* A recent study of 1,183 Americans looked at what happened to their viewpoints when they were exposed to rude online comments…
Participants were asked to read a blog post containing a balanced discussion of the risks and benefits of nanotechnology (which is already all around us and supports a $91 billion US industry). The text of the post was the same for all participants, but the tone of the comments varied. Sometimes, they were “civil”—e.g., no name calling or flaming. But sometimes they were more like this: “If you don’t see the benefits of using nanotechnology in these products, you’re an idiot.”
The researchers were trying to find out what effect exposure to such rudeness had on public perceptions of nanotech risks. They found that it wasn’t a good one. Rather, it polarized the audience: Those who already thought nanorisks were low tended to become more sure of themselves when exposed to name-calling, while those who thought nanorisks are high were more likely to move in their own favored direction. In other words, it appeared that pushing people’s emotional buttons, through derogatory comments, made them double down on their preexisting beliefs.
Based on pretty indisputable observations about how the brain works, the theory notes that people feel first, and think second. The emotions come faster than the “rational” thoughts—and also shape the retrieval of those thoughts from memory. Therefore, if reading insults activates one’s emotions, the “thinking” process may be more likely to be defensive in nature, and focused on preserving one’s identity and preexisting beliefs.
In the golden oldie days of media, newspaper articles were consumed in the context of…other newspaper articles. But now, adds Scheufele, it’s like “reading the news article in the middle of the town square, with people screaming in my ear what I should believe about it.”
And some newspaper owners wonder why they should spend the time to police their online comment sections. Sheesh.
By the way, I think the same sort of thing applies to cable TV screamers. But unlike random reader comments, the cable TV people do this in a calculated way to reinforce the mindsets of their targeted audiences by getting people to stop thinking. Cable TV “news” rots your brain. And so, apparently, do rude blog comments.
Shearer says he has “no regrets” about the Facebook post and isn’t backing off his implication at all.
Only, there’s no proof of that. And, in a somewhat cryptic email, the Chicago financier says he’s innocent.
“I didn’t do ad and never heard of group,” Mr. Rauner wrote. “(I’m) surprised he implied I did, but perhaps rogue staffer (?) . . . I like Aaron and have supported him in the past, even though (I) have disagreed with some of his tax votes.” Added Mr. Rauner, “Seems somebody wants us fighting now.”
Mr. Rauner didn’t respond to other questions, such as how many millions or tens of millions he’s going to drop into his own campaign, and how he would have voted on the tax-cliff matter. Nor is he saying who that “somebody” might be.
Aaron Schock voted for the debt ceiling increase the last time.
He also voted for the McConnell tax hike. Aaron Schock, all along, has been fine with raising taxes as long as he could look like he wasn’t.
A group in Illinois decided to call him out on it. What did Aaron Schock do? He ran to his lawyer crying and the lawyer wrote a letter to television stations demanding they pull the ad.
Well, we won’t pull the ad. The ad is accurate. Aarson Schock voted to raise the debt ceiling and he voted to raise taxes.
* Possible gubernatorial candidate Bill Daley spoke at yet another high-profile event yesterday and said pretty much exactly what he’s been saying for weeks…
Former White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley says he still hasn’t made up his mind about a potential run for the governor’s office.
“I’m no further than what I’ve said publicly,” he said Tuesday at the Misercordia Home breakfast.
“I’m doing a lot of things that go into making a decision,” said the son and brother of two former Chicago mayors. “I’m talking to a lot of friends and elected officials and people that involved in community activities and getting their sense of what they think is needed and whether or not, in the end, I think I can add something to the debate. As I’ve said repeatedly, Pat Quinn is a very decent and honest guy who came in at a time time but has been there for 12 years as the number one or number two elected official in the state and one has to look and say, ‘What’s happened in those 12 years?’”
Daley said he’s got a lot to consider before he makes a decision on the 2014 race but said he hasn’t traveled to other key cities in Illinois and hasn’t done any fundraising.
“I think there ought to be serious thought to basically a nonpartisan election,” Daley told reporters after he appeared on a panel at a fundraiser for the Catholic charitable organization Misericordia, which assists the developmentally disabled.
“The American people and the people in Illinois and Chicago, everyone is desirous of effectiveness and efficiency in government,” said Daley, who served as chief of staff to President Barack Obama and commerce secretary for President Bill Clinton. “If it takes basic changes, whether it’s term limits or others to kind of shake this system up, we’ve got to do that because I think most people would say, ‘Right now, it may not be working anymore.’”
Daley said he still is pondering a challenge to Quinn. His only criticism Tuesday was to say the incumbent has been either governor or lieutenant governor since 2002, “and one has to look and say, ‘What’s happened?’”
Quinn, speaking later Tuesday at a diversity event at the University of Chicago’s Gleacher Center, said he thought the California “top two” law was worth looking at, though he has favored an “open primary” system in which voters would not have to declare a political party to obtain a primary ballot.
“Some of our more political people have opposed that in both parties, and I think it’s time to maybe open up the door at least to (an) open primary,” Quinn said.
[Daley] said it’s easy to throw stones if you are on the outside. He talked about a lack of civility in politics.
“Our society has gotten much less civil,” he said. “What’s popular on TV? Reality TV shows, where people act like total fools.
“But maybe our politics, which should always be better, is becoming reflective of our society.
“Maybe we need to think about that first before we just blame politicians for acting kinda goofy at times.”
* Steinberg doesn’t think he’ll jump into the race…
But later, in discussing the multitude of woes facing the state beyond owing Misericordia, he added something perhaps telling.
“This is not an easy job,” Daley said, referring to politics. “Legislators, aldermen, the mayor. These people sacrifice beyond anything in the private sector. I’ve spent my life around politics. It’s a brutal job, a brutal existence.”
Telling, though I’m not sure what it tells. Does that mean he’ll skip the baby-bussing nightmare of campaigning, preferring the far more private, more lucrative corporate world where he excels? Or is Daley laying the groundwork for his selfless sacrifice of actually running? My guess? He won’t run.
* Quinn’s 2010 primary opponent Dan Hynes also weighed in…
“There’s certainly a referendum that can be had about whether we are better off than we were four years ago or three years ago,” said Dan Hinz, (D) 2010 candidate for governor.
Unlike state Sen. Toi Hutchinson’s poll, Kelly’s pollster only asked about the top seven candidates. Actually, they asked about eight candidates, but then David Miller dropped out and they used voters’ “second choice” responses to reallocate his support elsewhere.
The poll of 500 likely voters was conducted by GBA Strategies January 3-7 with a margin of error of +/- 4.4 percent.
Hutchinson’s poll had Halvorson at 16, Hutchinson at 12 and Kelly at 8. Kelly’s poll has the race for second place much closer. Hutchinson’s attempts to push Kelly out or dismiss her to contributors and influencers as an also-ran probably aren’t gonna work, at least for now.
• Halvorson begins in the lead, but the race is wide open. Congresswoman Halvorson begins the campaign with 25 percent of the electorate in her corner, but her lead is soft. Senator Hutchinson (16 percent) and Kelly (15 percent) follow, with no other candidate getting more than 10 percent. Fifteen percent are purely undecided, but a full 65 percent of voters are either undecided or only softly supporting a candidate.
• Hutchinson and Halvorson share the same base. Both Debbie Halvorson and Toi Hutchinson start with their base of support coming from the same demographic and regional base, especially white voters and voters in the southern portion of the district.
• Kelly starts with a base of support in the suburbs. Robin Kelly currently leads all other candidates among several key groups, including African American women, African Americans in the suburbs and African Americans with a college degree. And Kelly’s support from these pivotal blocs grows during the survey.
• The NRA is extremely unpopular with this electorate. Just 17 percent of likely voters have a favorable impression of the NRA, with 63 percent saying they feel unfavorably towards the pro-gun organization. Kelly’s record of standing up to the NRA and her pledge to reduce gun violence resonates as one of the most powerful reasons to support her.
• Kelly has significant room to grow. Despite having lower name ID than Halvorson or Hutchinson, Kelly starts the race off statistically tied in second place. Once voters—especially voters in the city—hear more about Kelly and the leading candidates’ positions on preventing gun violence, the vote moves dramatically in her favor, pulling her ahead of both Halvorson and Hutchinson.
• Hutchinson/Halvorson’s growth limited by NRA ties. Both other leading candidates find their growth opportunities severely limited by their proud associations with the NRA and the ISRA. Nearly 7-in-10 voters (69 percent) oppose allowing concealed carry in this race. Voters have very serious concerns about Hutchinson’s and Halvorson’s positions on this critical issue.
There’s no doubt that Kelly believes the gun issue is her best path to victory here. She’s also raised more money than any other candidate so far (although not a huge amount more than Hutchinson is claiming).
Discuss.
*** UPDATE *** Speaking of guns…
Kelly Supports Obama Gun Control Initiatives, Calls Out Opponents
Only major candidate with a record of standing up to the NRA
RICHTON PARK, IL— Today, Robin Kelly, Democratic candidate for the Second Congressional District of Illinois, announced her support for the gun violence prevention proposals that President Obama and Vice-President Joe Biden announced this morning.
“I stand with President Obama’s plan to get the dangerous weapons that are killing our neighbors off of the streets,” Robin Kelly said. “The NRA has engaged in desperate smear campaign to stop him, including attacking President Obama’s daughters. We need more voices in Washington willing to stand up to NRA, instead of taking support from them.
“Unlike my opponents Debbie Halvorson and Toi Hutchinson, who both received support from the NRA, I got an F rating and frankly, I could not be more proud. I have the record and resolve to stand with President Obama, Mayor Emanuel, and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle to get dangerous weapons out of our neighborhoods.”
Robin Kelly is the only candidate to have issued a five-point pledge to get assault weapons and high capacity magazines off the streets of Chicago and the Southland, as well as making sure that Illinois’ conceal and carry ban stays in effect. You can read her full pledge at RobinKellyPledge.com.
Robin Kelly is a former state representative, Chief of Staff to the Illinois State Treasurer and Chief Administrative Officer for Cook County under Toni Preckwinkle. But, most importantly, she’s a mother and a community activist who has dedicated her career to fighting for economic opportunity, domestic violence prevention and reasonable common sense gun control laws.
* Notice the absence of any Illinois Democrats on this list. From The Hill…
Promising to “stay on offense” in 2014, National Republican Congressional Committee Executive Director Liesl Hickey is out with a memo arguing it’s in a strong position heading into this election cycle, and outlining seven early targets for the committee.
The targets all hail from GOP-leaning districts that the GOP has carried in the past three presidential elections: Reps. Ron Barber (D-Ariz.), John Barrow (D-Ga.), Ann Kirkpatrick (D-Ariz.), Jim Matheson (D-Utah), Mike McIntyre (D-N.C.), Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) and Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.).
The memo points out that Mitt Romney carried 227 districts while President Obama won 208, a statistic that illustrates how difficult it will be for Democrats to capture enough House seats to retake control of the upper chamber. Much of that advantage came from successful Republican redistricting efforts after the 2010 election.
“As a result of redistricting, which favored Republicans, and this well-executed [offensive] strategy — the House is well-aligned and firmly in GOP control,” Hickey writes. “The national map of competitive House races looks very different headed into 2014. Namely, it’s smaller and Republicans have the upper-hand.”
Democratic congressional candidates won about a million more votes than Republicans, but still lost the House. Redistricting went the other way for the GOP here in Illinois, however, and that early list is a sign that the national GOP accepts the reality.
* This is not to say that there won’t be any targeted races here. I assume that the Republicans will be going after Brad Schneider in the 10th CD, who beat freshman Republican Bob Dold by just a handful of votes. Congressman Bobby Schilling may run again after losing to Cheri Bustos by six and a half points. And Bill Enyart obviously needs to watch his voting record because his district is so conservative.
“I like guns and I didn’t take any special interest money and it’s a good way to raise money and show my support for the Second Amendment,” explained Harms. “(Candidates) usually don’t do raffles because it’s a lot easier to get a thousand bucks out of a lobbyist than it is to sell a $5 raffle ticket.” […]
Raffles by political candidates in Illinois are legal, said Rupert Borgsmiller, executive director of the State Board of Elections, as long as candidates get an application in advance and file a report after the raffle.
And Harms, who had a similar raffle last year, has done both, Borgsmiller said. […]
Harms’ last raffle yielded $983. He sold $2,865 of tickets minus $1,881 spent to purchase the guns, according to his raffle report.
This time, Harms’ father, Jeff Harms, purchased the guns and two gift certificates to a Big R store and donated them to his son’s campaign fund.
Ruger Mini-14 stainless steel with a synthetic stockas GRAND PRIZE
JOSH HARMS
ILLINOIS STATE REPRESENTATIVE
DRAWING TO BE HELD ON MARCH 2, 2013
MUST BE 21 YEARS OF AGE • MUST BE ELIGIBLE TO OWN A GUN
First Prize – Ruger LCR hammerless 357mag revolver
Second Prize - Mossberg 535 pump 3 1/2 inch combo 28” & 24” barrels
Third prize - $100.00 Big R gift certificate Fourth Prize - $50.00 Big R gift certificate
WINNERS WILL BE CALLED AND YOU NEED NOT BE PRESENT TO WIN.
To obtain tickets send payment to:
Josh Harms for Illinois, 555 South Fifth St., Watseka IL 60970
For more in formation call: 815-432-3121
$5.00 PER TICKET OR $20.00 FOR 5 TICKETS
A copy of our report filed with the State Board of Elections is (or will be) available on the Board’s official website (http:// www.elections.il.gov) or for purchase from the State Board of Elections, Springfield, Illinois. Paid for by Josh Harms for Illinois.
School board members in a central Illinois town are thinking about arming and training a handful of administrators as auxiliary police officers so they can carry guns on campus.
Washington police Chief Jim Kuchenbecker says training Washington Community High Schools administrators as officers is a way around Illinois’ law against carrying concealed weapons. The chief and school Superintendent Jim Dunnan talked about the idea after December’s school shootings in Connecticut and presented it to a parents’ group last week.
They’re talking about 40 hours of initial training. Would we send a lone cop out onto a beat with just a week of training - particularly in a sensitive area full of kids?
Schools in the town have long had an armed officer on campus, but [Council President Kim Brownfield] says that “does not suffice.”
“These [shootings] are happening and we all hate it, but you cannot stop an intruder who forces [his way] through the front of a school building unless you’re going to stop him from within,” she said.
Unarmed people who attempted to stop the killing in Connecticut were killed, but an unarmed teacher stopped the recent California school shooting.
District 308 School Board members on Monday agreed that a plan to train and arm Washington Community High School administrators should continue to be explored.
But their approval came with the caveat that further research into the plan devised by Police Chief Jim Kuchenbecker and Superintendent Jim Dunnan must be part of a broader discussion of improving high school security.
“We don’t have an agenda and we’re not looking for attention. We just want to be transparent and do all we can to avert a tragedy at the school,” said Kuchenbecker, who presented the plan to the board and more than 100 audience members.
“It would be irresponsible for us not to explore every way possible to provide the safest environment we can for the students and staff.”
I don’t doubt the sincerity of the effort, nor the fear among parents. I just doubt the mechanics of what they’re considering.
I’m also quite open to being told how and why I’m wrong here, but with a reasonable and calm explanation. So, have at it, but take a deep breath first. I’m beyond sick of the overly harsh comments on gun threads. I have a little time on my hands today, so I’ll be deleting and banning the jerks on both sides.
The grade school massacre in Newtown, Conn., has spurred Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn to schedule a statewide summit on school safety.
Educators, law enforcement officials and school management groups from around the state have been invited to the Illinois Emergency Management Agency headquarters Jan. 22 for a four-hour discussion on how to keep schools safe from violence.
The summit is just one part of the governor’s response to the killing of 20 children and six staff members at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown.
Quinn earlier called for a state ban on the kinds of semi-automatic weapons used in the shootings. He also directed the Illinois State Board of Education, the Illinois State Police, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and other state agencies to review existing programs for student protection and determine whether improvements can be made.
“A critical part of this review is to bring together subject matter experts in the fields of public safety, education, mental health, and law enforcement to address the short- and long-term efforts needed to safeguard our schools,” Quinn said in a Jan. 10 letter inviting various groups to the meeting.
The Presidential Inaugural Committee says a float honoring Illinois will be among eight commissioned by the committee in Monday’s parade after President Barack Obama is sworn in.
Illinois is Obama’s home. But the float honors the Prairie State as First Lady Michelle Obama’s native land.
Floats for Hawaii and Pennsylvania represent the birthplaces of President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden. One for Delaware honors the home of Biden and his wife, Jill.
Monday is the observance of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. The late civil rights leader’s float will feature his quote, “Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope.”
* A poll taken for state Sen. Toi Hutchinson’s campaign shows her in the “top tier” with former Congresswoman Debbie Halvorson in the 2nd Congressional District special primary.
The poll, conducted January 8-10 of 400 likely voters by Normington-Petts with a margin of error of +/- 4.9 percentage points, has Halvorson leading the crowded field with 16 percent to Hutchinson’s 12 percent. That’s a significant lead, but within the margin of error.
Robin Kelly comes in third, with 8 percent (basically right on the MoE), followed by freshman state Sen. Napoleon Harris and former Congressman Mel Reynolds at 7 percent. Ald. Anthony Beale is at 5 percent and everyone else in the 11-person field garners a grand total of 5 percent. So, about 40 percent are undecided.
Sen. Hutchinson is getting 37 percent of the vote in her Senate District, according to the poll, which is the most solid geographic base of any of the candidates. Sen. Harris’ district is completely within the 2nd CD, but he’s pretty new at this and does not perform as well as Hutchinson.
After a brief “informed vote” round (race, occupation, etc.), Hutchinson moves into the lead with 22 percent, to Halvorson’s 16. Kelly is in third at 13, Harris is in fourth at 10, Beale gets 7 and Reynolds snags 4.
* A poll taken last November for Cook County Board president Toni Preckwinkle had Halvorson in the mid twenties with Hutchinson at about 20. The other candidates scored between 6 and 11 percent in that poll. Hutchinson and Halvorson tightened up considerably after the “informed vote” round in that poll.
* The take-away here is that Halvorson may need to do more than just sit on her name ID and hope that white people get her the nomination. She may have to raise some money and actually run a decent campaign to win. Hutchinson is actively raising money, as is Kelly, and Harris has a personal stash of cash from his NFL career.
It would be smart to see where the local elections are in the south suburbs. That’ll give us an indication of where turnout might be higher. The highest undecideds are in Chicago, according to the Hutchinson poll, indicating that turnout there will be very low.
Gov. Pat Quinn wanted pension reform done in the lame-duck session. Didn’t happen.
He wanted a ban on semi-automatic assault weapons passed. Didn’t happen.
He wanted a same-sex marriage bill passed. Didn’t happen.
Hope as a kid he had better luck getting Santa Claus to listen to his wants list.
Quinn also wanted a resolution of the gaming issue, which went nowhere. He wanted to shore up the state’s capital projects fund without success. He wanted more money for DCFS frontline staff and failed. Indeed, he tried and failed to push through a supplemental appropriations bill, which is usually a “gimme” in these sorts of sessions.
He couldn’t even convince the General Assembly to change the date of his annual budget address, for crying out loud.
There was just one success: The Senate finally passed a bill that allowed Quinn to revoke the union cards of hundreds of state workers, but then made him promise to work out a deal with the union.
“I was a long-distance runner in high school,” the Democratic governor said. “What we have to do is keep running until we get to our destination and cross the finish line.”
Yeah, well, you can’t win a long distance race by meandering all over town.
We haven’t heard the last of tea party firebrand Joe Walsh. The one-term former GOP congressman, who was defeated for reelection last November by Democrat Tammy Duckworth, may be headed for a new career as a radio talk show host. Walsh is close to signing with WIND-AM (560), the Salem Communications conservative news/talk station, to host a Monday-through-Friday nighttime talk show. If it’s a hit, insiders said, national distribution could follow. Walsh said last month he’s been encouraged to run for Dick Durbin’s U.S. Senate seat in 2014.
No real surprise there. Walsh has appeared to be auditioning for a job in the conservative media for well over a year.
* WIND is hosting a forum in March that will feature Walsh…
With the re-election of President Obama, the path ahead during the next four years has begun to take shape. With all of the challenges facing our nation - mounting debt, increased spending, Obamacare, ongoing terrorist threats - what direction will President Obama take?
As citizens, how will our lives be affected by the decisions made in Washington in the next four years?
These are the questions that will be answered at “Obama 2.0: The Road Ahead”.
AM 560’s Steve Cochran along with Michael Medved and former Rep. Joe Walsh, will tackle these critical questions. They will attempt to bring clarity out of the confusion and provide answers to some of the many lingering questions about what the second term of Barack Obama will bring. Don’t be caught off-guard by what happens next. Be prepared to react and respond to whatever the future holds. Join AM 560 for “Obama 2.0 The Road Ahead.”
* My new bookkeeper is updating our contact list, so you may have received an e-mail today asking for your info. This isn’t some scam. It’s legit, so please respond. Thanks.
Two were over the top gun rights advocates who’d never commented here before. One was a disgusting homophobe. And the other was somebody trying to comment multiple times on the same thread using different names.
Take it easy, people.
* I’m a semi-regular at Springfield’s Butternut Hut tavern. They have a stage and are serious about hosting good music. I went last week during session and almost nobody was there. But they do have five of those new video gaming terminals. A couple of friends played briefly, one won a few bucks.
In a tiny office in rural Sycamore, next to a chiropractor and an attorney, United Airlines buys billions of dollars in jet fuel.
But the jet fuel never gets anywhere near Sycamore, which is 100 miles west of Chicago.
It goes to O’Hare, and that upsets the Regional Transit Authority, which says it is out at least $96 million in lost sales taxes as a result of the actions of United and another company, American Airlines.
The RTA filed suit Monday against United and the city of Sycamore, contending United operates a “sham” office in the DeKalb County town in order to avoid higher sales taxes in Cook County.
We’ve discussed this scam several times in the past. So far, though, nothing has been done to close this loophole.
FBI records show a spike in the number of firearm background checks initiated through its National Instant Criminal Background Check System.
The figures do not represent a one-to-one correlation between background checks and firearm sales, but they do show an increased interest in qualifying to acquire firearms.
In Illinois, background checks through the FBI system increased 43 percent from October to December. A total of 1,036,061 background checks were conducted statewide in 2012, compared to 828,962 in 2011 — a 24.9 percent increase.
Nationally, Kentucky requested the most background checks with more than 2.5 million, while Hawaii initiated the fewest with 17,428.
* State budget cuts mean many women to wait for mammograms: More than 4,700 low-income women throughout the state, including dozens in Sangamon County, could face months-long waits for mammograms because of funding cuts to the Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program.
On Monday, Governor Pat Quinn announced that Lionsgate/Summit Entertainment will be filming the movie, “Divergent”, the film adaptation of the novel by Chicagoan Veronica Roth.
The movie production is expected to bring 1,000 jobs and more than $30 million in spending to Illinois. It is the first major Hollywood film for Cinespace Chicago Film Studios, the sound stage Governor Pat Quinn worked to attract to Illinois.
“Illinois is an ideal place for filmmakers with our skilled workforce, iconic shooting locations and one of the largest sound stages in the country,” Governor Quinn said. “The film industry is creating good jobs for Illinois electricians, welders, construction workers, actors, make-up artists, security guards and more while also fueling growth in our economy.”
* The Question: Who would play Pat Quinn in a movie about Illinois?
* On Saturday, Congressman Aaron Schock’s chief of staff posted a diatribe against Bruce Rauner on his boss’ Facebook page…
Dear Schock Supporters,
By now most of you have heard or seen a negative ad on radio or television attacking Aaron Schock by falsely accusing him of voting to raise taxes and spending.
This blatantly false ad portrays the opposite of Congressman Schock’s strong record, which is founded on the principles of economic growth and deficit reduction.
The ad is from a previously unheard of out-of-stat…e organization (Jobs & Progress Fund) that does not disclose who is funding it.
This is all about the possibility of Aaron running for Governor in Illinois next year and that any opponent fears facing him more than any other candidate in an election–in this case, the Republican primary for Governor in March of next year.
One candidate is Bruce Rauner from Chicago. He is a billionaire financier. He has never been elected to any office. In recent years as he began to position himself to run for Governor as a Republican. Rauner has donated to many Republican candidates. However, Rauner has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to Democrats, including hundreds of thousands of dollars to Rich Daley and Rahm Emanuel in their races for mayor of Chicago. Rauner is frequently commented on in media stories as an “advisor” to Rahm Emanuel who has “unchecked access” to the mayor’s office.
One group that Rauner helped to create and lead gave a single $100,000 contribution to Democrat State Representative Jehan Gordon in 2010. Rauner and his wife have made major donations to: the Democratic National Committee (DNC), the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), Emily’s List, Senator Dick Durbin, Barack Obama for U.S. Senate, John Kerry for President, Tammy Duckworth for Congress and one of the harshest left-wing members of Congress—Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, among others.
Notice that the post doesn’t come out and say that Rauner is behind the ads, but it sure seems clear that Schock believes that to be the case.
Rauner is rumored to have budgeted $50 million for the 2014 race. He could drown his opponents in cash, but that’s been tried before and it didn’t work. Should be a lot of fun.
Walk away. Now. And issue a joint statement by Senate Republican leader Chris Radogno and House Republican leader Tom Cross: “When a serious, comprehensive Democrat pension plan is offered, members of the Republican Party will return. Until then, we protest the Democrats’ refusal to address the issue that will send Illinois across the financial brink.”
Leaving does important things. It shows voters that Republicans are serious about overhauling the pension systems. It shows them that Dems can do what they want — by themselves. It shows who is willing to address this decade’s biggest issue in Illinois, and who is grandstanding so that they may secretly serve special interests. It prevents Republicans from getting sucked into a sneaky deal. (Check with U.S. House Speaker John Boehner on that one.) […]
Deny Democrats that narrative. Deny them their foil. Deny them the appearance of “needing” you — so that they may later blame you. Deny them their evasion of responsibility. Deny them their dithering by showing it to all Illinoisans.
Congratulations, you are sworn in. Now leave.
Um, how does leaving show anyone that Republicans are serious about anything, or that the GOP is willing to address anything, or that they’re not grandstanding, or evading responsibility?
* And remember how this state’s Republicans reacted when Wisconsin’s Democratic legislators hid out in Illinois? From an Illinois GOP press release…
…it is imperative that Governor Quinn do the right thing and tell these 14 Senator from Wisconsin that Illinois will harbor them no more,” said Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady. “It time they get back to Wisconsin and back to work.
I really hope Chris was being tongue in cheek here.
Those Wisconsin legislators left their state to prevent legislation from being passed. That at least made some sense because of parliamentary realities. Robling’s idea, however, is another matter entirely. Leave until something happens? Huh? What would be the point of ever voting for a Republican if they publicly cede all of their responsibilities?
And, actually, the House won’t be back until January 30th and the Senate isn’t returning until February 5th. So they’re already gone.
Maybe the Republicans ought to come to Springfield and work while the Democrats are back in their districts. That would show far more seriousness than some boycott.
* As if there was ever any doubt, Gov. Pat Quinn will veto the gaming bill that was finally released last week from a parliamentary hold…
On Oct. 17, 2011, Quinn announced that if Cullerton ever did send him the 2011 bill, he would veto it. So the bill sat, until last week. At the end of the expiring General Assembly, Cullerton cleared off his desk and sent the measure to Quinn. And on Friday, Quinn spokeswoman Brooke Anderson assured us that the governor will follow through on his 2011 threat.
* Meanwhile, I’m not so sure this smoking ban explanation is correct…
According to a year-end report issued by the Illinois Gaming Board, [casino] revenue for the 2012 calendar year was $1.6 billion, which was up slightly from 2011, but down by about 38 percent from 2007.
Tom Swoik, director of the Illinois Casino Gaming Association, which represents the Metropolis casino, Harrah’s, said that the 2007 smoking ban and an economy that took a turn for the worst are two reasons for the dip.
“Once the economy starts improving, I think that casino revenues will pick up,” Swoik said. “I think it will be a long time if ever that we get back to the 2007 figures because they’re not going to change the smoking ban.”
“All of the bordering states that have casinos do not have a smoking ban, so we lost about 20 percent in 2008, and we’ve lost an additional 18 or 19 percent on top of that since then just because of the economy,” Swoik added.
* It turns out, things are tough all over, despite casinos allowing smoking. For instance…
Revenues at Northwest Indiana’s five casinos dropped by $24.3 million in 2012, the second straight year of decline with the state of Indiana predicting more declines ahead.
The five Northwest Indiana casinos raked in $1.11 billion total in 2012, as compared to $1.13 billion in 2011, for a 2.1 percent drop overall, according to a tally by The Times of Indiana Gaming Commission monthly revenue reports. That drop compares with a 5.5 percent drop statewide in 2011.
All but one of the St. Louis area’s six casinos experienced revenue declines in December.
Pinnacle Entertainment’s River City Casino, in Lemay, received 3 percent more from gamblers last month than it did in December 2011. But that was the only growth among the area’s casinos, according to figures released Thursday by state regulators.
Winnings fell slightly at Lumière Place, Pinnacle’s other casino in the St. Louis market.
The biggest drop took place at Hollywood Casino, which changed hands late last year. Penn National Gaming paid Caesars Entertainment $610 million for the casino and adjoining hotel in Maryland Heights.
Nevada gaming revenues took a nosedive in November.
Statewide, casinos collected $782.6 million from gamblers during the month, a drop of almost 11.1 percent compared with $880.1 million collected in November 2011.
On the Strip, gaming revenues fell 12.8 percent with casinos collecting $431.8 million from customers, compared with $495.2 million collected a year ago.
The Gaming Control Board released the November numbers this morning.
Clark County gaming revenues as a whole fell 13 percent as every reporting area showed year-over-year monthly declines. Casinos along the Boulder Strip reported a 26 percent decline in gaming revenues while revenues were off 24 percent in North Las Vegas.
Downtown Las Vegas gaming revenues declined 17.2 percent.
* Look, I don’t think that the proponents of the soon to be law that allows undocumented immigrants to obtain driver’s permits are right about every point. But, I’ve been scratching my head about this line of opposition…
State Rep. Elizabeth Hernandez, D-Cicero, who sponsored the bill, asserts it will make Illinois’ roads safer and save lives.
We would say that’s highly debatable. What evidence does Hernandez cite to indicate that illegal immigrants with driver’s licenses are safer drivers than those without them? Simply having a driver’s license is no guarantee that a motorist will obey traffic laws or maintain sobriety while operating a vehicle. Don’t thousands of licensed drivers break those laws and drive under the influence each year?
Apparently, the Alton Telegraph editorial board doesn’t believe that driver’s licenses are worth the plastic they’re wrapped in. I eagerly await the paper’s next editorial advocating the abolishment of all driver’s licenses as a waste of time and money, since obviously they don’t work to prevent automobile accidents.
We agree with opponents of this measure who argued that a driver’s license is a privilege, not a right, and that giving illegal immigrants the privilege to drive in Illinois legally when they broke our laws by coming here is bad public policy.
So, I suppose, then, that people who have not yet completed their parole should be denied driver’s licenses as well? How about we forever revoke driver’s licenses from anybody who has ever broken any laws?
Again, I’m not wholly in agreement with every single argument made by the proponents. But these two arguments by the Telegraph just seem like a major reach to arrive at a predetermined position.
* By the way, this is something else that Rep. Hernandez said during debate…
State Rep. Elizabeth Hernandez (D-Cicero) said it goes beyond simply road safety and touches on a fundamental fairness - so that if an immigrant parent taking a sick child to the doctor, they can’t be humiliated and sanctioned by the state for not being a licensed driver.
“When you have children with Down Syndrome left at the curb witnessing their parents being arrested, handcuffed and their car being impounded…that’s disgusting,” she said. “That’s distrurbing. This cannot continue.”
“Frankly, I’m not sure they want it,” Illinois Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno (R-Lemont) said Tuesday about Democratic legislative leaders and state pension reform.
It sure looked liked she was right last week, at least in the House, where Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago) barely lifted a finger for any of the pension reform bills that were on the table.
His top aides insist that Madigan does want pension reform. Madigan has said he wants a bill to pass. So, what will it take to get him off the dime and start pushing for a solution?
Madigan’s members almost always take their cues from their leader on the big stuff. When he says “this is the bill I want right now,” they tend to go along. Until they get that message, House Democrats hold back and wait.
For his part, the conservative Madigan doesn’t usually get too far ahead of his members. He polls his caucus regularly, and if he sees major resistance to an issue, he’s almost always reluctant to push it. Unlike Gov. Pat Quinn, Madigan understands that defeat makes you look weak, and Madigan is obsessed with projecting an image of power.
And sometimes, especially when Madigan wants something big, he’s willing to wait and wait, and then wait some more, until the time is right before he makes his move.
So, let’s take him at his word that he realized the need for pension reform. What’s he waiting for?
The most obvious answer is the pension payment cost shift, which he strongly favors along with Senate President John Cullerton (D-Chicago) and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
The controversial plan would shift pension bills for suburban and downstate teachers from the state to local school districts, forcing districts to be much more cautious in granting pay raises that lead to bigger pensions.
Republicans and plenty of suburban and downstate Democrats oppose the cost shift, claiming it would lead to substantial property tax increases because the public schools are largely financed via that tax. Chicago has a separate teachers retirement system, which is why Emanuel supports the idea.
But proponents of the cost shift point to a recent pension plan as having a workable framework. That proposal would raise the employer’s pension costs by half a percentage point of payroll per year. If school districts and universities can’t absorb such an increase each year without a big tax or tuition hike, proponents say, then they need to send their leaders back to management school.
When Madigan dropped the cost shift as a “must have” in the days leading up to the recent lame-duck session, Quinn trumpeted the move as a major breakthrough that would lead to a pension reform deal.
But the lame-duck session turned out to be very much like last May, when Madigan agreed to back off the cost shift and handed a pension bill to House Minority Leader Tom Cross (R-Oswego). Quinn also hailed that decision as progress, but Madigan’s members quickly realized that no Madigan sponsorship meant no Madigan support, and the bill crashed and burned.
So, how the heck is this cost-shift thing ever going to pass? If the Republicans and lots of members are against it, fearing a voter revolt over higher tax bills, how does Madigan find the votes and persuade the GOP to climb aboard?
Madigan’s people won’t say, but a major crisis would be the most obvious avenue.
If the state’s credit rating is seriously downgraded, tons of pressure will be put on the General Assembly to act and restore some credibility to state finances. The Republicans might be more willing to sign on if their nervous big-business allies/donors insist that they participate in a solution.
Barring that, the only other way forward in the interim might be to do some small things toward pension reform that Madigan’s caucus could agree to. But even that might not go anywhere if Madigan decides to continue withholding support until he reaches his ultimate goal.
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said Monday he was ordering all city pension funds to divest any investments they have in gun manufacturers.
“We’re going to divest of any investment in any gun manufacturer,” he said.
He said he would lead a charge of mayors across the country urging them to do the same.
* But despite his comments today, his press release only says it’s about assault weapons..,
MAYOR EMANUEL ORDERS REVIEW OF PENSION AND RETIREMENT FUNDS FOR DIVESTMENT OF ASSAULT WEAPON COMPANIES
Funds Will Be Asked To Divest From Companies that Manufacture or Sell Assault Weapons
Mayor Rahm Emanuel today ordered Comptroller Amer Ahmad to request a portfolio analysis from the five pension and retirement funds for city employees to determine if fund managers hold underlying debt or equity positions in companies that manufacture or sell assault weapons as the first step towards removing these companies from the investment plans.
“We cannot support or invest in companies that profit from the proliferation of assault weapons and the violence these guns bring to our communities,” said Mayor Emanuel. “If our fund managers have invested in a company that manufactures or sells assault weapons, I will ask them to remove these investments from our retirement funds.”
Ahmad is requesting the review from the five major funds, including the Fireman’s Annuity & Benefit Fund of Chicago, the Laborers’ & Retirement Board Employees’ Annuity and Benefit Fund of Chicago, Municipal Employees’ Annuity & Benefit Fund of Chicago, Policeman’s Annuity & Benefit Fund of Chicago and the City of Chicago Deferred Compensation Plan. The five funds contain more than $13.5 billion in assets.
Will Burns, Alderman of the 4th Ward, will join the Mayor to introduce a resolution at City Council this week to support the review.
“Just as these weapons have no place in our communities, these companies have no place in the retirement planning for our employees,” said Burns. “The damage caused by these weapons is far greater than any return on investment.”
He may have gone beyond his intended remarks. We’ll see.
In his speech, Emanuel said, “We’re going to divest of any investment in any gun manufacturer,” but he later clarified that he was talking about those who make or sell assault weapons.
