to the Active Transportation Alliance.
“This is about children’s safety,” Nekritz said. “And in this instance, we’re not just reacting to an incident of a hunch that this might protect children more. We actually have data to show that the most number of accidents occur outside of school hours and outside of the hours by which current state law requires drivers to slow down.” […]
Opponents questioned how the measure would be enforced and contended it was a money grab targeting drivers in Chicago, where schools more frequently dot neighborhoods than in suburban or downstate towns. […]
In Chicago from 2007 through 2011, the largest number of cases in which school-age pedestrians were struck by vehicles occurred in the hours starting at 3 p.m., when 460 crashes occurred; 4 p.m., with 384 crashes; 5 p.m., 408 crashes; 6 p.m., 399 crashes; and 7 p.m., 285 crashes, according to a Tribune analysis of data from the Illinois Department of Transportation and the Chicago Police Department.
* House Speaker Michael Madigan’s “weekly orders of business” on pension reform and concealed carry are now history. Some say the process ate up a ton of valuable time, others say it gave legislators an outlet to debate various ideas and see where everyone was. The AP has more on the debate…
[Steve Brown, Madigan’s spokesman] and other Democrats believe lawmakers may have gotten as far as they were going to get on a guns compromise, part of the reason the process has ended. “I’m not sure you get to consensus on the issue of gun safety,” Brown said.
But Cross asserted that lawmakers have nothing conclusive to show on pensions either. Republicans say that several measures approved by the House fall short of the Senate’s desire to deal with a comprehensive plan to solve the nation’s worst pension crisis.
“No comprehensive legislation has yet come from the speaker’s weekly orders of business, so it would be premature to deem this practice a success,” Cross said in a statement. “We believe there are better ways to come to consensus on these major issues we are facing, like negotiating bills that we believe can pass the House.”
While it’s true no comprehensive legislation has resulted, the biggest victory thus far in the pension debate _ House approval of a plan co-authored by Cross to reduce and delay cost-of-living increases in state employees’ retirement pay _ came out of a “weekly order” vote. Cross himself heralded the passage as “the meat and potatoes of pension reform.”
* So, now what? Well, the concealed carry debate is moving to the Senate and both chambers remain deadlocked on pension reform. Not to mention that fracking, a satellite TV tax, AT&T’s big rewrite push and oh so many other issues (mainly the budget) have barely begun to surface, let alone move.
It’s April 23rd. The House isn’t even in session this week. When that chamber returns, members will have 25 session days to deal with all of those issues and lots more.
* What we’ve seen many times before is that big stuff will pop up at the last minute and get jammed through. But I’m not sure that it’ll happen that way this time for various reasons, including all the new freshmen who seem to be a bit more independent minded than their peers.
And Brown’s comments about not finding consensus on concealed carry may be telling. Could they be waiting until after the June 9th federal court deadline to act?
Unless something changes very soon, I’m starting to think that this session may very well end up in overtime.
* I just got off the phone with my mom, who is having some basement flooding issues after their sump pump burned out. She’s not a happy camper. I had a little bit of water in my basement as well last week and have since resolved to pull up that stupid carpeting installed by the previous owners. Any replacement suggestions would be appreciated.
* The Question: Have you, your friends or your loved ones been impacted at all by the recent flooding? Explain.
Over the weekend, rumors began to circulate that there are serious discussions taking place about U.S. Senator Mark Kirk stepping down due to his health. The questions remain … and we believe deserve to be answered.
* But a simple Google News search would’ve revealed the answer to those “questions.” From a front-page story just last week in the Post-Dispatch…
Despite his health problems, Kirk is unequivocal about remaining in the Senate. Another senator, South Dakota Democrat Tim Johnson, announced recently that he won’t seek re-election in 2014. Johnson, 66, suffered a near-fatal brain hemorrhage in 2006 and still has difficulty speaking.
Kirk shook his head when asked in the interview if, like Johnson, he might choose not to run again while dealing with health issues.
“Already raising money for re-election,” he said.
* Related…
* Al Hunt: Senate Friendship Born of Tragedy Overcomes Partisanship: Kirk’s recovery has been slow but steady. He walks with a cane and is regaining other abilities. He missed all of last year’s congressional session. He’s back full time now, and fully engaged. During a recent all-night Senate “vote-a-rama,” there were 42 roll calls until 5 a.m.; he made them all.
* The group “Good Jobs First” has published a “primer” for journalists covering Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s job-poaching visit to Illinois…
1. Get the Hard Texas Jobs Numbers. They reveal that interstate job piracy is a costly fool’s errand. We issued a national study on this very topic in January, and it has passages devoted to Texas on pages 4-5 and 16-20. We document that Texas under Perry in his first seven years netted a microscopic 0.03 percent (three hundredths of one percent) of its jobs base annually from corporate migrations—at great expense given to a tiny share of footloose companies.
What is Perry doing to help existing Texas firms expand and new firms to start up? (Not to mention operate safely.) Does he know that more than 9,500 business establishments with more than 110,000 jobs moved out of Texas during his first eight years in office? Where did they go and why?
2. Master the Texas Subsidy-Industrial Complex. Learn how private dollars (TexasOne)—some of them from site location consultants who profit from corporate relocations—bankroll Perry’s job-piracy forays. Learn about the Texas Enterprise Fund, where two-thirds of subsidized companies have fallen short on jobs, and where a fourth of recipient companies have given money to Perry’s campaigns or political proxies. The Wall Street Journal [8/13/11] summed it up as “Rick Perry’s Crony Capitalism Problem.” And the New York Times wrote at length about tax consultant (and big Perry backer) G. Brint Ryan.
Which consultants are accompanying Perry to Illinois? How much do they get paid when consulting for footloose companies? How much money have they given to Perry’s campaigns and proxies?
The Chicago area’s wealthiest investors are much more nervous about their state’s economy than counterparts elsewhere in the nation, according to a poll released Monday that reinforces concerns some companies may relocate if Illinois’ financial situation doesn’t improve.
The poll by Morgan Stanley Wealth Management comes on the same day Texas Gov. Rick Perry is scheduled to be in Chicago to try to lure businesses from the state with the promise of lower income taxes and a stronger economy.
Analysts and economic advisers say it’s another wake-up call for lawmakers who repeatedly have failed to solve Illinois’ $100 billion pension crisis and other financial problems.
The AP’s lede is more than a little breathless. There’s nothing in the poll that “reinforces” any concerns, other than the investors are not happy at all with the state’s finances and economy. Is anybody?
Survey Methods: as part of the national survey of 1,000 US investors, age 25 to 75, with $100,000 or more in investable household financial assets, an oversample of 302 Chicago area investors were interviewed. Approximately one-third of those interviewed had $1 million or more in household financial assets. Poll conducted Jan. to March, 2013, by GfK Public Affairs and Corporate Communications.
Most Chicagoland investors are bullish about the global economy (74%) and US economy (70%) but those numbers drastically dip at the state level:
• A majority (58%) sees a worsening of the state economy by the end of this year.
• Only 16% believe the state economy will be better by the end of 2013 compared to 40% believing the global economy will be better and 45% feeling the same way about the national economy.
• Economic issues top the list of Chicagoland investors’ concerns. 93% are worried about the financial well-being of the state with 80% describing themselves as “very” concerned.
• Investors are most concerned with the pension crisis (52%), Illinois state deficit (20%), state taxes (13%) and budget cuts (8%).
Investors want financial advice—specifically, communication and analysis. Nearly eight in ten Chicagoland investors (77%) use one or more financial advisors, and for millionaires the percent increases to 88%.
• 87% want guidance and resources on changes in the fed tax policy & exemptions
• 86% want guidance on their portfolio asset allocation
• 83% want clear communication on how assets can contribute to a retirement income stream
• 81% want new investment ideas; analysis of the economy and potential portfolio impacts; and downside portfolio protection
• 66% want guidance on estate planning to minimize tax effects on assets passed to heirs
Investors with household assets of $1 million or more, who make up a third of poll respondents, are more likely to see improvement in their portfolios from 2012 (77% vs. 53% in lower asset group) and, predictably, are less concerned than HNW investors overall about:
• Funds to cover the unexpected (44% vs. 68%)
• The ability to retire when desired (28% vs. 58%)
• Living beyond one’s assets (36% vs. 55%)
• Funding a child’s education (23% vs. 48%)
• Paying off the student loan debt of their spouse, children or grandchildren (12% vs. 27%)
In the opposite direction, millionaires are somewhat more concerned about the trade deficit (93% vs. 80%, overall), phase-out of personal exemptions and deductions (93% vs. 86%, overall), volatility in the stock market (87% vs.78%), and terrorism (82% vs. 74%).
From an investing perspective, millionaires are also more bullish than HNW investors overall on real estate for purchasing a second home (50% vs. 39%) and on investing in REITs (51% vs. 39%).
“Here in Illinois, we have all the factors needed to create a great business climate. We have a tremendously skilled workforce, an excellent transportation system, a wide variety of natural, cultural and recreational resources, great agricultural success and strong educational institutions to name a few assets. Though the state has many strong points, it is no secret that Illinois’ financial flaws are a downfall for business owners and residents. We have the worst credit rating in the country, a broken pension system and taxes have increased in recent years on businesses and individuals.”
“Texas Governor Rick Perry’s attempt to get Illinois businesses to move to Texas should sound an alarm to state leaders. We need to improve our business climate so we can better retain and attract businesses. We have some issues now, as highlighted by Gov. Perry, and we should make every effort to create a better environment where businesses can thrive right here in Illinois.”
* Perry in Illinois to lure business: On Tuesday, he’ll speak at the 2013 BIO International Convention in Chicago. The event draws business people from around the world and Perry will talk at an afternoon session about state legislative practices that support bioscience economic development.
* Erickson: Quinn awash in advice for big-talking Texans: “His state, frankly, is water-challenged, and any company thinking of going to Texas better check on their water,” Quinn said. And then came the rains. And the flooding. And by Friday, Quinn was forced to issue a disaster declaration covering 38 water-soaked counties.
* Editorial: Hey, Gov. Perry: Don’t mess with Illinois
* Illinois House approves bill to loosen workplace online privacy restrictions: The Illinois House on Friday voted to give employers more authority over employees’ online activity by allowing employers to request access to personal Internet accounts. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs), passed by a 68-36 margin, with two voting present, and now moves to the Senate.
* Editorial: Put Illinois to work - The stall on fracking is a job-killer
* Crowds gathered in front of Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia’s (D-Aurora) district office over the weekend to rally in favor and in opposition to gay marriage…
“We want to send a message to the representatives of Illinois, including Chapa LaVia,” said Edwin Ruiz, a Spanish-speaking pastor who is part of the International Federation of Chaplains and Human Rights, a group that has chapters across the United States. “I am here because I believe firmly in traditional marriage between a man and a woman. The Bible is very specific about that.”
Both sides of the demonstration were quick to say they had assembled a diverse group of supporters that included faith leaders and Hispanics.
“There was far more diversity on our side,” said Peter LaBarbera, the founder and president of Naperville-based Americans for Truth, which does not support same-sex marriage. “I know (Chapa LaVia) has got a big decision here. Many Latinos are on the pro-traditional marriage side. And Aurora has a heavily Hispanic population.”
The Rev. Suzanne Anderson-Hurdle, a pastor at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Romeoville, came as part of the counter-demonstration to support the legislation.
She testified in Springfield in 2009 in support of legislation to legalize civil unions for same-sex couples and did so again this year in favor of legalized same-sex marriage.
“This is a civil rights issue, not a religious issue,” she said, carrying a sign that read: “I am a pastor, I am a Christian, I support marriage equality.” “God willing, I won’t need it much longer,” she said as she put her sign down.
* A couple from the opponents. First up, Latino chants…
* Co-Founder of Gay Liberation Network, Andy Thayer, and Executive Director of Illinois Family Institute, David E. Smith are both interviewed by Illinois Review…
* Rep. Jim Sacia (R-Pecatonica) made this same point during floor debate last week over the medical marijuana bill…
“I’m 69. I’ve got a few maladies … I bet I could convince my doctor I’m in worse shape than I really am” to get some marijuana.
* OK, first, here’s the actual list of illnesses that medical marijuana can be prescribed for…
cancer, glaucoma, positive status for human immunodeficiency virus, acquired immune deficiency syndrome, hepatitis C, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, agitation of Alzheimer’s disease, cachexia/wasting syndrome, muscular dystrophy, severe fibromyalgia, spinal cord disease, including but not limited to arachnoiditis, Tarlov cysts, hydromyelia, syringomyelia, Rheumatoid arthritis, fibrous dysplasia, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury and post-concussion syndrome, Multiple Sclerosis, Arnold-Chiari malformation and Syringomyelia, Spinocerebellar Ataxia (SCA), Parkinson’s, Tourette’s, Myoclonus, Dystonia, Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, RSD (Complex Regional Pain Syndromes Type I), Causalgia, CRPS (Complex Regional Pain Syndromes Type II), Neurofibromatosis, Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy, Sjogren’s syndrome, Lupus, Interstitial Cystitis, Myasthenia Gravis, Hydrocephalus, nail-patella syndrome, residual limb pain
If he didn’t have any of those problems and lied to his physician, he’d pay a penalty of up to $1,000, and the physican could lose his or her license. Both the patient and the caregiver must undergo background checks.
Also, the Department of Public Health can only issue permission after doing several things, including this…
confirm that the physician and patient have a bona fide physician-patient relationship, that the qualifying patient is in the physician’s care for his or her debilitating medical condition, and to substantiate the patient’s diagnosis
Look, pretty much every law can be circumvented or outright violated. But to dismiss the restrictions in this proposal as woefully inadequate as an excuse to vote against it is not intellectually honest.
“I want the FDA to sanction it and regulate it. Then Jimmy will be on board. That’s what they do, they regulate drugs, so they should be regulating this one.”
I’d like the FDA to step in as well, but Congress has to get off its dead rear first. And that just ain’t gonna happen in the foreseeable future.
During the Illinois House’s floor debate last week over the concealed-carry bill backed by the National Rifle Association, I was told by an intimate of House Speaker Michael Madigan that Madigan wanted to make sure the bill received no more than 64 votes.
Because the bill pre-empts local government home-rule powers, the bill required a three-fifths majority of 71 votes to pass.
The anti-gun forces were demoralized the day before when their highly restrictive concealed-carry proposal got just 31 votes, so Madigan (D-Chicago) wanted to do the same to the NRA’s version, I was told.
The idea, the source said, was to show both sides that they couldn’t pass their bills on their own and needed to get themselves to the bargaining table and work something out.
As you know, a federal appeals court has ruled that Illinois’ prohibition on concealed carry is unconstitutional, but the court left open the door to quite a few restrictions. The appeals court gave Illinois a June 9 deadline to enact a concealed-carry law, so the pressure is on to find a solution.
Without legislation, Illinois’ existing ban won’t be enforceable, which likely means anyone with a state firearm owner’s ID card could walk the streets carrying loaded weapons without a permit.
The NRA bill ended up getting 64 votes, exactly Madigan’s reported target number. By the way, that’s three votes less than the roll call on an even less restrictive concealed-carry bill a few months ago, so this was a huge loss for the NRA.
And keep in mind, the NRA was missing one of its supporters during that last roll call. So it actually lost four votes from the last time around and perhaps as many as nine from earlier in the day.
Madigan’s staff worked the bill hard, pulling off votes for their boss. Gov. Pat Quinn, Attorney General Lisa Madigan, Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s people also worked against the NRA bill.
Pro-gun forces began the day believing that they had more than enough votes to pass it, and they were furious when the tide began to turn against them. But there was nothing they could do as they watched one promised vote after another flip on them.
Afterward, some were defiant, saying they would now walk away from the table, kill anything they don’t like and wait for the federal appeals court’s deadline to arrive — when Illinois’ law on unlawful use of a weapon relating to concealed carry would not be able to be enforced. Others were more cautious, leaving open the possibility of a deal.
On the other side of the Statehouse, Sens. Kwame Raoul (D-Chicago) and Tim Bivins (R-Dixon) said they were close to wrapping up negotiations over a concealed-carry law. Raoul said the tentative proposal would be unveiled within days. It contains what will undoubtedly be a controversial “endorsement” clause.
If approved, anyone who is awarded a concealed-carry permit by Illinois State Police could carry anywhere in Illinois except Cook County and Chicago. If they want to carry in those areas, they would have to apply for an “endorsement” from local law enforcement. An appeals process was being added to the bill for those who are denied an endorsement, Raoul said,
The NRA’s top lobbyist responded that he would attempt to kill such a bill, but Bivins, who was Lee County’s sheriff for 20 years, didn’t seem very concerned that the final proposal might not be viewed favorably by the NRA.
Back in the House, Rep. Mike Zalewski (D-Riverside) held out hope that a deal could still be struck in his chamber. Zalewski, who voted “present” on the NRA’s concealed-carry bill, has been one of the go-betweens in the negotiations with the NRA and anti-gun groups.
Zalewski said he opposed some lower penalties in the NRA bill and wanted other items, including more restrictions in government buildings. He also said people with concealed-carry permits in other states should meet the same training requirements as those imposed in Illinois.
But the pro-gun forces complain that they’ve been negotiating with themselves. They’ve repeatedly compromised, only to see the goalposts moved farther away.
A key Illinois senator says legislation allowing public gun possession will carve out an exception for Chicago.
Republican Sen. Tim Bivins says the measure he and Democratic Sen. Kwame Raoul negotiated would allow Cook County authorities to deny a concealed carry permit even if an applicant passes the required background checks.
The former county sheriff from Dixon says the rest of the state would be governed by a so-called “shall issue” law — anyone meeting requirements would get a carry permit.
Bivins says the bill is being written. He says it’s not ideal but gun-rights advocates have to compromise.
Thoughts?
* This is also true, and the point was driven home hard by House Dem staff…
The other thing that happened is, due to a snafu with all the gazillion different drafts of 997, there were errors in the draft that came up for a vote. A few votes fell off because of that.
* Meanwhile, Bill Daley is upset that he gave money to a conservative Democrat from a pro-gun “red” state who then sided with the NRA…
I want my money back.
Last October, I gave $2,500 to support Heidi Heitkamp’s campaign to become North Dakota’s junior senator. A few weeks later, she won a surprise victory.
I have had a long career in government and politics, but I don’t donate heavily to political campaigns. When I contribute, it’s because I know the candidate well or am really impressed with the person. Heidi Heitkamp was one of the latter: She struck me as strong-willed, principled and an independent thinker.
But this week, Heitkamp betrayed those hopes.
She voted to block legislation to make gun background checks more comprehensive. Her vote — along with those of 41 Republicans and three other Democrats — was a key reason the measure fell short of the 60 votes needed for passage.
* Gov. Pat Quinn was on a tour of Illinois flooding over the weekend when his helicopter landed on some very wet ground in North Aurora. The chopper sank into the mud and got stuck. A friend snapped a pic…
* The Department of Employment Security has been trying very hard to put the best spin on Illinois’ economic picture for months. Let’s start with IDES’ press release announcing the September, 2012 jobs report, which was not great compared to the national numbers, but still good for Illinois…
Illinois Adds 13,800 Jobs and Rate Falls to 8.8 Percent
Rate Drops for 10th time in 13 Months
CHICAGO – Illinois added +13,800 jobs in September and the unemployment rate fell for the 10th time in the past 13 months to reach 8.8 percent, according to preliminary data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES). The data is seasonally adjusted.
“Today’s news is encouraging because it reinforces the trend of continued job growth,” IDES Director Jay Rowell said. “What we don’t know is how federal decisions regarding the fiscal cliff will impact Illinois’ economy.”
* The unemployment rate stopped falling in October of last year, but IDES trumpeted the new jobs added…
Illinois Adds 4,800 Jobs and Rate Holds at 8.8 Percent
CHICAGO – Illinois added +4,800 jobs in October and the unemployment rate held at 8.8 percent for the second consecutive month, according to preliminary data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES). The data is seasonally adjusted. One year ago, the October unemployment rate was 10 percent.
“Job growth and an unemployment rate significantly lower than one year ago shows steady economic progress,” IDES Director Jay Rowell said. “Our eyes now turn toward Congress. Decisions must be made regarding the fiscal cliff so that Illinois’ economy can continue to recover.”
* November’s unemployment rate clicked back down again…
Illinois Adds 16,400 Jobs and Rate Falls to 8.7 Percent
November Monthly Job Gain Largest of the Year
CHICAGO – Illinois added +16,400 jobs in November and the unemployment rate fell to 8.7 percent, according to preliminary data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES). The data is seasonally adjusted. One year ago, the November unemployment rate was 9.8 percent.
“November’s job growth is encouraging because it reinforces the trend of positive economic momentum,” IDES Director Jay Rowell said “The most immediate threat to that momentum is the fiscal cliff. If Congress does not work together to craft a solution, our economic progress will slow and we will risk another recession.”
* December’s unemployment rate held steady, despite a payroll decrease of 7,600. But it was a good month, according to IDES…
December Unemployment Unchanged at 8.7 Percent
Private Sector Job Growth Up 167,000 During the Recovery
CHICAGO – The December 2012 unemployment rate was unchanged at 8.7 percent, according to preliminary data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES). The data is seasonally adjusted. One year ago, the December rate was 9.7 percent. Total payrolls decreased -7,600 in December 2012, nearly one-third of which were temporary layoffs with return-to-work dates in January, 2013.
“Illinois’ long-term trend is that of moderate growth punctuated by monthly up-and-down movement in the unemployment rate and the number of people working,” IDES Director Jay Rowell said. “This positive trend still is threatened by Congress and its continuing deliberations on the debt ceiling and the fiscal cliff.”
* The unemployment rate rose in January, but that was good news because more people were returning to their job searches, IDES told us…
January Unemployment Rate at 9.0 Percent
Private Sector Growth Up 222,100 During Recovery
CHICAGO – More people resuming their job search and entering the workforce pushed the January 2013 unemployment rate to 9.0 percent, according to preliminary data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES). The data is seasonally adjusted. One year ago, the rate was 9.1 percent. Employers added 7,100 jobs in January 2013.
“An economic recovery naturally includes monthly up-and-down movement in the unemployment rate as individuals suspend and renew their job search,” IDES Director Jay Rowell said. “As cuts from sequestration are implemented during the next few months, we will have a better idea on how federal fiscal policy will impact Illinois.”
* The unemployment rate zoomed up to 9.5 percent in February, but that was no big deal either because the state’s employers added thousands of jobs…
Illinois Adds 12,400 Jobs in February
Job Growth Encourages More People to Look for Work
CHICAGO – Illinois added 12,400 jobs in February, continuing a three-year pattern of job growth that has intensified in the past seven months. Job growth has encouraged more people to look for work, especially those who gave up during the recession. Their re-entry into the labor force pushed the February unemployment rate to 9.5 percent, according to preliminary data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES). Data is seasonally adjusted.
“This is the counter-intuitive part of an economic recovery. If job creation is picking up, how can unemployment be picking up as well?” IDES Director Jay Rowell said. “Job growth gives workers who previously gave up their job search hope that they, too, will be hired. As such, they re-energize their work search, jump back into the labor force and push up the unemployment rate.”
* March had more bad news, wiping out all of February’s job gains plus most of January’s. And the unemployment rate held steady. No matter, we’re better off than we were last year…
March Unemployment Rate Holds at 9.5 Percent
Job Growth Up Over Year Yet Down Over Month
CHICAGO – The March unemployment rate was 9.5 percent, unchanged from February, according to preliminary data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES). As expected, Illinois recorded -17,800 fewer jobs compared to February even as it added +36,600 over March 2012. The data is seasonally adjusted.
“Illinois employers were expected to report fewer positions in March. Economic uncertainty nationally and abroad dampened our country’s job growth. When that happens, Illinois’ share tends to be a negative number,” IDES Director Jay Rowell said. “Monthly snapshots capture a moment in time. When those moments are evaluated together, we see progress away from a global recession and through a stubborn economic growth cycle marked by volatile swings in monthly data here and across our country.”
Incumbents are one step closer to losing the power to kick opponents off suburban ballots after a proposal cleared an initial hurdle in the Illinois Senate.
The measure would abolish the controversial, 120-year-old system of local election panels that critics say allows a suburb’s incumbent politicians to unfairly settle an election by clearing the ballot of rivals on technicalities.
After years of inaction in the General Assembly, a state Senate committee voted 11-2 Wednesday to move the measure to the floor.
The vote came a month after a Tribune investigation found the system riddled with conflicts of interest and questionable rulings that led to fewer choices for tens of thousands of suburban voters.
The Tribune found that at least 200 municipal candidates faced ballot-access objections this year, most of them alleging paperwork errors in candidate petition filings. With the panels, local incumbents get to rule on whether those infractions warrant kicking candidates off the ballot for thousands of municipal, township, school board and community college offices.
Of the 76 candidates removed from the ballot this year by panels, the Tribune found that most fell at the hands of panels stacked with members who had a political stake in the decisions.
What’s really needed, however, is some clear and precise legislative clarifications about what, exactly should disqualify ballot petitions. Too much interpretation is left to local boards and the courts, and we wind up with wildly conflicting rules.
* For example, in some areas, using paperclips to fasten petitions sheets together will disqualify petitions. In other areas, paperclips are fine.
This stuff happens all the time and it’s just plain goofy. All it’s doing is making money for lawyers.
Legislators love the ambiguities for obvious reasons - they generally have the money to keep themselves out of trouble and on the ballot. Their opponents often don’t.
Handing this responsibility over to county panels won’t be nearly enough. We need better regulations.
* And it’s not just petitions. In some counties, if you withdraw from a campaign after the ballot printing deadline, votes for you won’t be counted. In other counties, those votes are counted.
Legislators and/or the State Board of Elections need to step up here.
The Illinois House defeated a concealed weapons proposal favored by gun rights advocates Thursday night, a rejection that could spur negotiations toward finding common ground with lawmakers who want more restrictions.
The legislation represented a signature showdown in the critical gun debate that is in the spotlight this spring because a federal appeals court has set an early June deadline for Illinois to put in place a law allowing concealed weapons to be carried in public.
The proposal debated Thursday would have allowed guns on mass transit buses and trains but not in taverns, schools, casinos, stadiums, child care facilities, universities and government buildings, including courthouses, police stations and the Capitol.
Rep. Brandon Phelps, the legislature’s leading concealed carry advocate, challenged his colleagues to vote for what he viewed as reasonable parameters on where people could carry guns in public, who is allowed to carry, who decides whether a person is eligible and how much training should be required.
Thursday’s outcome represented a setback for gun-rights advocates because the vote total in support actually was less than during two previous tries. In May 2011, an earlier version also needing 71 votes to pass the House failed by a 65-32 vote. And in February, during a test vote, another version drew a 67-48 roll call.
The vote follows Wednesday’s defeat of a concealed-carry bill drafted by gun-control advocates and sponsored by Cassidy that would have made it far more difficult for gun owners to get concealed-carry permits . Patterned after a restrictive New York concealed-carry law upheld this week by the U.S. Supreme Court, Cassidy’s legislation failed by a 31-76 vote in the House, with six voting present. [Emphasis added.]
* So, it’s either back to the bargaining table or the NRA will decide to wait things out and let the appellate court knock down Illinois’ UUW laws come June 9th. The NRA’s Todd Vandermyde spoke to reporters last night. Here’s the transcript via the Sun-Times’ Zach Buchheit…
Q: What’s the next step?
A: “I don’t know. Right now, we’re going to have to step back and see what the roll call looked like. We had more people telling us that they were inclined to vote for this version with some changes that there were. Obviously, we made movements, and I don’t know what else to say.”
Q: What else can you give?
A: “We’re going to stick to ’shall issue.’ We’re going to stick to the preemption clause. Chicago’s not going to get their own permitting system. You know, I don’t know. I guess there are enough people that think they’re not going to vote for anything and that the best thing to do is to go over the cliff.”
“A lot of us were drug kicking and screaming to some of the changes, but the object was to pass a bill. And it was to pass a good bill. And so we made an end run at it, but it seems no matter how far we negotiate and we move, it never seems to be enough for certain people. So I’m not sure if there’s much left for us to talk about. We’ve proved that we can kill a bad bill, and if the Senate offers up bad language, we’ll do the same thing we did here in the House. We’ll kill it because I don’t think it does Rep. Phelps or any other hardcore supporter to go back home saying that they got a quarter of a loaf instead of a whole loaf.”
Q: What happens on June 9?
A: “If nothing happens, the likelihood is that we’re going to have a court injunction. And if you’ve got a valid FOID card, you’re going to be able to carry a firearm in this state. The court won’t write a carry law. They have a very specific purpose, and that is to find the UUW statute in the state of Illinois unconstitutional and issue an injunction against the state’s enforcement of that law. That’s the court’s role in this. Then you might see some municipalities try to do their own thing but they are likely to face the same hurdles that the state has.”
* Most legislators love nothing more than kicking the can down the road. I’m not sure that many of the anti-gun types have yet fully come to the realization what could happen on June 9th…
Rep. Will Davis (D-Homewood) took that point a step farther, predicting the bill would worsen violent crime in the city and across the state.
“I just think this is going way too far, way too far. And I hate to say it, but I think this will actually get worse in our state before it gets better,” he said.
Nowhere has it been shown that violent crime increases after concealed carry laws are passed. I wish opponents would start arguing facts instead of emotion here. The liberals are guilty of doing precisely what they constantly accuse conservatives of doing on things like climate change.
“Chicago’s not an island. It’s only an island because it’s been a terrible, crime-ridden, gang-banging city for so long,” said state Rep. David Reis, R-Willow Hill.
The House rejected a measure that would have required the state’s pension systems to refrain from investing in gun-manufacturing companies. The bill failed 46-69.
That’s pretty much where the gun votes are right now. Both sides have enough votes to block what the other side wants. So, either we’ll get a negotiated solution, or it’ll stalemate. It’s likely that the Democratic leaders will try to ram something through that neither side will love. We’ll see.
State Senator Kwame Raoul (D-13th) has introduced legislation cracking down on violent “flash mobs” and requiring internet service providers (ISPs) to cooperate with law enforcement to help track down instigators. In recent incidents in Chicago’s Magnificent Mile and in the Loop, large groups of young people shoplifted from retailers and assaulted and robbed passersby. Social networking websites such as Twitter allowed them to coordinate their efforts.
“The ability to coordinate a mob action online gives criminals two key advantages: surprise and large numbers,” Raoul said. “State law can support police efforts by helping them use one of the criminals’ tools — social media — against them.”
Senate Bill 1005 would require ISPs to provide identifying information, including the location from which a tweet or other message was sent, to law enforcement once they show probable cause to believe a mob action has been or is being facilitated via the Internet. ISPs could be fined for failure to comply.
Raoul’s measure also would allow a judge to impose an extended sentence for offenses related to criminal mob activity if the perpetrator used electronic communications to organize the mob.
“Criminal flash mobs discourage tourism and create an environment of fear and uncertainty for businesses,” said Marc Gordon, president of the Illinois Hotel and Lodging Association. “Our hotel members and their guests will sleep easier knowing these criminal acts can be detected and deterred in the planning stage.”
* State Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago) is a gun control proponent and sponsored Wednesday’s restrictive concealed carry amendment that received just 31 votes. I was chatting with Cassidy yesterday because Capitol Fax was mentioned during debate Wednesday and we talked about the mail she’s been getting about the issue.
As you might imagine, some of them have been pretty darned harsh. I asked her to send me a sample. Here’s one. Click the pics for larger images…
So, the moron claims Adolph Hitler is a “mentor” of a Jewish state legislator. Idiot.
You pro-gun people need to get your compatriots in check. End of story.
Friday, Apr 19, 2013 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
The satellite television industry serves a crucial role in connecting Illinois to the rest of the world with content that informs, entertains and educates – in many instances it’s the exclusive broadcast service provider available to Illinois homes. In addition, the satellite TV industry is an important economic driver creating hundreds of jobs in our state.
Facts About Satellite TV in Illinois:
• Serves 1.3 million households in Illinois (almost a third of homes that subscribe choose satellite)
• Employs over 790 people, plus more than 1,000 technicians at 481 local retailers
• Rural Illinois depends on satellite TV since cable does not often provide service to their area
• Satellite TV offers a wider range of foreign language programming in comparison to cable
Lawmakers continue to be prodded by the cable TV industry to place a NEW 5% monthly tax on satellite TV service. Previous versions of this discriminatory tax proposal have been defeated in Springfield—and similar bills are regularly defeated in other states including three times in neighboring Indiana, Iowa and Minnesota. This revenue generator needs to be clearly labeled what it is: An unfair tax increase on the 1.3 million Illinois families and businesses who subscribe to satellite TV.
* A bizarre night in the Boston area as one of the bombing suspects is shot dead in a firefight with police. The other suspect is reportedly still at large. Progress Illinois was live-blogging the craziness last night. Go check it out if you’re not up to speed. NBC also has a good roundup.
