I just gotta say…
Tuesday, Jan 7, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Two weeks away felt like two months, mainly because I had such a fantastic time and didn’t take my laptop with me. But i’m really glad to be back, and not just because I missed my puppy.
This Capitol Fax thing has always been more than just a job to me. It’s pretty much my whole life, which my remaining friends can probably attest to. No regrets, though. Just the opposite. I have the best job in the world, or at least in Illinois. And I’m happy to be back and in the thick of things again today. It’s why I drove home yesterday. I truly wanted to get back to work. I love this stuff. Who wouldn’t?
There are some stories that broke while I was away which I didn’t get to today because I’m still trying to catch up on other stuff as well. Worry not. We’ll get to as much as we can.
Anyway, I just wanted to say how happy I am to be here.
- Rich
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Vallas won’t join campaign until March
Tuesday, Jan 7, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Sun-Times…
Paul Vallas, Gov. Pat Quinn’s running mate, plans to keep working as the school superintendent in Bridgeport, Conn., until March 1 — 17 days before the primary election. […]
Vallas has continued to work in Bridgeport because “he does not want to leave the Bridgeport school system in the lurch,” says Steven Ecker, an attorney for Vallas in Connecticut. “If he had done nothing and they wanted to fire him, he would have gotten a big payday.”
If the Bridgeport school board had fired Vallas before Dec. 31, the board would have owed him a lump sum of $234,000 — equivalent to one year of his salary — plus one year of health insurance for him and his family, according to his contract.
Instead, Vallas will collect about $72,000 from the school system if he remains on the job until March 1 — 16 weeks after he decided to run for lieutenant governor of Illinois.
It’s not like Quinn really needs him around, but this is a very unusual arrangement, to say the least.
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Rauner commits to five debates
Tuesday, Jan 7, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From a press release…
Bruce Rauner announced today that he will participate in five candidate debates and forums with media partners prior to the March 18th primary. Evelyn Sanguinetti has also agreed to participate in the WTTW televised debate for lieutenant governor candidates.
“Debates are an important part of the election process, and I’m glad we will have several televised debates. I look forward to debating the critical issues of jobs, taxes and spending, education, term limits, and more with my fellow Republicans,” Bruce said. “In addition, as the primary nears, we will continue to increase our breakneck campaign pace that has already put more than 35,000 miles on the Ford and brought us to more than 200 community and campaign events. Illinoisans are ready to shake up Springfield and bring back our state – I feel it on the campaign trail every day.”
In addition to the debates below, Bruce has already completed more than half a dozen candidate forums and even more joint appearances.
Confirmed events include:
Governor
Sponsor: Illinois Manufacturers’ Association
Proposed Date: February 4
Sponsor: Citizens Club of Springfield
Proposed Date: February 18
Sponsor: League of Women Voters, ABC 7, Univision
Proposed Date: February 27
Sponsor: NBC 5, University of Chicago
Proposed Date: March 4
Sponsor: WTTW
Proposed Date: March 13
Lieutenant Governor
Sponsor: WTTW
Proposed Date: March 6
Looks like he might be trying to dictate terms.
No word yet from the other candidates.
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Another Chicago gun ordinance bites the dust
Tuesday, Jan 7, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Reuters…
A Chicago ban on gun sales within the city, aimed at reducing gun violence, is unconstitutional because it goes too far in barring buyers and dealers from engaging in lawful sales, a federal judge ruled on Monday.
U.S. District Judge Edmond E. Chang found that the U.S. Constitution’s protection of the right to keep and bear arms must include the right to acquire them, within limits.
The judge stayed the ruling, however, in order to give the nation’s third-largest city a chance to respond. Chang said the city had until Monday to submit a motion to stay the ruling pending an appeal if it chooses to do so.
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel “strongly disagrees” with the court’s decision, according to a statement from the city, adding that he has instructed the city’s lawyer to consider all options to better regulate the sale of firearms within the city’s borders.
“Every year Chicago police recover more illegal guns than officers in any city in the country, a factor of lax federal laws as well as lax laws in Illinois and surrounding states related to straw purchasing and the transfer of guns,” the statement said. “We need stronger gun safety laws, not increased access to firearms within the city.”
Judge Chang is a recent Obama appointee.
* The full opinion is here…
(C)ertain fundamental rights are protected by the Constitution, put outside government’s reach, including the right to keep and bear arms for self-defense under the Second Amendment. This right must also include the right to acquire a firearm, although that acquisition right is far from absolute: there are many long-standing restrictions on who may acquire firearms (for examples, felons and the mentally ill have long been banned) and there are many restrictions on the sales of arms (for example, licensing requirements for commercial sales).
But Chicago’s ordinance goes too far in outright banning legal buyers and legal dealers from engaging in lawful acquisitions and lawful sales of firearms, and at the same time the evidence does not support that the complete ban sufficiently furthers the purposes that the ordinance tries to serve.
* Sun-Times…
The judge was unmoved by the city’s efforts to prove that the gun sale ban disproportionately affected “parochial” gang members who might find it hard to cross rival gang boundaries to travel to the suburbs, where many guns used in crime are currently purchased.
Though nearly all illegally used guns were originally sold by licensed dealers, “guns used in crimes generally pass through several hands before being acquired by the ultimate perpetrator,” the judge wrote.
He suggested that “straw purchasers” who use their clean criminal backgrounds to buy guns for criminals can be tackled by “more focused approaches, such as law enforcement operations that target dealers who would sell to straw purchasers.”
Nothing in his ruling stops Chicago Police from enforcing gun laws, or “prevents the City from considering other regulations — short of the complete ban — on sales and transfers of firearms to minimize the access of criminals to firearms and to track the ownership of firearms,” Chang wrote.
* New York Times…
“The stark reality facing the city each year is thousands of shooting victims and hundreds of murders committed with a gun,” the judge, Edmond E. Chang, of Federal District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, wrote. “But on the other side of this case is another feature of government: certain fundamental rights are protected by the Constitution, put outside government’s reach, including the right to keep and bear arms for self-defense under the Second Amendment.” […]
Several residents and an association of Illinois firearms retailers filed a lawsuit, leading to Judge Chang’s decision. “Chicago’s ordinance goes too far in outright banning legal buyers and legal dealers from engaging in lawful acquisitions and lawful sales of firearms,” the judge wrote, “and at the same time the evidence does not support that the complete ban sufficiently furthers the purposes that the ordinance tries to serve.”
Gun rights advocates said they hoped the ruling would send a message to Chicago and other cities setting similar limits. “Just because people live in Chicago doesn’t mean they’ve given up their rights,” said Richard Pearson, the executive director of the Illinois State Rifle Association. Even with Chicago’s ban on sales, officials have long complained about the patchwork of laws that allowed guns to be obtained in neighboring states and suburbs.
* Tribune…
Mark Walsh, campaign director for the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence, said the financially powerful NRA has systematically fought to water down gun laws in Illinois and across the country.
“That’s the NRA’s game plan. They keep filing suits and filing suits to chip away laws and get to their ultimate goal of a complete armed citizenry,” he said.
Though the 7th Circuit Court has ruled favorably for the NRA in recent cases in Chicago and Illinois, Walsh said other federal appellate courts have not followed suit.
“All too often the narrative is that the NRA is this monolithic machine that is winning everywhere, but that really isn’t the case,” he said. “There has been the fear mongering by the NRA and gun manufacturers, but it does not necessarily translate.
* Meanwhile…
About 4,500 requests for concealed carry permits were submitted the first day Illinois’ online application system was open to the public, officials said Monday.
The applications submitted Sunday during the system’s first 24 hours of operation brought the total permit requests to more than 11,000, said Monique Bond, a spokeswoman for the Illinois State Police. The other 6,500 applications came in recent weeks, as the state allowed firearms instructors to apply for permits early in order to help test the online application system. Detailed information on what areas of the state saw the most applicants wasn’t yet available, Bond said.
“Right now we’re pleased with the ease of the process so far,” she said. Bond called the number of applicants a “pretty healthy number.”
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* From a press release…
Bruce Rauner’s attempt to shed his out-of-touch billionaire image by touring Southern and Central Illinois is nothing more than a gimmick, according to the Dillard-Tracy team.
“Wearing a Carhartt vest and a cheap watch won’t fool voters in central and downstate Illinois,” State Senator Kirk Dillard said. “Bruce Rauner made over $1 million a week last year, and is apparently so close to Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel they vacation together. That’s not someone who understands struggling downstate families.”
“I don’t need a ‘listening tour’ to bring me up to speed,” Dillard said. “I’ve crisscrossed this state hundreds of times, talking to central Illinois farmers and southern Illinois coal miners. They want someone with the experience to get Illinois moving again, and you can’t do that from your 33rd floor penthouse.”
Dillard’s running mate, State Representative Jil Tracy, expressed similar concerns. “I’m a southern Illinois native, whose first job was in Monroe County working for Inland Steel. I understand southern and western Illinois because I’ve spent my entire life living and working with the families of this area. The people of Anna, Mt. Vernon, Oblong, West Frankfort, and Neoga know better than to fall for a Chicago politician.”
The “listening tour” seems designed to distract voters from some of the real issues dogging Rauner in this GOP primary:
• Voted Democrat: Why did Rauner vote Democrat in 2006?
• Democrat Donations: Why Did Rauner contribute hundreds of thousands to state & national Democrats?
• Influence: Why did Rauner hire a convicted Blagojevich influence peddler to get state business?
• Chicago Mayor: How close is Rauner to Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel if they vacation together?
“Rauner needs to answer these questions, sooner rather than later,” Campaign Manager Glenn Hodas said. “No fancy bus tour is going to make them go away. People deserve to know if Bruce Rauner is hijacking the Republican Party.”
Dillard and Tracy both noted that they have been working around the state since early last fall and are continuing their travels in advance of the March 18 Republican Primary.
Dillard noted that during his recent Southern Illinois travels he took part in the DuQuoin State Fair parade, the Williamson County GOP dinner, met with Effingham City leaders on economic development, discussed pension reform issues with retired correctional officers in Chester and attended a BBQ fundraiser in Ste. Marie.
Representative Tracy marched in the Murphysboro Apple Festival and Deer Festival in Golconda parades, took part in the SIU Homecoming festivities, met with agricultural and business leaders in Mt. Vernon, and attended GOP fundraisers and party functions in O’Fallon, Olney and West Frankfort.
“It takes a southern Illinois native, or someone like Kirk who spent many summers with his grandparents in rural America, to be able to understand and improve our state’s economic climate and bring jobs back to the region,” Tracy concluded.
If Dillard had the money to get that message out he’d be in much better shape right now. But his campaign is running on financial fumes.
Also, spending summers with your grandparents in rural America makes you “able to understand and improve our state’s economic climate and bring jobs back to the region”? I don’t get it. And doesn’t Rauner constantly brag about spending summers with his grandparents on their farm? If that’s what qualifies you to jump-start the economy, then Rauner is qualified by Dillard’s own goofy measuring stick.
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* My connecting flight to St. Louis was cancelled Sunday night and I was told I probably couldn’t get on another plane until Wednesday. So, I rented a car and drove home from Atlanta yesterday, with side trips to pick up Oscar the Puppy and our luggage at the STL airport. I rolled into my driveway about 11:30 last night.
Interstate 64 down in Southern Illinois was relatively clean by the time I arrived, but there were tons of cars in the ditches. I saw a dozen or more off the road in one half-mile stretch alone. All those unfortunate souls had to literally be rescued because the temperatures were so low. This was a life and death matter for them.
My hat is off to everyone who has been working on the roads for the past few days, particularly the rescuers. From a press release…
Stories of heroism by rescuers continue to emerge as emergency responders work around the clock to assist those impacted by the extreme weather.
Personnel from the Illinois National Guard field maintenance shop in Mattoon coordinated with Illinois State Police troopers and Illinois Department of Transportation snow plow crews to assist motorists in approximately 375 vehicles backed up on I-70 and I-57 north of Effingham Sunday evening. The backup was the result of several vehicles and semi-trucks that were stuck in snow drifts, making it impossible for snow plows to clear the route for the cars to proceed. Illinois National Guard personnel used a wrecker to pull the stranded vehicles and trucks from the road, which allowed IDOT crews to clear the road and rescue hundreds of passengers.
“The men and women of the Illinois National Guard are again demonstrating their commitment to the safety and security of Illinois citizens,” Brig. Gen. Daniel M. Krumrei, the Adjutant General of the Illinois National Guard, said. “We train extensively throughout the year to be ready and on the scene to help our neighbors at a moment’s notice. Within two hours of activation, our Soldiers navigated dangerous road conditions in sub-zero temperatures to rescue stranded motorists.”
Conservation Police Officer Trent Reeves rescued seven people and two pets that were trapped by snow drifts along Route 47 north of Mahomet. Emergency vehicles could not reach the people, so Officer Reeves traveled by snowmobile and on foot to rescue the stranded individuals and deliver them to nearby emergency vehicles. All of those rescued, including the pets, are fine. Officer Jim Mayes assisted with the rescue, and himself used his truck to rescue six individuals who were stranded on Interstate 74 in east central Illinois.
Your experiences with Polar Vortex Snowmageddon 2014?
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The problem with patronage
Tuesday, Jan 7, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The Tribune published a long story over the weekend about Speaker Madigan’s patronage army. My favorite part…
The Tribune found many cases in which Madigan operatives bounced from government job to government job, agency to agency. One example is David Foley, 50, a longtime top precinct captain who has donated more than $23,000 to Madigan political funds since 1999, when he got one of nearly a dozen different government jobs he has held in 25 years.
Foley lasted only weeks in some jobs, was fired from one and landed in another position that has been repeatedly filled by members of Madigan’s political brigade.
Records show he’s been an engineer technician at the Cook County Highway Department, county correctional officer, seasonal laborer for the county Forest Preserve District, Chicago cop, administrative assistant to the county recorder of deeds, customer service manager at the county treasurer’s office, cemetery hotline director for the state comptroller, executive officer under the county medical examiner, state highway traffic patrol manager and director of verification for the Chicago city clerk, and is now an executive assistant for the secretary of state.
When Foley took the city clerk job, one of the top positions in the office, in January 2012, he succeeded another Madigan precinct captain. That worker, Lawrence McPhillips, left to take another government job making $123,000 for the city.
When Foley left the post last year, he was succeeded by James Gleffe, 31. Gleffe, who records show came from a $65,000 job as a legal adviser to the secretary of state, has been a Madigan paid political soldier since 2010, records show. Gleffe makes more than $99,000 a year, according to the clerk’s office.
The biggest problem I have with patronage is people like that.
You got a hard worker who would do a really good job at a particular agency? OK, well, make your pitch. The courts have defined that as protected speech. But if he’s a mope, you shouldn’t be constantly sticking up for him. That’s truly bad for government.
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*** UPDATED x2 *** Fun with numbers
Tuesday, Jan 7, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Bruce Rauner says those who earn $8.25 cents an hour make too much…
All four Republican candidates for governor are against raising the state’s minimum wage. Gov. Pat Quinn says he wants to raise it to at least $10 per hour by the end of the year.
Bruce Rauner believes Illinois should do the opposite, and lower it to $7.25. “I will advocate moving the Illinois minimum wage back to the national minimum wage. I think we’ve got to be competitive here in Illinois,” Rauner said.
To put this into a little perspective, somebody earning minimum wage in Illinois today (before any Rauner-enforced pay cut) would have to work 6,424,242 hours to match Rauner’s 2012 income of $53 million. That works out to 803,030 days, 160,606 40-hour weeks, or 3,088 years.
Rauner’s income last year averages out to $204K a day for a five-day work week, or $25,550 every hour for an eight-hour day. It would take a minimum wage employee 399 days to earn as much money as Rauner made in a single hour last year. And, again, that’s before any pay cut.
Now, I get where he’s going on the rhetoric about staying competitive with other states. But I’m not sure he’s the best guy to make this proposal.
* And I’m not the only one pointing out Rauner’s wealth, by the way…
GOP gubernatorial primary candidates on Thursday took issue with multimillionaire Bruce Rauner’s declaration that his fund-raising prowess — including $4 million last quarter — makes him the only one in the field who could go “toe-to-toe with Pat Quinn.”
Rauner made the statement as he announced that his campaign took in a whopping $4 million in the fourth quarter of last year — with $1 million coming from his own personal fortune after his self-funding lifted the typically mandated caps on state campaigns. […]
“Mr. Rauner’s finally come clean and admits that his major qualification to be the GOP nominee for governor is that he can buy the election,” said competitor state Sen. Kirk Dillard, R-Hinsdale.
*** UPDATE *** Courtesy of a commenter, this is from Bruce Rauner’s Twitter feed…
I suppose this is designed to show what a “regular guy” he is.
I checked the Marion Super 8 website and rooms start at $59.99 a night. Based on his 2012 income, it would take Rauner less than 9 seconds to make that amount (which is less time that it takes to read this update). A minimum wage worker would have to work about 8 hours to earn enough to stay there.
Just sayin…
*** UPDATE 2 *** Ormsby…
House Deputy Majority Leader Lou Lang (D-Skoke) today fired back at GOP gubernatorial Bruce Rauner’s proposal to cut the Illinois minimum wage, saying that the hyper-wealthy Rauner is “delusional.”
“In my 26 years in the legislature, I’ve seen many candidates roll out anti-poverty plans, but Bruce Rauner is the only candidate to roll-out a pro-poverty plan,” said Lang. “He’s delusional if he thinks that General Assembly would bow to his class warfare on low-income workers. He needs to have his delusion shaken up.” […]
“Rauner is deeply out-of-touch with working people,” said Lang. “He needs to come to grips with the fact that the era of robber barons is over and impoverishing workers is no longer an economic growth strategy.”
Lang is right about the impossibility of something like this passing.
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Quinn rewrites history
Tuesday, Jan 7, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Gov. Pat Quinn told Chicago Tonight that he believes his veto of legislative salaries is what forced a final resolution to the pension reform debate. Watch…
Trouble is, the governor vetoed the salaries in July. A judge struck down his veto as unconstitutional in September and legislators were immediately paid all their past-due wages. The pension reform bill then passed in December - long after Quinn’s veto was taken out of the equation.
But he’ll probably continue crowing about his “great victory” throughout the upcoming campaign as long as reporters let him slide.
* Meanwhile, check out how Quinn’s spokesperson jumped into the fray right off the bat and refused to allow the WTTW reporter to ask a question about the state’s unpaid bills…
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Polar vortex snowmageddon 2014 snark
Tuesday, Jan 7, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Context provided in a press release issued yesterday…
- Due to the severe winter storm and dangerously low temperatures and wind chills that have followed, causing hazardous conditions across Illinois, Governor Pat Quinn today implemented the State’s Continuity of Operations/Continuity of Government Plans (COOP/COG). The inter-agency plans will ensure continued delivery of critical state response services during the severe winter weather conditions while ensuring the safety of the state’s workforce. State government employees – except those serving in critical government functions – are instructed to stay home on Monday, Jan. 6.
“As we continue to monitor weather conditions and work nonstop to respond to this winter storm, we will ensure that critical state services continue,” said Governor Quinn. “To protect the safety of our employees and the people they serve, I am directing state employees whose duties are not critical to state services to stay home and off the roads on Monday.”
The COOP/COG ensures that employees responsible for continuity of operations observe the hours needed to guarantee continued delivery and availability of essential public health and safety state services, including: Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs (IDVA) Veterans’ Homes, Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) central health centers and centers for the developmentally disabled, Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) youth centers, Illinois Department of Corrections (DOC) correctional institutions, as well as the Illinois State Police (ISP), Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and the Illinois Department of Central Management Services (CMS).
The Governor also today made a disaster declaration due to the severe winter weather and activated the Illinois National Guard to provide aid.
* And the resulting snark, passed off as straight news by Illinois Watchdog, which was picked up by the Fox News channel for obvious reasons…
Snow plow drivers, state troopers, prison guards and Gov. Pat Quinn (and his spokespeople) are apparently just about all the state government Illinois needs.
In the grasp of a “polar vortex,” Illinois closed state government offices and told all non-essential government workers to stay home.
“We said to all of those in critical response, ‘You gotta be here,’” Quinn said at an apparently critical news conference in Chicago on Monday. “My job is to be here when people really need our help…I think it’s important that our government be here when people need us.”
But that begs the question, who is a non-essential government worker?
Thousands of people who answer phones in the massive state bureaucracy were told to stay home. Same with the folks who sell license plates and the people who run Illinois’ universities. Even the folks implementing Obamacare got a day off because they are not needed.
Sheesh.
* Also, here’s the full audio of Quinn’s presser…
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One is all we get
Monday, Jan 6, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
Posted by Barton Lorimor
* Full text of an email forwarded to me by a commenter…
To: State Employees
From: Acting CMS Director Simone McNeil
Date: Jan. 6, 2014
Subject: State to Resume Normal Operations Tuesday
Normal state operations will resume tomorrow, Tuesday, Jan. 7. State employees who were directed to stay home today, Monday, Jan. 6, based on the state’s Continuity of Operations/Continuity of Government Plans (COOP/COG), are instructed to report to work on Tuesday, Jan. 7.
The safety of employees is of the utmost importance to the state, and all employees are urged to continue to use caution when traveling. Employees are also advised to allow for extra travel time while commuting.
All employees should check www.Ready.Illinois.gov for updates about state operations. Employees without internet access may call 866-848-2125 (Springfield) and 866-848-2135 (Chicago).
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Morning Shorts
Monday, Jan 6, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
Posted by Barton Lorimor
* Happy New Year, CapFax faithful!
As you may have guessed or heard via Facebook, the master of the house got himself stranded at an airport while trying to make it back from winter break. I’m afraid you are stuck with me today. Blogging is going to be very light as I, too, am stranded in a sense and have limited battery life on my tablet.
Keep checking back for updates to the list of closures. I have a few calls and texts out to confirm a few I have heard about but need to confirm. And just to make sure you cannot say we don’t do anything here at the CapFax newsroom, here is a morning shorts. Comments are open for discussions.
* Former Chicago Comptroller Amer Ahmad pleads guilty: Ahmad, 38, of Chicago, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and bribery for using his Ohio government position to secure “lucrative state business” for his high school classmate and financial adviser, Douglas Hampton, “in exchange for payments” to himself and others, according to his plea agreement.
Those crimes occurred before Ahmad joined Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s administration in April 2011. An investigation by an outside law firm hired by City Hall to review Ahmad’s conduct here revealed no criminal wrongdoing by Ahmad or his staff.
* Found unfit to work twice, ex-gang member got six-figure state job anyway
* Rent, spending questions on Rep. Bobby Rush’s campaign
* GOP gov foes rip Bruce Rauner’s boast of going ‘toe-to-toe’ vs. Quinn: “Mr. Rauner’s finally come clean and admits that his major qualification to be the GOP nominee for governor is that he can buy the election,” said competitor state Sen. Kirk Dillard, R-Hinsdale. “Unlike my running mate, who provides geographic balance, being from Downstate Illinois, the Rauner ticket is all [in the] Chicago area. I believe geographic balance is crucial to the Republicans chances against Paul Vallas and Pat Quinn.”
* GOP Gov. candidate Dan Rutherford paid $18,000 in taxes last year
* Hinz: Chicago’s top Democrats face a challenging year
* Illinois concealed-carry gun applications accepted started Sunday
* New Illinois law limits probation in fatal crashes
* Crain’s: Illinois’ tax-disclosure bills are bad for business
* Minority students make up new majority in Illinois: Whites fell to 49.76 percent of the student body this school year, the new data show, a demographic tipping point that came after years of sliding white enrollment and a rise in Latino, Asian and multiracial students.
The black student population also has declined, but it still makes up almost 18 percent of the state’s public school students.
* Emanuel names new business, outreach aides
More headlines available here.
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*** UPDATED 3x *** Winter Weather Closures
Monday, Jan 6, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
Posted by Barton Lorimor
* Let’s start a list of state offices that are closed today for bad weather. This list is likely to be updated a few times, so please check back. If your office is closed and not listed here, please add it in comments.
HOUSE DEMOCRATS
OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL - Except AAGs with court dates
OFFICE OF THE COMPTROLLER
OFFICE OF THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR - Employees working from home
OFFICE OF THE TREASURER
SECRETARY OF STATE - Non-emergency staff
SENATE REPUBLICANS
* A spokesman for Gov. Quinn said last night he does not foresee the Governor closing state offices. The Governor has scheduled a press conference for 2 p.m. today to give an update on weather conditions and cleanup efforts.
I’m sure you have heard this at least once, but do be careful today. Supposedly some snow plows are getting stuck in this stuff, too.
* 8:45 a.m. - An email from the Governor’s chief of staff stamped at 7:24 a.m. today advises state government employees to stay home…
Based on National Weather Service warnings and persistently hazardous travel conditions, state government employees – except those serving in continuity of government functions – are instructed to stay home today.
A statewide announcement with further details will be circulated shortly.
At this time, agencies directors should implement their Continuity of Operations Plans and remain alert for further updates.
Thank you,
Ryan Croke
Chief of Staff
Office Of Governor Pat Quinn
* The Governor’s Press Office sent out a press release moments ago. From that announcement…
The COOP/COG ensures that employees responsible for continuity of operations observe the hours needed to guarantee continued delivery and availability of essential public health and safety state services, including: Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs (IDVA) Veterans’ Homes, Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) central health centers and centers for the developmentally disabled, Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) youth centers, Illinois Department of Corrections (DOC) correctional institutions, as well as the Illinois State Police (ISP), Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and the Illinois Department of Central Management Services (CMS).
…
Information on continued essential state services and service locations for the public, as well as situation updates for state employees, will be available online at Ready.Illinois.gov starting on Monday. Employees without Internet access may call 866-848-2125 (Springfield) and 866-848-2135 (Chicago) for this information. Regular state operations will resume on Tuesday, Jan. 7.
Hope you weren’t already at work or commuting by the time this all went public…
* 9:30 a.m. - The press release announcing the closure of state offices made it to the media listserv about 15 minutes ago. I have emailed the Governor’s Office asking why it took so long to make the call this morning. I’m still waiting for a response. It will be posted as soon as it’s available.
*11:35 a.m. - I have received a few questions about whether the latest declaration counts as personal time, or a sick day, or an unpaid day off, etc. The truth is I have no idea. I am still waiting to hear back from the Governor’s Office on another issue. My best advice at this time is that it sounds like each agency has its own policy. One might be wise to check with HR when it reopens.
Also - The Governor’s press conference has moved to 1 p.m. in the JRTC Blueroom.
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And the winners are…
Monday, Dec 23, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The 2013 Wordslinger Golden Horseshoe Award for Best CapitolFax.com Commenter is a tie. Retired Non-Union Guy, or RNUG for short, wins because of his invaluable insights into pension reform…
If I had a vote in the legislature, I would have voted in favor of the pension bill that passed.
But I nominate RNUG anyway.
The biggest issue of the year was pension reform/change, and RNUG was on top of it. As a subject matter expert, RNUG served as a model for others who may be experts on other issues in the coming year.
RNUG made a powerful case for the constitutional questions of the bills being considered. RNUG didn’t just post “UNCONSTITUTIONAL!” Instead, he took the time to explain why he believed this.
He went through the ultimate bill in great detail, and he helped other state employees/retirees out who asked questions. And RNUG admitted when he wasn’t sure about something.
Pension reform is an emotional issue, and RNUG didn’t waste time getting into wars with those who disagreed with him.
I nominate RNUG even though I disagree with him on pension reform/change. Thanks to RNUG, I learned a great deal about respecting the other side’s opinion, as well as the law, and I suspect I’m not the only one.
The man is indefatigable. I asked him to give me a couple of rewrites on his Thanksgiving holiday pension analysis and he braved nasty stares from his better half to comply. I will always owe him.
* 47th Ward also wins for his invaluable insights on pretty much everything…
Brings the “old school” and “new skool” politics in focus like very few do here. Getting his take us probably one of the best temperature gauges for the City, it’s politics, and what I like best, the historic and political perspective. There are far, FAR too many to say I would want to share a barstool with, but since I am nominating him, in that spirit, it only feels right.
I have shared a barstool with him and he’s as insightful and wise in real life as he is here.
* Runner-up goes to MrJM…
Always has a witty, satirical comment befitting of the New Yorker. Definitely appreciate the humor.
* Honorable mention to Soccermom, who is Wordslinger’s favorite this year…
I like her politics, but even more I like the way she makes her case in a smart, concise way while being a model of civility (something I resolve to aspire to).
The kid has it all.
– She’s a progressive who’s also a fiscal conservative (I hear some heads exploding!).
– A loyal advocate for her friends who’s willing to call them out when they’re wrong.
– A committed partisan who respects (or at least doesn’t disrespect) those on the other side.
– A great writer and voice of reason who is witty and wise, and only releases righteous anger when someone really deserves it. Then, look out.
She doesn’t write as much like gasbags like me, but I always look forward to spotting the handle. One of my absolute favorites over the years, she’s long overdue for the nod.
Congratulations to all.
* The complete list, with runners-up in parentheses…
* The Wordslinger Golden Horseshoe Award for Best CapitolFax.com Commenter: RNUG and 47th Ward (tie)
* The Mike McClain Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Statehouse Insider: Dave Vite
* Best Statewide Officeholder: Gov. Pat Quinn (Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka)
* Best State Agency Director: Richard Calica
* Best “Do-Gooder” Lobbyist: Khadine Bennett (Mike Pollak)
* Best Contract Lobbyist: Dave Sullivan (Liz Brown)
* Best In-House Lobbyist: Todd Vandermyde and Rob Karr (tie)
* Best Legislative Liaison: Randy Wells and Shannon Miller (tie)
* Best Illinois Congresscritter: Mike Quigley (Rodney Davis)
* Best Illinois State Senator - Republican: Senate GOP Leader Christine Radogno (Sen. Jason Barickman)
* Best Illinois State Senator - Democrat: Sen. Kwame Raoul (Sen. Andy Manar)
* Best Illinois State Representative - Republican: Rep. Ed Sullivan and Rep. Ron Sandack (tie)
* Best Illinois State Representative - Democrat: Rep. Greg Harris (Speaker Madigan)
* The Steve Brown Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Government Spokesperson: Patti Thompson (Rikeesha Phelon)
* Best campaign staffer - Illinois House Democrats: Kristen Bauer (Julia Larkin)
* Best campaign staffer - Illinois House Republicans: Nick Bellini (Ray Soch and Garrett Hill)
* Best campaign staffer - Senate Democrats: Dovile Soblinskas
* Best campaign staffer - Senate Republicans: Pat Barry
* Best State Senate Staffer - Non Political: Eric Madiar (Caitlyn McEvoy)
* Best State House Staffer - Non Political: Heather Weir Vaught (Brandon Nemec)
* The Beth Hamilton Golden Horseshoe Award for Best House Secretary/Admin. Assistant: Jody Aiello (Kristin Milligan)
* Best Senate Secretary/Admin. Assistant: Anita Colvin-Barth (Abby Walsh)
* Best political bar in Springfield: Boone’s Saloon (The Globe)
* Best political restaurant in Springfield: Sebastian’s (Maldaner’s)
* Best bartender: Adam at No Name Bar (Louie at Gab’s)
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* From a press release…
Monday morning four concerned community members dressed as elves visited Governor Quinn’s Chicago residence and set up a hydraulic fracturing rig with a large red bow attached on the front lawn. The “elves” said they were delivering a present from Santa who has been nervously watching the dangerous practice of hydraulic fracturing or fracking inch closer and closer to becoming reality in Illinois during the past year.
The elves said they were delivering the frack rig because people that live far away from where fracking is planned are the ones making the decision to bring the dangerous practice here. “We are delivering this rig today because if Governor Quinn and the other people that have opened up our state to fracking had to live next to fracking and had to obtain their water from a well I think they would not bring fracking to our state,” said Mike Durshmid of Rising Tide Chicago.
Except that southern Illinois legislators, who will be living near fracking, voted for the bill. I’d love to see those elves head down ‘yonder and put up a rig in Gary Forby’s front yard. Heh.
* I’ve been looking around today for a fresh, year-ending caption contest. This one could be fun. Here’s a photo of the “elf action”…
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Question of the day
Monday, Dec 23, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Today will be the last regular day of blogging until January. I may write posts if big news breaks, but I doubt comments will be opened.
* The Question: Your thoughts about Illinois’ year in politics?
…Adding… If you’re looking for a refresher, the Senate Dems have a quick list of major new laws and a long pdf file of all new laws here.
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Their paths to victory
Monday, Dec 23, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Paul Green, the Director of Roosevelt University’s Institute for Politics, has penned a long, but interesting look at the history of Republican gubernatorial primaries which includes a preview of how all four candidates could win. He doesn’t include the union involvement aspect, but otherwise it’s pretty good stuff. Click here to read it all. An excerpt…
I believe it’s fair to say that if politics was a poker game, Bruce Rauner would be “all in”. His vast wealth has propelled him into the political limelight against three opponents – all of whom have political experience and governmental records. Thus, Rauner is a wild card – he can use his dollars to attack and not have to worry too much about his political past.
In order to win this political melee – five things need to happen.
First – Rauner will have to debate his opponents – all of whom are debate veterans. Rauner cannot simply hide behind his commercials. In these debates, Rauner must show both issue and political competence and a thick political skin when the political arrows are aimed directly at him.
Second – in his all-out assault on Springfield and its politicians, Rauner cannot overplay his “negative” hand; he must also have a “positive” hand as well.
Third – Endorsements – Rauner will need them. Especially from the state’s major newspapers. This will show that besides his wealth, the editorial writers recognize public policy substance and governmental ability. He would then publicize these endorsements through his various media outlets.
Fourth – The Rahm Factor. Chicago’s mayor Rahm Emanuel cannot become an issue in the GOP gubernatorial primary. Rauner must convince some fence-sitting GOP voters that he is a real Republican who will be a party player if elected.
Fifth – Finally, Rauner has to piece together a geo-political vote base that carves deeply into Dillard’s suburban/collar strength and Brady and Rutherford’s central and southern Illinois muscle.
This further explains why Rauner is pursuing local party endorsements so heavily. His opponents are calling him a Democrat in Republican clothing. If that’s so, he can say, then why are all those GOP organizations backing him? Yeah, they’re getting some cash out of the deal, but as those endorsements pile up it’s pretty tough to say that so many Republican leaders are selling out to a closet Democrat.
Also, few people actually watch gubernatorial debates. It’ll take a big mistake to make much of a difference.
* Here’s his take on how Bill Brady could win…
Few could argue with the analysis that State Senator Brady was a very fortunate 2010 gubernatorial primary winner. Among the major candidates – he alone owned vote-rich central Illinois while his collar county foes carved each other up in the northeastern part of the state.
In 2014 Brady’s regional base will undergo a challenge from Rutherford (Livingston county) and Bruce Rauner’s television ads. Four things need to happen for Brady to win another narrow victory.
First, not only must he hold his central Illinois base but, unlike 2010 he will have to campaign vigorously north of I-80.
Second, given the above, he needs to use his vote for pension reform (only GOP gubernatorial candidate to support SB-1) to appeal to suburban/collar county Republican voters who in 2010 were frightened by his hard line social issue positions.
Third, again back to the first point – he must remind voters south of I-80 that he has been a longstanding consistent conservative voice in Illinois politics.
Fourth, and most iffy, he needs the other three candidates – especially Dillard and Rauner to tear each other up during the campaign debates and in their speeches.
* Kirk Dillard’s shot…
Barely lost the 2010 GOP gubernatorial primary (193 votes) – due to DuPage county and the rest of the collars having their votes splintered among several candidates - including one who withdrew from the race – Dillard now seeks collar county unity in his rematch with Brady and the other candidates.
In order to win this all-out battle, Dillard needs four things to happen.
First – he needs to raise enough dollars to compete with Rauner for the suburban and collar county vote. Undoubtedly, he will be out-spent, but he must have enough media to play up his gubernatorial competence against Rauner’s all-out assault on him and politicians in general.
Second – his mentor, former Governor Jim Edgar, must be more active in this primary than he was in 2010. He needs to remind GOP voters that not so long ago Republicans ruled the state mansion by electing center-right candidates like Dillard and that the ultimate opponent is Governor Pat Quinn.
Third – geo-politically, Dillard needs to unite remaining collar county and northwest and southwest Cook County GOP organizations behind him arguing on background and experience, he should be their candidate. He needs to close this deal as soon as possible.
Fourth – assuming all four will participate in televised debates – Dillard needs to kick back hard on his Republican brand as Rauner will definitely go after him on his friendship with current and past Democratic colleagues in Springfield.
Dillard faded in 2010 because he was attacked over his Obama TV ad.
* Treasurer Rutherford’s path…
A Republican statewide office holder should have an advantage in a four-way primary against two state senators and a businessman. However, Rutherford in 2010 had a weak opponent in a low publicity race – thereby making it essential in 2014 that he re-introduce himself to Republican voters. It may seem strange to say, but Rutherford – like Rauner – has no specific regional base. His home area is between Brady’s central Illinois and Dillard’s DuPage county.
In order for Rutherford to come out on top, he must do four things.
First – Needs to make his statewide office a huge positive – thereby contesting all his rivals in all voting regions;
Second – Given his state treasurer position, he must outshine his debate foes with facts and figures on solving the state’s budget, pension and debt problems;
Third – Must raise the second most campaign funds to combat Rauner’s media blitz with his own ads showing that governmental competence beats campaign rhetoric;
Fourth – Needs either Brady or Dillard to garner large margins in their home base areas.
He also needs to drastically refine his theme.
Discuss.
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Former DCFS Director Calica passes away
Monday, Dec 23, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Sun-Times…
Richard H. Calica, who recently left his post as director of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, died overnight, Gov. Pat Quinn’s office said Monday morning.
Calica, 67, had been diagnosed with cancer and had undergone surgery in recent months. He had been DCFS director from December 2011 until last month, when he announced his diagnosis. […]
The governor touted Calica’s addition of 138 new investigators to the child-welfare system by eliminating management posts. He also credited him for modernizing the agency’s hotline system, “which has led to a 40 percent increase in the volume of callers who immediately reach a child-protection specialist.”
* Press release…
Governor Quinn today released the following statement on the passing of Richard Calica, former Director of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) who led the department from December 2011 to November 2013.
“It is with great sadness today that we announce the passing of Richard Calica, a true public servant in the state of Illinois.
“Richard Calica was a dedicated advocate for our most vulnerable children. He always put their safety and well-being first.
“I send my condolences to Richard’s family and friends. They are in our thoughts and prayers during this most difficult of times.”
* We didn’t have a Golden Horseshoe Award for Best State Agency Director this year because of time constraints. With your permission, I’d like to give it to Calica in memoriam.
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The final 2013 Golden Horseshoe Award round
Monday, Dec 23, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The 2013 Mike McClain Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Statehouse Insider is Dave Vite, who retires this week from the Illinois Retail Merchants Association…
Imagine the conversations and decisions that were made when he roomed with Mike McClain and Greg Baise over the past several decades. There is no better insider than Dave who worked with GOP and Dem Governors, Cullerton, Madigan, and others.
The fact that Quinn, Rahm, Daley, Madigan, Cullerton, Durkin, and Radogno all feted Dave at his retirement says it all.
* The 2013 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Contract Lobbyist goes to Dave Sullivan, again…
There is no doubt in my mind that in the near future, the prize for Best Contract Lobbyist will be deemed the Dave Sullivan Golden Horseshoe for Best Contract Lobbyist. The man is a veritable encyclopedia of knowledge — both institutional and anecdotal. He has earned the deep respect of Members from both parties and in both chambers in addition to the obvious accolades coming from other lobbyists and insiders from every corner of the State House. It doesn’t hurt that Dave is just genuinely a nice guy. My vote goes to Dave Sullivan wholeheartedly.
* Runner-up is Liz Brown…
Dave Sullivan is a great contract lobbyist, but I think he has won this award before (not sure, Rich?) I am going to go with one to watch for the future- Liz Brown. She has done a great job and deserves to be awarded for her tenacious spirit and know how work product. She has built an impressive book of business for herself.
* The 2013 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best In-House Lobbyist is a tie between Todd Vandermyde of the NRA…
Todd Vandermyde had a very good year on behalf of the NRA. He got 95% of what he said he’d get in the concealed carry law. He worked well with some new faces like Sen. Raoul and didn’t let his more passionate supporters derail a well negotiated compromise. As someone who was working on the other side of the CC issue, I tip my cap to Todd. He deserves to win this award.
* And Rob Karr of IRMA…
This guy tracks and lobbies hundreds of bills a session. Every member knows him. He is honest, direct and works harder and longer then just about anyone in the building.
Congrats to everyone.
* OK, it’s time for our final category…
* The 2013 Wordslinger Golden Horseshoe Award for Best CapitolFax.com Commenter
Oswego Willy deservedly won this award last year.
Make extra sure to explain your vote in comments, please. This ain’t about numbers, it’s about intensity. Thanks!
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Support strong, but not a deciding issue
Monday, Dec 23, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Public Policy Polling has a new survey of some targeted congressional districts about the issue of cutting off extended unemployment insurance benefits that we talked about in an earlier post. One of the districts polled was that of freshman GOP Congressman Rodney Davis…
Overall Support for extended benefits: 66/29
Democrats: 85/11
Republicans: 53/39
Independents: 58/40
* While support for extending the benefits is quite strong across the board, it doesn’t appear to be a deciding issue that people will actually vote on. Here are PPP’s numbers of those who would be more likely or less likely to vote for those who cast a vote to cut off the benefits…
All: 31/41
Independents: 35/36
* This year’s government shutdown hurt everybody’s poll numbers, including Davis’, whose overall approval/disapproval is 33/35, the poll found.
573 voters surveyed December 19th and 20th, with a margin of error of +/- 4.4 percent.
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Behind the numbers
Monday, Dec 23, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Finke reiterates something I told you about a few weeks ago…
Now that pension reform is on the books, the anti-public union/public employee folks will have to turn their attention in a new direction for a while.
Thankfully, Medicaid fraud is available to take up the slack.
As part of Medicaid reforms passed a couple of years ago, state agencies were required to review Medicaid rolls to get rid of people no longer eligible for benefits. Face it, if a recipient lives in Wisconsin, Illinois shouldn’t be paying his bills.
The state wasn’t exactly vigilant in dumping ineligible people from the program. Whether this was due to a lack of willpower or lack of manpower is still being argued, although it’s worth noting that the state’s workforce is significantly smaller than it was a decade ago.
Anyway, an arbitrator ruled last summer that the eligibility review work should be done by state employees, not Maximus, the private contractor hired by the state. Last week, the administration announced the results of negotiations to implement the ruling. It includes hiring more than 500 new workers, but also keeping Maximus around in a limited role for a while longer. Immediately, some were predicting doom and gloom because public, rather than private, workers will be doing the work. […]
One number tossed around last week was that Maximus found 40 percent of those receiving benefits were ineligible. At least, that’s how some people characterized it.
Baloney. Maximus reviewed about 497,000 Medicaid cases since the beginning of 2013. Of those, the final review work was completed on about 315,000 cases. And of those, 40 percent were found to be fraudulent and terminated.
So it’s not 40 percent of all Medicaid cases, it’s 40 percent of those checked, which is far less. Also, the ones that were checked first were mostly cases where the state already had suspicions. In other words, easy pickings. Once those are gone, it’s entirely possible the rate of fraud discovered will go down.
It’s more than just entirely possible, it’s almost guaranteed.
* Meanwhile, Crain’s buried a choice nugget deep in a story about business tax credits…
Regular EDGE, or Economic Development for a Growing Economy, credits, which reduce a company’s state income taxes, have been awarded to 277 companies, totaling about $800 million, since the program started in 2001. In return, those firms invested nearly $8.5 billion in Illinois and created 49,300 jobs, more than twice the number estimated, according to a spokesman for the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Another 48,320 jobs were retained, slightly more than expected.
But in recent years, nine companies that pay little or no state income taxes, including Sears Holdings Corp., Motorola Mobility Inc. and Ford Motor Co., have won special legislation allowing them to keep part of the personal state income taxes paid by their employees if they invest and keep or create jobs in Illinois.
“Is that fair to a plumbing company with six people?” says Rep. Jack Franks, D-Marengo, who will co-chair next month’s hearing on business tax incentives. “Can they afford the most-connected lobbyists to go after tax breaks?”
Only Motorola Mobility, now owned by Google Inc., has collected on those credits so far, according to a DCEO spokesman. [emphasis added.]
* From an unemployment benefit story from the Sun-Times…
This year has seen a trifecta of challenges for Lynn Richards, 30, of Elgin.
In April, she was laid off from her manufacturing purchasing job of 3½ years.
Her unemployment insurance kicked in, then she became pregnant during her job search.
Now Richards, who is married with a son and hasn’t yet found work, is among 80,000 Illinoisans expected to lose federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation on Saturday.
“I’ve been working since I was 20. I’ve never had this much trouble getting a job in my life. I’ve applied to like 200 places. I’ve gotten less than 10 calls and a couple of interviews,” she said. “Unfortunately now, no employer wants to hire someone [who is] pregnant.”
An estimated 1.3 million Americans who are the long-term unemployed are due to have their benefits cut off just after Christmas because Congress didn’t extend the recession initiative in its compromise budget bill passed by the Senate last week.
Another 1.9 million currently receiving state jobless benefits due to run out the first half of 2014 also will be affected, as they would have qualified for the federal compensation.
* County by county list of those who lost their benefits…
Adams 258
Alexander 33
Bond 92
Boone 328
Brown 13
Bureau 205
Calhoun 27
Carroll 50
Cass 76
Champaign 789
Christian 233
Clark 62
Clay 62
Clinton 158
Coles 218
Cook 38,260
Crawford 92
Cumberland 55
DeKalb 538
DeWitt 89
Douglas 59
Du Page 4,965
Edgar 92
Edwards 13
Effingham 165
Fayette 146
Ford 52
Franklin 349
Fulton 243
Gallatin 39
Greene 68
Grundy 320
Hamilton 43
Hancock 52
Hardin 34
Henderson 10
Henry 226
Iroquois 146
Jackson 233
Jasper 39
Jefferson 227
Jersey 130
Jo Daviess 52
Johnson 66
Kane 3,086
Kankakee 838
Kendall 717
Knox 281
La Salle 933
Lake 3,546
Lawrence 54
Lee 206
Livingston 147
Logan 134
Macon 1,161
Macoupin 291
Madison 1,618
Marion 231
Marshall 71
Mason 95
Massac 48
McDonough 87
McHenry 1,642
McLean 572
Menard 55
Mercer 40
Monroe 88
Montgomery 191
Morgan 187
Moultrie 58
Ogle 326
Peoria 1,546
Perry 131
Piatt 78
Pike 59
Pope 10
Pulaski 34
Putnam 44
Randolph 152
Richland 73
Rock Island 515
Saint Clair 1,667
Saline 220
Sangamon 1,059
Schuyler 38
Scott 26
Shelby 113
Stark 29
Stephenson 337
Tazewell 891
Union 101
Vermilion 533
Wabash 19
Warren 53
Washington 56
Wayne 65
White 62
Whiteside 351
Will 4,474
Williamson 440
Winnebago 2,388
Woodford 193
Total 81,867
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* My weekly syndicated newspaper column…
It’s no secret that Republican primary voters in Illinois have been almost rigidly hierarchical when it comes to choosing gubernatorial candidates. They pretty much always choose the candidate who can best demonstrate that it’s his or her “turn.”
In 1990, after eight years as secretary of state, Jim Edgar was the clear choice. Indeed, he barely had opposition. The same went for two-term Secretary of State George Ryan eight years later. In 2002, it was clearly Attorney General Jim Ryan’s turn and he bested two other high-profile candidates in the primary. In 2006, Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka beat three lesser-known opponents to win her primary race, although it wasn’t as easy.
Things weren’t as clear in 2010. Wealthy Republican contributor and former state party chairman Andy McKenna spent a fortune early on and led in most polling until near the end, when primary voters began to sour on him. They quickly turned to Sen. Kirk Dillard, a former Jim Edgar chief of staff, but then almost as quickly turned against him when McKenna unleashed ads blasting Dillard for appearing in a TV ad for Barack Obama. Sen. Bill Brady, a strong conservative who ran an underfunded but somewhat credible campaign four years earlier, ended up beating Dillard by less than 200 votes.
And that brings us to 2014, where three of the four candidates are relying mainly on the “my turn” logic to prevail. Sen. Brady’s main pitch to voters, other than his recycled 2010 rhetoric, is that he learned valuable lessons in his 2010 loss to Pat Quinn and is now the most viable choice. Sen. Dillard’s pitch is that he was a proven manager under Jim Edgar and would’ve won in 2010 had he not lost to Brady in the primary and so he’s the best choice. Treasurer Dan Rutherford’s almost singular raisson d’être is that he is the only candidate in the race who has ever won statewide.
McKenna was the second rich guy in a row to attempt to break the “my turn” cycle. Wealthy GOP contributor Ron Gidwitz ran four years earlier and lost badly. You can draw a direct line from Gidwitz to self described “outsider” Bruce Rauner, who is running a well thought-out, well-funded and highly sophisticated primary race in an attempt to reset the “my turn” system, which essentially flowed from the mighty statewide organization built by political newcomer Gov. Jim Thompson, who is now backing Dillard.
If the primary was left to its own devices, Rauner might very well walk away with this thing. None of the other candidates have any real money and none are making much of a persuasive case for their respective campaigns.
But organized labor is moving ever closer to jumping into this primary battle, sources say. The idea, as I’ve told you before, is to spend a relative few million bucks attacking Rauner in the primary rather than being forced to spend tens of millions to fend him off in the fall. His close ties to Mayor Rahm Emanuel, for instance, have been shown by polling to be a killer political issue with GOP primary voters.
Rauner’s anti-union rhetoric and his (by many) unexpectedly strong Republican primary campaign have convinced unions that they need to step up soon. Plus, some public employee unions are so hostile to Gov. Pat Quinn because of pension reform that they don’t want to give the incumbent any money or help in the fall. So, this is all about knocking off “Public Enemy Number One” as early as possible.
Rauner has spent $300,000 a week on TV ads since the beginning of November, mainly to begin the process of inoculating himself against the expected labor union advertising blitz. He’s pushed his poll numbers up and has continued to freeze out his GOP rivals.
It’s abundantly clear that none of the other Republican candidates has the money to attack Rauner. Two of the three barely have enough cash to sustain their own day-to-day operations. And Rutherford only has enough for about a month of TV ads, if that. The only way that any sort of negative message about Rauner can be effectively advertised is if somebody else takes him on.
While Rauner leads in two recent polls, he’s still an almost completely unknown quantity to voters. His numbers are, in other words, wide but not deep. Shocking voters with some revelations about his background could very well knock him out. But his campaign has seen this union attack coming for a long time and they undoubtedly have at least some counter-measures planned. He won’t go away quietly.
Subscribers know more about this pending attack. Lots more.
* And this Cook County GOP development has a lot to do with the beginning of my column. As noted above, Illinois Republicans don’t like nobody what nobody sent. It’s why Rauner has concentrated so hard on winning local party endorsements. He’s trying very hard to look like the historically acceptable “it’s my turn” candidate. But pretty much everyone has missed that angle…
The Cook County Republican Party, beset by a lack of money, internal feuding and a long losing streak, has endorsed wealthy Winnetka businessman Bruce Rauner for governor in the March primary election.
But the impact of the county GOP backing, announced Saturday, is questionable. The group reported less than $8,500 in its campaign fund as of Oct. 1, and carried a $400 debt to Aaron Del Mar, the county’s GOP chairman.
Moreover, while Cook County traditionally represents about 21 percent of the Republican primary vote in Illinois, the party lacks any significant organization to be able to deliver ballots. Some Republicans indicated privately that among the group’s 50 ward and 30 suburban townships, local groups still could back their own preferred contenders.
* It’s not about that handful of votes. It’s about how Rauner is quickly building an image of party elder acceptability. He’s been endorsed by several county and township parties this year. And that’s why candidates like Sen. Kirk Dillard are trying to discredit the endorsements. From a Dillard press release…
State Senator Kirk Dillard released the following statement today regarding the Cook County Republican Party endorsement:
“Today’s endorsement is yet another sad example of Bruce Rauner buying the election. Ask yourself: why would Cook County GOP bosses support Rauner, knowing that he voted democrat, gave millions of dollars to state and national democrats, is a Rahm Emanuel insider, AND hired a convicted Blagojevich insider to win state contracts? There’s only one explanation — the Bruce Rauner money machine was at work again. Only in Illinois would the legitimate concerns of rank-and-file, grassroots republicans be dismissed so brazenly. Welcome back, pay-to-play!
Our campaign is confident that we have the support of grassroots republicans, as we did in the last election when Cook County had an open convention which I won in a straw poll.”
* Also, check this out…
Maine Township committeeman Rosemary Mulligan, a former state representative, said she was personally lobbied by both Rauner and Dillard, who’s from neighboring DuPage County. She said she ultimately chose Rauner because of his close relationship with Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel; the two men are friends and worked together on Chicago school reform issues.
That’ll make some heads explode.
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* My Sunday Sun-Times column…
Without a doubt, the biggest Illinois politics story of the year is how Gov. Pat Quinn went from hopelessly lame duck to sitting pretty.
I mean, who woulda thunk a year ago that Quinn would not be facing a serious primary challenge?
Heck, go back six months to the May 31 end of the spring legislative session, when the Statehouse collectively crashed into a brick wall.
The gay marriage bill wasn’t called for a vote in the House, and Quinn looked foolish by claiming (wrongly) that the votes were there to pass it.
The pension reform bill went nowhere and Quinn looked completely impotent.
Quinn refused to engage in talks on a federal appellate panel’s order to rewrite the state’s public gun carrying laws and ended up vetoing the bill — a true abdication of leadership.
By the end of the spring session, Attorney General Lisa Madigan was about to conclude a six-month fund-raising binge, which sure made it looked like she was gearing up to oppose Quinn in the primary.
Democratic gubernatorial contender Bill Daley visited the Statehouse near the end of session to loudly denounce the governor’s comically inept attempts at leadership.
Quinn was the guy who couldn’t get anything done. And he looked like he was toast to pretty much everybody.
But then, unexpectedly, things started going his way. Lisa Madigan decided not to run after (she claimed) she couldn’t convince her powerful House speaker father to retire.
Then Bill Daley abruptly decided he just wasn’t cut out for the political life and dropped out as well.
Hillary Clinton jokingly referred to Quinn as the “luckiest politician” on the planet. She wasn’t far from wrong.
But Quinn made some of his own luck. He came up with the idea of appointing a rare “conference committee” to deal with the pension issue. The idea was to get the negotiations out of the hands of the legislative leaders, who were basically at each others’ throats back then, and let some respected rank-and-file members handle it.
Speaker Michael Madigan initially hated the idea, but eventually allowed the committee to be appointed. He warned the governor, though, that Quinn would have to find the votes for whatever his new project came up with.
The committee idea worked. Members moved the ball forward in a spirit of compromise while the legislative leaders had time for their own tempers to cool off. One of the committee’s members, Sen. Kwame Raoul, seriously considered running for governor after Lisa Madigan dropped out, but decided against it because, he said, he needed to finish the pension reform work he’d started. Keeping a prominent African-American out of the race was a huge and unexpected side benefit for Quinn.
Eventually, the leaders took the issue back from the committee, came to an agreement and with a bit of help from Quinn (and, despite his earlier warnings, a lot of muscle by Madigan) passed it over the strong objections of three of the four Republican candidates for governor — another Quinn win.
And in the meantime, the House had passed the gay marriage bill, with an assist from Quinn. The governor signed the legislation into law in front of a packed Chicago auditorium, TV cameras everywhere.
The governor appears so silly at times and so inept that it’s always easy to count him out. But he held off Dan Hynes in the 2010 primary and won the general election during the worst Democratic year since Harry Truman’s days. Yes, his poll numbers still aren’t good, but you just can’t ever count this guy out.
* I’ve received some e-mail feedback from Sun-Times readers, including this gem…
Rich,
Who paid you to write this hogwash??? Political comeback really, you mean when underlying reasons(Madigan) for others to dropout. Do you really think there’s enough staunch dems left to go along with the Crook County and lakefront liberals to elect this phony??? We call him the lying taxing proclamation man!!! He’s lost almost all union support and will cost the state millions in legal fees to fight his attacks on Illinois constitutional backed pensions. Which he did nothing for. Gun rights supporters hate him and as well as the educators. Let see you write about who doesn’t like him.
I hope im wrong when a long time precinct worker told me ” voters have the shortest memories”. Lets play it out!!! I can’t wait to leave this state.
Informed reader
Discuss.
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* New York TImes…
Across the country, public schools employ about 250,000 fewer people than before the recession, according to figures from the Labor Department. Enrollment in public schools, meanwhile, has increased by more than 800,000 students. To maintain prerecession staffing ratios, public school employment should have actually grown by about 132,000 jobs in the past four years, in addition to replacing those that were lost, said Heidi Shierholz, an economist at the Economic Policy Institute in Washington.
* Meanwhile, the Chicago Sun-Times has a must-read story today about how a charter school with ties to the Turkish Gulen movement received the first and only state approval to open a school after the Chicago Public Schools turned it down. Ties to Speaker Madigan, Madigan’s son, a former Caterpillar CEO, etc. abound. Here’s just a taste, but make sure and read the whole thing…
Madigan has taken four trips in the past four years to Turkey as the guest of the Chicago-based Niagara Foundation — whose honorary president is Gulen — and the Chicago Turkish American Chamber of Commerce, according to disclosure reports the speaker has filed.
State records show Madigan’s visits were among 32 trips lawmakers took to Turkey from 2008 through 2012. The speaker and members of his House Democratic caucus took 29 of those trips, which they described as “educational missions.”
Turkey was the destination of 74 percent of all foreign trips Illinois legislators reported receiving as gifts during the five-year period.
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